tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20921505119266658352024-03-05T03:59:59.666-08:00Kop Chants A blog about the happenings at Liverpool Football Club Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-56716221472924962192016-10-06T15:50:00.004-07:002016-10-06T15:51:15.099-07:00Loris Karius: New Goalkeeper Needs Time to Show His Worth <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1">Over the weekend, Liverpool registered its 4th consecutive victory for the first time during Jurgen Klopp’s managerial tenure, beating Swansea City 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium in a tightly contested affair. However, one major talking point that came out from the game was the performance of new goalkeeper Loris Karius. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The 23 year old German had a very shaky away debut, rife with indecision and hesitancy. As people who follow the showstopper on social media know, Karius cuts a very confident figure, bordering on the line of cockiness. However, not much of that same boldness was seen on Saturday with Karius often stuck in no man's land. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">There is a lot of skepticism among the Liverpool fanbase with many doubting whether the former Mainz man is an upgrade on the heavily criticised Simon Mignolet. However, it is important to recognise that a keeper like Karius will need time to truly bed in and acclimatise to new teammates and a new backline. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">What must be realised is that Karius has only played three games for Liverpool Football Club. He is not instantaneously going to have a command of his box, no matter how good or talented he is. Goalkeeping is a position that relies on communication, chemistry and a sense of trust. These are not easy to immediately establish in a few games. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Take Petr Cech as an example. Cech is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time. He came to Arsenal last season having played 333 games for Chelsea and 124 national caps. However, even with so much experience and quality, Cech struggled during his first few games for Arsenal, making some costly errors that directly led to goals. Even the France captain, Hugo Lloris, needed two months to settle in before taking over from Brad Friedel. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It is worth remembering that Karius also had his preseason cut short due to injury and even in the games he did play, his teammates and opposition were of a vastly different standard to the ones he has now. While many attribute goalkeeping to the number of saves one makes, a very important and crucial part of goalkeeping is the ability to have command over the box and communicate clearly with your teammates. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This is one position where Simon Mignolet has had a lot of issues, which eventually led to Karius taking over from him. Even after three seasons, Mignolet could not establish himself like Gianluigi Buffon or Manuel Neuer do. Karius has all the tools be able to succeed in this department as he does not seem to lack in confidence. At Mainz, Karius had the trust of his defenders, with him often coming out to claim crosses. Even though he did not do this against Swansea, his past performance shows he has the potential and certainly, the ability to do it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Additionally, what needs to be acknowledged is that Karius, like Jurgen Klopp, is the not the Messiah who will solve all of Liverpool’s problems on his own. He is a young, promising goalkeeper in the Manuel Neuer mould, with “mould” requiring special emphasis. As seen on Saturday, he has rough edges to his game that will need to be fine tuned. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We, as fans, need to afford Karius that breathing space to be able to do this. One comparison that comes in mind here is that of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea. De Gea, like Karius, came to England with a lot of hype on his young shoulders and struggled initially. Physically weak, susceptible at crosses and indecisive, De Gea was harshly and vociferously criticised during his first season with many United fans calling for a “proven” replacement. However, Sir Alex Ferguson stood by him and it is clear for all to see where the Spaniard is now. </span></div>
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Like Ferguson, Liverpool have the right man in Jurgen Klopp to allow Karius to develop in the right way. If there is one thing Klopp knows, it is the Bundesliga with his knowledge of the league unparalleled. Out of the plethora of quality ‘keepers in the Bundesliga, Klopp chose Karius for a reason. <span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">We, as fans, cannot be so short-termist in our thinking. Karius cannot go from Oliver Kahn to Massimo Taibi in just one game. There has to be a middle ground somewhere and if we are prepared to give Klopp and Karius time, I am sure he will prove all of the doubters wrong.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">This has been said so many times that it borders on cliche but we have changed our doubt into belief for Klopp and we have to believe that we can do the same for Karius.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-32887316750430825762016-09-06T11:45:00.001-07:002016-09-06T11:45:02.813-07:00Is Klopp getting it wrong with the Wijnaldum experiment?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When Liverpool signed Georginio Wijnaldum this summer from Newcastle United, I was quite excited. Last season, and for many previous seasons in truth, Liverpool really lacked a cutting edge in midfield. With Wijnaldum, I felt that manager Jurgen Klopp was addressing this problem as the Dutch international has the ability to provide that attacking impetus and, more importantly, end product.</div>
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At a first glance, I thought that Wijnaldum was being bought as an upgrade over the profligate Adam Lallana. Indeed, the stats seemed to back my supposition, with the Dutch international having scored 25 goals in his past two seasons. In addition to this, the former Newcastle and PSV man registered 8 assists and created 89 chances during the same timeframe. Wijnaldum even supported this himself in an interview where he said that “I can make goals and create chances”.</div>
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However, fast forward to the start of the current season and Wijnaldum has been deployed in an unusual holding position within the Reds midfield, alongside captain Jordan Henderson. As a result, his attacking prowess has been rendered ineffective, with the former PSV captain struggling to make an impact on proceedings. The fact is that Wijnaldum is a player who thrives on bombing forward in an attacking midfield role and is not adept to the defensive side of things. While he can “do a job” over there to help the team out, the bottom line is that he is the proverbial square peg in round hole.</div>
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This was very visible during the 2-0 loss against Burnley, where the Clarets were able to launch attacks and get through the midfield as if it wasn't even there with just 2-3 rudimentary passes. While the defence is always harshly criticized, a major reason for why Liverpool leak so many goals is that the midfield does not provide enough protection. If a defence is exposed on such a regular basis, it is often bound to concede chances and inevitably goals. Wijnaldum’s lack of defensive nous is one of the reasons for this during recent games.</div>
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If we look at other top teams, they have adept defensive midfielders who do a great job of breaking up play before attacks can develop. Chelsea have Ngolo Kante and Nemanja Matic, Arsenal have Granit Xhaka whereas Pep Guardiola has Fernandinho at his disposal. Who do Liverpool have to do this for them? As a result, bigger picture over here is how much Liverpool miss the presence of a dedicated defensive midfielder. It has been said so much that it borders on the cliche but Liverpool, even after all these years, have never found the replacement for Javier Mascherano.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit - Empire of the Kop </td></tr>
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Coincidentally, it was when Mascherano was at the helm and Liverpool had the “best midfield in the world” that the Reds actually had a dependable backline. Rather than focusing on something that does not work in Wijnaldum, Klopp has to deploy someone that has that defensive nous and knack of breaking up play. While Emre Can is promising, he is still not a dedicated defensive midfielder and is more adept at the box to box role. The only specialist holding midfielders Liverpool have at the helm are the declining Lucas and the inexperienced Kevin Stewart. But even then, they provide more of a solution then Wijnaldum does.</div>
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Klopp has spoken a lot on player versatility and how they do not have specific “positions”, he needs to understand that Wijnaldum is not the answer, similar to how Daniel Sturridge on the wings is not the answer. If Klopp really wants to get the best out of Wijnaldum, play him where he is best at in attacking midfield or don't play him at all. He can be a major goalscoring asset if deployed right. But, trying to shoehorn him into the team in any way possible just because he is a big money signing is never going to work. If Klopp does that, he may be jeopardising the overall well being of the team.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-89753117646924174682016-06-29T19:10:00.002-07:002016-06-29T19:10:46.809-07:00James Milner: The Forgotten Man <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1">As England slumped to an ignominious and totally shocking defeat against minnows Iceland, there was one player on the sidelines totally helpless to do anything to prevent his team from humiliation. One player whose experience and reliability would have been pivotal in an encounter where England were totally devoid of ideas and inspiration. One player who could actually cross a ball. That player is of course a certain James Milner. Milner could only watch from the bench as England manager Roy Hodgson threw on inferior players like Jack Wilshere in blind hope. Milner would almost certainly have provided more than the Arsenal man would have. But because of Wilshere’s more flamboyant reputation, Hodgson picked him over the Liverpool number 7. </span></div>
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Back to Liverpool matters, if I were to be brutally honest, I was never a big fan of James Milner and was not particularly enthused when I heard Liverpool were going to be signing him. My discontent turned to shock when I found out that then manager Brendan Rodgers had appointed Milner vice-captain without him even kicking a ball in the famous Red shirt. I had bought into his reputation, like Hodgson did, of an “unskilled workhorse” only fit to play a supporting role. But over the course of this season, I have grown to admire Milner as a player and professional. With his straightforward, no-nonsense nature and sheer endurance, Milner was a mainstay in the Liverpool team last year and deservedly so. </div>
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<span class="s1">However, there are a lot of people like Hodgson that believe that Milner is not “fashionable” enough to play for such a big club like Liverpool or indeed England. With Sadio Mane coming in and Jordan Henderson coming back to full fitness, many fans think Milner will be relegated to the role of a squad player. As I was scouring through fan forums looking for prospective lineups, I was surprised to see how few of them had Milner in them. Milner will always be the neglected one but in this article, I want to point out as to why I think Milner will still play a vital part for Jurgen Klopps’ Reds team next season. </span></div>
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Firstly, emphasis must be placed on the fact that with Kolo Toure’s departure, Milner is the only person in the team with experience of winning something due to his stint with Manchester City. In a team which has been described as “bottlers” numerous times in the past, Milner is the only player who has “been there” and “done that”. With Lucas Leiva and Martin Skrtel on the periphery of the Reds squad, Milner serves as the most experienced head. As Klopp looks to build his new empire at Liverpool, a player of Milner’s pedigree is vital. Even at Dortmund, though Klopp’s team consisted of young and relatively unknown players, he still had the experience of players like Roman Weidenfeller to fall back on. </div>
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<span class="s1">Secondly, it is Milner’s calmness under pressure that makes him such a valuable asset. The most cogent example for this is his assist for Dejan Lovren’s winner in the thrilling 4-3 win against Borussia Dortmund. With the clock ticking down, Milner had the ball on the line and had to get it right. He could have easily panicked and fluffed his lines but his cross was inch perfect for Lovren who did the rest. If any other Liverpool was faced with the same situation, the chance would 99% have gone to waste. Milner had the composure to take his time and pick out the right option when many others would not have. </span></div>
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It is this composure that has made Milner a very important creative asset and perhaps Liverpool’s most important asset last season. Compare him with Adam Lallana, a player in the same team, for example. There is no doubt that Lallana is more skilful and technically adept as opposed to Milner but the fact remains that Milner finished with more goals and assists in fewer games than Lallana. Milner managed a total of 16 goals/assists in the league last year as opposed to Lallana who could manage 10. As the stats show, Milner might not be fashionable but there’s no doubting he gets the job done and better than those that are supposedly technically superior to him. </div>
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<span class="s1">Milner is also a master of an increasingly obsolete art which is that of the cross. Many of Milner’s 14 assists last season came as a result of crosses. Even though the times of Rafa Benitez have been long gone, Milner has shown us that crossing can be an important weapon of any arsenal. How many times have we seen Liverpool players get into good positions only for the final ball to go astray. Liverpool had one of the worst chance conversion rates last season but Milner always served as a constant outlet. As England were hopelessly and aimlessly lumping balls into the box against Iceland, they neglected their best crosser to the sidelines. Here’s hoping Liverpool do not do the same. </span></div>
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When Jurgen Klopp came to Liverpool, he called Milner the “perfect footballer” and while obviously that is a bit of an exaggeration, Klopp’s sentiment holds merit. Milner is the kind of player who you appreciate only when he is not playing. Though Liverpool are being linked with more fashionable names day in, day out, there is no doubt in my mind that when push comes to shove, James Milner will play a vital part in the success of this Liverpool team. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-5132806198863950802015-10-12T06:59:00.000-07:002015-10-12T07:03:22.128-07:00Why Emre Can will benefit the most under Jurgen Klopp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Emre Can came to Liverpool last season on the back of
promising performances for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. Indeed, the Reds
were able to beat out stiff competition from Bayern, who had a buy-back clause
for the German international. </div>
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Known for his versatility, Can came to Liverpool
and had a very promising debut season, reveling as a right centre back in Brendan
Rodgers’ 3-4-2-1 formation. Can was able to bring the ball out of defence and instigate
attacks with consummate ease. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, his downturn in form started with the 4-1 thrashing
against Arsenal last season where Can was forced to play in a highly unfamiliar
role at right back. He struggled immensely, failing to deal with Arsenal’s pace
on the break and was eventually sent off. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But even after he came back, Rodgers continued to play him
in the right back position and teams started to take advantage of it. Can’s
confidence started to dwindle rapidly and by the end of last season, Can looked
a defeated man as he barely tried against Marko Arnautovic in the humiliating
6-1 defeat against Stoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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Can had a good U-21 tournament with Germany in his favoured
midfield position and as this season started, he was even picked for the German
National team. But, something was not right when Can played for Liverpool. The
assurance that embodied his play last season was nowhere to be seen. I feel
this has come because of too much of uncertainty around Can’s position.<o:p></o:p><br />
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No one in the Liverpool staff could pinpoint a specific
position for Can to play. There have been some games this season where Can has
switched positions as many as 4 times! It must not be forgotten that Can is
still extremely young and this inevitably took a toll on his development. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Players like Can thrive on confidence and without it, Can
has looked extremely poor. Because of this, many fans have started to label him
as a “jack of all trades and a master of none”. It might be a cliché but Can
has indeed become a victim of his own versatility. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, when there is a will, there is hope and that hope might
already have come to Can in the form of new manager Jurgen Klopp. Can the
German bring the best out of his fellow compatriot? I feel he can. <o:p></o:p><br />
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The main problem that many fans had with Brendan Rodgers in
regards to Can is that most viewed him as a box-to-box midfielder but Rodgers
often deployed him as a defender. But, it was obvious from first sight that all
Can wanted to do was break into midfield. This was apparent from the heat map
of Can against Norwich a few weeks back. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite being deployed as a defender in the game, Can’s
tendency to break into midfield clearly shows where he wants to play. Now, when
we compare this to the positions of Sven Bender and Ilkay Gundogan, the two
midfield lynchpin’s in Klopp’s Dortmund team, in the 4-1 win against Real
Madrid, we see glaring similarities.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpflSfJWJg6gWKRUtcj_7sxYjfEgpj8ucskCpHZeRhCPrXnUyFy8tcEPFZKgOiDh6B1SYp_ANGAIfI6OL73FVmcLsnQMP2YyWBkxJNJRVz6oNZwjAR5kevMSTmUjULMS47OfDpxgvjzMg/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-10-11+at+12.15.57+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpflSfJWJg6gWKRUtcj_7sxYjfEgpj8ucskCpHZeRhCPrXnUyFy8tcEPFZKgOiDh6B1SYp_ANGAIfI6OL73FVmcLsnQMP2YyWBkxJNJRVz6oNZwjAR5kevMSTmUjULMS47OfDpxgvjzMg/s320/Screen+shot+2015-10-11+at+12.15.57+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Can seems the most logical fit to fit into Klopp’s preferred
style of play to match Gundogan and Bender. His power and ability to bring the
ball forward is something other Liverpool midfielders cannot replicate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As a result, we should hopefully see Klopp deploy Can in his
favoured position. Can is young and if moulded properly, can even surpass the
midfielders in Klopps’s Dortmund team. We saw shades of that last season when
Can played a lovely ball to Raheem Sterling in the FA Cup game against Bolton.
Klopp seems the perfect person to unleash this potential. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Klopp can give Can the identity that he sorely requires to
thrive. Can often looked like a “caged lion” desperate to break free when
playing in defence but in Klopp’s famous gegenpressing 4-2-3-1 system, he can
be the engine behind the team. It will allow him to fulfill the box to box role
he always wanted. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKkB6N3kk594QnUBJIgrwiImk2UppTHySilQxKP4mGzupu18i0CywG3_VtDWMPlRMWkFhO87zfARJmWav05r7oPpOGKy9640VUUSIckk5bRbiAOFGrcbqsraK2hoyqiAhmaTWXH7_jYsz/s1600/04968884-1024x727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKkB6N3kk594QnUBJIgrwiImk2UppTHySilQxKP4mGzupu18i0CywG3_VtDWMPlRMWkFhO87zfARJmWav05r7oPpOGKy9640VUUSIckk5bRbiAOFGrcbqsraK2hoyqiAhmaTWXH7_jYsz/s320/04968884-1024x727.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A major criticism last season with Can was his lack of
tactical awareness. When playing as a defender, he was regularly caught napping
allowing attackers to get free. But, with Klopp, there is someone to improve
and work on that which Brendan Rodgers often never did. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A prime example to consider is Ilkay Gundogan. Gundogan came
to Dortmund as a raw youngster from Nurenberg, pretty much like Can. Things did
not go well for him initially but Klopp used “his willingness to learn” and
“great attitude” to transform him into one of the world’s best midfielders.
