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.
For me that was the poorest performance so far from us under Kenny in his second coming. Only Bellamy and Agger come out with any credit from that poor display.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that we as a team were not looking at Bolton as being an easy win and focussing more on the City and Utd cup games. As the LFC motto has always been the current game is the most important.
We should never look ahead and we suffered miserably for it.
I have attached part of Kenny's interview after the game in which he reiterates what I have said above:-
Dalglish told his post-match press conference: "The result is disappointing, but the most disappointing thing for me was that I don't think we were ready to play the game.
"I don't think the approach was correct and I don't think the way we went about our work was correct.
"The foundations of the football club have always been built upon respect for other people and the philosophy that the next game is the most important one - not the one that is two or three (games) down the line.
"If they needed a lesson to be taught to them then today was it. If they think they can just turn up and get a result, not be as competitive and not match the opposition for effort and commitment then they've got a lesson today.
"If they've learned it then fine. Without trying to take anything away from Owen (Coyle) and the way Bolton played, we have to look at ourselves and see what we can do to try and prevent it from happening in the future. That's what we'll do."
I was listening to Radio 5 earlier and someone said that the worrying thing is that if the players are acually performing at their best level, then our aspirations for 4th place is more than ambitious. Questions were also being raised about Camolli's involvement in recruiting players at a good value and less than the market rate. I'm not sure how successful he's been in that regard - we've splashed a lot of cash!
ReplyDeleteThis was an unacceptable performance - for me, Bellamy was outstanding as was some of the quality of Gerrard's passing which he seems to do so easily. Kenny's best decision in weeks must have been to push Bellamy up closer to the front man instead of Henderson.
Our usually dependable back line was left exposed today because of our persistence not to play a holding midfielder - I mean a player that tracks back, can tackle, etc not just a player that is asked to sit in front of the back four, like Adam, who just simply gives away free kicks, partly because he can't actually tackle. Kenny needs to be possitvely decisive by making some tough decisions. If you are not going to play Adam in a more advance role, or have some legs playing next to him then I'm not sure he will warrant his place.
You identified the LFC man of the match, the only Liverpool player that can feel proud of his performance today, but I have to say that I was worried when I initially saw the exchange between him and Reo-Coker, I thought it might be due to an inappopriate comment. I'mn glad I was wrong!
I banged on early in the season about Bellamy playing because I could already see the lack depth on the attacking side of things. The sad thing about Bellamy is that he was bought as an impact player, but his talent vastly outweighs anything we have on offer right now.
ReplyDeleteIt also shows the lack of foresight by the manager and Damian Camolli not to plan for eventualities and improvement in the team. Even if the Suarez situation hadn't happen we were always one striker down and a striker with different capabilities was always needed in the same way Hernandez and Wellbeck offer movement and speed and poaching instincts in the penalty area. What we don't have is strength in depth. What worries me know is that we panic buy in the few days remaining of the transfer window.
As I said early in the season Adam doesn't do well in a two. He played better when Lucas grew into the holding role which allowed him more time and freedom on the ball and it's no coincidence that since the Brazilian's untimely injury, Adam's form play has tailed off alarmingly.
We have two cup games approaching which will define our season. Positive results could see us kick on, but even if we do there are players in the team whose play has plateaued and should be rested and there are some who are struggling to be worth a place in the squad let alone justify their transfer fee.
I've always been sceptical of Glen Johnson's defensive abilities and although he has given some top performances this season, he performances recently has slipped back into mediocrity. A couple of players Agger and Enrique had their worst games of the season defensively, but they can be forgiven because they'd been excellent up until that point.
If Liverpool players learnt anything from yesterday is that consistency is the key to producing quality performances. And sitting next to Carragher in the changing should have taught them about giving their all in every match!
You've banged on about Adam and that he cant play as part of a 2 unless he has the freedom. You have also said that we would have to build the team around him. But i think the problem is that we cant because of the other players that we need to perform.
DeleteSome might argue that the team should be built around our captain, or the £35m Carroll, £22m Downing. Although Suarez might not be my favourite player, he clearly makes things happen and should the team be built arond him?
We cannot have passengers or square pegs occupying round hole positions in the team. In recent weeks we"ve seen Henderson given a free role in the side, something that our more technically gifted players might crave. If Henderson is to play in the side at the moment, it must be in the holding, tracking, combative and tenacious, role. Our key attacking players must be, when fit, Gerrard and Bellamy, supporting Carroll who must be given a chance. Behind them Spearing and Henderson, may need to do the leg work and then Adam supplying the creativity with less defensive responsibility and if Adam cant do this then maybe Stevie drops back or Shelvey comes in.
Nowadays, the bench is almost as important as a team position in the side. Three central defenders on the bench again yesterday was pathetic and meant that we couldnt rely on game changing energetic substitutes.
Sent from my iPhone
I think if we are to see the best of him as you say "you've banged on about Adam and that he can't play as part of a two". I said we would have to play him further forward when Lucas was still playing to get the best out of him. What you forget in you summary is that I've said in the Blackpool while he did some tackling, most of the donkey work was done by others we allowed him to shine, where as we play him in and Alonso type role which he is not suited too.
DeleteA fit Gerrard is who the team should be built around because back to fitness he is not just the engine room, he is the player that bring others into the game like Suarez, although can make opportunities on his own. The ball Gerrard played to Carroll in the 22nd minute yesterday (which ended up being off-side) was not to disimilar to the ball he delivered against Newcastle and is also the type of ball the Downing was bought to deliver for Carroll. Adam actually slows the play down in that deep laying role and becomes part of the problem rather the solution. Newscatle varied their tactics to suit Carroll by putting guys on the flanks like Barton who delivers a great ball to fire in crossing for him.
With the personnel we now have at our disposal they might be better of varying their formation to a 4-2-3-1. With Carroll as the one, Gerrard, Suarez, and Bellamy as three and any number of others inluding Downing (similar role to Milner) as the two.
There is no secret to the fact that we have not got enough depth to the squad partly because of Kenny and Comolli's total faith in just British players - a player like Meireles midfield quality should have been appreciated more and I strongly believe he would have stayed at LFC.
ReplyDeleteThere are no opportunities to drop players out of form as we haven't got adequate cover - no youth players are given any chances to claim a spot in the team so they start getting disillusioned.
Things are really looking grim for our chances to gain that treasured top 4 spot.
Focussing just on British players may have worked 15 years ago but times have now changed and we should be able to add the British bulldog spirit to the Latin/European flair to make us a very hard team to overcome.
Buying just British does help create a so-called fabricated team spirit but it is just too expensive an option when there are quality players that could have been picked up for half the prices currently being quoted for British players.
Case in point is the panic buy of Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson for over 50m pounds when you could have picked up Demba Ba to score the goals and Scott Parker to do a tidy job in midfield for a combined total of £5m.
Andy Carroll's game is just not suited to the way we play - in other teams like his previous club - the whole team's philosophy was groomed to aid Andy Carroll get goals - now whilst at LFC the emphasis is more on pass and move football which is not conducive to getting the ball to Carroll which meant we had to invest in a player who hasn't provided the service that we had hoped he would - Downing.
We need to bring in two players that can influence our attacking side of the game - i.e. game-changing quality players like attacking midfielder Ryad Boudebouz 22 year old who currently plys his trade for French team Sochaux who may be struggling near the bottom of their league but there is no denying the quality of the Algerian international.
We need to make a statement of intent with the second player Edison Cavani which says that we are now looking to push on for that top 4 spot and not just looking to play out the season.
I ultimately would have liked Soldado but it may be harder to persuade him to leave his home town club but we persuaded Carroll so anything is possible.