Goodbye Stevie G

photo by StewieD	via PhotoRee

Correspondent Scott's final love song to Steven Gerrard:

In the end, it all unraveled so tragically. Ousted from the FA Cup by Aston Villa before collapsing at the end of the season in the league, Steven Gerrard certainly deserved a better swan song. So anemic were Liverpool's performances at the end of number 8's time at Anfield that, instead of the celebratory send off the Liverpudlian Lifer deserved, his legacy stumbled to the finish in cringe-worthy fashion, his late goals notwithstanding.

 

Fortunately, the broom of time will sweep away the refuse that was May 2015 and, left behind near the Shankly Gates, will be the shining moments of a truly brilliant career, spent entirely at the club of his boyhood, the club of his birth.

 

While the league title evaded Gerrard during his illustrious career, that fact must balanced against the respect and esteem he has garnered for his loyalty to one club during an era of ever-increasing short-cut transfers for riches and glory. Saying no to the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid, Liverpool's long-time captain chose to remain a Red and fight for the title with them. That he fell short of that goal takes none of the shine from his sterling career. And, that his powers began to fail toward the end of his stay at Anfield, similarly, subtracts nothing from his achievements or legacy.

 

Ins and Outs

In which Scott is judgmental:

With only half a handful of games left in the current season, most Liverpool eyes are cast forward with anticipation to the summer transfer window, now that Top 4 is but a shiny toy yanked from reach just as the Reds leaped to claim it. Rather than futilely jumping again and again, now is the time to build the ladder, with fresh players, that will climb to the summit of the Premier League once more.

Who will stay and who will go?  Much has been written on the topic, but a few things stand out:

Balotelli just didn't work out and needs to be moved on. His style doesn't fit the current system and, despite flashes of brilliance, his frustration gets the better of him too often and his work rate barely registers at times. I still believe he is too often unfairly maligned, but his skill set is better suited for a different style of play.

Given that I was ready to write him off two years ago, along with most others, I can't believe I'm saying this but Henderson should be Gerrard's heir apparent to the Captaincy. The example of his work rate alone would be a fine contribution to that position, but his increasing ability to score and make the incisive pass puts him over the top. And with Gerrard gone next year, he won't have to captain sheepishly from the shadows.

Gerrard going to MLS is one of the blessings of this season. He was going to have to be more and more marginalized, so difficult for all parties when such a legend is involved. And the team can certainly use his wages for in in incoming talent. 

Stevie G is Tired: Ruminations on the FA and League Cups

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...from Correspondent Ed:

The League Cup and the FA Cup have taught us some lessons.  First, the difference between the top tier of English football and the middle tiers isn't that much.  Part of this is the higher level of play in the lower leagues than in the past.  Part is also that the premier league teams just aren't that good.  And of course there's that difference between teams that want it more and teams that don't. It's amazing how far hustling will get you.

 

But again, let's not diminish the abilities of some of these lower level teams.  Bradford City at times looked phenomenal against Chelsea-- consider their last goal, patience in a tight spot, a terrific run, and clean finish.  And so did Middlesbrough.  Dare we also say Cambridge?  Well maybe not, but they did seem to reveal the overall weakness of the fourth place team in the league.

 

And what if that pesky Liverpool team? Well, they looked pretty good at times against Chelsea in the league cup, even for a team without a striker.  Had that team included Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, would it have even been close?

 

And what of MLS bound Stevie G.?  Did he look old?  Did he look slow?  Well, in my opinion he looked the smartest man on the pitch, making great passes and runs out of an unfamiliar right forward position.  On defense, he effectively closed down Nemanja Matic on several occasions.  Consider also Steven Gerrard's replacement at the holding position, Lucas Leiva.  Lucas was certainly all over the field but his reckless tackles gave him one yellow and could easily have had him tossed out with a second yellow at least three times thereafter.

 

Stamford Bridge is Falling Down?

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Correspondent Scott may not be so happy by this time next week:

Liverpool thoroughly outplayed Chelsea in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final leg at Anfield.  Unfortunately, of their 19 shots (6 on target), they only converted one, largely due to the heroic efforts of Thibault Courtois.  Meanwhile, a lackluster Chelsea squad managed only two shots with only one of those on target.  Yet, theirs being a penalty, the final score ended even and sets the stage for a must-score situation for the Reds in the return fixture.  Scotland Yard needs to investigate this most outrageous of stolen victories.

