(A) Oldham - Pre Match Thoughts

FA Cup

                                   Sunday 27th January 2013

                                             Boundary Park

                                Oldham Athletic VS Liverpool

There's nothing like the presense of a real underdog to strengthen the resolve within a team. Of course, the - horrifying - alternative is that they shatter your confidence completely.  Nobody other than those associated with Liverpool Football Club will be wanting a win for us today because the cup upset - the giant killing - is one of footballs great events. The thing about that however is that when it all comes down to it, no-one else actually matter. It's all about the well being of Liverpool, as we look to get a step closer to Wembley and the final in May.

Our squad - despite being in the immediate process of reinforcement - still isn't the biggest. Certainly not to be able to withstand three games in seven days - two of which are against three of the Premier League's top two last year - without any drop off in quality. This nonsensical idea of disrespecting the FA Cup - regardless of result - means very little but the very real notion of winning a trophy is one that appeals greatly, despite everything that went on last year. With Arsenal waiting on Wednesday, as ever a balance must be struck.

With changes in mind there are certain names that spring immediately to mind. I really want to see Sebastian Coates get some much needed game time as well as Fabio Borini, who would be incredibly well served to get himself on the scoresheet. Conversely, because of the importance of the game at the Emirates in midweek other players are ruled out of contention for fear of burn out on a less than ideal pitch. I would be very surprised if one of Agger, Lucas and Gerrard took to the field this afternoon.  Sturridge could make history with his fourth goal in four stars and I'm sure Suarez will be foaming at the mouth to get on as I expect him to be on the bench.

Games like this are never the highlight of a players career (unlike our opposition for some of whom this may be true) but in order to get to those days, you must first get the job done here.  It was just over a year ago that we played Oldham at Anfield and on that day they took the lead. Though we went on to win comfortably that day, if we are to be slack enough to give them that kind of momentum it will take one hell of an effort to wrestle it back.

I'm not expecting an easy game, despite the gap between us in terms of resources and league position. It's just not in the Liverpool DNA - certainly of the teams I've seen in my lifetime - to steamroller lower league opposition. Having said that I fully expect us to have the kind of quality in terms of players and chances so that the final third of this game be rendered almost inconsequential. Their task is to put themselves in the history books of Oldham Athletic. Our job is to make sure that doesn't happen.

(H) Fulham - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 Fulham
Liverpool Goals: Martin Skrtel (8), Steven Gerrard (36), Stewart Downing (51), Luis Suarez (90)

There must be something in the air.  It may be the season of goodwill but I was not expecting Fulham to be this accommodating, though I do thank them for it.  A wonderful early present, with a victory that was not only gift wrapped but all around about as pleasant an afternoon as we've had for some time.  It began with the starting eleven.  Rest for Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen as well as the return of Jose Enrique whom we badly missed last week against Aston Villa.  Suso's introduction was an intriguing one and even though I would much rather he and Gerrard be swapped around it was a team I thought was capable of going out there and getting the three points.  How right that proved to be.

Some teams come onto us early.  Given our problems with passing it out from the back coupled with the adrenaline that naturally comes at the start of a game that's understandable.  Perhaps serving as a metaphor for the rest of the game, Fulham decided to charge Jose Enrique within the first few seconds then decide they'd had enough of that and sat off completely.  Even when we had the ball in our own half Berbatov was the only Fulham player who was that side of the pitch as they set their stall out early and he's not exactly the most workaholic of strikers.  As such we settled into a rhythm of passing very quickly looking to probe as there were battles being fought either side, firstly with Suso on Dejagah and then Downing clashing with Riise - all of which coming to nothing.  Moments later the first real chance of the game as Jose Enrique tried to barrel his way through four defenders to earn a corner, from which Daniel Agger has a free header which he skied.  He wouldn't be the only Liverpool centre half left open from a corner.

Though they had nine of the ten outfield players back in their own half, there was still a gap between their midfield and defence which Shelvey and Suso could be seen drifting in and out of.  At the back Steven Gerrard was working hard in conjunction with Lucas to make sure there was no similar gap in our own set-up nor would there be any easy shots on goal on the few occasions in which a Fulham player managed to stride forward with the ball.  One of the advantages of having Gerrard in this deep lying role is his range of passing and the speed with which it helps us change gears from defence to attack.  His long pass out from the right to left hand side over to Jose Enrique was as outrageous as it was accomplished and the Spaniard flashed it first time across the box brilliantly, only for there to be no-one on the end of it.  Fulham recovered for maybe half a second before Downing had it back and his cross was then nearly audaciously put in with a Jonjo Shelvey back flick but it was blocked for a corner instead.  From the restart Steven Gerrard was able to find Martin Skrtel in acres of space right by the penalty spot, so much so that he had time to chest it down before thumping into the back of the net.  A perfect execution in both how you finish and how you start a game.

