Unacepptable In The Eighties

Our story starts in America.  It's a world and a time far removed from that which we know now.  January of 1986 to be precise.  The Boston Red Sox would still have another eighteen years to wait before they would emerge victorious in the World Series, while Liverpool were well on their way to championship number sixteen of eighteen.  John W Henry had founded a stock trading company and was yet to reach the height of success that would see him as a major shareholder in two of the worlds most famous sports teams.  Just a year later Micheal Douglas and the film Wall Street would introduce the phrase "greed is good" into common usage, summing up a decade in which money meant everything.  In the charts at the time was a song that perfectly summed up how Liverpool fans the world over these past few days.  John W Henry; what have you done for me lately?

Not so long ago Brendan Rodgers - instead of getting down to work with the biggest rebuilding job in the club's history - was forced to take his squad to America.  Pre-season tours aren't the biggest evil in the world of modern football as it's the only way some fans will ever be able to connect with the club but there's no doubting it added to what was already - with Euro 2012 and the Olympics, as well as Europa League qualifiers to prepare for - a hectic schedule. Nevertheless we were flown half way across the world for what FSG were dubbing as a homecoming of sorts.  Liverpool against Roma in Fenway Park was a spectacle no doubt, but it did come off a little as if we were being shown off.  Paraded by our owners like a trophy wife.  Then again that's not entirely right, they usually get bought expensive things.

It's at this point Andy Carroll springs to mind.  Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing aren't far behind him.  If it's worth pointing out that Kenny Dalglish, Damien Comolli or whomever spent too much money last year then the first person who should have been notified was Brendan Rodgers.  It's unfair to punish a man for the mistakes made by a previous regime, especially given everything else he has been charged with.  That applies to both what has transpired under Hicks & Gillette as well as last summer.  Perhaps we should be less concerned with making up for the mistakes in the past and more concerned with not making any more.

It's a sign of the times that fans of teams have to become familiar with the ins and outs of the balance sheet rather than simply turning up to the games and registering their support vocally.  For others - read Arsenal - it appears to be the basis of their entire philosophy.  In terms of spending power we are so far behind teams like Manchester City and Chelsea it's impossible to hear their expensively remodelled cars.  Trying to use money cleverly in the absence of having a real financial might sounds like a good idea but there are going to be exceptions.  Failing to add a striker to a squad that has shown it has trouble scoring doesn't sound particularly clever, does it?

Would it be fair to say that Liverpool fans don't entirely trust FSG?  If that were indeed the case neither party would be completely at fault.  The militant nature of any football fan that exists in an era where under certain ownership a team can go from the Premier League and FA Cup winners to League one and the brink of non existence in four years, coupled with the fact that the club has already been stung once mean that it's difficult for John W Henry and company to maintain a healthy relationship with all those who have Liverpool close to their heart.  There will be those who want the club to be open and clear with everything that they do, while others would prefer we do our business the way Liverpool did it for years behind closed doors.  Brendan Rodgers said himself that you can't please everyone.

So much of the recent history of this great football club has been used up as headlines for tabloids and the appointment of Brendan Rodgers was supposed to put a halt to all that.  It's slowed down, but it certainly hasn't stopped - even before the events of the last few days.  They employed a new PR man, while at the same time Ian Ayre was doing the unthinkable in giving Dave Whelan the moral high ground.  Nearly eleven months have passed and still there is no direct replacement for Christian Purslow, which begs the question as to who exactly is in charge behind the scenes at Anfield.  Nobody is asking John W. Henry or Tom Werner to give up their lives and move to Merseyside, but they need someone who can deal with everything on a daily basis (Ian Ayre proved he was that man when Kenny Dalglish was being hung out to dry last winter).  Had there been someone like that here last week, perhaps the lack of communication that led to Carroll leaving without a replacement could have been avoided.

Over twenty months has passed since the purchase of Liverpool Football Club by Fenway Sports Group and an issue that was as pertinent then as it is now has not been properly spoken about.  The new stadium - which had something to the tune of fifty plus million sunken into it before they even took over - shows no signs of progression, nor even addressing.  This was something they must have had some information about prior to buying the club, were they grossly misinformed?  Almost two years on and nothing definitive has been said, while it's understandable their need to carefully consider the options certainly something should have been at least ruled out by now?  It took just over a thousand days between Liverpool beating Madrid and losing to Northampon.  Things happen fast in football.  While you wait, the risk of going backward looms large.

When the window closed on Brendan Rodgers and LFC, it also cut off whatever patience that lingered between supporters and FSG.  Nobody is asking for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to be delivered on a plate - people would find a way to complain about their fee or wages even if they did -  but they should know now that the clock is ticking.  January will be the true test of their custodianship, to borrow a platitude from a previous administration.  There should be no scrambling around in the final hours of deadline day this time, they have four months to line up certain targets and make sure that we get them.  After all, it's not going to be hard task in trying to work out which areas will need reinforcing.

It's worth pointing out however, where all this anger and unrest come from.  Players were missed out on, people who could have potentially made the team better and that's frustrating indeed.  However the disappointment on missing out on players is a world away from the fear of having to lose some.  Andy Carroll and the circumstances surrounding both his arrival and departure aside, there remains a strong core of a football team together there - one that other teams would looked to have picked apart were things different.  Trying to escape a bid from Manchester City for Agger or Skrtel under Hicks & Gillette would have been like the scene in Jurassic Park where they try to evade the Tyrannosaurus by staying as still as possible and hoping it goes away.  It's easy to forget that for almost every transfer window we went into for the last couple of years, not only would we fail to get stronger but another one of our assets would go out.

Undoubtedly, FSG and John W Henry have done some good for the club.  The question of whether they are good for the club, remains to be seen.  Their honeymoon period is well and truly over but there is still time to make this relationship a success.  Brendan Rodgers is no Roy Hodgson.  Whatever depths the club was plummeting to has been halted.  If they can get back up to the same heights they were before - and beyond - is uncertain.  Rodgers' himself said that one day he'd like to take Liverpool there and win that elusive nineteenth league championship.  It's a romantic idea.  There's no romance without finance.

