(A) Zenit St Petersburg - Pre Match Thoughts

Europa League

                                          Thursday 14th February 2013

                                         Petrovsky Stadium 

                             Zenit St Petersburg VS Liverpool


It seems like a lifetime ago now. The images are still relatively clear. A smiling, rueful Antionio Di Natale, having just missed the chance to knock Liverpool out of Europe. Jordan Henderson and Brendan Rodgers embraced and the midfielder applauded those that had made the trip. It had been a battle but was by no means Liverpool's best ever victory on the continent but it didn't matter. We had won and with it claimed top spot in the group. Our reward? A trip to Russia in winter. Great.

It may not be at the top of everybody's wishlist but the fact remains that realistically, this is our only chance of even a glimmer of success  That being said I would be surprised if there weren't a couple of changes made, both in the wake of what happened on Monday and with another game on Sunday to follow. Daniel Agger has been left at home and Martin Skrtel will be given an opportunity to balance out his performance in the Oldham game against his former club.

The first leg of any tie is usually quite defensive and tight with neither side wanting to give anything away. In recent years things have swayed in that direction even more with home teams have become more accepting of a goalless draw and the focus being on preventing the travelling side from any away goals. Without Sturridge to call upon there will likely be changes in the attacking areas also, Fabio Borini the likeliest to get the nod given that he didn't play against West Brom. Scoring at any point in this game will could be pivotal to the entire tie.

Zenit are quite possibly the most difficult opponent we could have been drawn against in terms of quality, let alone the fact that we've had to travel so far. Hulk is someone that was touted to be one of the top strikers in Europe and we'll do very well to keep him quiet. If we can do that then with Suarez at the other end there's always a chance we could make something happen.

Playing in Europe is always something to cherish. The chance to match up with sides all across the continent and tonight we really have to be on our game against a side that is packed with talent. Whatever happens we have to make sure that the tie is still alive and well for the second leg next week. Just because Anfield is a place where special things happen in Europe - and I always feel confident about a tie when that is the case - we shouldn't be relying on it. 

Mind Games

Of all the various activities that can be enjoyed, there are two types.  Some require skill and there are those that are fuelled by chance.  The idea then that even the element of good fortune may exist in the world of professional sport does not apply in reverse.  A single moment in time over the application a life's work; and yet it's better to be lucky at something rather than good at it.  Even the most computational and rational of people put their faith in all kinds of superstitions   It could be a specific shirt, underwear or even an elaborate routine.  Anything to gain an advantage.

The past is meant to inform our future, not define it. Only the correct use of information picked up from what has gone before will help to assist the present and guide the way ahead, alone it is useless.  Those that want to learn from their mistakes will forever become better, while anyone who revels in their former glory may never be able to repeat it.  There are lessons to be learned in every page of the history books but you still have to apply them successfully in order to get to where you want to go.

Repetition leads to understanding.  If the actions of one person illicit the same reaction every time, they will know that the two events are linked in some way.  It's for that reason that so many teams feel that they can come to Anfield and get a result because so many have done in the recent past.  What's important is to discover the connection and try to reverse that trend - however simple or complicated it may be - and not just accept things the way they are.  That's not to say this will always be the way, for up until Saturday Liverpool had done a lot of groundwork with wins over Wigan, Reading and Southampton but now they will have to start again and be more resolute.  A set back like this makes it difficult both in the present and in the future because teams know that it's possible.  Just because we're capable of faltering however does not mean it should ever be likely.

Realizing that something works in a certain way is only the first step.  Knowing why it operates in the manner it does will then give a broader grasp of the situation.  Assuming that something will happen - whether that be winning or losing - regardless of how well informed, is a dangerous game.  If a tossed coin lands on heads a thousand times in a row, that is no guarantee of it landing heads ever again.  People can be very quick to draw up a line between the past and an unknown future. The premise may be based on experience but it is still very much an acceptance of an assumed reality. Whether it's beliefs are of superiority or inferiority it doesn't matter, the sports pages are always filled with stats week after week about how a certain team has never won at a certain ground or how X has never scored against Y. When they work in our favour we hold on to them, embellish these misleading facts to the point where they are all but cast iron assurances of victory. Putting too much faith in them completely ignores the idea that anyone can improve - or decline - over time.

Gathered data over a period of time mean little to the outsider, but to the participant they could mean a great deal. As with all that is psychological in the world of sport, anything that puts the athlete in a better frame of mind can only be a good thing. If two teams of similar ability are put into the same situation, it is the team that has the confidence that it will win that is far more likely and although nothing is guaranteed, any manager would like the extra ten or so percent between those who think they have it in them and those who don't.

The dangers of both ways of thinking are very severe. A team that consistently falls at the final hurdle will eventually convince itself that they cannot and as such will lose before a ball has been kicked. Those who are used to winning may eventually take it for granted and lose their focus when it really matters. Any good manager can take care of the latter - not every time but often enough - if a collection of players become conditioned to losing however, then it's almost impossible to recover. Isn't it Arsene?

Both the situation and the concerns that are arising now over at the Emirates should be very much on the mind of Brendan Rodgers and his men, perhaps moreso than any other club in the league right now. The trust with which he has put in the younger and academy players has been endearing and for the most part rewarding but it does come with a risk. Those that are just finding their feet in the world of football are by far more susceptible to defeat.  Especially in the case of having a pool of raw talent, they need to experience some degree of success otherwise their game will not develop naturally and they could become held back by fear. It's for this reason that the last few games prior to the Aston Villa disaster have been potentially very important for Liverpool Football Club in the long term.

It's unlikely when listing great European triumphs that last weeks one goal victory over Udinese will be among them, still it served a purpose. There were four members of the starting eleven that night - as well as Jonjo Shelvey who came on very soon after - who are still taking part in their debut season on the continent and as such are still learning the game at that level. This will have been their first experience of a European knock-out and though defeat in the Europa League may not be enough to keep Suarez or Reina awake at night, the likes of Henderson or Allen in particular would have seen this as an opportunity missed. The pressure is sure to be different next time and the challenges bound to be harder but at least they have the experience of getting through it.

Right now there is a real strong mentality among the squad that Rodgers has around him at present but that's not to say that it won't be tested. Having ground out wins at home and starting to reverse the trend of frustrating draws, the club appears to have to start again after what happened on Saturday - just as it reacted after the defeat to West Brom in the opening day and against Swansea in the League Cup when the picture seemed familiarly bleak.  It's disappointing that people have to feel these dramatic lows over the course of the season but not unsurprising. As the club enters the most hectic and potentially most crucial part of the season there was a real momentum there and it can't all be forgotten on the back of one bad result. It doesn't stop here.

Taking nothing for granted, no amount of confidence will get the job done.  Things had been going well lately on the whole and there still needs to be a massive push just before the transfer window opens in January.  Getting back on track as quickly as possible will help repair the damage.  Winning helps get into the minds of the opposition and will in turn make them believe that for whatever reason that fate will favour Liverpool Football Club.  This isn't about a roll of the dice or any kind of gamble however, football is a game of talent and the club needs to continue to showcase that, as often as possible.  Then fortunes will really change.

(A) Udinese - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Udinese 0-1 Liverpool

Liverpool Goal: Jordan Henderson (23)

Truth be told, I wasn't sure we would go through.  I thought this might have been a task too far and that our chance for qualification had gone with the late equalizer against Young Boys.  Sometimes it's rather enjoyable to be proven wrong and this was certainly one of them.  For the most part it's unlikely to be ranked as one of the all time great European displays that we've ever put on but that's more of a testament to how many good performances we've put in over the years.  What it will do however, is give a great deal of confidence to the younger members of the squad.  These are the kind of positive experiences that burgeoning players really need to help their development.  It also means they'll have another opportunity to learn, when the Europa League resumes next year.

Failing to secure qualification for the next round prior to this meant that there had to be a strong side put out but with Luis Suarez suspended for Sunday that meant at least we would not have to worry about monitoring his minutes.  Jamie Carragher led the side alongside Martin Skrtel and with no Steven Gerrard to call upon through illness, the midfield three of Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Jordan Henderson would have to shine - both individually and collectively.  Right from the kick off Udinese showed their intentions by winning a corner with a very direct ball up the field and speculative long range shot.  They were to try and put as much pressure on us territorially but other than that had no real intentions of pressurising us high up the pitch and so we were able to go about passing the ball around and trying to ease ourselves into the first few minutes.

Had there been a vociferous crowd in attendance, our approach to the early goings would have been perfect.  As it was Udinese's fans had decided not to show up in any great number and both the stadium and subsequent atmosphere was as icy as the temperature appeared to be, but that's not to say what we were doing wasn't productive.  Away games in Europe are always about being patient and it appeared that what we were trying to do was keep the ball for long periods of time and try to exploit the energy of Suarez by playing him in down the channels.  There was a lot of work both on and off the ball by us but no real settled pattern of play, mostly due to the fact that Udinese had numbers back.  Italian defences aren't known for their openness and as such we continued to try to probe without ever really getting in behind.

