(H) West Ham - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                             Sunday 7th April 2013
                                                Anfield

                                  Liverpool VS West Ham

Another Sunday afternoon kick off, another encounter with a team that plays in claret and blue.  Following up on victory over Aston Villa last week, this one doesn't have quite the same edge.  For starters there is no need to look for any immediate redemption in that Villa may have beaten us at Anfield but our record against the Hammers makes much more pleasant reading.  Secondly, with the fact that they're perched in a relatively safe midtable slot there is no real danger of them coming to Anfield desperate for a point.  That's not to say they won't make it hard for us.  We only have to look to their manager for proof of that.

It would take a miracle or some other unforseen sign of the apocalypse, but I sense that we'll have a lot of the ball this afternoon.  Allardyce's men tend to take a hot potato approach to the game of football and if any of them hold onto it any period of time it will inevitably be followed by a demand to kick it high and long.  The middle of the park will need to be claimed as quickly as possible and I would be shocked if Henderson wasn't included to assist with that.  We saw in the game at Upton Park earlier on in the season how they can over run us if we back off, Diame in particular was spectacular that day and part of the reason why we got back into it was that he was forced off via injury.

More than anything we need to keep West Ham on the back foot as the precise thing they're very good at is our Achilles heel right now.  Defending set plays will be key and Carlton Cole will no doubt be looking to rough up our centre halves much as he did in the reverse fixture.  Hopefully Jamie Carragher's calming influence as of late will limit these moments to an absolute minimum.  Looking out alongside Carra in defence, it could be a good day for Glen Johnson to find some form again.  He was almost on a par with Luis Suarez in terms of effectiveness at one point - and let's be fair, no-one was ever really going to get close to him so that's a compliment in itself - but has cooled off as of late.  Johnson has scored against West Ham in our last three encounters with them.  Hopefully that's a trend which will continue today.

In terms of shape, because we're almost certain to be afforded a lot more space, I'm wondering whether Rodgers will opt to put Sturridge in there and go with the two in midfield.  If that were the case, it would require one of Coutinho or Downing to be benched to work properly - Lucas and Gerrard in a flat midfield could get outmanoeuvred very quickly - and it would be unfortunate if either one had to miss out.  Certainly the temptation would be there to go with the same team that won at Villa Park last week and given that I'm not sure how well Sturridge's injury is coming along then it's tough to gage.  I can certainly see the need for added attacking threat given how they'll sit deep and require a lot of work to break down but would hate to see it come at the expense of our shape in the middle of the park.

The temptation is there to say that with Everton playing Spurs, there are points to be dropped for those above us.  Truth is, that doesn't matter any more.  We simply have to get as many points as possible and whatever wants to align in front of us we will have to accept.  Even though this is likely to be a very attritional game of football and at times very uneasy on the eye - Allardyce will do that to you - I think we're doubly fortunate in that West Ham don't have that much to play for either and Andy Carroll isn't playing.  He would have something to prove and has been in decent form for them as of late.  Joe Cole meanwhile will try to come back and haunt us but I have a feeling this may be just one in a catalogue of limp performances at Anfield for him.  Some games have a lot riding on them or a multitude of angles that at any time could spark the match into life.  This isn't one of them.  Get the points and move on.

(H) Aston Villa - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa

Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (87)
Aston Villa Goals: Christian Benteke (29, 51), Andreas Weimann (40)

The nightmare before Christmas.  A real chance to push on with our season and it looks like we've taken a number of steps back.  I understand that the temptation to overreact might be too easy to resist for some people.  This was as gutless and insipid a performance for quite some time.  That being said, those crying out the loudest now were probably the ones who were overly buoyant last week.  There are some things still very wrong with this team and on this occasion many individuals let us down also.  I'll take a deep breath, try and make some sense of it all and then hopefully never speak of this again.

We took to the field with what was a relatively straightforward team - save for the inclusion of Stewart Downing.  It's not so much him being in the team but it does highlight both the problems we have with depth in having to persist with him but also the way in which Glen Johnson is playing and how Rodgers doesn't want to mess with it by having Wisdom come in at right back and shifting him over.  Prior to the game there was a minutes applause held for a former Liverpool player, captain and manager.  Phil Taylor played for the Reds in two spells separated by World War II over the thirties and forties and it's a shame to say goodbye but respect is due to someone who was a part of the history of this club.  RIP Phil Taylor (18 September 1917 – 1 December 2012).

As the action got under way it didn't take very long for Villa to have a chance at goal, a short back to Martin Skrtel pass inside the first minute forced the Slovakian into committing a foul and the subsequent free kick led to a decent header well saved by Pepe Reina.  It took a minute or two but after Steven Gerrard found some space in the middle of the park we really seemed to come to life.  Suarez was chasing down Brad Guzan who then booted the ball into the stands and from then on the ball rarely exited the Villa half.  This pressure seemed to intensify when Stewart Downing found some space on the left hand side and his early cross was very nearly put into his own net by Eric Lichaj.  The chance that followed it was even more clear cut.  Joe Allen chased the ball down in the middle of the park and it was then given away to Luis Suarez.  He only had one defender in front of him and Steven Gerrard running alongside.  If the ball had been played anywhere in front of him, Gerrard would have been through on goal and almost certainly have finished it off.  As it was, Suarez played it behind him and though Stevie managed to get a shot away it was easily saved and a big opportunity had been missed.

Stewart Downing might be no stranger to hearing a smattering of boos at Anfield so the fact that the Aston Villa faithful were jeering his every touch didn't really seem to phase him.  In fact, despite my reticence to see him employed at left back again his movement was very good and he seemed to be desperate to prove a point to his former fan base with a speculative hit from distance that was only just wide.  Paul Lambert's weren't being allowed any time on the ball whatsoever as we pressed them very aggressively in their own half, which led constantly to chances for Sterling or Johnson to run at their men but every time the final ball wasn't there.  Raheem in particular was having a hard time where everything he seemed to try had an air of predictability about it.

We were incredibly comfortable with the state of the game, with our passing going right throughout the side.  From Agger just outside our box and Shelvey on the left hand side to Lucas in the middle and then Johnson on the far side.  With Villa employing three at the back it meant that they were very narrow and there was space to run into inside the fullback areas but unfortunately even though we got into these areas constantly there was nothing in the way of delivery with Sterling's final ball being cut out and Johnson picking out Brad Guzan when he had time.  I understand that there's time and space for balls to be played aerially but when a t team has flooded the middle and are giving us the wide areas, it doesn't make sense to be playing in crosses like this.