(H) Arsenal - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal Goals: Lukas Podolski (31), Santi Cazorla (68)

Of all the things that there is to say about this game, one thing is more obvious than anything else.  Brendan Rodgers has one hell of a job on his hands.  Is it possible to bring ourselves back from this position, to a place where we can realistically challenge for Champions League football?  Or should we just write off the entire season now and build for next year.  On the evidence of this game, it's likely to get a little worse before it gets any better.

The team was as we expected, there was nothing to read into any of Rodgers' selections in the way that there was last week.  It was very much a predictable opening to the game itself as well, Arsenal a little more direct in the first couple of minutes but after the first five had settled enough to start passing it around.  That being said it was Borini with the first chance of the game, being given room to run at the back four and firing wide instead of maybe going with the better option in Gerrard out wide.  Moments later Suarez turned Per Mertesacker and with a little more pace would have gotten away from him only to be brought down.  It was good that we'd worked these early openings but disappointing not to have worked Mannone in goal at least once.

In any Premier League game, the midfield battle is key.  Against Arsenal that might be even more so, given their style of football and the movement of their players in and around the penalty area.  It was worrying to see then as Abou Diaby got a grip on the middle of the park very early on, a grip he would not relinquish for ninety minutes.  There were pockets of space between the midfield and back four that Cazorla or Diaby would wait for the ball and even though they had yet to get through our defences, wasn't the most encouraging of sights.  That brings me neatly onto Steven Gerrard.

I could write an entire article - and other, more qualified people than me have - about Gerrard's role, both in a wider sense and today's game in general.  It wouldn't make for pleasant reading either at the moment, for this was one of Stevie's most troubling performances in a Liverpool shirt.  There are two issues that present themselves as early as the first twenty minutes.  Firstly, his passing range - which has seemed rather extravagant for a few games now - disturbs the flow of our play and more often than not results in the opposition ending up with the ball.  The second is his nonchalance in regard to that scenario, a casual stroll back into the midfield area isn't exactly what the manager requires.

It's possible that he may be being given special dispensation - because after all we all know Gerrard has the ability to make those passes - but it does seem counter productive when you have a side whose entire identity revolves around keeping the ball and arguably it's best player constantly relinquishing it.  Suarez was guilty of this also, unable to find a Liverpool shirt on a number of occasions but the kind of passes he was actually trying to play were short, simple balls that were being cut out.  Every team has a player who won't exactly be up to par - win or lose - on any given match day.  Against a team like Arsenal with two of our best not up to scratch however, it was always going to be difficult.

One other thing that will frustrate in equal measure as it will please is the wide play of Fabio Borini.  He's shown on a few instances in a couple of games now that he has the intelligence and forethought to catch out a misplaced pass along the back line but whenever he capitalizes on that the final ball is lacking.  With just a little more composure - something which appears to be pandemic along the whole squad at the minute - Borini could definitely be a valid threat to any team.  By the mid point of the first half, Arsenal had gone up a gear with their pressing.  This - along with our static movement - made it incredibly difficult for us to play any kind of passing football along the back line.  The pressure was mounting but still neither goalkeeper had a save of note to make.

With Arsenal probing and hassling, the best we could do was muster a few counter attacks and to seize on any mistakes.  Sterling did just that and was brought down on the edge of the box, only for the free kick to be wasted.  There were a few moments afterward where we actually had the ball in their half of the field but didn't seem to know what to do with it and were unable to work anything of note.  Even worse, we set about  what would lead to our downfall.  Gerrard with another loose ball led to Lucas Podolski picking it up just inside his own half.  He then played it forward to Santi Cazorla and set about a lung busting run inside Glen Johnson.  It was a strange sight indeed to see Johnson stripped for pace but when Cazorla played the ball back to the German, he needed no second invitation to smash the ball into the far corner beyond Pepe Reina to give the Gunners their first goal of the season.

Following the goal, there was an instant withdrawal from Arsenal.  This allowed us to actually breathe and settle on the ball for the first time in a long time and we settled relatively quickly for a side that had been second best for large portions of the half.  If a response was to come from anywhere - either directly or indirectly - it was probably going to come from Raheem Sterling.  He menaced Arsenal for a period following their goal, linking up with Joe Allen at first and then Luis Suarez which led to what looked like a stonewall penalty appeal only for Howard Webb to turn it down.  Replays did show it would have been harsh on Arsenal, but how we could have done with that kind of decision going into half time.

From nearly getting back on level terms, to almost instantly being two behind.  Abou Diaby picked up the ball and ran with it virtually the full length of the pitch before putting Giroud through on goal.  Fortunately for us, his finish did not match the expert placement of his team-mate earlier on in the game and it went harmlessly wide of the post.  To win this game from here we would have to contend with such dangerous counters, as well as the flagging form of some of our more senior players.  Half time came at a good time for Rodgers to get his men in and settle them down but it was the first time in the game Arsenal were having to cope with any real pressure.

A goal down to start the second half, you could have been forgiven for thinking Liverpool were the team with the lead.  We visibly backed off to begin with and let Arsenal play right on the edge of our box and when we had possession were very calm and composed without wanting to rush into anything.  That's not a criticism by the way, we were far too impatient to get back into the game away at West Brom the other week and it cost us another goal so the idea that we still had a lot of time to get back into the game was a valid one.  It took a full five minutes for us to get into the Arsenal penalty area and when we did it was time for Howard Webb to make another decision.  This time Mertesacker and Suarez came together inside the box but the referee again ruled against the award of a Liverpool penalty.

