(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) Aston Villa - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                             Sunday 31st March 2013
                                                Villa Park

                                  Aston Villa VS Liverpool

It's been far too long since we last stepped off the pitch having been sorely brought back down to earth against Southampton.  Champions League football is all but mathematically ruled out and it's looking more complex than ever as to whether we'll be able to make European football at all.  It could come down to having to root for a some variation of an all English Europa League final.  I've even started looking at the fair play table!

Whatever run we were hoping to make had been blocked off before we could get into any sort of stride.  The international break has seen us have to stew over the fact that the season is more or less over with eight games to go.  That's no excuse for letting this one go today.  After what happened at Anfield in December, we owe them one.

Things may not have gone according to plan for Brendan Rodgers in his first season in charge but that's nothing compared to what Paul Lambert has had to endure.  Having taken the Premier League by storm last season with Norwich it was only natural that some of the shine would come off this season (the same can be said for Rodgers) but nobody would have expected Villa to be in quite as much trouble as they have been.  Having been dragged firmly into a relegation battle, at one point it looked like the League Cup was to be their salvation but even that turned into a morale sapping loss at the hands of Bradford.

They may be down at the wrong end of the table but have found themselves some form having beaten relegation rivals QPR and Reading in successive games.  Their victory at Anfield - which still rankles - will also give them the confidence to know that they can beat us.  As such it will be vital that we look after Benteke far better than we did that day.  We're likely to have a lot of the ball as despite being at home I expect they'll set up something like the away side.  If Rodgers has been trying to work on our vulnerability at set pieces this will be the perfect test to see whether any of it is paying off.

For once there is good news following an international break in that not only has no-one comeback with an injury but that it's given allowed Pepe Reina and Jamie Carragher some much needed recovery time.  I'm hopeful in that Jordan Henderson will be able to inject some energy into the midfield now Joe Allen has finally been ruled out for the season with the club having actually opted to have the operation he needed.  No doubt when it's all over we'll look to certain games which became the fine line that prevented us from finishing even higher; the 3-1 defeat at Anfield being on top of that list.  If Villa are allowed to complete the double over us and we do go on holiday now that everything appears to have been lost, we may be looking far higher up the table than anyone would like.

(A) Mansfield - Pre Match Thoughts

FA Cup

                                   Sunday 6th January 2013

                                                  Field Mill

                                     Mansfield VS Liverpool

It's that time again. A weekend where the cliche is king. The third round of the FA Cup and a chance for a member of the lower leagues to match up with footballing royalty. Being paired against a non league side, we are the giant looking to not be killed. Losing is unthinkable. Impossible. Football - and especially this competition - does have a way of ignoring those kind of things. But not today. Surely.

Losing the final last year and what happened in the aftermath removed the gloss from what was a very memorable campaign. A last gasp winner over Manchester United and a glorious come from behind victory over Everton in the semi final. These games and memories should never be diminished for those feelings of joy were a reward unto themselves  What happens now is that we create new ones, some that could perhaps burn even brighter and end up with the right result at Wembley in May.

There isn't a lot anyone can say about our opponents for fear of patronising them or trying to laden the occasion with insincere significance. The cup does provide these clashes of disparity and a welcome break from the monotony of playing the same faces week in week out. I may not know much about the club or their players but that's the joy of it and I'm looking forward to the game as it's a journey into the unknown.  Also, having played against lower division sides in the past and the disdain with which they have for us it's nice to see Mansfield show support for the 96.  A touching gesture and one which makes me think very highly of them.

With no game in midweek, the door is open for Rodgers to play as strong a side as he likes. The likelihood is that due to the nature of what we're expecting from our opponents - both in terms of mentality and conditions - and also the fact that a trip to Man United awaits next Sunday, that more than a few players will find themselves being rested. Gerrard, Agger, Skrtel, Reina, Lucas, Allen, Downing, Johnson, Sterling the list of candidates for omission is long. I expect Coates and Carragher to come in at center back and any number of changes around them. Wisdom, Pacheco, Robinson, Coady, all could feature pending the managers approval. Up front however is where we'll see the most intriguing activity. Suarez might want to play but will have to settle for a place on the bench. Today should mark the debut of Daniel Sturridge. I'm looking forward to seeing him and really hoping he can hit the ground running.

Every passing spectator who doesn't have Liverpool at heart will be hoping for an upset and though the task may be daunting, every tackle that's won and every chance they can create will give them hope. Regardless of circumstance it's eleven against eleven and as such the onus is on Liverpool to make that superiority count. I'm hoping we can do that early and often, purely for atheistic sake more than anything else. The longer the game goes without a goal the scrappier it will get. If we score quickly, we may score often. I can only hope that it's going to be as comfortable on the pitch as it is in my mind.

