LFC - Where are we heading?

Kop-Post follower dedlfc  says that Liverpool's movement in this summer's transfer market will determine if we are back in contention and will give clarity as to whether our new owner's are true purveyors of the Liverpool dream.

The  forthcoming pre-season  will be  the most important in the last few years at our club.

A few long-standing questions answered will be answered once and for all:-

1) Do the owners have the ambition to push us back into contention for a run at getting the title?

Most definitely - they provided a statement of intent by allowing the £56 million received for Torres and Babel to be spent  immediately on Luis Suarez Andy Carroll - they just need to continue with the statement of intent on signings to improve quality and depth of the squad. Also with the statement made by John W Henry “Success is winning titles, nothing less. And when we win a championship – and WE WILL- success isn’t measured or accomplished by winning once” I just love that positivety, which is a repeat of the statement of intent he made before galvanising the Boston Red Sox.

2) Do the owners have enough faith in King Kenny to give him a long-term contract to return us to winning ways?

I believe they have listened and learned enough about the way things should be at LFC, re-implemented by Dalglish, where everything progressive is done behind closed doors. King Kenny will only be confirmed as long-term manager when the owners and King Kenny believe that it should be public news.

3) Will the top players want to continue to come to LFC even without top-level European football and can we retain our top players?

Yes, if you asked either question at the beginning of the year it would be a resounding NO! Roy Hodgson took LFC from one low to another until he was finally replaced by King Kenny. The confidence levels of the squad under Hodgson was completely deflated and any future stars or world class players looking from the outside would not have been impressed by the style of football – since King Kenny has returned the confidence of the squad has re-surfaced, the quality of football has improved drastically and the attraction of playing for Liverpool has therefore arisen. Moreover, before the recovery began, Dalglish was able to bag Suarez and Carroll which suggests that the manager in tandem with the club’s standing has a large part to play in acquiring top class players with or without the attraction of European football.

If these questions are answered positively the future will indeed look extremely bright.

Please comment and state what you think on the 3 questions above.

Youngsters Making A Telling Impression

By KP

Martin Kelly and John Flanagan’s impressive performances have helped the club on two counts. First, the club now have enough cover with Glen Johnson in the right-back position and second, in tandem with Jack Robinson and Jay Spearing they are provided a template for other youngsters to follow.  In the last week alone Pacheco and Amoo have scored for the respective loan clubs and Ayala has been impressing in the middle of the Derby defence.  Dalglish knows he has a well-rested Johnson at his disposal for next season, as he does Gerrard and Agger, in addition to the bolstered confidence of Lucas Leiva and this season’s top class buys of Meireles, Suarez and Carroll.

As has been well documented throughout the season, there are key areas which Damian Camolli and Kenny Dalglish need to confront head on. The cry is that a centre-half needs to be one of the first transfers and no fan would say no to Gary Cahill or Ryan Shawcross. If Glen Johnson is to stay at the club and with Flanagan looking a safe bet, why not move Martin Kelly back to his number one position as centre-half.  He possesses all the potential attributes of a top class centre-half; pace, good in the air, strong and he is a good footballer.  An experience left-back is definitely the order of the day, with Robinson only just coming through and sadly, Aurelio as has been his wont throughout his Anfield career, cannot be relied upon to maintain fitness for any discernible amount of time.

The midfield is now well stocked with combative midfielders, but creativity and pace are obviously the key elements which need to be added to the blend.  At the moment Liverpool are pressing high and working hard all over the pitch, with the team working as one.  Bringing in a player like Charlie Adam or João Moutinho (or even Aquilani’s return), with a Downing or Ashley Young,   gives Dalglish the ability to set up with different formations, whether it’s with wingers, a deep lying play-maker or an extra striker - a striker to play on the last man to get in the area poaching goals would create different options to those already available with Suarez and Carroll.  Dalglish is obviously fully aware of the lack of creativity, speaking after going out to Braga he said, "You need to be really strong creatively if you are going to break down a very organised side or you need a bit of luck and we certainly have not had much fortune over two legs - but I guess everyone says they should have more luck then they get.

