Season’s Failings Return To Haunt Liverpool

As so often during this unspectacular Premiership season we were moral victors, completely dominating possession, but not for the first time this season missed enough chances to have won a hatful of games.

I could list in chronological order chances which went unconverted, by Suarez, Carroll, Kuyt and Maxi all incidentally inside the penalty area.  Unlucky? Not a chance.  Profligacy is a season long problem which has seen us win only one Premiership game at home this year.  Bad finishing pure and simple has put into this predicament.

It’s hard to take when the games play out the same way with total control of the first-half with the goal literally under siege, but careless finishing spoils some top class build-up play.

Some of our play in the final third was delightful, fast and fluid, but it’s not just about a lack of confidence in front of goal, there doesn’t appear to be a player with the killer instinct of a natural poacher in front of goal.  Suarez, for all his wonderful play, has been a wastrel not just in front of goal, but in shooting from angles where a pass to a team mate in a better position is often the better option.  Twice he failed to lift his head at the critical moment, on the second occasion, left his strike partner frustrated on the edge of the 6 yard box.

28 shots and 15 corners with 61 per cent a possession tell a tale of woe.  If the club does add to the squad in the summer transfer market, the need for match winners in attacking positions is critical.

Hodgson and Dalglish share a moment (Image:Yahoo)

Midfield players are just as culpable as the strike force and good teams can’t be successful without match winning performers from all over the pitch, something we’ve lacked all season and it’s why continuing to pick the same underachieving players throughout the season and ignoring the possibilities of trying something new makes little or no sense.

If Dalglish doesn’t give Suso or Sterling a shot with little or nothing left in this Premiership season, just when will they be given a chance with the need to start on a strong footing in the season next.
West Bromwich Albion won at Anfield for the first time since 1967. Kenny says we’ve made strides this season. The question is are those strides one step forward or two steps back?

Kop-Post Man of The Match: Glen Johnson – Made the critical mistake which hastened Liverpool’s defeat, but he was one of the main instigators of the superb attacking build-up play and up until his mistake was defensively excellent.