Brendan Rodgers – Does Besiktas Debacle Suggest a problem with they way the Reds Manager handles Big Games?

It is fair to say that Liverpool have changed a lot since Brendan Rodgers took over the helm at Anfield. Things have definitely taken a turn for the good with the Reds going the closest they ever have to the elusive Premier League title and playing some of the most thrilling football they have in a long time.

But, one worrying aspect of Rodgers’ managerial tenure has been his performance in “big” games. Liverpool’s recent Europa League loss against Besiktas on penalties clearly depicts this. When the pressure got high and the intensity levels increased, Brendan Rodgers’ men just folded and crumbled.

Liverpool were tactically outplayed by Besiktas
Credit - Guardian

What drives this worry is the acknowledgement that Liverpool is a team with genuine Champions League ambitions and thrives on being on the biggest stage of them all. The tales of the “legendary European nights” at Anfield are held dear by every Liverpool fan. But, the fact of the matter is that Liverpool is just not performing where it counts.

This year’s dismal Champions League performance highlights this worry, with the Reds winning only one game in six. What was particularly telling was the performance against FC Basel at Anfield in a winner takes all scenario. The Reds had to win to move on but just did not turn up. When the going gets tough, it seems like Rodgers stops going.

The main topic for consideration in this issue is the Reds’ performance against the so-called “big” teams, which are Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City. All these teams are proven winners and can be drawn on the same wavelength as Liverpool. These are teams that expect to beat or match Liverpool. Teams like Southampton and Tottenham have not been included because they are not proven winners and struggle in big games themselves.

Here is how Liverpool has performed against the “Big” Four with Rodgers:

Team	Games	Head to Head (W-L-D)	Goals Conceded
Chelsea	7	0-4-3	10
Man City	5	1-2-3	11
Arsenal	6	1-3-2	11
Man Utd	6	2-4-0	8
Total	24	4-13-8	40

The numbers clearly show where the weakness lies. When the opposition has quality and a cutting edge, Liverpool are always overrun and thwarted. These stats also do not paint the full picture because the two wins against Man Utd came when they were at their worst in a long time and did not have the quality they have been known to have. To concede 40 goals in just 24 games is just not good enough and suggests there is a huge problem.

This suggests that there is a tactical deficiency with Rodgers’ approach to crunch games. He just does not seem to be prepared when the teams are tactically resolute and defensively sound. While there was a media outcry about Chelsea “parking the bus” against the Reds in “that” game last year, what was more worrying is how easily Rodgers was tactically outsmarted by Mourinho. Everyone knew that Mourinho was coming to Anfield to stifle the Reds and hope that Rodgers would buckle and he did exactly that. His reading of the game and situation was totally wrong. Games and championships are won based on these nuances and Rodgers does not seem to have grasped them.

Rodgers has never beaten Mourinho
Credit - Guardian

What is also worrying is how dramatically the output level drops during these big games. During the Champions League campaign, Liverpool yielded a measly 5 goals with 4 coming against perceived minnows Ludogorets Razgrad. As teams drop deep and man mark attackers, Rodgers does not know how to react. For example, it was clear in yesterday’s game against Besiktas since Jordon Ibe was a threat in the first leg, he was going to be stopped. This clearly worked, as Ibe was only able to create 1 chance, 2 take-ons and could not even get a cross.

Surely Rodgers must have known that Ibe was going to be under pressure because Besiktas are a smart team.But, he was oblivious to this and it showed in the game because there was no fluency or impetus in the play as the Besiktas players cornered everyone out. Besiktas manager Slaven Bilic tactically outperformed Rodgers and the players could not handle it. The pressure went up and the performances went down.

Rodgers has struggled against the genius of Ancelotti
Credit - Getty Images

If Jose Mourinho or any other top manager were at the helm, the tactics and preparation would most definitely have been different as they are winners and know how to win tactical games. Of course, Rodgers has his qualities but his record does not look encouraging.Till now, he has come up against tactical masterminds like Carlo Ancelotti, Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson and ended short against all of them. Out of 11 games against the aforementioned managers, the Reds have won none under Rodgers. If Liverpool are to qualify for the Champions League, they will come up against the Guradiola’s and the Ancelotti’s of the world on a regular basis and if they want to do well, Rodgers will have to up his game. It is imperative that a winning attitude be instilled in Liverpool otherwise they will languish for a long time.

Can 'Can' Do it - What makes the Germany U-21 International so Promising?

Over the course of the past few months, Emre Can has become a prominent figure in the Liverpool first team. The Germany U-21 International has forced his way into Brendan Rodgers’ side and with good reason. Known for his versatility, former Bayern Munich academy graduate Can has proven his aptitude in a plethora of positions across the park.