Very early on in the game and there was a change to the original game plan.  Nuri Sahin had been off the pitch receiving treatment for what seemed like an innocuous challenge - it was later determined to be a broken nose - and while we looked fairly comfortable with ten men Jonjo Shelvey was quickly summoned as the blood flowing from Sahin could not be stopped and a replacement was called for.  His introduction into the game was to produce the first real shot of any kind by a Liverpool player, a wild hit on the volley that went well wide after Udinese had half cleared a free kick.  The changes that were then required in midfield seemed to give them an boost and as we tried to get used to the new setup with Joe Allen back in the more holding role with Henderson and Shelvey ahead of him, they tried to take advantage of any confusion in our defensive third by harassing us for the ball for the first time as we tried to shepherd it out from the back.  As it was only the front two that were taking part in this, while it didn't exactly look comfortable eventually we were able to deal with it.

The pitch at the Stadio Fruili was really slow and made one aspect of their defending frustratingly effective.  Whenever we would try to get our fullbacks into forward positions, they'd overload completely to try and close down the space completely.  Were we able to shift it to the other side of the pitch quickly or effectively then they may have been gaps to exploit but a combination of their closing of the space and the run of the ball meant that any attempt to do this would have had to have been aerial and allow them the chance to clear.  As it was everything looked to be going fairly well apart from one counter attack which led to a throw in.  We were somewhat asleep as it was hurled into the box and Mathias Ranégie's dipping header had Reina a little worried but it went just wide.

Jonjo Shelvey's tackles this season have been something that's caught the eye of many.  This time he was on the receiving end of one that could easily have been a red card.  Diego Fabbrini slid in for a challenge with his studs up and received an immediate yellow but it was one of those challenges that receives a much harsher punishment in the Premier League these days.  At this point having coped fairly well with what Udinese had to offer, we began to get a little careless with our clearances and invited them onto us somewhat.  Suarez had not really had a chance to get into the game and I can understand why we were keen to get the ball up to him as quickly as possible - especially on the counter - but if the long ball is off by a little then all it does is give them it back and so Pepe Reina was called into action, diving backward and tipping a shot over from Pereyra.

With our hosts growing into the game a little, a chance to break on them and the free kick represented a little respite.  Shelvey it was again who was fouled on the edge of the box and Suarez stepped up to try and repeat the wonderful set piece he scored against Udinese at Anfield.  This time it wasn't quite as magical as the ball rebounded off the wall but Luis persisted and won a corner.  From that corner Suarez was again involved, somehow left completely unmarked and produced a really tame header from Stewart Downing's cross.  Fortunately though the ball fell to the feet of Suso on the right hand side of the goal and he laid it back for Jordan Henderson whose first time shot squirmed under the legs of Daniele Padelli and into the net to give us the lead that we needed so badly.  Now we had something to hold onto.


Their reaction to going a goal down wasn't exactly the most urgent.  A lot of the time the ball was being played into areas either side of our defence rather aimlessly  and we always had a lot of men to cover those spaces.  All the while we were very resolute in getting our bodies in between the Udinese players and the ball so that even if our wide men weren't able to win the header then our - far hungrier - midfield could clean it up.  Perhaps the two most pleasing aspects of the way in which we set about after the goal was our commitment to getting the simple things spot on.  They were given no time nor space to turn on the ball and face our goal and even those that managed it were still hassled into giving it up.  On the other hand when we were in possession our movement was a lot brighter and it made passing around them so much easier.  The Udinese players had little intention of getting in our faces and making it difficult but that being said we still had an air of confidence and comfort with our passing knowing that it was our tempo being imposed on things.

A goal to the good away from home in a must win European tie, these are the kind of games that in spite of his limitation that Jamie Carragher excels in.  Safe in the knowledge that we have someone back there who has come up against pretty much everything that top level continental football can care to offer is something of a relief in a situation like this.  Not that they were ever keen to expose him however.  Udinese would put deep crosses into the box whenever they had the chance and consequently Skrtel and Carra were able to deal with this very easily.  Once we had it again in the middle of the park minutes would pass before they'd have the chance to even touch the ball as often as many as three red shirts would be in space around the one Udinese midfielder.  It made playing around them so much easier and with the lead we were under no pressure to play the ball any further forward, so we decided to keep knocking it around until a gap presented itself.

A second goal didn't seem inevitable but we were the more likely to score.  Glen Johnson had already had an effort ruled out when he placed the ball into an empty net after Downing had cut the ball across goal from an offside position and the ball may have gone out in the first place.  The chances that then came about weren't particularly clear cut but still we were finding gaps to exploit in and around the Udinese defence.  Jonjo Shelvey had been slipped in down the right hand side but was unable to find a cross, even when given a second chance and when Suarez found Suso with a good lofted pass he was just unable to take it in his stride.  In between those two efforts the home side did finally manage to make Pepe Reina do some work for a change they were able to for once in the game play the ball into a gap between midfield and defence.  Fabbrini was able to shake off the attention of Joe Allen and drive from just outside the box straight into the reach of Reina.

Pressure arrived in the form of a goal in the other game.  With Young Boys having taken the lead now against Anzhi, any kind of slip up now would be costly.  Not that it had any real impact on the game that was being played out here for we were still looking very comfortable in possession and hungry to win it back whenever we weren't.  Udinese looked like a side that didn't have any real passion for the game and given that they were consigned to being knocked out of Europe regardless, it certainly told.  As we approached half time there was only ever one moment of even slight concern in an otherwise care free half of football.  Jose Enrique was caught out of position slightly and the ball in behind found Faraoni in a lot of space on the right hand side.  He looked offside but no flag was raised, fortunately his subsequent cross was hammered to no-one and even though Armero recovered it Carragher was easily able to head away the follow up.

It was an exercise in professionalism and though there are many far more wondrous sights to behold on a football pitch, being in front in a European tie away from home and watching Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher play the ball in between one another with no sign of any pressure whatsoever is still something I really enjoyed watching.  When the forward men did arrive to put a obligatory foot in, the ball quickly went into our immediately more advanced three in Johnson, Enrique and Allen where we had the choice of playing it back or moving it up the field.  A very comfortable half was nearly underlined and made even better with the last kick for Glen Johnson had won a corner from which Luis Suarez performed a marvellous overhead kick which very nearly caught out Padelli but he was just about able to tip over from point blank range.  Forty five minutes to go, to hold on to a result that would see us through to the next round of the Europa League.

The players emerged from the tunnel for the start of the second half with a goal to smile about before even a ball had been kicked. Anzhi had equalized against Young Boys with virtually the last kick of the first half and I'm not sure whether Brendan Rodgers will have relayed this to his players as while this was a positive for us, the real job would be done here.  With the game restarted then there was no sign right away that Udinese would be putting us under any more pressure than they had done in the first period and as such we were able to feel our way into the game once more.  Even more encouragingly there were chances being created quickly and were we to get a second goal that would make everything a lot more comfortable.  Unfortunately the first real chances of the half fell to Suso's wrong foot with Suarez winning it in midfield and playing it into the young Spaniard who blazed over.

Knowing that if we held on to our clean sheet for the remainder of the game we would be through, it was important when they had the ball that our shape and organization was perfect.  Everyone barring Suarez was behind the ball and Udinese didn't ever really look as if they had the desire to play through us with any real quality.  What they were doing was putting the ball into dangerous areas either side of the midfield and hoping we'd be fooled into giving them set pieces or overcommitting.  There was the odd occasion where we would give away the ball in these areas, Suso battling hard to win the ball back but not being strong enough to hold it or smart enough to clear it and then on the other flank Downing was a little casual with his attempted clearance.  Whenever they did get hold of it however, the ball that was played into the box would invariably be aerial and cannon fodder for Carra and Skrtel to deal with.

Leaving Suarez up front to hold the ball up is fine, he's good enough to do that.  The problem was that there was an ever increasing gap between he and the midfield, to the point where when we did manage to win the ball and try to break forward there would be enough Udinese players there to guard Suarez and we would be forced into either rushing a pass or going backward.  Our midfield wasn't functioning particularly well in terms of it's passing and there was a period in which we were very sloppy and would continue to give away the ball.  Having said that, there was a real effort off the ball by all concerned to try and win it back but we were giving Udinese free opportunities to come onto us and were fortunate that their response was less than imaginative, Badu resorting to shooting from some thirty yards out with the ball going harmlessly wide when he may have driven it in closer to goal.

