2013-2014 Season

[Ed]

Easily remedied. Stop thinking about it.

I tink he's stuck somewhere 4 seasons ago! - probably went into
shock when hodge lost the gig...

Meanwhile you have to laugh 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alanhansen/10342657/Manchester-United-and-David-Moyes-must-heed-the-warning-of-a-then-dominant-Liverpools-demise.html

What I'm waiting for is Grandpa to have to come out & plead
with the supporters to give Moyes time (I feel another defeat
this week could tip some of their more pampered/deluded
supporters over the edge). Joke club. 

[Juan]

I tink he's stuck somewhere 4 seasons ago! - probably went into
shock when hodge lost the gig...

Meanwhile you have to laugh 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alanhansen/10342657/Manchester-United-and-David-Moyes-must-heed-the-warning-of-a-then-dominant-Liverpools-demise.html

What I'm waiting for is Grandpa to have to come out & plead
with the supporters to give Moyes time (I feel another defeat
this week could tip some of their more pampered/deluded
supporters over the edge). Joke club. 

Its amazing how things can turn into a crisis overnight. Fergie won the league at a canter last season. Their dip in form has been even greater than anticipated. People talk about ageing players and lack of summer signings but I dont buy that for a second. Theres no doubt Rio and Vidic cant go on forever but its no co-incidence that the minute Fergie goes so does the teams consistency. He gave average squads the belief that they were world beaters and in fairness it worked. Whatever way he managed his teams I genuinely believe he was often the cause for his team to be 20 points plus better off than they should have been and last season was no different.

Whats great to see is United finally have someone mortal in the dugout and as you predicted Ed grandpa was out today saying Moyes needed time.

I still think United and Moyes will get it right sooner rather than later. We just have to ensure that we are winning every time they slip up. Talk of crisis is definitely been peddled by the media and impatient fans but if we could gatecrash the top 4 and keep United out of it in the process then there could be genuine cause for concern for them. Until then unfortunately I still expect to see them surging up the table.

[Tes]

Its amazing how things can turn into a crisis overnight. Fergie won the league at a canter last season. Their dip in form has been even greater than anticipated. People talk about ageing players and lack of summer signings but I dont buy that for a second. Theres no doubt Rio and Vidic cant go on forever but its no co-incidence that the minute Fergie goes so does the teams consistency. He gave average squads the belief that they were world beaters and in fairness it worked. Whatever way he managed his teams I genuinely believe he was often the cause for his team to be 20 points plus better off than they should have been and last season was no different.

Whats great to see is United finally have someone mortal in the dugout and as you predicted Ed grandpa was out today saying Moyes needed time.

I still think United and Moyes will get it right sooner rather than later. We just have to ensure that we are winning every time they slip up. Talk of crisis is definitely been peddled by the media and impatient fans but if we could gatecrash the top 4 and keep United out of it in the process then there could be genuine cause for concern for them. Until then unfortunately I still expect to see them surging up the table.

No of those players have worked under Moyes before and it was always going to be interesting to see if he would change his mentality, that he needed at Everton to get their relative success, or whether he would expect the players to change to his method(s) of playing.

We didn't learn from them when they had to replace Busby, hopeful they won't learn from us. What is promising is that not only did they lose the best manager of the last 25 years, but also one of the best football administrators in Gill. We at least kept Peter Robinson for a few years into Moores term as chairman, yet that proved to be insufficient. Hopefully the same will happen to them.

So far, what we thought may happen, (that the top 5/6 teams, with the probable exception of Arsenal, are, for different reasons, wobbling), is happening, and there is a huge opportunity to get amongst them and break into the top four. Whether we can take advantage remains to be seen and we're going to need a Winter window on a par with last January's, rather than a repeat of either Summer window.   

[Martinmarx]

A very good read that echoes my thaughts and sentiments  on the spot bar, perhaps the Henderson bit.

Six games into the 2012-2013 season, Liverpool sat 14th in the Premier League table on just five points. One year on, and Brendan Rodgers side are now second on 13 points – but many fans feel the football currently being played by the Reds is inferior to the style we saw a year ago.

