Re: Liverpool Thread(I've Had Enough!!)
Liverpool are in a very tricky situation now, and it's all their fault to be honest. I believe that the vision was to buy Carroll because of his aerial prowess and goals at Newcastle as a long term future investment, supplemented by service from Downing, creativity from Adam, whilst Henderson would 'learn the ropes' alongside Gerrard for the midfield role for years to come. Fine I guess, so long as the gameplan matched, and it was played repetitively over and over again.
The trouble is Liverpool are stuck with all sorts of problems with their systems, and this is where Dalglish HAS to take a lot of responsibility. I'm all for backing the manager, but Dalglish has to grow a pair and pick a team and stick with it, and the trouble has been a total clash of ethos within the side. Liverpool are neither playing a wide crossing game, or a short creative passing game because of the mix of the players just isn't right.
How can you fit players into a system whereby players like Bellamy and Suarez and Gerrard are touch players, creative, fast thinking, impulsive, and like to play a tight dynamic game, whereby Carroll is slightly cumbersome, Downing cannot keep tactical discipline and stay outside, and Henderson doesn't know where he's coming or going. The result is a total clash from start to finish, and I don't know how to solve the problem sometime soon.
We also have a clash of personalties, thus giving Liverpool no identity. Players like Henderson, Carroll and Downing are not snarly growly players, they are the more modern player (pampered, nice temperament) etc etc, and you're trying to fit these into a team of workers and just players who have a bit of nasty to them (winners) like Kuyt, Bellamy, Suarez, Gerrard. It's just not working.
They are still playing like lost kids in a playground, I think Suarez is dying to shout at some of these players to just raise their f'kin game and become a bit more nasty, but that's not their personality. Meanwhile weeks are going by and because of the lack of team chemistry it's making Gerrard look shit and Suarez as they are constantly forcing the issue. Liverpool are totally rudderless at the moment. Liverpool need to decide one way or another; and quick. Dalglish is obviously an arm round the shoulder type of manager who is defending his players to the hilt (the Liverpool way), but where has that got Liverpool in the last 20 years, league wise? They haven't got the belly for a long term campaign, and haven't had it since the 70s and 80s. The new generation Liverpool I'm afraid are seem as the soft touch, and when you get your biggest rivals Man Utd say the are starting to feel sorry for us, then it's a sad day for football. They too want the old rivalry back, but we are unable to provide a challenge.
A new hard-line manager would have to weed all the signings out from top to bottom I'm afraid, tell the directors that it's money wasted, sell them for cut price and move on, but the new strategy has to be built around an ethos, gameplay and player traits. You cannot mix winners like Suarez, Bellamy, Kuyt and Gerrard in the attacking sense with mild mannered soft bellies like the new signings.
It also pains me to say this but if we want to get the best out of Adam, then Gerrard simply has to listen to instruction and be the holding player along with Henderson or whoever. He simply cannot go round wandering all the time, this then will free up Adams to do what he does best, and that is create and score goals from range. The lad's confidence is obviously dented. And I think this is a trait with a lot of Liverpool signings that play around Stevie G, because he is so influential and embodies Liverpool. He's a hero. But every once in a while heroes have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and Stevie G has to recognise this in Liverpool's transition phase.
Either way, if I was the manager/directors I would be having a team meeting, and telling lots of players that their futures are on the line.
Listen, I like Downing, Carroll etc, but they are soft lads at heart, I don't think anybody can change them. You look at Man Utd over the years...winners! Giggs, Scholes, Butt, Keane, Beckham, Solsjkaer (sp) I could go on and on. These players had devil in their belly. Gifted? Yes. Great footballers? Yes. But they had that naughty side to them, that winning means everything mentality. For Liverpool, it seems it's just about the taking part.
If you are going to change the players around, then bring in a new manager, get rid of this lot of time wasters, and start again, with a hard-line disciplinarian. If you want Dalglish then he HAS to make up his mind what his best team is and stick to it! How is Maxi feeling right now, the guy's goals to games ratio is sublime, and yet he's on the bench behind these flops week in week out. Kuyt? He embodies everything I love about a Liverpool player, work rate, team ethic, and he scores vital goals. What the fk are these two doing on the bench all the time?!?
Liverpool aren't gifted enough to play through teams, so they have to go back to the drawing board and devise a structured gameplay! If anybody (including Stevie G) breaks this tactic set down by Dalglish, they get subbed and on comes someone that can hold their positions.
I believe Liverpool have to start playing a wide game again. This would be my team -
Carroll
Suarez
Downing (LW) Maxi/Kuyt (RW)
Adam
Gerrard (DMF)
Enrique Skrtel Agger Anybody but Flanagan
Anyone not red carded
They need to play this system over and over and over again. If Downing keeps coming inside, you sell him and find a proper winger. I don't even care if he's our luxury player who doesn't track back, his role is to stay out wide, take people on, and deliver crosses from the by-line. All game. You can interchange certain players throughout the season, but essentially, this is what I would like to see. Lots of crosses, lots of knock downs, and getting Carroll and Suarez in and around the penalty area. Gerrard can't go wandering, his Roy of the Rovers days need to be curtailed for the team project.
So it's either this guys, or sell the lot of the new signings and start over. Either way, they need to start showing some heart, some spirit, and some fight, and they need to grow a pair from somewhere too, or their P45's will be in the post.
Now onto the back four - as we all know it's not just as straight forward here. Having good defenders doesn't necessarily mean you aren't going to concede goals, issues further up the pitch and impinge greatly on the defensive side. Skrtel is having one at the moment lads I hate to say, he's all over the shop, and costing us dearly. Agger? Not sure. I'm always seen him as a bit of soft touch. Coates. Too soon to judge. I think he'll get massacred by small technical runners to be honest. Flanagan? Early doors, but I don't feel he has it. In almost every game he has played over the last couple of years, he's looked ropey and shaky. Enrique? Has he put on weight? The lad needs to get working on losing a few if you ask me, players are getting by him far too easy lately.
I don't think the back four is THAT bad, obviously confidence and winning game breeds defensive confidence. BUT, there are too many times this year when Liverpool have dominated the opening 20 minutes of games, and then the defence leak that one effort the opposition have. It's uphill from there, in our desperation we force the issue, and sometimes we get caught for the second. Also, Dalglish has to be tactically aware when we are winning games. Do a Mourinho for fk's sake at 2-0, and just play ultra defensive and protect the lead for the last 20. Sustained pressure like this is what the back four need. Again defending for long spells will breed confidence that they can hold out against all sorts of teams, bring off the creative element, and get the work horses on.
That's about all I have to say on the matter. I'm a Red to the core, and I'll follow and support no matter what. I'm a realist, and I'm not one of these throw backs that say we should be a top two team, that's just laughable. But in a season where almost every side has shown great inconsistency, the Reds should not be where they are now. Not with the players and squad at our disposal. SO anyway, here's hoping for the semi tomorrow!