FC Utrecht 0 – Liverpool 0. 1 points earned.

Oh how the team needs you.

If there’s one sure thing to Liverpool’s game these days it’s how consistent they’ve become, and how lucky they are to get even a point.

Let’s not talk about how consistent the boardroom/ownership drama is getting shall we?

As always they start brightly, concede domination after 20minutes to the opposing team, allow a few scary moments in our own penalty box, and be really poor with our final ball to the strikers to make them look like they’re struggling to come back to match fitness and end the half abjectly.

So many times did Meireles, as did Joe Cole after receiving the ball in a good area, hopelessly flick it off or lay it to Torres neither with conviction nor direction, and both performed direly.

So many times did Liverpool’s midfielders dribble, dribble, and dribble for far too long when a simple lay off to a teammate, followed by a lung busting off-the-ball run in the hope of getting a return through-ball, was really all that was required.

On paper, and in the first 15minutes, Liverpool were a force to be reckoned, and I say this not just historically or via paper rounds, as FC Utrecht trotted onfield likened to a bunch of groupies in their idol’s presence.

But the magical dust from Liverpool’s players soon wore off, FC Utrecht played as brilliantly as they could, and Liverpool were subjects of a disallowed goal, a veritable (Carragher-induced) penalty claim and a showcase of football that plays to the tune of “The team’s only as strong as it’s weakest link”.

FC Utrecht’s attacking intent grew with every shot that’s denied by the visitors and their weakest link was probably the first few minutes of mesmerization, while Liverpool’s laboured and clueless gameplan was exhibited excessively by individual unforced errors, the proverbial weak link of the night.

If this was a game of Chess, Liverpool seemed intent on playing their pieces like a game of Checkers and if this was a University lecture they’d be working extra hard accomodating Murphy’s law over and over again — nearly everything was horrendously wrong.

Still Roy probably got the formation right, but alas, the personnel was a little bit off, as yet again the players don’t seem to really know when the other is making the runs or simply where they are.

It was too easy for me to name Dirk Kuyt as Liverpool’s outstanding player of the night for his extremely efficient possession play, positional runs into the channels and constant harrassing, as nearly the rest of the squad were as if they were on autopilot, devoid even of the basic space opening maneuver of a simple pass-return-pass play.

That Torres is still finding his feet on his own in a team where it’s midfielders are determined not to get the ball to his feet, and instead hellbent on either dribling the ball on their own before unleashing a weak longshot or attempting a half-hearted, meek layoff for the striker to chase wildly.

Liverpool would have to consider themselves as miraculously lucky if they were to get the opening goal, while Utrecht would have to consider themselves terribly unlucky to not get their first goal against an English opposition on an European night.

It wasn’t so much as 2 points lost by the so called superior visitors, but rather a fortuitous 1 point fetched, snatching 2 points away from the ambitious home team, led by the composed and immensely potential Wolfswinkle at the front, who really reminded me of a certain young Spaniard whom was made captain of Atletico Madrid when he was barely in his early 20s.

I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see the young man getting snapped by the likes of Bayern, Milan or Chelsea in time to come, because he is that good, where I reckon he’s possibly worth as much as 15 to 20 Million?

Laudable pricetag indeed, but his performance definitely warranted such a pricetag and Hodgson’s earlier interest on his head as his movements and teamplay was near perfect on the night, but having said that, Utrecht’s teamplay was near perfect for the night.

Teamplay, a vocabulary that’s probably missing from Liverpool’s training camp, and if this woe continues, even if it’s 1 point and it’s against newly promoted Blackpool next week, I’ll gladly take em with open arms.

Light At The End Of Livepool’s Tunnel. Liverpool 2 – Sunderland 2.

I’m not sure if I should feel relieved, or reprieved.

Last year at the stadium of light, a beachball knocked Red’s lights out, so I guess we’ll have to be thankful that Beachball Boy didn’t bring along his toys home this time around eh — Or should I? At least back then there was the beach ball to lay blame on, and I’m far more comfortable with that actually.

Earlier in the year, last season in the same fixture, Liverpool ran rampant at Anfield with a resounding 3-0 victory as they chased for the 4th spot, but what happened in this recent game huh? Especially when you mildly notice that the players fielded were largely similar.

Hmmm… Let’s compare:

MARCH 2010: Liverpool 3 – Sunderland 0
Reina
Johnson – Carragher – Agger – Insua
Maxi Rodriguez – Mascherano – Gerrard – Babel
Kuyt – Torres

SEPTEMBER 2010: Liverpool 2 – Sunderland 2
Reina
Johnson – Carragher – Skrtel – Konchesky
Kuyt – Poulsen – Gerrard – Cole
Meireles – Torres

Okay, on paper, the recent game’s line-up seemed much more stronger but seriously, how did 3-0 turned to 2-2 in less than a year? I know I’m merely correlating when I say that Liverpool’s performance is depreciating with every passing week. Well isn’t that the truth and isn’t that how it all really feels?

Correct me please but have Hoy been training the boys to return the ball to the opposition with a wayward pass at every single feeble attacking intent or what? Or has he instructed the flanks to never try cross from the flanks, and instead pass it backwards or try to work from the middle, which usually leads to another stray ball and another counter attack form the gleefully marauding Black Cats? Joe Cole and Meireles tried too hard, Torres claimed petulance and Carragher and Skrtel couldn’t find a better time to put their heads together to resolve Liverpool’s aeriel fragility at the back.

