Devil In The Details: Stop Telling Us What We Already Know

Little things make a big difference. For instance if you were to put the word modern in front of both football and art, it conjures up very specific imagery. Flocks of people gathered into overbearing, soulless hives; all looking to fill a void. Not all galleries are bad though.

Really honing a craft takes many hours of painstaking effort. Whether it be on the canvass or on the training ground, attention to detail is key. Everything that works well is there for a reason, so retroactively speaking it makes sense to assume that what's not there is just as important. Because the line between success and failure in sport is so incredibly small it can appear as though what would be needed to sway the balance is blindingly obvious.

From the outside looking in, even those of us that are well versed in footballing theory are only capable of reading any given scenario in a limited number of ways. Those with hands on experience and the physical ability to effect change get the full picture and there is no need for interpretation. Then again, the idea that someone watching from the stands can see something the manager can't isn't exactly a new one.

With more eyes on more of the game than ever before, with that comes more critics. Simply knowing – about any given subject – isn't enough for some people. Their insight has to be commended or opinions have to be validated. It's not enough to be right any more, it has to be illustrated and reiterated on a regular basis. Nothing happens on the football field with a hundred percent certainty.

There is very little that goes untracked these days. Mention a player and immediately there is a digital compendium available regarding every conceivable aspect. Judgements are made by both those on and off the pitch, after which only one group makes decisions. This process is too much for some, who will try and prove all sorts of things before the ink is dry on his contract. The reasons why we like or dislike a player don't have to be rational but when it comes to Liverpool, the very least they should be given is courtesy and respect. No-one ever knows for certain prior to a ball being kicked and regardless of any labels they may have, there won't be a consensus on anyone that isn't either lazy or too obvious.

The difference between players at the highest level are so small that when true quality shines through, that gap is large enough so that it doesn't need pointing out. Also, because of the minutiae involved in a single game, let alone a whole season; failure does not instantly validate any pre conceived notions. Look at the difference in Luis Suarez playing alongside Andy Carroll as opposed to Daniel Sturridge. In both scenarios the ability of everyone involved doesn't alter but they are regularly used to substantiate all sorts of claims. In the case of the former, it was once argued that Suarez would never be a prolific goalscorer at the top level.

Only over an elongated period of time – when a negative has been shown to be truly consistent – does the point have any real weight behind it. The problem now is that these valid arguments are being taken and manipulated into something else. Driven home to the point where conformation bias comes into play and all objectivity is lost. Glen Johnson is the easiest current example to use. For the purposes of this, it's only worth taking into account the time since Brendan Rodgers took over.

The statsheet reads like a horror story. One league goal and six assists in sixty five out of seventy two possible games. It would be cynical and easy to suggest that if he were playing for another club, under no circumstances would he be wanted here. That's understandable but Rodgers clearly does; for now at least.

Is it because of the sheer weight of information that someone will make the right choices or does it matter what is then done with that data? Coaches can know the game of football like the back of their hand but if they don't know how to effectively communicate these ideas then they are effectively sterile.

While in Johnson's case there may be enough evidence to suggest immediate exile from Anfield, whatever can be seen Rodgers is unlikely blind to it. Because of his history with the player and a lack of viable alternatives both in house and elsewhere, in the immediate future he will be a part of this team. Spending the following twelve months – after which he is likely to leave anyway – pointing out his flaws would be as valuable as alerting everyone to the colour of his shorts.

This also applies in reverse. Making a stand against popular opinion because it's widely regarded is very peculiar but not uncommon. A handful of good games and there will be calls of a “return to form” as well as other people reaching out, cherry picking numbers and passages of play that make it appear as though Liverpool suddenly have Phillip Lahm, Javier Zanetti and Lillian Thuram all rolled into one. Warts and all, he will always be Glen Johnson. If the manager doesn't know what he does or doesn't bring by now, this is a completely different conversation.

With the new season rapidly approaching, lines already being drawn. Dots being connected. Lovren, Sakho and Skrtel will each be both hero and villain every week. Every moment Rickie Lambert makes – from the dressing room onward – will be charted. It's not that these things are being said blindly but the idea that they're the only one noticing is. So many of us standing in front of a picture that Brendan Rodgers had made look so good last year, all arguing about subtext and conjecture. If we stop arguing, we may be able to appreciate the art of it all once again.

(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.