"Like every other team in the world we could do with a bit more creativity but we are no different than anyone else."

We need an injection of pace into the team and the players mention above or players of that ilk would give us the added dimension we are craving for, especially wingers allowing Carroll to operate in the last third where he is at his potent allowing Suarez, Gerrard, Meireles and Kuyt to pick up any crumbs falling from carnage his attempts on goal can cause.

There’s been a lot chatter recently about whether missing out on Europe would be such a big deal.  If Liverpool does not qualify, Champions League qualification in 4^th place should be the minimum requirement for the 2011-12 season.  With no European football and hopefully a vastly improved squad, Dalglish would have the latitude to field his strongest side for all Premiership games without the threat of succumbing to tiredness from mid-week European matches. 

On the flipside, it does not leave much room for manoeuvre for the manager to blood new youngsters as he would surely have done in the early qualifying stages of the Europa Cup next season.  We have seen Flanagan, Robinson and Spearing breakthrough in the last few months of this season with relatively through games to go, but this has only happened due to injuries and the manager having the strength of character to trust his belief in the players.  Next season with a bigger squad youngsters may find it more difficult to breakthrough, but at least with King Kenny at the controls they know if there is a chance it will remain open to them.

By KP

Maxi Shows That Unity Is Strength

BY KP

A five nil victory over Birmingham was just the tonic in our chase not only to close the season on an upward curve, but to keep the pressure on Spurs for place in Europe. The positive aspect of our wins against Man City and Birmingham  and the draw against Arsenal is the obvious unity and resilience in the squad.  Whether It’s been Flanagan or Robinson, Jay Spearing finally getting a run in the team or as in yesterday’s game Maxi Rodriguez, the spirit in the team has been there for all to see.  Players seemed to what to go that extra mile and for that coaching staff led by Kenny Dalglish, Steve Clarke and the coaching team deserve all the plaudits .

The progress of Lucas from an also ran to a key component of the team is a testament not just to Dalglish, but Benitez beforehand.  His covering of both full-backs, his interceptions and improvement in terms of ball retention and positive forward passes is one of the key denominators in Liverpool’s improvement. His buzzes around so effectively this blog has taken to calling him ‘The Pest’.

Maxi, is another player who Liverpool fans have been critical of, but a lot of his work is understated, in terms of the cover he gives to the left full-back and tucking inside to help his central midfield colleagues.   Whether he is around next season or not Maxi has left his mark indelibly printed on Anfield history with a hat-trick full of the tenacity which has become a byword for particular Liverpool squad under Dalglish.

Maxi wheels away after scoring his third  (Image: Daily Mail)

To make up for the lack of pace in the Liverpool team, they have learnt to move the ball around quicker and with the understanding between players being heightened with the lack of rotation from game to game the interchanges  being led by Meireles, Kuyt and Suarez at times is glorious. That quick movement led to the early goal when after a swift interchange, the all-pervading Spearing unleashed a powerful shot which Ben Foster spilled into the path of the marauding Maxi to slam home in only the seventh minute.  Less than a minute later, Jamie Carragher showed all his experience and something which Flanagan seems to be parodying, by pressuring the flying Jerome as he tried to knock in the impressive Carr’s whipped in near post.

The understanding between Kuyt and Suarez, which is probably helped by the fact they can communicate in Dutch, produced the second goal.  Kuyt’s showed superb awareness to flick the ball through to Suarez bearing down on goal.  Foster, did remarkably well, not only in blocking the initial attempt from Suarez, brilliantly saving from Kuyt.  On the rebound Kuyt swivelled, hooking the ball home.  Unfortunatelty, for Birmingham Foster was injured in his valiant attempts and was replaced by Colin Doyle.

Liverpool continued to assert their dominance and should have gone in a further two goals up. Suarez running on goal, in a one on one situation shot straight at Doyle when a pass to better placed colleagues may have been the order of the day – we may just have to accept that this is just part of his mercurial nature and it’s easy to accept given the key assists and role he fills in the build-up play.  Second, Meireles who since Stevie Gerrard’s injury has taken over as the dead-ball taker from out wide, delivered a peach of free-kick which Dirk Kuyt put wide when it seemed  easier to score.