 

I can happily write that reports of Liverpool’s demise this season were premature.  They may not consistently keep this form through the end of the season but they are winning games and dominating top competition.  With a more settled back three of Can, Skrtl and Sakho, a re-found Lucas, the surging Moreno and Markovic, the sparingly used Gerrard, the workhorse Henderson, the shifty Coutinho and the speedy Sterling, Liverpool gave the visiting Blues much more than they could handle.  They attacked, they pressed and they eventually starting picking the locks on Chelsea’s defense.  Were it not for an unfortunate error by Emre Can who then overcommitted and bundled Eden Hazard, it would be the Reds now in pole position.

 

Kandy Kaned, Glovers and Stevie G.

Ed is still in the holiday mood:

Spurs are usually a team on decline in the festive season.  Too many games for too thin a squad.  But not this year.  After a scoreless draw against Manchester United (we’ll take it against that payroll), Harry Kane went big and busted up Chelsea for Spurs best win in the BPL perhaps . . . ever?

The emergence of Kane has dramatically changed Spurs.  With 17 goals in about as many games in all competitions, Spurs seem finally to have found their striker.  His emergence from the Spurs own academy makes it even sweeter.  One might be tempted to say that the team is finally catching on to Mauricio Pochettino’s direction — and I’d say there is something to that — but correlation is not equal to causation and it still remains difficult to tell.  Recall that the same was said of Brendan Rodgers brilliance when he had Suarez and Sturridge, but now that they’re gone the press would say he can’t get anything right.

Kane is not merely scoring, but he’s playing the target man especially welll, and he’s also taking the space aggressively with the dribble like few strikers I’ve seen in the league.  Kane isn’t that fast, but he’s fast enough and clever enough to use leverage and positioning to keep him in front of defenders.  He’s a pleasure to watch operate and will most certainly be called up for England in the future.

*    *    *

I should note my sorrow at the loss of the Yeovil Town Glovers at the hands of a somewhat fortunate Manchester United.  The Glovers gave 110%, and for most if not all of the match made me wonder why players like Rooney and Falcao were paid so much more than some of the players on the mid-third division team.

The FA Cup is a great competition, but at no time is it greater than the third round when premier league clubs have to play at tiny grounds throughout the country.  It’s simply a pleasure to see top tier players go against what appear to be true club teams on un-pampered (and sometimes awful) grounds.  There’s simply nothing more fun than watching Eden Hazard kick a ball into a tree behind the goal, or Steven Gerrard put one into a busy road next to the pitch.

*    *    *

Wait, did I mention Stevie G?  His departure from Liverpool will, I suspect, mark the

Mortality and Hope: Liverpool 1 - Stoke City 0

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Scott has some thoughts on this weekend's performance and more:

It was ugly. It was frustrating. It was close. And it was hard. But, in the end, thanks to Glen Johnson's brave header, Liverpool finally prevailed in the league. Many are pointing only to how hard it was. And still others, like correspondent Ed, are focusing solely on how poorly the Reds are playing of late. Ed and his ilk may, indeed, be right to do so because, let's face it, Liverpool have been simply awful over the last several games, and not much better before then.

 

But what I saw in this game, after what I hope and pray was the bottom of Liverpool football during a first half that saw nary a shot on goal, was the faintest glimmer of hope. Sure, Johnson's staple-stitch inducing header (for which, no doubt, he will receive a Purple Star) finally garnered 3 points. But more important to me was the 4 or 5 occasions in the second half when Liverpool produced legitimately dangerous passing combinations in and around the penalty area that showed they have not completely forgotten how to play attacking football in the forward third. May it be a harbinger of similar style….

 

o I think Gerrard's time as a starter is rapidly coming to an end. Quite frankly, his mobility is starting to remind me of what I see playing on Monday nights with Ed and the others of our generation. There comes a point when leadership can no longer overcome an aging body. Giving Emre Can an extended run of games seems to make sense. Stevie, you will always be our favorite talisman but the time is drawing near for us all to accept your mortality.

 

o Kolo Toure is proving himself once again. If he just keeps it simple and avoids the occasional aneurism, he can help our defensive efforts.