(A) Stoke - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Stoke 3-1 Liverpool

Stoke Goals: John Walters (5, 49), Kenwyne Jones (12)
Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (2 PEN)

We said we'd have a party if Suarez won a pen.  As it turned out, this wasn't a very good party.  It was every bit the kind of horror show you expect from a visit to Stoke and for all the pre match optimism I had that something had to change in respect to our form here, in the end it turned out all too predictably.  A lot has been said about the way in which we approached the game from a tactical stand point and that playing our regular 4-3-3 was playing into their hands and that we should have switched to a back three, I can't help but feel as if trying to match them in a physical battle would have dragged the game down completely and we'd have been lacking in any creativity should things have gone wrong.  It's a tough situation whereby the only real right answer is to win the game and I think with the team that we did put out, Rodgers was going for the win rather than to be happy with matching them in some sort of midfield gridlock.

The surprise was twofold.  Firstly that the team playing the long ball was us rather than Stoke.  We do go direct more often than people seem to think, especially given that Suarez is such a good hold up player.  Here he had Ryan Shawcross turned and got the wrong side of him with the ball being played in behind the Stoke defence.  What happened next was then was truly unexpected.  Unable to get back goal side of Suarez, Shawcross began grabbing at his shirt as he drove into the penalty area.  Howard Webb then pointed to the spot and awarded a penalty.  Having gone so long without one, it would have then been absolutely typical that Gerrard would step up and have his kick saved but he calmly placed it into the left hand corner while Begovic was helpless as he dived the wrong way.  We could have wished for a better start to the game.  If only it had finished that way.

Both sets of supporters had vocally gone up a gear.  We'd even lit a red flare in the away end to add some extra atmosphere to proceedings, while Stoke fans vocalised their feelings of faux injustice.  Because it was Suarez that means it couldn't have been a penalty.  Or something.  On the pitch things were equally as frantic as neither side could really settle down and players on both teams were flying into each other, Geoff Cameron receiving a yellow card for his challenge on Lucas during it all.  As it turned out, the drama was only just beginning.  Another straight ball played forward from back to front, this time by Ryan Shawcross.  Kenwyne Jones backed into Agger who held his ground and won the header but due to the presence of Jones was unable to get any real distance on it.  Martin Skrtel would have been there to clear up the second ball but he slipped over, leaving John Walters to pick up the pieces and slot the ball home for a near instant leveller.

In the minutes that followed after Walters' equaliser, Stoke pressed us with an intense ferocity that I haven't seen matched this season by an opposition side.  They ran everywhere trying to bully us into mistakes and having lost the lead so quickly our collective brains were scrambled and there was nobody who could get on the ball and take the sting out of the game.  When we did have any kind of possession, there was a loose pass or miscontrol never too far away and against a side playing with such energy and directness it was always going to come straight back on to our - increasingly deep - back four.  For Tony Pulis' side, it was a case of get the ball as close to the goal as often as possible and see what kind of havoc you can create.  Lucas was doing what he could do help win the aerial duels that Agger and Skrtel were having to contend with but on the whole we weren't sharp enough or good enough to hold onto it.

Stoke continually bullied us into giving away one set piece after another and all of them in close enough to Reina for their towering players to come in and make a nuisance of themselves.  The second goal arrived soon afterwards and it wasn't particularly inevitable, or even well worked.  It was after a succession of long throws and corner kicks that were all cleared, though none of them particularly convincingly.  Glen Whelan's cross was not of any great quality and Kenwyne Jones' header was good enough to find it's way into the near post but it was the fact that he'd been able to wriggle free of Daniel Agger so easily and that Glen Johnson couldn't block it on the line when it seemed like he was right there to stick a leg out and prevent it.  We'd taken the lead in the second minute and ten minutes later we were losing.  There was still a long way to go yet.

Going ahead seemed to settle them down briefly.  Subconsciously or not, when a side that doesn't concede many at home comes from behind to go in front, they then don't expect you'll have enough to score another.  Luis Suarez did have a half chance with the ball having been played flat across the box by Jose Enrique but he could not make any real contact with it and they were able to clear.  Our defence - despite wanting to push out further than our own penalty area - was constantly on the back foot as they played balls into the channels and then into the box for Jones or Walters to make something of.  Reina had no saves to make but our clearances were becoming increasingly frantic.  At the other end Suarez was virtually having to play four Stoke defenders on his own.  When we did manage to get players forward on the counter attack again it was a player slipping at the wrong time that cost us.  Johnson slid in Downing on the right hand side and his ball across may have been behind Suso but he was in a lot of space and had he not fell over might have been able to do something with it.