The following statement could only be true of one person.  For a goalkeeper, he is so good at tackling.  One ball seemingly out of nowhere caught Martin Skrtel on the wrong side of Andreas Weimann but Reina was alert enough to come out to him and usher him wide, before executing a perfect challenge to give away a corner and not anything worse.  On the break now even Suarez had decided to come out wide and try to take advantage of the space being afforded out there.  His cross field pass to Steven Gerrard was glorious  and looked to have put him through on goal.  Gerrard's first touch was okay but it then bobbled up onto his left foot and harmlessly out for a goal kick.  Perhaps it was one he should have hit it first time.  Suarez was the provider once again a few moments later when he caught Christopher Herd dallying on the ball after Guzan had thrown it out to him.  Suarez cut inside and laid it off to Jonjo Shelvey who was about to pull the trigger when an excellent challenge from Nathan Baker blocked the effort.

Nineteen minutes into the game and the Aston Villa fans were cheering.  Not for a goal or any piece of play that would have them on their feet but for Stiliyan Petrov, who is currently undergoing treatment for acute leukaemia.  Everyone else then joined in as the whole stadium shared their support for a man going fighting a difficult battle.  On the pitch it was very much as you were, both Sterling and Glen Johnson found their efforts blocked or over hit in no particular order as the tempo upped slightly but the quality remained as it was.  There was certainly an air of containment as Villa passed it around in the middle, growing into it slightly but never venturing forward with the ball.  We pressed them efficiently if not dynamically and it appeared as though we were much further ahead in the game than we were.  Almost as if it never entered the concious minds of either team that they could score.  And then they did.

Sterling and Shelvey had swapped wings to see if they could get some joy down their opposite flank and though it did bring with it no obvious chances there was a glorious long ball from deep played by Stewart Downing over to Shelvey who knocked it down for Suarez only for the offside flag to be raised.  Another Liverpool corner moments later and even though Villa were able to break clear again Lucas was able to snuff out the danger as he does so well.  As he passed it off to Suarez on the right hand side ahead of him with his back to the defender, everything looked perfectly fine.  Luis tried a needless back heel and proceeded to give it away and that's where it all started to go wrong.  Lichaj had the ball out wide and passed it over to Benteke.  He drifted inside for a moment before looking up and deciding to hit one out of nowhere.  It passed through a crowd of bodies and somehow crept inside Reina's near post, giving Villa the lead with their first real shot of the game.

The whole thing seemed surreal yet depressingly familiar.  At the rate we were playing though, I really did think it wouldn't take much to get back into it.  What it had done however was give Villa an added confidence and something to hold on to.  Immediately they pulled their wing backs in about ten yards, filling up the gaps in the wide areas and making sure that our wide players were denied access to the space that had been previously available all game.  Sterling and Shelvey were shifted back to the side which they had started the game and Raheem then combined with Gerrard to set up Suarez who drilled one into the side netting from a wide angle.  Whereas we were forever underlining our attacking impotence, they were not only aware of our potential fragility but keen to exploit it.  Weimann followed in on a soft header from Glen Johnson and was unlucky not to score after he lobbed it over Pepe Reina and saw it fall down on the top of the goal.  The first goal may have come as a surprise but now Villa were beginning to smell blood.

With the lead to protect and safe in the knowledge that we would come forward and could be punished on the break, their front players were looking alert and menacing.  Without even really overcommitting, they nearly got in behind with a pass played over to Weimann that Skrtel had to drift wide and a fortunate bobble  making sure it went back to Reina safely.  When we did manage to go forward however, the sheer weight of numbers defending made it difficult to see a pass, let alone play one correctly.  At one point - and this is on the counter attack - they had seven players inside the penalty area to our four.  Things weren't looking good.  The situation was about to get a whole lot worse.

It was an absolute lesson in movement.  The kind of goal you want your team to score and had it been in any other game I would have been very impressed with it.  Sadly it was our net that the ball found it's way into and then you can do nothing but grit your teeth, especially in the circumstances.  It began with the most basic of midfield presses.  Villa held the ball on the edge of their own half but weren't really going anywhere.  Allen, Lucas and lastly Gerrard all rushed the player on the ball and did their bit to push them back if not to make them give it up.  Unfortunately when Stevie went to close down his man he slipped and allowed him into the space behind him.  Villa were now three against two in the middle of the park and the key to the goal was what happened next.  Benteke dropped deep to make it four against two and once he had laid the ball off he ran diagonally across the two centre backs into the space vacated by Agger as he came out to close Weimann down.  Benteke back heeled it instantly and Weimann followed it up perfectly, slotting the ball beyond Pepe Reina to double their lead.

Those at "fault" would have been Agger for failing to pick up the runner, Johnson for not coming across or one of Lucas/Allen who should have been tracking Weimann anyway.  I would be hard pressed to say there was any actual blame attached (especially in Johnson's case, there was a spare man at the back post who could have been given a tap in had he come over) as the movement and passing was too good but that being said I'm not particularly happy with the way we tried to defend it.  Confidence now overflowing from the away side, we needed to get back into it quickly.  Lucas played a great ball over their packed defence to Gerrard who may have been able to hit it first time but instead played it back to Suarez who couldn't really get a hold of it.  Jonjo Shelvey didn't cover himself in glory with a couple of bad miscues in the space of a moment but at the very least he was getting into those spaces.  We really needed someone to make it count however.

Paul Lambert's men had closed off the middle of the park.  It was now flooded completely with those horrible fluorescent shirts that they were wearing.  Right up until the half all we were able to manage was half chances, if you could even call them that.  Shelvey's decent free kick whipped in from the right hand side wasn't fully cleared and when Sterling recovered it on the other side all he could do was cross it along the floor into the arms of Guzan.  Stewart Downing looked to have found a way through when he played a ball intended for Suarez on the edge of the penalty area only for Joe Allen to take it off his toes and look to be through on goal, only for it to bobble wide - summing up the half in an attacking sense.  As the players went off for half time they might have been wondering just how they were two goals down to a side who'd hardly kicked the ball.  All I could wonder was how a side that doesn't score enough would get back into it.

When you're trailing by a couple of goals and the manager wants to make a change to get back into the game, Joe Cole isn't exactly the saviour that many had in mind.  Part of it is indicative of how little squad depth we have at present and that is something which needs to be addressed, especially when you consider that in the face of all the negativity surrounding him he was still probably the one most likely to come on and score a goal.  He came out for the start of the second half in place of Jonjo Shelvey who'd had one of "those" first forty five minutes.  Despite having done well to get into some decent positions, his touch had all but abandoned him at a time when we really needed something to happen for us.  Right from the off though, we did look like there was a willingness and an urgency to get back into the game and perhaps really should have been given that platform as early as the second minute of the second half.  A corner came in which Martin Skrtel headed back across goal for Daniel Agger, who was having his shirt tugged so hard it may as well have been pulled over his head.  Our long awaited search for a penalty this season continues.  There won't be many occasions where we'll have needed it more.