Coming into this game Arsenal had drawn twice and were yet to score.  However they looked like a side brimming with confidence and were simply brighter, quicker and stronger than the men in red.  A particular mention goes to Carl Jenkinson at left back who not only handled Sterling far better than anyone before him and who also supported the Arsenal attack well and provided them with good width whenever it was required of him.  At the other end we were getting the ball into good areas but there was a reluctance to take the responsibility of shooting and as such continued to pass up half chances, in the hope of finding better ones that never came.  Of all the Liverpool players who came out for the second half, Fabio Borini looked a lot livelier and can consider himself a little unlucky to be taken off for Stewart Downing but the time was definitely right for changes.

Though the game went through minor patches of being broken up by the referees whistle, it was no means a dirty game.  Howard Webb had very little to do save for the odd penalty shout and was called into action again when Vermaelen appeared to handle the ball.  It would have been incredibly harsh as he was falling over but certainly the crowd were into the game now and at least we appeared to be spurred on.  Arsenal took the game to us on the break and had a couple of chances of their own, Skrtel having to challenge Oxlade-Chamberlain on the edge of the box before Jenkinson forced Reina into a save.

The game was a lot more open than it had been for most of the first half and not only we were pressing them a lot better but were far more composed in possession ourselves.  A lot of this was to do with the fact that Joe Allen was starting to find space and this in turn allowed Gerrard to push on.  The pressure was mounting as Stewart Downing got in behind their defence for the first time in the game and forced Mannone into a save. Arsenal were looking flustered but remained resolute in trying to preserve their lead, still maintaining a threat of their own.  Our midfield which had been poor in the first half was now pressing very high up the pitch with Gerrard, Allen and Sahin all roaming in and around the final third.  Anyone willing to judge Nuri Sahin on this game would be a fool, the midfielder having played very little football over the last year.  He was fairly quiet in the first half but grew into it somewhat in the second but was visibly tiring.  His passing was fairly simple as he looked not to extend himself and try to ease himself into life at Anfield and that's understandable.  Definitely more to come from the Turkish international, who was taken off for Shelvey with just over twenty to go.

Whether it was the reshuffle or the fact that we'd been relatively on top for a while I don't know.  We seemed to switch off for just a moment however and that was all Arsenal needed.  Cazorla and Podolski switched roles for the opener and the Spaniard thumped the ball toward Pepe Reina, whom it agonisingly squirmed under.  It'll go down as a goalkeeping mistake for someone who sets such high standards for himself, but one that we've seen far too many of in the last twelve to eighteen months.  Arsenal had doubled their lead and unless we could recoup two goals, would condemn Liverpool to our second defeat in three games.

If there is to be one positive, it's that there was still a threat there.  It's important that regardless of opposition and scoreline that the team keeps trying because anything can happen in football.  Downing and Johnson in particular linked up and provided Arsenal with some problems down the right hand side but were unable to find that final ball which could potentially get us back into the game.  Another bright spark was the growing confidence of Jonjo Shelvey, who with fifteen minutes to go appeared to take the game by the scruff of the neck almost single handedly.  He won a bouncing ball in between a handful of Arsenal defenders and then forced a great save out of the goalkeeper before moments later putting Gerrard through on goal, only to have   Vermaelen cut it out.

Having been pushed further forward in the second period, Steven Gerrard wasn't as effective as he might have been in other games - although you can put that down to Arsenal's grip on the midfield as much as anything else - but when he did get into good areas, was far more impressive than in the first half.  I'm a big believer in moving him forward into one of those front three slots and although the injury to Lucas may curtail that for now it's still something that should be looked at.

Into the last ten, Wenger's men were now using the counter to try and kill off the game and could have with Jose Enrique misjudging a bouncing ball but reacting well enough to stop Giroud from being through on goal. It was up to ourselves to make what time remained as difficult for them as possible and to our credit there were enough chances.  Jonjo Shelvey had a rocket of a shot fumbled which we were unable to put away and Suarez was trying to be overly clever when he could have poked the ball past Mannone, instead trying to lift it over him.  Once more before the end it was Shelvey who again forced another save, having done more in his twenty minute cameo than the majority of the side who had played the full ninety.  The final whistle was something of a relief and as Brendan Rodgers walked back down the tunnel he will know full well - if he didn't already - the task he has on his hands.  What's important now however is that he also realizes - regardless what anyone thinks about the ownership - that we are all right behind him.

(H) Arsenal - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                        Sunday 2nd September 2012
                                                  Anfield

                                      Liverpool VS Arsenal

Barely a month into the new season and already Liverpool Football Club stands at a crossroads.  The events that transpired over the closing of the transfer window and not being able to bring in a replacement for Andy Carroll as well as our all around lack of depth in forward areas has left a sour taste in the mouths of many.  This has certainly dented the optimism of how far Brendan Rodgers can take the team long term - because of financial restraints -  will at least temporarily put a smile back on everyone's face.

In what was a rather unusual move from the manager, both Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez played all ninety minutes against Hearts and as such you can't help but wonder if it will affect his selection for the game today. I would imagine, unless anybody is showing signs of tiredness following Thursday's Europa League game we'll see the majority of the side that started against City last week, only with Agger coming instead of Coates.  This will also be the first opportunity for Nuri Sahin to show Anfield what he's capable of, and to make it an even more dramatic, he'll be making his debut against the other team that was challenging us for his signature.

If Liverpool are a team in transition, then Arsenal are awaiting a revolution.  Arsene Wenger enjoyed a multitude of success early on as the man in charge of the Gunners but it's now been a well documented long wait for a trophy.  Robin Van Persie's departure to Manchester United only appears to further the idea that Arsenal are going backward as a club but having said that they remain an ever present in the Champions League and on their are a threat to any team in the Premier League and in Santi Cazorla they have a player who would grace the wishlist pretty much every manager in Europe.

Everybody knew when the fixture list came out that we were going to be up against it at the beginning of the season and defeat against West Brom only compounded that.  Of the three difficult fixtures we face home, this one was the one you would have said was most winnable and what with our opponents own stuttering start to the season I would hope we are able to take advantage of that.  Certainly if we set at a tempo and have as much of the play as we did at times against Man City, Arsenal will do very well indeed to only escape with a point.  If that is to happen however, the the individual errors we've seen in both league games so far will simply have to disappear.

