(H) Southampton - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Southampton

Liverpool Goal: Daniel Agger (43)

Job done, move on.  It wasn't as comprehensive as some might have liked but it was important that after a few draws we got the win.  Home records are a wonderful vicious cycle in that teams will make it easier for you the more games you win but if that process gets interrupted then it becomes ever more harder to start all over again.  The return of Lucas Leiva to the starting line up took all the headlines and I wanted to temper my delight at his recovery with the apprehension that it may have been a little too soon.  Still, Southampton were not the kind of side that would resort to any rough tactics in that area of the park and like to try and play some football so in that respect they were probably a good fit for him to come back in.  Despite our opponents coming into this game on a decent run I couldn't help but think how the two sides looked a world apart on paper, but given how difficult it's been as of late so long as they were separated by a goal or two in our favour at the end of ninety minutes - that's all that would matter.

It was a fairly standard affair for the first few minutes as we looked to pass and move the ball around, controlling the ball and tempo in the early moments with relative ease.  The first shot of the game did come from Southampton however and Rickie Lambert had Reina scrambling when he hit a powerful curling shot.  For the most part we had enough to keep them away from any real danger areas and they were content to back off whenever a red shirt was in control of the ball.  Lucas' presence in the midfield was having an immediate impact in that this was allowing Joe Allen to play further up the pitch and it was the first time I'd seen our defence step up so high so early, allowing Agger and Skrtel to deal with anything that came in the air with the knowledge that Lucas could slot in and clean up alongside them.

The one player who wasn't getting involved in the short passing game in an attempt to get us further up the pitch quickly was Steven Gerrard.  It's clear that when the gaps are there that this team does have the licence to play more direct passes and when he is on his game nobody can play them like Gerrard.  His ball to Luis Suarez should probably have led to an early goal for Jonjo Shelvey who arrived on the edge of the box at the perfect moment after Southampton failed to clear it properly, only for his effort to be miss kicked back into the arms of a grateful Gazzaniga.  Jonjo was - as well as the long ball - involved again moments later, spraying the ball some thirty yards out wide to a wide open Glen Johnson who found Suarez.  Luis harassed the defender enough to get clear and lay it back to Johnson, who shot ended up flashing across goal.  The pressure continued to build as Joe Allen and Jose Enrique put the ball back in from the left side but it resulted in a corner, which was well worked between Gerrard and Johnson but ultimately came to nothing.

With Agger and Skrtel so far forward, when Southampton did try to play the ball in over the top it allowed them to come in and head the ball clear and in addition to Lucas getting in at their midfield before they were even allowed to turn and face, it really helped stem the tide of what had been a very open area in the middle of the park as of late.  Gerrard looked to have far more energy than he has in recent weeks too, popping up all around the middle of the park and because of that there was a real gap in quality across the middle of the park.  Stevie's radar appeared to be at it's very best as well, first providing a flick to send Luis Suarez bearing down on goal (who should have done better to see the run of those to the left of him before taking the ball too far and losing it) and then moments later being able to slide in Glen Johnson in between the centre half and fullback.  Johnson's subsequent cross to the near post was then only just cleared before Suarez was to tap it in.  The captain could even have had a goal for himself when some good movement from the resulting corner saw his shot blocked on the line.  It was encouraging stuff without being a total onslaught, we just needed to make it count.

When it came off against Newcastle the first time, it was one of the best goals that had been scored at Anfield for a long time.  They've tried it again and even Rodgers has commented on the fact that it's something that Suarez and Enrique have clearly worked on and once again it very nearly came off.  Jose's ball this time was arguably better than the one for the goal, cutting out and landing in between the full back centre half.  Unfortunately Suarez was unable to take it in quite as readily as he did in our last home game and it bounced off his hand and resulted in a free kick for Southampton.  One of the things that helped us greatly and at the same time made sure that things never got too anxious despite the scoreline being goalless was their continued giving up of the football.  It's hard to concede goals - regardless of how susceptible you are to the counter - if the opposition never touches it beyond an aimless clearance.

Something I noticed here that was more prevalent than at any time I can remember for a while is the sheer number of players we had pouring forward into the penalty area.  When Glen Johnson cut inside to force another save, there were four players waiting inside the box for a cross and Steven Gerrard on the outside ready for anything that landed there.  Even in the last few weeks when we were lightweight in midfield and teams were cutting through us, it wasn't because we had this many people in advanced positions.  In that respect I wouldn't imagine - even in spite of Lucas' inclusion - that this is something we're going to be doing every week regardless of opposition, especially due to the problems highlighted in the recent past but still it was nice to see some urgency that doesn't come in the form of a panic with ten minutes to go.