(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) Chelsea - Post Match Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(A) Chelsea - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                            Sunday 11th November 2012
                                            Stamford Bridge

                                       Chelsea VS Liverpool

Of all the football teams that there are in this league, all the rivals that only ever seem to intensify, none have had more influence over Liverpool Football Club in it's recent history more than Chelsea. Once upon a time we clashed to get into the Champions League and Rafa Benitez's term as manager was littered with iconic meetings between the two clubs. Even as recently as last season, the campaign was seemingly defined by that heartbreaking loss to Roberto Di Matteo's side in the FA Cup Final.  It's the turn of Brendan Rodgers to feel that weight of history. He's been here before, when he was a part of the Chelsea back-room staff. Never before will he have walked the corridors and stood in the dressing rooms at Stamford Bridge with more to gain. Losing here - against a side which could easily give Manchester's United and City a run for their money in the title race - would come with no shame nor surprise. Win it however and suddenly everything looks a lot brighter for Brendan Rodgers.

 If recent history is anything to go by, we have little to fear from today. Having won the last three visits to Stamford Bridge in the league, as well as coming here last year and dumping them out of the league cup, certainly there is every reason for the players to feel confident in getting a result. This Chelsea side are a much different animal to the shambles which presided over the Villas-Boas era and has even evolved beyond the team which managed to edge by us at Wembley in May. Eden Hazard and Oscar have come into this team and given it a much needed freshening up, coupled with the form of the ever impressive Juan Mata and we have on our hands a team that appears to be able to score at will.

Given their offensive strength, this will be the teams biggest test so far this season in terms of trying to keep a clean sheet. There has been the suggestion that we're going to be delivered a blow in that area too, with Martin Skrtel missing the game with a virus and Jamie Carragher coming in to replace him. Also, it's been heavily mooted that we will once again be playing with three at the back, much like we did so well against both Everton and Anzhi. Normally I'd favour having Coates over Carragher but for this game and this system, I think it could definitely work.

 As ever, there will be a lot of talk surrounding the two front men of either team. This time it seems to be the issue of whether they might be teammates in the future. There's been no suggestion from the club in regard to Fernando Torres' potential return to Anfield but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill continuing to run with it. I really don't know how I'd feel if it happened and while I do think it's a possibility, the chances are remote at best. Onto the striker that we do have, it's fair to say that if Chelsea can thwart Luis Suarez then it's unlikely we will be taking anything from this game. His scoring rate has been very good so far and while our over reliance on him is a little alarming, it speaks to the talent of a man who can do brilliant things like he did against Newcastle last week. It's also the one area of the pitch in which our opponents do look vulnerable, conceding more than enough goals in the league and the match up between David Luiz and Suarez does look like one in which we can come out on top.

 Even when we were a lot better than we are right now, this is the kind of game in which you'd be happy with a point. Our recent good record in this fixture counts for nothing and if anything means they're more likely to buck the recent trend of Liverpool victories. The match winner last season - Glen Johnson - will return and that will be a huge boost for us, given both his obvious talent and connection with the club he's looking to go back and haunt once again. I don't think it's impossible to go here and get a result today but it would be very impressive. We always put in a performance in these kind of games and in many ways, Wigan at Anfield next week is more important for that very reason. Whatever we pick up here will be a welcome bonus to that.

(H) Anzhi Makhachkala - Pre Match Thoughts

Europa League

Thursday 25th October 2012

Anfield

Liverpool VS Anzhi Makhachkala

Players can be challenged for ninety minutes but for the management, the difficulties span a lot longer time frame. Tonight is set up to be an intriguing game of football, not least of all because of the situation we find ourselves in domestically. It's not just any game that awaits us on Sunday, it's the derby. Brendan Rodgers needs to tred carefully.

Squad management is a neat phrase that has become football speak for the fact that we don't have the resources to win two games in a week. Not many teams do. Tonight is more than just an exercise in getting through the game, realistically we need to take something from it if we are to progress beyond the group stage. The likes of Jordan Henderson, Jonjo Shelvey and Oussama Assaidi will have our European fate in their hands and will have to show the manager whether they are capable of handling it.

 A lot has been spoken of the need for the more senior members of the squad to be as far away from this game as possible. Personally I wouldn't even have Gerrard or Suarez on the bench and it appears as though both may be starting. If that's the case then the hope will be that we can get onto the front foot early and take the game to them, wrap it up completely and be able to take them off with half an hour to go. I'd much rather do it this way than have to bring them on with the task of winning the game for us in the final twenty and overload them, but with Everton on Sunday I have to question the value of playing them at all.  Managers get paid to make these kinds of decisions, I don't.

 Anfield on a European night is always spoken about in glowing terms. For Anzhi, this is their first real test of being able to come to one of the truly great venues on the continent and getting a result. They will be motivated beyond belief and for once the atmosphere could work against us as it's something they will have been working on feeding off. Either way, up front they have Samuel Eto'o, one of the best goalscorers in the game. He alone, much like Di Natale for Udinese, is capable of winning this game and putting him up against Jamie Carragher could be a long nights work for the number 23. If we can keep him quiet, we'll have done a good job.

 The much maligned Europa League has been a wonderful adventure so far. Thirteen goals in two games ensures that the possibilities are endless tonight. The Merseyside derby looms large, as much as our grip in this competition is starting to loosen. Defeat would barring a miracle all but assure our exit, whereas if we stretch ourselves too thin, we may be playing into Everton's hands. Football is about being tested. This will be one hell of an exam.

