Liverpool have an atrocious record at Stamford Bridge over the last 20 years, and prior to last season's double, the club had recorded only two victories there since 1991. The curse is well and truly over now though! Today's victory against Chelsea makes it three in a row for Liverpool at the Bridge, and it moves Kenny Dalglish's team into joint 4th place in the Premier League.
The GOOD
Dalglish's starting line-up
75m worth of talent was relegated to the bench, and rightly so. Carroll, Henderson and Downing do not belong in Liverpool's first team at the moment, and they've done nothing to warrant starting ahead of the likes of Bellamy and Maxi.
Leaving Henderson on the bench is more of a tactical move (and he clearly has potential for the future) but dumping Carroll and Downing on the bench is, IMO, tantamount to a vote of no confidence. If Dalglish believed they were good enough to make a different he would've started with them, especially in one of the biggest games of the season.
I'm personally happy to see the likes of Downing and Carroll used as squad players, but given the amount of money spent on them, that is unlikely to happen. Their price-tags dictate that they'll be back in the starting line-up sooner rather than later, and the fluidity and effectiveness of the team will inevitably suffer.
Charlie Adam
Another top performance by the Scottish International; He was heavily involved in both goals, and his pass for Johnson prior to the winning goal was a thing of beauty. That's 2 goals and 5 assists for Adam this season now, which is a bigger Specific, Measurable Creative Contribution (SMCC) than Henderson, Downing and Carroll combined.
Craig Bellamy
3 starts: 2 goals and 1 assist. Clearly, when you start Bellamy, he invariably delivers, and in my view, he should start every league game. The quick-passing between Bellamy, Suarez and Maxi for the first goal was superb, and that trio should play together as often as possible. Bellers' work-rate was also immense during the game, and his constant hassling of Chelsea's players paid dividends.
Luis Suarez
Not one El Pistolero's best performances, but one of the great things about Suarez is his 'never say die' attitude, which is something that separates him from the beleaguered Fernando Torres. Even when he's having a frustrating afternoon in front of goal, Suarez never lets his head go down, and he constantly harasses defenders, often forcing mistakes.
Martin Skrtel
Great defensive performance by Skrtel. He didn't put a foot wrong all afternoon, whereas his defensive partner Daniel Agger was partly to blame for Chelsea's equaliser. Jamie Carragher is fit again, but I would stick with Agger-Skrtel for the foreseeable future.
High defensive line
Agger may have been partly at fault for Chelsea's goal but he organised the defence superbly well, constantly cajoling his fellow defenders into pushing the defensive line higher and higher. This we as most effective in first half, and several times, the line was so high that it was actually in Chelsea's half!
Pressing in the first half
Chelsea were given no time on the ball in the first half, and Craig Bellamy typified Liverpool's 'defend from the front' approach. The closing down by Kuyt, Suarez, Maxi and Bellamy was excellent, and this was reflected all over the pitch, and Charlie Adam's hassling of Jon Obi Mikel led directly to Liverpool's first goal.
Lucas's passing
Lucas is not often renowned for his passing, but his distribution of the ball continues to get better and better. Given the position he plays, many of his passes tend be short and sideways, but as we saw at West Brom a few weeks ago, he is capable of incisive, play-making passes, and there plenty of those today.
The BAD
Second half pressing
Chelsea's players were given way too much space in the second half; Bellamy was shunted out to the left, and Maxi moved inside, and this disrupted the 'defend from the front' pressing-game that was so effective in the first half.
Playing too deep
As Chelsea grew in confidence and had more of the ball in the second half, Liverpool's defence dropped deeper and deeper, as did Lucas and Adam. This is a problem that has occurred many times this season, and the team has suffered as a result.
Having said that, the introduction of Daniel Sturridge - a faster and more attack-minded player than Jon Obi Mikel - meant that, for this particular game, dropping deeper was inevitable, and perhaps even necessary at times.
Set pieces
Charlie Adam had a great game overall but his set-pieces today were pretty poor; I don't recall any of his corners or free-kicks beating the first man. Suarez also had a poor free kick that didn't even hit the target.
