Carroll Leads Liverpool From The Front

In a must win game Liverpool started without inspirational skipper Gerrard suffering the after affects of a knock following the weekend victory against Man United with Carragher, Downing and Kelly  returning to the bench.  Adam, Johnson and Bellamy returned to the starting line-up with Jay Spearing a  welcome addition to the ranks following his hamstring injury.

To say we dominated the first 25 minutes was an understatement, as apart from an Edwards half chance, Liverpool didn’t just enjoy possession but created enough chances to have gone comfortably ahead with chances to spare and a possible penalty claim when Glen Johnson was brought down by Frimpong when sluicing through.

Henderson enjoying the freedom with a Wolves side struggling in the absence of Henry, played a sumptuous through ball which Bellamy glided on too but this time Liverpool’s man of the moment could only slide the ball past the upright.  Daniel Agger almost added to Saturday’s goal in similar fashion from a corner, but had his header was brilliantly saved by Hennesy with the resultant shot blocked.  Bellamy enjoying yet another vibrant showing saw his  25 yard free-kick expertly saved.

Craig Bellamy was a class above (Image from footie.co.za)

Carroll watch – 1st half:  As he has of late, the ‘big man’  has put in a shift in the first-half and what is very noticeable is that he more combative in the air and is beginning to put himself about a lot more. Twice in the first half he provided knock downs to which there was no Liverpool midfielder ‘busting in a gut’  to get into the area.

Early in the first-half Carroll gesticulated violently to Glen Johnson that he required the ball whipped in quickly from the flanks after he made his run only for the full-back to cut inside and cross behind him.  The point was well made.  After a scratchy opening to the second-half, Adam found himself out on the left and produced the type of cross that Carroll had been hankering for all season, fast, curling away from the keeper and giving him him time to attack.  He did so with vigour, beating off the defender to prod the ball in the back off the net. 

Within minutes it was two with Bellamy being allowed to run for ever before his soft placed shot ran through the wafer like hands of Hennessy. His sixth goal in the Premiership from only seven starts.

Hennessy showed that to be an abberration with excellents saves from a point blank header from Agger and a another from Kuyt’s drive from 20 yards from which he tipped over.  But Liverpool were no mood to be charitable with the Wolves Chairman, the ex-Liverpool director Steve Morgan, looking on abjectly.

Enrique, back to solid mode turned defensive in attack with a raking cross-field ball, which Bellamy passed inside to Adam, who having seemingly over elaborated, put a slide-rule pass through which Kuyt tucked away with aplomb from the acutest of angles.

A word for the returning Jay Spearing.  He showed the discipline in a defensive midfield position to allow Adam and Henderson the time and space to be the creative and driving force, respectively.  He played in around the edge of his own area and the half-way line for the whole match.

Carroll watch – 2nd half: Continuing to put himself about and put in some nice passes, one of which almost put Kuyt through had he the legs.

Kop-Post Man of The Match: Led the line like an old fashioned number 9, but combined his strength in the challenge with some subtle touches and showed he is capable of leading the line and his confidence looks to be returning.

Transfer window: Kenny and Camolli may have felt that with Suarez returning and Kuyt back on track and showing faith in Carroll might be enough with the dazzling Craig Bellamy in tandem.  While that might be a controversial stance to many fans, the fact that we spent nearly £60 million on Suarez and Carroll could be weighing heavily on their decision making with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules being implemented in the not to distant future and the effects already being felt with clubs now watching their balance sheets. 

Liverpool Strength of Character Downs Man United

In a hotly charged atmosphere, both sides started with a high intensity.  Gerrard leading the midfield with his comrade in arms Jamie Carragher occupying the holding role with Dalglish obviously looking for an experience head in a key position with Adam struggling manfully failing to cope with the defensive side.  Whether  a younger player may have been a better option with Man United fluid movement is open to debate, but in my opinion he should not have been the choice, but the lack of depth is very apparent with Dalglish wanting to rest players with three games such a short space of time.

Liverpool failed to contain the movement of Man United’s freewheeling midfield which at  every turn allowed them to spread the ball wide, especially to Valencia, who almost put the away side ahead  with a rasping drive which smacked against the post.  Liverpool also enjoyed some early joy with Maxi’s own long range-drive palmed away.

Liverpool targeted De Gea’s perceived weakness in the air and while Carroll kept him busy Agger sauntered in to header relatively unchallenged sending the crowd into hoops of ecstasy against the run of play.

The holding player’s job is not only to make tackles and intercept, but to keep the side moving for that has never been Carragher’s forte and sadly for such a great servant of the club, he resembled a fish out of water.  He invariably sat back reverting to type as a defender losing key possession rather than holding on to the ball and with Enrique having one of his poorest games of the season possession was thrown away.  Liverpool seemed happy have Man United come on to them parodying the first leg of the Carling Cup game with Man City, but with over 60 per cent possession in the first-half, Man United eventually equalised when Enrique was half committed in the tackle allowing De Silva to get beyond him and cross and with Carragher failing to track Park there was only ever going to be one result.
 
Liverpool continued to look disjointed in the second period with no real support for the ‘big man’ up front and the midfield unable to get a grip on Scholes and Giggs. It came as no surprise to see Maxi and Carragher who had struggled respectively with the pace of the game substituted with Adam and Kuyt coming on.  Steve Gerrard, seemingly feeling the affects of multiple games was not at his most effervescent and was unsurprisingly hooked with Craig Bellamy replacing him.