Klopp has indicated that he wants players to “run through a brick wall for him”
and if Can is able to do that and has the same mindset as Gundogan did, then
the sky might not even be the limit for him. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJv8xvFy-29K2cs_xdihJqqG_WoD2Wf0TNkv1uQgsn5zTu_hIhyphenhyphenHE-sGEjGC8YlPxcpKy-lnSS-8OsbszXR9n_kPvwdl7cpNQKrsD1NJjOLmv4qUN201OakeYK_39tdkiISha38Xq3gID/s1600/PA-16227415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJv8xvFy-29K2cs_xdihJqqG_WoD2Wf0TNkv1uQgsn5zTu_hIhyphenhyphenHE-sGEjGC8YlPxcpKy-lnSS-8OsbszXR9n_kPvwdl7cpNQKrsD1NJjOLmv4qUN201OakeYK_39tdkiISha38Xq3gID/s320/PA-16227415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Can has the ability to change a game and Klopp on arrival
will recognize that. Can has described Klopp as a “great coach” and the feeling
will no doubt be reciprocated. It now remains to be seen whether or not “The
Normal One” can do it. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-1807055605391621662015-10-03T12:17:00.000-07:002015-10-03T12:26:03.261-07:00What has happened to Jordon Ibe this season?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Liverpool fans entered the season with the hope that Jordon Ibe, a rising star of last season would kick on and fulfill his potential. Fans started the season thinking that Ibe would be the successor to the departed Raheem Sterling. Indeed, there were comments from many optimistic Liverpool fans about how Ibe was “twice the player that Sterling was”.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">But, things have not turned out right for the 19 year old, as performances have been dull. Ibe has not been able to make the impact that everyone hoped he would create.This article takes a look at why this has been the case. Has he become a bad player overnight or is there some other problem behind the scenes?</span><br />
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Ibe was always a player with bags of pace, strength and directness in his game. Signed by Kenny Dalglish after making an impact at Wycombe Wanderers, Ibe was thrust straight into the Liverpool academy at Kirkby. And he thrived, becoming the best player and forming devastating partnerships with other players around him.</div>
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His performances were so good that he was sent on loan to Birmingham and then Derby. Once again, he stepped up to the mark with his performances warranting a call back to the first team under Brendan Rodgers. While many players have struggled in the loan system, Ibe was the only anomaly to this trend.</div>
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<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_111634" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #464749; font-family: 'Titillium Web', sans-serif; font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 16.2px; margin: 0px; position: relative; width: 634px;"><a href="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1411228778456_wps_16_Strictly_Editorial_Use_On.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #c31014; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;"><img alt="Strictly Editorial Use Only - No Merchandising. For Football Images - Editorial use only. No merchandising. Football Association and Premier League restrictions apply inc. no internet/mobile usage without FAPL license. It is the picture user's responsibility to adhere to all restrictions - for details contact Football Dataco. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Andy Clarke/REX (4106231as) Derby's Jordan Ibe celebrates his first goal Derby County v Cardiff City, Sky Bet Championship Football, Pride Park, Britain - 20 Sep 2014" class="size-full wp-image-111634" src="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1411228778456_wps_16_Strictly_Editorial_Use_On.jpg" height="446" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 634px;" width="634" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Credit: Photo by Andy Clarke/REX (4106231as)</figcaption></figure><br />
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Last season, Ibe dazzled beyond belief and was a key member of a team that went undefeated for close to 3 months. Starring in a right wing back role in Rodgers’ 3-4-2-1 formation, Ibe terrorized the opposition with his quick runs and clever link up play.</div>
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Be it in his debut in the heated Merseyside Derby or in a tight game against Tottenham, Ibe offered Liverpool something that they sorely lacked. Width! Liverpool’s play was much more dynamic and free flowing with Ibe in the team. He offered fresh ideas and more importantly, a sense of fearlessness.</div>
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For me, what really impressed me with Ibe was when Liverpool played Besiktas in the Europa League. The entire team was flat bar Ibe who continually troubled Besiktas’ left back. At some point, there were three or even four players on him and still Ibe ran the show. His good performance culminated with the Besiktas player fouling him leading to Mario Balotelli converting the resulting penalty. Ibe really seized initiative in the game, something which we had not seen much of in the season.</div>
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<a href="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Jordon-Ibe-Liverpool-FC-v-Besiktas-JK-aQ9E2-6w6Wjl.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #c31014; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;"><img alt="Jordon+Ibe+Liverpool+FC+v+Besiktas+JK+aQ9E2-6w6Wjl" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-111644" src="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Jordon-Ibe-Liverpool-FC-v-Besiktas-JK-aQ9E2-6w6Wjl.jpg" height="400" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a></div>
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What was really striking to the eye was Ibe’s direct running and tendency to beat his man. But, this season, all of that has dissipated like a puff of smoke. Ibe looks a transformed man and not in a good way. He looks really afraid on the ball and in all honesty, “a headless chicken”.</div>
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He has looked no different to the stereotypical winger who has all the pace in the world but no real end product or substance. Ibe looks clueless in the attacking half of the pitch, not knowing what to do. While last season, he would think on his feet on whether to beat his man or pass, this season he just dallies on the ball and ends up losing it.</div>
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So, what is the reason for this? For his entire career, Ibe has always been incisive and destructive. He has never been afraid to take on a challenge, even when he was thrust into action as a tender 15 year old for Wycombe. While the average 15 year old was still stuck in high school, Ibe was dazzling on the football scene. But, right now, Ibe looks like a shadow of the player he was before.</div>
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The first thing to consider is a palpable negativity in Ibe’s play. Out of the 46 successful passes that Ibe has made this season, 38 of them have been backwards. In addition, he has created only 2 chances with no goals or assists. In contrast, Nathan Redmond, a young winger playing for a struggling Norwich team, has created 15 chances with 4 goals/assists. Ibe is meant to be the winger to take Liverpool forward but right now his numbers do not seem to suggest that.</div>
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Secondly, Ibe has started the season in a very one-dimensional style. His movement and pattern of play is so predictable that any decent full back can sniff it out. He seems reluctant to take his man on, unlike he has his entire career. WhoScored lists Ibe as a player that likes to dribble but so far we have not seen that come to fruition. Ibe only averages 1.2 successful dribbles per game whereas last season, he was averaging close to 2.5 for Derby and Liverpool.</div>
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Ibe has transformed into a “hug the touchline winger” as can be seen by the heatmap below against Stoke.</div>
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<a href="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Screen-shot-2015-09-30-at-11.10.18-PM-1.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #c31014; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;"><img alt="Screen shot 2015-09-30 at 11.10.18 PM" class=" size-full wp-image-111654 aligncenter" src="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Screen-shot-2015-09-30-at-11.10.18-PM-1.jpg" height="249" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="327" /></a></div>
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When we contrast this to Ibe’s heatmap against Besiktas in the Europa League last season, we see a world of difference. Ibe was all over the field, cutting in and had more dimensions in the game against Besiktas.</div>
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A main contributor for this has been injuries. Indeed, after Ibe got injured against Besiktas last season, his form went downhill. He came back considerably slower and it has carried on to this season. This is something that Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has to be held accountable for. Young players like Ibe need to be managed with care otherwise they will end up the same way Michael Owen did.</div>
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Rodgers has not done this as he has constantly overplayed Ibe, sometimes making him play as many as three games in a week. As a result, he came back burnt out and it is something he still has not recovered from.</div>
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Another reason is the astronomical pressure that Ibe is under to perform at Liverpool. Currently, Ibe is the only genuine first team winger in the Liverpool squad. This is quite worrying considering he has only played close to 20 games for the club. Rodgers has loaned out Lazar Markovic and neglected to buy any winger in the transfer window when the Reds were desperately crying out for one.</div>
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While players like Yevhen Konoplyanka and Andriy Yarmolenko were practically throwing themselves at Rodgers, he did not fall for the bait. The expectations being heaped on Ibe has clearly affected him as can be seen by his tense demeanor on the ball. 19 year olds should not be expected to shoulder the attacking load for a team as big as Liverpool. Ibe is still very raw and is not ready to take up such a big position.</div>
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Reds fans keep on going back to the example of Raheem Sterling but it has to be considered that Liverpool was very lucky in that situation. Like Ibe, Sterling was also struggling with to cope with the pressure and was given a “break” in Rodgers’ first season.</div>
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Indeed, next season. Sterling was just one step away from being loaned out of the club for Mohamed Salah and only Robbie Fowler knows what would have happened if the deal did go through. But, even then, Sterling had a fit Sturridge, Steven Gerrard and of course Luis Suarez to help him out. He could play his natural game as he had quality around him. As a result, he thrived and it must be considered that Ibe is in a totally different situation.</div>
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<a href="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Sterling-Ibe-shisha-pipe-Liverpool-talks-571057.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #c31014; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;"><img alt="Sterling-Ibe" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-111684" src="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Sterling-Ibe-shisha-pipe-Liverpool-talks-571057.jpg" height="350" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="590" /></a></div>
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In the end, Ibe still is one of the hottest prospects in world football. All he needs is the freedom to play his natural game and less pressure on him to deliver. In addition, he needs a stable position that utilizes his strength. Ibe has been played on the left and right in both attack and defence. Fans still do not know where he is most deadly and that is a something that has to be fixed.</div>
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Rodgers cannot make Ibe the solution to Liverpool’s problems. At a time when Liverpool fans are not in a pleasant mood, constantly pressurizing Ibe can have a potentially fatal effect on his career.</div>
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Stats from WhoScored and Squawka</div>
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By: Siddharth Raj Kapoor</div>
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Twitter: @KopChants</div>
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Like on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kopchants</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-33597674911237611242015-09-28T09:54:00.000-07:002015-10-02T23:39:00.947-07:00Alberto Moreno is Proving Doubters Wrong with Strong Performances<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Alberto Moreno came to Liverpool at the start of last season for a fee of close to 12 million pounds from Spanish giants Sevilla. Brendan Rodgers’ persistence paid off after he had courted the young Spaniard for the entire transfer window. Moreno represented the kind of full back suited to Rodgers’ style of play with unlimited energy, deadly pace and an aggressive nature.</div>
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He promised to be the next great Liverpool left back after players like Jose Enrique, Paul Konchesky and Aly Cissokho had failed. Indeed, he had been touted as the next Jon Arne Riise by many Liverpool fans (without the deadly free kicks of course!)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">Moreno was a constant attacking outlet on the left hand side offering width and dynamism. However, fans kept on going back to his defensive mistakes, which had contributed directly to losses against Newcastle and Chelsea.</span><span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">During the early stages of his Liverpool career, Moreno established himself as a player that could really impress attacking wise but was a bit naïve defensively. Indeed, this was seen when a fatal error against Manchester City on his debut was cancelled by a superb solo goal against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.</span></div>
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Even though he was one of the shining lights in Liverpool’s unbeaten run from December to March in the left wing back spot, fans never warmed up to Moreno. Moreno was Liverpool’s consistent performer at the time playing almost all the games but yet Kopites felt there was something missing. There was always this feeling that Moreno would make a mistake at some point of time.</div>
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And this happened when Manchester United broke the Reds’ unbeaten run with Moreno arguably at fault for both of the goals on the day. This was further worsened with a poor game against Arsenal. What was first slight skepticism turned into a full out barrage as fans criticized Moreno at every single opportunity.</div>
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<a href="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1427032273010_lc_galleryImage_Football_Liverpool_v_Manc.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #c31014; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;"><img alt="1427032273010_lc_galleryImage_Football_Liverpool_v_Manc" class=" wp-image-110964 aligncenter" src="http://cdn.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1427032273010_lc_galleryImage_Football_Liverpool_v_Manc.jpg" height="313" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" /></a></div>
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Even though his stats were favourable with an average of two tackles and 1.5 key passes per game, Brendan Rodgers responded to the dissent of the fans by dropping Moreno for a period of time. Indeed, Rodgers played Glen Johnson, Lazar Markovic and even Raheem Sterling there at some points as Moreno was reduced to a spot on the bench. There were even talks of Moreno being sold to Roma only after one season at the club. Players like Lucas Digne were being hailed as his “replacement”.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">However, even though Moreno was not sold, his spot as a benchwarmer remained intact. Indeed, to add to Moreno’s chagrin, Brendan Rodgers started this season with 18 year old centre back Joe Gomez in the left back position. Gomez, brought in from Charlton in the summer, was supposedly there for his “defensive awareness” and “good range of passes”. Moreno, who had won the Europa League just a season back was now playing second fiddle to an untested 18 year old. So, how exactly did he recover?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">Well, like a model professional should, Moreno did not sulk after being dropped from the team. He worked hard on his game and made use of the limited game time that Rodgers gave him. Indeed, even though he came on for a few minutes against Arsenal and Bournemouth as a winger, Moreno showed glimpses of his talent effortlessly gliding past players. While Gomez was not having the intended effect at left back with insipid attacking play, Moreno was staking his claim in fringe games like the one against Bordeaux.</span></div>
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And, then his chance finally came against Norwich as his change was slightly unnoticed in the midst of Daniel Sturridge and Mamadou Sakho coming back into the team. But, despite the lack of coverage, Moreno made his mark with a brilliant performance against the Canaries. He was an ever-present on the left hand side whipping in dangerous crosses and latching on to loose balls. In the game against West Ham, Slaven Bilic targeted the left hand side because of Gomez’s ineptitude in attacking and was therefore able to hinder Liverpool’s attacking flow. Gomez had no options as he could only cut in and pass back.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">But, Alex Neill and his Canaries side were not able to do that because of Moreno’s presence. When Martin Skrtel looked up, he could see Moreno available and could easily play the diagonal ball. When he did that before, Liverpool fans would let a collective sigh, as there would be no one there to collect the ball. He even played a lovely through ball to create Danny Ings’ goal. Throughout the entire season, Liverpool fans had been calling for width and they finally found it in the form of Moreno. In fact, Moreno created more chances in the one game against Norwich (6) then Gomez had all season (3).</span></div>
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What is also interesting to see is Moreno’s telepathic link with Phillipe Coutinho. In the games against Bordeaux, Norwich and Aston Villa, both players linked up seamlessly always on the lookout for each other. In fact, there was even one situation where Coutinho blindly played a forward pass almost expecting Moreno to be there even when he was not. Even last year, Coutinho’s best run in the season coincided with Moreno’s rise in the left wing back position. Both players just seem to innately feed off of each other.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">In the past few games, while almost every other player was playing with a lack of desire, it was Moreno who was playing for the honour of the Reds shirt along with Danny Ings. While fans were definitely in a bad state after poor performances, they were warming up to Moreno’s performances. There would be a cheer and a sense of excitement whenever he collected the ball. This is the kind of play that the Reds desperately need. Fearless, daring and most importantly, passionate!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">So, what lies in the future? It is sometimes forgotten but Moreno is only 23 years old and has more than 10 years of high-level football in him. His return has provided the burst of energy and the desire that the increasingly dull Liverpool team desperately needed. He is still prone to defensive errors, but like Barcelona star Jordi Alba, Moreno has the ability to change the game on his day. He has all the ability in the world and hopefully, this promising run is the start of a new dawn for the Spanish U-21 International.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-52539323852889052562015-09-24T10:40:00.001-07:002015-10-02T23:36:17.768-07:00(Guest Article) - A view from the Etihad: How will Raheem Sterling Fit Into the New Look City Team <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This summer marked a mass exodus for Manchester City with
many players leaving the club. Specifically, the Citizens saw a wholesale
number of English as well as home grown players exit the club for newer
pastures. Reliable British players like James Milner and Frank Lampard, academy
graduates like Karim Rekik, Dedryck Boyata and Marcos Lopes along with aspiring
players like Scott Sinclair and Micah Richards all called time on their City
careers<o:p></o:p></div>
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Manuel Pellegrini and his team have responded to this by
spending more than a 150 million pounds in the summer. And about one third of
it spent on English blood in Raheem Sterling. Was it spent wisely? Can such
mass spending be justified even in the goal of bringing in English players to
fulfill the quota of homegrown players required for a club? This article takes
a look Sterling’s signing and whether he has what it takes to succeed at the Etihad. Was he bought just to fill up the numbers or to actually have a general
impact on the team? <o:p></o:p></div>
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For City, getting a young player of his caliber is indeed a
great feat. Sterling is known for his no-fear, direct running style at
defenders that was a top priority for a club that was criticized last season
for a lack of width and movement. He is a player with the willingness to commit
defenders, quick feet and a good dribbling technique. In the 2014-15 season
City often lacked that urgency in their game play and now they have Sterling to
offer pace, trickery and guile. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is not that City “lacked players with pace” because there
are players like Sergio Aguero and Jesus Navas who are meant to provide that to
the team. But this tool of pace and trickery wasn’t always in abundance because
of Aguero’s poor injury record and Navas often being a one-dimensional player. But,
now with Sterling, they have a player who ticks most of these boxes for City and
offers the extra dimension that the team needs. Being only 20 years old,
Sterling offers a fresher look to the ageing City side. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sterling’s versatility is another factor that can make him a
valuable asset for the City side. His ability to play multiple different
positions is in stark contrast to Navas who often almost always sticks to the
right side touchline during games. He has played almost every position across
the field from striker to right wing back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The central attacking role behind two high
profile strikers (Suarez and Sturridge) got the best out of Sterling. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This role allowed the 20 year old the freedom and this was
largely beneficial for Brendan Rogders’ side to line up a second place finish
in the league two years ago. He registered a career best of 9 goals and set up 7
more in that season which is even more remarkable considering that was his
first season as a regular starter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Last season we saw Sterling in a more advanced position as a
lone striker where he scored 7 goals as well as a providing 8 assists despite
having to shed most of the attacking load. Sterling also performed admirably on
the biggest stage of them all, as Roy Hodgson had no hesitation to deploy him
on the right wing to complement Wayne Rooney. Although England had a dismal
World cup exiting in the group stages, Sterling stepped up and was one of the
lone bright sparks in the campaign.<o:p></o:p> I<o:p></o:p>ndeed Sterling’s performances received so much acclaim that he was rated as the most valuable youngster across Europe.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p>The next aspect that should be considered is Sterling’s
impact on his new City teammates. On the creativity line the essential cogs of
the team are most notably Yaya Toure and David Silva who like to play long
through balls over the defenses frequently. With Sterling now City have got
another player (the other obviously being Aguero) as a target to chase down
those balls effectively and stretch defences. Sterling’s quick and explosive
style will definitely compliment City’s main man, Sergio Aguero.</div>
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These two can maraud sturdy defenses together with their
trickery, decisiveness and fantastic set of skills and will definitely add more