 

Pusillanimous Posse: Thoughts on Chelsea's Time Wasting Antics Against Liverpool

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Scott took quite some time to write this piece, but we wouldn't dare accuse him of time wasting:

 

Many of my fellow Liverpool fans are criticizing Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea team for “parking the bus” (a term that, apparently, Mourinho invented when previously deriding other teams for such tactics) against the Reds last Sunday.  While I sympathize and found the entire game an exercise in frustration, I will not be the hypocrite that Mourinho is and complain about overly defensive tactics.  As has been pointed out by others, we have all cheered our team’s defensive posture at one point or the other.  For me, the most memorable is the 1994 World Cup game when the US, even with a man advantage, parked the bus and threw away the keys in order to stay in the game with Brazil and only lose 1-0.  And I gleefully cheered every exhilarating clearance.

 

That is not to say I wasn’t sickened by what I saw last Sunday, because I was.  But rather than bemoaning Chelsea’s overwhelmingly defensive tactics, I was downright offended by the pusillanimous posse’s cowardly, and even comical at times, time-wasting antics that began as soon as the game did.  Even the Semifinal One (I wish I had come up with that) himself got into the act when he gathered a ball off touch, pretending to help, but then kept hold to bleed extra seconds off the clock and slow down everything. 

 

Ashley Cole, in particular, should be ashamed to get a view of his ridiculous haircut in the mirror for quite some time.  He was finally carded toward the end of the game for outrageous time-wasting, but not before he had successfully tied his shoe, dropped the ball, moved the free kick, etc. and, at one point, purposely and obviously failed to catch the ball that was supplied to him by a Liverpool player.  Have some pride you loser.  I can’t wait to see what the England locker room is like next time he snaps a towel at Gerrard or Sturridge or Henderson or….

 

Of course, Cole (my son hates that he shares that name) was not the only one to purposely and shamefully waste time right from the start.  Mark Shwarzer needed a map and compass to properly place every free kick he took, before then yielding said free kick to a team mate who had to trudge through the invisible molasses that must have covered the field.  When Branislav Ivanovic stooped down to tie his already-tied boots in order to delay (again) taking a freekick, had I been a player on the field, I would have channeled my inner Suarez and bitten the Serb myself.

Too Soon But Thickening: Liverpool 3 - Southampton 0

Scott is enjoying himself, almost as much as this guy here:

Still too soon for title talk, but the win over Southampton at St. Mary's bode well indeed. Not that the score line accurately reflected the run of play. For most of the first half it was the home side who was firmly on the front foot forcing clearances and saves aplenty from the scrambling Reds. Only a fortuitous bounce to Luis Suarez, who promptly put his mini-drought behind him by cooly finishing into the side netting, allowed the one goal margin at half time. 

The second half started much as the first with high pressing by the Saints causing many of us to grab our rosaries and mumble in the general direction of Liverpool's beleaguered back line. Then, as if to renew faith in a higher power, who clearly has time to take in a match or two over the weekend, Suarez found the recently-entered Raheem Sterling who passed into the goal and restored breathing to Liverpudlians while simultaneously knocking the air out of the valiant home team. 

Waters, Gilmour and Toure: Liverpool 1 - West Bromwich Albion 1

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Scott is happy despite the unexpected draw:

Sporting my Christmas-gift Steven Gerrard Liverpool jersey and still glowing from a midweek dismantling of Everton, I was full of confidence, a little craft beer and an optimism that comes with the knowledge that your team can pull 4 points clear of their nearest Champions League spot rivals as I settled down to watch the Reds rout that certain team which has proven surprisingly formidable over the past few years.  It would seem that West Bromwich Albion was of another mind.  And Kolo Toure lost his, even if only momentarily.  As it was, such a momentary lapse of reason was all it took for the Ivorian to want to move to the dark side of the moon.

While not creating as many chances as a few days before, Liverpool were comfortably in control throughout the first half.  It was Philippe Coutinho providing the catalyst for the scoring sequence when he found Raheem Sterling with a piercing pass.  Luis Suarez, screaming for the ball just to the inside, finally realized he had to move elsewhere and so moved to the outside where the youngster delivered the ball more as a handoff than a pass.  The Uruguayan twisted and turned but, when seeing no opening for a shot, looked to the far post and, with a brilliant left-footed chip, picked out the barely-onside Daniel Sturridge who volley-tapped home.  If I was full of confidence before that 24^th minute strike, I was bursting with it after.  Not even failing to double the lead before halftime could change that.

But then the teams switched sides and the guys with the striped shirts started to really move the ball around.  Fortunately, in the 60^th minute, Suarez found himself in a little space and toyed with his countryman, Lugano, before side-footing what was sure to mean 3 points for the Reds and another great points haul for the captain of my fantasy team.  Really!?  A kick save?  Damn you Ben Foster!