The change in personnel changed the course of the match with an increase in urgency giving Man United less time to move the ball at their wont and cut of the supply chain to Giggs and Valencia which had been their main mode of attack.

Andy Carroll worked tirelessly throughout, ploughing a lone furrow upfront with very little support and it was to his credit that it was his was his superb flick on which Kuyt ran on to volley the ball unmercilessly past De Gea to give Liverpool the upper hand and send the Anfield faithful, as it had been three days earlier, into delirium.  His fine performance was almost deservedly capped when his header from Downing’s looped cross smashed against the bar from an acute angle with Kuyt missing the follow-up.  Kuyt, the club’s ‘Duracell Bunny’ seems to have found his recharger in the last two games and begun to resemble his old super charged self.

Dirk Kuyt volleys home the winner (picture/AFP)

Liverpool showed heart in abundance and while the manager’s hand may have been forced with three games on top of each other and a trip to Wolves on the horizon in three days time, we handed Man United the initiative to easily. But to the team’s credit they thought hard and restricted Man United to long rang efforts after their equaliser and kept them searching for their first win at Anfield since 2007.

As an aside, although not unexpected, it was disappointing to hear the Anfield crowd continued booing of Evra right through the match.  It showed our fans in a bad light and also highlights a lack of understanding about the situation when understanding and appreciation has always been their watchword.

Kop Post Man of The Match: Daniel Agger: Put his body on the line time and again with last ditch tackles and ran the ball out of defence and into midfield in inimitable fashion.

2006/2007 FA Youth Cup winning squad - Where are they now?

As a follow-on to the recent blog looking at Liverpool's failure to bring through talent, we take a look at the FA Youth Winning Squad of 2006/07 we ask where are they now?

Goalkeepers

Martin Hansen - played in the first leg of the final - now 21 and still at the club went on loan in Aug 2011 to Bradford for a month but extension couldn't be agreed so returned to us – been at the club since he was 16 and is beginning to show signs of wanting to return home to Denmark through lack of opportunities or further progress.

David Roberts - played in the 2nd leg of the final - released by LFC - last heard playing for Aberystwyth Town in 2008 - no longer playing.

Josh Mimms - sub keeper for the 2nd leg of the final - released by LFC, went to York, now at non-league Retford Utd

Defenders

Stephen Darby - played both legs, still a LFC player but continually sent on loan previously Swindon, Notts County and now Rochdale

Michael Burns - played both legs released by LFC, went to Bolton when Sammy Lee took over as manager there, then Carlisle, Stafford Rangers and Newport but now released and not with a club.

Jay Spearing - played both legs, captain of the youth team and finally a fully fledged member of our first team at 23

Robbie Threlfall - played both legs another released player that whilst at LFC went on loan to Hereford, Stockport and Northampton before settling at Bradford after being released by us in 2010.

Steve Irwin – sub both legs eventually released and given a trial by Aberdeen, joined Dutch club Telstar last summer but has now left that club due to homesickness.

Midfielders

Charlie Barnett-played both legs left to join Tranmere in 2008 and now playing for Accrington Stanley.

Jimmy Ryan-played both legs famous for his long shots on both our winning Youth Cup teams left us to make a career for himself at Shrewsbury first, but made a name for himself at Accrington Stanley becoming the first Stanley player to make the PFA League Two team of the year in 2010/11. His impressive performances have now earned him a two year contract at League One side Scunthorpe last summer.

Ryan Flynn-played both legs scored the winner in the 2005/2006 FA Youth Cup final win vs Man City – a young Scottish winger he started his career at Falkirk came to us and then returned to Falkirk on loan and after a successful spell at his first club where he became the first player to score for Falkirk in European football he earned himself a transfer to Sheffield Utd on a 3 year contract in 2011.

Raymond Putterill-played both legs had major injury issues during his time at LFC meaning he was eventually released to play for Halewood Town; he then went to Accrington Stanley where again injury concerns caused him to be released at present he is a free agent without a club.

Sean Highdale – sub for both legs , spent many seasons toiling at LFC but has now finally been released in 2011 to Conference North sideVauxhall Motors.

Ben Parsonage – sub for both legs, released and now playing in New Zealand for semi-professional side Hibiscus Coast AFC

Strikers

Nathan Eccleston – sub for first leg of final, still a LFC player but constantly sent on loan to various clubs (Huddersfield, Charlton and Rochdale respectively so far) not made the expected progress into the first team squad as yet.

Lee Woodward – played in the first leg, sub in the second leg – released by us in 2007 no longer playing professional football.

Craig Lindfield – played in both legs as our main striker, scored in the first leg of the first leg, released by us in 2009, he has acquitted himself well at Macclesfield and then at Accrington Stanley where he still currently plays.

Craig Lindfield now at Accrington Stanley (Image from ExpressandStar)
 

Astrit Ajdarevic – played in the 2^nd leg, released by us in 2009 , went on loan to Leicester, then returned to his native Sweden to play for Orebro SK, now at IFK Norrkoping and also playing for the under 21s for Sweden.
 
Summary

Of the 18 players we had in our squad for the 2006/2007 FA Youth Cup final squad the breakdown 5 seasons later is as follows :-

4 players still at club

Martin Hansen, Stephen Darby, Jay Spearing, Nathan Eccleston

9 Players plying their trade elsewhere

Josh Mimms, Rob Threlfall, Charlie Barnett, Jimmy Ryan, Ryan Flynn, Sean Highdale, Ben Parsonage, Craig Lindfield, Astrit Ajdarevic

5 Players no longer playing

David Roberts, Michael Burns, Steve Irwin, Raymond Putterill, Lee Woodward

So with 22 per cent of the 18 players still at the club it would be good to know that 2 of the 4 players left could make it as regular players for the first team squad but I personally don’t believe our club has given the youth players a chance to stake a claim – they may just think the players are not quite good enough but my theory is you will never know until you have tried them.

