Thursday 29 November 2012

(A) Tottenham - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool
Tottenham Goals: Aaron Lennon (8), Gareth Bale (16)
Liverpool Goal: Gareth Bale O.G (72)


In the end I'm not sure what to think.  Should I be mad for the way in which the game started and the predictability of the situation we found ourselves in or mildly pleased with the way in which we fought back from that point on.  Either way, it won't do anything to change the fact that this was not only the end of an eight game unbeaten run but also shines a light on the fact that we have only won once in the last six games.  However optimistic you want to feel, we need to get back on track.

Despite the worries over Downing's positional sense or Steven Gerrard needing a rest there were to be no changes from the same eleven that started at Swansea on Sunday.  The game started with both teams very keen to get onto the front foot as the pre match predictions of it being a high tempo affair were to be instantly vindicated.  The pitch at White Hart Lane is a very big one and though we passed the ball around carefully and neatly in the opening minute or so, the pressure applied by the home side made it especially important that the movement was good.  Steven Gerrard received the ball just inside his own half and within seconds was closed down by three Spurs players.  Up top, Jose Enrique was drifting from left to right, making sure to run in behind whenever Suarez would drop deep.  It took a couple of minutes for Tottenham to look threatening but when they did it was a case of "blink and you'll miss it" breathless pace from Aaron Lennon as he took the ball a long way only for it to get ahead of him at the crucial moment and allow Martin Skrtel to clear.  The game had barely started and already the fuse was lit.

One of the certainties I will take away from this game that hadn't really entered my conciousness before is that Clint Dempsey is someone who makes my blood boil.  His first dive of the evening was one that led to absolute mayhem in the penalty area.  Gareth Bale hit the valve with his free kick and Reina could only punch it, the ensuing scramble was eventually ended when Glen Johnson managed to tuck it behind for a corner.  The danger was there for all to see as Spurs continued to play at an electric pace, something that wasn't helped by the fact that we had no way of playing around it or the intelligence to try and slow it down.  Steven Gerrard gave the ball away first, it was simple as he tried to link the play between midfield and attack but dallied on the ball and very nearly saw Gareth Bale score from the left hand side in the resulting counter.  If this was to be a warning sign, it wasn't one we'd pay any attention to.

When Glen Johnson tried to force one forward and played it into Michael Dawson, he then laid it back to Bale.  What happened next was both excruciating and inevitable in equal measure.  With Johnson leaving a gap behind him, Bale made a direct purposeful run forward.  Gerrard's attempts to tackle him were easily brushed aside and when he got into position to cross his ball along the back line was perfect.  What was the opposite of perfect was the marking of Stewart Downing, who had let Aaron Lennon run twenty yards unopposed to allow him the simplest of finishes. Spurs a goal up within the first few minutes of the game, exactly the way you'd expect them to score and exploiting the very weaknesses that had been muted prior to the game.  If this is being right, I'd much rather be wrong.

Whether it was our sense of urgency or simply playing into their hands, there would be no let up in the tempo with which the game was being played.  Almost immediately after the goal, out of absolutely nowhere Suarez had the ball bobbled to his feet on the edge of the box and forced a save out of Lloris.  Whatever the way in which we were going about it, it was clear that we weren't at all upset by the goal but rather fully ready to roll with whatever punches they could throw at us.  The problem with that was whereas they were able to finish their chance when it presented itself, we couldn't.  Gerrard had been outmuscled by Sandro but still had enough to battle back and win the ball in midfield.  He passed it off to Suarez who played a ball through intended for Jose Enrique.  Hugo Lloris comes storming out of his goal and the ball arrives at the feet of Jordan Henderson with the goal gaping, who then lashed it wildly into the stands.  Once again it was a missed opportunity, once again we would be made to pay.