Gone is the possession football, gone is the slow, patient build-up play and gone are any signs of the pressing game that failed to materialise as we hoped in the first place. Instead, this season’s Liverpool side has so far been one that struggles to hold on to the ball, has no presence of any kind in midfield, but despite that, tends to take away the points.

For a club barren of Champions League football for 5 years and desperate to get back among Europe’s elite, it is, of course, winning that counts. The concern is that results soon start to match performances, and if Liverpool’s football doesn’t improve soon, the points might start to dry up.

The return of the mercurial Luis Suarez – a player who has already proved he can win games on his own – will go some way to allaying those fears, but he can’t solve the fundamental issues in midfield currently stunting the side’s play.

Lucas and Gerrard
So far this season Liverpool have averaged only just over 50% possession: hardly what you’d expect from a team playing possession-based football. At 33, Steven Gerrard is increasingly immobile and Lucas Leiva was never been the quickest of players even before his double injury, meaning the midfield duo often struggles to keep with play, especially when breaking quickly. At times there has been nothing but a huge void where the midfield should be, especially in the second halves of games when both Gerrard and Lucas have run out of steam.

Defensively, Lucas still has has a tendency to be drawn to the ball instead of reading the game and holding a tactical position, and Gerrard has never been known for his tactical discipline. Lucas offers little going forward (when did he last play a delicate through-ball) and while Gerrard still has most of the technical attributes, his legs don’t often get him in a position to contribute to attacks other than from set-pieces

Perhaps the biggest downfall of the pairing is the lack of energy in what is supposed to be the engine-room. Jordan Henderson does a good job of doing their running for them, but this clearly detracts from the attacking threat he poses down the right, and wears him out in the process.

Coutinho the Creator

So far during his Liverpool career Coutinho has been played either on the left where he drifts into the middle but also out of games, or in the hole as a dedicated No 10. Towards the end of last season he performed the latter role to great effect, supplying the nails for Daniel Sturridge to hammer home. The only time we’ve seen Coutinho deployed centrally from the start this season was against Swansea before he was withdrawn because of injury, and the difference his absence made was obvious. Before being clattered by Ashley Williams, the creative Brazilian was dropping deep to collect the ball from Lucas and Gerrard with such regularity that it was almost as if he were playing as a designated ball-carrier.

Liverpool’s centre-backs and central midfielders have frequently struggle to find a passing outlet this season, causing possession to break down, but Coutinho’s main duty against Swansea appeared to be to make sure his teammates always had a simple passing option. Sometimes that option was just to let him take the ball from their toes, but with Coutinho’s sublime passing and dribbling skills, his ability to see and execute a pass others couldn’t or move forward with the ball himself helped us to keep possession and build attacks.

This wasn’t Coutinho playing strictly in the hole behind the strikers; instead he was dropping right back to the halfway line and deeper, and if you look at his time at Liverpool so far, a good deal of his best work – particularly his passing – has come from deeper areas; picking the ball up around the halfway line.

Brendan Rodgers has said himself that Coutinho can play as a central midfielder as well as an attacking midfielder, meaning he could potentially be incorporated into a 1-2 midfield as part of the ‘2’, as opposed to having to play as the ‘1’ in a 2-1. Playing Coutinho in this slightly deeper role – similar to how Iniesta plays for Barcelona – would not only help the team keep possession and increase the creativity in deeper areas, but would also allow Rodgers to revert to playing with one holding player who routinely collects the ball from defence and starts attacking moves.

Allen the Controller 

At the start of last season Joe Allen was arguably Liverpool’s best player, picking up three man of the match awards from journalists on the official site. His deployment as the holding player was a temporary measure while Lucas recovered from injury, with even Rodgers stating that when played slightly further player as the ‘shuttle’ in a midfield 3, there is even more to Allen’s game.