Raymond Putterill-played both legs had major injury issues during his time at LFC meaning he was eventually released to play for Halewood Town; he then went to Accrington Stanley where again injury concerns caused him to be released at present he is a free agent without a club.

Sean Highdale – sub for both legs , spent many seasons toiling at LFC but has now finally been released in 2011 to Conference North sideVauxhall Motors.

Ben Parsonage – sub for both legs, released and now playing in New Zealand for semi-professional side Hibiscus Coast AFC

Strikers

Nathan Eccleston – sub for first leg of final, still a LFC player but constantly sent on loan to various clubs (Huddersfield, Charlton and Rochdale respectively so far) not made the expected progress into the first team squad as yet.

Lee Woodward – played in the first leg, sub in the second leg – released by us in 2007 no longer playing professional football.

Craig Lindfield – played in both legs as our main striker, scored in the first leg of the first leg, released by us in 2009, he has acquitted himself well at Macclesfield and then at Accrington Stanley where he still currently plays.

Astrit Ajdarevic – played in the 2^nd leg, released by us in 2009 , went on loan to Leicester, then returned to his native Sweden to play for Orebro SK, now at IFK Norrkoping and also playing for the under 21s for Sweden.

Summary

Of the 18 players we had in our squad for the 2006/2007 FA Youth Cup final squad the breakdown 5 seasons later is as follows :-

4 players still at club

Martin Hansen, Stephen Darby, Jay Spearing, Nathan Eccleston

9 Players plying their trade elsewhere

Josh Mimms, Rob Threlfall, Charlie Barnett, Jimmy Ryan, Ryan Flynn, Sean Highdale, Ben Parsonage, Craig Lindfield, Astrit Ajdarevic

5 Players no longer playing

David Roberts, Michael Burns, Steve Irwin, Raymond Putterill, Lee Woodward

So with 22 per cent of the 18 players still at the club it would be good to know that 2 of the 4 players left could make it as regular players for the first team squad but I personally don’t believe our club has given the youth players a chance to stake a claim – they may just think the players are not quite good enough but my theory is you will never know until you have tried them.

Bellamy Leads Liverpool To Wembley

It’s taken us five years, but we are back we are back in a final and at the new Wembley for the first time.  This was a victory that was deserved, with chances created a plenty and Craig Bellamy showing just what a world class talent is.  He ran his heart and gave the Man City central defenders a torrid time, giving a lesson to all and sundry just how to lead the line.

The atmosphere was back to what one would  expect of the Anfield faithful.  They were proactive and reactive and helped raise the fervour to a level which pushed the team to match our expectation levels.

This is not the time to complain about missed chances, because Joe Hart was truly magnificent, he pulled off six wonderful saves that on another day the game would have been over before half-time.  The manager’s criticism post Bolton in the media and in the programme notes, seemed to have the desired effect and fire up the players, so much so that Liverpool were on top from the very first minute.  Stevie Gerrard playing in a deeper lying role endeavouring to counter the threat of the sublimely talented David Silva showed his versatility by playing a holding role and controlling the tempo of Liverpool’s play.

Liverpool will be disappointed with the time and space given to De Jong allowing him to put City ahead from 25 yards.  But, we were never fighting a fully fledged rear guard action as such and while Man City had plenty of possession, we fully deserved to equalise having piled on the pressure.  Gerrard’s penalty as it had been in the first leg was decisive and to the same side to boot.

Man City showed their class, working an opportunity to fashion a chance for Dzeko to tap home from inside the box.  Dirk Kuyt, having his most influential game of the season, supported Bellamy manfully, and the two combined and in turned Bellamy with the galloping Glen Johnson who returned the favour Bellamy.  His first touch was out of the Dalglish book of creativity and allowed Bellamy to make space to slide the ball exquisitely into the far post.

Dalglish's management of Craig Bellamy should be applauded. With the mileage stored in his legs over the season, he was able to dip in the well twice within the space of the week for Bellamy to give a top performance against Bolton and a stunning performance tonight to take us through to Wembley for the first time in sixteen years.

Kop Post Man of The Match: Craig Bellamy – Makes you wish he was five years younger!

Final whistle celebrations

Liverpool v Man City (Semi-Final 2nd Leg)

Woeful Liverpool Reach The Crossroads

With the selection of Gerrard, Maxi and Bellamy Liverpool supporters were  given hope that the shackles of the last few games would be firmly placed to one side.  What we couldn’t legislate for was Liverpool to be caught cold within minutes of the start and Davis waltz through unchallenged with the midfield giving up the ghost and the defence parting as if Moses was leading the Bolton line and Johnson and Agger ordered to stand on either side of the marauding midfielder.

Liverpool’s only attempt on goal in the first 20 minutes was a drive outside the area from Henderson.  While Bellamy looked razor sharp, there seemed to be a lethargy in the side with Gerrard and Adam struggling to contain and cover the Bolton midfield. The second Bolton goal was a carbon copy, driving through the right with Gerrard failing to track the runner Eagles who’s passed  was smacked home from six yards from a player, Reo-Coker, who’s trade mark isn’t exactly entering the penalty box late. David Ngog played a role in both goals flicking the ball on in crucial moments.