Understandably, the intensity dropped in the second-half, which allowed Liverpool total control and Suarez to almost repeat his trademark maisy-run which only faultered with his miss-control.  On 65 minutes Liverpool’s control was such that Skrtel had the time to play a looping ball over the top to Suarez, who was played on-side by the hardworking Carr, who from the by-line delivered an inch-perfect cross for Maxi to side foot volley home without breaking stride. The pairing almost repeated the feat four minutes, with Maxi just failing to connect.

Maxi’s not stop running was soon rewarded, when he latched on to Suarez’s pass, his shot was parried out, where he fastened on to clinically dispatch an angle-drive.  It was well deserved for an obviously popular member of the team.  Joe Cole rounded of a successful day, when after replacing Meireles, he cut in from the right wing, his near post short went in under the hapless Doyle.

Hard work is the order of the day, with every player putting in a shift, and allowing the more gifted players like Suarez to flourish.  To even be attempting  a run at usurping Spurs shows just how far we have come and as comfortable as this victory was, these are the types of matches which presented a problem all season, so fair play to Maxi et al.

KOP POST MAN OF THE MATCH: Maxi Rodriguez

SPEARING, FLANAGAN AND ROBINSON SHOW PEDIGREE FROM THE RANKS AND A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

By KP

Lucas Leiva must have gone to the Dirk Kuyt School of self-belief.  Time and again over the last three years he has been ridiculed by supporters and critics alike, but this season with Mascherano and Benayoun having moved on and Steven Gerrard’s appearances being curtailed by injuries, he has led by example, producing performances against the top teams to make him one of the first names on the team sheet.  He delivered timely interceptions and broke up multiple Arsenal moves; so much so that his nickname should be ‘The Pest’ as both he and Spearing gave the Arsenal play makers Fabregas and Nasri no time to settle on the ball.

Liverpool started the match applying pressure to Arsenal to disrupt their quick stylistic game without being ultra-defensive.  Pass and move seemed the doctrine in the opening fifteen minutes and with Carroll looking dangerous from set pieces and swift counter-attacks the intent was obviously a positive one.  Walcott on an Arsenal foray unleashed an angled drive which caused Pepe Reina some consternation as the ball swerved late on causing him to palm the ball out with Flanagan as has become is wont arriving on queue to head the ball to safety.  With Arsenal in the ascendancy, Koscielny almost put the home team ahead rising like the proverbial salmon to beat Reina’s flailing punch to head against the bar.

Aurelio starting in an unchanged Liverpool line-up after an impressive performance against Adam Johnson was left hamstrung yet again, in a career littered with muscular injuries. But, sadly, even as one door closed another open with Jack Robinson coming on in the left back position.  Suddenly, Liverpool had young three Scousers in Spearing, Flanagan and Robinson on the pitch at the same time as the man for all seasons Jamie Carragher.  Flanagan and Robinson proceeded to play against Nasri and Walcott with the fearlessness of youthful exuberance, in addition to the sensible governorship of Carragher and the steely resilience of Skrtel.

In Kelly, Spearing, Robinson and Flanagan, Liverpool, specifically Dalglish, has managed to blood youngsters which has provided the club with a foundation for the future.  The recent new contracts for Lucas and Kuyt and with Suarez, Meireles and Carroll coming to the fore it gives the club’s supporters more than a little optimism.  Both full-backs as with many of Liverpool youngsters are very comfortable on the ball and seem to play the easy ball out of defence rather than the long ball pumped up field aiming for the cheap get out of jail ball to Carroll.

The hard work of Liverpool’s defence and midfield paid dividends as after Arsenal’s early chances, Reina was hardly troubled in the rest of the first half.  Sauarez and Carroll, where on Monday against Man City they seemed like a heaven sent strike-force, suddenly seemed as if they were meeting on the pitch for the first time and Arsenal had found a way of blocking their stealth like radar interchange.

