Category Archives: Premier League match reports

I’ll mostly be writing my thoughts on our Premier League performances.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

Tottenham 02/07/2012: The Non-Event

1 Comment

It was the key moment that kept replaying on the post-program highlights reel as the credits rolled on Hong Kong’s TV coverage. It was the highlight that, a few days from the match, still triggers fond memories. It was the unforgettable minute that saw a dedicated Twitter account set up and a chant devised just for it.

It was the Anfield Cat.

It is telling that, in a match billed as a huge encounter, potentially a statement of intent for the Top Four from Liverpool or for the title from Spurs, a stray cat remains the sole takeaway from the Anfield clash.

Perhaps it was because of the solid goalkeeping on display. Brad Friedel, still going strong at 40, remains reliable as ever and proved that he remains one of the best in the Premier League with a consistent, commanding performance in the Tottenham box. Pepe Reina kept yet another clean sheet, his highlight being his good stop from Gareth Bale’s one-on-one chance at the death.

Perhaps it was because of the impressive performances from both defences. Glen Johnson, filling in for the allegedly injured Jose Enrique, and Martin Kelly snuffed out Spurs’ wing threats in Niko Kranjcar and Gareth Bale. Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger continued their status as one of the league’s premier defensive partnerships with yet another assured display.

In white, Kyle Walker proved that he has the defensive responsibilities of a top-quality full-back down pat, quieting the often-voracious Craig Bellamy, whereas Michael Dawson and Ledley King delivered a solid performance in the heart of defence.

Perhaps, too, it was because of the stifling and overcrowded midfield. Dirk Kuyt went about his business as usual, harassing and harassing Tottenham with his famous workrate as a defensive winger. Scott Parker did the same as a defensive shield for Tottenham, breaking up play and reclaiming possession.

With two midfield destroyers working to such good effect, it was little wonder that the rest of their colleagues in the middle of the park couldn’t find any space to work with. Charlie Adam looked for passes long and short, but was limited by the lack of space to find. Craig Bellamy was shunted out wide by the efforts of Walker and Parker, and couldn’t use his pace and direct running as he has done so effectively in recent weeks.

Jay Spearing, already boasting limited vision, creativity and passing range, broke down Liverpool’s own attacks with misplaced passes to nowhere. Steven Gerrard missed the mobility of a roaming, pacy, unpredictable striker as he was continuously suffocated and found his long shots blocked time and again. The same applied to Luka Modric and co.

And then, perhaps it was because of the toothless attacking. Emmanuel Adebayor had probably his least effective game for Spurs, starved of the kind of quality service and incisive support he has become so accustomed to. Andy Carroll worked hard, got into good positions and won headers against the considerably imposing Dawson, but his layoffs and second balls found no one present in the Spurs box.

So the search goes on for a clear win at Anfield, for someone to provide a spark when Liverpool most need it. With Carroll continuing his recent improvement and Luis Suarez returning, the Gerrard-Suarez-Carroll front three (possibly adding in Bellamy) should pose problems for many a Premier League defence – but only if Liverpool learn to play a pass-and-move style with, not despite, our #9.

90 minutes after the excellent Michael Oliver blew his whistle for kickoff, the solitary point seemed so anticlimactic, but so normal from an Anfield encounter.

The icing on the cake, of course, was that Liverpool’s official website deemed the unimpressive Jay Spearing as their man of the match, a just outcome from a forgettable clash of the titans.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

Wolves 01/31/2012: In Which He Came Of Age

6 Comments

After an uninspiring start to life back at Anfield, Kenny Dalglish oversaw a 3-1 win against Wolves that got the ball rolling. Raul Meireles hit a peach of a volley, and Fernando Torres scored his first under a former striking legend. Things were certainly on the up.

Then Torres put in his transfer request. And no matter what anyone at the Club did to mask his departure, and no matter how the Club emphasized the incoming transfers of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, the headlines were always going to be around Torres.

A painful transition of #9s ensued. Out went the poster boy of a briefly glorious generation. In came England’s new superstar forward.

That was a year ago. It’s fair to say that neither has set the world alight since their record-breaking moves.

On Monday night, Liverpol repeated the same fixture just over a year ago, with an almost entirely different teamsheet, and on the back of encouraging results in two competitions already nonexistent in the January 2011 calendar.

Fears that this would be another case of two steps forward, one step back were quickly allayed. There was nothing at Molineux that hinted at another away collapse a la Bolton.

But it was a first half that saw plenty of end-to-end football. As Dalglish’s side have often done this season, the visitors took on the mantle of a dominant home side with the majority of ball possession and chances created.

Dirk Kuyt’s lack of a first touch, Jordan Henderson’s lack of a creative footballing brain and Charlie Adam’s Scholes-esque lack of a half-decent tackle were equally as impressive as the indomitable defending and attacking of Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique, the rock-solid defending of Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger, and the terrier-like defensive workrate of Jay Spearing.