(A) West Brom - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: West Brom 1-2 Liverpool
West Brom Goal: Gabriel Tamas (3)
Liverpool Goals: Nuri Şahin (17, 82)

Games in up competitions that will showcase and test the talents of our younger players already feel like they're going to be a lot of fun.  Young Boys last week was a case of absolute mayhem and once again there was a real sense prior to kick off that anything at all could happen.  The prevailing sense was that of trepidation, for West Brom were playing more or less their first team.  There was still hope however  that our young lads be able to step up to the plate and repeat their success of last week.

With our defence of the League cup officially under way, West Brom opted to test out our concentration levels by knocking it long early.  With Jamie Carragher up against a big strong Romelu Lukaku, it was going to be a long night for the stand in skipper.  It wouldn't take them long to find a breakthrough either.  Just three minutes had gone when Jordan Henderson's short pass off to Andre Wisdom forced the young defender into fouling Rosenborg.  The free kick was looped into the box and as Brad Jones came to claim it, an arm from Jonas Olsson landed in his face.  Unable to gather it cleanly, the ball fell to Tamas who had the easy task of poking it into an unguarded net.  Not the start Brendan Rodgers will have had in mind.

Early on it looked like this was going to get ugly, fast.  Lukaku was brushing off Jamie Carragher like he was one of those charity muggers that approach you in the street and with alarming regularity.  Carra managed to get a last ditch block in for his first attempt at goal but when the Belgian forward dragged him out wide, Jamie was left for dead before it came to Fortune who forced Jones into a save.  There had only been five minutes on the clock but we were a goal down and looked to be hanging on already.  Some possession of the ball was needed, badly.

Things weren't going well for us in the first ten minutes and the one time we did manage to get a hold of the ball it lead to a counter that Carragher was forced to snuff out.  It says a lot that of the two teams West Brom were playing the more fluid football but the fact of the matter was that we hadn't yet started the game, having been caught cold by that sucker punch (quite literally in Olsson's case) of a goal.  There were signs that we were starting to grow into it however.  Pretty much everything we did came down the left hand side with Robinson being a little sloppy but still trying to come to grips with the game and ahead of him Assaidi who again looked bright early on.  His trickery on the left hand side of the penalty area and subsequent ball into the box could have even brought about a sudden leveller as Samid Yesil nodded it just wide.  At the very least, the ball was as far away from our goal as possible.

The Baggies were full of confidence, especially in an attacking sense.  Whenever it was played up to Lukaku he would make sure it stuck and allowed other people to get involved around him.  In order to try and keep them at bay, those kind of balls would need to be cut out and it was impressive to see Nuri Sahin putting himself about a lot more than on previous occasions.  Henderson would have been the one in there as the more defensive type midfielder but Sahin was starting to get involved all across the middle.  Certainly a lot of our creative play revolved around the Turkish midfielder as everything seemed to go through him before it went anywhere else.  So it would come as no surprise that he was the source of our equaliser.

Ben Foster won't want to see it ever again, almost certainly.  For the first time really in the match, the ball was being channelled through the right hand side.  Downing went forward before playing it back to Wisdom and there was a real patience about our play as West Brom flooded the centre.  When it came back to Sahin  - some twenty five yards out - there were a lot of bodies behind the ball and these are the kind of situations in which as a defence you want the player to shoot aimlessly.  That his shot was on target was about as kind as you could get, but Foster wanted to reward him even further with the ball squirming underneath him at the near post as it looked for the whole world that he had it covered.  Both teams had scored and neither side will have been happy in the manner of which it came about.  Game on.

Just to compound matters for Steve Clarke and his team, no sooner had the goal gone in than Liam Ridgewell needing to have the physio on for treatment.  A combination of having gotten back into the game and West Brom being temporarily down to ten men, the high pressing that you would ordinarily see right from the off was now very clear and they were forced deep because of it.  Assaidi created a half chance for Dani Pacheo when his cross was headed out to the edge of the box.  The Moroccan winger looks like he could be a very exciting player indeed for us.  Without getting to carried away, his direct style and the ability he has to shift it onto either foot and go on the outside or inside will make it so that he's always going to be a threat to defenders.  Certainly has all the makings of a real impact player, and he was doing just that on this game.

With Ridgewell unable to continue, Craig Dawson came on to replace him and once again get West Brom back to a full compliment of players.  By now we had firmly grabbed the initiative and were seeing a lot more of the ball, Yesil and Pacheco doing their best to try and go past five players back was a measure of how the confidence was flowing.  Dani Pacheco has been one of those prospects for quite some time now and the feeling is that he's got to deliver sooner rather than later.  His trickery and technique are widely lauded but here it was his intelligence and industry that impressed.  Finding the space in between their midfield and defence, even dropping very deep to pick it up and get on with it as well as a lot of work tracking runners and putting his foot it.  All of it was very good to see from the Spaniard.