The foul on Agger rather seemed to rattle the crowd but have no real affect on the players.  Maybe they've got to the point now where it's an acceptance of the way things have been going in that regard, which would be incredibly sad.  Still that didn't stop them from trying to get back into the game, Suarez as per usual at the heart of everything; first backing into Baker and then turning him before his eventual shot lacked any power to trouble Guzan and then linking with Stewart Downing who came inside and forced the American goalkeeper into making a decent save.  Once again though, despite our presence as an attacking force it was our complete absence of any real strength and composure which was to be our downfall.  While their second goal was crafted magnificently the third featured perhaps the worst showcase of defending I've seen for some time.

A rather straightforward ball was played into Joe Cole in the middle of the park and instead of controlling it  he allowed Benteke to take it from him.  I can understand he will have been keen to turn and get it on the front foot but this was a very basic error for which there can be no excuses.  From here the defence seemed to collapse in on itself, allowing the Villa front man to run as far forward with the ball as possible, Skrtel even doing his part to show him a path into the middle of the goal where he breezed past him and fired beyond Reina to really underline our misery.  After the goal all thoughts of getting back into the game had disappeared.  This was turning into a real embarrassment and Villa looked to be capable of adding to it at any time.

From here the pattern that emerged was one of two completely different circumstances.  When the ball was in their half they packed the defence but left just enough of a gap in between the lines for us to pick up the ball and run at them, safe in the knowledge that even if we managed to get in behind our profligacy would take hold.  We went from left to right and back again, looking for a gap in their defence but none was forthcoming.  Meanwhile when they were on the break there was no such stranglehold in the middle and Benteke in particular was having the run of things as our midfield failed in any way to get a grip when we'd inevitably lose the ball.  Despite all the possession and pressure we were trying to exert it was Villa who were coming closer to adding to the score, Weimann and Bannan both having chances that Reina was just able to keep out.

Everything about his period of the match was painful.  The lack of imagination and of any real desire, it was incredibly infuriating.  Villa would back off, almost allowing us to do whatever we wanted in the first two thirds of the park and there wasn't anything which suggested we might be able to get so much as a foothold back into the game.  Downing and Johnson continued to put balls into the box aimlessly, while Sterling was trying to beat his man but constantly ran down blind alleys.  The one ball of any real danger was played by Lucas through to Suarez but his effort was gathered by Guzan at the second attempt.  It was to be Lucas' last contribution to the game as he was taken off for Jordan Henderson.  It was one of those rare occasions where even he was as guilty as everyone else for the problems in midfield.  Everyone is allowed one off game, especially when you're still trying to come back from two serious injuries.

Coming on with half an hour to go with your side three goals down, there was nothing for Henderson to lose getting stuck in and he did just that, providing some instant energy in the middle of the park that had seemed to be lacking from the moment Villa took the lead.  Another half hearted penalty appeal came minutes later as it appeared that Chris Herd handled a header from Glen Johnson.  Once again the referee wasn't interested and this time even I found it hard to muster up any resentment.  At this point we were relying on a piece of individual brilliance with Agger invited to come forward and unleashing a thunderbolt from just outside the area.  Had Guzan spilt it there were three waiting to pounce but he managed to make sure it didn't escape his grasp.

Villa had abandoned any and all attempts to add to their lead and were now happy to sit in and wait for the match to end.  Their narrow defence allowed our widemen plenty of the ball but the numbers they had ready in the penalty area were always enough to deal with whatever we could offer.  Sterling and Johnson were the primary options as we probed down the flanks with them both looking to go beyond or cut inside.  Downing was a little more one dimensional and even though none of them were successful  he's the one who struggled the most as Villa played at from a distance and his delivery not being of any real quality.  They had pushed themselves so deep at this point that had the scoreline been any closer it's the kind of policy that would backfire but with the three goal cushion it was up to us to find some answers and even the ever industrious and skilful Suarez was finding it hard to create anything with so many players around him.

Late in the game and referee Neil Swarbrick awarded a handball shout that saw ironic cheers go up around Anfield.  With the incident by the left hand touchline as opposed to inside the penalty area it was naturally much easier for an official to blow his whistle which in turn had the crowd cursing that this one was a free kick when the other one wasn't a penalty.  Naturally the free kick turned out to be something of a waste, we had long past the point where a realization of what kind of day this was turning out to be and if we needed any more evidence then the air shot which saw the ball bounce off the leg of Daniel Agger and go well wide after Sterling and Downing had worked some room on the left was enough to convince many inside the ground that this game had gone.

Incredibly subdued, Anfield was filled with a kind of hostile acceptance when out of the blue we managed to get a goal.  Glen Johnson had it on the right hand side and then drove infield to shoot.  His effort wasn't perhaps meant to be a cross but nevertheless Steven Gerrard ducked his head into it and beyond Guzan in the Villa goal.  All the while as the second half ticked on all I could ask for was a goal.  The idea that we could be completely kept out having been so dominant was particularly galling and now that we were on the score sheet - however late it may have been - there was nothing to lose by pushing for more.  If they had caught us on the break and gotten more then it didn't matter so it was time to throw everything at them.

A second goal would have made for a very tense finish.  I think had we scored once in the few minutes that remained, Villa's fragile defence may crumbled and we would very likely have got a third.  As it was there was very little to test Guzan in the short time that was left.  Johnson and Benteke tangled and for a moment it looked like the fire had been reignited in the game.  Unfortunately all it did in the end was waste a few more seconds and put a dampener over our momentum.  Villa defended stoutly as we went into added time and though we looked a little more urgent they were able to keep us away from goal.  There was a brief moment where Joe Allen right at the end of the game played a pass to Gerrard who in turn looked to have put Suarez in but the goalkeeper came out and gathered it for what would be the last act of a miserable game for us.

The reaction will be loud and emotional.  It's a reality check that we cannot ignore though I would be loathed to look too much into a game I think we would have won a vast majority of the time.  Villa took their chances and played very well for a period and we were during that passage of play as bad as we've been all season.  Failing to burying teams when we're on top of them is something we will forever be punished for and we need to react better to the goal against the run of play rather than let it be something that throws us off completely.  Next week is another home game and one we should be winning.  Now we simply have to.

(A) West Ham - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: West Ham 2-3 Liverpool
West Ham Goals: Mark Noble (PEN 36), Steven Gerrard OG (43)
Liverpool Goals: Glen Johnson (11), Joe Cole (76), James Collins OG (79)

Victory, in perhaps the most bizarre circumstances I can care to remember.  At the final whistle my first thought was not something I've often been perplexed by but the fact still remained; just how exactly did we win that one?  Having on many different occasions this season in which our performance has deserved more points than we've ended up with, this isn't something I'm going to complain about.  Regardless of it's merits, we now have back to back victories in the league for the first time in a long time.  There's a real momentum behind us now and with a decent run of fixtures to come, this could be the start of something really good.