The UGLY
Glen Johnson's defensive frailty
Johnson deserves all the credit in the world for scoring the sublime winning goal, but, once again, his defensive fragility was clearly exposed. Chelsea had a field day down the right hand side all afternoon, especially in the second half. Florent Malouda in particular got the better of Johnson time and time again, and exploited his poor positioning and suspect concentration levels.
It's almost a cliché to mention this now but Johnson's goal provides more persuasive evidence that he should play on the right wing. Liverpool fans have been calling for that change ever since he arrived, and it still hasn't happened.
It's a no-brainer: Liverpool need a right-winger, and we have one who isn't being used.
Andy Carroll
Carroll was only the pitch for a few minutes but it was still painful to watch. He couldn't control the ball; hold it up, or even deliver an accurate throw in. He lumbered about like the uncoordinated lummox that he is, showing yet again that he does not fit into this Liverpool side. He should be playing for Bolton or Aston Villa, not Liverpool.
OVERALL
A brilliant victory and a great confidence booster. That's 9 games unbeaten now, and I really hope Dalglish keeps the same XI for the Man City game. I can't see the sense in changing a winning team, or dropping players like Bellamy and Maxi, but I'm sure both will be back on the bench for the next game; and if that happens, it will be the wrong decision (IMO).
I reiterate: BELLAMY: Three starts - two goals and 1 assist. MAXI: Three starts - two goals and 1 assist.
Enough said.
Jaimie Kanwar
The GOOD
Dalglish's starting line-up
75m worth of talent was relegated to the bench, and rightly so. Carroll, Henderson and Downing do not belong in Liverpool's first team at the moment, and they've done nothing to warrant starting ahead of the likes of Bellamy and Maxi.
Leaving Henderson on the bench is more of a tactical move (and he clearly has potential for the future) but dumping Carroll and Downing on the bench is, IMO, tantamount to a vote of no confidence. If Dalglish believed they were good enough to make a different he would've started with them, especially in one of the biggest games of the season.
I'm personally happy to see the likes of Downing and Carroll used as squad players, but given the amount of money spent on them, that is unlikely to happen. Their price-tags dictate that they'll be back in the starting line-up sooner rather than later, and the fluidity and effectiveness of the team will inevitably suffer.
Charlie Adam
Another top performance by the Scottish International; He was heavily involved in both goals, and his pass for Johnson prior to the winning goal was a thing of beauty. That's 2 goals and 5 assists for Adam this season now, which is a bigger Specific, Measurable Creative Contribution (SMCC) than Henderson, Downing and Carroll combined.
Craig Bellamy
3 starts: 2 goals and 1 assist. Clearly, when you start Bellamy, he invariably delivers, and in my view, he should start every league game. The quick-passing between Bellamy, Suarez and Maxi for the first goal was superb, and that trio should play together as often as possible. Bellers' work-rate was also immense during the game, and his constant hassling of Chelsea's players paid dividends.
Luis Suarez
Not one El Pistolero's best performances, but one of the great things about Suarez is his 'never say die' attitude, which is something that separates him from the beleaguered Fernando Torres. Even when he's having a frustrating afternoon in front of goal, Suarez never lets his head go down, and he constantly harasses defenders, often forcing mistakes.
Martin Skrtel
Great defensive performance by Skrtel. He didn't put a foot wrong all afternoon, whereas his defensive partner Daniel Agger was partly to blame for Chelsea's equaliser. Jamie Carragher is fit again, but I would stick with Agger-Skrtel for the foreseeable future.
High defensive line
Agger may have been partly at fault for Chelsea's goal but he organised the defence superbly well, constantly cajoling his fellow defenders into pushing the defensive line higher and higher. This we as most effective in first half, and several times, the line was so high that it was actually in Chelsea's half!
Pressing in the first half
Chelsea were given no time on the ball in the first half, and Craig Bellamy typified Liverpool's 'defend from the front' approach. The closing down by Kuyt, Suarez, Maxi and Bellamy was excellent, and this was reflected all over the pitch, and Charlie Adam's hassling of Jon Obi Mikel led directly to Liverpool's first goal.
Lucas's passing
Lucas is not often renowned for his passing, but his distribution of the ball continues to get better and better. Given the position he plays, many of his passes tend be short and sideways, but as we saw at West Brom a few weeks ago, he is capable of incisive, play-making passes, and there plenty of those today.