 

Can appears to be the Man
Source - thisisanfield.com

Be it as a centre back, central midfielder or defensive midfielder, Can has performed his role in the team with great aplomb. He has been likened to Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, as is usually the case with aspiring midfielders. But, what is it that makes Can Liverpool’s go-to man? Kop Chants takes a look at the former Bayer Leverkusen man’s myriad qualities and what bodes for the future.

Many have come and gone with the tag of the ‘New Gerrard’ passing them by in the mist of Anfield. While it is definitely too early to make comparisons between Gerrard and Can, it is fair to say that Can is far more likely to Gerrard’s boots than any other academy graduate has in the past. Can has the all around game that made Gerrard the player he was and is today.

Of course, both have completely different styles of play but in terms of the sheer impact and reach Can can have over the team, he definitely mirrors Gerrard. This was most clearly shown in the FA Cup replay over Bolton when Can took control of a toothless midfield, abdicating his defensive position, and threaded a glorious ball over a resilient Bolton defence for Raheem Sterling to finish. Nobody else in the team showed the initiative Can did to take the game by the scruff of its neck and that is what separates him from the rest.

An aspect of Can that makes him stand out is his impeccable physique and brute strength. When Can is on a run, it is almost impossible to stop him. He evades players with consummate ease, which makes him a really prominent presence in midfield. This was shown in the game against Sunderland when Can got past two Sunderland trackers and drew a foul from Liam Bridcutt culminating in him getting sent off for a second yellow.

I liken this aspect to that of Xabi Alonso whose deft touch on the ball drew lot of fouls and cards. Can is definitely a threat for the opposition in the middle of the park, which they have sorely lacked since the departures of Alonso and Javier Mascherano. His physical strength allows him to shield the ball like no other player in the Liverpool team. In tight games where teams look to press high, a player with Can’s ability is pivotal and key to winning the midfield battle. He can also barge players 

of the ball with relative ease.

Can can be a nuisance for defenders
Source - LiverpoolEcho

However, what differentiates Can from the stereotypical “hard-men” in the Premier League is his deft touch and panache on the ball. He just oozes class whenever he carries the ball with him. His technical ability can be compared to that of Phillipe Coutinho in just his skill and confidence with the ball. He is not afraid of taking people on, even in tight situations. While Joe Allen or Jordan Henderson may attempt a safe sideways pass, Can always looks to move forward. Due to Can’s introduction in the team, it has become palpable how much more confident goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has become because he trusts Can to do the right thing. Instead of playing fatal backpasses, Can takes accountability to evade danger. This is something that seems to have spread through the team, as others seem to be more confident as well. Like Gerrard in the past, Can inspires and leads by example.

However, as is with every aspiring player, Can does have some chinks in his armour that will get fixed with time but now are a problem. One is his aerial ability. Can, though physically strong, does not have a great airlift and is often prone to misjudging headers. This was particularly a problem when West Ham came to Anfield and played a lot of long balls to Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia. Can particularly struggled with those kinds of balls and it is something he needs to improve upon if he is to become an elite centre back.

Can' lack of pace is sometimes his Achilles Heel
Source- DailMail.co.uk

 Another flaw in Can’s game is his lack of pace. As his tactical awareness and reading of the game is only in the developing stage, Can is sometimes caught out and cannot compensate with pace. This was particularly on show when Can misread Eden Hazard’s play in the Capitol One Cup Semi-Final, conceding a penalty. Early signs show that Can will have eventually become tactically sharp but most probably not on the Paulo Maldini level meaning that he might be forced into a lot of last ditch tackles like John Terry. As Terry’s career has shown, this can lead to a lot of red cards and suspensions.

In summary, Can has a special quality in that he is a pitbull in midfield like Arturo Vidal but the grace of Andrea Pirlo on the ball which can make him one of the Premier League’s best if not the world’s best players. His position is that of the box-to-box midfielder because of the aforementioned quality but his versatility allows Liverpool to have three-to-four players in one. This can be analogous to the all rounder position in cricket like Jacques Kallis where he could perform multiple roles for the team. Can also has the potential to be Liverpool’s future captain though it is definitely too premature to say it. What is for certain is that Liverpool has an outrageous talent on their hand in Can.

What Makes Daniel Sturridge such a rare breed?

Liverpool is a club that in the past has been the breeding ground of strikers and striking partnerships in general. From Ian St John and Roger Hunt to Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish; from Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen to Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez, there have been a plethora of world-class strikers that have come and gone from the Merseyside club.