Team news prior to kick off was surrounded by the absence of Luis Suarez through suspension and the confirmation of what seemed most likely in that Jonjo Shelvey would be taking up the main strikers position.  Behind him it was more straightforward, with Jose Enrique and Stewart Downing rather more conventionally playing in their more natural positions at left back and on the wing respectively.  The travelling kop were in marvellous voice as we kicked the game off and it began with some quick passing in the midfield with the aim of getting high up as quickly as possible.  This was capped off by an early sighting of Glen Johnson very high up the pitch trying to make things happen, something that would become a feature of the game as it went on.

He may not be the most popular man to ever put on a Liverpool shirt but Stewart Downing has been far more involved than I thought he would at this point.  He did his best to get at the West Ham defence early and take on O'Brien at full back and it eventually led to Steven Gerrard having a shot on goal.  At the other end their tactics were anything but a surprise with the strength of Nolan and Diame in the middle of the park being used to get the ball and the wide men to deliver it, often and early.  This was the kind of attack we had to be very weary about getting too deep for they were keen to play in front of us as long as possible and hope that we would entrap ourselves by moving too far back.  As it was we coped relatively well with the high ball but needed to be extra watchful of whatever rebounds dropped in and around the penalty area.  Mohamed Diame reminded everyone of this fact when Agger only half cleared a cross from Matt Jarvis and his shot was then deflected horribly and wrong footing Pepe Reina in the process.  Fortunately for us it went wide instead of nestling in the far corner of the net.

Recycling the ball high up the pitch was not only important to stop West Ham from pushing us back, it's the way in which we put a large amount of pressure on an opponent.  Lucas Leiva helps this process so much, not only was he the outlet for possession if we needed to start over again but he was constantly winning it back in the middle of the park and distributing it very tidily.  Someone who does his passing in a much more unreserved style is Steven Gerrard.  With Downing occupying and subsequently drifting inside to take his marker with him, there was acres of space for Glen Johnson to work with on the right hand side.  This was something they were going to pay for, with immediate effect.  Johnson took the long ball from Gerrard and drove inside with it.  He shifted it onto his right foot where nothing looked on for him and then thundered the ball with devastating accuracy into the top left corner.  I very much doubt he'll score one as good as that for a long time but I'd love to be proven wrong.

For a time after the goal it was West Ham versus Glen Johnson, and the one man was winning.  They simply couldn't live with anything he did.  First he cut inside and sent a panic through their defence making them swarm around him to block any shot attempt.  This led to a shot by Gerrard which scuffed along the ground and in turn could have put Joe Allen or Jonjo Shelvey through on goal but they were blocked off.  Even then the clearance came straight back at them as Sterling picked up the ball and fired narrowly wide at the near post.  Raheem would have another - much more gilt edged - chance moments later as Johnson again won the battle out wide and then drove inside but his attempt on the turn wasn't timed perfectly and was dragged agonisingly wide. It was one way traffic, and not at all how you'd expect the team with no striker to be playing.

West Ham's efforts to close the space down in our own half were a fine idea.  We've not been the best at keeping the ball under intense scrutiny this year and Allardyce would have seen how Spurs managed to exploit that in the early goings last Wednesday.  However, even though they tried to rush us we were always able to find an extra pass which helped keep the ball moving.  When we did lose possession, the pressure put on by the midfield - Gerrard and Lucas were particularly effective - made it so that it wouldn't be long before we had it back.  There was also the matter of the gaping hole on one side of the pitch that they still hadn't been able to close.  Once more Stevie found Johnson with a long ball out wide and again he cut inside with ease.  This time there were around four or five claret and blue shirts around him, desperate to stop him but Johnson kept on going.  Eventually the ball went out to Sterling and then back to Lucas who held the ball in quite an advanced position while we regrouped.  The panic that seemed to set in whenever Johnson was on the ball was really quite something.  Rarely does a right back upset a team like that.  Then again, he is indeed a rare talent.

In an attempt to get back into the game, West Ham did Sam Allardyce proud; they went even more direct.  It did lead to their first half chance for some time when Carlton Cole managed to get a head onto a really difficult ball and force Pepe Reina into a save but other than that we were dealing very well as a defensive unit in terms of stopping them from getting any knock downs.  What was starting to creep into our play however was a little sloppiness in the middle of the park which allow West Ham some easy possession.  Sterling losing the ball to Diame when Johnson had already gone ahead of him could have been a cause for major concern, likewise Downing and Shelvey giving it up softly.  All the while Carlton Cole was starting to grow into the game as the Hammers continued to supply long balls for him to try and make something of.  So much so was he becoming a nuisance that Martin Skrtel had to resort to a very dangerous shirt pull which the referee could easily have given a penalty for.  A game which we had been in control of was about to slip out of our grasp completely.

Maybe Joe Cole's introduction wasn't the direct cause of our play for the rest of the half but it certainly contributed.  Jose Enrique's injury meant that he had to come off and the former West Ham man make his return with Stewart Downing now moving over to the left back slot.  This disruption to our shape was bad enough but in Joe Cole they saw a man they could target and a way to win the ball back very easily.  His first touch very nearly gifted them possession and it was only when Cole was helped out by Lucas and Glen Johnson that we were able to get it up the field.  By now the ball seemed to be coming straight back at us on every given opportunity, certainly West Ham would not turn down the chance to put the ball back into the box.  We did have one chance on the break with Joe Allen releasing Stewart Downing in his new position down the left hand flank but his shot was blocked and the following attempt by Raheem Sterling was way over.

Getting a sense that they were starting to grow into the game we were faced with two options.  Look for a second goal which would deflate them completely or take the sting out of the game by keeping the ball.  We showed no signs of slowing and wanting to keep the ball for possessions sake in looking for the gaps to further keep West Ham down.  While no real chances came out of our attempts to fashion a second goal they did look increasingly menacing on the counter attack, with Gerrard being forced into taking a yellow card for his challenge on Diame as he strode through the middle.  It was a period in the game that we had to ride out and that if we could not give something silly away then the crowd and the tempo with which West Ham were playing would both die down.  Unfortunately we couldn't do that however and when a cross was half cleared out to Guy Demel on the edge of the box and Joe Allen tried to close him down, the subsequent shot struck Allen's hand from about two yards.  The referee pointed immediately to the spot.

It felt incredibly harsh, even agonising as Pepe Reina was so close to getting to the ball after Nolan stepped up and slotted it into the left hand side of the goal.  Another contentious decision followed directly from kick off, with Sterling being kicked in the stomach by Matthew Taylor and the West Ham man only receiving a yellow card for the so called challenge.  He may not have meant it but it was a really horrible looking attempt at winning the ball, which he came nowhere near doing.  Having gotten back on parity, they sat back a little more and we once again camped out on the edge of their penalty area.  The only problem this time was that we weren't able to do it for any real length of time for we'd give the ball away and they'd counter.  Diame was taking over in the middle of the park and they really should have done better when he put Matt Jarvis through out wide but the break was so fast there was nobody there to take advantage.  Still they managed to regroup and put another dangerous ball in which Taylor came close to heading goal bound with Reina coming out to meet him and not getting there.  Though he was clearly in an offside position no flag was raised, fortunately for us however it went over.

