Throughout the season, the Reds have
been far too open to counter attacks, they have been too slow to
close down their opponents and physically they have been over
matched, especially in recent games against West Ham (until Diame
left the pitch), Stoke and Manchester United. The major deficiencies
that are holding Liverpool back are apparent when Brendan Rodgers'
team don't have the ball. When you are trying to implement a passing
style as Rodgers is, it isn't just about retaining possession. The
regaining of the ball and the ability to hinder opponents when they
have it is equally important. Pressing high and intelligently is
imperative if you wish to play a possession based game, but Liverpool
are not close to mastering this yet.
Liverpool's weakness in this area was
cruelly exposed in Manchester last Sunday. The midfield three of
Gerrard, Lucas and Allen that Rodgers selected is theoretically fine
when Liverpool have the ball (although this wasn't the case last week
as Allen and Lucas were badly under par when they had the ball at
their feet) but United dominated the first half of the game because,
when they were in possession, it was so easy for them to play around
their rivals. Liverpool didn't get close enough to them, they didn't
press them well and they barely offered a tackle for 45 minutes. It
was men against tentative boys in a one sided first half. Liverpool's lack of
mobility and physical presence in the middle of the park was all too
obvious as United passed the ball around them with consummate ease.
You need only look back at Robin Van Persie's goal to see that the
move that led to the Dutchman's finish should have been interrupted
several times before he swept home to open the scoring. Joe Allen and
Stewart Downing both chose not to attempt interceptions that were
available and a couple of seconds later United had the lead.
Skillful players who win you matches
with flashes of brilliance or play amazing cross field passes that
take the breath away are always in demand and highlighted, but
pragmatism is needed at times and Liverpool and Rodgers have too often been found wanting in
that area this season. Liverpool played against United last Sunday as
they have against too many opponents this season: naively. The game
plan was seemingly weighted heavily on what they could do with the
ball rather than what would happen when they were without it. It was a
risky strategy to implement and when your players are having an off
day as they did at Old Trafford in the first half, the game can
become tortuous. Liverpool could barely get over the halfway line in
the opening 45 minutes as collectively their passing was off and
also because United were closing them down relentlessly. That can
happen in games, but what cannot continue is the opposite problem
that has been evident too often this season already: opposing sides
have it far too easy when they are in possession, especially in
midfield.
Jordan Henderson may not be everyone's
cup of tea but can anyone suggest that he shouldn't be on the team
sheet these days given his form and the attributes that he has in
comparison to an out of sorts Joe Allen or a clearly unfit Lucas
Leiva? While Lucas, Allen and Gerrard stood and watched United pass
around them as if they were training cones on Sunday, Henderson sat
on the bench probably wondering why he wasn't on the pitch closing
the spaces that United were finding and exploiting so easily.
Henderson is no Steven Gerrard on the ball but he has a key component
that any functional midfield, especially Liverpool's, requires in
regards to his athleticism.
 |
| Henderson has been under utilised by Brendan Rodgers |
Joe Allen may keep the ball better than
him, Lucas may be more adept at playing from deep than him and Steven
Gerrard may have more footballing ability in his big toe than him,
but Henderson can help Liverpool to develop their new approach by
offering what those three players can't at this stage: Dynamism. His
omission last weekend was hard to fathom as it left Liverpool's
midfield devoid of any running power on that large Old Trafford pitch
and ultimately, the Reds paid the price. Henderson is not the sexy
choice in midfield for Rodgers, but the team must come first and the
talents that he does posses make him the pragmatist's choice right
now.
It isn't that long since Liverpool were
criticised for focussing on their opponents too much using too many
pragmatic players over those with more ability, of course. Under Rafa
Benitez, Liverpool supporters often bemoaned a lack of flair in their
side, particularly in wide areas. However, for four straight seasons,
no matter what his form was like, Dirk Kuyt was selected time and
again by the Spaniard. He offered no little threat when the Reds had
the ball in terms of goals and assists (though people at the time
were often crying out for a more creative and exciting winger to
replace him) but crucially, he offered even more when Liverpool
didn't have the ball. He chased, harassed, and ground down plenty of
opposing sides from the front with his intelligent and ceaseless
pressing. He won the ball back high up the pitch for Benitez's side
and even if he wasn't always reliable with the ball at his feet,
Benitez kept him in the team because he knew how fundamental Kuyt was
when Liverpool weren't in possession.
Benitez's most celebrated signings were
technical wizards like Alonso, Luis Garcia and Fernando Torres but
after one season of Premier League football, the Spaniard recognised
that Liverpool required more steel to their game. They were a soft
touch too often, not unlike their present day incarnation. Momo
Sissoko was a perfect example of how Benitez solved this problem. He
didn't posses high levels of skill and sometimes his touch was almost
comical, but until an eye injury derailed his career somewhat, he,
like Kuyt, was a huge part in Liverpool's resurgence under Benitez.
He had boundless stamina, real physical presence and recycled the
ball exceptionally well from midfield. His role was simple: seek the
ball, win it and give it to someone like Xabi Alonso or Steven
Gerrard to affect the game in an attacking sense.
 |
| Sissoko's presence would aid Liverpool right now |
For every Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso or
Fernando Torres that Benitez brought to Liverpool, he also signed a
Momo Sissoko, Javier Mascherano or Dirk Kuyt. Benitez knew the
importance of combining talented individuals with players who could
push the opposition back and be effective without the ball. Rodgers'
Liverpool are yet to find that same equilibrium.
No comments:
Post a Comment