Given the situation of the game and the fact that Young Boys had once again taken the lead, leaving us in the precarious situation of knowing an equalizer would send us out of the competition, we were a lot more patient in our build up play than our opponents however and an almost visible desire not to send too many players forward.  That would in turn make us rely on individual skill rather than any great passing movement in terms of trying to score a second and put the game beyond all doubt.  Glen Johnson is one such player with this kind of ability and he very nearly cut inside and made it count, going past two defenders before a heavy touch allowed Padelli to collect.  He was then immediately on the back foot as Amero fooled him with an unintentional dummy which sent him through down the left hand side.  Jordan Henderson was quick to cover and Skrtel eventually headed the danger clear.  It was the Slovakian's presence from the resulting corner that put off Benatia, who otherwise would have had a free header and maybe would not have sent it just over the crossbar.  Udinese may not have been playing perfect football, but we only needed to look at our last European game to see how quickly a game can turn.

Suarez was playing his role up front to perfection, with the game entering a very untidy phase he would continually allow us the chance to breathe either by holding onto the ball or making a Udinese player take him down and the free kick giving us the chance to step up.  This also helped in terms of killing time and every second counted as the tempo of the game was very slow and comfortable for us.  What helped in addition to this was that Benatia - who had only just came on for them at half time - was unlucky to be forced off with an injury but this in turn slowed things down once more.  Whether or nor the short break allowed the manager to pass a message on I'm not sure but straight away we were a lot higher up the pitch.  A good chance to score again immediately followed with Jonjo Shelvey picking it up on the edge of the box and giving it to Jose Enrique.  His cross was met high on the volley by Jordan Henderson whose effort was tipped over the bar brilliantly by Padelli.

One of the things the step up allowed us to do a lot easier - and this sounds so simple it's almost patronising - was win the ball higher up the field.  Instead of picking it up deep in our own half, Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson were picking it off just ahead of the final third and as such we were able to get onto the front foot a lot quicker and easier.  The Udinese goalkeeper was called into action once more, another brilliant point blank save as Allen recovered the ball and gave it to Downing who played Suarez in.  He could have took it first time only to cut inside the defender.  Then when you thought he'd created room for the shot he took it inside another defender and then fired in on goal, with Padelli just about able to claw it over from point blank range.  The resulting corner saw another Udinese injury, this time with Glen Johnson stepping on the hand of Faraoni.  That's one way to stop them breaking on us.

Suso is someone who clearly has a bright future.  I would certainly hope that future is with Liverpool Football Club but right now he is something of a square peg that Brendan Rodgers is trying to put into a round hole.  Aside from the positional question - which has realistically been answered, he is not a winger - the only thing that's actually wrong at the moment with him is his final ball.  He's capable of a lot better and at times tries to hard to get involved in the play and I suppose the composure will only come with further exposure.  As it was, this was seventy minutes of a decisive European encounter that he'd played his part in and will have learned from as the manager decided it was time for Raheem Sterling to come on and it would be Suso who would make way.  The idea being here clearly that with little time remaining there would be more gaps for he to exploit.  A second goal wasn't vital but it certainly would have been very helpful.

With time ticking ever onward and Udinese becoming ever more direct, with the inclusion of a few soft free kicks adding to a sense of growing pressure albeit one in which Reina was never really tested.  One thing he was trying to do was to push our defence out as the gap between it and the midfield as we'd began to sit a little deeper was rather large, which in turn led to some very sloppy passing in between the two and in turn gave the ball back to them.  Even Suarez was on the edge of the half way line now such was the way in which we'd been sucked in and with our clearances becoming ever more frantic and wayward we continued to invite Udinese onto us but every time they'd get into a decent area the pass would be poor and allow the chance for a clearance.

In a sense, we'd almost rather Udinese have been wanting more out of the game as it winded down.  Despite our attempts to invite them onto us - even if they were unintentional - they still had six players at the back at all times and we were unable to find any gaps on the break.  The only time that there was any space was when Jose Enrique's long cross field ball found Luis Suarez who had drifted over to the right hand side but he was so isolated at the time he couldn't retain possession long enough for anyone to join him.  Then came an unexpected bonus in the form of a red card for Giovanni Pasquale.  Raheem Sterling had backed into him and then spun around him, something which is a favoured trick of Luis Suarez and one he's always being punished for.  On this occasion the referee blew in our favour and promptly showed the Italian left back a second yellow and subsequently sent him off.

In truth, the man advantage didn't really matter for much.  There was so little time left and the game had already established it's final pattern with it being simply a case of whether we'd be able to hold on or not.  It would have been foolish - in very much the way we were punished at Anfield against Young Boys - had we gone searching for the second goal in any kind of aggressive way, despite the fact that we had a full compliment of players.  From here on in, the game was - for the majority - all about set pieces.  Following the red card the referee lost control of matters somewhat and appeared to be giving everything whenever players went to ground be they us or them.  Udinese were awfully both in their imagination and execution with theirs, hitting them frequently in the direction of the red shirts and allowing us the chance to come out with the ball.  Conversely now they were getting a little frustrated and over eager in their challenges, in particular one on Joe Allen that was more of a kick to the stomach than anything else which went unpunished. What it did do however was further allow us the chance to hold the ball and let the remaining time tick away.

With just over five minutes to go, the man who beat us at Anfield was finally summoned forth.  Antonio Di Natale's involvement in our earlier encounter meant that there could be no lapses in concentration and even though there was so little time left he was still capable of doing some damage.  That being said, to get the ball up to him in the first place they still had to take it from us and with the players doing exactly what was required of them in holding onto it there was no way he could hurt us.  Even Brendan Rodgers got involved in the act, holding onto the ball when it came to him and being confronted by Pereyra.  There was no real sign of a final fight from Udinese as we were allowed to knock the ball around in our own half with a fair degree of comfort.  At the other end Suarez was working hard to the last, first holding up the ball then using his skill to cut inside on the left hand side of the penalty area to win a corner.  After wasting a few seconds and surviving an attempted counter Suarez had it again on the left hand side and he and Downing almost worked a chance for Raheem Sterling but the referee blew for a foul as time appeared to have run out on Udinese.  But it wasn't quite over yet.

A soft free kick allowed them a last chance to put the ball into the box and see what could happen.  When that ball was half cleared the danger appeared to be over but Jordan Henderson's attempt at a clearance bounced off a defender to the feet of Max Reinthaler.  He then played it inside to Faraoni who chipped it over the head of Jamie Carragher.  The ball fell to Di Natale who had just gotten on the outside of him and his effort was smashed high over the bar.  He smiled and I had to check my blood pressure.  It was the last kick of the game and he could have knocked us out right there, but the whistle then blew and our progress was sealed.  It wasn't a mesmerising performance, especially against an opposition that didn't really have their hearts in it but that being said it will be a very good step in the learning for some of our players and now we can move on knowing that there will be European football in the spring to look forward to.

(A) Udinese - Pre Match Thoughts

Europa League

Thursday 8th November 2012

Stadio Friuli

Udinese VS Liverpool

Securing a result away from home in Europe is always a difficult challenge. The circumstances aren't as dire as they might be - Udinese are already out and due to the lowly status of the Europa League there won't be that much doom and gloom surrounding the result - but Liverpool Football Club and European football go hand in hand. I want this team to be playing in the next stage and I crave the nervous tension that comes with a tie in the latter rounds of the competition. In order to do that we must get a result tonight.

Forget what happens in Switzerland. That may be the hardest thing for all those involved and yet it's the most basic. Though our fate isn't entirely set by what happens in the Stadio Friuli and we could - in theory - go through with a draw, all that really matters is the knowledge that victory definitely sends us though, regardless of anything else. The same applies to our opponents. We cannot make any assumption regarding their mentality toward the game and instead have to get on with it. Whether or not Udinese will be a team that plays without fear because they're already out and want to put on a performance for their fans or if we turn up and they're not motivated or up for a fight in the slightest. These are all things we cannot control. What we have to do is be better than whatever we come up against.

The consequences of not seeing out the game against Young Boys in our last game will be laid bare here and again underlined against West Ham on Sunday. In terms of points we could easily rue the loss of that extra two, which would have seen us through to the next stage and able to rest players tonight. Now, having got in that difficult position, we'll have to balance things very carefully. The start of that being Agger, Gerrard and Lucas all staying at home. Suarez's inclusion is a great one and if benefited massively by his suspension at the weekend so that Rodgers will have no qualms with throwing him in there for the full ninety as opposed to giving him any rest.

As for the others, I think we need to see Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel to add some solidity at the back wheras elsewhere I think Sahin, Shelvey and Henderson is the likely midfield. Suso could also get a place on the wide areas if he is to be fitted into the starting line up.  Other than that he could quite easily play a part as an impact sub should we need it in a side that will be very short on attacking talent - Suarez aside.

 Tentative though I am going into this game there are two universal things that have been true as I've grown up a Liverpool fan. The first being that when the odds are against us - and going into Italy to try and come out with a win they certainly are - that's when we produce our very best. Secondly, Liverpool in Europe has a way of telling a special story. It may not always be straightforward and they're usually not for the feint hearted but they're the games that stick into the memory long after the season has finished.