Along with the extra muscle that seemed to be pushing us over in the middle of the park, Carlton Cole was really putting himself about in a way that was making the defence very anxious.  Skrtel had already dealt with him with a couple of last ditch tackles and was clumsy in coming out and climbing all over the forward, conceding a free kick in the process right before half time.  Having put all the big men in the box, West Ham played it out wide to Matt Jarvis whose cross was then met and put away beautifully, by Steven Gerrard of all people.  In front and on top for so long we were now facing going into the break a goal down and as they backed off once more and let us play in front of them for the few minutes that remained, we did try to readdress the balance before Brendan Rodgers would have them in for a few words.  Agger and Johnson strode forward but were unable to cut through their defence and Downing produced two half chances for Shelvey, both of which he was isolated by West Ham defenders but still managed to poke the ball goal ward - even if they did both go wide.  The story of the first half was a strange in many ways but it's also one that we've read far too often recently.  We were the better side for the majority but went into half time with nothing to show for it.

When things got back under-way they began with a microcosm of how the two teams had applied themselves thus far.  West Ham went for a high hopeful ball into the forward positions, which led to Raheem Sterling winning the ball and running forward with it at pace.  Neither side imposed themselves on things early on, mostly because the ball was bouncing around from one end to the other.  There was space for us to pick the ball up in front of their back four but they were perfectly happy for us to have it there, knowing that they could funnel men back and stay strong so that we couldn't get through them. This allowed West Ham to put us instantly on the back foot whenever we would give up the ball and with them being so quick to get it out wide and then into the box we were constantly having to go back and forth between trying to attack and rescuing the ball.

As we went forward, our midfield play was naive for the most part in the second half.  They wanted to get forward in support of Shelvey as quickly and often as possible and so Gerrard and Allen would stride into the attacking third, usually one of them with the ball and the other simply trying to make up the numbers.  The problem with this was that Diame would be laying in wait and there he would be able to pick them off as there was no real attempt to play around him.  Whenever he would get the ball back, virtually our entire midfield would be rendered redundant and this would be compounded even further by the play of Carlton Cole who was really getting in the faces of Agger and Skrtel, dragging them out into the wide positions and always managing to hold the ball up for West Ham.  The final ball would always be either cut out or not good enough but the approach play and how effective it was is something of a worry.

While they had lots of room to play the ball in for Cole to drift and make a nuisance of himself, Jonjo Shelvey  was having to come increasingly deep and move though a lot of traffic in an effort to get anything going.  When he played it inside to Gerrard who then found Johnson finally in enough space to cross the ball, there was an illustration of how crowded it was in the penalty area with fourteen players (nine West Ham and five Liverpool) cramped inside there.  Johnson continued to try and add some attacking verve just as he had done in the first half and likewise Daniel Agger went up the pitch but there was so much in the way of bodies in there that it would be difficult for anyone to find a way through.  The one time we did manage to circumvent this was when they came on to us as Skrtel and Reina tried to play it out from the back.  Pepe looked to have given it away completely but Lucas was able to come out with it.  As we went ever forward though, instead of the speed of the move picking up it slowed right down and they were able to pull players back into position to which the move very quickly broke down.

Just as it looked as if the imagination had gone out of our play completely, there was a flicker.  Stewart Downing had the ball on the left hand side and played it inside for Joe Cole who let it go through his legs.  Sterling came on to it and hit the ball with the side of his foot first time to force Jaaskelainen into a save.  Downing would have another chance for an assist moments later when he crossed in for Jonjo Shelvey who headed the ball just wide.  West Ham may have seemed the more threatening side - especially on the counter - but with there only being one goal in the game it still hung in the balance.  The problem was that there was no obvious direction that anyone could point to and say that they were likely to do it for us.  Scoring wasn't even our immediate problem for that we needed to stop the stranglehold that they had in the middle of the park.  A substitution for either side in the space of a few minutes changed all that.

The first change was made by Brendan Rodgers, with Lucas being replaced by Jordan Henderson.  Adding his tenacity to the midfield was one thing but what happened next would help us win the battle in that area even more.  Diame was running with the ball down the right hand side when he pulled up and reached for his hamstring immediately.  Unfortunately for both he and West Ham his game was over.  Injecting Henderson into the middle of the park was like adding a hyperactive person to a room full of insomniacs.  There was a moment where Skrtel lost the ball with a pass forward and in the blink of an eye Jordan had tracked the man twenty yards to close him down.  It was so much of a difference to the pedestrian way in which we'd approached the second half so far but we needed to make it count.  Enter Joe Cole of all people.

When Stewart Downing had the ball at the back, nothing really looked on.  His ball forward to Henderson then found it's way to Raheem Sterling on the left hand side.  He drifted in and played a one two with Jonjo Shelvey and two things made the goal.  The first was Sterling's pass which was first time and played to perfection while the second was Joe Cole's run in beyond to get onto the ball.  Cole was at an angle and it wasn't the most straightforward of finishes but he managed to put it into the far corner to level the game up out of seemingly nowhere.  Having found a goal we very quickly found our passing once more as West Ham were suddenly knocked by the idea of having to score again in a game they were so comfortable in.  Sterling and Shelvey very nearly linked up immediately after the goal and behind them Henderson was having an affect on Joe Allen who looked like he'd woken up and was now rushing in to win the ball also.  Even Martin Skrtel was winning his battle with Carlton Cole for a change.  The game had all but turned around completely.  It wouldn't take long for us to finish the job.

I'm not too concerned who go the final touch - although I would like to give credit to Jonjo Shelvey - it was a real sight to see us turning around a game which for so long had appeared completely lost.  Once again the move that led to it was one of real quality also.  First Gerrard came out with it on the left hand side and passed it off to Sterling and then Downing who cut inside.  From one side to the other it eventually came to Glen Johnson on the right wing who slid a ball through to Jordan Henderson unmarked on the edge of the penalty area.  The cross was good and even if Jonjo didn't get a touch, it was a marvellous flick over the head of Jaaskelainen that saw the ball bounce into the net and reclaim the lead for us once more.

After the third, West Ham looked down and out - more so than we had at any other point in the half.  Joe Allen was bursting forward and looking dangerous on the break and nearly played in Raheem Sterling before moments later Downing was allowed the same space to approach their penalty area before he laid it off to Joe Cole who gave himself half a yard before shooting well over.  When we weren't creating chances the ball was being passed around at the back with a great deal of ease.  They were now leaving gaps and if a team was likely to score it would be ourselves rather than our hosts.  Gerrard had two chances to cross, the first blocked before holding it up a second time and giving it to Glen Johnson.  He then jinked inside and looked to be creating a chance for himself before eventually the ball came to Downing whose shot was blocked.  If Downing had scored, that would have summed up just how much of a strange game this was.