It was the same combination that had reeked havoc in our penalty area at the start of the game. Clint Dempsey has had an absolute shocker - going down at the feel of Henderson's breath on his neck - and allowed Gareth Bale to have a shot on goal.  His free kick wasn't quite of the same quality of the previous one, but this one had that ever redeeming tangible about it; luck.  Brushing the head of Jordan Henderson, this in turn wrong footed Pepe Reina and had him helplessly diving away to his left hand side while the ball settled in his right hand corner.  Just over fifteen minutes had been played and Tottenham were already two goals to the good.  At this point I feared the worst, that we would be in for a similar style mauling that we suffered on this ground last year.  All over the park Spurs players were brimming full of confidence, with Sandro brushing aside Joe Allen before Gareth Bale was the first I've seen in a long while get the better of Glen Johnson.

Trying to steady things up would have been the first priority and with a decent passage of play that was the first real patient build up by either side, at least we kept the ball.  There were some twenty passes that saw the ball go back and forth between defence and midfield before eventually Raheem Sterling played Glen Johnson in down the right hand side and he took on Gareth Bale.  The chance unfortunately never quite materialized for either he or Suarez and Enrique that were following up as Tottenham were always quick to get a block in.  Spurs were quite content to play on the counter now and as such had a lot of players behind the ball when we'd be in control of it, so much so that Daniel Agger was able to break free and stride forward with the ball, albeit with no real end product.  As ever our play was being dictated to by inches and the passes which we were making being close but not close enough.  Gerrard played a ball over to Downing and his ball was agonisingly behind Jose Enrique and moments later Suarez held off Dawson and forced Lloris into a sharp save at a difficult angle.  Despite being two goals down we were starting to boss the game.

Having a two goal cushion should allow a defence room to breath and coupled with how devastating they are on the break, you could see that Spurs were confident in their ability to defend whatever we were throwing at them.  Once Tottenham did eventually get the ball back however, they tried to show us that they could play neat passing football as well as we could and held onto it for a long period of time, really making us work without ever overexerting our defence and it was mainly played around in the middle with Dembele linking it all together.  Our energy was good all over the park, working hard in terms of movement when we were on the ball and work rate when we didn't.  As such they didn't really carve out any chances of note but did alleviate the pressure that we had built up.

With the team looking for a response before half time, again we took full control of possession and tried to squeeze them.  It mostly came down the right hand side as Raheem Sterling and particularly Glen Johnson took a real grip of the game.  His direct run into the box led to a chance for Enrique and moments later nearly found Henderson with a cross from deep.  Then came what could have been a game changing moment and just reward for all our hard work.  Suarez had the ball on the edge of the penalty area and threaded a ball through for Steven Gerrard.  The ensuing challenge was clumsy to say the least but there was no response by the referee.  Suarez even could have had a goal in the aftermath as he followed up and poked it toward goal and would have were it not for Kyle Walker's intervention, who cleared it off the line.

The chances continued to arrive in their number.  Suarez was played through by Downing and isolated Dawson but was only able to win a corner.  From that set piece there was real trouble for Spurs in the penalty area but after a series of frantic shooting and blocking they were eventually able to get it clear.  There was a certain edginess about their defending that belied their goal-line superiority.  It looked like they were the team desperate to cling on to something and we were the ones full of confidence and trying to add to our advantage.  Having not been able to make it count however, Spurs were able to get some control back in their game and had a few half chances of their own.  Vertonghen and Lennon combined with Defoe before the ball was eventually cleared and moments later the Belgian defender had a wild effort of his own.

Perhaps then our best chance of getting back into it - especially given what happened later - was an error out of nowhere from the Tottenham defence.  Stewart Downing's cross at nobody in particular was hit against Gallas by Michael Dawson and narrowly behind for a corner instead of an own goal.  Half time came after another couple of wild shots from distance, this time by Kyle Walker and Gareth Bale with the latter forcing Reina into a good save.  Other than that, it's hard to remember a time when you've been so impressed with the side that's two goals down.

If the fear was that half time would allow Spurs the chance to regroup and we wouldn't be able to have quite the same dominance then I needn't have worried.  The second half started as if there were only one team playing.  It began relatively calmly with a period of easy possession, that led to Suarez playing Jose Enrique in behind the defence.  Had he been able to sort his feet out better then there were people waiting in the box but Jose then scuffed it.  The stress we put them under - understandably so at 2-0 down - was incredibly intense and Tottenham couldn't deal with it, constantly giving it away.  It should have led to more, especially when they gave the ball up right on the edge of their penalty area and Suarez's cross found Enrique perfectly.  He decided to head it back across goal when the right move would have been to test Hugo Lloris.  The chance had gone but the momentum was there in abundance.