The BAD
Second half pressing
Chelsea's players were given way too much space in the second half; Bellamy was shunted out to the left, and Maxi moved inside, and this disrupted the 'defend from the front' pressing-game that was so effective in the first half.
Playing too deep
As Chelsea grew in confidence and had more of the ball in the second half, Liverpool's defence dropped deeper and deeper, as did Lucas and Adam. This is a problem that has occurred many times this season, and the team has suffered as a result.
Having said that, the introduction of Daniel Sturridge - a faster and more attack-minded player than Jon Obi Mikel - meant that, for this particular game, dropping deeper was inevitable, and perhaps even necessary at times.
Set pieces
Charlie Adam had a great game overall but his set-pieces today were pretty poor; I don't recall any of his corners or free-kicks beating the first man. Suarez also had a poor free kick that didn't even hit the target.
The UGLY
Glen Johnson's defensive frailty
Johnson deserves all the credit in the world for scoring the sublime winning goal, but, once again, his defensive fragility was clearly exposed. Chelsea had a field day down the right hand side all afternoon, especially in the second half. Florent Malouda in particular got the better of Johnson time and time again, and exploited his poor positioning and suspect concentration levels.
It's almost a cliché to mention this now but Johnson's goal provides more persuasive evidence that he should play on the right wing. Liverpool fans have been calling for that change ever since he arrived, and it still hasn't happened.
It's a no-brainer: Liverpool need a right-winger, and we have one who isn't being used.
Andy Carroll
Carroll was only the pitch for a few minutes but it was still painful to watch. He couldn't control the ball; hold it up, or even deliver an accurate throw in. He lumbered about like the uncoordinated lummox that he is, showing yet again that he does not fit into this Liverpool side. He should be playing for Bolton or Aston Villa, not Liverpool.
OVERALL
A brilliant victory and a great confidence booster. That's 9 games unbeaten now, and I really hope Dalglish keeps the same XI for the Man City game. I can't see the sense in changing a winning team, or dropping players like Bellamy and Maxi, but I'm sure both will be back on the bench for the next game; and if that happens, it will be the wrong decision (IMO).
I reiterate: BELLAMY: Three starts - two goals and 1 assist. MAXI: Three starts - two goals and 1 assist.
Enough said.
Jaimie Kanwar
Carroll,Downing and Henderson on the bench is a damning indictment on our summer transfer policy. Shocking. With that money it should have propelled us into the top 4 already ( that may well still happen). great win and you've said in your article what i think. Well summarised Jamie. Can't argue with the content
ReplyDeleteCan we have the correct result please!
ReplyDeleteAagh! I had last season's result in mind for some reason. Thanks for spotting that.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, Frank. I think Henderson will come good at some point in the future but Downing and Carroll = a total waste of 55m.
ReplyDeleteHave to agree that Johnson is a right winger and Kelly should play right back.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, following your logic, Kelly should play at right-back with Johnson on the right wing. The negative of that would be missing out on Kuyt's defensive contribution (or Maxi's clever runs) ...
ReplyDeleteWhat say you?
... and a small correction (sorry for being pedantic), £85 million of talent on the bench!
ReplyDeleteI don't think Johnson should play *every* game on the right wing; he would just be another option, and he could compete with Kuyt for the position. He just should't play at right back. And surely given his experience at right back, he'd be able to to provide some kind of defensive contribution from the right wing/ The difference is his mistakes higher up the pitch wouldn't be as fatal as they are in defence.
ReplyDeleteFootball is all about opinions. Like I said earlier and am not prepared to go into todays game into too much detail.
ReplyDeleteJoin the band wagon,, beat CFC at Stamford Bridge we deserve to be challenging for the title!! No Chance.
Just coz we have spent over £100m this summer does not mean we deserve anything especially top 4!!
What happens when we dont make it this year? Sack KK?? We have spent all this money we deserve this now!!! Bullshit, it is all work in progress, I would rather see our bench today to contain DOWNING, CARROLL, HENDERSON, Carragher etc.... as opposed to COLE, BABEL, EL ZHAR, INSUA!!!
Enough said!! Enjoy where the SQUAD is at and lets not be too judgemental with selection for Man City at Home!!!!!