Liverpool had early opportunities in the second-half as both Suarez and Meireles had long range pot shots from afar. Liverpool then suffered unfortunate injuries when Carroll seemed to suffer a hyper-extension to his knee on landing and Carragher and Flanagan collided in mid-air leaving the Liverpool captain left prostrate on the ground.  Carragher was carried off to a resounding round of applause full of respect as one would expect for a player who has given everything for the club and is a credit to the profession.  Andy Carroll was taken off as a precautionary measure.

Once again, the intensity of the Liverpool midfield reduced Arsenal to looking clueless in attempts to create chances.  Fabregas, who had a poor game, showed his class with two through balls, the first which Van Persie scooped over the bar and the second, which Reina did brilliantly to stand tall and block.  Liverpool had their own chances and the most glaring fell at the feet of Luis Suarez who had his worst game in a Liverpool shirt, who found himself in angled position to the goal decided to go for goal rather than cut the ball back to the marauding Meireles and Shelvey waiting to pass the ball into the net. In saying that, Suarez always offers himself as an outlet which makes it easy for colleagues under pressure.

That Arsenal penalty came from a tackle from Spearing on Fabregas, was unfortunate because the little man had run himself into the ground, and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. But the fact that Liverpool would get a stonewall penalty resulting from the Suarez taken free-kick, with a foul on Lucas, seemed only fair as we didn’t just arrive at the Emirates with two banks of four, we were positive enough to create enough chances to sneak a win on another day.  King Kenny has instilled self-belief in a side which is limited in terms of its lack of match winners, but has a never say die attitude which no amount of money can buy.

KOP POST MAN OF THE MATCH: JAY SPEARING

REMEMBERING THE HILLSBOROUGH 96

As Liverpool fans this tragedy left an indelible mark on all our psyches and we must never forget the families of  the 96 and their drive for justice. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

See links below:

Families of 96 fans killed at Hillsborough want Kenny Dalglish knighted

Liverpool remember the 96 at Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield: in pictures

Families of Hillsborough disaster victims nearing closure

Remembering Hillsborough: In Videos

HIGH PRESSURE, HIGH TEMPO, HIGH QUALITY

By KP

That Liverpool produced the best performance of the season without Gerrard, Kelly, Johnson and Agger, showed just how well the team with youngsters Spearing and Flanagan to the fore, managed to curtail potential any threat from Man City. The Liverpool midfield and forward line pressed City high up the pitch from the first minute to last, and with midfielders dropping back to help the full-backs stop Johnson and Milner making any inroads, it was by far Liverpool’s powerful and most cohesive performance of the season.

John Flanagan produced a performance way beyond in tender years and experience.  He produced some excellent tackles and tracked back to ease forwards out the way, but he got forward at every opportunity providing Liverpool with an outlet which they haven’t had since Martin Kelly’s untimely injury.  Flanagan and Aurelio, who also had an excellent game, offered Liverpool authenticity in the full-back positions and marshalled both the dangerous Johnson and Milner as if they had been playing in tandem for years.  The real  shame  for Aurelio is that as capable a footballer as he is obviously is, time and again has been let down by his body.

Liverpool could have been gone ahead even before our opener, when Suarez glided on to a through ball which Joe Hart did well to push his early shot round the post.  The dominance of the Liverpool midfield, led by the stirring passion of Spearing and Lucas and the classy Meireles allowed Suarez and Carroll to show how dangerous they can be as a pairing.  A few minutes later Liverpool poured forward with the ball knocked  into the box, Kompany’s defensive block went straight out to the un-rushing Carroll who unleashed a ferocious 25 yard drive, which flashed past England No1 Joe Hart like a tracer bullet – to be in Kop at the moment was special, as the ground appeared to take off.

Man City’s hopes then dissipated with the heartbeat of their side Tevez going off injured.  Apart from a ten minute period either side of the half-hour, City seemed to have their minds firmly on the forthcoming FA Cup Semi­-Final, but that cannot detract from the dominance of a Liverpool team enthused by the manager to keep fighting for the final Europa League place and showing pride in the shirt.