Then there was Craig Bellamy, who, in the absence of Luis Suarez, proved probably the only creative outlet in a Red shirt. A Craig Bellamy who has put in performances that have shattered all expectations that came with his free transfer arrival, who has established himself a mainstay in the starting eleven, who has proved to be one of the signings of the season.

And then, there was Andy Carroll.

As staunch of a supporter of Carroll as I have been, and as much as I’ve insisted that he be given a chance to bed in and really show his worth, I will readily acknowledge that he has been a disappointment, especially given his massive reputation.

But at the same time, any stern critic of Mr. Carroll would have to admit that he has been on an upward curve in terms of recent performances, only with no goal to show for his efforts and improvements.

Not on Monday night.

This might not have been a powerhouse Andy Carroll at his scintillating best, but here was a #9 working his socks off for the team. Bullying defenders in the air and tormenting them on the ground, turning them with a touch and leaving them for dead, laying off long passes and turning them into attacking movements, making a nuisance of himself and buying space for his fellow colleagues.

And this time, he had a goal to show for his efforts. A predatory striker’s finish, one that he used to be known for while wearing black and white. Not unlike a certain former Red.

But a year on, on Transfer Deadline Day 2012, the talk of the town was not of Torres drawing another blank in a blue shirt against Swansea.

Because a year on, Andy Carroll finally exhibited his potential.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

Stoke 01/14/2012: Out of Ideas

Leave a comment

A mere few days ago, Liverpool traveled to the Etihad Stadium and came away with a battling 1-0 away win to take into the second leg of the Carling Cup semifinal. A dominant first 15 minutes, a crisply dispatched penalty from Steven Gerrard, a subsequent 75 minutes of resolute defending. Now, providing that Kenny Dalglish’s charges stick to the Cit gameplan, Liverpool will have a first appearance at the new Wembley against Championship opposition.

And how a trophy to show for Dalglish’s return to the Anfield hotseat – a first in six years – would capture the imagination.

A revitalized Liverpool, back among the silverware. Back among the Premier League big boys. Storming their way back into the elite, using a much-loved British-centric policy that’s served him so well over the years. Who said he’d be out of depth after being away from management so long?

The subtext is that the Carling Cup looks like the only chance of silverware Liverpool have this season. And that it might even represent Liverpool’s best chance of getting into any European competition at all next season.

Last night’s bore draw at home against Stoke City might have been unsurprising otherwise, given Tony Pulis’ excellent record against the traditional big boys and against Liverpool. They are famous for their organized defence, physical style of play, and grinding out results away from home. Looking at just the match itself, one could’ve been forgiven for concluding that this was just a bad day at the office for Steven Gerrard and co. The possession was there. The chances were there (sort of). Heck, even the tactical surprise was there.

Looking at the larger context, perhaps this was emblematic of Liverpool’s season. Dominating a game at home, but drawing a blank. Dominating the shots taken, but failing to take advantage. (But even by Liverpool’s standards, some of last night’s stats were shocking to say the least. 15 shots, 1 on target. How the likes of Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler must be disapproving. Maybe even Michael Owen.)

But this was not one game. This was not just a bad day at the office. And this was not a mere reflection of our profligacy since August. Given the propensity for goalless draws at Anfield, I expected to stay up watching a 0-0 draw. No, this was a regression.

The lessons learned from the first half of the season, perhaps Dalglish and his team might have taken them on. If you don’t take your chances, you don’t score, he said. If you don’t score, naturally, you don’t get the results you deserve, he said. Taking away the capitulation at Tottenham, we have deserved better results from every league game this season, he said. We have a fit Andy Carroll raring to go, he said.

An Andy Carroll that took an hour to get onto the Anfield pitch. Immediately after his introduction, Liverpool earned a few penalty shouts, and had someone to cause nuisance inside the visitor’s penalty area.

Correction: After Andy Carroll came on, Liverpool finally had someone in the visitor’s penalty area.

We will never know if it is a stunning lack of confidence from all Liverpool players on the pitch or a frightening lack of footballing nous, but the reality is that Glen Johnson found himself as Liverpool’s only representative inside the Stoke box. On multiple occasions. When Liverpool were doing the attacking.

There are a few contexts that viewers should consider. First: where was our striker? The man in question, Dirk Kuyt, the tireless Duracell bunny that he is, found himself so starved of service that he went outside searching for the ball and to challenge defenders, as he always does, as the defensive forward. Second: where were our other players? Whether the forward line, consisting of Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Kuyt himself, who have mustered a combined solitary league goal, had the firepower to score against one of the league’s most famous defences is another question, but their combined failure to take up remotely goalscoring positions in the box was baffling to say the least, tear-your-hair-out frustrating to say a bit more, and frankly unacceptable, to be quite honest.