Four Things (From Scott for New Year's)

Like Sparky, Scott only has four fingers
photo by Jeff Kubina	via PhotoRee

From Scott for the New Year:

1- That’s more like it.  After a disappointing Christmas, Liverpool was back to better business with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Hull City and another 2-0 win over Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup.  Inexplicably, I could watch West Ham get hammered by Nottingham Forest but could not find my beloved Reds on the telly.  We’ve come a long way in this country but that was a travesty.  Ultimately, I had to settle for watching a bit of Chelsea’s dispatch of Derby County which at least allowed me to see the on-loan Andre Wisdom who played well for the stretch I saw in the first half.

2- Talking points. Gerrard coming on as a substitute against Hull City and playing 30 minutes was a very welcome sight, indeed, for a depleted Liverpool squad.  What is not welcome is the increasing number of fouls on Luis Suarez, often without consequence.  And I’m not talking about the ticky-tack fouls either.  Now that Suarez has stopped his diving and often stays up when he could go down, the next step is for him to shred his SAG card.  Only then will the referees adjudge more fairly when he tumbles. 

3- FA Cup tackles are harder.  I have to admit that I have not seen nearly as many FA Cup games as I have Premier League games.  But I find it hard to imagine that the smattering of those that I have are outliers when it comes to crunching tackles.  It seems the confluence of nerves, excitement and desire to prove something inevitably leads to borderline (and then some) challenges by the “lesser” team.  It certainly makes for good TV but I can’t say I like to see Gerrard, Suarez & Co. involved.

Smiles at Anfield

Photo by Seanbjack on Flickr

At least for Scott and those of his ilk, that is:

It was all smiles at Anfield on Saturday as Luis Suarez put on an AP-Level finishing clinic and, thereby, allowed Liverpool to exorcize the West Bromwich Albion demon that has terrorized the Reds at home of late. This time it was Steve Clark's men running scared as the toothy Uruguayan first 'megged his way to goal before powering his second with his head from -- get this -- outside the penalty area. To complete his pre-Halloween (hat)trick, the unstoppable striker glanced a perfect freekick from Steven Gerrard. Not wanting to be bereft of candy himself, Daniel Sturridge first pounded a side foot shot (how does he get that power?) off the crossbar before sublimely chipping the 'keeper from traffic to make it four for the home side, much to the cacophonous delight of the sea of red crooning about accompanied ambulations.

Alas, the near-perfect performance (overlooking a few missed opportunities and defensive miscues) was ruined by a most dubious foul called, not by the referee but, rather, a seemingly over-reaching linesman. That softest of penalty calls allowed Morrison to drill home the visitors' only goal. But the aforementioned glance and chip managed to restore at least a sizable degree of elation, if not the perfection that would have added another 8 points to my fantasy score.

Nevertheless, herewith, in copy-cat fashion, are my incontrovertible player rankings:

Lucas - excellent tracking back for important defensive touches and winning balls in midfield. Added the needed muscle in midfield. 7.5

Suarez - Simply masterful. The summer want-away has packed away any lingering disappointment or resentment by putting his head down and emerging as the best forward in the BPL again. Three glorious goals and an afternoon handful for West Brom's defense. 9.0

Henderson - a tireless, eager puppy but exuberance gets the best of him at times. Too many of his passes don't find their intended recipient. 6.0

Johnson - left at 62 minutes to a deserved hero's salute. Consistently dangerous with driving and dishing. We hope his knock is not too serious because the side is noticeably better with him in it. Still, he needs to fully regain his touch, which abandoned him at times. 7.0

Mignolet - not too much to do until the waning minutes when a few key stops preserved the score line. He did look calm with the ball at his feet, despite flapping at a few free kicks early on. 6.5

Toure - Was solid when he needed to be but lost the ball going forward too often and was a bit too cheeky at times, when the simple ball would have fared better. 6.0

Cissokho - seemed to be blamed for the penalty, undeservedly, but otherwise solid, breaking up plays and gamely carousing the left side. 6.5

Hamlet Answered: Liverpool 3 - Zenit St Petersburg 1

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From a despondent Correspondent Scott:

There were Slings and Arrows aplenty but the Sea of troubles ultimately proved too much. It was not to be.