swagger to City’s game. Sterling will also be useful in counter attacking
situations as we have often seen him tearing defenses apart with enormous rigor
for Liverpool. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Where will Sterling fit in the City team? Given the fact
that Sterling enjoyed a good pre-season with City where he mostly featured on
the left side the forward line, that will most probably be where he features
for the majority of his time. But given his effectiveness on the right flank as
well, Sterling can be an able replacement if or when Jesus Navas gets injured
or underperforms.</div>
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There is an immense amount of competition at City but
Sterling’s performances in the Premier league have been far better than
ordinary. He has already registered 1 goal and an assist to his name against
Watford and Everton respectively. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Against Chelsea he was brilliant, giving reputed defender Branislav
Ivanovic a tough time all afternoon. A week later he found himself back at
Merseyside vs Everton. He was lively again and ended up providing an assist to
Kolarov despite being booed at his every touch. His link up with left back
Aleksandar Kolarov is one of the several positives in City’s dazzling early
season form. Sterling leaves back acres of space for Kolarov to run into by
drifting infield and attracting defenders. And we all know what Kolarov can do
by whipping in venomous crosses. Then against Watford he was found stopping a
counter-attack in the first half and his moment came in the second half when he
broke the deadlock after making a smart run in behind a robust Watford defence
and swept Bacary Sagna’s cross. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Raheem Sterling comes to City with a massive price tag of 49
million pounds. Considering the fact that he was brought in from a rival club
in Liverpool who were reluctant to let him go, the high fee is something to be
expected with the inflated prices of British players. But, right now, it is not
the price tag but the impact that Sterling has on the team, which matters the
most to the Sky Blues. The effects have are there for all to see as this season
has bought a fresh new City team currently on top of the table. And, the fact
is he will only get better as he matures and develops.</div>
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Sterling has been criticized and derided by Liverpool fans for his controversial move to the Etihad. Even though the way he left the Reds left a bad taste in the mouth for Kopites, there is no doubt that Sterling has the quality to succeed anywhere in the world. In fact, his pace and direct running, which has helped the Citizens, has been missing from the Reds' play leading to insipid displays. </div>
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From what we have seen up till now, Sterling has the
potential to carry this hefty weight on his shoulders. Considering these
factors, I firmly believe Sterling has what it takes to prove the critics wrong
and justify the faith that has been put into him.</div>
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By: Akarsh Kamath </div>
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If you want to submit a guest article, contact Siddharthgautam347@gmail.com</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-91873000574223675672015-09-02T09:59:00.000-07:002015-09-02T09:59:00.058-07:00Was Fabio Borini given a fair chance at Liverpool?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As the dust settles on the summer transfer window, one eye-catching deal was Fabio Borini’s long awaited move to Sunderland. This article takes a look at the Italian’s ill-fated time at Liverpool. </div>
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Fabio Borini came to Liverpool three seasons back as Brendan Rodgers’ first signing as Liverpool manager. His signing signaled a new era as Rodgers looked to sign players he felt “comfortable” with. Indeed, Rodgers had previously coached Borini as an upcoming youngster at Chelsea and signed him on loan as Swansea manager. Borini even helped Swansea get promoted for the first time scoring 6 crucial goals in 8 appearances to help the Swans through the playoffs. The signs were there that Borini would be a success at Liverpool as he seemingly had all the attributes that Brendan Rodgers required.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2px; line-height: 1.6;">Hard working with a penchant for being in the right place at the right time, Borini came to Liverpool on the back of a very successful spell at AS Roma. When he scored a goal in his debut appearance against FC Gomel, fans had more reason to believe that Borini would justify his hefty 11 million pound fee. However, fast forward three seasons and things have not quite worked out for the Italian at the Merseyside club. Borini has been sold to Sunderland, just one year after rejecting them, for a fee in the range of 8-10 million pounds. However, the question must be asked as to why Borini did not have success. Was he given a fair chance at Liverpool?</span></div>
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In my opinion, Borini was never given a consistent opportunity to prove himself to Brendan Rodgers and the Liverpool faithful. The fact of the matter is that Borini, in three seasons, has only played 25 games for Liverpool. And if that was not striking enough, he has only started 8 of them, which means more than 2/3<sup style="box-sizing: border-box;">rd</sup> of his measly Liverpool appearances have been as a substitute. Conversely, both Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have got more playing time in one season than Borini has in three. Borini was supposed to be the cornerstone of Brendan Rodgers’ “philosophy” but instead he was made to be nothing more than a benchwarmer for the Reds.</div>
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Common statements used often by Liverpool fans are that Borini was simply not good enough or that his performances were not upto par. However, how can this be judged when Borini has hardly ever put on the famous Red shirt. Even then, if we look at the stats, Borini performed better in his loan spell in Sunderland than Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge combined last season. He scored more goals in all competitions than the aforementioned three combined. In addition, he scored more than 49 million man Raheem Sterling as well as last year’s top scorer Steven Gerrard. His loan spell at Sunderland showed that he could deliver the goods if called upon.</div>
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Another facet to consider is Borini’s proclivity for important goals, many of which saved Sunderland from almost certain relegation. His goals included two in the heated Tyne-Wear Derby, clutch goals in the League Cup as well as a historical goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Last season, Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers had a huge problem in big games losing almost all of them when it really mattered. Borini, on the other hand, seemed to thrive in them and while he may not have been the perfect solution, he would have provided more than many others often did.</div>
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What is also striking is Rodgers’ treatment of Borini. Last season, Rodgers introduced Borini 6 months into the season after nearly every other option had failed. Borini was deployed as the lone striker in Rodgers’ 3-5-2 formation and scored in the second start he was given against Aston Villa. Despite having a good game, Borini was dropped without reason for the next game against West Ham and it was the last game that Borini ever started for Liverpool.</div>
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Rodgers tried midfielders like Phillipe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling and even an ageing Steven Gerrard in the striker position when he had Borini on the bench waiting desperately for a chance. Borini witnessed the humiliating losses to Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Hull City and of course Stoke City from the bench and sometimes not even that. And yet, fans have come to the assumption that Borini was poor when the reality was that he never even had a real chance to show what he could do. To put into context, Brendan Rodgers has been given another season to “prove” himself despite massively under delivering for 2 out of his 3 seasons whereas Borini has not even started more than 10 games.</div>
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A huge controversy arose last season when Borini declined a 14 million move to Sunderland where he had so much success. Borini was criticized and derided for being “ too greedy” by fans when all he wanted to do was prove himself and fight for a place. This was clear whenever Borini came onto the pitch as he pushed himself and fought for the team even if he was on for one minute.</div>
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One specific moment last season came when Borini came on against Arsenal at Anfield. He looked the best player on the pitch and was the most likely to get a goal. But, in bizarre circumstances he got two yellow cards in the space of minutes and was sent off. While he was ridiculed by most because of this, I felt it was a sign of commitment and passion. While Borini was overzealous, at least he was fighting for the team when many had given up. He showed the spirit and desire that Steven Gerrard showed, that Jamie Carragher showed and what all players should.</div>
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While Borini is not as talented as Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge or even Mario Balotelli, he is not the Sunday League player that everyone has made him out to be. Rodgers has spent close to 100 million pounds on strikers alone while principally ignoring the first one he bought. While Rodgers “ stayed up late at night” tinkering with different formations and deploying players in unfamiliar positions, Borini was never in the picture.</div>
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Obviously, it is unknown as to what happens in training but Borini seems to be a humble professional and the way he has been treated is not right. Being made to train alone like a pariah when he wants to put the Liverbird on his chest is not how things have worked at Liverpool. While Raheem Sterling was busy humiliating the club, a player like Borini, who wanted to play for Liverpool was punished.</div>
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In the end, Borini will be a case of what could have been. He might succeed or struggle at Sunderland but in the time he was here, could he have provided Liverpool with more than what they had at their disposal? Now, it will remain unknown as Borini begins a new adventure. Good Luck Fabio and hope you fulfill your potential at Sunderland.</div>
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Stats from Soccerbase, WhoScored and LFCTransferHistory</div>
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By – Siddharth Raj Kapoor</div>
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Twitter – @KopChants</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-32660996807617576602015-06-13T11:25:00.002-07:002015-06-13T11:25:49.779-07:00Who is Really Accountable at Liverpool Football Club? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Liverpool, in the past, has always been a club with a sound and stable structure since the days of the great Bill Shankly. Shankly built the club from the ground and brought efficiency into the way things were run. As a result, when Bob Paisley, Shankly’s heir apparent took over, it was a seamless transition as the stability brought by Shankly translated into success with Paisley. There were no qualms for Joe Fagan or Kenny Dalglish either as the Reds became the biggest club in the world.</div>
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<a href="http://www.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1974-05-057.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; box-sizing: border-box; color: #c31014; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;"><img alt="1974-05-05(7)" class=" wp-image-85784 aligncenter" height="276" src="http://www.empireofthekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1974-05-057.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="336" /></a></div>
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However, things have been a bit rocky since Kenny Dalglish resigned in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster as Graeme Souness overhauled the structure of the club. Though, Gerrard Houllier, Roy Evans and Rafa Benitez brought back managerial stability, there were still problems behind the scenes. While results were still good on the field, people like Rick Parry, David Moores, Tom Hicks and George Gillete kept on changing the club dynamic and as a result, Liverpool suffered on the global scene.</div>
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But, now in the FSG and Brendan Rodgers era, this problem of instability has resurfaced again as there have been problems both on and off the field. From the fabled transfer committee to the perennial contractual disputes, things have been inefficient and in all honesty, handled in an amateurish fashion. But, the most riveting fact about the entire situation is that no one really knows who is in charge of fundamental things like transfers and management at the club.</div>
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For example, if you were to ask some Liverpool fans about who handles the transfers, they would say Brendan Rodgers while others would say Ian Ayre or the transfer committee. There is no clarity regarding many things at the club and when things have gone pear shaped, fans do not know who is held responsible. There seems to be limited accountability at the club, and accountability is a core expectation at every successful organization, be it a startup or a large organization. This, for me, is a basic problem at Liverpool that needs to be fixed immediately.</div>
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The first notion that really needs to be addressed is this idea of a transfer committee where different people from different backgrounds come together to decide which targets to scout and buy. This committee has become the symbol of everything wrong at Liverpool with all the blame of transfer debacles being placed on it. But, the fact is that most clubs operate under the same conditions that Liverpool do. No club would just let a single man decide the players to buy and there is almost certainly some coordination between different people before transfer decisions are made. For example, at Tottenham, you have Daniel Levy and previously Franco Baldini working but it was Andre Villas Boas who got sacked for poor transfers.</div>
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At Liverpool, the notion of a transfer committee is just a fancy way of describing what goes on at every club. But, there is one difference in that when other clubs fail, an individual like the manager is held accountable but at Liverpool, the “committee” is castigated. This is just a way of deviating accountability from one person and hence no actions can be taken because no one exactly knows the roles of the members of said committee. All the people actually responsible are hiding behind the cloak of this committee and are taking away the fans’ right to know who is taking decisions for their club.</div>
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The second idea that needs to be looked at is the role that Brendan Rodgers plays at Liverpool. We all know that he is the manager of the club but what is it that he is held accountable for. Is he the top man at the club or is there someone higher up that is taking decisions? None of this has been made clear to fans and that is something that is frankly worrying. This mirrors the situation of FIFA where the entire corruption scandal was exposed but Sepp Blatter was never held accountable as he himself said, “ it had nothing to do with me”.</div>
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Liverpool has historically taken “action” for a poor season by sacking managers even against public majority. But this hasn’t applied to Rodgers. Coaches Mike Marsh and Colin Pascoe have literally been made the “fall” guys at the club when it is not even clear what their role was in the entire season debacle. The entire approach to the situation was that we have to sack somebody but are afraid of holding the higher ups accountable. There are very few cases of assistant coaches being sacked but not the actual manager because these coaches are not the ones meant to be accountable. In a financial business, the higher ups are supposed to be accountable and take responsibility for each and every issue at the club even if it might not directly be their fault and none of that is happening at Liverpool.</div>
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Whenever there has been an issue surrounding Liverpool, no one from the club has been frank in explaining to the fans, the core essence of the club, why said issue has happened. All we see is ambiguous statements or excuses like “ we do not have the financial power” or “ we could not compete with the pulling power of living in London”. Not once has Brendan Rodgers or anyone else associated with Liverpool come out and taken responsibility for any failure.</div>
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In the end, it is the fans that look to be the fools as it is left up to them to comprehend another failure in the list. We, as fans, deserve to know why things have actually gone wrong instead of getting the same euphemisms or clichéd excuses. We cannot be lead to believe that things are “outstanding” at the club or there is great “unity” when teams like Stoke City and Crystal Palace are thrashing Liverpool. Someone has to take responsibility and not hide behind the shadows.</div>
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Then, there is the role of the owners FSG (Fenway Sports Group) in the entire situation. What exactly are they being held accountable for? Sure, the bank balance might be stable and we might get free donuts at Anfield but does anyone associated with Liverpool really care about that? In the end of it all, football is all about one thing and that is the fans that make it. It does not matter if the club is financially sound if results are not right and the fans are not happy.</div>
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While claims that FSG hired Rodgers as a “yes-man” may be overblown, what exactly do they want to do with the club and where exactly do they see it in the future. We rarely see them attend any games, which is not such a big deal because of tight schedules but missing the last game of the club’s most revered superstar is not right. The owners have not spoken anything about the current situation and what are the steps to resolve it. All we have heard is that talks are “positive” and there is a “detailed plan” for next season. Nothing the owners have done instills any confidence in fans and makes things look bleak in the future.</div>
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Lastly, I hear this word being thrown around a lot and that is “philosophy”. We keep on hearing that FSG have this “philosophy” that Liverpool have to adhere to but what is it. Very few transfer deals and contract negotiations have actually gone smoothly with there always being some issue and inevitably excuses are thrown around. The truth is no other club has endured as many failures as Liverpool under FSG and yet no one is held responsible for it. Each and every transfer story gets leaked to the media and each small incident becomes a media furor.</div>
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Where is the professionalism that FSG is supposed to bring with its “philosophy”? They are renowned as astute businessmen with vast amounts of experience but when has that ever come to show. Everyone claims that this is because they know little to nothing about football but some of the failures have been fundamental business ones. Negotiating with tough parties or agents is part and parcel of every job in the financial industry and Liverpool have made it to look like rocket science. The fact of the matter is that while they might have stabilized the books, they have let down the fans on may other issues and are not changing because no one is holding them accountable.</div>
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In the end, it all boils down to one thing. Does Liverpool care enough about its fans to at least tell them what their own club is doing? The fans endure the failures associated with the club and because there is no accountability, they feel like the laughing stock of the football world. And yet, there is no one held responsible because there is no information as to what is going on. All in all, it is very disappointing that the club cannot even be honest with its own fans.</div>
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By – Siddharth Raj Kapoor</div>
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Twitter – @KopChants</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-71325268339768719442015-05-12T05:46:00.002-07:002015-05-18T06:44:06.546-07:00Is the "Liverpool Way" Changing Under Rodgers? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A wise man once said that if you do not support us when we
lose, do not support us if we win. While the sentiment from the great Bill
Shankly might hold a lot of merit, it is debatable whether this should apply in
regards to Brendan Rodgers’ managerial tenure. It is true that Rodgers has one
of the best win percentage records of any Liverpool manager but yet the
consensus is that he should be sacked. For me, while poor losses and results
are a big factor, I think Brendan Rodgers should leave because of what he may
be inadvertently doing to the structure and dynamic of Liverpool Football Club,
one that may have long lasting impact if not addressed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AgDW6beqAw_OdMH9ht5KEQ6JNP05q1G6Vo-NXb3yKHv8wDQavnud_eW6SfHHc56FK5pc_YDpVtKZtuuS87GCsB8Czk7ApWkQHG8S4pdsaq1C1VX1fdlO9r9DhLBcd8ixIt5H2-bR1zBA/s1600/bill-shankly_1534159c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AgDW6beqAw_OdMH9ht5KEQ6JNP05q1G6Vo-NXb3yKHv8wDQavnud_eW6SfHHc56FK5pc_YDpVtKZtuuS87GCsB8Czk7ApWkQHG8S4pdsaq1C1VX1fdlO9r9DhLBcd8ixIt5H2-bR1zBA/s200/bill-shankly_1534159c.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Shankly built Liverpool's identity<br />
Source - Telegraph </td></tr>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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The first point to consider is his transformation of the complete
team without anything much to show for it. While transfer debacles have been well
documented, it is the other side of things that must be considered in more
detail. Rodgers has had falling-outs with all of the fan favorites at the club
and has replaced them with many players not of Liverpool standard. Daniel Agger
and Pepe Reina are two examples that come to mind as those who were fan
favourites but sold after falling out with the manager. Rumours also state that
Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard also had falling-outs with the manager but
the validity of these sources is unknown. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Rodgers has sold most experienced players at the club
ranging from Maxi Rodriguez to Craig Bellamy. While selling players is fine if
handled properly, the fact that Rodgers has used this as an excuse for his
failings doesn’t add up. In the current Liverpool squad, only Steven Gerrard,
Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson, Jordan Henderson, Lucas Leiva and Raheem Sterling
are non-Rodgers signings and 2 of these 6 players are going to leave at the end
of the season and maybe even more. Throughout the season, Rodgers has told fans
that he is “taking time to build a team” and “learning on the job”. But, the
fact is that it is Rodgers himself that has replaced a proven, experienced core
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this season but all these players are here on his volition. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6UxPEHyUSqCJH30x2Qu76ggfIdjnrOfSLzfK8RcVWMlrR6Kkn6lCv0KXLMQmdpd4S4NfmcZGq4gwpoe6q2UrNhaOZjvU6z5yqBDfQAyqgXiBhSyTIO2VZ3_Gc86d1pXyrxAmM6ivOMfo/s1600/2777622830-soccer-barclaycard-premiership-chelsea-v-liverpool-stamford-bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6UxPEHyUSqCJH30x2Qu76ggfIdjnrOfSLzfK8RcVWMlrR6Kkn6lCv0KXLMQmdpd4S4NfmcZGq4gwpoe6q2UrNhaOZjvU6z5yqBDfQAyqgXiBhSyTIO2VZ3_Gc86d1pXyrxAmM6ivOMfo/s200/2777622830-soccer-barclaycard-premiership-chelsea-v-liverpool-stamford-bridge.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuyt and Bellamy - Two of the many sold by Rodgers<br />
Credit - KopSource </td></tr>
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The second fallacy has been Rodgers’ treatment of young
players. For a man who proclaims to give youth a chance, how many players have
been given a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">real</b> chance in the
first team? By that, I do not mean a few substitute appearances here and there.