With the first two decent chances of the half falling to a makeshift winger, moments later we finally managed to get it the right way round with Enrique putting Suarez through on goal.  The ball forced him much wider than he would have liked and allowed Lloris to smother it well as Luis tried to cut it back.  Tottenham needed to take a breather and yet the game continued to move at a rapid pace.  Out of nowhere we nearly shot ourselves in the foot completely - not for the first time this season - when Skrtel's bad touch allowed Defoe to go through on goal but Clint Dempsey took it off him and the chance quickly dissipated.  After Jose Enrique nearly barrelled his way through five defenders at the other end they finally did have the chance to slow the tempo down a little.  Despite having the chance to counter, Tottenham instead chose to hold onto the ball and pass it around for the first real time.

They were getting back into the game and looked to have survived the worst of it.  Gareth Bale's impressive running with the ball couldn't be halted until three players came to deal with him before Clint Dempsey fell over once again and won a free kick, all the time our impetus had started to wane.  Brendan Rodgers took this time to call for one of his substitutes and brought on Jonjo Shelvey in place of Jordan Henderson, hoping that the young midfielder would be able to add a much needed goal threat.  Of those we already had on the pitch, Jose Enrique was continually making a nuisance of himself whenever the ball would be played anywhere near him and the Tottenham back four.  Constantly chasing and not giving up on any lost cause, it helped in making sure that they weren't allowed to simply waste time by knocking it around at the back.

One of the things that makes it easier to play at White Hart Lane - in spite of all the good players that they have at their disposal - is the crowd's ability to get on their own teams back.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly fear can be transmitted from stands to pitch side and a side that really should be in total control might suddenly be up against it through no fault of their opponents.  Spurs had not really been comfortable for any real part of the game after those first fifteen minutes and after the way in which they'd begun the second half it was really starting to tell among the fans.  Mistakes were beginning to appear which weren't even being brought on by ourselves.  We just needed to take full advantage of them.

Time was against us and it looked almost like we were starting to run out of ideas a little.  The concession of a few soft free kicks allowed Tottenham the chance to come on to us some more and even though they weren't able to produce any real quality it still broke the game up and made sure we couldn't put anything together.  A long shot by Suarez seemed to underline the fact that maybe this wasn't going to be our day but then something changed.  Steven Gerrard had already played a wonderful crossfield pass to Glen Johnson some moments earlier but no-one was there and he was unable to make anything happen.  On the second occasion however, Johnson was able to combine with Suarez and put in a very good ball which saw Jose Enrique's effort just about blocked.  The resulting corner was our way back into the game as the ball flicked off Agger's head and then Gerrard's.  William Gallas tried to clear Stevie's header off the line but only ended up smashing it against Gareth Bale's not so handsome face and into the Tottenham net.  It was the one thing we'd not had any of in the game up until that point.  Luck.

As you'd expect, following the goal there was a clear effort to get right into their faces and as had been the case all game, it didn't take long before we had the ball back and looked to attack once more.  They tucked their fullbacks fairly narrow and as such allowed ours to push on, with Gareth Bale doing little to track Glen Johnson and making him an easy outlet - although whenever he did get it Bale was quick to close down the space and not give him a chance for further progression.  When our attacks fizzled out and Spurs had the ball back, they were a little confused as to what to do with it.  There was no such confusion among our players and though Tottenham had spells where they connected with a few passes, there was always a Liverpool player coming in to make the interception.  As such the game was becoming increasingly more frantic and it felt like a matter of time before a fourth - and decisive - goal would be on it's way.