The chances began to start coming at a steady rate once more with Gerrard sliding Shelvey through and although his first touch let him down Jonjo still managed to get a shot away and had there been anyone following in it would have been a certain goal.  Sterling then found no way through but another failed clearance saw Shelvey take over, lay it off to Suarez who worked a one-two away with Joe Allen and then still managed to get a shot on goal away even though his shorts were being pulled.  Not that something like that is a penalty or anything.  At this point it's hard to even get angry about the denied penalty shouts, regardless of how legitimate they are.  Eventually we'll get a really soft one, in a game where we're already three or four up and the commentary will be all "well that's evened things up then".  Right.

Pepe Reina, having had virtually nothing to do all game prior, was called up upon to earn some of his wages for a change.  The first instance involved racing out to clear the ball when Southampton pinched it in midfield and were away in behind.  Following that he fancied a go at setting up a goal down the other end, one long bouncing ball over the top in saw Suarez through between both centre halves.  With the goalkeeper and his two defenders unable to really take charge of the situation, Luis flicked a leg out and had it just about blocked and away for a corner.  The pressure continued for a while as Southampton were unable to clear it and the next clear chance fell to Martin Skrtel from a Steven Gerrard cross.  Had it been with his head he would have done better but as it fell quickly to his feet, the effort wasn't great and then blocked.

To say it was the same kind of performance we've had all season would be inaccurate  although only just.  The idea that we were dominating the play and potentially moments away from being caught with a sucker punch lingered like a bad smell, but there was never anything really from Southampton that gave the impression it could actually happen.  They had two free kicks from decent positions, both of which we were able to counter and look far more threatening.  From the first one, Suarez played in Shelvey on the left hand side who tried to find Sterling.  His ball wasn't great and was cut out only as far as Gerrard, who passed it back to Jonjo.  The shot that followed was hit incredibly hard and smashed against the far post.  After Fonte's set piece was claimed by Pepe Reina moments later, he set Sterling away and it looked like we could be in, only for the pass to be slightly delayed and a questionable offside call on Luis Suarez.

For all the comfort that it seemed we were enjoying, it was important that our defence remained resolute throughout.  There weren't many through balls that had to be dealt with but both Agger and Skrtel had to stop them from going through on the occasions that they did try to get in behind.  Out of every passage of play that had gone on so far, it was the most even the game had been.  In that sense it was a little surprising that what came next was the breakthrough we'd been waiting for.  As the game had gotten a little more combative in the middle of the park, first Joe Allen, Lucas and Gerrard were having to get involved in a few battles and then further up with Sterling and Suarez as they tried to make something out of nothing.  When Suarez was taken down then, he lined up the free kick on the left hand side of the box and struck a beauty - for it to then come crashing down off the bar.  Fortunately the rebound came to Glen Johnson, who held the ball up and then crossed it for Daniel Agger to twist his body and put in a really powerful header for the goal.

There are moments in games that seem to go unnoticed because only goals change them.  Agger's header going in just before half time was the perfect reward for all our good play and yet there were chances at either end for it not to be the defining moment.  Suarez tried to go down the right hand side and when he was stopped the ball came back to Jonjo Shelvey.  He put another cross much like the one for the goal, and five foot six inch Raheem Sterling leaped clear of six foot one Jose Fonte only for the header to go just wide.  Even more alarming was the chance out of the blue that fell to Rickie Lambert.  His thirty yard effort had Reina scrambling again and for a second appeared to be creeping in.  Fortunately for us it was tipped just wide for a corner, which came to nothing and was the last act of the first half.  A forty five minutes which had seen us on top for the most part.  What's more important however, we were going into the dressing rooms in the lead.

Whatever the message sent out by Nigel Atkins to his team as we began the second half, keep the ball was not one of them.  Only a few seconds had passed before a wild clearance was launched into the Main Stand.  This continual surrendering of possession allowed us to build up without any real pressure and even allow for a much bolder pass selection, such as Lucas threading the eye of a needle to find Gerrard some twenty five yards on.  That's not to say the Southampon players weren't being hassled, we pushed them back aggressively very high up the pitch but even with that being said it didn't take much for them to give it back to us.  All over the park there were huge gaps for us to play in, especially in between their midfield and defence.    Most importantly, the players who would arrive in those gaps to pick up the ball had enough time to turn and face goal.  It looked like at any time we could overwhelm them.

It wasn't so much that we had all the answers but more like Southampton failed to ask us any real questions. On the occasions that they would have any real possession, we had more than enough to deal with them with even the minimal of tracking back.  At no point did it look like they could get in behind us or an upping of the tempo to try and get at the heart of our defence.   The likely reason for this is that maybe while the lead was only one they were content to let the game drift and catch us cold in the last fifteen and in that sense perhaps they lulled us in perfectly, but in retrospect they will probably be disappointed by not trying to get at us sooner.