Brendan Rodgers will know that the eyes of the wider world are upon him right now.  Defeat today will only compound the idea that the club is stuttered and that things - both on and off the pitch - might not be as rosy as they once seemed.  From top to bottom, this football team is crying out for stability and the easiest way to placate everyone is with a decent start.  This isn't to say that Rodgers isn't capable of coming from behind - Spurs did something similar last year and still had time to collapse into fourth - but that he already has a monumental task on his hands that doesn't need to get any harder.  

Lucas Leiva: The Fall Guy Who Won't Stay Down

Time is not kind to footballers.  Save for a few special exceptions, their moments in the spotlight are few and far between.  Years of dedication to a sport can be forgotten with one bad performance.  Fans are always too quick to forget a player at his best and yet the lows are always held onto, used as a point of reference from which they must always be reminded.  No-one ever goes through life without making a mistake.  The measure of a man is not how - or even whether - he gets to the top.  It's what he does when everything goes wrong.

Lucas Leiva's journey from scapegoat to cult hero is one of perserverance.  Arriving in England at the tender age of twenty years old and competing for a place in a team that at the time contained Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.  He started life as something of an understudy to Momo Sissoko and his task was to displace a man whose name was sung aloud as part of a chant proclaiming to have the best midfield in the world.  Simply by doing that and proving to the manager as well as those around the club, wasn't good enough however.  The fans would not be won over easily.

Expectations didn't help.  This was a player who had been the youngest ever recipiant of the Brazilian golden ball, a competition that had in the two years prior had been won by Carlos Tevez & Robinho.  He was dynamic and athletic, drawing comparisons from Steven Gerrard and Claude Makelele - which was impressive given that he'd barely played just over a season in Brazil.  Even with that award, he was still incredibly raw and was by no means the finished article.  Rafa Benitez saw then what pretty much everybody sees now.

At a time in his career when he needed nurturing, Lucas was being thrown in at the deep end and for one reason or another, nothing seemed to go his way.  This was illustrated by the fact that even after providing what would be the winning penalty in a Merseyside derby all anybody could talk about was that Benitez would have the nerve to take off Gerrard.  That was to be his only highlight in a season which saw him go from enouraging prospect to outright lilability.  Right from the word go however, he had helped establish what would continue to be a running theme.  Whether people liked him or not, he never hid away from doing what is needed to be done.

After enjoying a less that smooth transition into the English top flight, the following season only confirmed his status as the one to blame.  As Liverpool went toe to toe with Manchester United for the league title, Lucas was forced into conceeding a late penalty away to Wigan - a challenge he wouldn't have had to make were it not for the fact that a few defenders had been caught out of position.  Two points dropped in what would ultimatley turn out to be a failed bid for the championship, coupled with getting sent off at Goodison Park meant that public opinion of the midfielder was at an all time low.  The shoots of recovery would be seen in the form of a performance at Old Trafford that saw the reds win 4-1.  He would not look back.

Of all the multiple criticisms leveled at Lucas, one that was irrefutable was that in his early years he was far too lightweight for the Premiership.  Starting from the 2009/10 season however and as he has grown up so to has his strength seen a massive improvement.  With that improvement came an increase in his form, just as a lot of those around him suffered a loss in theirs.  A dissapointing seventh place finish in the league saw the man that brought Lucas to Anfield depart.  His replacement would find it even harder at Liverpool than Lucas did to begin with, but the man himself was starting to make everyone pay attention.

With Mascherano and Alonso now having moved on and Steven Gerrard unable to play through injury, Lucas had by default become the senior midfielder.  Covering for the disasterous Christian Poulsen as well as trying to nurse Jay Spearing into Premier League football, things weren't going particularly well for either he or the team until Kenny Dalglish came in to replace Roy Hodgson.  The months that followed saw Liverpool play some engaging football as well as Lucas earning the plaudits he so richely deserved.  The future looked bright.

It was two performances in the space of forty eight hours that encapsualtes everything you need to know about Lucas Leiva.  He personally shadowed David Silva at Anfield and made the Man City midfielder completely inneffective.  This earned him a glowing review from Sky Sports' Gary Neville and even the media were forced to eat a slice of humble pie.  Two days later and he was doing the same in a league cup tie at Stamford Bridge - this time to the entire Chelsea midfield - when it happened.  He and Juan Mata went for the ball, Lucas pulled up and instantly you knew something was terribly wrong.  It would be the last time he would appear in a Liverpool shirt that season.  Many people believe that the challenge for Champions League football ended with that injury.

And so to the present day.  Two years of not being able to play at the level of those around him followed by a couple in which he has been arguably Liverpool's best player.  He returned to the team in a preseason friendly against Toronto and was welcomed like a returning hero.  The scapegoat had finally won most of his doubters over.  Joe Allen came in from Swansea and gives Lucas the kind of player that he was used to playing alongside in Xabi Alonso.  A stuttering start to the season wasn't ideal but it was no time to panic.  Getting injured minutes into the game against City - ironically enough the last team he managed a full ninety against - was a huge blow.  But it also showcases the club on a wider scale as it stands right now.

The encounter with Man City last season gave supporters everywhere a great deal of optimism and that was later crushed by his injury in the following game against Chelsea.  That we were able to overcome the setback there is that positivity in spite of it.  He has become an important part of the squad - as evidenced with Suarez's message after his goal on Thursday - but the club is much better placed now to deal with that loss than it was.  Last year that role was to be covered by the likes of Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing, this we have Joe Allen or Nuri Sahin to take his place in the midfield.  In the meantime Lucas will get a chance to give that knee some more rest.  The hope is that he will come back stronger than ever.  If anyone deserves a bit of luck and for something to go his way, it's Lucas Leiva.