Charlie Adam in a holding role is not convincing and as I’ve said often enough on this blog, to see the best of him the team needs to be built around him to allow him the time to play. Glen Johnson and Enrique decided, conversely, that this was the match when together they would fail to provide cover and defend in an orthodox manner.

It came as no surprise that Craig Bellamy scored from a Carroll flick, when he cleverly sped pass Knight to flick the ball pass the on-rushing goal-keeper.  Carroll and Bellamy looked lively together with Carroll producing some delightful touches.

Having gone in 2-1 down Liverpool’s lethargy struck again early in the second-half, when from a corner and the resultant knockdown, to a man the Liverpool players stood and watched the ball volleyed home to wreck what ever half-time talk Dalglish had delivered.  The last throw of the dice came on the hour with Kuyt and Downing coming on for the very disappointing Adam and Maxi.  Twenty minutes from time Daniel Agger almost brought us back into the game with sumptuous drive from  23 yards flicked of the bar.

Bolton continued to look dangerous every time they came forward driving at heart of a the Liverpool defence with very little midfield cover.  A word should go out to David Ngog who led the line extremely well in a lone role, being the focal point in the their first two goals, using himself as screen to enable the move to continue.

If this game has proved anything it is that Liverpool as I said in the last blog earlier today, need reinforcements. Bellamy stood head and shoulders above on the Liverpool side, while Adam is looking slow and ineffective. Not for the first time this season driving forward he failed to pass to a colleague in a better position.  He was bought to control the tempo of the game and if he is not in a position to do that he plays on the periphery. Jordan Henderson is beginning to look as if he feeling the effects of playing out of position constantly and quite frankly as with Downing doesn’t worth his place.

We deserved nothing out of this game as we failed to create hardly a decent chance outside of Bellamy’s goal and it felt as if the team had the game won in their minds before kick off.  With Newcastle losing we were presented with an opportunity to state our intentions, but with now one win in six our season really has reached a crossroads with the manager failing to see that the performances are no longer good enough. Initially, we were saying the goals would come because we were created chances, but we are now no longer have the standard fall back response to fall upon.

Kop Post Man of The Match: Craig Bellamy – One Man Team out there. Even a half-fit Gerrard offers more than most.

Will Liverpool Miss Out On Europe Again?

The next three games could well define Liverpool’s season. Lose or draw the Bolton game and suddenly Newcastle who had in been in our rear view mirror just a few weeks ago and who will be trying to break our tow from their slip stream in their earlier game at Fulham. Then with the Manchester clubs on the horizon in the Carling and FA Cups respectively, the season titters on the precipice of relative success or failure.

Obviously goals have been in short supply all season. Why? We’ve created more chances than an other Premier League club but we misfire constantly when chances present themselves. Charlie Adam is a prime example of Liverpool’s continuing problems. From 2009 to 2011, Adam scored 32 goals in 78 games for Blackpool which is a ratio of just over a goal every two games and for a midfield player to be scoring at 41 per cent is prolific even if the seasons was were divided into the top two leagues in England. He scored almost one in every three games for Blackpool last season (12 goals in 35 games) which at 34 per cent in a side which was relegated is impressive. Is Adam being used to his best advantage in a more deep lying role where he sits in the middle hitting diagonal balls to a winger who has gone from most prolific crosser in the Premiership to a player whose lack of confidence seems more evident in every game he starts for the Reds?

Downing’s hasn’t just disappeared from the crossing and assists columns, but the 7 goals he scored in 38 Premiership goals is what made him such a viable option on top of being the obvious source in the supply chain for Andy Carroll. If King Kenny persist with Downing he needs him to start firing immediately as in terms of experience widemen at the club with the ability to play on a regular basis he is the only option. With Dirk Kuyt having his least successful season in the league since he entered the fray in 2006/07, his 13 goals from last season are being sorely missed and that in mind is Maxi Rodriguez bit part appearance so far is difficult to fathom.

Maxi has a back catalogue of goals scoring 58 goals in 232 goals in his 8 seasons at Atletico Madrid, but more importantly he is a midfield player who in the later part of last season and the first half of this season has proved that goal scoring talent shows no sign of diminishing. This season with 4 goals in ten appearances (2 in the League) he has shown a natural understanding with Suarez and a Lampard like instinct to get himself into goal scoring positions in the area.

On previously blogs I have made assertions that Liverpool’s problems this season lay in the fact that apart from Suarez the goal threat remain the tried and trusted performers Steven Gerrard (2goals:7games); Craig Bellamy (4:14) and Maxi. With the problems of injury and age their appearances are having to be managed by Liverpool’s coaching staff which puts the pressure on players like Henderson, Adam, Downing and even Jay Spearing to pick up the mantle which is difficult when Henderson and Spearing have as yet no track record of regular scoring in the first team.

As we move to only a few hours before the Bolton game, I believe that the team must be given the freedom to play. We haven’t created 292 chances by accident. At stages this season Liverpool have outplayed Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea, but fear has stifled us in recent times with playing three at the back at Stoke when we have the best defence in the league and not taking the chance to kill off Man City in the first leg which showed that the expectation of our history maybe weighing heavy on us. Too many times this season we have seen Henderson playing on the right which negates his effectiveness and blunts our creative options and must have Carroll tugging his pony-tail in anger from the lack of service.

Chances created have to being taken because we can’t go on doing the following:

• 8 per cent of chances taken
• 3 of the last 4 penalties missed in the league
• Failing to score in 3 of our last 4 away games
• Stewart Downing has 47 attempts with out scoring, more than any Premiership player

Sixth in the league with our scoring record shows that if we can improve our scoring record then the the top four may not be beyond us.

