A state of intent in the transfer market

28 December 2010

By KP

With rumours rife that Roy Hodgson is showing interest in David Bentley should we not be aiming to buy players to help return us back to the top echelon?   Bringing in players like Charles N’Zogbia and Ashley Young rather than a busted flush like Bentley with no pace would show the intention of the club going forward.

Imagine the positive vibes if we could buy both players alongside a top or experienced striker, surely a club of our stature with intent to get back into the big time has to acquire top players.  We’ve had far too many questionable signings over the last 10 years and with the jury still out over Poulson, Konchesky and the re-signing of Aurelio, it's time we began to strike the right note in the transfer market and as such it is imperative that Roy Hodgson and Damien Comolli hit the ground running in the next two transfer windows.

KP

28 December 2010

Who’s our greatest ever player – the argument rumbles on

22 December 2011

By dedlfc

Who’s our greatest ever player – the argument rumbles on
The constant argument/discussion amongst Liverpool fans internally have been about who is the greatest LFC player of all-time. The older generation will always talk about Billy “Liddellpool” Liddell who carried our team throughout the 1940s and 50s with  the American reared Albert Stubbins.  Ian St John, Roger Hunt, Kevin Keegan – in more recent times the prolific Ian Rush, the mercurial John Barnes, Michael Owen (He could never be in my top ten after joining the enemy Man Utd) and Robbie “God” Fowler.

Fernando Torres is slowly achieving cult status as LFC’s current striker

Steven Gerrard out of the current players is King Kenny’s greatest threat to his throne but to me Gerrard is currently like Billy Liddell where he is carrying the side through its difficult times and won’t be fully appreciated until his career has concluded.

With a delicate touch and the ultimate football brain, King Kenny is regarded by the majority of Liverpudlians as the club's greatest ever player.

The one that got away
Bill Shankly throughout his Liverpool management made very few mistakes, yet when a fair-haired, 15 year- old schoolboy arrived in August 1966 for a trial, he let the player who, in the future, was to turn Liverpool into a double-winning team slip through his hands.

A few years later Bill Shankly saw the young Kenny play again and was furious with other members of his management team for not spotting such an exceptional talent when in fact it was him who had missed out !!

Kenny signs
When he joined in August 1977 for a then British record of £440,000, it was hard to see how Bob Paisley's side could top their first European Cup triumph of the previous season. But, with the highly influential Dalglish in the team, the next 13 years brought untold riches.

Dalglish was brought in to replace Kop idol Kevin Keegan, who'd moved to Hamburg earlier that summer, though any fears he couldn't fill those illustrious boots were quickly laid to rest.

Great start to his LFC career
The Glasgow-born forward found the net seven minutes into his league debut against Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park, and followed that with a goal on his first appearance in front of the Kop as Newcastle were beaten 2-0.

Dalglish slipped seamlessly into Paisley's all-conquering red machine and the new King of the Kop crowned his first season by topping the club's goalscoring charts. The most memorable of his 31 strikes came in the 1978 European Cup final against FC Bruges at Wembley, a delicate dink over the keeper that clinched a 1-0 victory.

The move south increased his profile dramatically, though Dalglish was never one to seek the limelight and remained typically modest despite his new found superstar status.

Selfless team player wins awards
In 1979, his talent was recognised by the football writers of England, who voted the canny Scotsman their Footballer of the Year. The award was just desserts for a player whose every touch made Kopites purr with delight.

A selfless team player who brought others into play, Dalglish was an on-the-field visionary who could spot openings that few, if any, of his contemporaries could see.

David Johnson was the first grateful recipient of this in the late Seventies but it was the King's strike partnership with Ian Rush that was to fire the Reds to greater glory during the Eighties.
The club may have had a new chief goalscorer, but Dalglish remained the man pulling all the strings. If assists were recorded back then, he'd have been the first name on everyone's Fantasy Football teamsheet.

A double Footballer of the Year in 1983, he was without doubt the finest British-born player of his generation and was rightly spoken about in the same breath as Maradona, Zico, Platini and Rummenigge.