(H) Hearts - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 1-1 Hearts
Liverpool Goal: Luis Suarez (88)
Hearts Goal: David Templeton (85)

The relief is that there was no lasting damage.  The minimum - and I suppose it could be argued the maximum - that we were to gain out of tonight was progression to the group stages of the Europa League and we did that.  Not for the first time however, we made it incredibly hard for ourselves.

Much like the Manchester City game, an eyebrow was raised at the starting line up.  This was a much stronger team than I was expecting with the inclusion of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, as well as a few other players who might have got a rest ahead of the Arsenal game on Sunday.  The message from Brendan Rodgers to Hearts was clear, we want to wrap this game up as quickly and unequivocally as possible.  It was pleasing to see Adam Morgan get his first competitive start for the reds however and I was looking forward to seeing him in action.

The game itself started much in the way you would have expected.  Both teams were lively and energetic and    it made for a frenetic opening.  After a few minutes we got on the ball a little better and began passing it around but Hearts pressed in numbers as we would advance into their half and we had to settle for keeping the ball at the back without overly threatening.  One player who did receive more of his fair share was Stewart Downing who - at left back - looked far more lively than the majority of his games played as a winger.  The shape of the side meant that there was always cover as he strode forward and when he did appeared to have a little more of an edge than we had been otherwise used to.

Though it had yet come to life from a quality standpoint, there was a real battle brewing in the middle of the park as Hearts did their best to disrupt our rhythm.  When we actually had the ball there was a real sense of our quality and purpose - even if there were just flashes - but we appeared a little casual in our pressing without it.  Our main attacking threat came from down the flanks as both Downing and Kelly got involved early on, but neither were able to work an opening to test MacDonald in the Hearts goal.  Adam Morgan - eager to impress no doubt - was so starved of possession he came into midfield to try and retrieve the ball only to be lucky to escape a yellow card for a rash challenge.  There was a definite cup tie feel to the game.

As time wore on, the possession count continued to rise in our favour.  We passed the ball around fairly well,    particularly Jonjo Shelvey who had two very good passes to the wide areas which led to half chances.  Stylistically it looked similar to American football, the way we would keep the ball in our own half, then advance it and regroup and then try to move it even further up the pitch before probing for any openings on goal.  Hearts to their credit were very well organised and had plenty of defenders in good positions that made it difficult to find any openings.  In fact, the two attempts of the opening twenty minutes were both at the Liverpool goal but they were efforts barely worthy of the name.  One had Reina scrambling a little but was always going wide and the other was tame and that took a slight deflection, rolling safely into his hands.

Territorially, we were beginning to operate for a concerted amount of time in a much deeper part of their half for the first time in the game.  The problem was that our final ball was lacking in any real quality, with Gerrard  shooting aimlessly at the Hearts back four and Kelly hitting a cross over everyone.  It was at the other end where the next big moment in the game would come as Carragher very nearly gave away a penalty, in trying to get goal side of Paterson he clipped him.  It was reminiscent of the spot kick given away by Daniel Agger at West Brom only this time the referee said no.  That moment did however give Hearts a boost of confidence in that the could scare us defensively and for a short period had us on the back foot.

With everything coming from out wide and John McGlynn's side flooding the middle, very little had been seen of our midfield in possession of the ball.  Gerrard for the first time decided against shooting on sight and very nearly opened the scoring as he danced inside two defenders and forced a good save out of MacDonald.  It was to be the only direct chance we would have for a while.  The football at this point, keeping the ball and your opponents at arms length is designed for two things.  Firstly to tire them out so that in the second half they will be easier to get at when we make a few changes and secondly that if a side with sufficient quality can go up through the gears quickly it will catch them out.  We did this to brilliant effect when Suarez played a great ball through to Martin Kelly.  The ball eventually came back to the Uruguayan and he drove inside the penalty area and cut back for Adam Morgan to put home into an empty net.  The referee did rule the goal out, judging Suarez to have taken the ball beyond the goal line but the move itself was spot on.

Approaching half time the tempo did rise somewhat.  Though it appeared Hearts were a little content to wait until later on to go for anything and we didn't particularly mind that, it was end to end football without really being gung-ho.  Half chances at either end led to a little tension and frustration on our part, in particular Luis Suarez whose sloppiness with the ball over the space of a couple of minutes spread to the whole team and gave them even more confidence.  There was no immediate danger presented by them but it was clear that they were growing into the game.  In response we went back to what we had been doing for the majority of the game in keeping the ball and again an opportunity wasn't far away.  Gerrard released Kelly in an almost identical fashion to Shelvey and Downing earlier on in the half but it only it led to a corner which was eventually cleared.  There was still time in the half for one great chance to open the scoring, Hearts had piled men forward for a free kick and our counter had them outnumbered.  Gerrard played in Morgan but he then overran it when a cutback would have almost certainly produced a goal.  Forty five gone at Anfield and even though we were going through as it stood, it wasn't quite as simple as everyone was hoping.

A subdued restart saw us neither side really do much of anything.  Hearts were very hungry and snapping at the heels of the short passes we were playing but we had both the skill and composure to make sure they were never able to cut them out.  Both teams fought hard both to get the ball and keep it and as a result the game became mired in constant skirmishes in and around the middle of the park.  It was a bizzare stalemate in that it was obvious we were going to have to be patient but in doing so played right into their hands at letting the clock tick down while the game was goalless.  Both of our fullbacks weren't as forward as they have been in previous games, whether that was to do with the inclusion of Downing or our midfield combination (it's much easier to be fluid out wide when you have a Johnson-Sterling combination for example, rather than Henderson and Shelvey who were constantly on the move) I'm not sure.  Downing and Kelly did start to come more into the game but their final delivery was lacking.