Raheem Sterling is the one example of a player who has been given a real chance
where he got a regular run of games. Despite performing badly, Rodgers still
persisted with him and Sterling rose to prominence. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Players like Jonjo Shelvey,
Martin Kelly and Suso are some of the many promising youngsters that were sold
without any justification. In fact, Rodgers has sold more youngsters than he
has given a chance. Out of the 28 players Rodgers has sold, 12 of them have
been youngsters below the age of 23. The main justification that has been given
is that those players were never good enough. But, how do we really know that? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is it clearly established that Joe Allen is better than
Jonjo Shelvey or that Adam Lallana is better than Suso. Instead of flogging
millions on superfluous signings, Rodgers could have easily done what he claims
to do and have given youth a chance. It is not only academy players though, as
Rodgers has not even given players that he has himself signed a chance. Luis
Alberto and Tiago Illori are two examples that have not started a single
Premier League game. An approximate of 15 million was spent on these two
players with nothing to show for it. And yet, this could be swept under the
carpet citing the law of probability in that some succeed and some do not.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnugc4xT72pjQg1p34Xd5RzN3aIJ9qmhaJpfY7oyLSCkbJKxOVOTNOIxiS1NMVzaAZcvtGQD3US17rJtGv0nmbnF__V3YurhOkCcw4cyxkhu-D21e5ZHOGKsvVZZoY7cPYHvlAnt2tYMBW/s1600/454002178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnugc4xT72pjQg1p34Xd5RzN3aIJ9qmhaJpfY7oyLSCkbJKxOVOTNOIxiS1NMVzaAZcvtGQD3US17rJtGv0nmbnF__V3YurhOkCcw4cyxkhu-D21e5ZHOGKsvVZZoY7cPYHvlAnt2tYMBW/s200/454002178.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone seems happy in this picture<br />
but that was not the case when Suso was sold to AC Milan<br />
Source- Getty Images </td></tr>
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The third and perhaps the most worrisome point is that
Liverpool are slowly losing their identity under Rodgers. Currently, the Liverpool
team is not one that the fans can relate to. The Anfield atmosphere has been
severely criticized and while the main reason has been the ticket prices, another
factor has been that fans may be falling out with the club. There seems to be lesser
passion or desire in the play at the moment and in my opinion, this has come
about because of too much change in the structure. Liverpool have transformed
but not evolved. There is a current unrest in the fans and the relation between
the team and the fans is not what it should be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bill Shankly also said that at a football club, there is a
holy trinity between the players, managers and supporters. At the moment, there
is a hole in the trinity as it does not seem like the players are playing for
the manager or the fans supporting the team. These are fixable problems of
course but in the present, Liverpool are slowly slipping out with the fans. Rodgers
is a good manager but the stature and legacy of Liverpool demands more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-71182838294240900362015-04-11T12:09:00.001-07:002015-04-11T12:12:32.174-07:00Was it All Luis Suarez Last Season?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Luis Suarez is one of the greatest players to have graced the Anfield turf and definitely, one of the most prolific goalscorers to have played for the club. It has been close to a season since the mercurial Uruguayan left the Reds after notching 31 goals and 12 assists last season. In the aftermath of his departure, Liverpool has immensely struggled to replace the goals and genuine threat of Suarez. As a result, they have plummeted down the table and have scored only 31 goals from open play, the same number of goals Suarez scored in the entirety of last season.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/luis-suarez-liverpool.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="luis-suarez-liverpool" class=" size-medium wp-image-63169 alignright" src="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/luis-suarez-liverpool-300x180.jpg" height="192" style="float: right; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-right: 10px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luis Suarez - Man,Talisman,Out of this World<br />
Credit - Zimbo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last season, Liverpool had one of their most successful seasons in a long time and were inches away from laying their hands on the elusive Premier League title. This season has undoubtedly been a marked contrast and many have attributed this to the loss of Suarez. Brendan Rodgers, so revered by everyone last season, has been castigated this season and all the success last season has been laid on the hands of Suarez. While last year, Rodgers was regarded as the next Bill Shankly, this season he has been viewed as nothing more than a charlatan.</div>
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Allegations of a ‘one-man team’ have been placed on Rodgers’ Liverpool side that achieved success and any success that others might have had has been attributed to the ‘Suarez’ factor. But, football is a team game and you can have the best players in the world but if there is no cohesion or chemistry, no success can be achieved.</div>
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I find these Suarez allegations a little bit misguided and they disregard the contributions of the entire Liverpool team last season to make it the season that it was. To just plainly attribute the achievements of an entire team on one player is not right, no matter who that player is. Suarez was a great player but you need a great team to achieve things and for that Brendan Rodgers and the Liverpool players have to deserve credit. Was it really all Suarez last season?</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cleb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cleb" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-63170" src="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cleb-300x200.jpg" height="200" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire team contributed last season<br />
Source- LiverpoolEcho</td></tr>
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Firstly, while Suarez might be a prolific marksman today, it should be remembered that Suarez was very wasteful when he first arrived at the club. The most prevalent example of this would be in Kenny Dalglish’s 2011-12 season where Suarez only notched up 11 goals and had a WhoScored rating 7.35 compared to 8.43 last season. He also had a record of hitting the woodwork the most number of times in that season.</div>
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It was only when Brendan Rodgers came in that Suarez became the clinical behemoth that he is today. Instead of shooting straight at the goalkeeper. Suarez would now aim for the sides and became accurate in both short range and long range shooting. Rodgers has to be given credit for making Suarez the player he is today by playing to his strengths and building the Liverpool team around him.</div>
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Until recently, Suarez was derided in the Spanish media as well for not being lethal enough. Till now, it is Brendan Rodgers who has gotten the best out of him. It must also be remembered that Rodgers played players like Fabio Borini and Stewart Downing out of position so that Suarez could revel in the striker role. It could be said that Liverpool contributed more to Suarez as a player than Suarez to Liverpool as a team.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/luis-suarez-008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="luis suarez" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-63171" src="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/luis-suarez-008-300x180.jpg" height="180" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suarez struggled in his first full season<br />
Source - Guardian</td></tr>
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Secondly, it is worth noting that the team in Brendan Rodgers’ first season where the team finished 7<sup>th</sup> was not very different than the team that finished second. Only Simon Mignolet and Mamadou Sakho were significant additions to the team. And, when the team finished seventh, Suarez was performing at the same level notching 23 goals despite being banned for biting. That suggests that it was the general improvement of the team that caused an upturn in results, as Suarez’s form was constant throughout the time of consideration. In scientific terms, Suarez was the constant factor as the team’s form improved with time. Obviously, Suarez played a huge part in how the team played but without the team, nothing would have been achieved.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/derby1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="derby1" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-63172" src="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/derby1-300x200.jpg" height="200" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard - Two Key Intisgators<br />
Credit - LiverpoolEcho</td></tr>
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The common saying throughout this season is that Suarez was responsible for the entire teams output last season because he scored a lot of goals (approximately 1/3<sup>rd</sup> of the entire team’s tally). But, the same can be said about Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid or Lionel Messi at Barcelona. But, that does not mean that Barcelona or Real Madrid are one-men teams. The best players always contribute the most regardless of the quality of players around them and Suarez’s output has no bearing on how good the team was. Suarez, being the talisman that he is, scored a few goals out of nothing but many of his goals were also created by his teammates.</div>
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Lastly, to say that it was ‘all Suarez’ last season is to undermine a lot of the good work done by the other Liverpool players and Brendan Rodgers . Daniel Sturridge got the second highest goal tally last season (after Suarez of course) despite being out with a length spell of injury, which can be tough for any player. Steven Gerrard got the most number of assists last season whereas Raheem Sterling and Phillipe Coutinho were two of the best young players. Sturridge’s chip and Steven Gerrard’s exquisite through ball last season are two examples of the caliber of talent outside Suarez.</div>
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And, then there is Brendan Rodgers who has taken a lot of flak this season but he did make a few game changing decisions last season. Be it implementing the diamond formation or bringing on Joao Carlos Texieira for his debut with the team needing a winner against Fulham, Rodgers made a lot of gutsy choices which won a lot of plaudits last season but have been discounted this season. He gave players like Jon Flannagan, Raheem Sterling and even Luis Suarez chances to flourish when many other managers like Sir Alex Ferguson (who asked Liverpool to sell Suarez) might not have made that choice.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/brendan-rodgers-440473.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="brendan-rodgers-440473" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-63173" src="http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/brendan-rodgers-440473-300x178.jpg" height="178" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brendan Rodgers made some great decisions last season<br />
Source - Telegraph </td></tr>
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Suarez’s departure this season has most definitely affected Liverpool’s performances and results because he was such a good player. But, in my opinion, the majority of the problems this season have resulted from poor team selection, inefficient tactics and ineptitude in the transfer market. Suarez gave Liverpool a platform last season and Liverpool have failed to taken an advantage of that. The debate that Suarez gave the other players face holds some merit but to just flat out attribute that to the results of an entire team is not right. The players have less space this season but have still achieved success when the tactics and selection have been right. In the end, Brendan Rodgers should most rightly take criticism for this season but deserves plaudits for last season.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-20392195160186627622015-04-02T23:32:00.002-07:002015-04-02T23:32:42.407-07:00The Raheem Sterling Contract Saga <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Raheem Sterling is a star in the making. Ever since breaking
out as a young teenager and scoring 5 goals in an FA Youth Cup game against
Southend United, Sterling’s talent was palpable to everybody. He became the
talk among every Liverpool fan and this resulted in him making his debut at the
tender age of 17. He even became Liverpool’s youngest ever goal scorer after
scoring in a league game against Reading. He was the shining light in a poor
first year for Brendan Rodgers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPKYWBx2Yfw94DhszN6ESZbleuyf2E_cSidAMLcDqbNdGizqt6S2t2VCNI_6BYDN_xQcaf5-3AQnaXiy1Ouj0FCJgQY0RjiqHptkZyGg96yQe8qk80p8nEOLZyA6xOxKSLzVj6EPKG0up/s1600/Sterling-Celebrates-First-Goal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPKYWBx2Yfw94DhszN6ESZbleuyf2E_cSidAMLcDqbNdGizqt6S2t2VCNI_6BYDN_xQcaf5-3AQnaXiy1Ouj0FCJgQY0RjiqHptkZyGg96yQe8qk80p8nEOLZyA6xOxKSLzVj6EPKG0up/s1600/Sterling-Celebrates-First-Goal.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sterling became the youngest ever scorer<br />Source - kopleft.com</td></tr>
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However, Sterling’s promising start went downhill after
sometime. He found it tough to deal with the growing pressure put on him and
had numerous off the pitch problems. At one point, he was almost farmed out on
loan to bring in Mohammad Salah. However, fate intervened and the Salah deal
imploded and Sterling transformed into an integral part of a team that almost
challenged for the elusive title. He reveled in playing at the tip of the
diamond formation that Brendan Rodgers had devised for the Reds. This season,
he has grown into a regular starter and was even regarded as the main man in a
team short of stars.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixS_IhG0nQeovzlZLP5s64vPhTJmYNLEqD3kpwDP9SMRmmyF-I3CcK-Sd1axZAXq6h3sv3JbtvGGMBwDCwzoli2lW9sWleP2WCc86lHIIR3geRO1FUna-Mm8ZnvFaUvVg0zQA3nXXArTxC/s1600/download.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixS_IhG0nQeovzlZLP5s64vPhTJmYNLEqD3kpwDP9SMRmmyF-I3CcK-Sd1axZAXq6h3sv3JbtvGGMBwDCwzoli2lW9sWleP2WCc86lHIIR3geRO1FUna-Mm8ZnvFaUvVg0zQA3nXXArTxC/s1600/download.jpeg" height="157" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sterling came to his own last season<br />Source - Guardian </td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently, Sterling has made the news, but for the wrong
reasons, with an issue surrounding his contract. If the media is to be
believed, Sterling is reluctant to sign a new contract because of wage issues.
Various media outlets have covered the story and some sources have even claimed
that Sterling wants 150,000 pounds per week. There has also been a recent
interview with the BBC surrounding this situation. While it might be debatable
whether Sterling deserves those wages or not, what is for sure is that the
figures he is asking for are astronomical. Is he really good enough to earn
those wages?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first point to be considered is that wages as high as
150 thousand are reserved for the very best players that make the most
desirable impact on a team. Is Raheem Sterling <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the best player </b>on the Liverpool team? Can he be depended to bail
the team out when they are in trouble? It doesn’t seem so. For starters,
Sterling tends to fade way in big games. For example, in the Champions League
game against Basel, Liverpool needed someone to bail them out and Sterling hid
behind Steven Gerrard’s shadow. Another example of this is the Europa League
game against Besiktas where Sterling was completely anonymous. If he wants to
earn the bug bucks, Sterling has to provide. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVR_SsaSGBSaUwK7Y8e_nMHwK0BTmBgtYpBm2_qKMXQTCkk9T1T9OiHaVQYmo3KQ7Cl-RQpqQZ6fYUuSlpKsyXSyxFzxmz_dXxPqNoEQZAGiTEk0LUVV7MNQ7SUMYz5LaZRz0OH4PxIVf/s1600/Liverpool-Liverpool-FC-LFC-Brendan-Rodgers-Raheem-Sterling-Raheem-Sterling-Contract-563832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVR_SsaSGBSaUwK7Y8e_nMHwK0BTmBgtYpBm2_qKMXQTCkk9T1T9OiHaVQYmo3KQ7Cl-RQpqQZ6fYUuSlpKsyXSyxFzxmz_dXxPqNoEQZAGiTEk0LUVV7MNQ7SUMYz5LaZRz0OH4PxIVf/s1600/Liverpool-Liverpool-FC-LFC-Brendan-Rodgers-Raheem-Sterling-Raheem-Sterling-Contract-563832.jpg" height="118" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sterling has blown hot and cold<br />Source - Express </td></tr>
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The next area into consideration is his goal scoring and
genuine impact on the team. While plain goals and assists may not paint the
whole picture, it is an undeniable fact that Sterling does not score as much as
he should and his chance conversion is not the best. Sterling has played close
to every game this season and has only 10 goals in all competitions with many
of them in an attacking position. An old and declining Steven Gerrard has the
same number of goals as him. In fact, there was a long period in
October-November, where Sterling did not even register a single goal. He is
definitely a player that blows hot and cold. Can Liverpool really afford that?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thirdly, there are age and off the pitch factors that have
to be taken into consideration. While it has become a common adage to say, “If
you are good enough, you are old enough”, the fact of the matter is that it can
have a harmful effect on the dressing room if a player of Sterling’s age is
given such high wages. Issues like seniority and hierarchy should not exist but
do in the dressing room and if Sterling is rewarded with a new contract, others
might either feel jealous or treat Sterling with derision. It could lead to turmoil
in the back. Politics is defined as “<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">activities
aimed at improving someone's status or increasing power within an organization”.
With backstage politics in Liverpool, Sterling might have trouble dealing with
the status quo at Liverpool. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Additionally, very few players around the world, regardless
of club, are paid that much money, especially at Sterling’s age. Players like
Julian Draxler and Hakan Calhanoglu are definitely talented but earn nowhere
near the amount of money Sterling wants. Calhanoglu, for example, only earns
60,000 euros but that does not make him any less talented. There is also the
fact to consider that Sterling has achieved next to nothing in the game, yet.
He has little European and international experience and this is his first full
season in the Premier League. He is nowhere close to being a world-class
player, no matter how much fans want to deny it. Lastly, if Sterling is to be
paid that much, he instantly becomes an ambassador for the club and will he be
prepared to handle the responsibility that comes with it. These are all issues
that have to be considered.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2U95FfEWn9FczwzvBObJuY_1ZmY2nN-zphHR2yxSAfPvlk7viOYfe_NGlG6kGSPW9hvWPnGBWbZzSCAfHbiiQ-4gQYdF5vEVV0LTLZ16zw7Me6yvkR0KbpuT30ARXU5SK-8FDeFN2aoOL/s1600/2014-9-Hakan-Calhanoglu-Top-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2U95FfEWn9FczwzvBObJuY_1ZmY2nN-zphHR2yxSAfPvlk7viOYfe_NGlG6kGSPW9hvWPnGBWbZzSCAfHbiiQ-4gQYdF5vEVV0LTLZ16zw7Me6yvkR0KbpuT30ARXU5SK-8FDeFN2aoOL/s1600/2014-9-Hakan-Calhanoglu-Top-Image.jpg" height="156" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakan Calhanoglu has the talent but not the astronomical wages<br />Source - WhoScored.com </td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Sterling’s worth aside, the bigger issue here is how does
this saga reflect on Liverpool as a club. In the past few years since FSG have
taken over, changes have been made. However, one thing that cannot be argued is
that the club has fallen short in terms of transfer dealings. In Brendan
Rodgers’ tenure, only Mamadou Sakho is a big name that has come into the club.
Normally, other clubs are very quick and effective in transfer and contract
dealings. Recently, Real Madrid signed Danilo with no media fanfare and no
hiccups. Chelsea have been very efficient with their dealings. They have either
paid the money for players they want or sold players who they want to move on.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Liverpool is a club trying to get back on its feet and these
kinds of issues are things that the Reds have to deal with to be taken
seriously. If they think that Sterling is part of their future, they should pay
the money but if they do not, they should let him go. Chelsea did that with
Andre Schurrle, Kevin De Bruyne and many others and Liverpool should do the
same. There should be no if’s, but’s or maybes. These debacles should not occur
in the future as it makes the club looks like amateurs. The Raheem Sterling
contract issue has gotten out of hand and it is the club that should make a
unanimous decision on what to do. A club of Liverpool’s stature should not be
forced to lie down and be played around by agents. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-35483261359583225262015-03-18T08:41:00.005-07:002015-03-18T08:41:48.941-07:00The Curious Case of Glen Johnson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Glen Johnson has been in high demand throughout his career.
From being the first big money Roman Abramovich signing to playing a major part
for a strong Harry Redknapp Portsmouth side, managers and boards have never
been afraid to splash the cash on the England international. Johnson has cost
more than 30 million pounds in transfer fees and has played for some of the
biggest clubs in the Premier League. So, when Rafa Benitez splurged close to 20
million on the right back, the decision was received well as the Reds were
getting a proven Premier League player with pedigree at the highest level. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6s_8vzHiXI-KkDjyTQ0YFbrKq5J0U8DkPHsXeHHnpwNyDylI9qVfG6VMQ1sMPpR1WIZJbS4Ibv89k66YPuQ2PMEseU3IKAJNgg1fBma0UVZys8UHPa4OG5MAXHm4yHxKpVKA90YHbQ5i/s1600/article-2573209-006477D81000044C-543_634x483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6s_8vzHiXI-KkDjyTQ0YFbrKq5J0U8DkPHsXeHHnpwNyDylI9qVfG6VMQ1sMPpR1WIZJbS4Ibv89k66YPuQ2PMEseU3IKAJNgg1fBma0UVZys8UHPa4OG5MAXHm4yHxKpVKA90YHbQ5i/s1600/article-2573209-006477D81000044C-543_634x483.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnson playing for Chelsea<br />Source - Getty Images </td></tr>
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Johnson started out really well making a great impact in his
first few seasons. He was a mainstay in a team which endured a lot of struggles
and slumped to mid table mediocrity. While players were going in an out of the
team, Johnson was an ever present either at right back or left back. There were
a lot of different managers at the Anfield helm during this time and all rated
Johnson from Roy Hodgson to Brendan Rodgers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnson has made 192
appearances in total for Liverpool. There have been memorable moments for sure
during Johnson’s Liverpool career such as goals against Chelsea and West Ham and
a brilliant defensive performance against an inform Gareth Bale. However, it
has been palpable for some time that Johnson’s form has regressed. He has been
a shadow of his former self and there has been a considerable drop in his
energy levels. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5HpyrRG4Lzgr0q4YSWaDeBKgtiRAm7xOAYbJ21a7ciga1kk9wdN3FwfWCMLSt3SYh13ip1bB4i_YPYTCB2-kyawMIbsoitxWWxUpRNnCqF1xfUqtBSENJA0q-si2TNin1dWktKZHyPRO/s1600/4_4ec94434e960e487075607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5HpyrRG4Lzgr0q4YSWaDeBKgtiRAm7xOAYbJ21a7ciga1kk9wdN3FwfWCMLSt3SYh13ip1bB4i_YPYTCB2-kyawMIbsoitxWWxUpRNnCqF1xfUqtBSENJA0q-si2TNin1dWktKZHyPRO/s1600/4_4ec94434e960e487075607.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnson did have memorable moments<br />Source - Liverpoolfc.com</td></tr>
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Unlike a fine cheese, Johnson’s condition has deteriorated
with age. For someone allegedly on 120 pounds a week, that is not good enough. Johnson
cuts a disinterested figure on the pitch and always looks to blame others when
something bad happens. Johnson must only look at Steven Gerrard to see that
despite Gerrard’s condition declining, he still gives 100% in what he does.