Third: why did Dalglish stick with five defenders for the entire 90 minutes? As soon as Pulis found out about Liverpool’s five-man defence, he reshuffled his attack to contain Peter Crouch as his specialist striker, just to ensure that the overloaded Red defence would become a waste and blunt their attack, a move that’s had critics quick to call this a tactical triumph for the Stoke manager. (Dalglish commented post-match that “we looked quite solid at the back.” Surely that is to be expected if he decided to play 5 defenders against 1 striker for 90 minutes.) Out-maneuvered at kickoff, Dalglish failed to consider that a collective lack of ideas from his team resulted in the majority of their shots taken being from long range.

A Liverpool team with the best of the pass-and-move attacking philosophy at its heart and with dreams of returning to the top of English football with a swashbuckling style, resorting to long-range shots from hardly prolific long-range shooters.

When Liverpool confirmed that they would not appealing Luis Suarez’s eight-match ban, we all knew that Liverpool would miss his creativity and endeavor on the pitch. The silver lining was that Steven Gerrard was back. But not even Captain Fantastic can carry the team on his shoulders every match.

The sad fourth context underlying Dalglish’s domestically-centered transfer policy is that British players lack the imagination, the flair and the technical ability of continental players. This policy might have suited Dalglish in his heyday, but his stubbornness to acknowledge his transfer dealings and to favor good old-fashioned blind workrate over moments of true brilliance is hindering the progress of a team so aching to be part of a modern elite, but still only has the past to draw from.

And nothing is more emblematic of a more glorious past than the ever-increasing recounts of the 2008-2009 season by the collective Liverpool fanbase.

Need I remind you that no silverware was won then.

But my word, did it capture the imagination.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

ManCity 01/04/2012: New Year, Same Problems

Leave a comment

To those who thought Liverpool’s relatively clinical performance against Newcastle in the last game of 2011 would be a sign of Liverpool finally approaching the end of a long, dark, profligate tunnel: yup, another false dawn.

I’m beginning to lose count of the number of false dawns we Liverpool fans have experienced this season. Sure, the future doesn’t seem to be as bleak as it was under Roy Small-Club Hodgson, but as the old adage goes: the higher the expectations, the bigger the disappointments.

I bet Kenny Dalglish was one of those who thought a bright end to 2011 would mean a bright start to 2012. His post-match interview certainly showed as much, as he had the following wise words to offer: “I’m not so sure the scoreline reflects the way the game went. I’m not saying we deserved to win, but I think the lesson we’ve learned from tonight is that if we’re not clinical we’re going to suffer.”

So it took half a season to learn this all-important lesson.

Perhaps my cynicism stems from the fact that I go by the mantra that is “the end justifies the means.” In this competitive, cutthroat football world that so many call “a results business,” I like to see wins and points. And that means I’m a fan of Rafa Benitez’s underdog European scalps, and I’m a fan of Jose Mourinho’s win-first, everything-else-second policy. I even reluctantly admire the swagger that Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United teams have had over the years. I don’t like the attitude, but I like the wins.

The talk has long been about Liverpool not having the luck we’re due. About in-form goalkeepers playing the games of their lives against us. About an astonishing number of times we’ve hit the woodwork.

But luck plays a part perhaps in a game or two. Perhaps maybe over the course of a month or two. When you’re talking about a luckless half season, there’s something underlying that is the issue at hand.

First, it’s the poor additions to the first-team squad. I touched on my thoughts on the price-quality relationship of our summer buys in my last post. I would like to resume for a moment. It is high time I made my pronouncements clear: Stewart Downing is rubbish. He doesn’t take on his man, he doesn’t have pace, he can’t cross, he can’t shoot, and he cost a fortune. Jordan Henderson may prove to be a decent player in time, but his anonymous displays in the center of midfield do not suggest a workmanlike performance in his favored role; they embody a young man short of confidence. Charlie Adam is clumsy, rash and if his set pieces are worth 10m alone, then Steven Gerrard’s crosses alone are worth a world-record fee.

Second, it’s the lack of creativity. We already saw what a Liverpool team is capable of without a predatory Fernando Torres. Now we’re seeing a Liverpool without that and a creative Luis Suarez. Followers of this blog, scant as they may be, might be well-versed in my thoughts on the frustrating, profligate and unproductive Suarez. But at least he has the courage to try his tricks, to run the channels, to make things happen. Without him in the side, Liverpool looked dead yesterday. Sideways pass to sideways pass, backwards pass to backwards pass, long diagonal ball to long diagonal ball. I dread that prospect.

