In his press conference yesterday, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers suggested that a fatal lack of 'patience' is the main reason for last Sunday's 2-0 home defeat against Chelsea, a result that puts a major crimp in LFC's title chances. There's undoubtedly merit to Rodgers' contention, but Reds legend Jan Molby insists that something totally different is to blame for the damaging Anfield defeat.
In his column for the Liverpool Echo today, Molby described the Chelsea defeat as 'hugely frustrating', and laid the blame firmly at the feet of the players. He explained:
"I don’t know if panic is the right word but we made a lot of mistakes. Too many [players] tried to take it into their own hands to get us back into the game rather than doing it together as a team".
Clearly, Molby is accusing certain players of selfishness here, and for betraying the team-ethic that has served the Reds so well this season, but is this fair, and if so, to whom is he referring? The two main possibilities (IMO):
* Steve Gerrard: Desperate to atone for his mistake, Gerrard repeatedly took long-range shots in a bid to make amends (8 of which were from outside the box), and five of those shots were woefully off-target. Perhaps passing in those positions was a better option?
* Luis Suarez: At 71%, the Uruguayan had the lowest passing accuracy of anyone in the team, which suggests many of his passes went astray, and/or he tried to do too much on his own, which led to situations where passes could be easily intercepted.
Molby is rarely shy about naming names when he criticises the team, and in my view, he made a general comment here because he didn't want to name Suarez and Gerrard.
Those two didn't have their usual impact on the game, and their growing frustration possibly led to them trying to do more by themselves, but I personally don't think that's selfishness. In other games, the same tactic - particularly from Suarez - has been successful, but against Chelsea, it just didn't happen.
Are there any other players from the Chelsea game who can be fairly accused of selfishness?
Author: Jaimie K
In his column for the Liverpool Echo today, Molby described the Chelsea defeat as 'hugely frustrating', and laid the blame firmly at the feet of the players. He explained:
"I don’t know if panic is the right word but we made a lot of mistakes. Too many [players] tried to take it into their own hands to get us back into the game rather than doing it together as a team".
Clearly, Molby is accusing certain players of selfishness here, and for betraying the team-ethic that has served the Reds so well this season, but is this fair, and if so, to whom is he referring? The two main possibilities (IMO):
* Steve Gerrard: Desperate to atone for his mistake, Gerrard repeatedly took long-range shots in a bid to make amends (8 of which were from outside the box), and five of those shots were woefully off-target. Perhaps passing in those positions was a better option?
* Luis Suarez: At 71%, the Uruguayan had the lowest passing accuracy of anyone in the team, which suggests many of his passes went astray, and/or he tried to do too much on his own, which led to situations where passes could be easily intercepted.
Molby is rarely shy about naming names when he criticises the team, and in my view, he made a general comment here because he didn't want to name Suarez and Gerrard.
Those two didn't have their usual impact on the game, and their growing frustration possibly led to them trying to do more by themselves, but I personally don't think that's selfishness. In other games, the same tactic - particularly from Suarez - has been successful, but against Chelsea, it just didn't happen.
Are there any other players from the Chelsea game who can be fairly accused of selfishness?
Author: Jaimie K
It will be another 23 years before they get close to winning the title again too! Especially now they have to play 'midweek' games next season. Remember those?
ReplyDeleteNot selfishness,uselessness.
ReplyDeleteI'm talking about Lucas,he's useless.
What is Molby hoping to achieve by saying this? Mistakes were made,we learn and move on. No need to heap more pressure on the team. We are very much in the title race and it's new territory for everyone,nerves will play a part. No matter what happens we will be better for the experience!
ReplyDeleteWe were looking for that bit of good fortune to go our way. I have no problem with Gerrard taking those shots from outside the box. We were not getting the ball into the box enough, so taking shots and hoping for it to hit the net, I'm ok with that. Especially if he's the one taking it.
ReplyDeleteAnd in terms of Suarez, he was playing difficult passes due to the sheer number of bodies in the box. As a result his accuracy % will go down.
I've said it all week long, I don't think we played poorly last Sunday. I think Chelsea players deserve accolades for staying disciplined defensively. They received some luck to prevent the goals and get a couple of their own. We received no good fortune. It happens.
I read those comments and agree he's probably talking about Gerrard - after his mistake was on a one man mission, and about half of his efforts were from poor positions, timing, a pass would have been better - the other half were decent, the time was right for the effort.
ReplyDeleteAs for Suarez, no, he might have made some mistakes, but not being selfish, he set up the best chances for liverpool, often passing, when maybe he should have shot. Pass % is due to positioning in the final third, with 2 men on him, and another 8 in the area.
Selfishness, well, Johnson with his shots, and general holding onto the ball till he loses it. Coutinho's shots from 30 yards+, though a lot of his play was good - he never scores from that distance and wastes opportunities.
Sterling perhaps should have attempted a few shots, he had none. But after his goal against Norwich, he should have been confident with an effort from outside.
What is Molby's deal? I never see anything positive from him, always with the criticism, not even as if he was a great player....
