Having players that can receive the ball under pressure and not only keep it but do something positive with it immediately elevates the level of your team. I've talked about it for years with regards to Barcelona and how much of a contribution it makes to their whole game. So it was great to watch Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling and Coutinho (when on form) bring that kind of quality to Liverpool.
I don't know if people appreciate that sort of shit but it's like some of the stuff Sterling and Sturridge were doing against Spurs... besides being a joy to watch, it changes the dynamic of a game.
The summer before last I was desperate for a midfielder. It was my number one priority. There was little cohesion, limited ability to dictate the tempo of the game in midfield and for me it was the main reason the defence suffered as much as it did. I figured Rodgers would have to make a decision with regards to Allen. He didn't. In fact, the midfield didn't seem to bother him at all and we went on to have a brilliant season leaving me wondering if I'd gotten it all wrong.
I don't think I did.
The game today and the one last week remind me of a couple seasons back. It's the same lack of cohesion from attack to defence and the midfield... non-existent. The difference last season was that we had a clutch of players that could all receive the ball and in an instant put the opposition on the backfoot, which massively alleviated the pressure on the midfield. Obviously we've lost Suarez, but perhaps have underestimated the loss of form of Coutinho and Sturridge's absence. It's left us with Sterling on his own trying to run things and it's to his credit that he's done as good as job of it as he has, but it's just not enough. The onus has shifted back onto the midfield (and to an extent the defence) and they've come up short. Gerrard has been singled out and whilst he's been poor, it's a wider problem.
Today, Lallana helped when he came on because he posseses some of that quality but it wasn't enough and the damage had already been done. Ballotelli is not a bad player but he's nothing like what we're used to. He needs service (aimless hoofs don't count). Everyone was worried he'd let us down but it's been the other way round so far.
Rodgers got it wrong today. Other teams have worked us out now. They know that if they press us high up the pitch, we'll cave because we panic in our own half. Lucas and Gerrard are too one-paced and seem to be lost with the opposition running rings around them. The defence changed again. Borini seems to possess the right qualities on paper but he was anonymous as I expected him to be.
And then there was the substitution of Manquillo and formation change (to what, I don't know). Every time we had a corner, the ball landed on their left wing and they countered. We had nobody there because we had no RB and Skrtel tucked in. They hit us there time and time again and it really damaged our ability to keep the pressure on. Also, why the fuck was Sakho receiving the ball on out on the left at the halfway line? Was he playing LB? What in fucks name was going on with our shape?
Two defeats on the trot, several steps backwards and perhaps his most important player at this point out injured.... this is where we find how much substance there is behind the Rodgers hype.
I don't know if people appreciate that sort of shit but it's like some of the stuff Sterling and Sturridge were doing against Spurs... besides being a joy to watch, it changes the dynamic of a game.
The summer before last I was desperate for a midfielder. It was my number one priority. There was little cohesion, limited ability to dictate the tempo of the game in midfield and for me it was the main reason the defence suffered as much as it did. I figured Rodgers would have to make a decision with regards to Allen. He didn't. In fact, the midfield didn't seem to bother him at all and we went on to have a brilliant season leaving me wondering if I'd gotten it all wrong.
I don't think I did.
The game today and the one last week remind me of a couple seasons back. It's the same lack of cohesion from attack to defence and the midfield... non-existent. The difference last season was that we had a clutch of players that could all receive the ball and in an instant put the opposition on the backfoot, which massively alleviated the pressure on the midfield. Obviously we've lost Suarez, but perhaps have underestimated the loss of form of Coutinho and Sturridge's absence. It's left us with Sterling on his own trying to run things and it's to his credit that he's done as good as job of it as he has, but it's just not enough. The onus has shifted back onto the midfield (and to an extent the defence) and they've come up short. Gerrard has been singled out and whilst he's been poor, it's a wider problem.
Today, Lallana helped when he came on because he posseses some of that quality but it wasn't enough and the damage had already been done. Ballotelli is not a bad player but he's nothing like what we're used to. He needs service (aimless hoofs don't count). Everyone was worried he'd let us down but it's been the other way round so far.
Rodgers got it wrong today. Other teams have worked us out now. They know that if they press us high up the pitch, we'll cave because we panic in our own half. Lucas and Gerrard are too one-paced and seem to be lost with the opposition running rings around them. The defence changed again. Borini seems to possess the right qualities on paper but he was anonymous as I expected him to be.
And then there was the substitution of Manquillo and formation change (to what, I don't know). Every time we had a corner, the ball landed on their left wing and they countered. We had nobody there because we had no RB and Skrtel tucked in. They hit us there time and time again and it really damaged our ability to keep the pressure on. Also, why the fuck was Sakho receiving the ball on out on the left at the halfway line? Was he playing LB? What in fucks name was going on with our shape?
Two defeats on the trot, several steps backwards and perhaps his most important player at this point out injured.... this is where we find how much substance there is behind the Rodgers hype.