With the ball at his feet, he was a pure genius - a contention backed up by footage of just about every one of his 172 Liverpool goals. There's the aforementioned European Cup winner, his sublime curlers at Highbury, Portman Road and Goodison, a mazy dribble through the Man United defence at Maine Road, his stretching volley in the League Cup final versus West Ham and title clinchers against Tottenham and Chelsea.
Everyone has their own particular favourite but the one common denominator in all the above was the famous Kenny celebration: a quick turn with arms aloft and a beaming smile that would have lit up even the murkiest Mersey sky.

The Kop hero-worshipped him like no other. Dalglish was the first name they sang and many a bed sheet was converted into a homemade banner paying homage.


Playmaker extraordinaire takes over manager role from Fagan
In the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium disaster, Joe Fagan realised that he couldn’t go on and the LFC board decided to make their playmaker a surprising but popular appointment as player/manager.

Fears his new role would result in more time on the touchline and less on the pitch were initially unfounded. It was on his return to the side during the 1985-86 run-in that Liverpool embarked on a winning streak that would see them clinch a coveted league and FA Cup double. How fitting it was at Stamford Bridge when Dalglish 'the player' scored the goal that secured the title.

Just total class
There are few players in football who have the total class to see 4 moves ahead and be able to see the whole picture on the pitch but we had one from 1977 – 1990.

His telepathic partnership with Ian Rush will always be the best LFC strike partnership in my eyes and long after this life Kenny Dalglish’s name will be synonymously linked with our team Liverpool football club.

dedlfc



22 December 2011

Liverpool v Utrecht

 

Gerrard's drive missed as squad members fail to take up Hodgson's invitation

15 December 2010

Inertia and lethargy seem to be the order of the day.  Liverpool seemed unable to get out of first gear against a Utrecht side that were poor to say the least and were not helped by Hodgson’s strange decision to play one of the very few creative forces at his disposal, Joe Cole, on the left where he was unable to dictate play.  Ryan Babel was left to plough a loan furrow up front, with very little support from Jovanovic and Eccleston.  Poulson was very disappointing, giving away possession on many occasions and not managing to impose himself on the game and it was asking a lot of the very inexperience Shelvey to dominate midfield.

It’s easy to blame the disjointed performance on the young elements in the side, but even with Eccleston, Wilson, Kelly and Shelvey starting  Liverpool paraded eight full internationals.  The worrying factor is that Hodgson still hasn’t eked out style of play which differs from Benitez where creativity is stifled inside a compact unit. If one takes a look at the Reserves earlier this season, it was built on pace and creativity with Eccleston, Amoo and Ince as the attacking force with Suso allowed to dictate the play with a supporting cast of two defensively minded midfielders in behind.

Jovanovic provided one of very few worthwhile attempts on goal in the fourteenth minute when he jinked past two defenders unleashing a ferocious long range drive which was tipped on to the bar by Utrecht goalkeeper Vorm. Only Babel shooting a cross goal and Cole having a shot blocked with goal at his mercy, providing the only serious attempts in the rest of the game which ended scoreless.

Joe Cole looks a shadow of the player he was at Chelsea and the real shame is that arguably the most talented English player of the last decade looks as though yet again he is playing under a manager who doesn’t know how to utilize his undoubted skill.  Cole looks as though he has lost a yard off the mark and where he is used to beat opposing defenders with a mesmeric drop of the shoulders he now seems to be going sideways or backwards and the effect is more dramatic with Hodgson playing him on the flanks with defensive responsibilities, almost as if cloning him into a Dirk Kuyt type of role.

The play stepped up a notch in patches with the creativity and sharpness of Pacheco, coming on to replace the strong running Eccleston with his more direct approached added to his natural guile.  But even his invention could not turn the tide of ineptitude and once again Hodgson was not able to make decisions to change the flow of a game. Dirk Kuyt’s introduction felt more like a chance for him to play against his countryman and for the Utrecht fans to pay homage to him rather than a chance for him to change the game.

Torres was pulled from the starting line-up after the medical team advised Hodgson that the risk was too great to take in what after all was a meaningless game, although Torres body language suggested he was far less than impressed.  Wilson had a very solid game, with Aurelio and Kelly providing the occasional pieces of cutting edge going forward, with Pacheco reminding us of his qualities in his cameo and gave us a reminder of the genius we would all like Joe Cole to return to when at full throttle.