After the initial fifteen minute bombardment, we did start to get on the ball and catch our breath.  The situation may not have been ideal but we still had plenty of time to come back from what was a solitary goal deficit.  Agger was even afforded the space to stride forward with the ball and link with Luis Suarez but was unable to find a way through Stoke's packed defence.  Moments later Lucas played a magnificent ball over the top to Jonjo Shelvey but he just couldn't gather it in and finish.  The problem was that for the most part Stoke were the team winning all the battles, more specifically Kenwyne Jones.  He was causing Skrtel some real problems and the fact that as a back four we were so deep, this allowed them to come on to us even more.  Both our failure to do simple things while retaining the ball and our predictability when it came to try and win it back - both Suso and Gerrard sold themselves far too short twice in the space of a few seconds and in Gerrard's case it led to a chance for Etherington which he fortunately blazed over.

Our attacking play was starting to come into the game once more but we were unable to create anything clear cut.  In general build up play when we were in control and playing the ball around in their half there were eight Stoke defenders strung across the middle and on the few occasions we did catch them on the break our final pass wasn't there.  The one real quality pass we did manage was Suso to Suarez and it split the centre halves perfectly but Luis was unable to gather it in.  A lot of what we did try was coming from those wide areas because of how congested it was down the middle.  Downing was in the thick of a lot of the action to the point where Tony Pulis was forced into moving Geoff Cameron over to the other side to save him from a potential challenge that would see him receive a second yellow.  When he did manage to get into those areas though we weren't able to finish with a Gerrard side foot going just wide before Suarez had a wild effort with his wrong foot.

The most worrying aspect of this game to me wasn't anything to do with our toughness or battling qualities - even Suso was getting the better of the more physical Stoke players at times - but rather our naivety in dealing with their squeezing of the play when we had the ball along our own defensive third.  Time and again we had chances to either clear the ball or those around had the chance to move into better space but we continued to knock the ball around in increasingly smaller areas of the defence, allowing them the opportunity to focus their efforts and make it much harder to play the ball out.  Even so much of an inkling of that kind of disruption from a Stoke player seemed to have this hold over us that we forgot how to play football and would either give it straight up or put ourselves in increasingly difficult situations.  When they come onto us like that, there should be gaps elsewhere - ones that our midfielders should be occupying and ready to exploit.  What shouldn't happen is this idea that we force ourselves further and further back, too stubborn to clear it but knowing that the danger is imminent.  We're supposed to be better than that.

After breaking the shackles of their relentless pursuit of our centre halves, we were at some degree of comfort for the most part.  Stoke had their set up and held a very good shape making sure that any gaps were plugged as quickly as possible.  That being said Suarez was still trying to make things happen and he was having mixed results, in trying to nutmeg Robert Huth and failing miserably before turning Geoff Cameron off a throw in and firing in between the legs of Begovic.  The Stoke goalkeeper can consider himself lucky not to have conceded again, having just about kept the ball out by virtually sitting on it.  Even Jonjo Shelvey who was having a torrid time in the middle of the park found space and controlled the ball brilliantly but could not match this up with a finish and his tame shot went straight at the goalkeeper.

At the other end Reina was forced into action once again when his mis-hit clearance looked to have put Stoke in for a third.  The eventual cross that came in evaded everyone and fell at the feet of Matthew Etherington who was about to fire but Reina managed to smother him.  It was good work to make up for his initial mistake but another sign that we needed to improve our passing as a whole and not invite them onto us.  As half time arrived it wasn't the end of the world by any means, we'd taken the lead and then succumbed to a bombardment by a ravenous home side.  There were chances for us to come back level and the hope was that if we continued to play like that and create some better chances then there was definitely a chance of leaving the Brittania with at least a point yet still.

The resumption of play would see a change in the form of Raheem Sterling coming on for Suso.  It was both an understandable change in that we needed more of a spark up front and for all that's been said of Suso being potentially lightweight - which is something he needs to improve on but I think is a little harsh - Sterling is certainly someone who may be of a slender build but has no problem throwing himself into challenges and won't shirk the fight if he's in one.  Unfortunately the change that hadn't been made was one in the minds of those who had already been out there for the first half.  Within seconds we had the ball back toward our goal and hadn't woken up to their constant rushing, which led to Agger giving the ball away on the left hand side.  Fortunately we were able to regroup and even create a good chance of our own.  Gerrard played it to Sterling who was being watched by two Stoke defenders.  A quick burst of pace saw him get to the line and put a ball across, where Suarez had ghosted in front of Robert Huth.  The angle was a little tight and with Begovic right on him however, the attempted chipped finish went narrowly wide.  Only a single goal down there was still hope.  From one end to the other then, Stoke were about to make the task a whole lot harder.