Brendan Rodgers used his last roll of the dice to bring on Assaidi in place of Stewart Downing, moving Jose Enrique back into defence in the process.  Though their commitment on the ball was torn between whether to stick or twist, off it Tottenham were very keen and working hard to press us sufficiently in order to keep us at bay.  While we were able to pass the ball around, it seemed like there was no real forward momentum in the play.  That was until the right gap would appear and it looked to have been found when Skrtel slipped in Suarez down the right hand side, catching the Spurs defence on their heels and erroneously claiming for offside.  Bearing down on goal, their defence did just enough to push him out wide and then cut out his attempted cross.  Suarez wouldn't have to wait long for another chance, this time it was a little more hopeful and increasingly more difficult.  A high ball played into the penalty area saw Agger challenge with two defenders either side of him.  When it bounced they fell asleep thinking it would go harmlessly wide only for the Dane to get there and hook it back across goal, whereby Suarez had to take it early and ended up blazing over.  Though Spurs were angry at the linesman for not suggesting the ball had gone out of play, they would then be grateful to Moussa Dembele, who went down to kill some time after colliding with Steven Gerrard.   Time that was very much against us.

As the tension mounted and the game edged ever near it's close, still the chances came.  Suarez was able to hold the ball up and then play in Raheem Sterling but his cross was cut out and then William Gallas was in the right place at the right time to cut out a ball from Suarez to Shelvey that would have seen him all but through on goal.  As more risks were needed to be taken we had a succession of corners the second of which Tottenham had a chance to counter but Jose Enrique who was virtually the only line of defence was able to deal with it and knock it safely back to Reina.  He would be involved again moments later after another set piece  this time a long Agger throw only half cleared which Enrique met on the volley with the curl sending it agonisingly wide.  He would continue to be a central figure in what was left of the game, firstly with a ball over the top that a great first touch looked to have put Suarez in between the two centre halves but Gallas was there again to clear.  Enrique then fell victim to Aaron Lennon's quickness as the winger looked to hold onto the ball and waste some of the precious few seconds that remained.

Though no-one in the stadium could have begrudged us an equaliser, the storm that we managed to brew up wasn't enough to blow them down.  Lloris was relatively untested in the Tottenham goal and even though we fought very hard, as the final whistle blew and put an end to our unbeaten streak the simple fact remained that you can't start a game two goals down, no matter how hard the effort.  Perspective has now completely switched from a team that was unbeaten in eight but in spite of the loss our heads shouldn't drop after this performance but the mistakes have to be cut out.  The fixture list does get kinder to us for the next couple of weeks and we'll be going into much more winnable games than we have over the last few days.  That being said we still have to play well enough to win them.  

Wednesday 28 November 2012

(A) Tottenham - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League
                                    Wednesday 28th November 2012
                                           White Hart Lane
                              Tottenham Hotspur VS Liverpool


The difference in points might not be that large, but the difference between what winning and losing would do for our momentum is huge. Though the task may appear dauntingly large, if we can somehow get through this game with a win, there are a lot of winnable fixtures coming up. We could start climbing that table very quickly. As ever, that's a lot easier said than done. 

 Over the last few seasons, in games between Tottenham and Liverpool, they appear to have some kind of voodoo hold over us. We've played magnificently, they walked out onto the pitch and been horrible; each time it ends with a Spurs victory. Last year was the one time we have failed to put in a decent performance - and even that was difficult with nine men - which saw us get hammered by four goals to nil. I know one thing is for sure. If we had a similar record against an opponent like this, I'd be convinced it's about time they were due something. Hopefully tonight is our night.

 Coming off the back of the Swansea game so soon and with Southampton to play on Saturday, it's quite possible we may see some changes in and around the squad. The one who clearly needs a rest is perhaps the most unlikely; Steven Gerrard. His energy levels look dramatically low and it's really making his performances suffer. I'm not one of those who thinks Gerrard has been abysmal this year - he's certainly contributed - but if we're going to get the best out of him then he needs to have a rest.

Maybe if it were anyone other than Spurs, Rodgers would go with a Gerrard free midfield. The advantages are simple, we'd have more legs in there to help with the counter attack - Tottenham's most powerful weapon - and as an impact sub he could easily provide a fifteen minute cameo when hopefully we're trying to see out the win. As it is, he's likely to be in the starting line up. Leaving him out would give the Tottenham fans and players a boost as well as heaping a lot of pressure on Luis Suarez. Even though he seems to thrive on it, having him as our only finisher in the team - despite Gerrard's form - might be a little too much to ask. 