Johnson on the other hand just looks disinterested. In the past two seasons,
Johnson has only won a measly 57% of his duels and only has a Squawka
performance rating of 133 this season which is worse than any of Liverpool’s
other starting defenders.</div>
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Despite these poor showings, Johnson is still consistently
picked by Brendan Rodgers when fit. Rodgers has shown himself to be
trigger-happy many times this season but when it comes to Glen Johnson, Rodgers
is firm and resolute. Why is it that a player that is underperforming so much
is given so much playing time when players like Javier Manquillo are not even
getting a sniff? Manquillo has more defensive actions in fewer games and yet is
time and time again left out in place of Glen Johnson. When Johnson was
injured, players like Lazar Markovic played in the right back position despite
Manquillo being on the bench but the moment Johnson came back, he was put
straight into the team. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Always regarded as a player who is great at attacking but a
bit suspect in defence, Johnson has lost the attacking element of his
repertoire. He is very slow in his passing and seems lost with the ball. The
little bit of mobility that he had was lost and this resulted in him playing
the game at walking pace which is bad for the team considering the express
nature of the Premier League. Rarely do we see him make those marauding runs
that made him desired in the first place. In fact, it could be argued that he
was the worst player in a season where everyone was being praised to
superlative levels. When better players come along, Johnson is just played in a
different position. He has played everywhere across the back line without any
change in his performances. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a player who is known for his attacking impetus, Johnson
has been shockingly poor in that department. In the past two seasons, Johnson
has only scored 1 solitary goal and has a shooting accuracy of only 20%. This season,
he has only created 3 chances in 13 games. In contrast, Lazar Markovic, a
player who has seemingly struggled according to the media has created 17
chances and Jordon Ibe, a player who was not even considered at the beginning
of the season has a higher duel win rate and shooting accuracy and has a higher
chance per game ratio. Their Squawka indexes are also very close to that of
Johnson’s despite not playing as many games as the Englishman. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, the fact is that most pundits, media and even some fans
are oblivious to this. While many heavily criticize Mario Balotelli for “not
showing enough effort” even when playing well, Glen Johnson gets a free ride no
matter how bad he plays. The hard fact is that Liverpool has a much better
record this season when Johnson is not part of the team. While stats
might be a bit inconclusive, the Reds have also scored more and conceded less
without Johnson in the backline. In fact, it was after Johnson got injured that
that the Reds went on their best defensive run in close to 30 years. The facts
are not pointing in Johnson’s favour but yet Rodgers consistently picks him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkKC3T3IxgW51dv9e7ZiK5zxflq9w-nszLqiTr-AMcUaad0WB4wpHENFEzue16QL6a_OAKPe3sNB4pLYJ_hOCsXckP_-QtvwsY8bXEeJTfk3eTE_tt9IQOny2hGPyqqkggCdmc1mFwole/s1600/313014_gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkKC3T3IxgW51dv9e7ZiK5zxflq9w-nszLqiTr-AMcUaad0WB4wpHENFEzue16QL6a_OAKPe3sNB4pLYJ_hOCsXckP_-QtvwsY8bXEeJTfk3eTE_tt9IQOny2hGPyqqkggCdmc1mFwole/s1600/313014_gallery.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnson has lost his verve<br />Source - Goal.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition, Johnson disrupts the balance of the team.
Instead of the team being lined up seamlessly, Rodgers has to adapt and change
positions of players just to accommodate Johnson. For example, Emre Can had to
move out of defence where he excelled so that Johnson could take his place
resulting in a poor performance from the young German who seemed to struggle
with adapting to the new position. At the start of the season, star performers
like Alberto Moreno were dropped in favor of Johnson. Moreno has created 27
chances in the time he has played which had been limited because many were made
as a substitute showing. Despite his attacking fluency and calmness in
possession, Moreno was made to look like a scapegoat during the Reds’
disastrous run.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While calls of favoritism or jokes about Johnson having
‘dirt’ on Rodgers may seem a bit far-fetched the fact is that he is taking up a
space in the team which should go to more deserving players and in essence, he
is being carried by the team. Johnson has been a great servant for Liverpool
but he has waned and waned dramatically. The harsh truth is that no other team
in the Top 8 will have Johnson as an automatic starter and the fact that the
Reds do is very worrying considering they have better players on the bench or
being played out of position. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rodgers has gotten rid of most of the Rafa Benitez core with
players like Pepe Reina and Daniel Agger shipped out ruthlessly. But for some
reason, he seems content on keeping Johnson despite the fact that he has been
much worse than the aforementioned players when they were kicked out. These two
players had a much greater connection with the fans as well but were sold
without much hesitancy. But, Rodgers is going out of his way to get Johnson to
sign a new contract when the Reds have at least 6 replacements. The fact that
Jon Flannagan, a player who is Scouse and performed immensely last season is
close to being shipped out and Johnson is not is a huge worry for the Reds as
club and a community. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Johnson’s performances have dipped so considerably that even
an ordinary performance such as his against Blackbrun, a Championship team was
lauded as brilliant is testament to how far the standards have dropped. A
player once tipped for glory at the European level is now being reduced to
being praised for poor performances. In the summer transfer window, even teams
like QPR shirked away from buying the 30 year old. If the Reds are to move
forward, they have to get rid of players like Johnson and push on hungrier
players like Flannagan and Ryan McLaughlin. It is the cold but hard truth. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>Stats from Squawka.com and Transfer Fees from Transfermarkt.com</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-50543291968535389022015-03-07T20:47:00.002-08:002015-03-07T20:47:48.374-08:00Do recent results suggest that Liverpool have moved on past Steven Gerrard? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For so long, Steven Gerrard has been Liverpool Football
Club. Some times, it felt like he was playing on his own against eleven other
players. From the ‘Gerrard Final’ to the ‘Miracle in Istanbul’, Steven Gerrard
has dragged and carried Liverpool across the finish line so many times. He will
forever be remembered as the man that literally ‘Shook the Kop’. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZPvAyQ2lcr0hJFY07dobY2UR_gzfZaJgJZl2XHYxBVFHWCQmNPfYgGbUkFGrksmHgeXgxZK4CJpxqJQEn5vmke4QaLn4RPDK8JUF0F77b0NZK1GNmYlJggMmt8bPBNClH7XET3AR2Cij/s1600/Steven-Gerrard-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZPvAyQ2lcr0hJFY07dobY2UR_gzfZaJgJZl2XHYxBVFHWCQmNPfYgGbUkFGrksmHgeXgxZK4CJpxqJQEn5vmke4QaLn4RPDK8JUF0F77b0NZK1GNmYlJggMmt8bPBNClH7XET3AR2Cij/s1600/Steven-Gerrard-001.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steven Gerrard - Liverpool through and through<br />Credit - Guardian </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When Gerrard announced his departure from the Reds this
January, there was a sense of worry and anxiety coming out from Anfield.
Questions started being raised about who would replace the great captain. Even
at 34 years of age and with a body in decline, Gerrard was still this season’s
top scorer for quite a long time. The sheer reliance on Gerrard, even at this
time, was there for all to see in the Champions League game against FC Basel.
With a typical Gerrard free kick, he almost dragged a poor Liverpool side out
of a hole even though he could not muster the energy to even run. There was no
one in the Liverpool team that could even come close to the sheer aura that
Gerrard posed.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, ever since Gerrard called time on his Liverpool
career, there has been a huge upturn in results and confidence. It could be
argued that despite Gerrard’s match winning heroics, he was hurting the team in
the long run. The general consensus was that Gerrard should have been used as
an impact sub in the mould of Frank Lampard. However, Brendan Rodgers
consistently employed him in the central midfield position where he was a
passenger. Due to his physical condition, Gerrard could not utilize the all
around game that had given him so much of success. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Liverpool have won all the games they have played this
season without Gerrard. In fact, Liverpool have never lost a game with vice
captain Jordan Henderson at the helm. In these games, the Reds have scored more
goals<span style="background: white; color: #282828; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #282828; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(2.3
compared with 1.3)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>and conceded less <span style="background: white; color: #282828; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(0.3 to 1.3</span><span style="background: white; color: #282828; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">)</span> on an average. Additionally, Gerrard
has on average been dribbled around at least once per game and averages only
1.8 tackles. To broaden the discussion, Liverpool have won 10 of their 12 games
in all competitions without Gerrard. These stats give an idea that Gerrard has
not displayed the match winning temperament enough to compensate for other
flaws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWZoQJElQGkuhhyphenhyphenlZa0ZOgVnSIUQZvKdMFk2wH_0GO-9vmCec2tNwfcdRn7HkBYJTlT0CF-djKxsx0CwJiakPuq61w4Wx0Kc0YVNmQBQNxSfjde5vd6mZ8swkF3dxqcZsvZuk9CliSn8g/s1600/250469_842230789160777_2672051720925356232_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWZoQJElQGkuhhyphenhyphenlZa0ZOgVnSIUQZvKdMFk2wH_0GO-9vmCec2tNwfcdRn7HkBYJTlT0CF-djKxsx0CwJiakPuq61w4Wx0Kc0YVNmQBQNxSfjde5vd6mZ8swkF3dxqcZsvZuk9CliSn8g/s1600/250469_842230789160777_2672051720925356232_n.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gerrard has struggled recently<br />Credit - Anfield Online </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ever since Gerrard was left out of the team because of injury,
we have seen players like Jordan Henderson and Phillipe Coutinho step up. They
now have their own identity and character in this Liverpool side. It could be
argued that they were hiding behind Gerrards’ shadow when he was playing. For
example, there has been a considerable step up in Jordan Henderson’s shooting
since Gerrard got injured from 1 to 3 shots per game. This has consequently
allowed him to score vital goals against Manchester City and Burnley. The fact
is that players in the team are scoring vital goals that matter, not
consolation or inconsequential goals. Ironically, Henderson’s goal against
Burnley mirrored a certain goal that shook the Kop 10 years ago.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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While the Mario Balotelli incident created all the headlined
for the wrong reason, there was one positive that could be taken out of the
situation. Players are not shirking away from responsibility. The fact that
there were two, if not three, players (if Daniel Sturridge was involved)
wanting to win the game for the Reds can only be a good thing. In the past, the
hope and pressure would all be on Gerrard to deliver the goods time and time
again. Now, when the Liverpool faithful looks around Anfield, it sees players
hungry for success and not scared to take on challenges. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The transformation of Phillipe Coutinho is the greatest
example of players stepping up. Guilty so many times of overplaying the ball in
the past, the Brazilian international has taken on the initiative in recent
games. His goals against Southampton and Man City depict this. Last season, he
would have gone for the easy side pass in those positions but he had the
courage to shoot now and he was rewarded. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSlnLRF3NQJZHhWu4pjegYSnJI2-fvEw7pBr9PGxnXu6sLXo55wBJRoN-Mq9nV5OHDYUJYCjdgA-xny9Zl8huCZBPjjgXqjFmxujJzcPfwKu5XlP74lSECpuw1yQvY3O3r7cylj5I8uUJ/s1600/hendcout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSlnLRF3NQJZHhWu4pjegYSnJI2-fvEw7pBr9PGxnXu6sLXo55wBJRoN-Mq9nV5OHDYUJYCjdgA-xny9Zl8huCZBPjjgXqjFmxujJzcPfwKu5XlP74lSECpuw1yQvY3O3r7cylj5I8uUJ/s1600/hendcout.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phillipe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson are proving their worth in Gerrard's absence<br />Credit - Liverpool Echo </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Even at the beginning of the season, there were genuine
doubts about who apart from Gerrard could score for this Liverpool team.
Coutinho, Henderson and Raheem Sterling were good players but never match
winners. But, the greatest part of the Reds’ unbeaten run has been the players
finally moving on past Gerrard. There are no more inhibitions and restraints on
what this current crop of players can do. As Gerrards’ Liverpool career draws
to a close, it is time to reminisce on what a great player Gerrard was and rest
easy in the fact that his boots are in the midst of being filled. While there
might not be a player like Gerrard again, new Kop heroes are being formed
looking to put their own mark and continue the legacy of this great club.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stats from WhoScored.com <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-77913813044122815852015-03-02T00:59:00.002-08:002015-03-02T00:59:44.730-08:00Phillipe Coutinho – The Brazilian Magician Is Finally Becoming a Match-Winner <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was two seasons back that Phillipe Coutinho stepped
through the doors of Melwood as Brendan Rodgers’ second and last January
signing. Nobody knew what to expect from him back then. He was one of many
Brazilian technicians and had frankly failed during his time at Inter Milan. He
went down as one of many mistakes in former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s
ill-fated run at the Italian club. He was regarded as a calculated gamble with
only 8.5 million dished out on him so the risk and pressure was not that high.
But, there was still uproar in the Liverpool faithful at the time as the Reds
neglected to buy experienced campaigners like Wesley Sneijder for a player who
had not done much in the game. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jk_rfV_DOzSxXgFeYjjAPeOMrO3KAeqeZBZgDbJXonaZqSZwbQcjajPdnZwe2h8z4VeCdK1IevSgD-eLqf7M3i-tGUGGMR5pgR0ovtjAMwMfrqeF1Ui3HCjypDqyjG2hvTVgu4o8h2Hr/s1600/article-2270747-17417BA6000005DC-675_634x516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jk_rfV_DOzSxXgFeYjjAPeOMrO3KAeqeZBZgDbJXonaZqSZwbQcjajPdnZwe2h8z4VeCdK1IevSgD-eLqf7M3i-tGUGGMR5pgR0ovtjAMwMfrqeF1Ui3HCjypDqyjG2hvTVgu4o8h2Hr/s1600/article-2270747-17417BA6000005DC-675_634x516.jpg" height="162" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phillipe Coutinho signing for the Reds<br />Sources - Getty Images </td></tr>
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But, Coutinho quickly put those doubters to rest scoring on his
first Anfield start, which was a precursor of supposed things to come. What
followed was a period of scintillating football from the little Brazilian
including a world-class performance against Newcastle in a 6-0 victory at St.
James’ Park. He left the Anfield crowd dazzled with his quick feet and keen eye
for a pass. His teammates also took well to him as Coutinho formed a
devastating partnership with fellow signing Daniel Sturridge including a game
where Coutinho assisted 2 of Sturridge’s 3 goals. After a prolific pre-season,
Coutinho was tipped to be the newest mastermind for the Anfield crowd to adore.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, things did not go fully to plan in his first full
season at the club with Coutinho struggling to score or assist in the first
half of the season. This also coincided with a lengthy spell on the treatment
table as the Anfield crowd was left hopeful that the Brazilian would capture
his form back. In the second half of the season, Coutinho had established a
reputation of a player who can dazzle but blew hot and cold. This was apparent
as world-class home performances against the likes of Arsenal and Everton were
cancelled out by stale away performances against the likes of West Brom and
Norwich. Coutinho was playing well but the feeling from the Kop was that he was
not ready yet. But, Coutinho was still one of the mainstays in the Liverpool
team that nearly took home the title. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxMbw74b3kkwWEydlVC_LLe58PICNp3Atjg_rK7je8vLN46tzcRBjnz2YbaXpbz7eboAUTgESuQ86k6fvL3mJmdYTHZ5ArY3G-R5mHh2OGfehbLjQWjnrEXu5IM9M1-Em4k98r2PLMRGA/s1600/coutinho-430368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxMbw74b3kkwWEydlVC_LLe58PICNp3Atjg_rK7je8vLN46tzcRBjnz2YbaXpbz7eboAUTgESuQ86k6fvL3mJmdYTHZ5ArY3G-R5mHh2OGfehbLjQWjnrEXu5IM9M1-Em4k98r2PLMRGA/s1600/coutinho-430368.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coutinho endured a frustrating spell getting injured<br />Soruce - Express</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5Gn5xWiHgx6wh-pKrW5cIImmdB48pBgfny8B-RKBpntbkUdoxf_a39VDE1cLAcP2luqAmEhtCD3NMEwuRzYr1Lmhn9uSTPhG-U4nrSRlayBVM3_bOi5Mpnu42nhP99l5kwMkIh3uAs9v/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5Gn5xWiHgx6wh-pKrW5cIImmdB48pBgfny8B-RKBpntbkUdoxf_a39VDE1cLAcP2luqAmEhtCD3NMEwuRzYr1Lmhn9uSTPhG-U4nrSRlayBVM3_bOi5Mpnu42nhP99l5kwMkIh3uAs9v/s1600/th.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coutinho scoring a crucial goal against City<br />Credit - IB Times </td></tr>
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This season started with Coutinho staler than usual. While
he was inconsistent before, Coutinho started this season with very insipid and
dull performances. He was not himself and gave the ball away on numerous
occasions. It was palpable to see that Coutinho was unhappy on the pitch. As a
result, Brendan Rodgers dropped him from the Liverpool squad during a spell
where the Reds struggled and struggled massively. It was no coincidence that
Coutinho’s lack of form met with Liverpool going on their worst run in 24
years. There was obvious discontent from Liverpudlian’s at Coutinho’s dull
performances and at one point, many of the fans wanted Coutinho to be sold. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, like many other players this season, Coutinho came back
from his period out a stronger and revitalized man. The dazzling skill and
outrageous passing was back and there was excitement on his face again. His
confidence was coming back and he took on players with gusto and fervor. Before
he would go for the easy sideways pass but now he looked to take on his man and
beat him. Things were finally looking up for the Brazilian but those doubts of
inconsistency were still there. Coutinho gave leverage to the doubters with a
poor scoring record as he kept on rushing shots without putting much thought.