After such a joyous start, the home crowd was starting to get very frustrated.  We now had a real presence in an attacking sense, with Wisdom and Robinson forward it meant that there were always four or five Liverpool players in the final third of the pitch.  As such they had no time to think, let alone any room to manoeuvre.  Their midfield had been forced to come deep just as an option for those at the back to receive the ball so that when we did pinch it from them there were always a lot of West Brom shirts to get beyond.  Yesil was working very hard up front and looked like he had something about him in the way of persistence and close control.  At the other end Romelu Lukaku who had started the game off on fire had been starved of any service and with his supply line completely cut off we looked a lot more comfortable as a defensive unit.

Their frustration boiled over as we approached half time.  Youssouf Mulumbu recklessly diving in on Jordan Henderson, with his studs going into the Liverpool midfielder's shin.  It was an absolute shocker of a challenge that unbelievably went unpunished.  Play went on some time after the incident and by the time referee Michael Oliver got back to it, perhaps the delay worked in Mulumbu's favour.  Certainly it merited a yellow card at worst and could even have easily been a red.  Just to put this decision into context, Mulumbu did receive a yellow moments later for a challenge on Nuri Sahin that was barely even worthy of the name foul.  As far as some of the decision making we've seen with regard to fouls being punished recently, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Though our play on the whole was very balanced, certainly the fortunes of those we had on each wing could not have differed any more.  Assaidi looked like he could create something every time he got onto the ball and was a real thorn in the West Brom defence.  Stewart Downing on the other hand was practically invisible.  As far as I'm concerned with Downing this season, I have no problem whatsoever with him being used as an auxiliary left back in certain games and that will add a certain presence in the attacking part of the field.  Having him as one of the front three will only hinder our creativity up front however.

It was a half that had began badly and ended in frustration.  For the last five or so minutes there was something of a lull in our appetite and it's possible we were just trying to sit in and wait for the break but the Baggies wrestled some initiative from that and exerted a little pressure as the half came to a close.  There was one chance for us on the break with Samed Yesil, who was caught on the edge of the box but no free kick was given before they cleared it away.  It's wrong to criticise any player for being honest but it does seem counter productive that referees do not reward this kind of behaviour, instead ignoring it in favour of those who go down at the slightest touch.  Half time then and despite going a goal down early, Liverpool had come back strong with the game now level at one each.

As the game got going for the second period, it was clear that the West Brom players had the managers words ringing in their ears.  Right from kick off they were a lot sharper and pressed the ball as hard as they had done all night, but even then the first real chance incident was in their own penalty area.  Assaidi picked up from where he'd left off and left his defender trailing.  His cross was half cleared and the shot that came back in resulted in an appeal from the crowd for handball.  Directly from this Lukaku picked the ball up and had a run at goal himself as an indication of how much the tempo had already picked up.  This was all in the first minute.

One thing that is very clear is that these players despite some of them lacking real experience, there's a huge amount of confidence in the way we play the ball around.  For a good few minutes it was passed between defence and midfield with Robinson at the heart of the play, looking for an opening.  He was under pressure a lot of the time but kept playing balls into Sahin or Henderson then back to Carragher, all the while waiting for an opportunity to get forward.  In a flash we were at the other end of the pitch.  Robinson's pass to Assaidi was laid off perfectly allowing him to drive at the heart of their defence.  It was eventually half cleared to Yesil whose powerful effort forced a save from Ben Foster but yet again it was far from convincing.  Despite appearing to go straight at him  - much like Sahin's opener - the ball wriggled away for a corner.  Dani Pacheco had obviously been paying attention to this as when he received the ball on the edge of the area from the resulting corner, his first thought was to test the goalkeeper and his dipping effort just clipped the bar.  Wouldn't be a Liverpool game without hitting the woodwork.

At one point in the early stages of the second half, both teams were suffering from the same problem.  Romelu Lukaku who had earlier been pushed up right on Jamie Carragher and near ripped him to pieces earlier on in the game, was now coming deeper and drifting wide to try stop our midfield from cutting the ball out to him.  What this did is add another midfielder into the battle, which did help West Brom gain some more of a territorial advantage but in turn allowed either Robinson, Wisdom or one of the midfielders to double team him along with Carragher or Coates and as such made him less of a threat.  Likewise we had no real presence in the penalty area, although most of that is down to the inexperience of Yesil more than anything else.  It did become especially frustrating though as Assaidi continually had the beating of his defender only for no-one to be on the end of whatever he'd produce.

Between Lukaku and Assaidi, the game did become very stretched at times.  So much so that there were times in which we'd simply keep the ball in our half and ask them to come and chase us for a while, trying to tire them out and quieten down the tempo.  Conversely they were trying to force the pace on every occasion and this led to a lot of misplaced passes and an overall pattern of play that was very disjointed.  The few chances that we did create were now coming on the break.  It was clear by now that Assaidi had the beating of his man every single time and the game came to life whenever he was on the ball.  Dani Pacheco was also running himself into the ground whenever West Brom had the ball in their own defensive third and made sure they didn't have a moments peace.  He nearly scored after clearly having made his mind up about the night that Foster was having.  Once again it proved to be correct as the ball didn't go cleanly into the goalkeepers hands.  It was beginning to seem like a wonder he'd only conceded once.