(H) Young Boys - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 2-2 Young Boys
Liverpool Goals: Jonjo Shelvey (33), Joe Cole (72)
Young Boys Goals: Raúl Bobadilla (52), Elsad Zverotić (88)

There's frustration.  You get that with football teams sometimes, especially ones going through a period of transition.  This was different however.  When this game ended, there was nothing that could describe the way I felt more than abject fury.  That we could be so incompetent and ignorant of the situation, it's so incredibly upsetting especially because of how very possible we could be punished for it against Udinese.  At the very least we've been denied the chance to rest a few players ahead of that game, so it complicates matters further.  We didn't have enough about ourselves to hold on even though we had already won the game.  Twice.

No Luis Suarez in the line up was a peculiar one and in retrospect something you can point to and say that was a mistake.  Likewise his inclusion and any injury would have seen similar foul cries.  Personally I would have started him and I think that in leaving him out it made things harder than they should have been, that being said - the problems that we had in this game were born out of this decision; all that would come later.  Other than that it was as expected, the mixture of exciting youth talent and experience with some players that need the time to play themselves into form.  Shelvey up front was something I was quite tentative about but he is someone who has been in goalscoring form in this competition so there was some method behind it.

It was so close to being the worst start possible.  Young Boys wandered into midfield from kick off and played a ball in behind Andre Wisdom.  Had Zarate and Farnerud not fluffed their respective chances from here, we could so easily have been behind within the first thirty seconds.  Reina was called into action again a minute or so later, saving low down from a Bobadilla strike and Young Boys had started the game much the better side.  They were right in our faces when we had the ball and tried to rush our passing, not that we needed any incentive to give it away as we were being very sloppy in possession also.  It took a few minutes, but the game began to settle down somewhat as we got into it.  Jonjo Shelvey was working very hard to apply the pressure from the front and Joe Cole was showing some unforeseen mobility in behind.

Young Boys would have been encouraged by the way our midfield started the game, in that it didn't really begin to function.  So much has been said about all the experience we have in the side and that there were more than a handful of players who have played at the international level in that team but what it lacks so much in terms of balance is a voice in there - Carragher aside - who'll put their authority on it.  In the middle that really showed as the isolated talents of Jordan Henderson, Suso and Nuri Sahin saw an almost non existent barrier in front of the defence as they played through us.  Though they weren't marauding, given the problems we have had in defending the counter it will have been a worry to Rodgers that no-one got a grip on it early which was exactly what we needed under the circumstances.  You could argue that the only way these players are to develop a real command of that position however is to play in these kind of games and learn it.  That will mean however that we're going to see games - and patches of play like this - whereby things like this happen.

As for getting a foot into the game, we did so down the left hand side with Assaidi - and to a lesser extent Stewart Downing behind him - and after an initial burst Young Boys had backed off a little when we were in possession.  We'd managed to wake up from what was a very casual, lax start and aside from one failed pass inside from Andre Wisdom which gave the ball away in midfield but fortunately lead to nothing we were starting to keep possession much better and hold off our opponents.  Though they got back and defended in numbers when we knocked the ball around, their midfield was very narrow and this allowed some room in behind the fullbacks.  With no real striker it was a little difficult for us to have any real presence in the attacking third of the pitch but that being said with Joe Cole being very keen to run inside the defender it allowed Shelvey to come deep and knit the play together.  These two things came together beautifully as Cole's run down the channel was seen by Shelvey and he played him through only for the shot to go narrowly wide.  A promising start then from the much maligned former England international.

One of the things we've had a major problem with this season is the transparency with which we are forced into basic mistakes.  Opponents pounce on the smallest of errors and turn them into giant openings which we are then unable to deal with.  The biggest source of this is when it comes to playing it back to the goalkeeper.  When Carragher mistimes one and Reina is on his toes enough to recognize and see out the danger - something which has become a necessity rather than a good sign - at least we're aware of the play.  The real problem is when the ball comes back to Pepe a moment later and his clearance goes straight back to a yellow shirt and they are able to attack us once more.  We know they're going to put pressure on it and in just lumping it long we're achieving nothing that an initial punt up-field would accomplish.  Neither are what is required and most of the time it's about basic movement on the part of everyone else and the execution of a a simple pass.  It's not possible to play it on the floor all the time but we must get used to and be able to get around the kind of pressure that we know teams will put us under if we're trying to play this way.

From not being particularly fast to slowing down completely, the tempo of the game came to a halt as an injury to Dušan Veškovac saw him stretched off the pitch.  As the ball was running out of play he attempted to back heel the ball into Assaidi who was chasing behind and in turn pulled his hamstring.  Having been involved in the pain of one their players, Ousamma Assaidi was minutes later causing more problems for the Young Boys defenders, his close control being too much for them but his eventual ball through arrived at the feet of an offside Joe Cole.  If that was a chance that was created by persistence with Assaidi trying to bulldoze his way through then the next one was as precise and skilled as you can get.  The ball was played in from the left hand side to Jonjo Shelvey, who had the vision and talent to see Henderson running in behind him.  His back heel was perfectly executed and then saw Henderson through on goal.  The one thing that was missing from the whole thing was a finish as Jordan then saw his shot saved.

Fans of different football teams don't often get along.  Despite the fact that we share the same interests, there will always be that dividing line.  However, there are occasions - and Europe appears to be where they come up the most - where supporters of other clubs endear themselves.  The Young Boys fans unveiled a banner in memory of the Hillsborough victims, which was warmly applauded around the stadium.  It was a nice gesture and something that you don't forget in a hurry.  The game itself was becoming a rather slow affair with either side taking turns in roaming into attacking areas but were both lacking in the cutting edge to really make anything count.  Liverpool did look the brighter when they were attacking, mostly because of the fact that Young Boys were pressing so high on the occasions we were able to get it beyond the half way line there was space there to exploit.  Andre Wisdom was the one who continually found himself with that room to manoeuvre and it was on the half hour mark that he had to be taken off - for what appears to be a precautionary injury - with Steven Gerrard as his replacement.

The substitution meant that there would be a reshuffling in midfield and I have to say I felt sorry for Jordan Henderson.  Having watched him out there against Swansea despite my initial excitement to see him play in that position I think it's a massive waste of what he can do and could potentially damage his confidence further.  That being said, it didn't take long for the team to click into gear once the changes had been made and with it came the first goal of the game.  Joe Cole and Suso played a lovely one-two on the outside of the penalty area to get Cole in on goal and as the goalkeeper came out he shifted it across goal for Jonjo Shelvey to head into the net.  Having taken the lead without overly exerting our power, it was now about doing the simple things right - with Sahin tackling well in the middle of the park and Skrtel easing off Bobadilla as they tried to put him through over the top.

If we're ever to cast aside this idea of teams coming back onto us late in games then what we should be aware of is that despite having taken the lead and the confidence that comes with that, we still need to be just as clinical when we're a goal up as opposed to being level.  Suso ran in between a few defenders and his powerful deflected shot could have gone anywhere but instead earned a corner, from which Joe Cole had a golden opportunity to double the lead but instead saw his shot blocked as he went for placement over power.  At the back we were again guilty of being a little too casual in playing it out but fortunately for us Young Boys never really had any quality to punish us with.

Settling with playing on the counter attack for what remained of the half, it was Suso who could have put the game to bed completely right before half time.  Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Cole knitted the play together before sending Suso through on goal.  The keeper was beaten all ends up but his shot drifted just wide.  It's the kind of composure that will come with experience but on this occasion with the game situation as it was, a calmer older head could have ended the game as a contest.  As it was, there was very little of substance that remained until the break but still we went in a goal to the good and forty five minutes to see out the result that would see us through to the next round.

The restart saw our Swiss opponents pressing high up the pitch right from kick off and trying to make it increasingly difficult for us to play around at the back.  This eventually led to Pepe Reina coming out of his goal to sweep up the trouble and clear the ball in conjunction with Jordan Henderson.  Once again the midfield three looked to be backing off a little and even with both Gerrard and Sahin in there, Young Boys were able to get into the space just ahead of our defence and let fly with a couple of powerful long range efforts.  Zverotić and Farnerud both had Reina scrambling as we appeared to have switched off completely. That being said, the first chance of the half did fall to a red shirt.  Suso played the ball through to Joe Cole in between the defender and left back only for Wölfli in goal to race out to prevent any clear cut shot.  It would then prove to be our downfall as Farnerud picked up the ball in midfield, ran some fifteen yards unchallenged and then put one over the top for Bobadilla.  Henderson was caught massively infield for the second time in a matter of minutes only this time we were made to pay.  The first touch was great and the angle difficult but the Young Boys striker hit it powerfully across Pepe Reina to level the match and again throw the group wide open.