Third, it’s the over-reliance on the old guard. Dirk Kuyt is no longer the clutch goalscorer he used to be. Craig Bellamy’s knees do not allow him to play two consecutive games in just a matter of days (although, given our next game is an FA Cup tie against Oldham, I struggle to see why Kenny couldn’t have started Bellamy and given him a solid hour). Steven Gerrard is still working his way back to full fitness. Maxi Rodriguez can’t be expected to score on every single appearance. And Fernando Torres is not a Liverpool player anymore, as much as some of us wish he was. So it’s up to the new generation to deliver. Please see above for my verdict on said generation.

This is easily my most critical post since I started this blog. At the 20-game mark, we’re over the halfway line, and while many people suggest that we should be satisfied with the progress made in a year, I would respectfully suggest that last year was the worst in recent memory. If you’re celebrating progress made from the bottom of the pit, then you might as well celebrate staving off relegation.

For the first half of the season, Liverpool have been wasteful. A goal conversion ratio like City’s, like United’s, like Spurs’, would see us in the Top Three for sure. We have the second-most potent attack in the league in terms of chances created, but one of the lowest goals-scored tallies. In this half year, the lesson I learned is that the final hurdle is the toughest one to overcome.

Did I need an insipid, sluggish and uninspired performance at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium to learn this lesson? No. It just made it painfully obvious that things need to be done, and quick.

But let’s just say I really only learned this lesson last night – then perhaps I’ll fall back on our recently favorite habit of drawing comparisons to last year.

Last year, we started the new year poorly. This led to Hodgson’s and Torres’ departures. After Kenny came in, results started improving. Dramatically, some say.

If we want to see a good year ahead of us, a good transfer window is absolutely imperative. Only then will the end of the tunnel prove more than a mere mirage.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

QPR 12/10/2011: A Fine Line

Leave a comment

If you’ve been a regular follower of this blog, you might have noticed that I didn’t write any post-match reactions to the draw against Swansea and the defeat at Fulham.

In my last post, I wrote that Liverpool’s real tests lie in December. We failed our first at Craven Cottage, and we passed this one at Anfield against QPR. Barely.

It’s getting increasingly hard to find anything new to write about after we play. It’s the same old story every single time: dominating play, getting over 20 shots, finishing with the solitary goal. It just happened that this time we lived up to our joint-best defensive record in the league and shut QPR out.

Make no mistake: this was another truly dominant performance. The stats said it all: 25 shots, 8 on target, 17 corners, 62% possession. For all of QPR’s “resurgence” after Suarez’s goal, they never looked too threatening, and Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger continued to justify their selection ahead of the waning Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool’s attacking dominance, so much of a staple it’s become, was no surprise. Luis Suarez finally broke his 2-month goal drought. If it weren’t for QPR goalkeeper Radek Cerny’s outstanding performance, Maxi Rodriguez would have helped himself to a couple of goals. And that is why I have constantly clamored for his inclusion in the starting eleven. His positional awareness is second to none, and it’s no coincidence that opposing defences have had a way harder time against us when he’s been on the pitch.

Two shout-outs to Charlie Adam and Glen Johnson. The former has really grown in stature since coming to Anfield, and his driving display at the center of the midfield alongside a much more comfortable Jordan Henderson ensured that Lucas wouldn’t be missed this afternoon. As for Glen Johnson: I haven’t seen much of Tottenham’s Kyle Walker, so I haven’t been able to see for myself whether the hype surrounding him is justified, but Johnson is currently in the form of his life. A huge attacking outlet on the right wing, he’s also worked on his defensive game – his timing in the air is much more assured, and his positional sense has improved.

But, my word, are we crying out for a clinical out-and-out finisher. Craig Bellamy used to play as the furthest forward on the pitch, but he’s been used to great effect on the wings by Kenny Dalglish. Andy Carroll used to be Newcastle’s predator in the box, but he’s been off-form, short of confidence, and most of all, lacking in playing time.

This is no longer the Liverpool of the last few seasons. With Raul Meireles gone and Steven Gerrard injured, Maxi Rodriguez is the only midfielder who has the instinct to arrive in the box chance after chance, which explains the number of threatening positions he’s able to take up. But with Adam taking on the midfield driver role and both himself and Henderson content to stay outside the box, there’s a clear lack of makeshift second strikers (false tens, if you will) in and around the box.

We can’t keep relying on Luis Suarez. A phenomenal talent he is, a phenomenal finisher he is not. He’s mostly been compared to Fernando Torres (which is usually followed by claims that Liverpool don’t miss Torres anymore because we have Suarez…my response to that is a topic for another day), but I’d suggest the comparisons be with Gerrard. A creator-in-chief more than capable of chipping in with a few goals, he’s not the type of player to feast on chances. Indeed, he currently possesses the highest shots tally in the league – but his meager tally of 5 should speak volumes.

So our first priority in January must be to get a finisher who can kill teams off. Because that’s what we’re missing.

For the time being, 3 points will do just fine, but sooner or later we’re going to have to turn our shots on target into far more goals, because not only does goal difference matter much more these days, but we’re set up so far away from the Jose Mourinho school of pragmatism that we can’t be looking for one-goal victories week in, week out.