In much the same way that some boxing matches tend to go through the motions a little in the middle rounds, so too was this game.  Both teams were content with throwing little jabs but there were being no real punches thrown.  Nuri Sahin was the one player in the middle of the park for either side who really stood out in terms of his ability to change the gear of a move, this both being a testament to his ability as well as him understanding his role in the team.  Their main threat was on the break and the occasional flurry of set pieces meanwhile.  Steve Clarke showed his hand a little by taking of Lukaku and bringing on Shane Long.  As understandable as it was to rest the big Belgian for the weekend, they could easily have left him on and gone for a riskier change in shape in the hope of overpowering us at the back.  They weren't about to go all out in search of a winner however, making the question of our ability to cut through them all the more important.

Time was running out in terms of finding a winning goal in the allotted ninety minutes and though West Brom were getting the ball in good areas it would fall down completely as they tried to play the killer pass.  Certainly pretty much every cross played into the box in the second half was like catching practice for Brad Jones.  A lot of the way in which they went about finding a winning goal was tired, uncreative and incredibly ambitious.  Most of the time instead of attempting to play it down either channel, or even drive into the penalty area it would be a ball fizzed in to the forward in an attempt to try and split the defence from about thirty yards.  On the few occasions it wasn't cut out, they rolled harmlessly back to Jones in goal.

One of the things having watched the game now and really paid attention that mystifies me completely is the balance of the team in spite of the fact that we only ever used one side of it.  At no point was the shape lop sided or were we caught out on either flank, but the ball simply didn't go near Downing for long periods of the game.  You'd be forgiven for thinking we were a man light again.  It was painfully illustrated in a five minute stretch in which Dani Pacheco injures himself clearly and then goes on to do much more positive work for the team before he comes off than Downing could manage in the entire game.  This isn't to say he had a bad performance.  There were only about three or four bad touches from Downing the entire ninety minutes.  My problem is that those were the only times I saw him touch the ball.

Into the last ten minutes and with extra time looming, changes were afoot.  Pacheco and Yesil came off for Suso and sixteen year old Jerome Sinclair.  I've said all my life that I'll know when I start to get old when the players I'm cheering for are significantly younger than me.  Sinclair is - only just - sixteen, born a whole ten years after I was, making me feel like an absolute dinosaur and in the process breaking Jack Robinson's record of being the youngest ever Liverpool player.

Whether it's coincidence or not, this marked the second time in four days that following Suso's arrival onto the pitch we score.  Both instances were actually set in motion by the Spaniard himself.  This time he had a more direct part to play, picking the ball up and running toward goal with it.  With everyone expecting a shot on the edge of the area, his shift over to Assaidi on the left hand side caught out their back line and the subsequent ball across was as good a ball as he'd played all game.  This left Nuri Sahin with the simplest of tasks to slot the ball home for his - and Liverpool's - second of the game.

Time was now against the home side.  Almost immediately Fortune hit the post after he brilliantly volleyed Jonas Olsson's deep cross.  Their frustration was now being sounded out amongst the crowd, but wasn't loud enough to drown out the sounds of the Liverpool fans behind the goal.  There was a whole lot of bluster in the remaining minutes but no real chances of note that in any way worried Brad Jones or the defence.  Carragher in particular seems to thrive in these passages of play where a side is running out of ideas and all he has to do is get something in the way.

We were a little too deep at the end as the fourth official indicated the three minutes of stoppage time.  It got very scrappy in the end with Jerome Sinclair way up the field doing his very best to make an impression but being closed of by the West Brom defenders.  An eventful game came to an end and progression to the next round was sealed.  Our defence of the League Cup continues where we have been drawn at home - finally - against Brendan Rodgers' former employers; Swansea.  Another performance from the youngsters at Liverpool to savour, it's becoming a joy to watch some of these kids blossom right in front of our eyes and really makes me hopeful for the future of the club.  A future that needs to include three points against Norwich.

(A) West Brom - Pre Match Thoughts

                                              League Cup

                                        Saturday 18th August 2012
                                            The Hawthorns

                          West Bromwich Albion VS Liverpool

Attitudes and priorities change over time.  It's only natural that certain things have different relevance based on the current circumstances.  Last season the League Cup was our best chance at silverware and proved to be a highlight in an otherwise frustrating campaign.  If winning this competition wasn't good enough for a previous manager, I can't imagine Brendan Rodgers will put too much credence in this game tonight.  That's not to say we don't want to win.  Regardless of what the supposed merits of this cup are, we are still the holders and both that and our opposition cannot be taken lightly.

First and foremost, in the aftermath of the Man United game on Sunday there will be a lot of players - as well as the manager himself - who will be anxious to get back out onto the pitch to try and return to winning ways as quickly as possible.  That's more than admirable but what with another league game to come in three days it'll be the turn of a similar style eleven to that which we saw in the Europa League last Thursday in Switzerland.  If Suso and Sterling have shown anything in the last few weeks it's that Brendan Rodgers will give those players who stand out a chance to shine on a much bigger stage.  They will have to pass this test first.