Will Melwood Produce Another McManaman, Fowler, Owen or Gerrard?

The potential acquisition of Joao Carlos led me to think about the lack creative talent not finding its way through to the first team through the ranks.  We have numerous players of that ilk in the Liverpool reserves and youth team from Suso to Tony Silva, from Raheem Sterling to David Amoo.  But one is often struck by how rarely a teenager comes through the ranks to become a part of the first team set-up, especially at a time when opportunities in the midfield and attack seem there for the taking.

I am extremely passionate about giving players the opportunity at the right time as I believe its stunts there growth as footballers is they don’t have the character to hold it together.  Players like Ces Fabregas come along once in a blue moon and make debuts at the age of sixteen, but what Wenger has always been exceptional at is bringing on players and have them mentally prepared to accept the challenges of the first team even as teenagers.  I am convinced that Liverpool players spend to long festering in the reserves and regress rather than pushing on.  It’s ridiculous that Jay Spearing at the age of 24, has started just 18 League games and is still at the club (that’s not to say he can’t to a job).  I wonder is there a concerted belief that the Jay Spearing of 2012 is twice the player of Jay Spearing of 2010 or 2009?

Tom Ince, is a perfect example.  Rated highly, sent out on loan, taken back from a loan period just to sit out in the reserves again and offered a three year contract at the age of nineteen. He had already realised that he was probably destined for another stint in the reserves.  When Dani Pacheco left Barcelona, the indignation from the club which had nurtured him was along the same lines as those muttered when Fabregas moved to Arsenal because they knew they had lost a prodigious talent, but I truly believe that there are players like him who become disenchanted if they do not break through early enough.  We saw snippets of his talent in the first team and plenty in the in the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, where he scored twice four goals and an assist and then went on to play in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

What irks about the Carlos transfer is to hear that he is to young at 19 to play with the first team.  In Jon Flanagan I see a lot of Stephen Darby and if we are not careful he will go the same way.  A right-back, strong in the tackle and excellent coming forward, but it is quite obvious he is third choice in that position, so much so that he came on in the left back role against Oldham.  Loaned out to another Premier League club having already proved his capabilities would be a better proposition than playing in the reserves or Championship football.

Players need goals to aim for and many of the these players were the best of the age group and some were even started playing in the professional ranks.  In the great scheme of things the percentage of players who make it through the ranks is minimal, but I wonder whether Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would have made any first team appearances had he chosen Liverpool.

New Stadium - JWH Kop Stadium ???

Reports emanating from the media today state that we have finally decided to draw to a close the historical home of Anfield and build a new stadium in Stanley Park.

 

Anfield Stadium (Image from The Daily Mail)

The report, by former Liverpool Echo reporter Chris Bascombe, claims plans from architects AFL will now be modernised and put in place, with the plans by Dallas firm HKS which former owner Tom Hicks had put in place being shelved.

It has been widely reported that our principal owner John Henry’s preferred option was to remain at Anfield and redevelop the historic stadium in a similar manner as they did with the Boston Red Sox’s historic Fenway Park.

But planning constraints and the associated costs have been a huge stumbling block.

If and when the gates are finally locked to our stadium it will indeed be a very sad day but to compete at the top level of football these are the steps you have to be prepared to make.

The amount of revenue that can be earned at a 60,000 or 70,000 stadium greatly exceeds what we are currently earning on a matchday with our rivals Man Utd and Arsenal bringing in over a million pounds more every home game on matchday revenue alone.

Also with the likelihood of us potentially missing out on the Champions League again we will need to put contingency plans in place to raise money for transfers and our marketing/advertising team will have to continue their excellent work in finding even more ways to increase revenue both domestically and worldwide as an internationally well known sports brand.

Liverpool’s Deficiencies On Record

CHANCES CREATED AFTER 21 PREMIERSHIP MATCHES

POSITION	TEAM	CHANCES
1	CHELSEA	301
2	LIVERPOOL	292
3	TOTTENHAM	285
4	MAN CITY (20 MATCHES)	282
5	ARSENAL	266
5=	MAN UTD	266

CHANCES TAKEN AFTER 21 PREMIERSHIP MATCHES

POSITION	TEAM	CHANCES TAKEN
15	WEST BROM	9.95%
16	FULHAM	9.91%
17	EVERTON	9.81%
18	QPR	9.22%
19	WIGAN (20 MATCHES)	9.78%
20	LIVERPOOL	8.22%

Will Liverpool Miss Out On Europe Again?

 

The next three games could well define Liverpool’s season.  Lose or draw the Bolton game and suddenly Newcastle who had in been in our rear view mirror just a few weeks ago and who will be trying to break our tow from their slip stream in their earlier game at Fulham.  Then with the Manchester clubs on the horizon in the Carling and FA Cups respectively, the season titters on the precipice of relative success or failure.

Obviously goals have been in short supply all season.  Why?  We’ve created more chances than an other Premier League club but we misfire constantly when chances present themselves.  Charlie Adam is a prime example of Liverpool’s continuing problems.  From 2009 to 2011, Adam scored 32 goals in 78 games for Blackpool which is a ratio of just over a goal every two games and for a midfield player to be scoring at 41 per cent is prolific even if the seasons was were divided into the top two leagues in England.  He scored almost one in every three games for Blackpool last season (12 goals in 35 games) which at 34 per cent in a side which was relegated is impressive.  Is Adam being used to his best advantage in a more deep lying role where he sits in the middle hitting diagonal balls to a winger who has gone from most prolific crosser in the Premiership to a player whose lack of confidence seems more evident in every game he starts for the Reds?