With an early lead and being allowed virtually all of the ball, confidence was flourishing.  We had time and space all over the park and the passes were being exchanged both long and short in abundance.  One thing that did catch my eye however was that on one occasion whereby Lucas lost the ball and Fulham did go off on the break, Glen Johnson came into the centre to try and neutralize the situation.  I would have been interested to know which of the following (if either were applicable) were his reasons for this.  Firstly because they only had one man up front and he was comfortable in leaving Skrtel behind him to cover, knowing that there would be time for either Gerrard to be the extra man or Lucas to get back.  A more interesting thought however would have been as a direct result of Villa's second goal against us last week.  Both Downing and Johnson were bypassed as fullbacks by the movement of Benteke and by the time either of them had the chance to be involved in play it was too late.  By stepping up and trying to affect the play earlier, he has a much better chance of success.  As it was, Berbatov was forced wide and the chance evaporated very quickly.

From one wide player to another, Stewart Downing was lining up his shooting range and coming very close to doubling the lead with an effort that just flashed wide.  If he was starting to grow in confidence then our opposition were going the other way.  Their passing was forced and control even worse, as if a lot of them wanted rid of the ball rather than were trying any kind of advancement of the ball.  It didn't take much for us to recover it and even with a few more men behind the ball we were still able to keep it on the edge of their penalty area with Downing's eventual cross just about headed clear by Hangeland.  No more was their nonchalance prevalent than when we had the ball at the back.  Agger, Skrtel, Gerrard and Lucas were allowed to stroll forward with ease and as Johnson and Enrique provided the width, there were options everywhere as Fulham allowed us to dictate virtually every aspect of the game.

It may have taken them about twenty minutes but our defence did have some work to do.  Martin Skrtel had to be alert when Dejagah tried to play Berbatov through the middle and his sliding tackle forced the ball to rebound back off him and then away by Jose Enrique.  Fulham had weathered what was an early battering and for once had some degree of possession, however they were blocked off from any attempt at getting near Pepe Reina's goal.  Our foot had been taken off the pedal just a little but even so it didn't take much to recover the ball and get on the attack once more and when we did there was more than enough space for us to cause problems with Suarez dropping off to receive it and then shooting just wide.  Because of the way in which Fulham were passing the ball, they were so relieved for us to lower our tempo it was almost as if we were lulling them in by backing off a little and then pouncing when the time was right.  This kind of pressure led to what can only be described as miss of the season so far.

We picked it up just in the final third as Fulham stood on the ball too long.  Downing passed it through to Suarez on the right who tried to cut inside with the ball eventually coming to Steven Gerrard on the edge.  His shot deflected off Hangeland and right back to Suarez.  The ball across the six yard box should have been a tap in for Daniel Agger as Schwarzer was already beaten but instead of it being a second goal he inexplicably ballooned it into the stands.  Suarez had it gift wrapped for Agger just in time for Christmas but clearly he doesn't open his presents so early.  While a defender was up front missing clear cut chances, Fulham's main threat could not get any more advanced that the halfway line.  One thing you're never going to get from Berbatov is someone who will run defenders ragged and though some of his touches are sublime - one in particular to hold it up was fantastic - he was being forced so far away from goal the threat of him was all but extinguished.

Leaving space is dangerous but it's what the opposition do with it that counts.  Fulham were backing off and leave gaps, coupled with the fact that we were completely overrunning them in the middle of the park and they really had no answer for us.  At one point there was a counter attack with seven of their players running back against four red shirts piling forward.  One pass played from the right of centre down to the other side took out four Fulham players and had Suarez through on goal.  The only thing that saved them was a - questionable - flag being raised for offside.  At the other end with no luck breaking down our defence, Keiron Richardson tried to bypass it altogether.  Having found a little room in the middle of the park for pretty much the first time in the game he decided to let one fly from long range and nearly embarrassed Pepe Reina.  The shot may have taken a slightest deflection (having watched it a few times I really can't tell) and as it was Pepe dived well beyond it and was fortunate to save the ball with his feet.  It was to be as close to Fulham would come all half.