Sebastian Coates came on for Joe Allen with just under five minutes to go as Brendan Rodgers looked to tighten things up at the back and prepare for the aerial bombardment that was coming.  If anything, so much so had we taken them by surprise that they appeared to forget all the things they'd done well in the game prior to our second and we were able to clear with relative ease.  Coates head, Reina's fists and Downing's boot.  At the other end Jonjo Shelvey looked to put Raheem Sterling in one on one with the goalkeeper but appeared to have put too much on the pass as Jaaskelainen just about got there ahead of him.  Then came a soft free kick won by Carlton Cole on the edge oft the penalty area which Modibo Maiga wildly put into the stand, wasting what was West Ham's last real chance of the game.

Into injury time and there was still time for the referee to make a questionable decision against us.  Shelvey controlled a free kick with his chest and then turned into the penalty area.  He was probably being fouled as he turned but when he was through on goal and taken out there would surely be no other recourse than a Liverpool penalty to wrap the game up completely.  Apparently not.  Raheem Sterling did manage to get the referee to blow in his favour shortly afterwards and then had a talking to Winston Reid which helped in our attempts to let the seconds tick by and for time to run out.  There were a couple of high hopeful balls launched in the direction of Pepe Reina but nothing at all to make him worry.  For the most part we had the ball in the final third and were keeping it in and around their penalty area.  When Jonjo Shelvey went down with cramp we ended up playing another minute of stoppage time than was required but there was nothing left of this game and full time was called.  The period after Jose Enrique went off up until our second goal was probably as bad as we've been all season but a win is still a win.  The run we're on now is a good one and with some winnable games coming up we really could be marching up the table.

Hysteria and Quick Fixes

Natural predispositions mean that looking at the exact same thing can lead to completely different conclusions. The optimist and the pessimist will forever argue about how full a glass of water is but one thing is for sure; adding a drop of water does not fill it completely in much the same way that removing one can empty it. Such wild swings of opinions based on the most minuscule of  changes are rife within the mentality of a football fan.  Everything has to be "all or nothing" and when viewed through this lens there is no sense of rationale when it comes to analysis.

Staying grounded is difficult in the face of mild success.  People get carried away with the a taste of victory they begin to dream of whatever else may come their way without first thinking of the work involved to obtain it.  In trying to sustain a real momentum, the individual or the group must remain as hungry as ever and not just be satisfied with a handful of points here and there.  Reflecting in the glory of any kind of conquest rather than focusing on the challenges ahead, is a recipe for disaster.

After beating Wigan at home, Jamie Carragher made a few comments about finishing in fourth place which went around the world and came back as a foolhardy battle cry.  His comments were fairly standard - and accurate in that nobody has yet put their marker down - but easily misinterpreted by those who then claim that the sky is falling following a goalless draw with Swansea.  The young side that had everyone beaming with their potential and possibilities against West Brom came undone in the worst way against Swansea and all of a sudden everyone is written off apart from Suarez.  Neither are accurate representations of what Brendan Rodgers has at his disposal but together - along with all the other performances to be factored in - the positives and negatives of the squad can be laid bare.

While the performance - and subsequent destiny - of the team fluctuates rapidly, it happens far more often with the players themselves.  Joe Cole has gone from someone who couldn't do anything right to a potential game changer in the space of one half decent ninety minutes.  Is it heartwarming to see someone apply themselves and try - no matter how unlikely - to make things right? Yes.  But ultimately his transfer has been a poor one all around and he will be leaving the squad at the earliest possible opportunity.  With someone like Cole it's not too much of an issue.  His transformation from dud to superstar is one born out of hope more than anything malicious.  The problem arises when someone like Pepe Reina goes through a patch of bad form and is suddenly cast in the role of Massimo Taibi.  In reverse it hits a players confidence hard, and it can be quite a struggle to get back.

If an opinion or thought process can be swayed overnight, the chances are that there wasn't much of a foundation for it in the first place. It's very easy to arrive at a sudden conclusion and then subsequently look for evidence which fits into that theory but it's an ultimately backward process which can obscure the truth and ignore the real issues.  Things are not perfect at Liverpool. They could both be infinitely better or worse, depending on whichever alternative scenario you would care to think of. Concentrating on those false realities will do nothing but shift the focus from the problems that are affecting the team right now.

Champions League qualification and the dream of it right now - remote though it may be - may even turn out to be fools gold. That the state of the Premier League even allows this as a possibility right now is a damning indictment of it's quality.  There can be no doubt that Liverpool Football Club needs the prestige and the financial benefits of being among the European elite once more but it alone would not solve every problem.  Rodgers needs to concentrate on improving the players and - in January the squad - let that take care of itself.  If the club is good enough then they'll be there.

Take the lack of striking depth for example. The club needs a few more players to help with it's clear lack of a cutting edge but the right players won't be available until we're in a position to challenge. There's a chicken and egg situation that develops in this regard and as such it means more chances may need to be taken.  Certain risks aren't worth taking just for the sake of them (you only have to look at last summer to see evidence of that) and so we're left with the same dilemma. It's easier and more beneficial in the long term for the team to gradually become ruthless than get carried away with the notion that one high placed finish in the league will see the answer to every single problem then arrive at Anfield.

Brendan Rodgers inherited a squad full of under performers, yet one brimming with talent. They are a little toothless and quite fragile mentally who have this horrible habit of accepting their fate when it goes against them, rather than fighting against it. That being said, there is reason enough to believe that things will get better. Luis Suarez is a genuine world class talent while Glen Johnson is playing at a level which makes an absolute mockery of his critics. There's a wonderful explosion of young talent coming through at the club, some of which is starting to bear fruit already.

Importantly, nothing will change quickly.  As it treads carefully into this new era, a single win, draw or loss and the picture of this season will not change. It's only collectively that the true image of Liverpool Football Club will begin to come into focus. Once it does, the management and everyone involved will have better idea of what looks out of place and the things that need to be done to make it better. In the meantime, a message to all those watching on; hope for the best, prepare for the worst and above all do not get carried away with any individual result.

It doesn't take very long to destroy something. A career, a reputation even a club can be brought to it's knees in a relatively short period of time. Building is quite the opposite however. The groundwork needs to be done properly otherwise it will all come crashing down at the first sign of trouble.  Right now, proclaiming anything about Liverpool's long term future is getting too far ahead, whether or not you see it all as rosy or bleak. The present is what needs everyone's full attention, to make sure that when that future does arrive, nobody looks back with regret.

(A) Swansea - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Swansea 0-0 Liverpool

Like so much of this season so far, there was a lot to encourage.  Like so much of this season, we lacked a cutting edge.  Playing well away from home is no guarantee and when you're on top of the game like we were, you have to make it count.  For as much as I didn't like the second half and how we faded during it, by then we'd already done more than enough to be in front and it's that cohesion that will give me hope for the future.  Again it's another one of those situations that illustrate just how close we are to being something really special.  Until we either learn how to become clinical or add the pieces that will help us become more ruthless, we won't get to the next level.