A lot of the blame - both for that goal and what happened subsequently - has been levelled at the feet of Henderson and while it's right that he was caught out for that incident, there were other - more worrying - things to consider.  Right after the goal with Young Boys clearly lifted by the goal, we found ourselves yet again being pressed high up the pitch.  When our defenders have the ball, there is a really concerning tendency of our midfield to turn their backs on the play, or even jog into areas of the pitch where we can't play the ball.  It's all well and good trying to play someone into space but first they have to find it in the first place.  Also, with a stand in right back on the field, the person ahead of him or one of the midfielders should come over to help out and yet there was a huge gap on that side of the pitch between Henderson and Cole.  I know full well that Cole hasn't got the legs to get up and down but that's something we should recognise, especially if our opponents have clocked on to it and are using it as a base camp to flood the midfield.

There was a period of time after the goal where it looked like we may be overwhelmed.  Eventually a few counter attacks of our own materialized and with them back in their own half we were able to force them back easier.  Though the danger of them running amok in our midfield still remained, Nuri Sahin was doing his best to stop the threat before it could materialize and allowed us to retain possession.  We'd managed to get the ball back into the attacking third of the pitch once more but our quality all but deserted us, with Assaidi unable to control a simple pass from Martin Skrtel and Downing tamely shooting well wide from outside the area.  Reinforcements were needed and they were called for in the shape of Luis Suarez, who came on for Suso with about thirty minutes remaining.  He immediately again nearly played Assaidi down the left hand side but the Moroccan once more failed to make the most of it.  At the very least, the tide had begun to turn.

Slowly but surely we began to exert some pressure once more.  Aided by some rather anxious defending brought upon by Suarez's arrival onto the pitch we were able to have a succession of corners and free kicks, most of which seemed to underline the fact that Wölfli wasn't very convincing when it came to dealing with crosses.  With Young Boys now somewhat pinned back into their own half, Martin Skrtel was enjoying the freedom to come forward with the ball at his feet and it was from here that we eventually scored once more. He exchanged passes with Joe Cole at first and then Luis Suarez, before it was switched out wide to Stewart Downing.  The ball was played back inside to Suarez - who was now inside the penalty area - and he held it up nicely before laying it back to Steven Gerrard.  Joe Cole's movement had seen him go from the right hand touchline to a gap inside the box on the left hand side and when Stevie played the ball inside to him he swivelled and forced the ball beyond the Young Boys goalkeeper to give us that lead once more.

As stories in games go, this one felt complete.  The idea that this game was about whether or not we could manage to go in front once more or not and now that we had I didn't think Young Boys had enough in them for this game to have any further twists.  They set about playing long balls from deep right on the half way line while we looked solid in our shape behind it all and moments later Raheem Sterling was summoned to come on for Joe Cole.  After everything that had gone on - or not as the case may have been - in Joe Cole's Liverpool career, it was nice to be able to give him a hearty applause for a solid committed performance for which he was rewarded with the goal that was to put us through.  A solitary goal in a Europa League group stage wasn't a particular high for him to bow out but at least he was going out on one at all.  Such a shame then that the few minutes that remained would spoil all that.

For the most part we passed around them with ease and they did try to create some pressure on us when we had it around our defensive third but there was no real cause for panic.  They did manage to disrupt our flow with a couple of soft free kicks, firstly in their own half to send us back into our own half and then another moments later to give them a chance to mount an attack of their own.  There was cause for concern from this set piece as Pepe Reina came out into no man's land and was nowhere near the ball but thankfully Jamie Carragher won the header rather than Bobadilla.  Neither side was being particularly protective of the ball and that the game was being played at any tempo at all rather than us just keeping the ball and keeping it was a sign of things to come.  Henderson found himself caught up-field after we'd tried unsuccessfully to mount another attack and Skrtel was caught in two minds as to whether to go out wide or hold his position.  In the end he ended up doing half of both and it led to a scramble on the edge of our penalty area where fortunately there were enough red shirts back to deal with it.

Young Boys didn't want to play through us, they were happy to have that area in between defence and attack and we were happy to give it to them.  At this late stage of the game it really should have been swarming with players from both sides so that they had no real space to do anything with.  Despite Reina's earlier flap I think we would have been much better off dealing with crosses as they only really went for one in the time that remained and Henderson cleared it just in time.  Other than that there were a queue of Young Boys attacking players waiting for the time and space to let one fly from twenty or so yards.  Zverotić hit one into the arms of Reina before Bobadilla smashed one well wide.  If we needed any insight as to how they would go about getting back into the game it was right before our eyes.  Still we didn't heed the warnings.

The dilemma of whether to push forward and try to put the game beyond all doubt and risk being countered or sit back and invite the pressure only has one right answer, whichever one leads to victory.  In saying that we were wrong to push forward is half right it's more the way in which we left ourselves exposed and our response to that which infuriated and was to cost us dearly.  The first time it became apparent - though in no way threatening for we won a free kick in the process - was with five minutes to go when Assaidi, Sterling, Suarez and Gerrard are all strung along the Young Boys penalty area.  With no immediate support from the full backs, this leaves acres of space for any break and only Shelvey and Sahin to cover the entire width of the pitch.  Gerrard's subsequent free kick went miles over and was as bad an effort for some time.  But nowhere near as bad as what was to come.

Three times in succession we gave it away with players out of the game high up the pitch.  Bearing in mind here that there was little over three minutes to go in a game we've already won.  The first two times we were able to get away with it because first Sahin and then Shelvey were able to win tackles that prevented them from going any further.  We would not be so lucky a third time.  When the ball was lost, Assaidi was as far forward as any Liverpool player and the gap between he and Downing was like a chasm.  Young Boys switched it from their left to right, whereby Assaidi was now running back to put a foot in.  Both he and Sahin slid in and missed challenges.  It should be pointed out at this point that Gerrard who had given the ball away and Shelvey who was no more than five yards away, were both strolling back with no urgency whatsoever.  With Sahin - our only midfielder trying to affect the game - now out of it, Zverotic exchanged passes with Bobadilla on the edge of the box before firing it through a crowd and beyond Pepe Reina.  It was as preventable a goal as we've conceded for some time and one that could very well cost us a place in Europe.

Still we could have rescued it.  There have been stranger things to happen at Anfield on European nights but it wasn't to be.  A few wasted crosses and a free kick which saw shots blocked by both Suarez and Henderson were all we managed to muster.  So now we have to go to Italy and better Young Boys result in order to progress.  It's not so much this kind of challenge that bothers me and more so how it will affect us in the league.  We held our fate in our hands and with ten minutes to go could easily have qualified with no worries but now all that's up in the air and we only have ourselves to blame.  Incredibly frustrating and very avoidable.  I'm hoping that we move on now and really learn from those mistakes.  If we fail to correct them, our next opponents have already shown how they can punish us.

(H) Young Boys - Pre Match Thoughts

Europa League

Thursday 22nd November 2012

Anfield

Liverpool VS Young Boys

The last home game of the group and our best chance of sealing qualification. Before we've even kicked a ball at Anfield, it will be abundantly clear what's required of the team and with Anzhi currently beating a ten man Udinese with ten minutes to go, it appears that a win would assure our progress through to the next round. Anything else and it'll go down to the final group game in Italy and as we've seen so far, things get massively complicated when you have to travel away from home in Europe. The best for all concerned is to get it wrapped up tonight so that we can rest everyone ahead of the game in Italy.

Of all the players vying for a run in the side, there's a rather bizzare triangle that's formed. All three could possibly be leaving the club in January and the opinions of them could not be more diverse. Stewart Downing was an expensive failiure who through his sheer versatility appeared to have found a niche for himself at left back. His reprisal seems to have hit a brick wall however with reports saying he will almost certainly be moving on in the transfer window. Joe Cole is someone who has no way back. His place in the side is seen as a waste of a selection and we'd be much better off blooding someone from the academy. Then there's Jordan Henderson; the potential star I don't want to lose but whom the manager appears to have little faith in. Following on from his performance against Wigan, he has to put down another marker for himself tonight. A few more games like that could convince Brendan Rodgers to keep him, and that he is more than an expensive mistake from a bygone era.

Setting aside the dilemma of how many - if any - of the senior side we are willing to put out there and at the very least there are those all over the park, underneath the surface, desperate for their chance at making a name for themself. What Brendan Rodgers has been able to do thus far is give those in the academy enough of a boost by making them believe that if they apply themselves well enough in training and take their chances when handed to them, there is a path for them and they will be rewarded. This hasn't always been the case at Liverpool and will surely drive the likes of Jack Robinson, Connor Coady, Adam Morgan and anyone else that hasn't yet been given a chance like Ngoo.