Love to know who you would suggest we sign apart from Carroll and Downing!!
ReplyDeleteProblem with Johnson is he tucks in to much when defending nearly taking a CB position,if we play him at RW will we have the samething like we had with Riise and lose the attacking side of his game Johnson is at his best when he his on the move when he receives the ball and not standing position when beating his man that is why he his Englands best RB because of his overlapping runs down the RW.
ReplyDeleteJohnson is 26yrs old now, why haven't any of his Managers thought of this before now!!!??Just aint gona happen!!!!We have more than 1 better option wide right than Johnson, Square pegs and round holes!!!
ReplyDeleteLet the lad just learn to defend!!!and stay fit!!!
No, you're right: they were the only two players in world football available for a combined 55m. Liverpool clearly had no choice.
ReplyDelete1. Carroll is only 22, doubt we should be writing him of yet.
ReplyDelete2. Downing has created clear cut chances this season only for them to not be converted plus he has hit the woodwork 3 times. He cannot be awarded with assists if his team mates cannot score which has been a major problem this season, our team has failed to put away loads of chances. Is that Downing's fault? Would go for Downing any day over Maxi. Downing is quicker, crosses a ball, can score, much better defensively and over 90 minutes Downing will contribute much more to our play than what Maxi does.
3. As you say, Henderson is one for the future. Only 21 and is clearly not a winger but given time I am sure the 16mil will pay off in the long run.
4. Adam has been a fantastic signing.
5. Kuyt needs to move on, loses the ball far to often, his passing is becoming painful to watch, defenders have a easy time getting the better of him and he is damn slow. What has he done to justify a place in the starting eleven this season?
I reiterate: BELLAMY: Three starts - two goals and 1 assist. MAXI: Three starts - two goals and 1 assist.
6. Maxi actually has one start, one goal and zero assists in the EPL this season.
7. Johnson, why the hell are we wasting his talent at RB??? Pace, crossing abilty and goals is exactly what we need down the right wing. He did not win one tackle today and he got skinned on a couple of occasions against Chelsea. Defensively he is just not that good.
8. Agger and Skrtel seem to be forming a good partnership. Maybe Carra will be finding himself on the bench more often this season?
8. Suarez needs to try be more clynical.
9. Bellamy should be starting matches.
10. Looks like we have resolved our LB issues with Enrique.
11. Meireles and especially Torres must be thinking what the hell they have got themselves into :)
Cant think of anything else right now.
We'll have to agree to disagree re Downing and Carroll. Some players you can just see are not going to cut it. It was easy to see with the likes of Babel, Dossena, Degen, Pennant, Voronin, Jovanovic, Diouf, Diao, Le Tallec, Cheyrou etc etc. Carroll does not fit into a team that plays fast, flowing pass and move football; he just doesn't, not matter what way you look at it. Downing hasn't scored for England in 32 appearances, and hasn't so far for Liverpool in 14. He isn't going to be the creative, goal-scoring winger we need.
ReplyDeleteRe Maxi: where did I say I was just talking about the league? 3 starts in all competitions = 3 goals and 1 assist.
I still like Henderson and Downing both came on and did well Henderson again showing the fight and class he has got and what he has shown mainly as a sub great run and cross by Henderson cross to Downing nice lay off but again a forward blows it fars as I am concerned Downing has done everything to get an assist and a goal,just needs a break now and a few appearances from the bench.
ReplyDeleteThere will be games for Carroll like Everton,WBA,Newcastle and Stoke to name a few teams who will suit him more whilst he his still learning to play football!
Maxi is such an appropriate name; when he plays, we get Maxi-mum points :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat are you trying to say...that we bought a player for 35million and he doesn't know how to play football....personally i think its Ryan Babel who has reincarnated in his next life as CARROLL.
ReplyDeleteThey are going to put Carroll into boot camp I reckon he needs a night out and let his hair down!
ReplyDeletehendo has shown the most promise, but I still have faith that downing is on the point of exploding and caroll needs a goal. maybe another brace against city. In any case, very persuasive arguments for maxi and bellers to stay in the team.my view of maxi is that he linked very well with torres and now again with luis. his ability is to play the tippy tappa with the front man. and his goals return must be up there with garcia by now.