The most recent example to follow suit has been Daniel Sturridge. Signed from Chelsea in January 2013 and viewed as a ‘gamble’, Sturridge quickly put rest to all doubters with an astonishing scoring record. Despite numerous injuries and setbacks, he has always come back and done the thing he loves doing: scoring goals. Sturridge recently came back after 5 months out and took only 12 minutes to score a goal against West Ham. But, why have the other strikers at the club not been as prolific as Sturridge has. Kop Chants takes a deeper insight into what makes Daniel Sturridge a rare breed.

Daniel Sturridge has been one of Liverpool's most prolific
strikers

The other main strikers currently at the club are Fabio Borini, Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli. They cost close to 30 million and transfer fees and have not even been close to replicating the return Sturridge provides. But, why is that. They all play with the same teammates, formation and manger. They all receive the same service. So, why is it that only Sturridge can score goals.

It is not that the aforementioned three are bad players. On the contrary, they are good players that have played for some of the best clubs in the world. Borini has played for Chelsea and Roma whereas Balotelli has won titles at Man City and Inter Milan. While Lambert might not be held in the same regard, he notched up a pretty commendable total of close to 20 goals/assists last season for Southampton. Past strikers like Andy Carroll and Robbie Keane have also failed after coming in with big reputations. For every Luis Suarez, there has been a Florent Sinama Pongolle and for every Fernando Torres, there has been an Andy Carroll. Why are good strikers so hard to find when there are so many around?

While some might argue that players like Balotelli and Lambert do not ‘suit the system’ at Liverpool, that is a tired and worn out excuse that just does not explain the situation anymore. While there is no doubt that these players excel in certain systems that might be different to the one Liverpool uses, there is also no question that these players have done what has been asked of them before. Balotelli has led the line for his country Italy as well as for AC Milan and Lambert led the line for Southampton last year. These are players with goals and experience under their belt so just plainly saying that they are not suited to the system is not really pertaining to the truth.

The first aspect that separates Sturridge and other world-class strikers from the rest is adherence to basics. While this might seem fundamental to a professional player’s existence, the fact is that it is very rarely done. Sturridge rarely does anything complex or over intricate. He just sees an opening and shoots. He does not look to get the perfect goal and his sole objective is to beat the keeper. It seems trivial in theory but in reality it is difficult to execute. The toughest things in life are often the simplest ones and the striker situation illustrates that. This is also shown by the fact that Sturridge has the least shots to goals ratio showing his prowess.

A situation that I find interesting is that of Luis Suarez. While he has left the reds as one of their most prolific goal scorers, it should not be forgotten that during his first full season, Suarez was profligacy personified. Instead of keeping things simple, he would always go for the outrageous or the spectacular. It was only after Brendan Rodgers came that Suarez became the prolific behemoth we know him to be. While most take Suarez’s transformation to be improvement in skill, I attribute it to simplicity in approach. One prime example of this was when he scored a goal against Wigan by wrong footing Ali Al Habsi. Instead of trying to go for the audacious chip, he waited and seized his opportunity when Al Habsi went to the ground. These nuances separate the good from the best.

Another notion that might seem basic in its functioning is that of the shot. The simple fact is Daniel Sturridge shoots more and therefore gets more goals than his fellow strikers. Sturridge takes 3-4 shots on average per game whereas Rickie Lamber takes only 2 shots. While Balotelli takes 4 shots on an average, most of them are audacious tries from outside the box ( close to 3 of the 4 shots). The  fact is that Sturridge forces the goalkeeper to act and do work. It is all well and good mulling over where to shoot but in the end it has to work the goalkeeper and Sturridge does that on a consistent basis. Instead of dawdling over the ball, Sturridge is proactive and always on the move. These are in no way difficult techniques but the best strikers execute them with consummate ease.

But, the most important aspect of a striker is most definitely the ability to be in the right place at the right time. While goal poachers are less in fashion now days, their success was attributed to their awareness. The instinct to be in the right place at the right time is a very difficult task and very few can do it easily. However, from his stint at Liverpool, it is clear to all that Sturridge has the awareness and the striker’s instinct to be a world-class striker. While Lambert has awareness, he does not have that gut instinct that Sturridge possesses. For example, none of the other strikers at the club could have scored the goal Sturridge scored against West Ham. The awareness of where the goalkeeper and defenders were is not something that can be taught. It is just pure intuition and that is why I believe Sturridge is a rare breed.

Borini and Balotelli have ground to cover

The simple fact is that for Liverpool to succeed, it has to get two to three world class strikers and unless Balotelli, Borini or Lambert up their game, Liverpool will have to go into the market. These players cannot be trusted on right now and neither can Sturridge because of his injury issues. So, it is imperative that Liverpool get that striker quickly. All the other top teams in the world have two to three top strikers and for Liverpool to be in that bracket, they have to follow suit.

Who do you think Liverpool should buy that can fill the boots of Sturridge and be as prolific? Do you think the others are good enough? Share your thoughts in the comments below.