With two difficult away games in the Premier League coming up, it's easy to see why Brendan Rodgers would leave out a lot of his senior squad. Not only are there players hungry to take their place that need games like this to boost their confidence (Suso, Coates, Shelvey and Sahin spring to mind) but we've seen the effect playing a strong side can have in losing heavily to Arsenal and having Glen Johnson miss out through injury. Certainly Joe Allen and Steven Gerrard could do with a break, the real question however would be over Luis Suarez. We know how lightweight and toothless we can appear without him and this is a game we realistically have to win. I'd be very tempted to play him, given the run of form he's in. At the very least I would have him on the bench but given our striking options and our priorities this year, it isn't a question that has an easy answer.

Having scored five against them at their ground, there's no doubt that we're capable of beating them. Beating Wigan at home so comfortably will have done a great deal to ease the fears that we're going to be as bad at home this season as we were last year. European nights at Anfield are more special than certain less than high profile league games because they are a spectacle in themselves. If we are to have any more of them at Anfield this year then we have to win.

(A) Chelsea - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool
Chelsea Goal: John Terry (20)
Liverpool Goal: Luis Suárez (73)

It doesn't matter how well you start, what matters is how you finish.  Prior to the game it was thought that all the changes we'd made would help us and it came so close to going incredibly wrong.  In the end what happened was something we've been on the receiving end many a time, with our opponents having done so much to win the game without putting the result beyond all doubt only to get caught cold and then very nearly lose the whole thing.

Because it was such a high profile encounter and we were away from home without the onus being on us to do all the attacking, it was nice to be able to start a game and just pass our way into it very calmly.  Chelsea didn't kick the ball for the first couple of minutes and imprinting our own tempo on the game early was nice.  Of all those who you'd expect to be involved high up the pitch it was Daniel Agger who was the most active, being barged over twice in quick succession, the second of which came after a darting run into the penalty area but it wasn't enough to make Howard Webb point to the spot.  Chelsea were taking their time to get into the game and there was no real cohesion, all of which made our job very easier.  None of that accounted for anything however when Joe Allen lost it and allowed Oscar the chance to very nearly open the scoring.  I'm not sure whether our comfortable start caused a lack of concentration but the movement ahead of him was appalling and Allen is the kind of player who will keep the ball if the pass isn't on, which very nearly cost us dearly.

The back three - having been in operation on Thursday - was once again looking solid enough in the opening exchanges here.  Chelsea tried to get down the sides and exploit the lack of width but Daniel Agger was sharp enough to cover on the occasion that Jose Enrique wasn't in position to get in the way himself.  The pressure we were putting them under was severe, especially Torres who was receiving some very close attention from Jamie Carragher in particular.  Raheem Sterling was also getting involved early, not disheartened by the physical mismatch between he and Ivanovic he was also winning the ball back in midfield too - Mikel and Ramires aren't exactly frail old ladies either.  Our passing on the whole was good but the movement in attacking areas was lacking a little as we had good numbers in support but nobody really made any space and they were able to defend it very comfortably.

It had taken them some time but Chelsea's midfield was getting to grips with the game.  Mikel and Ramires had the legs and strength to deal with Gerrard and Allen, who were torn between keeping Oscar, Mata and Hazard quiet and imposing themselves on Chelsea's deeper duo.   Nuri Sahin seemed to have vanished into thin air and didn't appear to be having any impact on the game, until Howard Webb got in the way.  Having intercepted Sahin's intended pass forward, it was from here that Chelsea went on the break and got themselves a corner.  Though they had been extremely fortunate in getting it, from here it was our own mistake that led to the first goal.  Agger and Johnson got so focused on being tied up with Ivanovic and Terry that the Chelsea captain was able to wriggle free.  With his marker blocked off, Terry had a free header and put his team in the lead.  From Agger's slack marking to Webb's interference on their behalf, once again it was all too preventable.

After the goal we really did seem to lose our heads.  It began with something small like Wisdom losing the ball on the touchline and was only illustrated more by Joe Allen flying into a challenge when three Chelsea players were passing it around him.  Suarez came deep to pick the ball up as we tried to gather our composure and we were able to string a few passes together, albeit without actually going anywhere.  The Chelsea back four seemed very comfortable with whatever attack we did try to mount and even when Webb got in Ramires' way we were unable to capitalize.  Daniel Agger summed it up a moment later by trying to connect with one of his usual powerful shots, only to have it fly miles over Petr Cech's goal.

Chelsea weren't pushed relatively high up the pitch but there was little space to exploit in behind their back four and it allowed their midfield to squeeze us whenever we had the ball.  What with the lack of movement there was no real way though them, especially given that our midfield was still trying to come to grips with theirs.  It didn't help matters that on the break Chelsea are a devastating side anyway and right now we appear very susceptible to them, so with Hazard going through and Torres forcing a save it was very edgy for us with or without the ball.  Constantly we turned the ball over needlessly, whether it be Wisdom giving away a cheap free kick or Allen and Sahin running into traffic in the middle of the park as they try to move it forward, Brad Jones had to be on his toes and was there to come out for the ball when needed.

Having come into the game more - although none of it overly productive - Sahin did actually manage our first shot of the game.  He and Allen were the two who they pressed constantly and as such it isolated Gerrard, the one who needed to be on the ball if we were to get back into it.  Then came the injury to John Terry, that stopped the game completely - and arguably their momentum - right when we needed it to.  It began with some mild pressure that set us away on the break.  Suarez fell into Terry and the scream was very audible so instantly you knew it was serious.  The stretcher - and subsequently Gary Cahill - came on for the Chelsea captain and that was the end of his afternoon.

With their talisman forced off and Suarez causing problems, for the first time in the game Chelsea looked a little shaken.  There was no immediate danger but it took them a few minutes to readjust and in that time we sent over a few poor corners.  Our set pieces have been dire in recent years whereas this year there has been a marked improvement.  In a game like this they were always going to be key - as it would prove later on.  It was a strange passage of play that closed the half as the sense was there that Chelsea were massively the better side they began to play like a team that was more in front than the scoreline stated.  Some of their passing became sloppy and gave half chances to Gerrard and Suarez where they had looked so comfortable previously.  The chance to kill the game off completely came at the end of the half.  It was to be the turning point as this would have been the nail in our coffin.

A straightforward throw in caused chaos when Allen, Carragher and Agger all went for the same ball and no-one really cleared it.  Hazard headed it to Mata who was through on goal.  He took the ball through the legs of Andre Wisdom and everyone inside the ground - Chelsea or Liverpool affiliated - must have thought that this would be the second goal, only for him to blaze it  over.  A massive let off the hook at the end of a half we'd done okay in up to a point, but once Chelsea took the lead they dominated.  Time for Brendan Rodgers to do some serious work.

There were no obvious signs of changes in terms of the players on the pitch like at Goodison Park a few weeks back as we began the second half so any changes made would have to have been on the tactical side.  Chelsea started it very aggressively and put Wisdom in particular under some severe pressure but we were able to see it through, only for Jose Enrique to make two errors in judgement in the space of a minute in giving it away and then being needlessly offside.  The shape of the team certainly looked a little more solid, with Enrique and Johnson a little deeper than they had been in the first half, as well as Gerrard back with Allen and Sahin now given license to get further forward.

One thing that didn't improve was our care of the ball and Joe Allen brought a yellow card onto himself after he was robbed by Torres and then cynically bringing him down.  Sahin for all his effort was clearly trying a lot harder but quite simply Mikel and Ramires were too strong for him and bypassed him easily.  On the whole we defended Chelsea a lot better and Jones was relatively untested but also consistently wasted possession and would invite them onto us over and over.  Torres it was who eventually could have won ended the game as a contest, with Brad Jones making a good save from a flicked header.  In a half in which they didn't have anywhere near the same authority, this was one they really needed to make count.

The Torres header prompted a mad scramble inside the box, during which Steven Gerrard fell down injured by the touchline and subsequently played every Chelsea player onside.  They initially refused to put it out for him - much like we had done for Terry earlier - and Howard Webb had to eventually stop the game to allow him some treatment.  The lengthy stoppage gave Rodgers a chance to have a word as a few took a drink and it wasn't before long that further changes were made.  Suso came on for Sahin and we changed the formation completely, with Wisdom and Johnson going wide, Jose Enrique playing left midfield and Suso just behind Suarez.

With only a third of the game left and it still very much in the balance, the tempo was rising.  Suso and Jose Enrique were finding space in the midfield to drive into, while Agger and Glen Johnson both made decent attempts at trying to create something off the same - half cleared - corner.  Chelsea did have one moment where it looked like they might be in, Ryan Bertrand played in behind Wisdom and cutting it back for Torres only for Jamie Carragher to get enough of a body in the way to prevent him from scoring.  The game was becoming very stretched now and we had to be mindful of the counter.  Gerrard was everywhere, playing it out from midfield then getting back to help out on the cover.  He even earned himself his first booking of the season when Oscar went past him and Gerrard stuck out a leg.  Mata's subsequent free kick was dangerously curled in but Jones was braver than Torres who was favourite to win the header, but didn't fully commit himself.