It's hard to get any kind of handle on what team Steve Clarke will be putting out tonight as they're a side who would have no feeling one way or another toward the League Cup in these early stages.  If this were more toward the back end of the competition - a quarter or semi final for example - then I imagine we'd be facing a very similar team to that which we took on in the opening game of the season.  A cup run for West Brom is something of an added bonus but one Clarke may be targeting given how well they've started their league season.  

Football - at least on the face of it - always seems to give out second chances readily.  Torres leaves for Chelsea, they're our next opponents.  Lose to them in the FA Cup final and we'll get a small measure of payback at Anfield a few days later.  Having lost to West Brom so convincingly - admittedly it did all fall apart in one small period of the game but fall apart it did - this will be a chance for Brendan Rodgers to go back and right the wrong of the opening day, which would in turn give us that boost of confidence going into a run of games now that we have to be looking to win.

In the aftermath of the game at Anfield, we now have three more players on the sidelines.  Martin Kelly will be out for six months while Daniel Agger and Fabio Borini will be out for a shorter period of time but with those three going down it leaves room for someone to come in and take their place.  Much has been said of Brendan Rodgers' affection for Jack Robinson and tonight will be the perfect chance for him to come in and stamp some authority in the left back spot.  With Enrique's form firmly in the tank, there is a real need for an emergence from somewhere which would allow Glen Johnson in his correct position at right back and give us some much needed balance.  

Up front, there is also an intriguing battle as the more conventional Stewart Downing could be lining up tonight alongside Oussama Assaidi and the two of them could be well facing off for a place in the team against Norwich on Saturday.  There will also be a chance to see Samed Yeşil for the first time since his move from Bayer Leverkusen.  Also, it will have been put across in no uncertain terms that the team cannot defend anywhere near the way in which it did against Young Boys at times.  Jamie Carragher and whatever other senior professionals there are in the team tonight are going to have to be at their utmost, especially given what happened to our more established team here not so long ago.  

One thing that cannot be overstated is the need for a measured reaction to the result.  We're already in something of a predicament in the league and whether we win or lose, the teams problems won't suddenly be infinitely worse or completely solved based on one performance in the league cup.  Brendan Rodgers has done a very good job in juggling his squad so far and been very bold in his selections in the league, unfortunately with very little reward.  The team needs a win but we could do with a few of them back to back.  Given what awaits us, victory here could very well be the start of something.

(A) Young Boys - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Young Boys 3-5 Liverpool
Young Boys Goals: Raphael Nuzzolo (38), Juhani Ojala (52), Gonzalo Zárate (63)
Liverpool Goals:  Juhani Ojala (4 O.G), Andre Wisdom (40), Sebastián Coates (67), Jonjo Shelvey (76 & 88)

It's very difficult to enjoy a Liverpool game in progress.  The anticipation and excitement of a big game always take hold and there's a sense of achievement that follows a good victory but during the ninety minutes itself, it's often more of a worry than actual entertainment.  That was not the case tonight.  It was chaotic, unpredictable and at times a complete mess.  I loved it.

The team itself, despite missing several first team players was still a competitive one with international caps scattered throughout.  Having said that there was a lot of inexperienced, raw talent in amongst them and right from the outside it was going to be an intriguing prospect as to how they'd come together.  There was barely any time for a discernible pattern of play from either side to come into effect before the opening goal and so it was just three minutes into the game when we took the lead.  The ball arrived at the feet of Stewart Downing on the right hand side and things looked fairly innocuous.  He took on his man and delivered a hopeful ball into the box, but there were no Liverpool players in sight.  Fortune smiled upon us however as the cross was - under no pressure whatsoever - headed against Ojala and rebounded into the net, giving the keeper no chance.  A very early lead in extremely fortuitous circumstances.  I'll take that.

With so little time to digest what had transpired, Young Boys had a half chance themselves.  A ball was played over the top through to Bobadilla whose brilliant first touch and extra yard of pace took him ahead of Jamie Carragher.  Fortunately Brad Jones made a save to prevent there being any further goals in the first five minutes.  Before the game a lot had been said about the relative inexperience all over the park but it was rather encouraging in the way they went about playing.  There were errors here and there but for the most part it was hugely impressive quite how much cohesion there was among them - even prior to the opening goal there were flashes of it - in the face of a partizan crowd and a Young Boys midfield that had clearly been told to press them hard.

As you go up through the various different levels of football, the middle of the park becomes more and more important.  On the continental stage it is vital and Jordan Henderson - right from the off - really imposed himself on the game.  Sweeping up at the back effectively and allowing the defence to get set as well as being positionally sound enough to make sure that Sahin and Suso could roam, it was great to see him step up like that.  What the early goal did allow us, was the freedom to be as patient with the ball as we liked and when we passed the ball in and around the final third there was no need to rush anything while they were obviously concerned about going further behind.  This allowed our full backs to push up and help out as Assaidi and Enrique would try to go down one side before Downing and Wisdom would supply the width on the other side.  A by-product of this was that when they did get the ball, they were forced to play it long which in turn just gave us possession back once more and allowed us to start again.