The team sheet did bring with it both elements of joy and concern.  I was really pleased to see Jordan Henderson get another chance in the middle of the park and in the absence of Andre Wisdom - even in spite of Jose Enrique's recent form - I wondered about the decision to play Stewart Downing at left back.  It was nothing if not a bold selection from the manager and suggested of both his confidence and desire to come back to the ground and get a result against this Swansea team with which he had a lot of success.  Not only that but Joe Allen would be coming back to the Liberty Stadium with hopes of getting a victory over his old team.

Right from the kick off, there was a lot of energy from the two teams.  We got on the ball and began passing it around, quick and sharp while at the same time there was an aggressive closing down on the part of the home team.  With all the curiosity given the line up as to how well our left hand side would function it was down that flank that our first attack came, Enrique and Downing linking up but unable to get the ball in.  Moments later Downing was called into question, this time on the defensive end and he showed a good burst of pace to clear the ball away before Pablo Hernandez got onto the end of it.  The opening exchanges were intriguing in that our obvious aim was to pin Swansea back into their own half without wanting to overcommit and make the same mistakes that led to our league cup exit and Michael Laudrup's men worked incredibly hard to try and press as high up the pitch as possible, leading to a very energetic stalemate in midfield.

Both ends saw defenders called into action, caused by and with varying factors.  The movement and vision of Swansea's midfielders forced Martin Skrtel to have to stretch his legs and pull out a sliding challenge before Luis Suarez twisted and turned on the edge of the penalty area only for the subsequent clearance to fall at the feet of Raheem Sterling.  His shot was tame however and landed safely in the arms of Tremmel in goal.  This frantic pattern of play continued with it going from end to end but now almost exclusively coming down the flanks as no-one ventured into the middle of the park such was the level of intensity.  Sterling showed his tenacity and strength in holding off a raiding Ben Davis before we went straight up the other end and a combination of Suarez and Johnson exploited the space that was left to earn a corner.  Glen Johnson might even have scored from the set piece having been given a free header but the ball went well over.

Perhaps it's something as simple as playing away from home that unburdens them.  Their job of interrupting a midfield simpler than the added responsibility of having to create the attacks also.  Maybe the individual motivations of both men were enough to drive them on or even whatever words of encouragement given to them by the manager; both Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson were very aggressive and far more active in the early goings of this game than any of the midfield pairings I've seen for some time.  The key to it was that not only were they not static but in turn each one of them seemed to cover for the other quite well, with Gerrard mixing it up in between them.  I think once our midfield actually gets used to the way we're trying to play it will be very fluid and even though we have one or two sitting or vice versa depending on the game situation it'll be far more proactive and there was a world of difference in this style of intense pressing of the ball than simply standing in relation to the opposing player.

No matter the thought process - if any - that goes on in Jose Enrique's bizzare head, there can be no doubting that he is a threat to opposition defences.  A couple of decent chances in quick succession summed up the good and the bad of what the Spaniard brings to the table having been moved forward.  Firstly his combination of strength, energy and pace makes it so that there will always be an opening when he gets the ball back, because of his directness.  The problem then becomes his decision making as evidenced by his dallying on the ball and almost forcing Suarez into an offside position.  Moments later when Glen Johnson whips in a brilliant ball from the right hand side and Enrique's attacking instincts put him in a brilliant position to get something on the cross but instead of going with his head he ends up going with his knees and it went wide.

Despite their good movement and the one save that Reina had been forced into by Routledge early on, we'd done enough of a job to keep Swansea at bay.  Our numbers and organisation was better than it had been in recent games, especially against a team who has already cut us to shreds at Anfield once this season and it was evident that when they did try to counter on us that slowing them down and allowing the cover to arrive would be just as important as getting a foot in.  Though we were very persistent in trying to win the ball back, on the occasions Swansea did have us somewhat out of position it was good to see not only a fair amount of players making sure to be in the right place to defend but also enough game intelligence - Daniel Agger is particularly good at this - to slow them down without resorting to the foul.

It seems like a detriment to the side in saying that a right back is our second best player.  Certainly self evident that we're short on numbers in an attacking sense but at the same time none of that quite speaks to the high level at which Glen Johnson is playing under Brendan Rodgers.  He'd become a key part of the team anyway and has picked up exactly where he left off, if not been playing even better.  Arguably the best chance of the game that wasn't put away fell to him, all because of his initial movement.  Running with the ball past and inside three Swansea defenders, it looked like he was about to score a wonder goal before the shot was eventually blocked.  Johnson stayed in the middle and linked up with Suarez and Enrique.  When Jose Enrique slid Johnson in down the middle a moment later, it looked like the deadlock would surely be broken but the keeper came out very quickly and made the save.

Though the play was compact down the centre, that didn't stop either side from feeling confident enough and trying to find gaps in between.  Pablo Hernandez found room in front of the back four and tried to bend one around Martin Skrtel into the bottom corner which had Reina scrambling moments after Suarez had been blocked from a similar distance.  We swarmed them high up the pitch, to a degree I haven't seen much of this season and it gave them space to exploit as both teams stretched the play very far.  Stewart Downing was caught trying to win the ball in the middle of the park when they set Hernandez away down the right hand side before Enrique came back to cover.  If that was a fault on the part of someone trying to be too eager, moments later we were guilty of being too slow.  Gerrard tried a sloppy back heel when practically anything else would have been better but fortunately De Guzman chose not to play in any of his numerous colleagues and blazed well over.

What followed up until the half time break was the spell which probably should have won the game.  It began with a half chance for Luis Suarez.  Raheem Sterling was slid in by Glen Johnson and his ball across was attacked by Jose Enrique, which in turn made the goalkeeper stay on his line.  Reacting late, he then palmed the ball back to Suarez, whose subsequent shot was blocked.  If that was a decent hit, Sterling's next effort was even better.  If anything it was too good.  From the resulting corner the ball sat up nicely and he hit it as near to perfection as possible, watching it fly through the air and then thunder against the crossbar.  The next real chance actually saw the ball into the back of the net.  Glen Johnson again cut inside and caused problems for their defence.  He passed it across goal to Suarez who had the vision to see Enrique cutting behind the defender and he played a looping ball over the top.  Jose finished off the move by putting it into the net and then reacted furiously as the assistants flag was raised for offside.  Enrique was probably just onside but it was one of those tight calls.  The ones you never see go in our favour.