Lucas had been watchful and knocked the ball out for two successive quick throw ins.  Having played the first one short it was clear that the second was going to be launched into the box and we played right into their hands.  Jones was being watched by two defenders but neither could prevent him from winning the header and as a result there was no attention paid whatsoever to the second ball.  Walters was able to chest the ball down and volley it beyond Reina from inside the penalty area with no defender getting anywhere near him.  It's not about any style of marking rather than it is slack marking.  If you're going to pay that much attention to the intended target then you have to win the initial header, otherwise make sure you're there to mop up whatever happens following that.  We did neither and now found ourselves two goals down with just a few minutes of the second half having been played.

From here, virtually the whole team fell apart for the next few minutes.  Even the most basic of passing was beyond us as we looked to let Stoke in at every opportunity, who themselves needed no invitation to come at us given how comfortable they were in the game.  The exception was Luis Suarez; bane of the Stoke netherworld.  They continued to voice their disapproval louder than any kind of support for their own players and it appeared as if the more they booed him the harder he worked.  He was causing problems for defenders and winning corners as well as chasing down everything to the point where Robert Huth and latterly Ryan Shawcross had to be right on their toes as he very nearly got on the end of a misplaced back pass.

Steven Gerrard likewise saw the need to get us further up the pitch both in the sense that we needed to create something as an attacking force to get back into the game and allowing us some respite from their harassment but his range wasn't quite there and even when he did manage to find Glen Johnson he found himself being closely marshalled by two Stoke defenders but was still able to cut on the outside and earn a corner.  One set piece closely followed another and if anything was more likely to lead to another Stoke goal rather than a way back into it for ourselves with a potentially lethal break being halted by a marginal offside call.  We were showing signs of recovery in the sense that we rediscovered our ability to pass the ball and though Stoke had men back behind the ball we were fighting hard to get beyond them, Jose Enqique using his strength to barge through.  When in those positions however there weren't enough men forward and the final ball was lacking.

In terms of changing personnel, there was one player who had to stay on the pitch.  While Brendan Rodgers looked to inject Jordan Henderson's energy onto the game as he came on for Lucas, within moments of the switch there could have been disaster in terms of Luis Suarez's involvement.  He came into a challenge with a high boot and caught Begovic.  It looked a difficult one to call and certainly one which would draw a great deal of anger if the circumstances were reversed but overall the right decision was reached.  While the crowed bayed for a red and Howard Webb infuriated them by only showing the Uruguayan a yellow.  It was looking a near impossible task the way we were playing with Suarez.  Without him there would have been no hope whatsoever.

The two goal cushion had lead to Stoke pulling men deep somewhat as we started to enjoy more of the possession again.  They still were hard in the tackle and very well organised but Gerrard was now able to run forward with the ball and look for room beyond their back line or even be tempted into a shot.  Aside from Suarez, our best chance of getting back into the game was with the free kicks that we were winning on the flank.  Downing won one right on the edge of the penalty area which was headed clear whereas moments earlier Gerrard's effort was similarly dealt with.  Against an opponent which has a distinct height advantage, I'm really not sure the way in which we went about trying to exploit these opportunities was particularly clever - especially when considering that we've been better at that on the whole this season.  In the midst of it all we did have the ball in the net however.  Suarez combining with Gerrard then Sterling and finally Henderson before falling down on the ball.  Luis hammered the ball into the net but the whistle had already gone as Jordan was judged to have handled it.

Defensively we were coping better, partly because Stoke had no reason to venture into our half and even on the occasions when they did we looked petrified of what they were going to do.  Enrique and Johnson very nearly both gave the ball away in dangerous areas only to make amends  Jose using his strength to atone for his earlier error and Gerrard on the cover to force Stoke inside where we cleared it.  It wouldn't take long for the ball to be up the other end.  As had been the case for some time, it wasn't before long that Suarez was involved again first having his shot blocked and then being flagged for offside as Gerrard tried to play him in.  Very little good came out of this game but Suarez's effort must be commended.

A collision between Dean Whitehead and Pepe Reina allowed more time to be eaten away but also gave us a small window with which to regroup.  Reina was okay to continue after not too long and it then took us a whole two passes before one was played astray.  This is under minimal pressure and we were fortunate enough to get it clear and not be further punished.  On the break meanwhile, Sterling left it for Shelvey and he played it across field to Glen Johnson.  What followed looked every bit the player we'd seen for some weeks now right up until the finish.  Under different circumstances, he'dve driven in and shot - to which I would have gladly accepted the consequences, whether it went miles wide or not.  Johnson could easily have gone for the pass also, but what with the way the game had gone and our growing desperation he delayed it far too long and the pass eventually rolled straight to a Stoke defender.