It wasn't all perfect however and it was clear early on that we could be very susceptible to the the break.  Their best chances came from counter attacks in which they could get Carragher and Coates to run with their back to goal.  With no real pace in there, it was important that we didn't give the ball away sloppily and yet was something we continued to do.  Sahin in particular was particularly profligate, trying a few too many ambitious passes that only gave them the ball back.  Elsewhere, Stewart Downing was trying his best to make something happen and while very little of it came off, he at least kept his head in the game.  One thing he was doing very well was pushing onto the left back so often that someone had to come back and help out, completely nullifying them on the left wing.

Because of the battle that was going on in midfield, there was very little in terms of goalmouth threat.  Suso was working hard to try and do all that was needed of him defensively but was unable to really get anywhere near the ball, whereas Jordan Henderson the deeper of the three mid-fielders was a constant thorn in their side and snuffed out all that came near him. Up front, Dani Pacheco was seeing very little of the ball and his frustration bore out in the fact that the one time he was played in his run was too early and the offside flag was quickly raised.  Oussama Assaidi meanwhile was enjoying a very useful introduction to life at Liverpool. He looks like a player that is very keen to get on with things and as such is very direct but is a lot more protective of the ball than the perception is with a flair player.  Obviously there are no conclusions to be made from a single game of football no matter how bad or good but at the very least he will feel more confident in finally getting the chance to go out there and play in a Liverpool shirt.

Young Boys had set their stall out now as playing virtually exclusive on the counter.  We were so comfortable on the ball and with good numbers at the back looked very imposing and as such they looked to exploit any mistakes or attempts by us to force the pace and catch us on the break.  It didn't help that the midfield three never looked particularly solid.  Henderson was very good and at times appeared to be doing two jobs and while you can forgive Suso for his inexperience at this level, he and Sahin didn't really do much in the way of getting close enough to them to affect their play.  When we had the ball, Nuri looks like a great player but I'm not sure if in the future he'll be someone we're looking to give that kind of responsibility to (I imagine it'll be two of Henderson, Lucas and Allen).

Having had the time to recover from their shocking start to the game, it was now more of an even contest despite the lack of action at either end.  Jose Enrique gave away a dangerous free kick which was up until that point their best opportunity of the game but it was a wasted one.  From here there was a period in which we just couldn't get hold of the ball.  Despite working hard to try and retrieve it, nothing seemed to stick and it was a case of being solid at the back and waiting for our chance to break.  When it did eventually come, a second goal very nearly arrived with it; Suso picking it up and dancing through two defenders and a lunging challenge before cutting it back to no-one.  He'd done brilliantly to get that far but would probably have been better off taking the chance himself.  A bit of skill at one end had nearly doubled our lead.  An absolute horror show at the other was about to wipe it clean.

It was a lofted ball over Jamie Carragher that looked to have been over hit.  Jose Enrique had it under control as he escorted it back to Brad Jones in goal and then the unthinkable happened.  Deciding to take a touch was one thing but now the goalkeeper couldn't pick it up.  His follow up attempt at a clearance arrived straight at Raphael Nuzzolo who slammed the ball home to level the game up.  If Enrique had any kind of right foot whatsoever, this wouldn't have happened.  As it was, the advantage that had been given to us early on had ever so kindly been given back.  We weren't feeling quite so generous moments later however, and immediately scored again.

Desperate to make amends for what had just transpired, Enrique and Sahin linked up on the left hand side to put the ball into the box, with a terrible defensive mix up nearly forcing Ojala into another own goal.  The corner that immediately followed this was of real quality from Sahin and met with an equally brilliant header by Andre Wisdom who powered home to score on his competitive debut.  For so long our corner taking and what we get from them has been absolutely abysmal but this season we've scored twice from them already.  So much has been said about the need for someone other than Gerrard to take them and so Sahin's ball in will have certainly caught the eyes of a few people watching.

Having retaken the lead, there was still time in the half to very nearly throw it away again.  Suso watched as Alexander Farnerud drifted into space ahead of the penalty area and when the ball was played to him his shot looked destined for the net, only to curl around Jamie Carragher and hit the post just beyond the outstretched fingertips of Brad Jones.  They did press us a lot sharper then as the two goals had woken the crowd up somewhat.  We were - however - able to keep the ball long enough to make sure that when the interval came the lead was still intact.

With proceedings in Bern under way once again, the first thing that became apparent was that our pressing had been restricted to our own half only.  Whether this was to make sure we maintained a shape so that they couldn't get in on the counter or just to try and make them run out of ideas, Suso and Pacheco were the two who let them have the ball on the half way line but would immediately close the space as soon as they crossed it.  Our Swiss opponents, having almost certainly taken something from the way they ended the first half started the second with a lot of energy and pushed us hard, forcing mistakes.  Seeing as the pattern of the game had been set with both teams scoring from mistakes and our second coming from a corner, it was only natural that their second came from one as well.  Having been half cleared, Bobadilla picked up the ball and returned it into the penalty area.  Sebastian Coates just couldn't quite get there with it falling instead to Juhani Ojala who made up for his earlier error in placing a perfect header beyond Brad Jones for a second equalizer.