The last ray of first-season hope for Brendan Rodgers was extinguished at Anfield on Thursday when, despite a thrilling and resounding win to bring the aggregate score level, a pesky Hulking away goal sealed their fate. That the 20th minute concession was the result of a Jamie Carragher under-hit back-pass, in his 150th European appearance for the club, only added to the misery.

Despite being on the wrong side of this one, this fan can admit a thrilling game, even in aggregate defeat.  Needing 3 goals to win and then 4 after Zenit St. Petersburg scored first, the persistent Reds fought on bravely and nearly pulled it off. This rollercoaster game can really only truly be appreciated from my real-time notes:

0 Need goals!

3 Zenit pressing very high and Liverpool has to work hard to get out of the back without booting it.

6 Liverpool moving the ball and controlling the game so far, stubbornly working out of the back.

11 Gerrard fires way over from free kick.

15 Through fifteen minutes, all Liverpool but no clear chances.

20 Carragher blows it. Horrible back-pass mistake. Game over. Need 4 goals now. Did it to Swansea. But Zenit is not Swansea.

24 Now just stupid mistakes all over the pitch as Liverpool reel from the blow.

28 After much ado about the spotting of the ball (yielding a Zenit Yellow Card) the Zenit wall fails and Suarez scores through a gap provided by Henderson and Enrique. 8 minutes lost but back where we started!

30 Gerrard goes down and he never dives so thankfully linesman sees it correctly.

32 Reina whiffs the clearance kick outside his area, after an ambitious Lucas back-pass, then recovers.

43 And another goal!  This time by Allen. I believe!

45 Half time comes with only 2 goals to go, which is where we would have liked to be from the start.

Caipirinha, Anyone?: Liverpool 5 - Swansea City 0

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Finally, a game in which Columnist Scott can revel:

o A 5-0 home win against a depleted Swansea City side last Sunday?  Ho hum.  No point in getting too excited, because the pendulum will surely swing the other way within a game or two.  Liverpool this year are nothing if not consistently inconsistent.  That they thrashed a Michael Laudrup side conserving it's energy for this weekend's League Cup Final was notable in certain respects but nothing to write home about (maybe blog about, though).

o The first 15 minutes saw neither side with too many chances as the players got their legs under themselves and we all breathed a sigh of relief that Gus Johnson was not the game's commentator.  Despite some confusion at the back for Liverpool, after 30 minutes they began to assume control of the game and, by the 40th minute, it could only be described as utter domination by the Reds.  Of course the penalty on Luis Suarez in the 34th minute (converted unflappably by Steven Gerrard) really tipped the scales and from there it was a rout in every respect, with the 5-0 final score probably being kind to the Swansea players and staff.  Wouldn't it be great to score that many against Zenit St. Petersburg at Anfield?  We'll know if that happened before this is posted.

o Jamie Carragher gives me hope that, at almost 44, I can continue my Monday night soccer "playing" for years to come.  At 35 years of age, the geriatric defender was tracking back like a pro throughout the game and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.  I agree with Kenny Dalglish's assessment that Carragher has a few more playing years in him if he wants.

o To say that I'm disappointed that Daniel Sturridge is cup-tied for the return leg against Zenit would be quite an understatement.  Although the in-form striker put over (from 6 yards) Stuart Downing's hard cross in the 23rd minute, and was unable to chip Michel Vorm in the 40th, he was dangerous throughout and was equally unflappable when Gerrard gifted the penalty to him later (what on earth was Wayne Routledge thinking when he raised his arm like that?).  He also showed skill in the 64th minute when he took down a long through-ball in the air on his chest and volleyed on target (although Vorm, once again, made the stop).

Reds Rising: Liverpool 5 - Norwich City 0

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Correspondent Scott is setting himself up for massive disappointment:

 

Norwich City has traditionally been Luis Suarez’s whipping boy, but last weekend he only scored once against them, instead of the usual hat trick.  Unfortunately for the Canaries, there were others who picked up the lash, and even Ryan Bennett joined the party with some self-flagellation in the form of an own goal.  As much as it hurt to see my second-favorite team get thrashed 5-0 by the ascending Reds, it was a well deserved result for a team that -- after several fits and starts so far this season -- finally seems to be gelling.  Beginning with the final 30 minutes of the Manchester United game last week, they have seemed unstoppable, now only needing to put together complete games against the top opponents.