It’s a fine line between 3 points and 1, and 1 and 0. Time to not just talk about dominating, but to start showing it in the most important statistic of all: the final scoreline.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

ManCity 11/27/2011: Two Sides to the Coin

Leave a comment

There are two ways to look at Liverpool’s 1-1 home draw with Manchester City on Sunday.

The first: We outplayed City and deserved the three points.

Which is impressive in its own right. Who would’ve thought that, but for a few nervy moments in the Liverpool backline, the man of the match would go to Joe Hart and not Pepe Reina? Who would’ve thought that the league leaders would be pegged back for so long in both halves?

In hindsight, if you’d have offered me a point before the match, I would’ve taken it with both hands. This was an inspired (and inspiring) performance from Kenny Dalglish’s men, and the only unfortunate thing was that Liverpool didn’t get an extra 10, 15 minutes to play.

For all of Liverpool’s attacking chances created and all the deserved credit that should go their way, not just for this particular game but for the season so far in general, we have to stand up and applaud the Red defence and midfield. Skrtel and Agger fully justified Kenny’s decision to keep Carragher on the bench with a commanding and dominating central defensive performance. Pepe Reina played the role of sweeper keeper to the highest level. Jose Enrique, barring an errant backpass, turned in a solid shift and was a major threat going forward. And the same has to be said for Glen Johnson, whose critics must have been silenced from a fantastic display at right-back. He’s always been good going forward, but he’s added defensive strength and heading ability as well.

And of course, Charlie Adam looks to be improving week by week, as his positioning, awareness and (surprisingly) running caused untold trouble in the attacking third. Alongside him was the outstanding Lucas Leiva – and even I believe that’s not a good enough word to describe his performance. A two-in-one package of midfield destroyer and attack instigator, Lucas is becoming a lynchpin of this Liverpool side.

In a mini-league amongst the Top Six, Liverpool would be right up there. An accomplished display at Stamford Bridge was followed by one of the highest order at Anfield against the possible champions-elect. Briefly looking at the statistics, this was probably City’s first league game this season in which they didn’t create over 10 shooting chances. To say that Liverpool’s was a fine defensive performance would be a vast understatement.

If it weren’t for Joe Hart’s excellence, Liverpool would’ve kept the three points at home and inflicted a first defeat on the Citizens.

And now on to the second interpretation: We outplayed City and deserved the three points.

More chances, more possession, and more men on the field against one of the supposed big boys. A dominant performance at home. Chances created, missed and saved by another in-form keeper. In short, this smelled like yet another Liverpool night.

In hindsight, if you’d have offered me a point before the match, I would’ve taken it with both hands. But the way things turned out, this was a game for Liverpool’s taking, especially after Mario Balotelli’s antics earned him a sending off. Of course, City still had the world-class Joe Hart to thank, but Liverpool experienced yet another profligate night.

For all of Liverpool’s fine defensive work and possession play, the fact remains that the rest of the men in Red continue to underperform. Anfield witnessed yet another anonymous showing from Stewart Downing – and for that matter, why does Jordan Henderson turn in better performances as a substitute? Suarez extended his recent run of less-than-exhilarating form, while Kuyt has yet to hit the target this season.

I suppose I should take lots of satisfaction from the fact that we can afford to be disappointed at not beating City after turning in such an accomplished performance. But holding still and keeping a point when they could have had none: City remain unbeaten and the strongest in the league, with good reason.

So, yes, in a mini-league amongst the Top Six, Liverpool would be right up there.

Unfortunately, this is a league of 20 teams, not 6. As much as we passed the City test with gliding colors (I wouldn’t say “flying” just yet), this, like our win at Stamford Bridge, only solidifies Liverpool’s reputation as underdog specialists.

A fantastic performance on the night, no doubt, but the real tests lie in December’s league game run: Fulham, QPR, Aston Villa, Wigan, Blackburn, Newcastle.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

West Brom 10/29/2011: More of the Same

3 Comments

This is fast becoming a Liverpool staple.

Lots of chance created. Dominating possession. Points in the bag. Economical.

But for the clean sheet, which is fast losing its Liverpool staple status, and the three League points, this was a typical performances from Kenny Dalglish’s charges. So I’ll keep it short this time.

Two individual things stand out.

First, Stewart Downing is possibly the most directly nonconstructive player on the Liverpool team right now. 10 league appearances, no goals, no assists. How many times has he beat his man on the flanks? How many times has he delivered a successful ball into the box for Andy Carroll to attack? (More on Carroll later.) The #19 looks less and less the missing piece to our jigsaw, as proclaimed by Damien Comolli following Downing’s signing in the summer. His runs and crossing look less and less effective by the game, and Jose Enrique is currently taking on everything down the left flank. Kenny Dalglish’s best summer signing without a shadow of doubt.