After having been given a let off, Swansea came back at us.  Whereas Shechter and Michu were only ever on the periphery of the play, Herndandez was at the centre of most everything they did.  After surviving a tackle by Glen Johnson and firing just over, Pepe Reina was screaming for someone to get close.  At this point we were playing a very high line and at times as the first half came to an end only had one or two players inside our own half.  Both Downing and Johnson were coming inside at times and whether it's because Johnson and Sterling are such natural wide players or the fact that Downing is very predictable and Enrique is anything but; it all seemed a lot more fluid when we attacked down the right hand side.  Glen Johnson had the last good chance of the half as he headed over from another corner but despite having had a lot of the ball in attacking areas - mostly Suarez making a nuisance of himself - Swansea always had the players back to defend well and deal with it.  The half ended with a Sunday league style scramble right outside their penalty area with a handful of either team really unable to get a hold of it.  Goalless at the break then but very lively.

As the two teams came out for the second half, Swansea did so with a new face among them.  Having had very little joy in an attacking sense in the first half, Ki Sung-Yeung came on to replace Itay Shechter and in turn this involved Michu going into a more central role.  It took a while for the half to settle down into any real style or pattern with both teams eager to put their own stamp on it and as such the ball ended up bobbling about in between tackles.  Raheem Sterling it was who first really got a hold of it, combining with a couple of players in the midfield as he ran through the centre of the pitch before laying it off to Jose Enrique only for the subsequent deep cross be well over Suarez's head.  There appeared to be the space for our wide players to come inside as Glen Johnson went on a marauding run some moments later only to have the ball taken from him.  The good thing from here was that there was a real reluctance on our part to give them as much space in the middle whenever they'd win it back.

Though Swansea were the team who settled quicker, we pressed them well and worked whoever was on the ball well enough.  Some of their passes in the final third were forced and easily gobbled up by our defence but being so concerned with the pace that they possessed, the whole team was about ten yards behind where they were in the first half.  Once we'd actually gotten onto the ball, the team stepped up and we looked to push them back, without ever really being able to get in behind them.  Gerrard tried to link with Suarez on the edge of the box before the ball came back to him and the shot that followed was comfortably into the arms of Tremmel.  Glen Johnson and Raheem Sterling then did manage find a way inside - down the right hand side of the penalty area - but having done so well to get into position the final ball wasn't enough to create a clear cut opportunity.  Suarez meanwhile was his usual energetic self, managing to very nearly beat Tremmel with a stinging shot that took a slight deflection off Ashley Williams before putting the Swansea goalkeeper under some real pressure and nearly making them pay by pouncing on an under hit back pass.

The picture that had begun to emerge of the second half was that of two teams trying to impose the exact same will on their opponents.  As a result, a period of Liverpool possession would be followed by Swansea getting some of their own with both teams getting numbers back when necessary.  Of the two however, it was the home side who began upping the tempo of their play.  Gerrard and Henderson were being bypassed in the middle of the park as Swansea were a little more direct and as a result began to create some chances. Ashley Williams had a decent chance from a header which - even though it was going wide - Joe Allen was there to clear on the line.  We looked like a side that didn't really know what to do at that stage in the game.  In the first half we went after them and tried to attack whenever possible.  Being aware of Swansea's abilities on the break and not wanting to be caught going too gung ho, we held back just a little.  Trying to take the sting out of the game, only there wasn't much of one and all we were doing was allowing them a platform from which to build.

One thing that was encouraging was how hard we worked to disrupt them and subsequently how easy it was to force Swansea into a few mistakes.  We pressed as a unit and made them turn it over in the middle of the park far more successfully than we'd been able to at Anfield and what this allowed was for someone like Suarez to pick up any scraps and take the attention away from our defence.  When he's on the ball not only is something more likely to happen in an attacking sense but he has the ability to hold it up and bring other people into play.  It was a shame then that Glen Johnson couldn't quite find him after the whole team had played some really good neat football and held onto it for a while before Stevie slid in Johnson down the inside of his full back.  Suarez did manage to rescue it but his shot flashed across goal and went wide.

The game then came to a halt for a few minutes as Stewart Downing felt that Pepe Reina's face was a little too handsome.  His attempted clearance went to Nathan Dyer and with the ball bobbling between goalkeeper and forward, Dyer's boot connected with Reina's face.  Pepe was fortunate to be able to continue with minimal treatment but the swelling on his face did come up almost instantly.  That unfortunate act would turn out to be Downing's last of the game as both he and Jordan Henderson were subbed for Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Cole.  It wasn't the most awe inspiring of changes but they did both score in midweek  and if they could repeat the feat here it might have just secured a much valuable three points here.

It was strange to see players all over the park looking for passes when there was space to be found almost everywhere but Swansea worked so hard in trying to close the men down that any kind of forward pass has the potential to be intercepted.  Our ability to patiently played the ball around was starting to wear a little thin as was the home sides and we both became a little sloppy with our passing.  Swansea very nearly made us pay for this as a break with Johnson out of position looked to see them through down the right hand side but Jonjo slowed them up by filling in and Enrique then blocked Michu's attempt before Glen Johnson eventually got back to head wide for a corner.  Another break from the corner, seemingly more decisive could have easily given us the lead.  Reina's punch looped over the head of Chico Flores and to the feet of Luis Suarez.  With Sterling in support they were two on one and could have punished the Swans but Sterling's return ball to Luis was well over hit and forced him wide.  The best chance of the half if not the game and we'd spurned it.

After the debacle that was the last few minutes of the Young Boys game on Thursday, I was really hoping we'd address the idea of allowing players so much space in front of the back four.  Here we fought hard to close that space off and for the most part had enough back to deal with it and even when Ki Sung-Yueng did manage to get the ball in that area of the park Joe Allen was dogged in his attempts to block the shot, so much so that he gave away a free kick which Pepe Reina saved smartly to his left hand side.  Our midfield play still looked a little off, especially in keeping the ball and so it kept coming back to us with Swansea getting increasingly desperate to try and make something happen.  Michu's back flick of the ball to no-one in particular highlighted just how organised and tight we'd been at the back.

Eventually we began to negate our own midfield completely and let Suarez hold the ball up.  He encouraged Sterling to help him out and subsequently dragged the whole team forward about ten yards.  For the few minutes that remained we had a lot of the ball out on the right hand side and on the edge of their penalty area but were unable to find a way inside.  Gerrard had a weak effort that went wide and then Shelvey hit a far more powerful shot but it was straight at the goalkeeper.  He was able to recover it and cross for Daniel Agger but his header was under pressure and with Ben Davis down needing treatment that virtually signalled the end of the game as neither side could mount anything in the one minute of remaining stoppage time.

After the result at Anfield in the league cup, there was potential here for both revenge and also a similar scoreline - especially given our failings against Young Boys and how well Swansea would have exploited that.  In the end a point is a hard fought and a good one, certainly nothing to complain about but I can't help but feel that we needed to get something more.  Being undefeated in eight is something to be proud of but now it's really going to be put to the test.  With another, even more difficult game to come in midweek against Spurs we're really up against it if the wins don't start coming soon.  Right now this looks like a decent point and could in time look an even better result, but it does feel as if come the end of the season this could have been an opportunity missed.

(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.