The game was as good as over in a two minute phase which saw Kuyt guide his shot into the corner after Liverpool had constantly threatened the City goal.  A minute later, Raul Meireles produced a gorgeous cross from the left, which Carroll met with a trade mark header, which left Hart floundering as the ball nestled in the far corner of the net.  It was the goal which we had all been waiting for. A cross from the final third of the pitch allowing Carroll to get into the area and deliver the kind of header which at times make him unplayable.

Suarez had an excellent game, with his surety of touch and his sublime awareness of Carroll, but especially his link up play with Kuyt and Meireles who he has a good understanding with.  At the top end of the pitch, Suarez and Carroll in flashes showed, that their understanding of each other’s game is progressing and with Carroll’s hold-up play giving Liverpool an outlet when balls are played up to him from him neck to toe rather than lumped up to his head. Liverpool were everything that City were not and as Kenny said, “If you are going to get anything out of Man City you have to work hard.”

A special mention goes out to John Flanagan, who at seventeen showed the commitment and solidity required for the occasion. It was a performance which regular watchers of Liverpool’s reserves and Youth Teams have seen on numerous occasions this season, to which ends he provides leadership like a young Jamie Carragher.   Moreover, looking to the future, with some good young players coming through and with Jay Spearing supplying tackles to stop Man Mountains like Yaya Toure in his track, shows an example of the desire King Kenny requires from his players.

Arsenal will provide much more of challenge and yes Liverpool need more quality in the squad, but let’s not crab about this performance, because with the tenacity and passion we showed was skill and quality.  Liverpool’s sternest critic Tommo, that is Jessica Thompson’s dad (Jessica works at The Pasty Shop on the concourse at Liverpool Lime Street Station), may just be pleased.

By KP

Hodgson Victorious As Liverpool Revert To Early Season Type

By KP

As a Liverpool fan, reality used to be a friend of mine.  The harsh reality now is that Man United will almost certainly extinguish our record, becoming the first team to win nineteen titles and with Spurs drawing away to Wigan, a missed opportunity went a begging to close on the remaining European place.  The same failings were there for all to see, no width in the final third means we are unable to use Andy Carroll in his the most potent area, the penalty box.  

The lack of pace especially at the back, was exacerbated early on when Liverpool lost both Johnson and Agger.  The idiosyncracies with our style of play meant that losing those two really hurt the team in the creative department as both bring the ball out of defence and have the propensity to strike on goal.  The unbalance nature of the Liverpool squad, with no reserve wide-men and only Kelly from the available reserve full-backs making a mark, led to Liverpool ending up with four centre-halfs in all the defensive positions.  With a backline of Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel and Wilson looking very uncomfortable with Odemwingie, Jerome Thomas and Brunt with pace to burn threatening at every opportunity.

It all looked so different in the first fifteen minutes with Liverpool starting spritely and almost taking the lead with Kuyt hitting the crossbar.  With the referee blowing at every opportunity against Carroll’s challenges, he seemed to hold back which hindered Liverpool as he was the only outlet for a Liverpool backline incapable of bringing the ball out defence.  The lack of creativity is already weighing on the shoulders of Suarez and he delivered a few of his trade mark slalom runs down the by-line and with him and the occasional set piece with the height of the backline and Carroll, hope was not completely dampened. Thus it was no great surprise when Skrtel headed home from a set piece against the run of play.

The fact that we could not stop the waves of WBA attacks led to the build-up of pressure and causing the two goals. Time and time again Kyrgiakos and Carragher was left to deal with searing pace with no protection from the midfield through the middle and down the flanks, but the first goal as is his wont on the ground,  was down to rank bad defending from the experienced Greek International and the second his lack of pace led him to panic, forcing Reina to bring down Odemwingie for the second penalty.

With possible long-term injuries to Agger and Johnson and with Kelly almost only just about to resume training, King Kenny maybe just be forced into giving delving into the Liverpool reserves to supplement the his depleted first team resources, with an injection of pace, skill and creativity needed to stiffen up a potential last ditch late charge for a European place and allow Meireles to get forward as he had been doing consistently up until recently.

With nothing to lose considering our League position when he took over the reins from victorious Hodgson, Dalglish  can afford to go for broke and if that means putting a few youngsters on the bench, then so be it.

By KP