Elsewhere, the battles all over the park will be fought at light speed. Gareth Bale, Jose Enrique, Aaron Lennon, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and Glen Johnson; all with pace to burn and devastating when they are in full flow. If we can actually have a steady midfield and keep the likes of Dempsey quiet - cutting the supply off to Defoe in the process - there's no doubt that Tottenham's defence is there to be got at. In doing so, we would also be doing our back four a favour, making Bale and Lennon defend might be the best way of keeping them quiet. We're going to have to be very careful in possession however. We've been incredibly weak at defending the counter attack so far this season and Spurs are arguably the Premier League's best exponent of it.

 These back to back away games are our last true test of the calender year. No doubt there will be tough opponents ahead but the majority of our fixtures between now and January are fairly lightweight. Defeat tonight would not be the end of the world, for we would then have the means of going on another unbeaten run straight afterward. However, if we can get through this with a draw or even a win then we may not have all the points we wanted or deserve at this stage of the season, but we're incredibly well set up to tackle the next part of it. The state of the league means that we haven't actually been properly ruled out for Champions League football. A win tonight won't be a certainly of anything, but it's a sure sign that we're putting ourselves in the mix.

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.

Monday 26 November 2012

(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.

Sunday 25 November 2012

(A) Swansea - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League
                                        Sunday 25th November 2012
                                       The Liberty Stadium
                                     Swansea VS Liverpool


After the ineptitude that was the final few minutes against Young Boys, we really have to bounce back and show a lot more against a side that's already shown how deadly they can be against us. After losing to West Brom in the league, we were able to go to their ground in the cup and gain a small measure of revenge. Now - hopefully - after having then been dumped out of the cup by Swansea we can get them back by earning three points today.

There are bound to be changes. Gerrard, Suarez, Johnson, Sterling, Agger and Skrtel are all likely to come in from the start and in that sense we're far more prepared than we were against them in the league cup at Anfield at the start of this month. One player who played in that game whom I'm hoping gets a start in this game is Jordan Henderson. He was unlucky to be forced into being deployed as an emergency right back on Thursday night and I'm a little concerned at his long term development if we're not prepared to give him a run of games in the centre of midfield as he certainly has the talent and potential. Henderson would also add the energy and legs we're going to need to combat their devastating counter attacks.

No matter what kind of personnel changes we make, the midfield is going to have to play a lot better than it has been recently. Steven Gerrard has been frustrating in that he appears to have no energy and also be playing within himself and that in turn has seen his form dip as of late. That makes Joe Allen's work infinitely harder and hopefully the two will be paired up with the hard working Henderson and that will allow them to share the workload, as well as potentially being a lot more balanced.

Defensively we're going to have to be on our toes from start to finish. With Andre Wisdom unlikely to take part in this game it's imperative whoever slots back in there is ready for the challenge. Swansea are very dangerous down the flanks and if we give them space to run in behind things could get very bad for us very quickly. In that respect, I'd still like to see Jose Enrique continue to be deployed in an advanced position. In a team that struggles to find a cutting edge, I think it benefits us both going forward and having that extra cover at the back. Also, Michu was incredibly good at Anfield in the League cup and I'm sure Skrtel and Agger will be making sure he isn't quite as prominent this afternoon.

 We have two difficult fixtures away from home - as they all are in the Premier League - with this game and Spurs on Wednesday night. The key is to not lose either of them but I firmly believe we can get four points from the two fixtures which would see us nicely placed ahead of an easier run into Christmas. A win today is the more likely of the two and would dramatically take the pressure off our midweek visit to White Hart Lane. As for today, we will look to put in a better account of ourselves than we did the last time we clashed with Swansea and if we get the chance, can hopefully gain a small measure of revenge for them knocking us out of the league cup.

Friday 23 November 2012

(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.

Thursday 22 November 2012

(H) Young Boys - Pre Match Thoughts

Europa League
Thursday 22nd November 2012
Anfield
Liverpool VS Young Boys

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 21 November 2012

(H) Wigan - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 3-0 Wigan
Liverpool Goals: Luis Suárez (47, 58), José Enrique (65)

It finally happened.  Having been set up for frustration, almost to the point where it's expected, at last we had a routine victory at Anfield.  A game which looked to be fairly straightforward, in the end was.  There have been so many disappointments at home recently and for a while it looked like this one could go the same way.  Thankfully it didn't.  A few more victories like this and it will become easier and easier with the confidence that will ultimately come with it.