He was still not regarded as the match winner Liverpool sorely lacked since
Luis Suarez left. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, in the past month, Coutinho has added that element
to his game with his shots hitting the target more often than not. Coutinho has
now become Liverpool’s most important component. It is not just the goals he is
scoring but it is the sheer value of those goals. Coutinho has already netted a
stoppage time FA Cup replay winner and his propensity for the outrageous has
increased. Now, he does not hesitate when shooting and is actually confident. Guilty
of overplaying the ball before, Coutinho is now very decisive in his thinking
and rarely makes the wrong decision. He is now controlling games when before,
he was just hoping to be involved. This can be seen in his performance against
Man City. He had 72 touches and was an ever-present in the attacking third as
the heat map shows. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEift96IA_g1gOWhrmeaYzkOqM0irD9TXmN5eLLi-l5KToM7F6EYOvw53Id9fZkB_swTmiVN1_YKDo9AvnTo_3xs_tkDpANHd50QCvkpFpdlpWNvirw5NX8WdDdjQLAx31YwEVhZMtFXKPqb/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-02+at+2.01.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEift96IA_g1gOWhrmeaYzkOqM0irD9TXmN5eLLi-l5KToM7F6EYOvw53Id9fZkB_swTmiVN1_YKDo9AvnTo_3xs_tkDpANHd50QCvkpFpdlpWNvirw5NX8WdDdjQLAx31YwEVhZMtFXKPqb/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-02+at+2.01.15+PM.png" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
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This can also be seen in his performance against West Ham
where he got two assists, allowing Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge to run
riot. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhag2VymA03ibpJIMfmax9jO1a9wDQTI6hnk502SF5PekBfOCSENdoeLGWQ05icYQdZ8lI8UP6ArZy0TO1I7_WWmj2_Mx3xeaky1reKSfQIJ66yD_Uh8GO6i9RDn5d7OC7IUvxoo3lGm5/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-02+at+2.06.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhag2VymA03ibpJIMfmax9jO1a9wDQTI6hnk502SF5PekBfOCSENdoeLGWQ05icYQdZ8lI8UP6ArZy0TO1I7_WWmj2_Mx3xeaky1reKSfQIJ66yD_Uh8GO6i9RDn5d7OC7IUvxoo3lGm5/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-02+at+2.06.38+PM.png" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
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Coutinho has definitely taken his game to the next level and
while his bad form led to bad results, his transformation has in turn led to
Liverpool’s resurgence. Coutinho is currently Liverpool’s best and most
important players and now he has added match-wining goals to his arsenal. What
was revealing to see was that Coutinho did not look surprised when his shot
against Man City went in when before he would like last season against the same
team. It is vital that Coutinho keep grounded. Humility is the key now forward
and complacency is the only restraint on Coutinho’s progress. Otherwise, even
the sky might not be the limit for where Coutinho can go. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-47405277864979766852015-02-27T11:33:00.001-08:002015-02-27T22:52:14.457-08:00Brendan Rodgers – Does Besiktas Debacle Suggest a problem with they way the Reds Manager handles Big Games? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvtsD0Fh1rf1JLzxkAuB56_T266Swt0YY9cNeBQI5vdPVFk5sFz-bb-sGmEN9bEOFmWo85AAC34ag_0mnNvHkQMhHbqEwFL31veTRRoaP34PSQDmPmciR_sZFGPIIwl32PATbGNNdVpiy/s1600/Liverpool-Demba-Ba-Besikt-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvtsD0Fh1rf1JLzxkAuB56_T266Swt0YY9cNeBQI5vdPVFk5sFz-bb-sGmEN9bEOFmWo85AAC34ag_0mnNvHkQMhHbqEwFL31veTRRoaP34PSQDmPmciR_sZFGPIIwl32PATbGNNdVpiy/s1600/Liverpool-Demba-Ba-Besikt-008.jpg" height="120" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liverpool were tactically outplayed <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">by Besiktas</span><br />
Credit - Guardian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is how Liverpool has performed against the “Big” Four
with Rodgers:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 69.2pt;" valign="top" width="69"><div class="MsoNormal">
Team<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 49.6pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal">
Games <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 127.6pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
Head to Head (W-L-D)<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div class="MsoNormal">
Goals Conceded<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 69.2pt;" valign="top" width="69"><div class="MsoNormal">
Chelsea<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 49.6pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal">
7<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 127.6pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
0-4-3<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div class="MsoNormal">
10<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 69.2pt;" valign="top" width="69"><div class="MsoNormal">
Man City<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 49.6pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal">
5<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 127.6pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
1-2-3<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div class="MsoNormal">
11<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 69.2pt;" valign="top" width="69"><div class="MsoNormal">
Arsenal <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 49.6pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal">
6<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 127.6pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
1-3-2<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div class="MsoNormal">
11<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 69.2pt;" valign="top" width="69"><div class="MsoNormal">
Man Utd<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 49.6pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal">
6<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 127.6pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
2-4-0<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div class="MsoNormal">
8<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 69.2pt;" valign="top" width="69"><div class="MsoNormal">
Total <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 49.6pt;" valign="top" width="50"><div class="MsoNormal">
24<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 127.6pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
4-13-8<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="99"><div class="MsoNormal">
40<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIsYU8xGJ_1F1reYyJ0b9qWZGMBNPNdVPpYUG62USqviDG7MnxViGeDwnA9v5R-t7-CNXqkZ2JNlDiqJkBogkW1FnILChubQdjAaUU5btuJnE2SZzr2TaI6DSs1SSn0j8_CuzOACa6_MF/s1600/Chelsea-v-Liverpool---Pre-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIsYU8xGJ_1F1reYyJ0b9qWZGMBNPNdVPpYUG62USqviDG7MnxViGeDwnA9v5R-t7-CNXqkZ2JNlDiqJkBogkW1FnILChubQdjAaUU5btuJnE2SZzr2TaI6DSs1SSn0j8_CuzOACa6_MF/s1600/Chelsea-v-Liverpool---Pre-008.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rodgers has never beaten Mourinho<br />
Credit - Guardian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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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.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXHVM_hBfJYlM24BVeHzFnPSAw6JU5FJQQcOXxOSuB1TUtwy1z50kXOW64-YkVZTMmgAm-R8HpKOv7CBIlBlBVH16z2KVX8HBRmmJCH5cpmE0oTfWUk8GHrquA4lzFDPUvSXhaMa7xDkB/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXHVM_hBfJYlM24BVeHzFnPSAw6JU5FJQQcOXxOSuB1TUtwy1z50kXOW64-YkVZTMmgAm-R8HpKOv7CBIlBlBVH16z2KVX8HBRmmJCH5cpmE0oTfWUk8GHrquA4lzFDPUvSXhaMa7xDkB/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rodgers has struggled against the genius of Ancelotti<br />
Credit - Getty Images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-23827457176181270382015-02-13T09:20:00.000-08:002015-02-13T09:20:21.078-08:00Can 'Can' Do it - What makes the Germany U-21 International so Promising?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXXVyqDtk7aMLor7pp9UqpTXhR586waO9VrFpV-gLfIxWzGyRjR76UrthGceAg2r8B6rO2ezbgkTX2bPnXRNaDl4fcP7mS-266s84a_aXC7wvc6cvbxTgWcksXXPV-TW3ri7ry7uefPtN/s1600/141022-175-Liverpool_Real_Madrid-546x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXXVyqDtk7aMLor7pp9UqpTXhR586waO9VrFpV-gLfIxWzGyRjR76UrthGceAg2r8B6rO2ezbgkTX2bPnXRNaDl4fcP7mS-266s84a_aXC7wvc6cvbxTgWcksXXPV-TW3ri7ry7uefPtN/s1600/141022-175-Liverpool_Real_Madrid-546x420.jpg" height="244" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can appears to be the Man<br />
Source - thisisanfield.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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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 </div>
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of the ball with
relative ease.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZWHfAN_i3tUFgWKqlP4XIk5j0lliLSQNnoP9GTGinR-bPasby3rrLxmpaKA4kHnx6555r55K5SVV69GP8y9Gzx3FkY6w91C7lEngSwe14D0Zx9UHGArQMTm7SMo0VREJLqeR3XfwazpH/s1600/B9vWLZmIYAAm-4H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZWHfAN_i3tUFgWKqlP4XIk5j0lliLSQNnoP9GTGinR-bPasby3rrLxmpaKA4kHnx6555r55K5SVV69GP8y9Gzx3FkY6w91C7lEngSwe14D0Zx9UHGArQMTm7SMo0VREJLqeR3XfwazpH/s1600/B9vWLZmIYAAm-4H.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can can be a nuisance for defenders<br />
Source - LiverpoolEcho</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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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.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59-Ady8fZ6Zr5euiqtMVA4wPQdUaZUbhPpq_DbFAUbmjC3W0qChpCSgWKJGKiotV8BevBf2m5vQOVA7AsC6rpDxqzMDSPz4GdoahUdcohrU2-4MKhK9B6jUeG7CfdNDiQBFwhatUy_Bi2/s1600/1421784536875_lc_galleryImage_liverpool_v_chelsea_capit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59-Ady8fZ6Zr5euiqtMVA4wPQdUaZUbhPpq_DbFAUbmjC3W0qChpCSgWKJGKiotV8BevBf2m5vQOVA7AsC6rpDxqzMDSPz4GdoahUdcohrU2-4MKhK9B6jUeG7CfdNDiQBFwhatUy_Bi2/s1600/1421784536875_lc_galleryImage_liverpool_v_chelsea_capit.JPG" height="183" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can' lack of pace is sometimes his Achilles Heel<br />
Source- DailMail.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>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.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-84869529742103982752015-02-02T00:27:00.003-08:002015-02-03T03:06:09.545-08:00What Makes Daniel Sturridge such a rare breed?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6XIQFPDLePkzjYVqNZxik5Dlbd9lIMnzU7hr4HCXpnpyKVuUQFm5pxhJV9UHs1i00Mwpnc_gL3wkEtMAnOMtbiPO3R5YD3q2i_jSdwT0_pMGzEPM059vH9Z_6tCwwigturVQWbUDXNzD/s1600/462572698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6XIQFPDLePkzjYVqNZxik5Dlbd9lIMnzU7hr4HCXpnpyKVuUQFm5pxhJV9UHs1i00Mwpnc_gL3wkEtMAnOMtbiPO3R5YD3q2i_jSdwT0_pMGzEPM059vH9Z_6tCwwigturVQWbUDXNzD/s1600/462572698.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Sturridge has been one of Liverpool's most prolific<br />
strikers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToNsjxVPfjFyIv89eOCxS_ZqAjyw8GhSdU7nWmSPef46kSAjPuKoUWRWIE7898TiNI19-tJ5XMMoOc1OHQdmOzAa09FkWlRvQ6koSKnJM9onRIvRD_Hd4O2sdbzQKHeebUUNFn0vhpBz8/s1600/456398104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToNsjxVPfjFyIv89eOCxS_ZqAjyw8GhSdU7nWmSPef46kSAjPuKoUWRWIE7898TiNI19-tJ5XMMoOc1OHQdmOzAa09FkWlRvQ6koSKnJM9onRIvRD_Hd4O2sdbzQKHeebUUNFn0vhpBz8/s1600/456398104.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Borini and Balotelli have ground to cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-1867664490377044772015-01-28T20:54:00.000-08:002015-01-28T20:54:14.795-08:00Chelsea 1 Liverpool 0 - Review of the League Cup Semi Final <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday, Liverpool faced off against Chelsea in the
deciding leg of the semi final of the League Cup. The tie was held at Stamford
Bridge with the aggregate score at 1-1 from the first leg at Anfield. It was a
feisty encounter with an early Eden Hazard penalty cancelled by a good finish
by Raheem Sterling. While the Reds played really well, it was a mixture of
brilliance from Thibaut Courtois and wasteful finishing that prevented them
from holding the advantage. So, how did the Reds fare at the Bridge? <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a very serpentine encounter with lots of twist and
turns. There was a cornucopia of controversy as is the case when Jose Mourinho
and Diego Costa are involved. Costa could have been easily sent off for what
looked like two stamps on Liverpool players. On the other hand, Martin Skrtel
could easily have conceded a penalty and players like Jordan Henderson and
Lucas Leiva could easily have been sent off. There was an onslaught of attacks
from both teams with numerous saves made by goalkeepers Courtois and Simon
Mignolet. In the end, the tie could not be settled in the full 90 minutes but
was made peremptory by Branislav Ivanovic’s thundering header. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG0hcU3eFYZ8GF9RSeiPRIRDlBazaZRaBtt5B-TKQxK9T0dVDZ81Pq5VrOvdv-Wr26DUeFIoVvW-KP0HxfBb5KIzamCHLTq_oj_jEjWJCHWNvYMj-c4Tw11WfUzRzrTQ9mWQdfQ6Nc5EK/s1600/PROP150127-066-Chelsea_Liverpool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG0hcU3eFYZ8GF9RSeiPRIRDlBazaZRaBtt5B-TKQxK9T0dVDZ81Pq5VrOvdv-Wr26DUeFIoVvW-KP0HxfBb5KIzamCHLTq_oj_jEjWJCHWNvYMj-c4Tw11WfUzRzrTQ9mWQdfQ6Nc5EK/s1600/PROP150127-066-Chelsea_Liverpool.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The game heated up with Diego Costa involved a lot<br />Credit - thisisanfield.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There were a lot of positives to take from this game as has
been the case with most of Liverpool’s recent games. Most of those seem to be
the same. Yet again, the defence held resolute to most of Chelsea’s threat. The
Blues are known for their home dominance and the fact that the Reds were the
first team to stop Chelsea from scoring in 90 minutes is a testament to the
newfound resolve of the defence. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Of course, none of this would be done without the protection
of Lucas Leiva who was imperious yet again, making game saving challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Also, Martin Skrtel deserves plaudits for his
resilient performance. While Can and Sakho were also good, they were unmatched
to Skrtel on the night and kept Diego Costa relatively quiet the entire game.
Skrtel seems to get this sudden burst of invigoration when playing Costa and it
was on show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other positives were
the relentless pressing of the team in whole and the brilliance of Phillipe
Coutinho. These points have been noted on in the past and hopefully will be
continued in the future. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11E_CABe17xtF8kc5exzq2S9LnbmVrvuLk2Hk4iF9WxlWWGBu8RxOVTOpP_MA7cuSOIkmmnB-D_crBaLADuOEIJsu4dlnrhjFBiVyfSPA_lLsnA5SiB_CSzb_98Dorw8dBV7I6nTkhJCB/s1600/PROP150127-044-Chelsea_Liverpool-600x343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11E_CABe17xtF8kc5exzq2S9LnbmVrvuLk2Hk4iF9WxlWWGBu8RxOVTOpP_MA7cuSOIkmmnB-D_crBaLADuOEIJsu4dlnrhjFBiVyfSPA_lLsnA5SiB_CSzb_98Dorw8dBV7I6nTkhJCB/s1600/PROP150127-044-Chelsea_Liverpool-600x343.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon Mignolet had a solid game<br />Credit - thisisanfield.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But, while the positives were abundant in this game, it is
the flaws that need to be highlighted if the Reds are to move forward. The Reds
were yet again profligate in their finishing. The Reds had 4 clear-cut chances
on the night that any top team would have finished. Raheem Sterling, for all
his brilliance, is not yet an efficient striker and cannot be counted on
regularly. Sterling has a problem with composure, as was apparent when instead
of squaring to an open Steven Gerrard, Sterling decided to take on two
defenders and failed. Sterling is not as reliable as he is touted out to be and
needs time to work on his finishing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Phillipe Coutinho, singled out before as being a positive,
is in the same boat as Sterling in terms of finishing. One moment in the game
perfectly epitomized Coutinho. He evaded four Chelsea defenders with a wonderful
piece of skill only to waste the following shot by shooting straight at
Courtois. Jordan Henderson was also guilty of this on numerous times. The three
players took a total of 7 shots with only 1 on target. This kind of output is
not good enough for top team players. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkyvVrKSZUAG_PkVxxCtvgNEfhURcXq70fHAjQR6pFUm2DTVEQHkQcm9j_XwZQnVqSooazne3P8aHZUc4ehY8mI6fMb1CiHxuSMsDGjZDs3OG0zfs2r2T1Q3TISmh4W1_c7A_zzIU7M9R/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-01-29+at+9.33.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkyvVrKSZUAG_PkVxxCtvgNEfhURcXq70fHAjQR6pFUm2DTVEQHkQcm9j_XwZQnVqSooazne3P8aHZUc4ehY8mI6fMb1CiHxuSMsDGjZDs3OG0zfs2r2T1Q3TISmh4W1_c7A_zzIU7M9R/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-01-29+at+9.33.07+AM.png" height="127" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phillipe Coutinho was a constant menace<br />the entire game.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest problem
the Reds have now is that they have no one to rely on always. Goals are what
win games and no one player can get them consistently. There is not point in
intricate and deft build up play if there is no one to finish it. The perfect
analogy would be a Ferrari without an engine. It has an amazing façade but is
in the end useless. Liverpool have to dip into a transfer market soon or hope
that Daniel Sturridge remains fit and fires on the same rates as last year.
Even then a striker is arguably a must. This all points to Brendan Rodgers’
incompetence in the transfer market but that is another article. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Another huge problem is the Reds defending of set pieces.
While the defence has been really solid in open play, it still leaves much to
be desired on set pieces. Brendan Rodgers has been here for two and a half
seasons and yet the Reds are still susceptible to the set piece. It is a
frankly worrying fact that despite having so much time, Rodgers has not been
able to fix this problem. The goal from the Chelsea game came from a set piece.
We never see Chelsea concede from set pieces and that in part is what makes
them so strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is something
Rodgers and his team has to work on if they are to achieve success. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On a final note, Glen Johnson appears to have entered the
fray again and with Mamadou Sakho’s injury, it remains to be seen how the
defence will be structured in future games. I. for one, hope that Johnson is
nowhere near the first team as he does not deserve to be. There was a visible
dip in the Reds’ performance after Johnson came on and all he does is cause
imbalance in the team. The defence is starting to maintain a good level of
consistency and Johnson will ruin that. The same thing should be said for Joe
Allen who left many gaping holes against Bolton in the FA Cup. Now is not the
time for underperformers to come in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the end, it was a promising performance and one light
years away from the drivel that was served up earlier in the season. Jose
Mourinho has built Stamford Bridge as a fortress so the fact that the Reds shut
Chelsea out for most of the game is really encouraging. Not many teams go there
and stifle Chelsea as much as the Reds did. The important thing is to
consolidate on this and push on in the league and other competitions. Chances
will come in the FA Cup and Europa League so this must not dishearten the Reds.
Instead, they should be invigorated and fight till the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-32101485474402900102015-01-26T22:48:00.002-08:002015-01-26T22:48:38.644-08:00 Is there a problem with the way Liverpool handles its youth?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Liverpool, for a long time, never had a great academy.