Yet those early performances when Allen fell in-between split centre backs and helped the side build from the back remain his best in a red shirt. Of course, this was during a time when the side as a whole was struggling results wise, but this was down to a dodgy defence and, aside from Suarez, impotent attack, with the Welshman looking like the one player who truly understood the system.

Another of Liverpool’s issue this season has been Mignolet’s distribution, with the Belgian struggling to maintain the high standards set by Pepe Reina. But is this entirely Mignolet’s fault? With Gerrard and Lucas operating as the world’s most static double-pivot, Mignolet hasn’t had a designated player confident with the ball in tight situations coming to collect the ball from him, and the inclusion of the possession-averse Martin Skrtel ahead of him hasn’t helped either.

Brendan Rodgers appears to be the only person opting out of the consensus that Liverpool require a defensive midfielder, but preferring a ‘controller’ type DM to the more physical alternative many fans would like to see, Allen’s inclusion at the back of a midfield triangle, with Coutinho and one other ahead of him would instantly transform Liverpool’s midfield to one far more mobile and comfortable on the ball. But who should that third player be?

From Gerrard to Henderson

With Allen starting things off from deep and Coutinho dropping in and linking midfield to attack, the third player needs to be someone who can bind the midfield together with strong running and a physical presence. Jordan Henderson’s incredible engine and stamina allow him to contribute both going forwards and in defence, and his comparative physicality would compensate for the diminutive frames of Allen and Coutinho. Playing alongside (or just behind) Coutinho, Henderson would compliment the Brazilian’s quick feet and vision with well-timed runs forward, arriving late in the box or bursting beyond the strikers.

If the opposition is in the ascendency, Henderson can drop in beside Allen leaving Coutinho ahead of them. With Coutinho more comfortable left of centre and Henderson naturally suited to the right, the pair should offer good balance horizontally as well as vertically.

Whether Brendan Rodgers is prepared to drop Gerrard for the player many see as his natural replacement remains to be seen. Judging by fans’ reactions whenever it’s suggested that he should, he can perhaps be forgiven for feeling that it just isn’t an option for him politically, if not tactically. Lucas’ ban presents a natural opportunity to try out something new, but with Steven Gerrard seemingly unbreakable these days, it may be a while before he is given a similar opportunity to experiment without the club captain in the line-up.

In large sections of the fan-base the suspicion remains that Gerrard simply isn’t suited to playing in a team true to Rodgers playing philosophy – a philosophy which appears to have been completely disregarded so far this season. If the change is in-part to accommodate a player four months the wrong side of 33, and results start to fall in-line with performances, dropping Gerrard could become a make-or-break decision for Rodgers.

For now, of course, there is no cause for alarm. Liverpool sit just two points behind Arsenal at the top of the table with winnable fixtures coming up and Luis Suarez back in the team. But Steven Gerrard can’t play forever. At some point a Liverpool manager will have to leave him out. Brendan Rodgers should make sure that manager is him and not somebody else.

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2013/10/how-brendan-rodgers-can-repair-liverpools-faltering-midfield/

[Tes]

as









You can almost see the strings on the top photo. 

[Ed]

A very good read

Defensively, Lucas still has has a tendency to be drawn to the ball instead of reading the game and holding a tactical position,

B*llshit. In a sentence whoever the author is reveals their ignorance.

[Juan]

The more we win the quieter this place seems to get. Are there any posters left?

Good win today. We were always expected to win this one comfortably but maybe in previous years this is where we wouldve left two points behind. For me the most impressive thing about the team at the moment is that we have the potential to score from a number of different sources. We can no longer be labelled a one man team. I still dont think we are capable of winning the title yet. I'm hugely impressed by Toure and Id love to see himself and Agger start at the heart of defence but I'm not sure Rodgers knows quiet how to accommodate all of the players in that department without resorting to three centre backs.   

Its a pity the international break halts our momentum once again but on the other hand it probably gives us time to get some injured players back in the fold.

Looking at the table its shaping up to be the closest top 4 contest in the Premier League yet not even to mention who is going to win the league. I still think its Citys or Chelseas to lose but maybe another 5 or 10 games will be the true judge of that.