One suspects that none of the starting eleven will start against a Fulham team still using Hodgson’s tried and tested formulae.  He could be fast running out of excuses if Liverpool does not gain the upper hand in match we expect to win and against team struggling to score since the long-term injury to Bobby Zamora.

Newcastle United v Liverpool

Newcastle United v Liverpool

11 December 2010

Fernando Torres back at the expense of Ryan Babel and fresh from the birth of he and wife Olalla’s new-born baby boy, was the only change from Monday night’s victory over Aston Villa.  After being arguably Liverpool’s best player in the last two games Babel was unlucky not to have continued his run in the side particularly after having scored against Aston Villa and providing the front-line with an injection of searing pace and unpredictability.

Newcastle, seemingly a club in the midst of tearing itself apart, had their  Mersey power source Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton back together to instil the missing experience and raison d’être. Liverpool dominated the opening proceedings in terms of possession, but, as was the problem throughout the match, the lack of intensity allowed a Newcastle team which must have felt some trepidation after the sacking of Chris Houghton to more than hold its own.

Newcastle took an early 15^th minute lead, from a Barton free-kick nodded down by Carroll into the path of the on-rushing Nolan to prod home past a clearly frustrated Reina.  Worryingly, this was clearly a pre-meditated move, with Barton signalling his intent to hit the ball across in the vicinity of Carroll to run on too, yet Skrtel was unable to stop Carroll and Nolan strode past Konchesky.

Liverpool still managed three attempts on goal, one of which, a deflected shot from Meireles was cleared off the line from Enrique and another a glorious chance which should have seen Liverpool go in on level terms, was headed wide by Kyrgiakos with the goal at his mercy.

Raul Meireles was the one Liverpool player who stood above the mediocrity. He was sharp in the tackle and his passing on the move was light years above anything else on the pitch.  He continues to progress, especially, since his move into centre-midfield and his fitness levels increasing by the match.

Liverpool, obviously fired-up by the manager Hodgson came out in the second-half with a faster tempo.  It was no surprise then to see Kuyt equalise, albeit, from a huge slice of luck, with a shot deflecting of Taylor after bouncing into Kuyt’s path after striking Campbell on the back.  Liverpool were now in the ascendency, with Torres put clean through from a glorious pass from an early taken free-kick by Konchesky, shooting straight at Krul.  Minutes later, Ngog failed to connect with a header in front of goal.

Nile Ranger replacing the injured Ameobi, injected urgency and belief into Newcastle and caused consternation in the Liverpool backline, almost scoring from his own work when pressurising Skrtel into a mistake and knocking the ball wide while at full stretch.

A long punt from Krul destabilised the centre of the Liverpool defence and allowed Barton to steal through unchecked, to flick the ball past Reina with 10 minutes to go.  Newcastle were not finished yet, collecting the ball 25 yards out with the Liverpool defence and midfield standing-off as if allowing him a free shot on goal, Carroll took the opportunity to unleash a daisy-cutter of a shot which nestled in the corner of  Reina’s net and moved Newcastle ahead of Liverpool into eighth place in the table.

KP

11 December 2011

Liverpool v Aston Villa

Liverpool v Aston Villa

Monday 6 December 2010

The loss of Fernando Torres to labour duties with the impending birth of his second child, presented Ryan Babel with the opportunity to further enhance his position and as a potential understudy and strike partner.

With Reina, Kyriagkos and Babel the only starters remaining from the Europa League game against Steaua, the team had more of a workmanlike, but balanced look, with the defensive pillars of Kyriagkos and Skertel, supported either side by Johnson and Konchesky and the favoured midfield quartet, outside of Gerarrd of Kuyt, Maxi, Lucas and Meireles, with Ngog upfront with Babel.

Liverpool were immediately on the front foot with the midfield axis of Lucas and Meireles not just breaking up play, but becoming the heartbeat of the team.  Meireles is becoming increasingly  influential, his one touch and short passing enable him to control the tempo of the game, in a different manner from Xabi Alonso because he is more fleet of foot which enables to link the defence as well as the attack.  Lucas seems to have finally adapted to the physical nature of English football and it is a tribute to his strong mental strength that he has produced some of the best performances of his Liverpool career this season.  With Meireles seemingly a fixture in the centre, the imminent return of Gerrard will pose some interesting questions.