ReplyDeleteDefinition of Selfish- Adebayor. Player who refuses to get hit by the ball while standing in a wall against Stuart Downing.
ReplyDeleteIt was just a case of a lack in composure from our team. The players take their cue from Gerrard.
It was a case of pool trying to play too fast and too eager - Chelsea repeatedly threw us off with delaying tactics as well as negative approach. Sadly our guys weren't mature enough to keep our own pace and tried to overcompensate by some very harried, impatient, and careless football. The anxiety and discomfort showed as the team repeatedly crashed against the Chelsea brick wall.
ReplyDeleteI hope our team learns from this mistake. A better team would have been more composed, more assured with their possession and patiently find a way to break down the opposition defense.
I'm an evertonian, through and through! for tonight!
ReplyDeleteSelfish isn't really the right word here. I think players felt under pressure and lost their perspective, started acting out of desperate instincts. It's not really selfish when you try and be the hero, it's just misguided. Selfish would be keeping the ball because you wanted the glory for yourself and I don't think that was the motivation. Everyone wanted to do something for the team, they just forgot that what's best for the team is to stick to the plan and be patient.
ReplyDeleteIn hindsight we did not need to chase the game and could have taken a more pragmatic safety first approach because a draw would have been enough to maintain our title chase in our own hands.I'm rooting for everton to get some points off city and get us back in that title chase .Cheers
ReplyDeleteMy heavens Everton Taking the lead!
ReplyDeletebarkley
ReplyDeleteDid you ever see him play?
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid Everton aren't breaking much sweat now..........trouble.
ReplyDeleteWe just need the game to end in a draw.
ReplyDeleteEh... I know that,but if this is setting the tone we're doomed.The fans are really showing their colours.
ReplyDeleteThey want to win the game. Nobody likes to lose.
ReplyDeleteNot good. 1-2 City
ReplyDeleteHoward throwing the game...
ReplyDeleteFlat atmosphere. It's almost as if the Everton fans don't want their team to win!
ReplyDeleteOr more like they do not want want us to win the league.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're getting the message now.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the 'almost',they just don't.
ReplyDeletethe players are doing their best, but the supporters wouldn't mind city to win
ReplyDeleteEx Scum,no surprise.
ReplyDeleteyep... Everton's attack seem to want the victory to me though
ReplyDeletebaines is doing f-all, naismith--- frankly i don't understand Everton's high position with a player like him in the team. Only Lukaku, Barkley and Coleman seem to be genuinely capable and interested in getting a win.
ReplyDeleteNow Souness & Jamie speaking for Sky producers,not their personal opinion.
ReplyDeletecome on barkley, and naismith if he scores, i'll take back everything I said against him.
ReplyDeleteGame over, Everton totally throw the match...
ReplyDeletenow we have to hope for a miracle in their next 2 games (and winning ours) to win the title.
yup Everton's defence isn't interested.
ReplyDeleteTrue,now the fans are having a little shout,probably don't want to be humiliated.
ReplyDeleteif they throw rhe match they could at least get mauled so that the day is not totally lost ;)
ReplyDelete(winning the title on goal diference is pretty much impossible to me considering our defence anyway)
Yep,it's all about silly defensive mistakes earlier in the season.
ReplyDeletegone now Man C are dicking Everton
ReplyDeleteEverton Fans really need to get rid of their small club mentality.
ReplyDeleteLukaku!!!!
ReplyDeleteNot yet! It's not over yet!
ReplyDeleteHello. It's not over yet. That's the first cheer I've heard from the Blues fans.
ReplyDeleteSo so true.
ReplyDeleteToure has gone off now. That can only be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's rather pathetic....They'd rather see us not win the league rather than them possibly getting into the CL.
ReplyDeleteEverton fans not celebrating, pathetic.
ReplyDeleteonly now they're getting behind their team
ReplyDeleteWhat a save Howard!
ReplyDeletewait ! howard is a goalkeeper ? the game made me think otherwise ;)
ReplyDeletebaines might be going to united next season. he's total crap today
ReplyDeleteglad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeletecmon Everton one more goal
ReplyDeletehe's playing the 'United 'way.
ReplyDeleteFookin Djeko
ReplyDeletefarcical
ReplyDeleteOh look, Dzeko's fine. There's a shock.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope his antics come back to bite City in the arse!
ReplyDeleteGame over.
ReplyDeletewhat a shity team city has been today... totally not deserve the win
ReplyDeleteSo City may have won but there are still 2 games to play. Anything can happen. We just need to make sure we win both our matches. YNWA
ReplyDeleteGoodison Park. Everton fans singing about Gerrard when losing. Only back their team late on. The talent in that team does not deserve shit bitters.
ReplyDeletenothing over yet, big andy, steward and joe - make us dream!
ReplyDeleteYNWA
All the same, things look bleak when you need favours from Villa or West Ham. Perspective is required though; whatever happens we've had a brilliant season.
ReplyDeleteStating the obvious.
ReplyDeleteyeah we've got 80 points this season already. And if we win both games who knows. 86 points and still no title then fair play to City.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't trust any of them to butter a slice of toast,never mind play football.
ReplyDeleteVilla beat City earlier in the season.