[Ed]

The more we win the quieter this place seems to get. Are there any posters left?

Good win today. We were always expected to win this one comfortably but maybe in previous years this is where we wouldve left two points behind.

Nah, I still post, as does Tes and Marx only goes quiet when
we're losing, Dude's about keeping his counsel, we all know
his position, though he may have changed it...

Haven't seen the game yet, but can't argue with the result.
League aint a sprint though...

[Ed]

I'm hugely impressed by Toure and Id love to see himself and Agger start at the heart of defence but I'm not sure Rodgers knows quiet how to accommodate all of the players in that department without resorting to three centre backs.

In an ideal world, the back two would be Agger and Skrtel, with Sakho & Toure
chomping at the bit. He sidelined Martin in favour of Carra for half of last season,
if he does similarly the first half of this season using Toure, he'd need to justify
that with results and solid defensive displays (if it aint broke!).

Luckily the injuries at the back have contrived to make the current selection choice
easier for him & as you say he may use Johnson slightly further forward and stick
with 3 at the back in the short-term. But then we look a bit unbalanced (overloaded at
the back imo) if Lucas comes back in...

I think he needs to sit down with Skrtel and sort it out. Say to him, I'm putting my faith in
you, now prove me right!

The advantage there is Martin doesn't push for an exit at Christmas (which he could easily unless
there's serious momentum about our challenge), but is kept on his toes & Toure is ready to
jump in and there for the entire campaign as opposed to wearing himself out or getting injured.
Sakho will surely find opportunities as the season wears on and just needs to be reassured that
his day will come and to pick up as much as he can in the meantime and be ready when called
upon.

I'd keep in simple with:

Johnson, Skrtel Agger, Enrique
                    Lucas

Meantime, thought Hendo did his chances of inclusion in the World Cup squad no harm
today. No doubt the watching England manager (em, Roy f**king Hodgson) will have
noted his energy and growing authority today - even if it was at home to Palace. Needs
to stick a picture of Graham Souness up in his locker and grow a moustache!

What I liked about today was the two big athletic but technical 23 year-olds in the team
(Hendo & Sakho), need at least another two of them to be a credible force in the league.

[Juan]

In an ideal world, the back two would be Agger and Skrtel, with Sakho & Toure
chomping at the bit. He sidelined Martin in favour of Carra for half of last season,
if he does similarly the first half of this season using Toure, he'd need to justify
that with results and solid defensive displays (if it aint broke!).

Luckily the injuries at the back have contrived to make the current selection choice
easier for him & as you say he may use Johnson slightly further forward and stick
with 3 at the back in the short-term. But then we look a bit unbalanced (overloaded at
the back imo) if Lucas comes back in...

I think he needs to sit down with Skrtel and sort it out. Say to him, I'm putting my faith in
you, now prove me right!

The advantage there is Martin doesn't push for an exit at Christmas (which he could easily unless
there's serious momentum about our challenge), but is kept on his toes & Toure is ready to
jump in and there for the entire campaign as opposed to wearing himself out or getting injured.
Sakho will surely find opportunities as the season wears on and just needs to be reassured that
his day will come and to pick up as much as he can in the meantime and be ready when called
upon.

I'd keep in simple with:

Johnson, Skrtel Agger, Enrique
                    Lucas

Meantime, thought Hendo did his chances of inclusion in the World Cup squad no harm
today. No doubt the watching England manager (em, Roy f**king Hodgson) will have
noted his energy and growing authority today - even if it was at home to Palace. Needs
to stick a picture of Graham Souness up in his locker and grow a moustache!

What I liked about today was the two big athletic but technical 23 year-olds in the team
(Hendo & Sakho), need at least another two of them to be a credible force in the league.

Id agree with that back five with the exception of Skrtel. Hes capable of putting in great displays but I find him to be often poor at defending set pieces and error prone. Toure looks calmness personified and long may Man City keep spending money if they are going to let players like him walk away on a free. Hendersons a bit of a mystery. Hes got a great engine but technically he can be lacking. But it may not be inconceivable that he could warrant starting in front of Gerrard going forward. I think Stevies place in the team is a given but I'm not sure how much longer that can be guaranteed.