They may have found it easy to get through us in the first half but despite all their pressure, we were working hard to try and keep them away from Brad Jones' goal.  There were two solid lines across the midfield and defence as they tried to go down the left hand side only to be seen off by Sterling and Wisdom before Enrique and Johnson did the same down their right.  It was in this innocuous passage of play, that Chelsea cracked.  Our ability to put pressure on them as they continued to become ever frustrated told as Jose Enrique gave away the ball, only for Andre Widsom to steal it back on the half way line.  He and Suarez combined to win a corner from which we made all their profligacy pay.  Suso took it near post and Jamie Carragher managed to flick it behind him while turning at a difficult angle.  At the back post, Suarez's eyes must have lit up as it came toward him and he peeled away from Ramires to head it into an empty net and level the score.  He just cannot stop scoring.

The surge in confidence that any goal brings was evident and with it came a desire to push on for more.  What we had to be careful of was that Chelsea had looked devastating on the break this season and should have punished us already for failing to come to terms with it.  Di Matteo's tactics - whether they were intentional or not - seemed to be as if they were inviting us onto them.  Suso and Gerrard were popping up everywhere, finding space to receive the ball and then to track back if needed.  It was about as stretched as it had been all game, with Ryan Bertrand again in behind Wisdom but his cross was poor and Agger dealt with it comfortably.  When Chelsea had the ball and we were set up defensively, there was enough pressure applied by the home team but no real quality to really make our defence think.

Joe Allen was playing the role of spoiler down to perfection in midfield, looking as if he'd grown in strength tenfold all of a sudden while knocking Chelsea midfielders aside at will.  From the stands to the pitch, their growing desperation only ever made it look likely that if any team was going to win, it would be us.  Gerrard had slid in Sterling with a great pass along the floor down the right but his cross then found Suso's wrong foot and he was unable to connect properly.  Suso and Enrique also combined in the midst and set Suarez away one on one with Petr Cech but the Uruguayan's first touch wasn't great and allowed the goalkeeper to get there.

For a lot of what remained, we couldn't quite get out.  Our out ball to Suarez wasn't good enough and we didn't have an outlet so they kept on pushing and probing but we stood tall and saw out the danger.  Suso, Allen, Gerrard and Enrique did their best to try and get involved in midfield but we couldn't quite break out and be comfortable.  Their last big chance to score came the same way as both goals had arrived, in the form of a corner.  It was taken quickly and Ivanovic wriggled free of his marker, only to head it well over.  He's much better than that when it comes to scoring goals - especially against us - but fortunately there was no late heartbreak.

In injury time there was time for one last attempt at grabbing all three points from under their nose.  Suarez picked it up on the left hand side and played it out to Sterling on the right.  As they got sucked in on that side, it came back across and eventually found Enrique with space on the edge of the penalty area.  He struck first time at the near post - I'll be generous and say the defender would have blocked any attempt to go far post - but Cech was able to make the save.  The subsequent corner came to nothing and moments later the final whistle was blown and we'd earned a massive point.  Now we need to move on, against what will be easier opposition and start doing what we haven't been able to at Anfield consistently for some time. Win.

(A) Anzhi Makhachkala - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Anzhi Makhachkala 1-0 Liverpool
Anzhi Makhachkala Goal: Lacina Traore (45)

Losing will never be a good thing or seen as thus, nor should it.  As fans we want our teams to win every game they play.  There are always extraneous circumstances surrounding any match what with injuries and suspensions  it's just that the value of squad depth and rotation means that only exaggerates the situation.  We went into the game with not only an understrength side but also a change in formation that they'd have to get to grips with in order to conquer what is at present the second best team in Russia.  In normal circumstances, this would also mean doing so on their own turf but UEFA and their regulations meant this game had to be played in Moscow.  That being said, we were still the outsiders and would still have to do a remarkable job in order to take something from the game. So that we did enough, that we were more than a match for our opponent - albeit were never going to take advantage of that superiority - isn't that something to be positive about?

On what I was told was a mild night in Moscow at just two degrees, the opening exchanges would have done little to warm those playing or watching inside the ground. We were composed and quiet  making short simple passes to allow us time to ease ourselves into the game at our own pace.  Not that our opponents had any intentions of coming out of the blocks with any real tempo themselves, for they were happy to keep passing it around in their own half while we sat men in position behind the ball as it played into our hands perfectly.  Up front, Adam Morgan showed very early that he was going to be a willing runner and not someone who would stay rooted to the penalty spot and this helped us as we were able to push them a little further back as their defence had to be aware of his - and the subsequently Shelvey and Cole's - presence.

As far as chances went, Anzhi were far more willing to play the ball forward than they were at Anfield and as such created something early on.  The ball broke to Tagirbekov on the edge of the penalty area on the left hand side.  Whether he meant to shoot or was trying to whip the ball around for Eto'o isn't clear, but it was in the end neither and Jones picked the ball up with ease.  Because they were being very patient in waiting for a spot in midfield when the defenders had the ball, it allowed us to apply some serious pressure when they would try to probe further up.  Owing to the state of the pitch though that became difficult for both sides as passes were much more difficult and anticipating them meant to account for any bobbles on the pitch.  Tagirbekov's earlier chance was led to by a missed interception and a few minutes later Jamie Carragher came for one that he didn't meet but fortunately Brad Jones was on his toes and collected it at the feet of Lacina Traore.

Despite the presence of some very inexperienced players out there, we showed a great amount of composure and no sign whatsoever of any fear or intimidation.  The midfield was compact and organised, with Shelvey and Henderson doing enough so that young Connor Coady wasn't overworked and we were starting to get it wide and play with Flanagan and Downing getting more of a look in.  Thanks to an over hit Downing cross it was Flanagan who found himself with time and space on the right hand side but his return ball was cleared also.  Wild clearances like this were symptomatic of the fact that Anzhi weren't particularly protective of possession and as such constantly gave the ball back to us.  When we did get it back Jonjo Shelvey looked to be the one dictating it the most in the middle of the park as he was by far the most confident of the midfield three.  There were a couple of times Rodgers would have been wanting Jonjo to reign that in however as more than a few passes went astray and gave up any pressure that might have been building.

Because of the space we were guarding and weight of numbers down the middle, they looked to go down our right hand side with a few switches of play. Even when they did get behind because of the fact that we were playing three at the back one of them was always spare and could help out, like when Zhirkov tried to get around Flanagan and he held him off long enough for Wisdom to come in and take the ball. Moments later they tried the aerial route with Lacina Traore but again two came out to meet him and he rather easily gave the ball away.  Certainly if their plan was to target Jon Flanagan it wasn't working, he was looking particularly strong and determined in the tackle and on more than one occasion set us off on the break.  They were very weary of how much of a threat we could pose in this manner, as evidenced by Christopher Samba's hefty challenge on Joe Cole after Morgan and Shelvey combined to send him off down the right hand side.

Though they were slow and patient in their own half, Anzhi were showing far more than they had at Anfield recently in that they were actually capable of going up the gears somewhat.  Some good passing looked to have presented them with an opportunity down the right hand side but Downing was in position to cut the final ball out, which was important in that for the system to work both fullbacks had to do their defensive duties.  Downing had been a decent outlet and continued to show that despite all the criticism is continuing to do what's asked of him, even if he'll never be a world beater.  With the arrival of the twenty minute mark, it was evident that we'd not only gotten to grips with the changes in formation but also it was causing problems for our opponents.

A lot of the pressure we exerted in the first half was as a result of solid midfield play and good movement from Adam Morgan, who was relentless.  I've heard so much about Morgan being a finisher and nothing more - whatever that constitutes - but the few chances he's had in the first team show that he's eager and willing not only go into deeper and wide areas to he can receive or battle for the ball but also create space for others.  In fact, he should have had an assist to his name at around the twenty three minute mark.  Having popped up on the left hand side with his back to goal to be an outlet, he was then moments later on the right where he picked it up and slid in a defence splitting pass for Jordan Henderson.  At this point there were any number of things he could have done with it.  Certainly a shift of the shoulder would have left the goalkeeper for dead and an open goal, but one one one you expect a save to be made.  Henderson however had no intention of shooting and tried to play it back at an impossible angle.  Anzhi cleared the ball, having been massively let off the hook.

Having coped so well up until this point, Anzhi were becoming impatient, playing impossible through balls at difficult angles in hope more than anything else.  They did manage to get in behind briefly, having sucked Stewart Downing in there was a gap for them on the right hand side.  Fortunately Downing reacted quick enough to not only delay Logashov's cross but track him as he went behind, which allowed Stewart to come in and clear it as they tried to play it back to him.  Jones had been having a fairly comfortable night up thus far and after that break into our penalty area we one again set about keeping the ball and making short easy passes, frustrating them immensely.  This led to Jonjo Shelvey getting the ball out wide with time and space but his cross wasn't great.  We'd played arguably the better football but Gabulov in goal was equally as untested as Jones.