Prospects were sparse and of the few that were there, none of them were ever
good enough. From Nabil El Zhar to Damian Plessis, players have come and gone
with so much hope and yet nothing to show for it. There have been numerous
players touted as the ‘New Gerrard’: Connor Coady, Craig Roddan and Jay
Spearing to name but a few. However, when they did come into the fray, it was painfully
obvious that they never had the quality to even lace the boots of the great
captain. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqiPkw03qKCBxX_e3ugD_hY72Iy1vgRWtSm8GppiH4Ka7NEyT2BWTV7LKVqNHrwlGUxeLa2MoAgH1Gn-u4e6xkSLEC0bxNeXOGKdi2KOk1BY1Rce4JiBH9SALnOjctqHtmZtnYqHkyOw_/s1600/academy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqiPkw03qKCBxX_e3ugD_hY72Iy1vgRWtSm8GppiH4Ka7NEyT2BWTV7LKVqNHrwlGUxeLa2MoAgH1Gn-u4e6xkSLEC0bxNeXOGKdi2KOk1BY1Rce4JiBH9SALnOjctqHtmZtnYqHkyOw_/s1600/academy.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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In fact for many years, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
were the only players to actually make into the Liverpool team from the
academy. I found this fact very worrying. The academy of a club is its soul. It
is the part of the club that is fully ingrained to the club’s tradition. Academy
culture has declined in the past years with big name and big money superstars
more in vogue. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Clubs just do not want to spend the time maintaining the
part of the club that matters to the fans. At clubs like Man City and Chelsea,
youth players are often shunted out on loan with no chance of breaking in. Josh
McEachran, once regarded as the next Paul Gascoigne, is now just a forgotten
name. Gael Kakuta, once the subject of vociferous debate, is now in anonymity.
At one point, Chelsea had more than 30 players out on loan. There is a problem.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_V1DFxq6i1KbQU_8vbI_v_wtPL8N_91bdsaTJSmMXzQ-iZMONoe0Hu6B3FKjLbcWCs49yI-6zDCXBwyBCwgZyL8_PDrBf5LkXmR1iTyqJgoP3-qcj-omT-6IGWBw1bbgYN-QsJ5Cpfew-/s1600/th+(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_V1DFxq6i1KbQU_8vbI_v_wtPL8N_91bdsaTJSmMXzQ-iZMONoe0Hu6B3FKjLbcWCs49yI-6zDCXBwyBCwgZyL8_PDrBf5LkXmR1iTyqJgoP3-qcj-omT-6IGWBw1bbgYN-QsJ5Cpfew-/s1600/th+(1).jpeg" height="121" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kakuta was once sought after but not anymore</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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For a while in time, it seemed as if Liverpool was stepping
out of academy dormancy. After coming in, Rafa Benitez completely revamped the
youth system and inculcated his European roots. Suddenly, there were people at
the academy who knew what they were doing. While La Masia was still far away,
Kirkby was gaining prominence. This was epitomized when the Reds beat stalwarts
like Real Madrid and Barcelona for the signing of then youngster Suso. It
showed a huge signal of intent and that times were changing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Benitez’s tenure also brought players like
Raheem Sterling, Jonjo Shelvey, Martin Kelly and numerous others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the foundations were set up and with
Rodolfo Borrell at the helm, there was finally some stability in the academy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYgOJT_9lUPex3VJXL6IrwlG_dg3u_JRY-YtqjWqjxQVD0ZeOhAC2u7wrgOnygKLTNnDP7s9eFf1LfOzXexoA1pX72_JFkJSGWiX4bjQQgY-gb2zOICCNrp6cx_-ECQhHsOd5J6Wl2s3f/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYgOJT_9lUPex3VJXL6IrwlG_dg3u_JRY-YtqjWqjxQVD0ZeOhAC2u7wrgOnygKLTNnDP7s9eFf1LfOzXexoA1pX72_JFkJSGWiX4bjQQgY-gb2zOICCNrp6cx_-ECQhHsOd5J6Wl2s3f/s1600/th.jpeg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McEachran was once the hope of all Chelsea fans.<br />Not anymore.. </td></tr>
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But, despite all the positivity, youth players have still
not been able to make a firm entry into the first team. After Brendan Rodgers
arrived, numerous players were given debuts and runs into the team but these
runs have never been sustained. Players like Jonjo Shelvey and Suso, players
who initially looked so promising have now departed the club. With the exception
of Raheem Sterling and maybe Jon Flannagan, no other academy graduate has yet
been a mainstay in the first team squad. Why is that despite so much of
investment in academies and the talent coming out, no one is given a chance or
always mismanaged?<o:p></o:p></div>
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In theory, there should be no logical reason for this
happening. Liverpool plays more than 40 games each season so there should be
plenty of time to integrate young players. The clichés like ‘You do not win
anything with kids’ have all been debunked in the past. Why is there a certain
hesitancy to play younger players? Liverpool have been very profligate in their
transfer dealings making superfluous signings hindering the development of
younger players. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Many a time, these players signed have been no better than
the ones already at hand. The prime example of this is the signing of Luis
Alberto. This was a completely needless signing as the Reds already had Suso, a
similar type of player. In the end, Suso was sold and the same fate is about to
meet Alberto. These dealings are not those representative of Liverpool Football
Club. We do not buy and sell players like on a stock exchange. Alberto served
no purpose after he was signed and there was no reason why Suso could not have
played. The fundamental part of the club that is the academy is being neglected
without much thought and that is wrong. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If a club like Southampton can integrate their youth and
still achieve success, why can Liverpool not. In their last game against
Newcastle, the Saints had 5 of their 7 bench players from the youth academy. By
slowly integrating youth players into the first team, the Reds can build for
the future. Also, this can save a lot of money in transfer fees and wages. For
example, the signing of Adam Lallana could easily have been avoided by playing
Teixeira or Suso. That is not to say that he has been a bad buy but limited
funds could have been used less spendthrift. The same could have been done with
Jordan Ibe instead of Lazar Markovic. While they have not been bad players,
they were bought in areas of lesser requirement. Consequently, the Reds missed
out on the required positions: striker, goalkeeper and defensive midfielder. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Many a time, young players are loaned out in hope of
‘gaining experience’. But, as is usually the case, players are often in loan
limbo and are never seen again. While anomalies might be there like Joe Hart
with Birmingham or Kyle Walker with Aston Villa, those are exceptions to the
rule. Players like Conor Coady, Suso and Stephen Darby have all been loaned out,
never to be seen again. Unless players are given meaningful opportunities
instead of random loans, nothing is ever going to be achieved. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrSfg_O2saG1PX9kFaIBKIYcaWQGKKm8OYPnqiy1LG-HChSnLin-Y6VrYJF2pdDFQpDgGqnnwEHHxf4O6Onqij9oL7-gdXZEDMsM0eWMrtpP-44VaSp5X06kgIRvv9DFXVi9dotrKdf3X/s1600/32.+Stephen+Darby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrSfg_O2saG1PX9kFaIBKIYcaWQGKKm8OYPnqiy1LG-HChSnLin-Y6VrYJF2pdDFQpDgGqnnwEHHxf4O6Onqij9oL7-gdXZEDMsM0eWMrtpP-44VaSp5X06kgIRvv9DFXVi9dotrKdf3X/s1600/32.+Stephen+Darby.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Darby was the victim of numerous useless loans<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Liverpool now has one of the most promising academies in the
world. Players like Cameron Brannagan have been touted by Barcelona while
players like Sergi Canos were actually got from the Cataln giants. There is a
lot of potential in all positions. Tricky wingers like Harry Wilson do not come
around too often and neither do attackers like Sheyi Ojo or Ryan Kent. Liverpool’s
academy has been the best in years but without the support of club and fans,
these players will meet the same fate as their numerous predecessors. So, how
can we solve this? <o:p></o:p></div>
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My solution would be to have at least 3 academy players on
the bench for every game and increase the number of possible bench slots like
in the Serie A and International Football. Also, a mandatory rule must be made
that two academy players feature in a game. That way, young players are given
live match day experiences and can get game time. Otherwise, the youth of
tomorrow will be ostracized leaving all clubs to conform to the Real Madrid
policy of buying the trendiest options when others get old. If that is to
happen, prospects are grim for the future of football. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-64252276418220528132015-01-19T04:00:00.002-08:002015-01-19T04:00:50.051-08:00Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 2 - Resurgent Reds March On <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">After a good win against
Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, Liverpool was on the road again. They faced
off against Aston Villa at the historic Villa Park ground. It was a pleasing
2-0 win against a team that has troubled the Reds in the past, no matter how toothless
they have been. Since Brendan Rodgers took over, Liverpool has never beaten the
Villains at Anfield and has only struggled to wins at Villa Park. But, goals
from strikers Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert ensured a relatively comfortable
outing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz_qa9J2JikvxvAOOUNKzvfcsT35ciB0kzAKoBbnGVKYlQ5cOF3GtihBrsMV8Q4YcbmSV0xmDp_Sa_IOUQm5iA8s_Kw6KcWFhS0XbTO1V-xplnZF-2l2XND7nLahtJWxOlm-pIJZBdcmw/s1600/PROP150117-027-Aston_Villa_Liverpool-593x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz_qa9J2JikvxvAOOUNKzvfcsT35ciB0kzAKoBbnGVKYlQ5cOF3GtihBrsMV8Q4YcbmSV0xmDp_Sa_IOUQm5iA8s_Kw6KcWFhS0XbTO1V-xplnZF-2l2XND7nLahtJWxOlm-pIJZBdcmw/s1600/PROP150117-027-Aston_Villa_Liverpool-593x420.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reds players celebrate with the travelling Kopites( Credit - ThisisAnfield.com)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">There were a few mishaps
along the way though with Christian Benteke causing problems. The Reds lack of
ruthlessness was also on show with Raheem Sterling and Fabio Borini wasting
presentable chances. On another day, the reds could have paid dearly but luckily,
goalkeeper Simon Mignolet stood strong and Villa were spendthrift with their
chances. On the brighter side, another clean sheet for the much-maligned Reds
defence and a few confidence boosting goals for the strikers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Fabio Borini has had a tough
few months for Liverpool. From nearly being shunted to relegation dwellers like
QPR and Sunderland to being repeatedly left out from the squad by Rodgers,
Borini has endured a difficult spell. But, he was a constant menace on Saturday
with some really smart runs and a well-taken goal. While Borini might not be
the best or the most complete option, there is no doubting his desire to the
cause. I find Borini to be a very smart player who knows where to be in the
box. But, I feel that he panics when he gets an opening and ends up throwing it
away. He can be a useful squad player for the Reds in the future but is not
consistent enough to be the main man. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTgZ8iR02IkvWVpCueeu36xob3PIy1NsLPvmTxkAq9TuDWg3GuliVtOatUuWlSd5CTDdoucpz-tHpeKBhqJr_D54OV5UFWR5eZKhghhKILnLwMkUTFPExddnH3vsWYlqGMyy7UisHmVOm/s1600/PROP150117-013-Aston_Villa_Liverpool-600x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTgZ8iR02IkvWVpCueeu36xob3PIy1NsLPvmTxkAq9TuDWg3GuliVtOatUuWlSd5CTDdoucpz-tHpeKBhqJr_D54OV5UFWR5eZKhghhKILnLwMkUTFPExddnH3vsWYlqGMyy7UisHmVOm/s1600/PROP150117-013-Aston_Villa_Liverpool-600x420.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabio Borini nods in his first goal in 2 years for Liverpool<br />Credit - bbc.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">As said before, the defence
went through a tough spell in the second half but came through it. Martin
Skrtel had a really good outing and though Christian Benteke got a few chances,
it was not because of the Slovakian’s indiscretions. In fact, Skrtel repeatedly
beat the usually adept aerial threat Benteke in the air. While Skrtel might not
have been the best performer in the past few games and is prone to lapses in
judgement, he was resolute on the day. Mamadou Sakho was good but not his
glorious best. The powerful Frenchman had a tough time dealing with Benteke and
the marauding runs of Alan Hutton, winning only 20% of his aerial duels and
allowing Hutton to make 10 crosses. His passing was also not as fluid as before
but still at a high 87% rate. With that being said, Sakho stopped some very
dangerous Villa counters and it was by no means a bad performance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Phillipe Coutinho and Raheem
Sterling, so often the stars of an often-disastrous season, had tough games
today. While Coutinho showed flashes of his usual brilliance in the first half,
he went missing in the second. This has been a common trend with Coutinho,
especially in away games. But, this did show signs of abating in previous games
so I would put it down to fatigue. Sterling, back from a winter break in
Jamaica, looked lot at times and the maturity that has been so accustomed to
the 20- year old was not there. I would put it down as an anomaly and am sure
that he will be back to his best in no time. Both players struggled against the
physicality of Columbian midfielder Carlos Sanchez who managed to stifle the
two players many times, registering 6 successful tackles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">But, without a doubt, the two
shining lights of the game were Lazar Markovic and Jordan Henderson. While
Markovic shined last game with his attacking verve, his defensive grit was on
show today. Playing in an unfamiliar right back position, Markovic kept the
dangerous Gabriel Agbonlahor quiet throughout the game. Markovic is showing a
diversity and dexterity to his game which has not been seen before. As for
Henderson, the stand in captain produced a very solid performance. He ahs
started to combine his tenacity with proficiency and is developing an end
product to his game. He got another assist on Saturday and now has a total of
11 goals/assists. In the absence of talisman Gerrard, Henderson has started to
step up and provide the goods for the Reds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Last but not least, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simon Mignolet also had a good game with one
breathtaking save to put out Benteke. The Belgian still has some issues with
crosses but had more assurance and authority against the Villains. Jordan Ibe,
also, had a lively cameo and showed flashes of his blistering pace and he can
be a useful weapon in tight games. Meanwhile, Rickie Lambert got a really good
goal to his name. While the Liverpudlian might be severely criticized by many,
he has shown that he can provide. He is doing what he was brought for: an
impact sub to finish off dead games. It is good to see players performing their
roles and the celebration with the fans was something to behold.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZ4nstCNSmfVKojpHq7Rgz6bazwpk7NMrpar4_cst01CTvOqL5Q43Jr1abkYHH274vPz7gvSwYIxhTq2d_6fkUyKpbWZZlQPX_Ns7JBYQ5dxr8-115E9JVrxlEB8NbANZzcUQBfjX567c/s1600/PROP150117-033-Aston_Villa_Liverpool-1200x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZ4nstCNSmfVKojpHq7Rgz6bazwpk7NMrpar4_cst01CTvOqL5Q43Jr1abkYHH274vPz7gvSwYIxhTq2d_6fkUyKpbWZZlQPX_Ns7JBYQ5dxr8-115E9JVrxlEB8NbANZzcUQBfjX567c/s1600/PROP150117-033-Aston_Villa_Liverpool-1200x800.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rickie Lambert fires in ( Credit - thisisanfield.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left;">All in all, another good win
and clean sheet for the Reds. Even though there was a slight struggle, I put it
down to adaptation to the pressing game. Many of the new signing are not used
to such physicality and it is only natural that they drop off. But, I am sure
that the players will eventually adapt. Now, the Reds approach a crucial stage
of fixtures, which could make or break their season. In the next five games,
they play teams all above them in the table and the small matter of a
Merseyside Derby. This is wedged in between a League Cup semi final against
Chelsea, an FA Cup tie and a nostalgic return back to Istanbul in the Europa
League. Brendan Rodgers has belabored on the point that the Reds have found
their “identity” and have “turned a corner”. Now, we will really find what the
Reds are made off.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">How do you think the Reds
will manage in this crucial stage of fixtures? Do you think Brendan Rodgers can
walk the walk after talking the talk? Write down in the comments section
below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-78180950404125499832015-01-13T04:35:00.000-08:002015-01-13T04:35:01.078-08:00Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1 - Good Win For the Reds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">After a frantic and hectic
festive period, Liverpool faced off against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
This was the first Premier League game since Steven Gerrard called time on his
glorious Liverpool career. Gerrard will go down in history as one of the
greatest, if not the greatest Liverpool player. While it will be painful to see
him go, it might be the best decision for all parties. Gerrard’s form has
naturally declined because of age and Brendan Rodgers has criminally wasted him
in a defensive midfield position. Gerrard would have been best utilized as an impact
sub as fellow legend Frank Lampard is currently reveling in but because of
because of abrasion between different parties, it does not look like happening.
In the end, it will suit everyone as Gerrard can have the peaceful retirement
he deserves and the team can move on. So, in the midst of all this, the Reds visited the Stadium of
Light. Liverpool had already faced off against Sunderland before in a dour
goalless draw. But, this time, the result and performance was much better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Reds won 1-0 in a tense
but dominant encounter through a solitary Lazar Markovic goal. While the
scoreline may indicate a tight win, the performance indicates that the converse
is true. The Reds were denied a blatant penalty and hit the woodwork twice in
addition to squandering a plethora of chances. On another day, it could easily
have been a thrashing for the Black Cats. The fluency in the Liverpool play was
back and the relentless pressing of last season witnessed a resurrection. The
Reds created 14 chances and had 21 shots on the Sunderland goal (all stats per Squawka).
While Costel Pantilimon had an uneventful outing in the reverse Anfield
fixture, he was definitely worth his efforts today. There are a lot of
positives to take from this game and things are finally looking bright for the
Reds again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The highlight was most
definitely the performances of Phillipe Coutinho and Lazar Markovic. These two
players were all over the pitch today pitching in with defensive work as well
as pressing the opposition. Together, they had 11 tackles in mostly attacking
areas of the pitch. Because of their effort and commitment, Sunderland was
barely able to get out of their own half. These are the small things that
influence games and today, these two were able to perfectly fathom the nuances
of the match. It was particularly refreshing to see Markovic giving back to the
fans after enduring a very turbid and turbulent opening months on Merseyside.
While many have criticized the signing of Markovic due to price and experience,
his talent cannot be denied as shown in this game. Despite being very
influential in past games, Phillipe Coutinho is still very wasteful in front of
goal. Coutinho had 4 shots on goal but only 1 on target, which is a 25%
efficiency. If he can add those goals to his repertoire, he can be a star for
years to come on a club as well as international stage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">On the defensive side of
things, it was a fairly comfortable evening for the back culminating in a rare
clean sheet for Simon Mignolet. The defense was largely untroubled except for
one 5-minute spell after the Liam Bridcutt red card but great pressing and
solid defending quelled that. This has not been said very often this season so
this should give huge encouragement to the team. In the past few games, the
rise of Mamadou Sakho has been nice to see. While detractors call him awkward
and ponderous, he has shown his class with crisp passing and efficient
defending. He had a 95% passing rate, which is even more commendable
considering the very windy conditions. Against Sunderland, Sakho made 7
clearances, the highest in the game showing his tendency to bail his team out
of trouble. Sakho was bought to be a stalwart in the defence for years to come
and he is starting to show why. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">In addition, Emre Can and
Lucas Leiva had really good games. Can, deployed as a centre back in the first
half and a central midfielder in the second, was solid in passing and tackling.