Of course, it all could have gone horribly wrong after only seven minutes when Liverpool “conceded” a free kick to the particularly unbalance Grant Holt, who tumbled due to a slight breeze.  Poor marking on the ball played into the box left a wide open header for the Canaries and Gerrard and Co. could have been down a goal were it not for the good fortune of said header being directed straight at the waiting Brad Jones.

Gerrard has been on fire lately and I believe I am ready to say he has been restored to his prior playing prowess.  After setting the tone for hustle in the game with two successive crunching tackles in the 6^th minute, he played tirelessly throughout, displaying the necessary Gerrard leadership we have come to expect.  And his 66^th minute long-range strike that tucked in off the left post was vintage.

On the other end of the spectrum, Andre Wisdom, while generally solid defensively, needs to improve his offensive play in order to continue to get regular first-team action.  Wing defenders for Liverpool are expected to have deft touch, get forward easily and provide sumptuous crosses while otherwise wreaking havoc in the forward third, before tracking back.  Unfortunately, the 19 year-old needs to work on his crosses, bungling his efforts in the 15^th and 24^th minute, to name just two.  Then, in the 53^rd minute after a sublime control on a cross-field pass, he hurtled into the box before…muffing his shooting lines again and not even hitting the target.  Still, at 19 years-old there is plenty of time for improvement and an ocean of upside.

Three Stages: Manchester United 2 - Liverpool 1

Not one, not two, but....

As might be expected, Liverpool-loving Columnist Scott has a rather different take on his team's 2-1 loss at the hands of the League leaders:

When Liverpool traveled to Old Trafford last Sunday for another shot at the League leaders, Manchester United (having lost the September home fixture, 2-1, after being Burgled then Buggered), hopes were high.  Unfortunately, on the way to an identical score line, the game exhibited three distinct stages with the result directly attributable to the length of each part.

First, during the “Warmup”, neither side seemed able to do anything dangerous.  For the first 20 minutes the players seemed to be simply having a jog around the pitch and stretching a bit.

But then, as if United heard the starting gun and Liverpool did not, in the 20^th minute, Patrice Evra centered the ball to Robin Van Persie whose first time, side-footed shot, and resulting goal, looked all too familiar.  The goal was most impressive to me because (1) it seemed to come out of nowhere and (2) Van Persie was marked pretty closely but only needed the half yard to work his magic.

That goal touched off the next stage of the game, Manchester United’s dominance, which would last, agonizingly, until the 57^th minute.  During that time, Liverpool lacked creativity in the final third, Steven Gerrard played too deep, United always seemed to get a foot on a pass or dribble and, in general and in every way, United was the better team.

First Andre Wisdom then Glen Johnson failed to deliver their crosses into the danger area.  But it didn’t really matter because Luis Suarez was the only one there, surrounded by defenders, as Liverpool was not getting bodies into the box.  The final deft touch was sorely lacking.  In the 37^th minute, Suarez turned on Rio Ferdinand but put his volley way over.  Two minutes later, during a rare foray forward by Gerrard, there was hope of a magical combination with Suarez but the horrible return on the give-and-go ruined the trick.

Meanwhile, at the other end, only luck was keeping United from scoring again – in the 26^th minute a wide open Van Persie seemed to be uncomfortable with the space he was gifted and fired over the bar from a routine cross.  In the 33^rd minute Joe Allen made a horrific back pass that was pounced on by Danny Welbeck and only some heroics by Daniel Agger saved the day.  And in the 41^st minute, Tom Cleverly put his volley wide when Allen’s clearing header was not clearing enough.  All this before, in the 45^th minute, Van Persie’s clever flick behind got cleared by Martin Skrtl only as far as Pepe Reina who then collided solidly with Shinji Kagawa.  And, yes, I agree with those who say that either Liverpool should have played the ball out of bounds to let their ‘keeper recover or Howard Webb should have let play continue once United regained possession.

Here We Go: Liverpool 3 - West Ham United 2

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Scott is thankful for narrow victories:

Things could be worse for a team with only one experienced striker. After being 18^th in the table not that long ago, some may complain about being 10^th now, but I say we are headed in the right direction and, with only 4 points between us and 4^th place, I would say the January transfer window has become increasingly important. Finally in the top half of the table, albeit only on point differential, Brendan Rodgers is starting to put his mark on this Liverpool team and they are responding. The headlines may be splashed with Manchester shades of red and blue right now but, come April/May, Liverpool will command Champions League respect, if not a place at the championship table.