Downing’s hasn’t just disappeared from the crossing and assists columns, but the 7 goals he scored in 38 Premiership goals is what made him such a viable option on top of  being the obvious source in the supply chain for Andy Carroll.  If King Kenny persist with Downing he needs him to start firing immediately as in terms of experience widemen at the club with the ability to play on a regular basis he is the only option.  With Dirk Kuyt having his least successful season in the league since he entered the fray in 2006/07,  his 13 goals from last season are being sorely missed and that in mind is Maxi Rodriguez bit part appearance so far is difficult to fathom.

Maxi has a back catalogue of goals scoring 58 goals in 232 goals in his 8 seasons at Atletico Madrid, but more importantly he is a midfield player who in the later part of last season and the first half of this season has proved that goal scoring talent shows no sign of diminishing.  This season with 4 goals in ten appearances (2 in the League) he has shown a natural understanding with Suarez and a Lampard like instinct to get himself into goal scoring positions in the area.

On previously blogs I have made assertions that Liverpool’s problems this season lay in the fact that apart from Suarez the goal threat remain the tried and trusted performers Steven Gerrard (2goals:7games); Craig Bellamy (4:14) and Maxi.  With the problems of injury and age their appearances are having to be managed by Liverpool’s coaching staff which puts the pressure on players like Henderson, Adam, Downing and even Jay Spearing to pick up the mantle which is difficult when Henderson and Spearing have as yet no track record of regular scoring in the first team.

As we move to only a few hours before the Bolton game, I believe that the team must be given the freedom to play.  We haven’t created 292 chances by accident.  At stages this season Liverpool have outplayed Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea, but fear has stifled us in recent times with playing three at the back at Stoke when we have the best defence in the league and not taking the chance to  kill off Man City in the first leg which showed that the expectation of our history maybe weighing heavy on us.    Too many times this season we have seen Henderson playing on the right which negates his effectiveness and blunts our creative options and must have Carroll tugging his pony-tail in anger from the lack of service.

Chances created have to being taken because we can’t go on doing the following:

• 8 per cent of chances taken
• 3 of the last 4 penalties missed in the league
• Failing to score in 3 of our last 4 away games
• Stewart Downing has 47 attempts with out scoring, more than any Premiership player

Sixth in the league with our scoring record shows that if we can improve our scoring record then the the top four may not be beyond us.

Dalglish Goes Into Defensive Mode and Stifles Liverpool's Ambition

Strolling into Anfield and being hit with the news that the manager had, in Agger’s absence, picked Carragher and Coates seemed to instil a level of foreboding around me. The realisation that a part from having a plethora of defensive players on the pitch, spearheading the attack was a forward who had failed to score in the league this season (which would come back to haunt us).

The formation placed Jordan Henderson in the pivotal role behind the striker with Gerrard and Adams the creative forces in the engine room and Stewart Downing to provide the width. If we had taken the lead earlier on, with Adam inexplicably missing when in front of the goal from a Gerrard corner, then we may well have been on our way.  But in a season full of ifs, the die was cast with the play becoming staid as if the players have become typecast from starring in the same production.

Downing as a winger has become a player seemingly trapped in the expectation to do well and is now not delivering on either the right or the left.  On the left, his crosses lack pace or penetration and on the right he invariably checks back to deliver a nothingness.  The quandary for Dalglish is that with Bellamy’s inability to start two consecutive games there is a propensity to pick him even though his form has now dipped to unacceptable levels where he fails to commit and attack full backs which is a crying shame in a game where Gerrard and Adam constantly delivered cross field balls of the highest quality which any top class winger would have run onto with abandon.  His failure was accentuated because of the failure of Enrique and Johnson, who both saw plenty of the ball, to deliver quality end product in the final third.

Today’s was chronic on many different levels.  That we picked Carragher and Coates sent out a message that we worried about Stoke’s physicality, but more worrying was that we were playing at home. Also, to say that his (Dalglish) hands were forced following Agger’s injury, intimates that Carragher cannot cut in alongside Skrtel or he doesn’t think Coates is ready.

For the manager to say at the end of game that we suffered with a lack of creativity is hard to take when it had it with his hands to change the formation at half time, by pushing Johnson forward and bringing on Kelly for a centre-half and pushing Gerarrd behind the striker and giving Bellamy on with time to change the game against Stoke side which offered nothing in attacking sense.

The last remaining opportunity, of a disappoint match, fell to Kuyt who failed to capitalise on a glorious chance, heading the ball wide when it seemed easier to score.  We failed to create too many chances in the final third without Carroll on the pitch – but I guess critics will still blame him.  Liverpool needs a clinical striker who is capable of eking out chances for himself if we continue to play in the same way with a lack of penetration and movement at home.

With the team playing so disappointingly and the lack of creativity for all to see and with some of the most talented youngsters in the country in the reserves why isn’t the manager at least finding a spot on the bench to offer something different and inject some energy?
No excuses.  We are throwing away an opportunity to finish in the top four which we may just find it harder to come by next season.  By the time we play our next game we may just being out of the top six.

Kop-Post Man of The Match: Charlie Adam – although offering relatively little in attack, some of his cross field passing was like a laser guided missile.