It was turning into a very strange game.  Given that the pattern of our play usually revolves around having a number of chances without scoring, this time we'd scored twice without doing very much in an attacking sense.  We were now for the first real time starting to feel pressured and both their fans and players found another gear.  Suso for all his hard work - and he really did run all day - was simply unable to get anywhere near the ball in midfield, which they constantly bypassed and continued to apply the pressure.  Brad Jones was being called upon far too frequently in goal but now we were able to play on the break ourselves with Downing and Assaidi being the main outlets.  Unfortunately, Dani Pacheco up front was having something of a game to forget.  Part of it was the situation of the game itself and the lack of good service to his feet but it was understandable that when Rodgers decided that changes were to be made it was Pacheco who would be first to be removed.  Fabio Borini came on in his place and his first action was to win a corner.  From which we conceded.

As far as their third goal is concerned, there's so much wrong with it I'm not sure where to begin.  Having watched it again a few times now, we're in such a position of strength at the time the ball is given away it's almost incomprehensible.  It's not an intended pass that causes the trouble either, it's an aimless punt up field as they're desperate to get it clear.  At this point by the way, there are eight Young Boys players behind the ball.  As soon as we let it bounce, there's a problem.  Bobadilla does well to hold it up but Carragher is so lightweight in the challenge, there may be an appeal for him at the next Comic Relief.  Once he's got it under control, the pass to Zarate is magnificent but Jose Enrique is so out of position there's only ever going to be one outcome.  Young Boys take the lead and from having started the game with concerns over our youthful attack, all the problems were coming from the senior professionals at the back.

If there's one thing having a youthful team will do, it's having that fearlessness.  Some teams having taken the lead twice, only to now find themselves a goal down might lick their wounds a little and feel sorry for themselves but there was no sign of that.  Right way we were on the front foot and Sahin had started to find an excellent rhythm with his passing.  Borini also, had barely been on the pitch a few minutes and already had far more chances than Pacheco had managed.  Jonjo Shelvey came on for Assaidi with about twenty minutes to go.  The game was about to change completely.

Another corner, another goal.  This time it was played deep to Sebastián Coates at the far post whose header back across goal was "influenced" by Fabio Borini.  Whether he got a touch or not is beside the point, what the Italian forward did do was make sure that the man on the post got no-where near it because he didn't want to make the challenge.  The ball found its way into the back of the net and once again the scores were level.  With six goals having already gone in, the game showed no signs of slowing down.  There was a real confidence about our passing again and the ball stuck to the grass as we played it around.  Rodgers' substitutions were having a real effect on the game as Fabio Borini was a real threat up front while Suso was to go wide following the appearance of Shelvey and both were beginning to shine.  Jonjo - who had been on the park for a few minutes and already had a few decent touches of the ball - was about to take over.

In keeping with the way the game had gone, it started with a loose pass.  Borini latched onto it on the left hand side of the penalty are and played it across the box into Jordan Henderson.  His first touch lay off to Shelvey was placed coolly beyond Wolfli in the Young Boys goal to put the total of goals on the night to seven and once again see us in the driving seat.  Immediately following the goal, Raheem Sterling was summoned from the bench to potentially rub salt into the wounds by coming on for Stewart Downing.  As had been the case all evening, Young Boys pressed up the field once more and tried to exploit the weaknesses shown by Jose Enrique.  A series of chances were created surrounding the Spanish left back who was now firmly in the category of having one of "those" games.  Fortunately, nothing was able to come of it.

Second half I thought the midfield looked a lot better.  Sahin in particular had stepped up a level and was even putting himself about in a defensive sense a lot more, which allowed Henderson to influence the game further up the pitch.  That being said, it never felt like we'd locked the door completely and there still chances  for them as the game entered the last five minutes.  Jones was forced into another smart save from Farnerud and Frey missed an absolute sitter with a free header from a set piece.  If the game hadn't been decided with that miss, it was about to.

In the same way as their third goal, there's a lot to be said for our fifth.  Henderson's pass through to Shelvey is an amazing one.  It cuts out the midfield completely and allows Jonjo to go directly at goal.  Borini's movement means that one defender is already being dragged out of the way, allowing him to go one on one with the other centre half.  Shelvey's subsequent drop of the shoulder and thunderous finish was a thing of beauty and a perfect way to cap off an enthralling game.  A lot of people are going to make a lot of conclusions - be they good or bad - about this game.  Wisdom and Henderson looked fantastic and conversely, Carragher and Enrique looked awful.  Jamie is someone who has been under so much scrutiny for some time now, but it's Jose Enrique that really bothers me.  It's been said that his only real - career - purple patch was when he first joined us and now we're seeing the real him.  I don't want to believe it, but we'll have to wait and see.  I would say however that some games are pointless to over analyse because of it's frenzied nature.  So often in football we talk about anything can happen.  Tonight, everything did happen.