That said, there was the not-so-little matter of West Ham to deal with last Saturday. Sans Suarez, how would the Reds do against the Caroll-less Hammers? Well, a bright start yielded a spectacular goal from Glen Johnson who proved again that Liverpool has some of the most dangerous fullbacks in the league. Glorious is how my notes describe the upper left corner strike that gave Jussi Jaaskelienen no chance at all.

West Ham upped the pressure after that and, after a couple of yellow cards, one deserved (Steven Gerrard) and one not (Jonjo Shelvey), an unintentional handball by Joe Allen at the edge of the box gave West Ham their equalizer. It was clearly unintentional but it was clearly a handball. People get this wrong all the time – it doesn’t have to be intentional to be a handball. If the hand or arm is away from the body and the ball strikes it, giving the defender an advantage from said strike, it is a handball, intentional or not. The guys at our Monday pickup game could use a lesson in this.

Liverpool 1 - Southampton 0: Observations

Scott watches most games while dressed in camouflage
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Columnist Scott's thoughts on Liverpool's most recent victory and more:

o I was thrilled to see Lucas Leiva back in the lineup. Back-to-back injuries have kept the Brazilian out for over a year and his strong work in the midfield has been missed. Unfortunately, it seems it is going to take a few games for him to blow the rust off and contribute in a meaningful way. Sloppy with his passes and tentative in possession, he has a way to go to get back to his previous level. But we wish him well and hope he continues to get playing time.

o Luis Suarez doesn't seem to be diving as much. In fact, I think it has been a couple of games since I've groaned over his antics. Sure, he still complains about every call and doesn't shy away from going down when there is contact, invariably demonstrating with hyperbole the symptoms that he has suffered. But he doesn't dive as much, even when he gets pulled by the shorts in the penalty area. And for that we are thankful.

o Jose Enrique seems to be back. Marcelo may claim to be the best left back in the world, but Liverpool's defensive Spaniard has all the tools to refute such braggadocio. He is fast and strong, tactically solid defensively, uses his body well, makes incisive passes and, impressively, has the foot skills and moves of the best forwards in the league. Were he of any other nationality, he would be getting regular international play.

Derby Day

Correspondent Scott likes his hats on Derby Day
photo by Corey Ann	via PhotoRee

Scott checks in with the lowdown on Liverpool:

Some jobs are easy – like being a night guard at a museum - simply watching the security monitors for anything moving, especially things wearing a mask. Or being a babysitter for kids who are already asleep for the night when you arrive. Now, being a linesman (sorry, assistant referee) in soccer isn't quite as easy as either of those jobs but, in the case of certain situations, such as a free kick, it is really quite simple - practically speaking, your only task at that point is to just make sure that when the ball is played forward by the attacking team no red jerseys are beyond the blue jerseys (assuming the goalie has not gone rogue). So how is it that these calls are consistently blown? In the case of Liverpool's game, the wrong call robbed them of two points (and me of fantasy points!). In the case of Manchester United, the wrong call gifted Darth Ferguson and the evil empire those two points.

Of course, if truth be told, I begrudge the United call less than the Liverpool call because I would rather err on the side of offense. Unless you are really sure, you don't disallow a winning goal in extra time and later proclaim something along the lines of "I think so" when asked if you are certain. Nor was that missed call the only of the game. Immediately after kickoff, a blatantly missed offside call nearly led to something very dangerous for Everton. Time to watch some televison monitors or sleeping kids, Mr. “Assistant Referee.”

Of course, as with any game, not all the blame can be put on a single call since, invariably, the players have made numerous miscues along the way. For example, in merely the second minute of the game, if the newly-shorn Jose Enrique had possessed anything remotely resembling a right foot, he could have played the breaking Raheem Sterling through on goal. And while the Spaniard acquitted himself nicely in the runup to Liverpool’s first goal by virtue of a nice touch back and then cross, his ball-watching and lax defending in the 35^th minute allowed the men in blue to equalize.

I suppose it seems apropos that a Liverpool derby should reek of highs and lows, for there were plenty of both. Brad Jones seemed to be grabbing Pepe Reina’s crown when he fingertipped away a dangerous cross and lunged to boot away a corner-bound backpass. But his poor punch clearance in the 22nd minute went straight to Leon Osman in a wide-open position at the top of the box and directly led to Everton getting back in the game, seriously jeopardized his bid to dethrone the Spaniard. Then there was Sterling who was running dangerously at Everton, winning free kicks and manufacturing a 1v1 situation with his speed, before absolutely muffing said 1v1 and making yet another forced, bad pass.