A word for Glen Johnson on the opposite flank. Aside from Manchester City’s Galacticos-style rotation policy, the battle for Liverpool’s starting right-back slot has become one of the most fascinating positional battles in the League this season. Glen Johnson showed signs of life, his dribbling and pace causing problems in the West Brom half. Against smaller teams, the more defensively-sound Martin Kelly will have to bide his time, because there’s no denying that Johnson, just like Enrique, can act like an extra winger. But this competition can only prove beneficial to England in the longer run. And don’t forget young Jon Flanagan waiting in the wings.

Second, Luis Suarez began the game with 17 shots off target so far this season, the most in the League. He finished the game with 22, the most in the League. Somewhat unsurprisingly, all his 5 shots taken against West Brom were off target. He is rightly taking the plaudits for making Liverpool tick and for generally causing havoc in every opposition area he comes across, but there’s got to be a certain level of balanced perspective. And Kenny must make sure this doesn’t get to Suarez’s head.

Selfishness is fine, but not unproductive selfishness. The right-sided freekick in the first half, which he insisted on taking at the expense of the left-footed and more prolific Charlie Adam, was a typical example of his competitiveness and willingness to make everything work. It was also a typical example of his off-target shooting.

Now if only Suarez could use his unpredictability to drag away defenders and then create chances for his strike partners, just like his deftly chipped pass to Carroll, whose first-time left-foot volley was smothered by a good block, and exactly like his sublime through-ball for Carroll’s goal.

To be sure, Carroll’s was a sketchy first touch en route to his goal. But it was an underrated outside-of-the-foot finish. In general, this was a game that started to show signs of life in the Andy Carroll-Luis Suarez partnership.

Besides scoring a goal, Carroll impressed with his improved positioning and desire. While Downing put in his non-existent crossing into the box, Carroll’s off-the-ball movement into key attacking positions was noteworthy, and his run into space to receive Suarez’s through-ball also showed signs of increased understanding. It’s time to take advantage of an increasingly confident Andy Carroll.

Perhaps with Carroll firing on all cylinders, Liverpool will finally turn their attacking dominance into goal gluts.

For now, 18 shots still only yielded 2 goals. And currently, out of the Top Six, Liverpool trail by some distance in terms of goals scored.

The finishing is still profligate. More of the same, really.

Three points on the back of an attack that has yet to hit top form. More of the same, please.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

Norwich 10/22/2011: Wasteful

Leave a comment

Here’s how the post-match reaction will pan out.

Liverpool created lots of chances. Liverpool were unlucky not to get the three points. Norwich put in a brave shift and earned their point. Andy Carroll performed poorly as a substitute and missed an easy header at the end. Luis Suarez was once again the center of all Liverpool attacks and was the man of the match.

Here’s how the post-match reaction should pan out.

Liverpool had 29 shots on goal, only 9 of which were on target, only 1 of which was a goal.

I thought it was just a case of not being on form in the finishing department, but that’s a 31% on-target ratio and a 3.44% chance conversion rate. That is woeful and unacceptable. If someone were to come along and do a league table based on chance conversion ratios, I’m pretty sure Liverpool would be damn near the bottom.

Based purely on these numbers, Liverpool were absolutely not unlucky not to get the three points. The fact that we created 29 chances and should still be worrying about three points is absurd in the first place. And the fact that given all these chances gone begging and Norwich putting together some neat passing play should send Kenny Dalglish and his coaching team back to the drawing room.

Because, let’s be honest here: who wasn’t thinking that Norwich would sneak a result at Anfield given how wasteful we were?

It’s a results business. For all of Damien Comolli’s revolutionary statistic-driven measurements, the single most important statistic in the end is the final result, which depends on number of goals scored. On current evidence, the chances are being created, which is a good thing, but no one is putting them away. The January transfer window must be used to rectify this, or it’ll be a long rest of the season.

Yes, Andy Carroll should have headed that Gerrard cross in. And he will be criticized for that. But spare the boy a thought: it’s his first chance in almost 180 minutes of football. His positioning has improved, and his chance conversion ratio is definitely superior to that of his strike partner.

Yes, we went back to route-one football after Carroll came on. But that’s because Kenny took out Stewart Downing, who is consistently disappointing in every aspect of the game other than crossing. And because Steven Gerrard, who’s capable of the teasing crosses that yielded that last-gasp chance for Carroll when he’s playing on the right, can’t deliver balls in from the wide areas if he plays in the center. When Craig Bellamy, Downing and Gerrard were peppering John Ruddy’s goal with crosses in the first half, where was Carroll? On the bench.