Another good weekend with Arsenal and Spurs dropping points. I cant see any team going unbeaten from here on out so hopefully that bodes well for our top 4 chances.

[Martinmarx]

I would say it's absolutely vital we keep Toure in the side if we're to nurture any hopes of finishing in the top 4. He adds energy, experience, quality and a winning mentality none of the other CB's can provide. Agger I don't understand why he's considered a no-brainer considering his proness to error.

I expect Rodgers to return to a 4 men defence with the return of Johnson. This 3-5-2 formation may work a game or couple but will prove costly in the long run as there's extremly few sides in the modern game having a good enough squad to play it.

The return of Johnson and Coutinho is very timely as we need to up our game and we need to do it now. Thus far we can't complain about the return we've had and we can't expect to keep picking up points at this performance level. So there's two directins this season can turn out: Either it collapse starting at St. James in a fortnigt or we step up 2 gears and then I would agree with Rodgers that only the sky is the limit.

Finally, cred where it's due. Well done Henderson on your best game of the season - by far that is. Maybe there's something to the argument yer being played out of position. Moses as no. 10? Tend to disagree Rodgers.

[Tes]

Set piece achilles strikes again, but a comfortable first half display saw us over the line.

What's wrong with our squad? Are they all on half pay or something? Do they forget about the second half? Maybe we ought to turn the heating off for half time then they'd have too run round getting warm again in the second half.

I'm going to have to take up the guitar and write 'the second half blues' so it can be played ad nauseam all half time.

I'm certainly glad, at least at this stage, that we can hand Moses back at the end of the season.

Hendo played well again, and at least he turned up for the second half. There's a few more senior players would do well to follow his example.

Toure was class again and I hope he can teach Sakho which feet to put his boots on. There's a fine player inside though trying to get out. I just wish he would hurry up and do so.

And where's Allen? Golden boy to Golden Shower in less than 12 months. 

[Tes]

Last season it took us 13 games and until Tues 27th November to reach the points tally we have at the moment. It feels great to see us in the podium positions and only goal difference, not even a single point is stopping us from being top, but as Ed wisely points out, it's a marathon slog of 38 games, not a quick dash of 7.
We haven't and can't win anything with our current points total and it's that knowledge that needs to keep us grounded and hungry for more, much more.

[Martinmarx]

Set piece achilles strikes again, but a comfortable first half display saw us over the line.

What's wrong with our squad? Are they all on half pay or something? Do they forget about the second half? Maybe we ought to turn the heating off for half time then they'd have too run round getting warm again in the second half.

I'm going to have to take up the guitar and write 'the second half blues' so it can be played ad nauseam all half time.

I'm certainly glad, at least at this stage, that we can hand Moses back at the end of the season.

Hendo played well again, and at least he turned up for the second half. There's a few more senior players would do well to follow his example.

Toure was class again and I hope he can teach Sakho which feet to put his boots on. There's a fine player inside though trying to get out. I just wish he would hurry up and do so.

And where's Allen? Golden boy to Golden Shower in less than 12 months.

Just this once I'm prepared to accept taking the foot off the pedal given the half-time score. Toure was indeed classy, but then again I never saw him as back up. After all he's the only PL Winner in the squad. You echo my sentiments spot on re Sakho. Too soon for Sterling. There's no two ways about it - he had a stinker. Suso I hear had another brilliant assist in La Liga.  Also thought young Luis Alberto did well off the bench.

[Tes]

Sterling may have pace and some level of ability but it won't be fashioned into a useful product until he improves his decision making and becomes much more tactically aware. He looks like a player who needs to go out loan and play regular first team football. At this stage he isn't at the level we need him to be at.

Both Suso and Alberto are far more tactically aware, as a lot of Spanish youngsters tend to be, and if possible, Alberto should be getting pitch time ahead of Sterling at the moment.