Field Marshal Dalglish Marshall’s Troops To Victory

With a line-up led by the irrepressible duo of Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy Liverpool had the look of a team with attacking intent and with the Gerarrd pulling the strings to say that we bolted out of the traps would not have be an exaggeration. Liverpool should have taken the lead through Andy Carroll, who collecting Downing's through ball drove past Savic and shot straight at Joe Hart when composure was the order of the day. [Another Downing assist spurned].

Twice in a minute Liverpool tested Joe Hart. The first, a curling shot from the captain with very little back lift which Hart tipped away and from the resulting corner, Gerrard's floated over a pinpoint cross which Downing volleyed and Agger instinctively flicked towards the corner of the goal with Hart pulling of the save of the season. Liverpool finally took the lead from Gerrard's penalty after had been Agger mowed down in the area.

Jay Spearing until he went off and Jordan Henderson provided the legs to allow Steven Gerrard to control the game from the middle and play a more introverted role than his usual rampaging game. They easily controlled, beckoning City to break them down and keeping possession when we had it. Andy Carroll out muscled Lescott to header a Kelly cross wide and City had only one clear cut chance towards the end of the first half which Milner blazed over after Richards had powered past Johnson, who had quite an uncomfortable first half defensively.

Liverpool continued to play the game mind-set of a European tie which given the City line-up, bereft of Silva and YaYa Torre brought City back in the game and almost led to the them equalising with Richards header brilliant stopped by Reina almost on the hour mark. We began giving up position which was difference between our play in the latter half of the first period and first-half of the second and also Gerrard's influence was no longer at his height, partly because of City packing the midfield and the great man seemingly pacing himself to get through the game.

If anyone was in any doubts about Dalglish's intention, when Carragher replaced Bellamy (surprising with his ability to offer an outlet) on the 80 minute mark, Liverpool had Enrique, Skrtel, Agger, Kelly, Johnson and Carragher on the pitch to protect the lead. In saying that City were fairly placid with the lack of invention and it is why Kenny Dalglish is Liverpool manager and I am writing this blog!

King Dalglish (Mirror.co.uk)

If you had asked any Liverpool supporter if they would have taken a one-one draw before the game they'd have snapped your hand off and after all we have more to lose as Stevie said "Sometimes you have to do the ugly stuff".   Role on Anfield in two weeks time.

Kop Post Man of The Match: Pepe Reina – showed in two instances why he is a truly world class goal keeper.






 

Anfield – Fortress or Mattress?

By dedlfc

The biggest problem we’ve faced this season has been our lack of a cutting edge especially at home so we went into the FA Cup game which was unusually arranged for a Friday evening looking to bounce back from the 3-0 loss against title favourites Man City.

Before the game there was a fitting tribute of a minutes silence with a rousing rendition of “There’s only one Gary Ablett!” which I felt should have been recognised by Man City at the Etihad Stadium.

Massive credit must be given to Oldham for their performance at our ground and it was a valiant attempt to threaten one of the biggest FA shocks in the tournament’s history.

In the end the quality of our captain Stevie Gerrard and the effervescent Craig Bellamy was the main difference between the sides.

Oldham created countless chances at the beginning of the game with the man mountain, Kuqi giving Coates and Carragher kittens.

 As early as the 10th minute, Kuqi smashed his way through challenges with Coates and Carragher to find himself in front of goal, but he blazed his shot wide when he probably should have scored.

Shortly afterwards, on-loan Norwich defender Tom Adeyemi found himself flying into the box unchallenged to get on the end of Robbie Simpson's corner.

Oldham will be able to take with them the glorious moment of taking the lead at Anfield through a stunning left footed long range effort from Robbie Simpson – which left Reina with no chance.

The vital thing is that we equalised within 2 minutes to give us the impetus to take back control of the game. Our equaliser came via a deflected shot from Jonjo Shelvey which Craig Bellamy was again in the right place at the right time.

In football the minutes just before and after half-time are influential to the way a game pans out and the vital moment of this game was on 45 minutes when a cross was played through from Gerrard for Maxi who was bowled over with the referee pointing to the spot.

Liverpool’s recurring problem of missed penalties was remedied (with Gerrard himself previously being one of the culprits). But this time our captain Stevie G stepped up and planted the ball into the top corner to give us a 2-1 lead at half-time.

Fantastic to have him back as our leader on the pitch – he improves the team by another 40% and when he plays Andy Carroll looks more of a threat in the side.  Some more excellent work by Bellamy set up Shelvey’s first goal since his return to us from his loan spell at Blackpool.  A very cool finish from a young player who has seemingly flourished having spent the first half of the season on loan.

It is such a massive shame for Bellamy, let alone us, that he has to be protected and can’t play two games in a week due to poor knees because he has been a wonderful free transfer signing and always makes things happen for us – he was outstanding and up to the point he was substituted by Downing and left the pitch to rapturous applause from the LFC fans.

Liverpool's dynamic duo (Image from Liverpool Daily Post)

When Andy Carroll came on with 4 minutes left I thought it was just a kind gesture by our manager on Carroll’s 23^rd birthday but Carroll was determined to make an impression and he did just that with a soon to become trademark left foot strike from about 25 yards which he hit on the sweet point of his boot with aplomb for his first goal in front of the Kop to make it 4-1.

Stewart Downing has many critics, me included, due to his lack of goals and assists since swapping the Villa shirt for a LFC shirt, but he showed determination in being in the right place at the right time by reacting quickest to a save from a John Flanagan’s shot which was parried into his path, to score from an acute angle placed the ball home to make it a very flattering 5-1.