And yes, Luis Suarez is mesmeric. He is mercurial. He is also frustrating and wasteful. There are no two ways about it. For eight games I’ve been complaining about his lack of finishing ability. Today he has shown everyone why he’s not world-class. Yes, he creates chances all by himself. Yes, he makes things happen out of nothing. But what good does that do when nothing comes of those chances? What good is carving space for yourself from a neat turn or a good show of upper strength when you don’t have a finish at the end of it to show for your efforts?

The great Bob Paisley once said, “If you’re in the penalty area and don’t know what to do with the ball, put it in the net and we’ll discuss the options later.”

Every single player in this Liverpool team would do well to listen.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

ManUtd 10/15/2011: Forced to Settle

Leave a comment

In the end, the points had to be shared.

Let’s be honest. After around 20 minutes of first-half action, most of us watching wanted the halftime whistle to go.

With Sir Alex Ferguson opting for an experienced midfield quintuplet, the middle of the Anfield park was congested. And with neither side starting with an urgency and flowing movement that have been evident on several occasions already this season, it was no lone fault of ours that the first 45 minutes were entirely forgettable.

The pedestrian and boring start to the game featured a plethora of misplaced passes straight to the opposition. And even when the passes did find another player in a Red shirt, they often ended up going horizontal or backwards. With an already congested midfield and Steven Gerrard yet to approach peak fitness, there were no barnstorming runs from the center of the park, and no razor-sharp vision to find the diagonal balls to the wings.

But if there’s one thing this Liverpool team doesn’t lack in, it’s team spirit and a desire to keep going until the end, and that much was evident in the second half, especially after Hernandez’s equalizer.

United’s switch to a 4-4-2 saw Liverpool fashion plenty of chances, and Jordan Henderson turned in an impressive performance having come on as a substitute for Lucas. His movement in the midfield and in the attacking third opened up plenty of space for Liverpool to attack, and he alone had two great chances to kill off the game, first via a sumptuous volley that David de Gea brilliantly turned over, and second in the form of a header that met Stewart Downing’s cross.

A quick word on Fergie’s team selection.

United reverted to a 4-5-1 formation, with such big-game players as Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-sung and Darren Fletcher starting at Anfield. Their substitutes bench was littered with world-class names and they were able to bring on Wayne Rooney, Nani and Javier Hernandez, who might as well be the best substitute trio in the League this season. but the question is: why weren’t they starting?

As much as some onlookers may want to pin it on Rooney’s mental state and the travel weariness following the international break, Ferguson’s personnel choices reflected a cautious respect for Liverpool.

It could have been a yearn to break our three-game winning streak in this fixture. It could have been a formation to deny us the space we crave to pass and move. But it was definitely a nod to Ferguon’s pre-match claims that this was the biggest game in English football. And that we’re starting to rise again to be a major competitor for United.

The men in Red showed that his concerns were not misplaced on the day.

Liverpool attacked well in the second half on Saturday. We defended well for the entire game, the defensive lapse leading to Hernandez’s goal aside. (And that wasn’t a corner anyway.)

On the pitch was some United attack. And opposite them was some Liverpool defence. Martin Kelly and Jose Enrique particularly caught the eye with assured performances and solid attacking support. It’s not everyday that Manchester United are limited to two shots on target in 90 minutes. It’s not everyday that Ashley Young is subdued for 70 minutes (or that he only lasts 70 minutes). And it’s not everyday that Nani is kept quiet on the pitch.

So, the good news is: with Kelly and Enrique on the flanks, Liverpool possess a very complete partnership on both our wings. (This is very, very bad news for Glen Johnson.)

Here’s another piece of good news: Steven Gerrard is back. Let’s first take a moment of silence in response to those who dared suggest that he wouldn’t be able to get back into the team.

Anyway, Steven Gerrard is back. And him being deemed fit enough to start and fit enough to last the entire 90 minutes can only be a good thing for Liverpool.

For all of Kuyt’s and Henderson’s industrious work-rates, Gerrard’s energy and ability to make incisive attacking runs will make a huge difference, and he will add an extra dimension to the Reds attack if he stays fit. His dead-ball and crossing prowess mean that chances will be created for our strikers to pounce on, and we will hopefully no longer be restricted to the left-foot specialties of Charlie Adam. His passion for the Reds cause will see him track back and make crucial tackles in his own half. His on-field, lead-by-example leadership will inspire confidence and instill calm in the Liverpool side.

Oh, and he’s capable of scoring important goals.

Unfortunately, this brings us back to the age-old question: Are Liverpool (still) a two-man team?

And unfortunately, the answer to that question is (still) a resounding yes.

Mention the other components of the Liverpool spine (Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Dirk Kuyt) all you want, but Liverpool remain a two-man team. Just like Fernando Torres during his time at Anfield, Luis Suarez finds the majority of Liverpool’s attacking chances at his feet. But, for all his unpredictability, invention and hunger, he is far from a world-class goalscorer. When Suarez found himself with only David de Gea to beat in the first half, he shot straight at the keeper.