We started the game with the line up that many thought would take to the field, the only thing that wasn't quite clear given the personnel was how that team would shape up.  Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique could have been wing backs in another outing of 3-5-2, or we could be going with four at the back with Johnson and Wisdom either side with Enrique hopefully picking up from where he left off against Chelsea.  It didn't take him long to be involved either, with Suarez giving him a chance to get wide straight away.  He also had the first shot of the game after robbing the ball in midfield and choosing the direct route in going straight for goal as opposed to using Suarez or Sterling either side of him.  He certainly has some confidence right now.

Unlike many sides that come to Anfield, Wigan were very keen to hold on to the ball and play in front of any gaps that were in the middle or in front of our defence.  There was a mild early pressure but nothing really sustained and as such they were able to play around us for the majority of the time.  Not that they could get anywhere near goal however, as the defence was strong enough to hold them off with ease.  Suso had another early chance but his shot was blocked and it was good to see that even if we weren't the most aggressive with our tempo, we were at least trying to work Al Habsi in goal as often as possible.  It was in fact a Wigan player that came closest to opening the scoring, as Enrique played in Suarez down the left hand side and his cutback was nearly put into his own net by Ben Watson.  Having not beaten Wigan since 2009, we could use a break like that.

Though there was a fair amount of space in the middle as we sat fairly deep in that area, their set up and formation meant that a lot of the play came from either flank where we were more solid.  At the back Wigan were assured enough to play it along the floor even when it came back to the goalkeeper and with only Suarez really pressing it meant that they were able to keep it and eventually work an opening, Ben Watson it was who fired over having been played into that space in the centre.  They were patient and happy to be involved without any real adventure but when we had it they would pin us back and really squeeze us hard very high up the pitch.  Our method of putting someone under pressure appears to be standing very close to them for as long as possible, without ever really trying to get to the ball.  It's very easy to be over eager when trying to do this, give away the foul and subsequently deflate all that intensity but players who are good technically will have no problem with playing around a more passive style of pressing.

There wasn't that much rhythm to our play but we were still able to get into dangerous areas far more easily than they were.  Jose Enrique had a shout for a penalty - as soft as it was - and still recovered quickly enough to get the ball back, although we weren't able to capitalize.  Having conceded so many goals on the break it was good to see that when Wigan did try to counter we were quick to get numbers back and force Kone into a really wild shot from far out, which Reina was able to handle comfortably.  He's been out of action for so long it was good for him to have a slow reintroduction to things.  Were the circumstances different and he'd been under fire to begin with, it would have caught him cold but this was a steady opening few minutes, without him ever being so uninvolved it would have called his concentration into question.

Neither team had control of the game, which didn't bother Wigan as they weren't looking for anything in particular and were content with playing their football and seeing what they could get out of it.  It then became rather fragmented as we had a succession of free kicks and corners - during which the referee slowed the game down even more by having to deal with pushing and shoving - before they went up the other end and had a similar run of set pieces.  Neither one produced anything of any real note, save for Suso's wild attempt that forced Al Habsi into a save.  It looked to have swerved late and he couldn't gather it cleanly but there was nobody around to capitalize.

Minutes ticked by without any real action.  Ben Watson went down after a challenge by Raheem Sterling and was in clear pain, another delay in the game breaking it up further.  From out of the doldrums, Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson combined once more to carve up what was the best chance in the game only for Suso to misplace his header.  The timing of his run was perfect in between the two defenders but the finishing touch wasn't there.  Though it was the biggest opportunity of the first half it was the only real time either side had any real joy from the wide men, with both attacks were playing into their main striker.  Di Santo and Suarez were taking it into feet and playing off it with the key difference being that Suarez had to come a lot deeper to get involved and as such had much further to travel once he had it, giving Wigan time to get men in the way.