Despite the fact that they had a man extra in midfield, it wasn't helping stem the tide at all.  With Berbatov isolated and not the kind of player who'll chase lost causes, they had no real outlet and were trying to make a concious effort to step up and at least contain us further up the pitch instead of letting us have the ball around their penalty area. The bodies coming together made it so that a few cheap free kicks were being given away either side with no-one being able to take advantage and if there was any sense that Fulham would escape a half in which they'd been very abject by being only one goal down then we were about to make them pay again.  It started with Gerrard having the ball around the halfway line, which tells you everything about how bad of a marking job they did in what followed.  After passing it around at the back Johnson got it wide and drove inside before passing it out to Downing who was on the right hand edge of the box.  He passed a ball inside which Gerard - having timed his run to perfection - ran onto and although he was at a tight angle managed to put the ball into the far corner for his second goal in as many matches.  Unlike last week against Aston Villa however, this was in much better circumstances.

It's not possible to be a beaten side before half time.  Football is a magnificent game because of the way players are able to completely change what's happened in the minutes prior no matter how radical the scoreline.  However, for the result to be different however it was going to take a complete one eighty degree turnaround. We were showing all the signs of a team that was brimming with confidence, playing good football and was generally had more of an appetite for the fight than our opponents.  Glen Johnson and Stewart Downing showing all this in one move when Johnson won the ball in midfield and launched us on the break.  He made a little bit of a mess of the play out wide but then ran back with his man all the way and managed to recover it.  What made it even better was that Downing had already moved himself back into the right back spot as cover just in case things went wrong.  Martin Jol was going to have to give one hell of a team talk to recover this one.

The fun with which we were having out on the pitch was about to be stopped.  Not by our opponents but by the fact that half time quickly approached.  Leading up to the break was a series of moves that didn't quite have the same venom as the sweeping move that lead to our second nor the complete absence of a defence that made the first possible.  Suso got on to the end of a move created by Downing and then Suarez and though his initial touch was good he was unable to hold off the defender and his shot was tame and wide.  Jonjo Shelvey then showed his inexperience by making a bad run toward goal when Suarez had the ball on the right hand side of the box, narrowing his angle.  Had he dummied his run Luis could have laid it back to him but instead he was forced to shoot and they were lucky in that it just about stuck between Schwarzer's legs as it threatened to go through them.  First Johnson and then Enrique both had opportunities to cross as the one minute of stoppage time elapsed and both were promptly dealt with by the Fulham defence.  Forty five minutes gone and having been punished a week ago for not taking our chances we had done just that.  More of the same was needed in the second half.  More of the same was what we got.

Fulham added a striker to their ranks as we headed out for the second half but left the dressing room without any real fire.  Two goals down isn't the biggest deficit to claw back but right from the off we were seeing once again that they were happy to sit off and let us play around them while the opposite was true for how we would respond to a period of Fulham possession.  The first chance of the half fell to Luis Suarez who would have expected to have done better, the chance arriving after Gerrard had found Stewart Downing and his shot across goal deflected high and over everyone else only for Suarez to poke it well over.  Both the way in which we dealt with their main threat as well as the ease with which it was accomplished compared to their approach was a small summation of the game itself.  Berbatov was continuing to drop off and was being smothered by the midfield - Lucas particularly - while Suarez was giving Hangeland all sorts of problems.  A Fulham goal really would have had to come out of nowhere and yet it was still not quite as surprising as what happened next.

Whether it was due to the circumstances of the game being so comfortable that Downing was so confidence or that said confidence was affecting the play in such a way I'm not sure.  Fulham allowing us to have a lot of the ball made it easier for someone like Downing whose decision making isn't great to have the time and space while options present themselves.  I've said before that his movement out wide cutting inside is perhaps the most predictable of any player I've ever seen and that a defender could read it quite comfortably.  This pretty much summed up how well of a day Downing was having and how bad it was going for Fulham.  Suarez picked the ball up in the middle on the break and they reacted by going very narrow.  The ball then found it's way to the right hand side where Stewart had a few days to think about what he wanted to to.  Riise didn't get out to him and when he did move, created a gap which Downing cut inside to try and get through and then once he had a sight of goal decided to shoot.  It sort of squirmed under Schwarzer, who put out an arm as only a polite attempt to save it and at least making sure that he shared some of the blame with his team-mates for the slackness which produced the goal.  Nobody would have predicted it before the game but Downing had all but ended it.