The other major talking point apart from the match was the unsavoury incident late in the game where Tom Adeyemi went to take a throw in near the Kop and was deeply hurt by an alleged comment by a section of the LFC fans sitting near the Kop. Since the game it has come to light that Adeyemi has given a statement to the Police stating that he was a victim of a racist attack.

Tom Adeyemi points out alleged abuser (Image from Daily Telegraph)

This time unlike the Suarez case LFC has taken the correct steps to make a statement saying: - “We will continue to work with the Police to establish the details of what actually happened and will make a further statement in due course.”

If the person/people who have made the alleged comment are found guilty I would like the club to take the appropriate action and give a lifetime ban to the people involved.

Hopefully this situation can be resolved in the best possible way to appease first the upset player Tom Adeyemi, Oldham, LFC, our fans and the police.  On a night when Liverpool FC remembered one of its favourite sons, to have what should’ve been a night to remember, end with a potentially embarrassing and disgraceful incident was disappointing to say the least.

Back to the game the encouraging thing was that for a change we kept going until the 90^th minute and got the extra goals that we wouldn’t normally get.  A 5-1 score line may have flattered us but throughout this season we have moaned about not being clinical but in this game we put the ball in the net with confidence and calmness and I hope this is the way we mean to carry on this year.

dedlfc Man of the Match: Craig Bellamy – pace, awareness and the ability to cross from either wing – was a constant threat until he came off.

No Pace, No Cutting Edge, No Goals

Liverpool's repost to the Independent Regulatory Commission on the Suarez/Evra affair was to leave its football team bereft of the talents of Luis Suarez, which left Andy Carroll to lead the line, with Dirk Kuyt and Stewart Downing to provide the support and tasks alongside Adam with creating opportunities for Carroll.

By the end of the game it was a case of what ifs. What if Stuart Downing had scored? What if Liverpool had defended for their lives if he had scored? Quite simply we were set up to either steal a goal or hold hang on until Gerrard and Bellamy could ride to the rescue, but with Man City scoring early from a rear Pepe Reina slip up, it forced us to come out and for a while dominate possession, which conversely highlighted our lack of a cutting edge which time and time again we've seen this season.

We all know the strengths of Carroll at his barnstorming best, but with Downing patently out of form and enable to deliver crosses of any quality and with Dirk Kurt and Charlie Adam not able to get past a strong and pacey Man City midfield and back-line the only clear chance barring Downing's one on one was Kuyt's blogged shot from Carroll's knocked-down.

Our previous matches where we lacked a clinical nature showed us as wastrels. This match showed up the lack of ability to create chances, because we lacked the pace and strength to hustle Man City. It underlined that for Liverpool to break into top four, requires a fit Gerrard and Craig Bellamy. But here lies the problem. Apart from Suarez, the most potent players, in terms of goal threats this season have been Bellamy, Maxi and even in his short spells on the pitch Steven Gerrard. Bellamy, who has been sublime, is restricted to the amount of games he can play following a history of knee problems; Maxi, Kenny seems to be saying that we have to be careful with the amount of games because of his age and then obviously we have Gerrard coming back off long-term injuries.

This underscores a serious and fundamental problem within the Liverpool squad, in that our main goal scoring threats are either incapable of playing successive games in a week or just not fit enough at the moment. Add to that the fact these players are all thirty-something's and that another of that club Dirk Kuyt who has consistently been a main source of goals since his arrival in the 2006-07 season has been unable to add to his tally of 49 league goals, leads one to wonder whether the popular Dutchman will be part of the Dalglish's plans at the end of the season.

The fact that no young attackers haven't been brought into the squad, has left a gaping hole in the absence of Suarez and the need for wide man to instil pace into the line-up if Bellamy is not available. There is a huge dependency on Adam to create and he had shown encouraging signs of recapturing last season's stupendous stirrings at Blackpool, but since Lucas's injury he seems to have been asked or has adopted a more deeper role and his lack of pace was accentuated against the midfield power-house of Yaya Toure and struggled against Gareth Barry which disappointing.

Charlie Adam's form has dipped since Lucas injury

Jay Spearing shone brightly in a struggling midfield and critics will cease upon Carroll's lack of mobility or inability to create chances, but as I alluded to above and as Gerrard stated at the end of Newcastle match, its for fellow players to provide quality ball for the 'Big Man' to feed off and we are palpably failing to do so. Džeko delivered a poor performance yesterday, but with the ammunition City have his lack of an offering barely mattered.

I've said time and time again on this blog, before our problems in front of goal that we needed to buy a different type of striker so as to offer a different type of option to the English No 9 and the skilful flamboyance of Luis Suarez and right now Liverpool are crying out for that. Hopefully that crying doesn't cause us to go and buy a striker which doesn't fit into what we are offering.

In the meantime could Adam Morgan fill a breach from bench to the pitch? Could we find some pace from the ranks for a wing berth? Do we need a top class holding player? Questions which I'm sure the manager and Damian are pondering.

Kop Post Man of the Match: Jay Spearing – Tigerish in the tackle and didn't stop from the first to the last minute.

R.I.P. GARY ABLETT

Even though supporters of both Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs knew Gary was seriously ill, he came as  a great shock this morning to hear of his passing at the age of just 46.

He served both clubs so proudly as a player and in a coaching capacity and he will be sadly missed.

Below is an article taken from Daily Mail which sums up everything about Gary Ablett the man:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2081222/Gary-Ablett-dies-46-Liverpool-Everton-favourite-loses-16-month-cancer-battle.html

• Gary Ablett's funeral unites blue and red on Merseyside
• Merseyside unites to mourn Gary Ablett