He also brought the ball forward with assurance. His authority with the ball
was apparent for all to see, especially when one serpentine run caused Liam
Bridcutt to make a late tackle and get sent off. Like Sakho, Can also had a
high passing rate with 92% finding a player in a Liverpool shirt. Can is touted
as a future star but he has been unjustly ostracized to an extent this season.
But, now he is getting a good run of games and is proving his mettle. The
highlight of his performance was an exquisite pass to Fabio Borini in the first
half. This shows that Can has vision as well which will bode well for the
future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Lucas Leiva provided yet
another resilient performance seated in front of the defense. Lucas has
impeccable reading of play and is quick with the tackle. This was fully on
display in this game as Lucas recorded a tally of 4 successful tackles and 2 interceptions.
There have been rumours of Lucas being replaced with Aston Villa midfielder
Fabian Delph. If this move is to go through, it would be incompetence on the
part of Brendan Rodgers as Delph is neither as a good a defensive midfielder as
Lucas nor as good an attacker as Coutinho or Adam Lallana. Here is to hoping
that this move does not happen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">All in all, it was a satisfying
performance for all associated with Liverpool. Three points and a clean sheet
is a good return from an away game and the performance was there as well. But,
there have been frailties in the second half of games and this will be something
Rodgers will have to watch out for. But, things are definitely on the up. All
the new signings are seeming to settle and with valuable players to come back,
things are turning up at the right point. But, it is important not to get
complacent. Next, the Reds visit tormentors Aston Villa at Villa Park. It will
by no means be an easy game. The Villains have given Liverpool quite a few
problems in the past and it is imperative to not get self-satisfied. Also, it
is crucial for Rodgers to get a few signings this window to bolster the squad.
Otherwise, whatever slims hopes the Reds have of reaching the top four will
vanish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-42371339945110452832014-12-20T23:55:00.001-08:002014-12-20T23:55:21.092-08:00Liverpool Vs Arsenal - A Preview to the Crucial Festive Tie <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been a seesaw two weeks for Liverpool Football Club with fluctuating results ranging from a poor loss to Manchester United to a promising win against Bournemouth in the League Cup. There was also a heartbreaking draw to FC Basel in the Champions League subsequently knocking the Reds out. As has been the trend in Liverpool's season, the Basel game offered the same frustration with no incision or cutting edge and players running down cul-de-sacs. Despite a typical Steven Gerrard free-kick, the Swiss team was able to hold out. Against perennial foes Manchester United, Brendan Rodgers experimented with something different by playing three defenders at the back. Even though the Reds played with more guile, the end result was not much different. The Red Devils were ruthless in finishing their few chances whereas the Reds were toothless when presented with their myriad chances. While credit will definitely go to opposing goalkeeper David De Gea, the bottomline is that Reds' players did not make him work much by shooting straight at him. Raheem Sterling, playing as a false nine, was particularly guilty of spurning glorious chances. This two week period culminated in a Capital One Cup quarterfinal tie against high flying Championship leaders Bournemouth at the Goldstands Stadium. What was touted as a potential bananaskin game for the Reds turned out to be contradictory to the reality with the Reds easing to a 3-1 victory. Raheem Sterling broke his 17 game goal drought whereas Lazar Markovic got his maiden Liverpool goal. All in all, this was a positive performance albeit against a Championship Team.<br />
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Despite the varying degrees of results, there were some underlying flaws in all three games. The first and most major problem was that of the midfield. Players like Joe Allen and Jordan Hendrson were easily outmuscled and bypassed by the opposition teams. What was telling was the appalling lack of skill exhibited by the midfielders. When put under pressure, they easily capitulated leading to a wide open middle third. This was particularly exhibited by Wayne Rooney's first goal where the lack of midfield cover was shocking. Players like Marouane Fellaini and Fabian Frei of FC Basel had a very easy run and constantly attacked the Reds' penalty box. When there is no midfield cover, the job of the defense becomes infinitely harder and with the Reds' already error-prone and suspect defense, it is a recipe for disaster. Even in the Bournemouth game, the Cherries' players took multiple shots from outside the box because of the lack of protection. For this, the blame solely lies with Brendan Rodgers. While Lucas Leiva was shielding the back four, the Reds defense looked the most solid it had in two years. But in the past two weeks, Rodgers inexplicably tweaked this lineup by either putting Joe Allen or Steven Gerrard along with Lucas. This was a recipe for disaster as the players had no idea of their roles and were vulnerable due to their palpable lack of pace.<br />
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The problem as has been with the Liverpool season is the team selection. Brendan Rodgers has mobile and strong players on the bench like Emre Can but he always persists with Joe Allen who has no skill on the ball. Steven Gerrard is not a Defensive Midfielder but even after this was obvious, Brendan Rodgers persisted with it. Against United, the captain was just a passenger. He simply does not have the awareness or the pace to shield the defense effectively. When put under pressure, he just falters. If Rodgers does not realise this, he should not be at the club. Gerrard showed his obvious class when he was deployed in the attacking position and even scored some goals but Rodgers just reverted back to what was not working.<br />
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Another is that of the goalkeeping position. Simon Mignolet was indefinitely dropped for the game against United and the ironic part was that this was when Mignolet was starting to look better. Needless to say, this choice did not work out with Jones at some fault for the first and third goals. He was even more suspect in the Bournemouth game where he fluffed a simple shot into the net. This is simply not good enough. Goalkeepers have the ability to win you games as David De Gea has shown repeatedly this season. In the January Transfer window, the Reds have to go for a proven goalkeeper like Petr Cech or Hugo Lloris. Nothing short of the best is acceptable if Liverpool is to compete with the top teams in the world. If Jones or Mignolet do not cut the bill, there is a plethora of good goalkeepers available in various European clubs.<br />
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This leads to the game against Arsenal. As most Reds fans will pleasantly remember, the Reds thrashed the Gunners 5-1 last season in one of the most thrilling displays Anfield has ever seen. On that day, Arsenal were just second best in every department and could not cope with the energy and enthusiasm of the Reds. Needless to say, a result resembling that would be amazing. But, even the most ardent Liverpool fans will admit that is not likely. However, this is an Arsenal team that has proven vulnerable to physicality and aggression. Their only shining light has been former Liverpool target Alexis Sanchez. If the Reds can preclude Sanchez from his normal game and continue with the endless pressing from last season, they can cause Arsenal numerous problems. Arsenal are in the same boat as Liverpool as they have endured a very mediocre season. A win for either team can lift the spirits and morale. If Liverpool can win this, it can lead to a resurgence but that is another discussion. For now, Liverpool have to focus on the task at hand. Arsenal will not be as easy as their form has suggested. If memories go back, Arsenal dominated Liverpool last season even with Suarez and Sturridge at the helm in a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium. They have mobile and strong midfielders in Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere and physical strikers in Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck. It promises to be an enthralling encounter. However, the teams selection has to be right and there are no excuses for picking the wrong team. Assuming that Rodgers goes with three at the back<br />
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Brad Jones<br />
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Kolo Toure------------Martin Skrtel-----------Mamadou Sakho<br />
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Javier Manquillo -------------------------Lucas Leiva -----------------------Alberto Moreno </div>
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Emre Can-----------------------------Adam Lallana </div>
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Raheem Sterling-------------------Lazar Markovic </div>
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This team has the most composed defenders in Mamadou Sakho, Kolo Toure and Martin Skrel. Toure will help organize the defence better and this will lead to more stability. The two Spanish full back Moreno and Manquillo have been woefully out of favour and it is time for them to come back and prove their worth. Emre Can has also been out of favour but he is the most complete out of all the midfielders and he deserves to get a chance. Raheem Sterling and Lazar Markovic provide the required pace up top and they will provide the most incision. Adam Lallana was really accurate with his passing and decisions and he deserves to keep his place. </div>
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Prediction - 2-1 to Liverpool - The Reds seemed to be more incisive in their play against Man Utd and Bournemouth and I think they have enough to threaten and expose the Arsenal defence. But, as usual, the Reds defense will inevitably concede a goal and will not be able to keep a clean sheet. But, I do think the Reds have enough. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-57171236658262472412014-12-06T11:54:00.001-08:002014-12-06T23:40:40.830-08:00Liverpool 0 Sunderland 0 - Dour Goalless Draw as Reds Frustrated Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a good, solid 3-1 win against Leicester City, it had seemed like the Reds had turned a new page. With 2 wins in as many games after no win in 7, the team morale appeared to have risen. With this, Liverpool were fully expected to go on and get the job done against Sunderland at Anfield. Despite performing admirably against leaders Chelsea, this was a Black Cats team with only one win in 5 games. Captain and leader Steven Gerrard, fresh from a goal against Leicester was left on the bench in anticipation of the crucial Champions League tie against FC Basel. Phillipe Coutinho came in his place. This was one of two changes, with the other being young Right Back Javier Manquillo replaced by his compatriot Alberto Moreno. There was a visible change in formation with Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson playing together behind the trio of Lallana, Coutinho and Sterling with Rickie Lambert at the top. With all the changes, the expectation was still to win.<br />
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The game itself was a bit anticlimactic to the buildup, resulting in a mundane goalless draw with few chances. There was no creativity or incision, which has been the bane of Liverpool's season with the Anfield crowd always restless in the background. This was summed up when Henderson and Lucas exchanged at least 15 passes between them before kicking the ball out. There was no belief that Brendan Rodgers' men would go on and get the vital goal. Opposing goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon was barely tested having only two saves to make. While it was a spirited defensive display from the Mackems, their workload was mitigated by Liverpool's lack of a cutting edge. These dire games are in stark contrast to last season's relentless entertainment and excitement. While last season opposite teams did not know what to expect, this season the play is predictable and pedestrian. Teams know exactly how to deal with the Reds attack and this has been shown numerous times over the last few games. The irony is that Sunderland could have even won the game with a strong case for a Connor Wickham penalty and numerous awkward situations from corners. But, while everything does seem doom and gloom, this is a relatively stable position compared to Liverpool's state before. There were also some positives despite the palpable negatives.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raheem Sterling trying to win a penalty when challenge by Wes Brown</td></tr>
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The obvious one is that Liverpool kept a clean sheet, which has not been a regular occurrence. While Sunderland did have chances, the defence was solid and relatively untroubled. Kolo Toure has revitalised the defence with his commanding presence and knowhow of what to do with the ball. He should continue with his place because even the error prone Martin Skrtel seems more composed. Simon Mignolet had a quiet game with only a single save to make. But, what was good to see was that the perennial dily-dallying in Mignolet's game was not visible today. Everytime the ball came to him, Mignolet did the right thing and punted it up the field. So often, back passing has caused unnecessary problems for the defence. If this continues, Mignolet's confidence will build because of less pressure on his goal. Even the much maligned Glen Johnson has experienced a resurgence with some marauding runs and an unexpected composure in possession. The defence does look to be improving and that can only be a good thing in the future. If you do not concede, you cannot lose. Another positive was the return to form of Raheem Sterling who displayed his blistering pace and trickery on a number of occassions and after a few insipid displays, he looks to be back to his best. This is vital because Sterling is pivotal to Liverpool's future endeavours. But, without doubt, the biggest shining light was that of Lucas Leiva. The almost ostracized defensive midfielder showed that he still has much to offer with a very solid performance and not the first. His constant pressing and harrying of the Sunderland players lead to many openings and he was never beaten or passed by. He has shown that he is more effective than Steven Gerrard in that position so it would be a travesty to drop him now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rickie Lambert trying to encourage his teammates on a frustrating afternoon</td></tr>
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A majority of Liverpool's problems lie in the attack. While Rickie Lambert has shown himself to be a dependable asset and one to play for the team, he cannot be expected to play games at such a high frequency and intensity, given that he is already 33. His performances have waned and the fatigue is clearly showing. Even in his Southampton days, Lambert was often rotated and kept on the bench during the busy Christmas period so it would be unrealistic to think that he can handle it now. Mario Balotelli has not shown much and even then he is injured and expecting a prospective ban from the FA. Fabio Borini is nowhere in the scene at the moment. He was not even on the bench in today's game. So, if Liverpool is expected to prosper during this period, Rodgers will have to pull the archetypal 'rabbit out of the hat'. Another problem is the inexperience of the team and the lack of awareness in the final third. Quite often, the players do the hard work and get the ball into the 18 yard box but look mystified when deciding what to do. So many times we have seen the players take the wrong option like passing when a shot was appropriate and vice versa. While this has been adversely affected by the losses of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, the blame has to lie with Brendan Rodgers in his waste of funds. He had the resources to bring in quality and he did not. Even a player like Loic Remy, who is warming the bench at Chelsea could have been an effective option with Lambert and Sturridge. The upcoming January window is vital and nothing less than a quality striker is acceptable. But, the main problem for me is the reliance on Steven Gerrard. This is a player who is past his prime years and his body has started to wane. He cannot cope up with the pace of the game as he could. But, still, when he came on, everybody tended to look to him for inspiration. This is a big problem because this shows a glaring lack of belief in the team that they still have to look to Steven Gerrard for help. Liverpool are in stern requirement for leaders like Gerrard and Jamie Carragher and then only can they reach the road to glory. There is no player who can take a game by the scruff of the neck and win it single handedly. That is a big problem. Manchester City and Chelsea have many players like that and if Liverpool is to compete with them, they need these players.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steven Gerrard trying to make an impact after coming on as a substitute</td></tr>
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Next up for Liverpool is a crucial do or die tie against FC Basel before the big game against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Liverpool do not look to be in good shape at the moment but all is not bad. If they can find inspiration from somewhere, I think Liverpool can compete. The Anfield crowd will be loud on Tuesday night and this might charge the players up or has been the case before, an unexpected hero might rise. The games are coming thick and fast and only time will tell if Liverpool will make it through the period unscathed and in contention for a top four berth. It will not be easy and will take a lot of effort and determination but despite being a herculean task, it is not impossible. We just have to wait and see...</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296598166581090696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092150511926665835.post-15883939447733629722014-12-02T08:14:00.002-08:002014-12-02T08:14:27.740-08:00Leicester City Vs Liverpool - A Preview to the Midweek Premier League TIe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Relief was the mood around Anfield when Liverpool finally ended their 7 game winless run and as is typical with the topsy-turvy nature of the club at the moment, Glen Johnson was the one to provide the winning touch. Bravely, he charged on to a loose ball after the ball had rebounded off the cross bar after a Rickie Lambert header. Johnson has received quite a lot of criticism in the past months and it has been justified. However, credit must be given to the 30 year old England international. Not many would have taken the risk he did with two Stoke defenders and the goalkeeper attacking the ball as well. The celebration was not one of jubilation but one that was calm and mundane. While the win was good and the clean sheet even better, it does nothing but paper over the very large cracks in the club's structure. The first half epitomized the current state of the team with no incision and no creativity. There was just no life in the play. There was a drastic improvement in the second half with more pressing and incision resulting in a catalogue of chances before Glen Johnson broke the deadlock. Before we get ahead of ourselves, we have to understand that this was a Stoke team content with a draw. If another team had pursued us with more vigour than things might have been different. But, in the end that is just hypothetical. Brendan Rodgers and his men have to consolidate on this and know that the vintage Liverpool from last season may never be resurrected but that results can still be achieved.<br />
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Now, Liverpool travel to struggling Leicester City who are rooted to the bottom of the table with no win since the dramatic 5-3 win over Manchester United. Nigel Pearson is under a lot of pressure from fans and board and this is a game that should not be taken lightly. While Leicester have not won a game in long, they still remain strong at their King Power Stadium. It will be a cold and tense night and Liverpool will have their work cut out for them. First and foremost, Liverpool have to deal with Leicester's main goal poacher in Leandro Ulloa who is lethal in the box. Leicester rely on fast breaks and width from players like Jeffrey Shclupp, Riyad Mahrez and Anthony Knockaert. The defence will have to be wary of the threat possessed by veteran Esteban Cambiasso as well who has shown that he can take control of a game on a good day. There will be a strong defence to handle for the Liverpool attack with captain Wes Morgan and aspiring defender Liam Moore in the heart and ex-red Paul Konchesky also present. It promises to be difficult. Liverpool have not had the best away record this year with only two wins at Tottenham and QPR. When faced with teams fighting for their lives, Liverpool tend to struggle so it imperative that they get off to a good start to calm the nerves and tension. So, on this note who should be in the team and who should not?<br />
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I think that Liverpool should make two changes to the lineup that defeated Stoke on Saturday. Emre Can and Alberto Moreno should come in for Joe Allen and Jose Enrique respectively.<br />
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<li>Kolo Toure performed well on Sunday and was able to cope with the strength and trickery of the Stoke attack comfortably. He is a good leader and his passion and desire shows on the field. While he may be prone to calamitous errors, he still has shown more in his limited game time than Dejan Loren or Martin Skrtel have. Unfortunately, Mamadou Sakho is not yet fit so I would stick with Skrtel and Toure as they would have high confidence from keeping a clean sheet. </li>
<li>While I may be one of Glen Johnson's harshest critics, he deserves to stay in the team on the back of the previous performance because of his commitment to get the goal. The rule of thumb is to never drop a player after scoring a goal and this should continue with Johnson keeping his berth. If he does not perform against Leicester, he should be dropped the next game. Jose Enrique was reliable in attack and defence but Alberto Moreno has the edge over him in speed and passing and this might be required on the counter attack in an away game. </li>
<li>The big question is whether leader Steven Gerrard should return to the team and the answer to that is a resounding NO. Lucas Leiva showed his solidarity and reliability in the Defensive Midfield position and he should continue there. The midfield looks more compact and structured with him in the team. </li>
<li>Rickie Lambert has done well over the past few games with 2 goals and an assist and is proving to be a valuable asset. His experience in rough conditions like the ones at Leicester may be important. </li>
<li>Sterling and Coutinho should stay as they are because there confidence has been dented over the past weeks and on Saturday, we saw glimpses of the Sterling and Coutinho of old and both need a run of games to get back up to their previous levels. </li>
<li>Since it is an away game, Liverpool requires a strong presence in midfield and that is provided by Emre Can who provides required steel and can bring the ball out of trouble. Joe Allen has been good in past games but he does not provide enough attacking impetus to function on the break in games like these. </li>
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Prediction - 3-2 to Liverpool - I expect Leicester to come hard at Liverpool but leaving vulnerabilities in the process. I do not think the Liverpool defence will be able to keep Leicester out but at the same time I expect Liverpool to have too much in the tank for this struggling Leicester team. </div>
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