ReplyDeleteI must disagree about Henderson.... he has shown nothing to suggest that he will come through at some time in the future
ReplyDeleteRe #4, Adam had an awful game... his free kicks were a disaster, and his corners reminded me of the worst of Stevie G's...And he missed the tackle on Maluda to set up their goal...
ReplyDeleteRe # 10, Enrique gave away a goal today with a lack of basic marking... hard to argue that we have resolved our LB issues
I think Carroll will make it and become a great player for LFC. He is still learning how to play in a pass and move team. Premier League is littered with big money signings who havent worked out. Berbatov, Torres, Shevchenko to name a few. Going back a number of years I remember United signing Gary Birtles for what was a shed load of cash at the time. it didnt work out.
ReplyDeleteIts a topic that is full of opinions ours and yours will be proved right or wrong round about the first week in May !!!!!
2 assists, 1 goal give him time
ReplyDeleteJohnson isn't the best defensively, but he is no right midfielder. His frailty today was largely due to Kuyt leaving him exposed. Please tell me a right back who wouldn't struggle with Malouda and Cole running at them all game?
ReplyDeleteMy comment today has nothing to do with football. Instead i would like to offer my most sincere condolences to Brad for losing his young son. As a father to a young boy myself i could imagine the pain he and his family is going through.
ReplyDeleteOur thoughts are with you Brad and YNWA.
Pity that £55mln was spent only for us to realise £1.5mln Maxi and Free Bellamy are actually better for the team than the huge outlay.
ReplyDeleteOn the positive side, we all now know at least KD listens to fans who were crying out for the very team he selected today, it gave me a lot of confidence before the game even started.
Also great to see Henderson played in his preferred role where the game does not pass him by as it does when he is out wide.
he needs time in the reserves maybe... he's essentially a passenger when he's playing, and we are effectively playing with 10 men
ReplyDeleteHey Jaimie, is it true that you promised to give 500 GBP to a Hillsborough charity but now refuse?
ReplyDeleteps, how is the moderating going for the new Disqus messages??!!
ReplyDeleteMaxi and Bellamy worked because of Chelsea's high defensive line. While Downing is quicker than Maxi, Maxi has far more game intelligence. How do you think he manages to score almost every time he plays?
ReplyDeleteIt's that intelligence that allows him to get into the right place at the right time.
Ditto with Bellamy. It's always a joy for me to watch Bellamy play for Liverpool.
But against a team that puts all 11 men in their own half, that combination would have hardly worked IMHO
funny that, no mention of the t-shirts Liverpool fans before the game "Evra is a liar"....
ReplyDeletewe won against chelsea at stamford bridge, enough said!!! I will leave KK to sort out the failings as he is the coach and as a fan i will support the team and give my backing to the whole squad. Instead of trying to find opportunities to put people down i think when we win we should be celerating the fact we won against a very good team.
ReplyDeleteMore ramblings from arm chair fans including the writer of this article.
ReplyDeleteProof? The onus being not on the great victory at the Bridge but on the few minutes Carroll and Henderson were on the pitch. Enough said.
Still not hearing any names mentioned to alternative players.
ReplyDeleteSpurs really wanted carroll but could only afford £20m, we only paid over the odds at £30-£35m as it was all last minute coz that idiot waited til deadline day to force a move!! llorente at Athletico Bilbao would be my prefered option as a target man but it was never going happen due to Torres' hidden agenda of leaving it until deadline day!! In hindsight, we should not have rushed into Carroll deal but can understand the owners did not want January to be remembered for Traitor Torres!!!!
Keep hearing all this talk we need a lightening Quick Winger who scores goals, anyone know one available, for £20m????? Oh and has this Liverpool Mentality!!Whatever that is??
same old nonsense. Constant sniping at Dalglish, fantasy league and playstation expectations about what the team should be doing and what level they should be at, Dalglish gets it absolutely bang on but barely faint praise and no apology.
ReplyDeleteAre you really a Liverpool supporter?