During Fernando Torres’ days at Atletico Madrid, before his move to Anfield, he was labeled more as a scorer of spectacular goals than a spectacular scorer of goals. This seems to be an accurate description of Liverpool’s #7 right now, and while he is seen to be more versatile and creative than Torres, he needs to get his finishing up to the old Torres’ level, simply because the bulk of Liverpool’s goalscoring chances are now his.

Which brings me to my next point: Where were Andy Carroll and Craig Bellamy?

Given the number of inviting crosses sent into the United box, especially towards the end of the game, and given the physically culpable duo of Rio Ferdinand and Johnny Evans, this was a perfect game for Carroll to make his mark. Instead, he found himself on the bench for the entire 90 minutes, which must have been as disappointing for him as it was for us Reds fans.

With all the chances being created, Liverpool need to step up a gear and actually finish them off, or risk losing points when they really should be taking them on board. This is where Andy Carroll, with his aerial and finishing ability, and Craig Bellamy, with his pace and experience, come in. Or should be coming in anyway…

But instead, in the end, the points had to be shared.

Liverpool, Premier League match reports

Everton 10/01/2011: Professionally Pedestrian

2 Comments

Professional.

That’s what Kenny called our derby win at Goodison Park. That’s what the players will say in the interviews leading up to the next game. That’s what the journalists will write in their post-match reports. That’s what the fans will claim after the labored win.

But the fact of the matter is that Jack Rodwell’s sending off, so undeserved even from a Red perspective, was the turning point in a match-up that’s seen the most number of red cards issued in Premier League history. And Everton’s reduction to ten men didn’t result in an immediate advantage for us either.

As much credit as David Moyes and his men in Blue deserve for grinding out a solid, hardworking performance the ultimately couldn’t resist Liverpool’s finishing, Kenny Dalglish and his charges will shoulder an equal amount of responsibility for a tepid affair.

With Dirk Kuyt restored to the starting lineup, the big-game player, the clutch finisher, the erstwhile derby hero, we fans rested assured that Leighton Baines would have to endure a troublesome 90 minutes. And so this proved, with the left-back rarely enjoying a yard of breathing space. It is a testament to Kuyt’s evolution (or devolution) from an out-and-out striker into a defensive winger, and to the importance of his dogged workrate in this position, that his contribution to this game will be judged based on his closing down of Baines’ left side and how unlike Jordan Henderson he was, rather than his penalty miss.

Of course, he would be remembered for his first penalty miss in a Red shirt had the game ended in anything but a Liverpool victory.

On the back of a solid game all afternoon, Everton’s defence will have been disappointed with their lax marking of Andy Carroll, allowing him to finish clinically into the far corner following Kuyt’s classy dummy from Jose Enrique’s cross, and infinitely more so with Sylvain Distin’s careless clearance straight to Luis Suarez’s chest. That’s how you take your chances when presented them, and let’s hope both strikers, especially the former, will take great confidence from their goals.

The more worrying aspect of the performance was the lack of mobility and movement across the front third, and in Rafa’s jargon, between the lines. On one side of the coin, it’s pleasing to know that we possess the strength in depth to bring on two experienced attackers, Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy, with pace, energy and creativity, and it shouldn’t be a surprise to know that both of Liverpool’s goals were scored after their substitute appearances. On the other, it’ll be a cause for concern that we needed the injection of said attributes before we were able to break the deadlock.

We often accuse our midfielders and strikers of passing the ball sideways and backwards when in possession of the football, but it’s also down to a collective lack of penetrating and incisive movement in and around the box. With the ball out wide, the only movement we see is the full-backs providing support but no movement whatsoever in the middle of the park. The ball once again stays forced out wide, and the crosses that do come in aren’t being attacked by our header-in-chief, Mr. Carroll. Where was the constant switching positions so evident early on in the season? Kenny and his coaching staff need to ensure that the bright footballing start to the season doesn’t fizzle out, because if this pedestrian showing persists, we could be in for a long season.

The bright sparks were the substitutes. With Gerrard and Bellamy’s desire and energy so evident in their 20-minute cameos, they should be considered as strong contenders for a first-team spot. Gerrard’s encouraging return from injury has in particular been the highlight in our recent underwhelming performances. Let’s hope he will add some much-needed pace and leadership from the center of the park.

With this potential banana skin out of the way, our upcoming clash against Manchester United has been billed as a key encounter, a test of our credentials. Following their unrelenting start to the season, United have arguably dropped down a notch in their recent performance levels. We’re capable of catching them off-guard to get the optimism back at Anfield in full force.

But my interpretation is slightly different. As much as our matches with United are always important, I see our subsequent fixtures as even more pivotal to our season. Next up in the League are Norwich, West Brom and Swansea, and we know how important it is to be able to kill off these so-called lower-table teams. I’ll hope for stylish, but I’ll be more than satisfied with professional.