The issue of Luis Suarez is a very peculiar one.  On every evidence you can wish to cite of him at Liverpool he is not a clinical striker at all and yet pretty much everywhere else he has been.  What he is very much is the epitome of luxury and talent, in that he's so dangerous that when something simple fails it becomes very frustrating.  In the space of a couple of minutes alone he was guilty of overplaying on the edge of the box when a pass back or inside might have been easier and then when he got the ball back turned the defender brilliantly but was unable to make it count.  He did then have the best chance of the game, having been put through one on one with MacDonald but not being able to registering a shot.  In Suarez's defence, the goalkeeper and defender did force him wide but once he failed to take the shot the chance had already gone.  

It had longer than many would have predicted but the temperature was rising inside the Hearts penalty area as we started to turn the screw and look to finish it.  Suarez blazed another half chance wide, but this was one of those out of nothing opportunities that most strikers would lash out at.  We exerted a great deal of confidence in our play, probably the most comfortable I've seen us for a long time and certainly indicative of a team with a much bigger lead than they actually had.  This was a team that looked as if it were three goals to the good, let alone just the solitary one.  Without pushing or inviting Hearts onto us, the counter was being used more frequently now and looking punishing every time but always just inches away from perfection.  Sterling, Gerrard and Suarez all had half chances at best but the opportunities continued to come.  It looked like a matter of time.

So much so was our overall domination of the midfield and the lack of threat that came from Hearts at that period in the game, it could be said that an element of slackness developed in our play.  From being unlucky in being close to scoring, we were a little casual in assuming the goal would come perhaps.  In an attempt to sew up the tie completely, Fabio Borini came on for the industrious Jordan Henderson giving us a potential front four now.  To his credit Stewart Downing continued to make himself useful down the wing and get into good positions, albeit not being able to make any of them count.  Even with fifteen minutes to go there was very little in the way of urgency from our opponents.  There were moments of mild unrest as Hearts began to get onto the ball and have pot shots at Pepe Reina's goal but nothing that would cause any real alarm.  They sat back in numbers and waited continuously for something to happen.  Almost as if they knew what was coming.

A free kick on the edge of the penalty area led to a corner.  It was nothing we couldn't deal with as neither set pieces was particularly threatening.  When David Templeton picked the ball up on the edge of the box he was rushed to get any kind of a shot in.  He did manage to get one on target, and then the unthinkable happened.  Reina simply dropped the ball into his own net.  It was so against the run of play there's an element of inevitability there, because that's how football works sometimes.  With the game now headed into extra time, we were on the front foot immediately.  Sterling drove at their defence and forced a free kick which we were unable to convert, still the crowd and team felt the need for urgency.

So much was the goal a surprise, it actually caught Hearts unaware.  They didn't quite know what to do with the ball and went from frantically clearing it to trying to push on and deliver a knock out blow.  When one such break was halted by a combination of Gerrard and Allen it was to prove to be fatal.  Borini took the ball forward and played in Suarez just over the half way line.  A desperate sliding challenge was missed and Luis was running at goal now.  Direct and unrelenting, despite being played ever so slightly wide he continued onward into the penalty area and slid the ball through the gap left for him by MacDonald in the Hearts goal, levelling the game up at one a piece.  The message on his shirt of support for Lucas Leiva was a nice touch, every much as invigorating as the goal itself.  Anfield breathed a sigh of relief.

The dream had been shattered and with barely five minutes left to play even though they were a goal away from knocking us out, it didn't ever look likely.  We stood firm and were well positioned behind the ball, leaving it to Gerrard and Suarez on the counter who were themselves supported well by Borini and Sterling.  Playing it simple and keeping hold of the ball rather than running into the trap of overcommitting as our opponents had done moments earlier.  The clock was ran down in the right hand corner of the Kop as the referee blew a minute earlier than he had scheduled.  Were were a little scared and shaken? Yes.  Did we progress though to the next round?  Yes.

(H) Hearts - Pre Match Thoughts

                                           Europa League

                                            Thursday 30th August 2012
                                                  Anfield

                                        Liverpool VS Hearts

Tonight's game represents an appetizer.  Something to water the mouths of every Liverpool fan ahead of what will hopefully be a long and eventful European campaign to come.  Our opposition may not be the greatest test we'll face at home this season but with the tie firmly in the balance it will a classic case of professionalism from the side that Brendan Rodgers chooses to go out and establish our place back in Europe following last years absence.  Among all our problems at home, being able to host teams from around the continent feels good again.  It's good to be back.

If this were a league game, it would almost certainly be the likes of Wigan.  I say that not to disrespect Hearts but to illustrate the power of a European night at Anfield.  Much has been said over the years that if we could replicate - as a crowd - the sheer noise and power that we all know we're capable of in the Europa or Champions League on a domestic setting, very few would be able to handle it.  Having said that, it's only human nature that some occasions don't make the hairs on your neck stand up quite as much and that it's much easier to be riled for certain teams and games than it is for others.  I've seen the sheer might of this old stadium in Europe many times and the fact that it still manages to inspire awe from teams and people around the world is a measure of how high we were.  It's time to start doing that again.

Luis Suarez himself said that he watched Liverpool as a boy, because when you get to the latter stages of a competition like this people at the very least you're in the back of everyone's mind.  Atletico Madrid have been unable to make a real mark in the Champions League over the last few years, but have had one hell of a time in winning the Europa League twice in the last three seasons.  People remember winners, regardless of how poorly a competition may be marketed in the eyes of a few.  Tonight isn't about winning a trophy however.  It's about the start of an adventure across the continent.  To go to places and see people that we wouldn't otherwise come into contact with.  There are a number of delightful cities we could end up seeing over the next few months, but none of that can happen unless we emerge victorious tonight.

As seems to be the case with every game these days, Brendan Rodgers has a few questions to answer in regard to selection tonight.  With Arsenal coming to visit Liverpool in the league on Sunday and the need for early points still very important, it's very possible we may end up seeing the majority of the same squad that travelled up to Tynecastle last week.  Daniel Agger's suspension now having been served, he'll almost certainly partner Martin Skrtel on Sunday, leaving Jamie Carragher to come in alongside the impressive Sebastian Coates.  Jose Enrique could have some part to play given his lack of match fitness but it's far more likely Jack Robinson will play at left back again and hope to impress.  Should the game be wrapped up late on I wouldn't be surprised if the Downing experiment continued tonight either.