The reason Babel failed was down to Babel. He was given chance after chance after chance to cement a 1st team place but he never took the opportunity. lets not forget that it was considered in football circles a real coup when we signed such a talented player. Wenger Wanted him, Chelsea wanted him plus numerous top sides in europe. BABEL LET HIMSELF DOWN
ReplyDeleteYou may be missing the point that Carroll was not available but Liverpool offered enough money to make him available which is what most clubs do.
ReplyDeleteIf the right money is offered for even Messi himself he may become available.
Noone knows for certain Spurs offered in excess of £20mln given they are facing hard times and are tightening their belts proved by how little they spent over the summer especially since Spurs usually buy a high value player.
For the record Spurs were also said to have bid £35mln for either Aguero or Rossi but this was refuted by both players clubs.
Carroll was made available at £35million but the contention that his pricing was always going to be Torres money less a certain number seems a bit financially reckless.
A player has got to be worth his value to Liverpool not how another club values a Liverpool player.
Blaming Torres for the deadline deals is not a very good reason given Liverpool could still have simply refused to sell at a time not favourable to them something Spurs did with Modric and before that stood firm on Berbatov.
When a player hands in a transfer request, its acknowledging there is a contract to be honoured and that wish does not have to be granted if its not in the club's best interests. Besides, Liverpool knew for the better part of at least 2 weeks that he wanted to go especially when Chelsea bid and Torres asked the club to listen to the offer.
Liverpool bought Carroll because either Dalglish or Commolli wanted him enough to value him at £35mln.
Personally I could suggest Adebayo who was valued at about £18mln and was available. Adebayo seems to have the same personality issues that attract controversy as Carroll does but Adebayo is a better footballer with more premiership experience and being available at half the Carroll price wcould have been a better choice.
It was terrible to see carroll again he couldnt even pass the ball and move his body, he just had to keep the ball and pass it as the time was running out but he didnt manage to do that even an amateur can do that, so so awful that lad will never get better just painful to watch Kenny must sell him asap or even loan him somewhere just please dont keep him here anymore hes a shame for this club.
ReplyDeleteTen things I realised after watching the match:
ReplyDelete1. Johnson may have won the man of the match award but his performance at the back was awful. Malouda and mata were toying with him throughout the match. Kelly should take his place in defense. We may not be that lucky next time. GJ is a good dribbler though, he can score goals and his crosses are not bad. All these are good attributes for a winger. He should be tried there.
2. Adam deserves to be man of the match. He dispossessed mikel and that lead to our first goal. He also delivered a perfect cross to the right to johnson and that lead to our second goal...However I still don`t understand what happened to his set pieces. I thought they were worth 14million! He has screwed up in 90% of his corners and freekicks for several matches now.
3. Bellamy maxi and suarez formed an awesome attacking trio. Hope they play more matches together. They are compatible with this fluid attacking football that dalglish is trying to implement in the team. All 3 of them are intelligent players, skillfull and capable of quick passing that could disrupt the organisation of even the best defenses in the league. It should be a no brainer to select bellamy and maxi everytime to play with luis suarez as they are the only one who can keep up with him. Caroll and kuyt lack the speed of thought, creativity, skills, and ability to read the game. They won`t be able to bring the best out of suarez. They will just get in his way.
4. Maxi again has proved that he has the intelligence and game reading ability to be able to position himself at the right place and at the right time. He was composed in front of the goal and clinical as usual.
5. Kuyt again was a liability in front as much as johnson was at the back. He missed a golden opportunity in front after henderson`s brilliant play down the right.
6. Henderson showed glimpses of his capacities again just like in the manu match. He tends to play better when he is introduced later in a match as a sub for some unknown reasons.
7. Can`t say anything about caroll and downing. They did not get much play time.
8. Did lucas play?
9. Torres and meireless. I`m glad they are not liverpool players anymore. They both sucks. It feels weird everytime seeing them in the chelsea jersey. The blue colour doesn`t even suit them.
10. I forgot to wear my pants...
Where was Kuyt's defensive contribution leading to Chelsea's goal, when Johnson had two men bearing down on him at pace from the left wing?
ReplyDeleteJohnson did play in midfield for Portsmouth actually. And he is a far more rounded peg for a midfield slot than a number of players we've played out wide in recent years.
ReplyDeleteBesides, just because a manager does or doesn't play in a certain position, that doesn't prove that the player is or is not suited to playing in that position anyway...