In a game that’s beginning to gain notoriety for freakish goals, perhaps the referee, Attwell, were a little bit generous in allowing the opening goal to stand, and the incident was, but one of the few contentious decisions made in the game. The Black Cats thoroughly deserved their equalizer and lead, both a testament to the quality that is the enigma, Darren Bent. Why did he have to turn it on during Liverpool’s game, just like what a certain Bulgarian did last weekend, huh?

May I point out that I’d prefer to see Agger, who has yet to start a league game ever since his concussion, over Skrtel, who actually did well to (almost Agger-like) dribble-cum-shot some time in the second half. I have a hunch that Carragher is much more comfortable with Agger beside him, but Hoy’s the boss and it’s his team, so when Bent steals in for the lead, we really can’t blame Carra+Skrtel who again displayed Liverpool’s deficiency in the air, at the back. We saw it against Birmingham, Man Utd and now, Sunderland.

I’ll keep this simple: Restore. Agger. Please.

For long periods of the game, it seemed as if Liverpool were the visiting team, as Sunderland pressed well and exhibited plenty of confidence whenever they surged forward, a sign of a team that’s been nurtured to play with extreme discipline and to attack fearlessly. Thanks to Steve Bruce’s combative tenure, a loyal disciple of the effervescent Sir Alex.

Thankfully, Gerrard adjusted himself extremely well to head home the equalizer, but still you could never be sure of what would happen next as Liverpool were made to chase the game right to the dying seconds of the game, and not surprising so. Steve Bruce’s men never stopped harrying and running, while Hodgson’s men continuously huffed and puffed at a brick wall.

Yet another scrappy Liverpool performance, yet another game where the ageing Captain is made to work extra hard, and yet another week that goes by where Reds fans everywhere just can’t seem to allay the stormy clouds in the horizon. It’s getting dark, the tunnel is constricting and the current mood isn’t any better than last weekend’s.

Nevertheless, Gerrard’s inspirational form has definitely been encouraging. Ah, there’s light at the end of the tunnel after all…

Wait a minute, or is that light really just the incoming RBS train?

This post is a replica of Author’s blogpost at MySoccerPlace.

Birmingham 0 – Liverpool 0

24th of July 2010, the date that the Blues last kept a clean sheet in a game, prior to this league match, and that too was against Chinese outfit, Lioning Haoyun.

During that period till last weekend, even the likes of MK Dons and Rochdale manage to ship 2goals each into the back of their net, and it’s quite surprising isn’t it that an attacking force that consists of Torres, Gerrard, Jovanovic and Maxi Rodriguez were left huffing and puffing and yet failing to register any threats at all?

In truth, it’s not that surprising at all, and I’m not really bothered..

1) The fact that Birmingham have not lost at home in the league for nearly a year, which speaks highly of their tightly orchestrated defensive unit that Alex Mcleish have honed to near perfection.

2) The fact that Birmingham have not lost at home to Liverpool, not since 2004, meant that the 1 point collected at St Andrews is a fortunate point gained, rather than 2 points lost, the way I look at it.

3) The fact that Reina penned a new 6year deal in April this year isn’t reason to paint the town red yet, cos he’s going to be a terribly busy man if his front defensive pairing continuously allow his opponents free shots at his goal. With respect to the men involved, I’d much rather have Agger, instead of Skrtel, in the middle. Agger has a better read of the game, is more composed and plays generally well, when partnered with the experienced Carragher.

Meanwhile, I’m terribly bothered by..

1) The fact that, yet again, it was a central pairing of Lucas and Poulsen which implied a nearly non-existent creative engine, thus all the playmaking juices was going to be coming from the captain himself, who literally bled himself (form the ear) playing for his beloved club, whom were left isolated upfront with Torres for much too long.

2) The fact that Raul Meireles wasn’t given an earlier introduction to replace the lumbering Lucas, because minutes upon entering the battlefield, the visiting Anfield crowd was shown glimpses of the money spent by Hodgson on a central midfielder who loves getting onto the end of crosses, as he sprang to forward into the box a couple of time, like a leprechaun in search of the pot of gold, at the end of the rainbow, I mean the cross from the flanks.

3) The fact that Meireles’ performance was in stark contrast to the other Reds debutant, Paul Konchesky, who had a rather quiet game, before allowing a few nearly converted crosses from his flanks, before limping off towards the end of the game. It left me with the lingering question of ‘why didn’t Agger come into the game earlier’ if he’s fit enough to be included in the squad?

Let’s not hide from the fact that Liverpool’s performance needs drastic improvements as a team and after 8 games in charge, Hodgson has yet to find his preferred midfielders, that spinal chord of a team that puts to rest any lingering doubts that a manager might have of whether his team will be able to perform or not.

The midfield is the engine room, and, like a vehicle, when your engine room fail to drive the team forward (especially with countless backtracking and stray passes), simple maths for now, displacement is nil.

Maybe it’s a little premature of me to say this, but Meireles does look like he have the lungs to brust forward aka Gerrard, whilst from a central midfield position, and this bodes well indeed, meaning Hodgson won’t have anymore dilemma of whether to play Gerrard upfront and sacrifice his engine room, or play Gerrard in the middle and sacrifice his offensive threats.

I wonder, if Hodgson makes an inquiry on a certain Spaniard and ex-Liverpool anchorman that’s in Madrid right now, would an option of a return ever be considered?

Just saying..

Similar Blogpost Entered @ MySoccerPlace.Net.