Jordan Henderson needs some game time having not featured much in the league recently but who plays alongside him could be something of a mystery.  Gerrard and Allen are prime candidates for being rested ahead of Sunday but it's likely only one of them will be whereas Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing both look to be heading ever closer toward the exit door.  Up top Raheem Sterling may be a little disappointed to be on the bench or even miss out altogether but I think that would put him as a favourite to play against Arsenal and would underline how much of an impression he has made on Rodgers since he arrived in the summer.  Hopefully Adam Morgan gets a chance to play more than the handful of minutes that he took part in last week and Andy Carroll - despite the endless speculation - has done enough to shake off the injury that put him out of the first leg*.

Whatever team is put out, we are in that precarious position of having such a slender lead nobody knows what approach to adopt.  A clean sheet guarantees progress but sitting back too much may be a mistake while on the other hand a cavalier approach could lead to us getting stung on the break.  Hearts will know that if they score at any time things will get very anxious with the away goal situation but for the most part will probably be content to keep the game goalless for as long as possible and try to silence the crowd.  As we go from the heat of the summer to the relative cold and damp Autumn, Liverpool can give some warmth to the hearts of their fans with progression into the group stage.  The adventure begins here.

*I hope for his sake he has.  Brendan Rodgers just told ESPN that he's having a medical with West Ham.  Apparently it will be a season long loan.

(H) Manchester City - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City
Liverpool Goals: Martin Skrtel (34), Luis Suarez (66)
Manchester City Goals: Yaya Toure (63), Carlos Tevez (80)

So much of what happened last week against West Brom was an echo of the worst pasts of last season.  Having dominated the possession for much of the first half only to succumb to a wonder strike and then capitulate after a few questionable refereeing decisions.  It could just as easily be argued that this game was more reflective of what was positive about Liverpool last year and while there's a justifiable sense of optimism, in the end it mattered for nothing.  There are reasons to believe that this season may be different however, it was clear of that even before kick off.

Very little in this day and age surprises.  If nothing else, it's certainly true of the way a manager picks his team.  There's so much pressure involved with every decision - that will be over analysed in minute detail - then it's no wonder most managers have a tendency to rein in their ambition.  Every now and then there comes a crossroads, upon which you'll be able to see if a coach has the courage of his convictions.  Playing Jamie Carragher would have been completely understandable, especially if you were determined to give Raheem Sterling his first Premier League start.  Brendan Rodgers chose to see what to prospects in his young squad were made of and in doing so showed a huge amount of faith in the ability of both Coates and Stirling.  They would not disappoint.

Of all the ways a team could start a match - whether that be imposing themselves on their opposition or holding the ball and easing their way into things - losing a member of the starting line up in the first two minutes might be one of the most anticlimactic.  For all the pre match optimism that Brendan Rodgers' bold selection had given, to have Lucas Leiva hobble off after two minutes was a huge blow.  Jonjo Shelvey came on to replace him and the midfield which had barely had a chance to get a foot on the ball had to immediately readjust.  Sufficed to say Man City had a lot of possession in the early going.  Kolarov and Milner were good options out wide, always ready to receive the ball and coupled with the strength through the middle of Ballotelli, City were by far the quicker of the two teams to settle.

Steven Gerrard was perhaps the one Liverpool player who saw most of the ball in the opening ten minutes and he looked determined to make something happen.  As such he was a little erratic with his passing but full of energy and had two early snapshots, although both were under hit and way off target.  Joe Allen on the other hand settled back into the hole created after Lucas had gone off injured and was a model of composure, as if he'd been given assurances that no City player could ever take the ball off him.  Skrtel too looked in imposing form, matching up well with Mario Balotelli save for one clumsy foul that he was lucky to escape a booking for.  Reina had yet to be tested but all in all City had started the game perfectly, trying to control possession and quieten the Anfield crowd.

It took a little to get going while but so long as the game remained goalless, we were always going to have a chance.  Suarez's movement and all around trickery caused problems from the moment we actually managed to have enough possession to get it up to him.  Our other real source of encouragement came down the left from a seventeen year old making his debut.  If Kolo Toure didn't know he was going to be in for a long afternoon, the first time Raheem Sterling got the ball at his feet and ran at him would have been an indication of things to come.  His subsequent ball into the box was so good it could very well have provided Borini with the opening goal.  Aleksandr Kolorov lunged in from behind and made it difficult for the Italian, but he will be disappointed at not even hitting the target.

After nearly conceding to the best chance of the game, Tevez created something out of nothing and very nearly gave City the lead immediately at the other end.  Having been put through by Samir Nasri, he was through on goal but looked to have overrun it.  Poking the ball beyond Pepe Reina from a tight angle appeared to have somehow gifted Tevez a goal only for it to come back off the far post and then safely into Reina's gloves.  The bounce of the ball and that no other City player reacted is exactly the kind of luck that we haven't seen a lot of.  In a game like this where the opening goal is so crucial, it's very much appreciated.

The game was starting to open up now, with virtually all of the Liverpool threat coming down the left hand side.  Suarez was his usual self but now he had someone alongside him in Sterling, who was causing Toure all sorts of problems.  At the other end Sebastian Coates had his one real cause for concern, dallying on the ball and allowing  Mario Balotelli the chance to get in there and conceed a foul.  It was virtually identical to the way in which Skrtel gave away a the second penalty to Shane Long but this was outside the area and City's free kick wasn't up to par.  For other players, this could have been a turning point after which they go into their shell and are never the same.  Fortunately Coates is made of stronger stuff.