Nobody has more of an idea how frustrating it is when a side has players back behind the ball.  Even at it's most basic it's incredibly difficult to deal with.  Here it was good to see us using it for our advantage for a change, really having a solid wall behind the goalkeeper that Anzhi found no luck whatsoever in trying to break down.  Guus Hiddink was forced to concede one thing to Brendan Rodgers in that his starting formation and tactics had completely gotten the edge over his side right from kick off.  In changing Ahmedov for Gonzalez and trying to add more cohesion as well as a threat to Anzhi's play, at the very least we had forced our opponents to throw away their initial game plan.

So many of the wounds we've suffered this season have been of our own making.  Here it genuinely looked like Anzhi's only way in.  Wisdom's first touch let him down and forced him into giving away the ball.  From here Zhirkov was through and played in Eto'o on the edge of the box.  Even here there were still three our four Liverpool shirts in and around the box trying to get back at him but his shot was instant and the save from Jones was good.  Following this, Seb Coates looked to have dealt with the situation well, bundling his way past a few Anzhi players only for them to get it back off him.  There was a scramble of sorts in and around the penalty area but the eventually Downing was able to step in and clear.

At the other end, once again Joe Cole was finding it difficult to have any real positive effect on the game.  It was unlike his infamous League Cup performance the other week in that here he was coming up against a defence - Chris Samba in particular - who he could get nothing out of at all.  Such was his frustration that he at one point went down with a dive so laughable that the only thing preventing everyone the world over from condemning it was that English players never ever ever dive.  Their change of shape had now made it very clear that when we had the ball we would have to go through two banks of four but our movement was still good enough to work space out on the flanks.  The one problem with that - as we saw against Swansea - is that Henderson's delivery isn't his best feature and so his crosses were consistently cleared with ease.

Joe Cole meanwhile finally had something to smile about - on his birthday no less - being awarded a cheap free kick on the edge of the box.  From the set piece he could have even had the perfect present but he couldn't quite work the header onto goal from what was a very difficult angle with the ball behind him and having to stoop to make contact.  As the half closed we came back into it as an attacking force and looked very good, Shelvey finding space in between their midfield and attack as well as Wisdom putting a very good ball into the box.  Neither of which would ultimately come to anything but it was a sign of how at ease we were with the way things were going.  With all the good things we'd done in the first half, it was with more or less the last kick that we undid them.

A straight ball played into Lacina Traore on the edge of the box.  If you were being really harsh, you could suggest that if Carragher is closer to Coates, there's no room to play that ball in, but that's not where we went wrong.  Coates' missed interception is painful, with Traore in on goal and then Brad Jones comes out to make the strikers mind up for him instantly, lobbing it over his head to give Anzhi the lead.  We would have plenty of time to mull over it in the dressing room as this was the very last action of a half we'd - right up until the end - had a great deal of control over.

With forty five minutes left to go and a goal needed at the very least to take something back to Liverpool, the second half began a lot quicker than the first.  Both teams had upped their game with more active pressing in their half, which raised the tempo from the easy paced initial opening to proceedings.  Once again Adam Morgan was getting involved, linking up well with Joe Cole on two occasions.  Firstly a good pass to set free Cole on the break only for him to be flagged offside; it was a tight call and had the official let it go then he was in on goal.  Another chance came for Morgan this time with some good work down the left hand side culminating in Cole playing him through, only for the subsequent shot to hit the side netting.

Everything in the game had gone up a level, except perhaps the quality.  Both ourselves and Anzhi were guilty of not putting enough care on the final pass, which only added to the very fractured nature of the game.  That being said it was starting to get more open, with the more ferocious pressing of the ball there were also a lot more gaps to exploit all over the park.  Once again we were able to create something, the ball being played through to Adam Morgan inside the penalty area but he was crowded out and Shelvey shinned the rebound completely from the edge of it.  With all these half chances that were coming our way, Anzhi looked to get even more on the front foot and began playing balls over to Traore in an attempt to keep it away from their goal.  His general play seemed to get a lot better in the second half, especially the way he held the ball up for them and not only made it difficult for us to get anything going but also allowed them to build more attacks of their own.

Of the two goalkeepers on display, Brad Jones was the one being asked the more questions now.  Shelvey and Carragher were a little half hearted on the left hand side of the pitch and Gonzalez nipped in.  They played it across cross the field and eventually it came to Eto'o, who curled a shot right into Jones' grateful arms.  Traore moments later had a chance of his own to double their lead, playing the ball through the legs of an overly eager Jordan Henderson to create half a yard and then firing wide.  With the game very much still in the balance despite Anzhi having the better of the chances it was time for Brendan Rodgers to make some changes.  Suso came on for Connor Coady and Adam Morgan was taken off for Dani Pacheco.  What this did was switch around the midfield, allowing Suso to operate at the point of the midfield triangle but left two forwards in Joe Cole and now Pacheco.

In order for the subs to have any influence on the game, it would have helped if we could get hold of the ball to any great degree.  Anzhi pushed us back and forced the wing backs to be permanent fixtures alongside the back three and the midfield almost collapsed onto them.  Their pressing of the ball was relentless and we were unable to figure a way out of it with no outlet whatsoever.  Joe Cole did a lot of admirable running in trying to cause them problems but they played around him with ease.  One avenue we really had to exploit was the counter attack. Suso picked the ball up and looked brilliant in going past a few players, the first time we'd really seen it in the second half.  In the end he held onto the ball for too long however despite having players in space and was crowded out.

Dealing with such immense pressure on the ball, it really helped that one of the players being brought on was Suso.  Such a technically gifted footballer, he really made a difference in being able to play around the challenges that were coming in and around him and this in turn allowed us to try and threaten them some more as the game went into the final stages.  Everything centred around the Spaniard.  He helped keep alive possession on the edge of the box after they'd half cleared it, a transition in between Downing and Flanagan crosses who were now being encouraged to get further forward as opposed to being pushed back.  At the other end he was helping out too, tracking back and fouling Samuel Eto'o to stop Anzhi going any further on the break.  For all our building pressure however, it was our opponents who should have scored next.  Traore laid it out wide and continued his run into the box - something a surprisingly few amount of forwards do - and when the cross came in he met it powerfully, but it was at Brad Jones and he was able to get a hand to it.  If we were in this position, it'd be about now I'd be anticipating the equalizer.

It had taken far too long but finally Gubulov was being called into action.  Suso drifted inside brilliantly and unleashed one from a fair distance.  It was well hit and forced the Anzhi goalkeeper to save, but he only parried it right in front of Joe Cole.  Gubulov to his credit smothered Cole and made it difficult for him and so ultimately he wasn't able to make the most of the chance and instead of a goal we got a corner.  That turned out to be Joe Cole's final action of the game and most probably his final act in a Liverpool shirt.  Any anger I feel toward the transfer is not in regard to the player or the man, I wish him well on his future endeavours as come the transfer window he will almost certainly be away from Liverpool.  Someone who has just started his career at the club, Ousamma Assaidi came on his place as we looked to try and take a positive point to go with the performance back with us.

Another chance for Anzhi to wrap the game up, another one squandered.  This one was inexcusable.  Traore was put through one on one with Brad Jones and looked to have five days to make his mind up.  When the ball drifted wide it seemed like this could very well be our day and that they'd spurned too many opportunities to put the game beyond all doubt.  We pushed people forward now liberally and coupled with their now reluctance to come out and try to win the ball, the midfield was very thin from both sides and there were plenty of gaps outside their penalty area in which the game was played.  All their clearances were rushed and needless and we continued to press for something to give us hope.  A set piece just outside the box could have been that chance to savour something but Shelvey rather summed up our night offensively by hitting a free kick so wide it was in more danger of hitting the corner flag.

Hiddink had made it clear that his side were content to play on the break from now on.  Jonjo Shelvey was forced back to deal with one such break, clearing it to set us off on another attack before moments later Brad Jones had to come out and claim one.   Ultimately however, we created only one real chance of note.  Dani Pacecho found space just outside the box and played in Suso.  His cutback was met by Jordan Henderson which was blazed well over.  If the first team is a collection of players that suffer greatly from a lack of cutting edge and composure it's only natural that this fringe team would be dealt a similar fate.  Coady and Morgan battled very well and Suso looked like a revelation when he came on, further underling to his manager that he would be better suited in field.  The idea of leaving out our major players in this game given how tight this group is would have been a difficult one but ultimately what was necessary.  Also, things aren't bleak on that front either thanks to a favourable result in the other game so qualification is still very possible.  We now have the added advantage of having gotten something out of the group - albeit not the way we would have wanted - and rested all of our key players in what's going to be a tough game coming up.  Chelsea need to watch out for we have a record at Stamford Bridge of late and it's not the kind of record that they'd like to hear.