It wasn't quite to the point where a change was needed but in terms of shaking things up, Rodgers decided that with thirty five minutes gone he would make his first substitution.  Jordan Henderson came on for Suso which was an odd switch on the face of it given how he had played.  It was another bold decision from the manager who has made a few of these in recent weeks, one that he could have been heavily criticised for had it not come off.  It did however appear to have some effect on what time remained in the first half, the midfield now more prevalent and intense in it's approach which in turn then had a similar effect right throughout the team as we hunted the ball with a more hunger.  Wigan were forced to up their game also as we began to keep the ball and tested our technique.  Fortunately it was a test we passed easily, with Pepe Reina getting full marks for his drag back on Franco Di Santo.

While we were far away from our fluent best, at the very least Al Habsi was being called into action.  Suarez caused havoc when playing a ball in from the right hand side of the penalty box and the Wigan goalkeeper did well with Jose Enrique and a defender running across him to hold onto the ball, any spillage would have resulted in a goal.  It was the last real chance of the half unfortunately as Wigan again did well to keep the ball while our midfield ran around them to try and win it back.  Joe Allen received a nasty cut in the process and delayed the interval by a few minutes, during which time we had a couple of corners and a Daniel Agger thunderbolt was blocked.  At the break it was clear then that if we didn't raise the tempo and quality of our game then we would be heading for more misery at Anfield and Wigan's recent good record against us would continue.

After the restart, there was no onslaught.  It wasn't a blitz on Wigan's goal that led to them giving it up and conceding the first goal.  There was some intensity from Steven Gerrard but other than that things were still as open as they had been before the break.  Jean Beausejour had the ball and there was no danger, until it left his foot.  His back pass was criminally under hit and right into the path of Raheem Sterling on the right hand side.  He then poked it beyond Boyce and was in on goal, before looking up and cutting it back.  Luis Suarez made no mistake, putting high into the net beyond the goalkeeper to open the scoring and start the second half with a real bang.

Relief all around the stadium and visible joy among the players on the pitch.  Joe Allen and Jose Enrique both within minutes of the goal had their chests pumped up as they stood up to challenges as Wigan tried to get at us.  Jordan Henderson's presence in the midfield seemed to galvanize Joe Allen as it moved him a little further forward and allowed him the time to look up as he wasn't the deeper player whom the opposition would target to disrupt our rhythm.  He's been dealing with that - along with playing alongside Joe Cole - far too often recently and while it's a job he can do, it's not his game necessarily.  Henderson in the middle is something that in Lucas' continued absence should have happened earlier and hopefully this will convince Rodgers to extend that run.

One of the things we do really well when we're playing good football is have a good balance between the midfield and the wide areas.  At times we've been very lop sided but with Sterling and Enrique supplying the width in addition to Glen Johnson I like to see it when a midfielder comes over and supports them, if nothing more than as an exit ball should there be no way through.  Given his natural desire to get involved, Gerrard was trying to do it on both sides but it only really had any effect on the left where Johnson had been moved a little narrower, brought upon because Enrique was right up against the touchline.  In the centre of the park Henderson was growing in confidence with every minute, even having an attempt at a first time volley.  Despite being of a similar distance, it was a world away from Wigan's growing desperation as Franco Di Santo harmlessly shot at Pepe Reina's goal moments before.

Jose Enrique may not be the most measured of footballers but he certainly appears to enjoy it.  Being deployed on the wing isn't something that I thought was an option, let alone something he'd excel at but here he was doing all the right things.  Taking the ball - as he had all game - out wide and being invited to cut in, Enrique needed no second invitation and drove at their defence.  Spotting Suarez ahead of him it looked as if the chance had gone but his ball through split the two centre halves and allowed Luis to run on to it perfectly.  He got there a split second before Al Habsi and prodded the ball beyond him into the back of the net to double the lead and add to his ever impressive tally for the season.  It's that additional goal which we've found so much trouble in getting as of late and we've been punished for not doing so while on top in the past.  At last, a cushion.