Coping in a game like this - especially with the circumstances the way they were - is all about mental strength.  Having the physicality to get involved is one thing but it's about belief, desire and how you use that. Jose Enrique is one of the strongest players we have and there were times when the pressure would get to him and they'd be able to get there first.  The first touches were deserting our players completely - right throughout the team - and if you can't get it right in that kind of intensity, it undermines everything we're trying to do.  As a last resort, Joe Cole came on for Stewart Downing followed immediately afterwards by former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch making an appearance for Stoke.  I did fear that with any kind of chance he'd end the game completely with one of those goals that are only ever scored by players that used to play for you.  As it was, they were doing a perfectly good job of shutting it down themselves.

Much to the absolute delight of the Stoke crowd, Luis Suarez was growing ever frustrated with the way things were going.  Every misplaced pass or attempt at something that wouldn't come off would be greeted with the kind of cheer you'd normally reserve for goals.  When Enrique played one over the top from the left hand side it finally looked like he'd got goal side for a second.  However he was forced to turn back and then lay it off to Sterling on the edge of the box whose shot hit a defender and allowed Begovic to pluck it out of the air with ease.  Suarez aside, pretty much everything we were attempting to do was slow and tentative, as if we were frightened of them coming out to attack us once more.  Conversely when Stoke snapped in at our heels it was purposeful and they drove forward with a real menace, although they were lacking in any real quality and Reina was only ever troubled by a few potentially short backpasses that they were determined to chase all the way down.

To their credit, Stoke retained their concentration all over the park right to the very end.  There were times when they had ten players inside the penalty area, making it near impossible for anyone to get through.  Suarez was still trying desperately however but completely unable to get anything going.  His free kick hit the wall and when Joe Cole found him on the right hand side with a flicked header he played a dangerous ball in across the back line only for no-one to be on the end of it.  Gerrard managed to force a camera save out of Begovic in the time that remained and when Suarez had one last shot and fell over on his backside in the process, that pretty much summed up the entire game.  Once again we take a small step back after having a good result against Fulham and once again we're caught completely off our game plan by a team that gets in our faces.  My worry would not be the fact that we didn't match them in terms of shape or personnel (although I've really no explanation as for how Jonjo Shelvey managed to stay on for ninety minutes) - I like the idea of trying to impose our game on them - my concern would be that we didn't match their desire and that's the one thing you'd expect them to have.  Incredibly disappointing.  We 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 - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                         Sunday 9th December 2012
                                            Boleyn Ground

                                     West Ham VS Liverpool

The trials and tribulations of a managers first season will see many challenges, I can't recall ever having to go into a game with no recognized striker to call on however. A lot of people will focus on the situation that's led to this position but whatever the outcome, those at the top need to make sure something like this never happens again.

As a trio that runs through the spine of the side, it will be good to recall Lucas, Gerrard and Agger. Lucas will have to be fully cleared if he's going to have as much of an impact as we'll need him to have. West Ham and the way Sam Allardyce will set up will require a lot of running and for that reason it may be better to see Gerrard in a more attacking role. This will also help in that he's our best finisher but we'll only be able to do it if Lucas is good to go.

Jonjo Shelvey is the one earmarked for the head striking option and having seen him play the role against Young Boys I think it'll work fine so long as those either side of him are prepared to run in behind. There is every chance we could be very narrow and have little numbers in attacking areas - both Gerrard and Shelvey would drop deep at certain times so then a lot would rely on either Allen, Henderson or Sterling's running ahead of the play to stretch it. A lot of the game will be played in the middle third and despite our - lack of - striking options we have to be conscious of this and make sure that we are able to get people further forward.

An alternative option - albeit a radical one - would be if Rodgers decided to go for three at the back. Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique would be able to get forward and support whomever in attack and with Lucas in midfield we would have enough solidity at the back to deal with what is sure to be an aerial bombardment. Allardyce teams pull no punches with their direct approach to the game and I'm a little worried about how we might be susceptible to the set peice but I firmly believe Skrtel and Agger are capable of dealing with them in open play, although they're certain not to get much peace.

With two winnable home games to come, it will be difficult but if a run of victories is ever going to materialize then this will be the biggest stumbling block. Get through this with anything would represent a decent effort but in order to move higher up toward where we want to be in the table then nothing less than a win would do. It's probably not going to be the best exhibition of football that's ever been on display but we're becoming rather good as of late of getting the job done. Doing it here would be a very good sign indeed.

(A) Udinese - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Udinese 0-1 Liverpool

Liverpool Goal: Jordan Henderson (23)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(A) Udinese - Pre Match Thoughts

Europa League

Thursday 8th November 2012

Stadio Friuli

Udinese VS Liverpool

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

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

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

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

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

(H) Southampton - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 1-0 Southampton

Liverpool Goal: Daniel Agger (43)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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