Lucas driving run forward and pass caused consternation in the Villains defence, with pressure from first Babel and then Kuyt forcing a corner.  From the resulting deep corner, swung over from Meireles, Skertel powered a header toward goal, where Ngog reacting in the way only a predator would, nodded home on the 14th minute mark.  Carrying the momentum forward Liverpool doubled their lead 2 minutes later, when Lucas played a delightful ball over the ex-Kopite Warnock, which Babel dispatched with aplomb.  His body language hints at a more steely disposition than previously gauged.

There were many positives which Liverpool extolled in this game, but none more pleasing than Ngog contributions. Not just because he scored a trademark penalty box goal, but moreover, he showed a willingness to lift his head-up and seek out colleagues.  He has been prone to run with his head down, which is obviously not conducive to adding to the assists column, let alone playing in a dual striking role. 

The third goal which he set up, after 55 minutes, was a perfect example where after a driving run down the left channel to latch on to a ball from Maxi, he surveyed two options, the first, the easier, was to roll the ball across for his well marked strike partner, the second, which led to the goal, was a perfectly waited pass between two defenders and back in to the path of Maxi Rodriguez, who showed great composure and technique in opening out his body, to side foot his shot in the top corner of the net.

Apart from a close range shot from Agbonlahor, brilliantly blocked by Reina, Villa were fairly impotent, in attack, so much so that Liverpool rarely had to get out of second gear. Villa quickly introduced Delfouneso after the break for Clark and Carew for Agbonlahor with 25 minutes to go, but after the third goal the death knell had been sounded.

Hodgson has to be commended  for playing an expansive and fluent front-line in the absence of Torres and Gerrard and it maybe that 4-4-2 is more suitable than 4-5-1 with the players he has at his disposal. Reina kept his 100th clean sheet for the club in record time, ahead of such giants as Clemence and Grobelaar which is a confidence booster for the club, especially after such a bad start.

If the momentum at home can be transferred to the away games, starting at Newcastle on Saturday, who is to say that with those above still dropping points that a top five finish is not beyond the realms of possibility, especially as the club do not play any of the top four until early February.

KP

6 December 2010

Steaua Bucharest v Liverpool

Steaua Bucharest v Liverpool

3 December 2010

With 10 changes from the 2-1 defeat against Tottenham, Liverpool went into the match against Steaua Bucharest only needing a draw to secure qualification to the next stage.

Early qualification meant fridge players could look ahead to more game time against Utrecht with the manager, less likely to risk Gerrard, Torres and Meireless et al, with the frequency of games over the Christmas period, just over the horizon. With these games in mind, the strength in depth of the first team squad is sure to be tested and with Babel, Jovanović and Pacheco in the starting line-up for the first time since the Northampton debacle, the players in question, and others like the recently capped Wilson were keenly aware that strong performances could elevate them through the ranks, particularly with Carragher and Agger out with long-term injuries.

In a match where Liverpool were for the most part under pressure, Ryan Babel showed a level of maturity, particularly in the first-half, which will have confounded his many critics and left many of his fans hoping for a long run in the side.  Playing upfront alone, he showed he was capable of holding the ball up and either waiting for the arrival of team mates or bringing others into play. In the 19^th minute he showed a superb piece of awareness, as he moved on to the ball in the wide right position, he intelligently brought the ball back from his more stronger right foot on to his left and waited until support arrived in the area, delivering a brilliantly measured cross on to the head of Jovanović who gloriously headed home.  It seemed only right that Liverpool’s two best attacking players on the night should provide the night’s bright spot.

Young Wilson stood up well to the prolonged waves of attack by Steaua by creating a centre-half barrier with Kyrgiakos ably supported by Kelly.  Pepe Reina, pulled of a string of good saves on the night, but an uncharacteristic loss of concentration allowed a soft header by Bonfim on the hour to squirm through his legs.  It was a deserved leveller as Stancu had missed a glorious chance just before half-time, screwing a shot wide with the goal at his mercy after the ball broke to him following a challenge by Kyriagkos.

Liverpool against the run of play almost sneaked a late winner with Kyriiagkos getting on the end of an Aurelio cross to see his powerful header come crashing back of the crossbar.


KP  3 December 2010