Who said anything about the title ScallyRyan? Funnily enough it is still going to be the target for Chelsea though in spite of it being very clear that their squad is no better than ours (and I would argue that Man U's and Arsenal's are not either).
ReplyDeleteThe difference is that Man U are going to aim for nothing less than the title, irrespective of what anybody else does. In contrast Liverpool are happy to seek out any other failing clubs so we can say "at least we're better than them"!
It was easy to see that Babel wasn't going to cut it? You seriously thought during his first season, "this guy is just never going to be good enough"??
ReplyDeleteCheck the number of league starts the guy made during his years at Anfield, not just his appearances - and this wasn't some great team in form that he was being left out of, but for some reason the players that failed the club week in week out escaped criticism while Babel was the scapegoat for their failings because he couldn't completely change the outcomes of games in his cameos. The biggest mistake that Babel made was failing to force a transfer elsewhere years ago
ReplyDeleteNo, I could see that he wasn't going to cut it because Rafa Benitez would not allow him to. It's not always the player's fault for failing at a club.
ReplyDeleteIn his first season, Babel was dropped 10 times after scoring goals for Liverpool; that tells you everything you need to know about Benitez's handling of the player.
Basically, Babel was never going to make it at Liverpool because of the 'Benitez Effect'.
If another manager had been handling him right from the start then it may have been a different story.
Bang on mate. All of it.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that Johnson gets a mention in "The Ugly" for his defensive performance, but even amongst the numerous "Good" points (predictably including praise for Adam's cross field assist to Johnson - which still required him to run 20 yards past a couple of defenders with the ball before finishing) there is no room to make any note of Johnson's attacking play...
ReplyDelete8. Are you on drugs? Lucas had a very good game - AGAIN.
ReplyDelete6. Hendo - he's 21. Bringing him on means he gets to watch the play, get his instructions and he goes forth and executes energetically.
He's simply too inexperienced to lead a charge from the off, but is intelligent enough to play a role later in the game. Just part of development, and his right wing escapade should have resulted in a goal between downing, kuyt and suarez.
2. The big one. Adam.
He played a very good game today and setup both goals, though they both required superb play to finish them off.
But not MoTM for me. That goes to Reina for his save keeping out the header from the free kick.
Those almost always go in and it was quite incredible that he saved that after our defence totally failed to defend the free kick.
Adam had a very good game [for almost the whole match, except part of the 2nd half] but it was because of the system he did well. He had to hold his position for the team to keep its shape and limit his forward wanderings.
It was the 4 mobile, interchanging forwards in front of him, and the surrounding the ball hassling, that meant he didn't have to / wasn't supposed to go forwards so much.
And that gave his best performance this season after some very ordinary games from him.
It has to be said, Mikel was clueless but Adam wasn't at all effective when Mata came into the centre (not easy however). Citeh will again show up those frailties next weekend.
He often loses the ball running forward and did so again yesterday, it's very predictable, its just he didn't do that so much this game because of the system of hassling for the ball and releasing the forwards with a pass.
5. Kuyt was at fault for the goal, not tracking Terry down the wing. that would have released Johnson to attack Malouda.
Adam tried to make up for Kuyt by catching up with Malouda, but did his usual running right up behind the player not to the side so couldn't make the challenge, but at least he tried. He needs to learn some of Lucas' challenging technique.
Good post though.
well said.
ReplyDeleteJohnson was better on the left wing than his normal right wing. Might be something to do with having to concentrate more when not in his natural position.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't get enough cover from Kuyt yesterday which is why they had so much success on that side. In fact Kuyt was responsible for the goal, by not tracking Terry, forcing Johnson to back off, cover the wide pass as Malouda closed in.
Pool have a squad of seniors whose contracts expire end of next season, which means most decisions on whether to extend them by 1 year get made next summer 2012.
That gives KK this season to get the new boys bedded in hence the game time they've had.
The older players bought have settled in pretty well (Enrique 26, Adam 26, Downing 27, Bellars 50) as you might expect from more experienced players and the young guys (FSG strategy) have lots of potential (Hendo 21, Carroll 22) hence need time and work to develop their game (as does Adam incidentally).
So there is method in the madness.
didn't pay £35m for him. get over it.