Clinical at the front, concentrated at the back.  Right from kick off it looked like Kone was about to go through and even though he was offside I thought it fairly impressive that Glen Johnson was there on the cover, having read the danger and gone all the way into the middle of the box to cut him off.  At the other end things weren't so straightforward and the Wigan defence were now petrified whenever Suarez got near the ball.  This led to them being very rash and nearly letting him in on two separate occasions, one right after the other.  All over the park now there was an appetite for the ball that they just couldn't match.  Our defence was parked on the half way line and whenever they'd clear it the ball would just come right back at them.  To make things better we got the one thing that seems to have deserted us completely in recent months.  Luck.

In the two league games before this, we'd conceded goals from a foul throw and a referee getting in the way.  So when Iván Ramis tried to play a cross field ball only for it to hit Suarez and the throw still be given to us, it set forth a chain of events that would seal the game completely.  That's no excuse, both for the things that happened against us and what transpired here; there's still defending to be done and no piece of misfortune should be an excuse for not doing your job properly.  The throw was played into Raheem Sterling who combined with Luis Suarez to set up a shooting opportunity.  Sterling's shot was palmed by Ali Al Habsi, who then had to watch as Jose Enrique ghosted in behind Maynor Figueroa to get his first ever goal for the club.

Three goals to the good and it started to look like it would become a question of how many we'd score.  Jordan Henderson is someone who's been described as lacking in confidence but here his energy was bouncing.  Demanding the ball, he very nearly scored a fourth of the afternoon after Suarez' shot was blocked and Enrique recovered it.  With so much of our attacking play coming through Suarez, Gerrard and Sterling so far this season it was so good to see some fresh faces really carving a team up.  Henderson in particular was really relishing it and looked to be using the game as a statement to everybody.  He and Joe Allen put the shackles on Wigan and made it so that they couldn't build up any real rhythm.  That being said, Jordi Gomez should have scored for them just after coming on when it was laid across to him.  His shot went high into the Kop whereas it seemed like everything we were trying was coming off.  It makes a change.

Even though the scoreline suggested the game was over, that did not stop Wigan from playing a very high line.  In the closing stages it was something that became easy to exploit as things became ever more stretched, with Wisdom bombing forward into acres of space left on the right hand side.  Suarez was taken down on the edge of the penalty area as he looked to turn and face goal, clearly still hungry for what would be his second hat trick of the season.  To their credit Roberto Martinez's side pushed for any kind of consolation goal and Kone was on hand to seal that when he hit the post from two yards out, only for his blushes to be spared when the offside flag was raised.  That pretty much summed up the Lactics afternoon.

When our confidence is high and the pressure is off, we're such a wonderful team to watch.  The movement and fluidity in and around the penalty area is so good, if we had the strength to do it right from the off then we could easily become a formidable force in this league.  Though it was effectively over as a contest, Glen Johnson was as ever still looking to get forward.  His direct, dangerous running saw him go from deep to right on the edge of the penalty area and his shot went agonisingly wide of the post.  He's one of our biggest threats going forward when things are tight so when the open up like this it's perfect for someone like him - especially with Enrique doing such a good job of keeping the balance ahead of him.  Sterling and Gerrard all looked to get in behind before Suarez was put through by Enrique to try and grab his hat trick but the ball through sent him just too wide.  The Wigan defence were still fighting but visibly weary at how the second half had progressed.

Brendan Rodgers had the rare opportunity to give a rest to some players as we went into the final ten minutes.  Jamie Carragher came on to relieve Daniel Agger of his defensive duties as the only question that remained now would be whether Reina on his return would get a clean sheet.  Certainly there was no sign of any slackness from the team, with Sterling still getting back and putting a shift in and Martin Skrtel as solid as ever in the tackle.  A final change was made and with it the chance for Anfield to give Luis Suarez a standing ovation as Jonjo Shelvey came on to replace him.  Any real drama in the game had long since disappeared as we kept the ball in our own third, using up whatever time remained.  Right to the last Jordan Henderson was still running around trying to get a foot in and it was encouraging to see.  Hopefully he will have convinced Brendan Rodgers to give him a further look in the centre of the park before Lucas comes back.  Three points for Liverpool at Anfield is a phrase that we haven't been able to say all that often and it feels good.  Now we have to another home game and another three points to earn.  This time in the Europa League.