Being: Disappointed

photo by Ben Sutherland	via PhotoRee

Correspondent Ed's take on the curremt state of Liverpool FC: 

We're now five games into the season and two episodes into "Being: Liverpool", and they don't yet have a win.  Granted, their schedule has been tough.  And granted they've been somewhat unlucky, but as Bill Parcells used to say: "You are what your record says you are."  

So if they are that bad, the question is why.  I think the reasons are the same as for any club performing poorly:  (1) talent, and (2) their system. The reality of Liverpool is that their best player, Steven Gerrard, is a bit old and still plays a hollywood long-ball system more suitable to his abilities and more comfortable to his eyes.  After Gerrard, there is Luis Suarez, the striker who simply can't score.  The wingers include a 19 year old with promise as well as an Italian named Borini who seems to be cut from the same cloth as the other guy who couldn't make it in the BPL, Alberto Aquilani.  Even 'keeper Reina has been mistake prone and for the most part awful.

The blame for the personnel is largely the past, but Brendan Rodgers also deserves some of the blame for mistakes like Borini.  In addition, not unlike Spurs' AVB, Rodgers is forcing his system on many players that just aren't comfortable with it, and severing some of his better talent simply because it doesn't fit.  In politics they say that personnel is policy; the same goes on the pitch.

As for the system -- the possession game -- I would suggest it's the best in the world when mastered, but takes tons of time to master.  I suspect Liverpool is still in the understanding phase of learning, and is far from the final stage when the knowledge is executed reflexively.  As of now, Swansea plays the system far better than Liverpool with inferior talent.

So my case set out against him, do I blame Rodgers?  Do I think he should change directions?  No and no.  The system will be a winner in a few years, and could potentially change the BPL.  My reasoning is that if Swansea can do as well as they did and continue to do with subpar talent, a team with Liverpool's ability to attract and pay top tier talent has the potential to dominate.

Happily Breaking Red Ducks

photo by Jessica.Tam	via PhotoRee

 

 

Columnist Scott wants to put a smile on the faces of his favorite scousers -- and on your face, as well.  So after reading this and smiling, be sure to check out our bonus blog entry for the day, discussing farlieonfootie's Anniversary -- it's shown directly below:

 

Fresh after reading the first four chapters of The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, in which the author convincingly puts forth scientific studies and evidence that happiness increases success rather than the reverse, I am choosing to happily view Liverpool's most recent league outing as another step in the right direction for Brendan Rodgers and the players. With two-thirds of the possession and lots of chances, it seems we are only a goal-scoring streak away from hitting stride and moving up the table to a more appropriate place in the Top Four.

 

Alas, the Reds were thwarted twice early on, once again, by that scientific anomaly in which the leather ball is somehow magnetically attracted to the goal posts and cross bar. Perhaps Mr. Achor might unearth a scientific study to explain how Glen Johnson's booming, curling effort fell victim to this phenomenon.

 

While Johnson looked dangerous all game and gave the Black Cats fits each time he pressed forward in attack, Joe Allen was off his game. In addition to surrendering the ball more often than normal, he did not seem to be able to control the game as he has recently. Still, with a smile, I acknowledge that it was only one game and that the former Swansea youngster will bounce back admirably for the clash with the titans of Manchester United.

 

Two other players in need of a bounce back are Steven Gerrard and Pepe Reina. Gerrard has just not been himself this season. Yet again I am forced to point out that the captain repeatedly coughed up the ball through errant and usually overly aggressive passes. Plus, this time, he missed his team’s best chance when he should have at least put his side-footed shot on frame. I may need to send Stevie a copy of Achor’s book.

 

And Reina, for his part, once again failed to get to the ball once committed to coming out for it. Granted, Johnson should have done better to prevent the cross in the first place, but the Spaniard's indecision allowed Sunderland's goal.

 

Happy thoughts return, however, when I reflect on Raheem Sterling's magnificent performance. The 17 year old was the best player on the pitch, beating defenders 1v1, creating chances, tracking back and winning balls. Not only is he a star in the making, he has also, as Rodgers points out, boosted the hopes of every Academy player in the Liverpool system. It is little wonder that Jamaica have been doggedly pursuing him for their national team and Roy Hodgson gave him a call up as a substitute for England.