City had been able to apply pressure by utilizing their wide men but at the from about the half hour mark had to deal with a threat going the other way.  Glen Johnson in particular - who had a magnificent game and already looks to be thriving in this system - combined with Suarez and Sterling on that left hand side of the pitch and visibly forced them back, leading to a chance for Borini which forced a corner and subsequent gestures for Anfield to get even louder.  Both the atmosphere around the ground was at such a level and the team itself appeared to go up a notch and for the first time in the game City were under a concerted amount of pressure.

One thing we failed to do on a number of occasions last season was score at the right time.  We'd have passages of play where we'd be on top of an opposition, without making it count.  When Steven Gerrard whipped a dangerous ball into the box and Kompany so very nearly headed into his own net, there was a palpable feeling that we had the game firmly in control at that moment and all it needed was a goal.  Step forward Martin Skrtel.  In actually he didn't so much step as gallop his way into the six yard box, rising to meet Gerrard's corner with an absolute bullet header that gave Joe Hart absolutely no chance in the Man City goal.  1-0 Liverpool.

For a team that had been in control of the game, some of City's players might have wondered how they were behind.  As it was, Liverpool had stepped up a level both as a team and those in the stands.  Buoyed by the goal and with ten or so minutes left until half time, if anyone was going to score next it would have been the team in red.  At this point Glen Johnson was giving James Milner an absolute nightmare down the left hand side, forcing him back on every occasion.  Meanwhile Joe Allen had become an absolute beacon in midfield, mopping everything up and then having the ability to make the right pass to set the team forward, it was a great sight to see against the league champions.  Unable to create anything of note, City had a flurry of set pieces late as the first half drew to a close but nothing that threatened to bring them back on terms.  Forty five minutes in and aside from a shaky start in which we lost a key midfielder, things were suddenly looking very bright around Anfield.

The second half began quietly, as if everybody watching new there was a storm brewing.  Sterling was harshly adjudged to have fouled Kolo Toure and he could have been frustrated with the way referee Andre Marrier seemed to be refusing him everything.  Still it did not deter him and force him out of the game but instead steeled his resolve to work hard and contribute, which he was doing both defensively and as a attacking force.  City kept the ball for the most part in the face of some excellent forward pressing by the front three with Borini pouncing on an attempted cross field pass which in turn nearly put Suarez in for a second goal.  The game was a lot more competitive than when it had first started with players on both sides determined to get in the face of their opposite number.  Once we did get a foot on the ball it was simply a case of playing sensible possession football, something Rodgers has promised since day one.

After the hour mark Mancini decided that changes were needed with his side having not troubled Pepe Reina to any great extent.  In the space a of few minutes two separate changes were made, Jack Rodwell coming on for Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko replacing Mario Balotelli.  The substitutions had barely had any time to make an impression before City found themselves level.  It was a series of small preventable errors that eventually led to the equalizer.  From Gerrard being a little too anxious to break out and counter, to Pepe Reina's missed punch (which may or may not have taken a minor deflection off the head Martin Skrtel).  Once it had been unexpectedly missed by the goalkeeper, Martin Kelly tried to adjust his body in vain and it bobbled off him, allowing Yaya Toure to put the ball into the net and get City back on level terms.

The need for an immediate response was clear.  City were always likely - given their quality all over the park - to score at some point, so any idea of holding on to take stock would have been foolish.  Not least of all, teams are notoriously vulnerable just after having scored themselves.  Maybe this is why Gerrard decided to unleash one at Joe Hart from twenty five yards out.  After all, in the very same league game last year, we scored in a very similar manner when Joleon Lescott deflected a Charlie Adam effort into the net just after they had scored.  Whatever happened, Jack Rodwell put his his body in the way of Gerrard's shot - an arm to be precise.  Suarez and Gerrard stepped over the ball and after having had several disappointing efforts last week, this one was perfection.  City fans would have been concerned that the defensive wall may not have been correctly placed but to all those in red it didn't matter.  It curled around the wall magnificently and into the back of the net, gloriously restoring our lead.

Man City were now visibly angry, or Mancini at least was.  They pressed us virtually straight from kick off as high up the pitch as they could but fortunately we had the likes of Gerrard who could get us the ball and Allen who would keep it.  Jose Enrique had come on for Martin Kelly just before Suarez's goal to give us some attacking width down both sides and it looked like either he or Johnson might be the key in killing the game off completely.  Borini was working his socks off at this point, occupying defenders so that Suarez had pockets of space to drop into and generally disrupting their back line.  One last throw of the dice from the champions was to bring David Silva on, but for all their incredible array of talent it looked like we were the most likely team to score next.  Then the self destruct button was pressed.

Some people will watch what happened with Martin Skrtel and beg for him to hoof it forward next time.  Under Brendan Rodgers' that's not going to happen.  It was a catastrophic error that saw him pick up the ball just behind the halfway line, turn blind to knock it back to Reina only to give it to Tevez who promptly sidestepped Reina and put City level once again.  Genuinely other than that moment, our bald headed Slovak was an absolute monster at both ends of the pitch so while it's incredibly frustrating and stained an otherwise good performance, there was still time for us to win it.  We could also just as easily have nothing to show for all our efforts.

The pessimist inside me - and I imagine I wouldn't have been the only one - thought that there was only ever going to be one winner.  City had pegged us back twice, it was an inevitability that they would score again.  Thankfully, the Liverpool eleven on the pitch were having none of it and set about taking the lead for a third time.  This wasn't a team that felt sorry for itself, it was one hungry for three points and that's incredibly encouraging against a team where a point isn't necessarily a bad result.  Andy Carroll came on for the final ten or so minutes and by this points both teams were going at it on the counter.  He did have probably the best chance to win the game from a Suarez cross but didn't catch it right at all.  With four minutes added and neither side out of it the end was a little breathless although neither side managed to work a good opening.  For the second year running an encouraging draw against Manchester City at Anfield.  Hopefully this time - with the manager's bold selections, the way in which we approached the game as well as the likes of Agger, Sahin and Assaidi to come into the side - that optimism is well founded.