So much has been said about the return of one Lucas Leiva and that even so much as having him back in the team would impact on our shape regardless of his form but it was remarkable to see just how adeptly he was applying himself.  For the first time in a long time, our midfield appeared to have more bite to it.  His ability to read the play and the tackles that come with that are so helpful in stopping the opposition before anything has even had a chance to look threatening.  Southampton seemed to respond to this by narrowing the pitch to a dramatic extent, the gaps that were there in the middle of the park were still there but now there were also huge spaces out wide which Gerrard in particular was drifting out to exploit.  It would become a feature of the play as Glen Johnson, Sterling and then Suarez also looked to do damage by taking on the fullback and getting around him but the final ball was never of the required quality to carve out a clear cut opening.

Rickie Lambert and Gaston Ramirez - dangerous though they are - could do very little in the face of some very unimaginative build up play.  The ball was being put forward into the box now in an attempt to make something out of nothing but all the while Agger and Skrtel never looked anything less than comfortable.  At the other end we have a player who is anything but predictable - and that doesn't always work out in our favout - in Jose Enrique.  He could easily have doubled our lead after playing a one-two with Suarez and driving inside with a very purposeful run.  Luis's return ball put him through on goal but he snatched at the chance with his right foot and it bobbled wide for a - subsequently uneventful - corner.

Jordan Henderson was summoned from the bench with just over twenty minutes to go, coming on for Joe Allen.  His energy in the middle of the park is always welcome but in truth it wasn't really needed as Skrtel and Agger were allowed all the time in the world to pick out their passes or to stride forward with the ball.  We were guilty of overplaying a little in trying to push forward into the final third as we looked to wrap the game up completely but even so Southampton would always give us another chance to go again as they constantly surrendered possession.  As their back four were camped on the edge of the penalty area, both flanks were involved in trying to get in behind with Jose Enrique first shooting hard at Gazzaniga which he couldn't take in, allowing the Spaniard another chance at the cross.  This was well over hit but Gerrard rescued it at the back post and then gave it off to Johnson whose attempt was way over.  Though the second goal looked to be a million miles away, it was safe to say that the one we had would be more than enough.

Over confidence does sometimes lead to a lack of concentration and though we weren't to be punished on this day for it, there's something to be said for the way in which Luis Suarez was booked which we could later pay the price for.  The move itself was fantastic, first being held up in the middle before going from left to right before Glen Johnson slid in Raheem Sterling just on the edge of the penalty area.  The subsequent ball played onto an onrushing Steven Gerrard was taken in brilliantly and his cross was just over the head of Suarez, who then handled it over the bar.  It was an act of frustration more than one of intended malice but the referee was given no choice but to show Luis a yellow card and because of that he will now be suspended for the trip to West Ham next week.  Not the smartest thing he's ever done on a football pitch.

Being put under minimal pressure, coupled with the space and time that we were afforded in high areas of the pitch - this allowed Steven Gerrard to showcase some of his range passing.  Of all the criticism that's been levelled at the captain this year, one thing that you can't do is allow him to pick the pass because though his engine may have died down somewhat the ability is still there.  What it does also is turn what would be a hopeful clearance into an effective pass for the counter, when he and Lucas were called in to do some work on the edge of our penalty area it was Gerrard's ball to Suarez that set us away on the break.  As had been a feature of the second half, the pass then to Enrique was a little heavy and asked too much of him but even in first gear we were still operating at a level well above our opponents.

With minutes to go, Brendan Rodgers allowed a chance for Anfield to applaud the returning Lucas Leiva with a substitution which would see Jamie Carragher play a holding role in front of the back four.  The blond Brazilian had done well to last so long on his return to duty and had gone about his game in a way which belied the severity of his recent injury problems.  There was still a couple of minutes left in which to wrap the game up as Luis Suarez was still chasing lost causes and looking for a goal in amongst a defence which was virtually counting down the seconds until full time.  First he very nearly got on the inside of Yoshida as the Japanese defender only just about managed to shield the ball out of play.  Only seconds later and a cross field ball was intercepted by Raheem Sterling who gave it to Suarez, whose placed finish went just wide of the post.  A third chance even came, this time Jose Enrique playing it into the Uruguyan whose shot was blocked. Suarez would be denied his goal on this day but it wasn't through lack of trying.

Southampton mustered little in injury time, as they had all game.  Reina came out and Shelvey dealt with a free kick into the box and Luke Shaw had a wild effort with virtually the last kick of the game that summed up their day as an attacking force with it nearly going wide.  In between there was still one final chance for us to underline our superiority as Suarez played in Raheem Sterling who was first held up by two defenders and then couldn't find Gerrard with an under hit reverse pass.  It wasn't the most dominating results we've had over the years but it's still a much needed three points and aside from the suspension to Luis Suarez is a positive result.  He will now likely travel to Italy, where we will look to progress to the next round of the Europa League where the challenge we face against Udinese could be very different to the straightforward nature of this one.