If they were dejected before the third goal, after it was downright lethargic.  We were quicker to every ball even when they had a man advantage and generally far more eager to get things going than our opponents, this then leading to a particularly harsh yellow card for Glen Johnson.  The most effective thing that we continued to do was given their lacklustre tempo and the fact that they wanted so many touches in midfield, pressing them forced them back and into dangerous areas which we could potentially get the ball back and be in on goal all within one pass.  Our comfort levels were nearly shattered when Rodellaga could have headed in from a corner while being watched by three defenders and it's momentary lapses of concentration like that which can on other days completely punish you.  As it was with nothing going Fulham's way, the ball was too high for the Colombian striker and it drifted wide.

Scoring so early in the half and all but sealing the victory did sap our ruthlessness as time went on.  It could have been a very high scoreline but we dropped back and they had a little more possession, as well as the introduction of Kerim Frei who had given them a little more pace out wide.  If I were to be overly critical, there was a pocket of space in which Shelvey was pushing forward as the head of the midfield and Suarez was there anyway as the focal point of the attack.  Jonjo in particular should maybe have done a little more given the room he was afforded.  As we backed off a little and let them come onto us, the only time the game really rose in tempo was when one of our defenders would come forward.  Agger burst forward looking to make amends for his shocking first half miss and passed it out wide to Suso, whose cross was headed clear and likewise Enrique's attempt at breaching their backline came to nothing before Glen Johnson went for a long range hit which went just wide.

While our defence were trying to score, theirs were just about getting away with not conceding further.  Sloppy passes were being played in their own half and the constant running of Luis Suarez made it so that they were always likely to be pounced upon.  We then made our first change of the game, Suso coming off in much better circumstances than being switched after half an hour against Wigan.  Raheem Sterling came on to replace him, looking for a goal to celebrate having just signed his new contract.  It could have arrived straight away as he and Shelvey combined.  Had he taken the shot on rather than try to loop it over the defenders head, Sterling may very well have scored.  Another change was soon to be made as Joe Allen came on for Jonjo Shelvey, giving Gerrard a little more freedom to move forward as the game entered it's final phase.  In truth, it was well over a long time ago.

Three goals up into the final ten minutes, there was no sign of any consolation for Fulham.  As it was, the only team that looked like scoring was the one that had been doing it all game.  Sterling could have made it worse as he drove in and was somewhat sandwiched between Hangeland and Riether but it would have been a little harsh.  Gerrard then forced Schwarzer into a smart save after Glen Johnson had inadvertently deflected a Luis Suarez free kick into his path.  Suarez too was - as ever - still hungry to do more damage to the Fulham back four, combining with both Sterling and Gerrard before cutting inside the defender and very nearly getting to it ahead of Schwarzer, who just about avoided having it poked through his legs.  At the other end Dimitar Berbatov, while not showing the same kind of hunger for the game that Suarez does, was still showing his sharpness.  Having been given room for practically the first time in the game he forced Reina into a long range save with Martin Skrtel there to clear the rebound and moments later Berba drove it into Pepe's hands once more except this time he was able to hold on to it.

Lucas came off and Jamie Carragher ran on to make his customary appearance as we looked to see out the minutes that remained.  Fulham had the majority of the possession now and knocked it around better than they had for the most part but it was still of nowhere near any real quality and anytime they looked to get close to our goal we cleared it comfortably.  A couple of free kicks at either end forced decent saves out of both keepers, Luis Suarez's effort disrupted at first by the referee's moving of the ball before taking it and then kept out by Schwarzer before Rodellega had one tipped onto the post by Pepe Reina.  Fulham might have wished he'd never even had the chance to score, for on the break they were unknowingly about to be punished.  Suarez - who was still angry at the lack of options as we entered the ninety second minute of a game we were three nil up in - decided to go alone on the counter and won a corner.  Sterling played it short to Enrique, who managed to trick his way down the goal line and then pull it back for Suarez to get a well earned goal and seal the win perfectly.  The final whistle was blown to put an end to Fulham's misery moments later.  After the Villa game we were looking for a response which we got completely.  Now we need to kick on from here and going to Stoke next will be sure to see a lot of kicking indeed.

Mind Games

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(H) Aston Villa - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(A) West Ham - Post Match Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(A) West Ham - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                         Sunday 9th December 2012
                                            Boleyn Ground

                                     West Ham VS Liverpool

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

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

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

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

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

(A) Udinese - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Udinese 0-1 Liverpool

Liverpool Goal: Jordan Henderson (23)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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