ReplyDeleteHopefully West Ham parks the bus ;-)
ReplyDeleteMan Shitty won it 2 more possible miracles left
ReplyDeleteI think the Hammers only got a Mini Cab
ReplyDeleteI suppose it is a convertible if Carroll will be driving it
ReplyDeletethe one good thing bout the season, is that city doesn't get much of a break after this. they play midweek.
ReplyDeleteI propose a new rule:
ReplyDeleteWhen a player is injured and lying on the field, he is timed. For whatever amount that time is, he is sent to the sideline and not allowed back onto the field. So if he lies "writhing" in pain for 5 minutes on the field, he's not allowed to enter the game again for 5 minutes.
If he's legitimately injured and cannot continue, the team can make a substitution, which can enter right away.
So in today's example:
Edin Dzeko was "hurt" for 6 minutes. After being on the sideline for approximately 45 seconds, he entered the game again.
Under my scenario, if he were to stay in the game, he would have to stay on the sideline and Man City would have had to play a man down for 6 minutes, or substitute him out of the game altogether.
All this talk that we should have parked the bus against Chelsea is nonsense IMO. We dnt have the players to do it and even if we did I think such a shock change of tactics would have unsettled the team so much we would have lost doing that. My heart goes out to Stevie G he will forever blame himself for the season and if he never wins a title it will gnaw in his gut until he dies. Stevie has had an amazing season and he's one of the big reasons LFC had a chance at all. Anyone with a little empathy must get an inkling of the pain he's feeling. I hope the fans at the last home game really try to lift him. Thank you Captain Fantastic Liverpool Legend
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. We would have been humiliated if we had tried to park the bus.
ReplyDeleteto be fair it was a tactical error from br - he as admitted as much. had we too played defensive and protrected our goal - it would have been a drab affair but 1 point would have been enough.
ReplyDeletehowever br played the way he has played this year - and it has been so successful - and even enjoyable to watch. So we cant really criticise him too much.
We just have to win our 2 games and hope city slip up - maybe andy caroll might win us the league and justify the £35 million kenny paid for him!
Lucas is playing out of position simply because gerard has been so successful. Maybe Br should have swopped him for the game!
Damn! Gerrard and Suarez can't be perfect every game?! And they were "trying to hard"? Well string em up then. We can't have Players trying too hard can we!!!?
ReplyDeleteI really like Molby, but sometimes he goes overboard. Geez, give the players a break. Eleven wins on the trot was going to end sometime (despite my hopes we could close the season out with fourteen). Chelsea executed their anti-football clinically and we ran out of options. It happens. What the players need now is support especially from influential people like Molby.
ReplyDelete100%correct my friend.....
ReplyDeleteI didn't think sterling was selfish enough!
ReplyDeleteSo when one of your men is genuinely hurt and needs say 3-4 mins of treatment after a bad tackle you also lose him for 4 mins or have to sub him?
ReplyDeleteNot the best plan, but I know how you feel. Dzeko wasted ages pretending to be injured, the ref should have got him off the pitch ASAP and not let him back on for ages see how quick he would have recovered then...
Correct on many points, did think the same about Lucas & Gerrard but then it's just a case of being smart after the event.
ReplyDeleteWe were mainly naive on the day with dealing with the Chelsea strategy, it was a game separated into minor details. Coutinho & Sakho could have made more of the early half chances, might have forced Chelsea into a new plan.
Yeah, hopefully Downing and Carroll will have a final say for LFC.
I was thinking about this scenario when I wrote that idea yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI guess my rebuttal to that would be: if he's that hurt that he needs treatment for 3-4 minutes, he shouldn't be able to get on the pitch right away because he was that hurt. I would make the argument that it's in the best interest of the player's help to force him to rest for at least a brief period of time.
And if he's that hurt, the team would have to seriously consider taking him off anyway.
And furthermore, I think what this will do is make the players "tougher" so that they aren't looking to go to ground to waste time. With the idea that there is a potential cost to needing that treatment, I think you'll see that magically less and less players will require it.
For example: In America, in the NFL, we have a rule where a player who has to come off the field due to injury, has to sit out at least one play. And if he has concussion-like symptoms, he has to pass a concussion test before being allowed back on the field.
Obviously, it's a bit more complicated because of timing structure in the games. But the overall concept is there.
How is Molby's contention any different, much less "totally different" than Rodgers'? Molby just used a different phrasing. Rodgers' said we lacked patience, which we did because Chelsea frustrated us with their time wasting and defensive tactics, and the result of lacking patience was to make mistakes, try to do things all by yourself, etc. They're both making the same point and they're both right, Molby just used harsher words. I don't blame Gerrard at all for shooting either, he's one of the best long range shooters ever IMO...but there was one tactical change I would've liked to see from Rodgers in the last half hour. Suarez was playing through the middle, and every once and awhile drifted out wide and created danger...I would've liked to see him move out wide and get fed the ball and attack in along the touchline towards the goal, not just once in awhile but constantly. I think that would have caused Chelsea a lot of problems, they really had us stifled through the middle.
ReplyDelete