ReplyDeleteCarroll and Hendo bought for the future. Age 21 and 22. FSG strategy. Both with good potential, modest wages (for todays money) and committed without CL footy.
ReplyDeleteMay work, may not. But watching Carroll at Citeh last season showed more than enough potential if serviced properly.
what a dumb thing to say. Who was available?
ReplyDeletepossibly, but the £35m was never in the bank. The deal was Carroll plus £15m, apparently insisted upon by FSG. After that it was up to Abramovich.
ReplyDeleteNoone on this site wants to accept that.
And in 2 years after they have been developed will your opinion still be valid?
ReplyDeleteHave many people on here played football? Sunday league even? Do you realise how difficult it is to come on after 89 minutes of watching? You need a feel for the game, for the ball even, and when your full teams trying to hang on to a lead and putting 11 men behind the ball an hoofing it an their aren't many options it's actually quite difficult. Will people get off Carrolls back? He didn't choose his price, it's been paid, he's 22, Capello saw potential, Dalglish does, Shearer does, an many more managers and players. And I respect the opinions of players pundits and managers more then Kanwar the critic. Newcastle fans loved him too, and I'm sure from the goals he's scored so far that people must be able to see talent, he just needs time.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Like a true fan.
ReplyDeleteThe last 10 games of this season are the time for this [new] team. Everyone north of Lucas is new so rather than fit into a system this lot have to create a new system, discover it's mistakes and variations and put them right.
That's tough, and yet they could have won every game bar Spurs.
Maturing as a unit takes time hence I think we'll have a strong run in to the end of the season, and generally you only bring in a couple of players at a time so they can fit into an existing system.
We're suffering because of the disaster that was the 2010 transfer window, but when you've got Purslow and Hodgson it can only be a disaster.
he didn't do so well yesterday!
ReplyDeletewhat 'fatal' mistakes did he make yesterday?
ReplyDeletespot on.
ReplyDeletehe was very good coming on yesterday. He's only 21.
ReplyDeleteas a sub, he sees the game, gets his instructions and executes energetically.Couple of seasons and he should get the experience to lead the charge. FSG strategy. Silly price but the big picture is sound.
The game time given to the new players will pay dividends at the back end of the season, and the seniors are all there for the big cahuna games.
Adam had his best game yet in a red shirt, having been mostly very ordinary and very limited this season.
ReplyDeleteHowever as soon as Mata moved into the centre, he certainly couldn't cope - not that it's easy mind you.
So what Dd we pay?
ReplyDeleteI totally understand the point with the Carroll saga.We paid over the odds for Carroll because CFC paid absolutely ridiculous money for a striker past his best. Torres did in fact ask LFC to listen to CFC offer but left it til deadline day to force the transfer through.
ReplyDeleteLFC could have been firm and refused but with the way Torres was playing in the past 12months sulking and constantly moaning at all his team mates, it made no sense to keep a player who does not want to play for our club.No matter who he is!!!
Last time I checked, Spurs sold Berbatov to Man Utd for £30m but fair play to them with Modric! Definately worth keeping!!
Adebayor may have cost around £20m but the bloke is on nearly £200,000 a week and no where near worth that money! More experience but he has only scored more than 15 goals in one season and in my opinion is far over rated and inconsistent.
I would personally take a hit on Carroll now and cut the losses if an offer of £20m could be received but will not be too disappointed if KK gives him more of a chance than most of the supporters I regularly speak with.
It is not his fault KK or DC have paid way over the odds and are buying potential as opposed to proven experience but being a Liverpool fan I have great experience of being an optomist and will hope Carroll can prove me and many other LFC fans wrong.
Agree with almost all this article. Surely it is time to try Johnson as a right-winger. For the first game in some time he has recovered his full pace and he looks a constant menace going forward at Stamford Bridge. To state the obvious again, he looks a constant menace to LFC at the back. His passing accuracy is excellent and as his goal demonstrated his speed would allow him to be a constant target for long-accurate balls from Charlie Adam or other players.
ReplyDeletewe handed over Torres and got Carroll plus £15m, That was the deal. Whatever Carroll's price was, we would still have got £15m in cash plus the player.
ReplyDeleteWe never had £35m in the bank.