If we look past the many poor refereeing decisions yesterday, it was quite evident from the defeat to Spurs, that Liverpool still have a long way to go before they are competing for a Premier League title. I have highlighted five key examples from yesterday as to why the Reds have a big rebuilding job ahead of them in the summer.
1) I have given tremendous credit to Jay Spearing over his last few matches. He had seemed to be getting towards a consistent level of pressurising opponents, winning the ball back and passing simply to team mates. Without being too harsh, Jay didn’t really have one of his best games yesterday and didn’t play to his best in any of the three areas highlighted. Consistency is key when you want to become a first team player, and after a few good performances, I thought I had saw a new Jay Spearing emerging but the display against Spurs demonstrates that there is a need to look for another holding midfield player in the summer. Jay can still be a squad player, but when Christian Poulsen departs, somebody with greater qualities than the Dane and Jay must come in to strengthen this area. King Kenny has shown a lot of faith in Spearing but I think he would have realised too, that more steel is needed in midfield.
2) Maxi Rodriguez – A typical performance from the Argentine. After seven goals in 3 games, he puts in a performance which can only be described as anonymous. To win Premier League titles, you need players, especially on the wings, who can change games when things are not going your way. Maxi typically turns up when the team is playing well, and when the team doesn’t perform, he is normally one of the eleven who has underperformed. Again, like Jay, he can be kept as a squad player, but a couple of top class wide players have to be the priority in the summer.
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Its one game – and easy to pick out Jay and Maxi. No one else played even – Even Suarez wasn’t as god as usual.
The team has played their hearts out the last few weeks. One week doesnt change anything..
We played against a full strength spurs side – only withour Bale. Flanagan had a very good game. Webb was a disaster and frankly is a MU fan.
Yeah we need some wide men, stronger defensive midfield; But Kenny made us this successful; I trust he knows what we need better than I or you do.
Spurs fan here in peace.
Just replying to Badnaan in that Spurs were not a “full strength” side. We were missing Benoit Assou-Ekotto (LB), Vedran Corluka (RB), Huddlestone (CM) and Bale (LW) – to name a few. Seeing that I wasn’t impressed with the way we played yesterday, I was definitely expecting a lot more from Liverpool. You just seemed to lack creativity overall.
Granted, Pienaar’s penalty was an asterisk in my book; however, I felt that Van Der Vaart’s goal was enough to seal the win.
All in all, I hope we both make the top 4 next season.
COYS!
Well played guys, I will give credit where it is due.I thought Spurs had one of their best performance last night. Sandro, Modric and the 2 central defenders were great.
As for us I thought Suarez actually played right into their hands,(granted the ref was a disgrace) his constant complaining and whinning didn’t help his case and did more harm to his play.
Kenny must teach him to shut up and carry on with the game and let his feet do the talking (thats the only way to deal with this dirty defending)
we can,t pick out 2 r 3 players we win as a team so lose as a team maybe its the wake up call we need 2 spend in the summer.
Maybe should give spurs the credit they deserve rather than picking apart your team and players. You got beaten by a better team. Don’t blame the ref. Sandro, king and Dawson kept a lid on your attacking intentions and modric, VDV and Lennon had your defence on the back foot all afternoon. That’s credit where credit is due. Just face it, Liverpool are not the team they were in the eighties, far from it, and you have a long long way to go before you’re even a shadow of that lot.
Liverpool lost to an average Tottenham side who were without Bale and specialist full backs. Of course Howard Webb was shocking but that cannot be an excuse for losing 2-0 at home to Tottenham. Starting a half fit Carroll was clearly a mistake and as much as I like this player, I have to admit that he was useless up front yesterday. Clearly, with Carroll in the side, the team automatically switched to playing hoof ball to him and forgot about the pass and move football that saw us destroy teams earlier. Replacing the injured Meireles with Carroll was a tactical mistake which affected the whole structure of the team and the way they played. There was nobody in midfield to distrbute the ball and provide the creativty needed. Kenny should have replaced Meireles with either Shelvey or Cole, not Carroll. As we saw, the only player who provided a spark was Suarez who, for most of the game, had at least 2 players surrounding him. Of course injuries cost us but we could have done with an attacking player in midfield to provide some sort of creativity to a team clearly lacking something in the final third. If you’re missing Meireles, Aquilani and Gerrard and still Cole is left on the bench then there is something wrong. Having maybe Cole or Jovanovic would at least have added a different dimension to the team but Kenny made a tactical mistake by replacing Meireles with Carroll.
i agree. The lads have played tremendously since january. Far surpassing our expectations. Flanno, robinson have stepped up. Kelly was going so well on the right, johnson had to play left back. Spearing has stepped up. Lucas looks a different player. Suarez has settled in very well- different culture, language and a much tougher league. So many positives. Stevie g has hardly played also and we have still played this well! We just need a warrior in the midfield, at least two pacey wingers, another striker a class centre back or two and a left back. I would love players like m’vila, moussa sissoko, coentrao, hummels, hulk, lukaku, hazard. But realistically id gladly have jose enrique, phil jones, scott parker, steven defour, marko marin, charles n’zogbia, marc albrighton because these are still good players and are realistic transfer targets and will improve our squad immensly.
Full strength Spurs side? Gomes Corluka Gallas Ekotto Bale Huddlestone would be in Spurs’ best XI over the course of this season, and players like Jenas, Palacios, Hutton were also injured
your best players yesterday were; Dawson, King, Rose, and Sandro. The latter 3 wouldn’t ne playing if you had a full strength team so that is a poor thing to say. Tottenham played very well though i’ll give credit where it is due
Frankly I don’t think we’re that far away. But it’s great to be the underdog nonetheless. People thinking that Liverpool don’t pose a danger anymore, are just living in the past, are just an average side with a big name – that’s a great position to be in.
Don’t let’s deceive ourselvs,tottenham were 1daful ystday bt it’s only going 2 b disastrous 2 leav a youngster who shld b learnin 4rm bench as ur no1. Spearin wasted a chance,so did Carrol. What else do u want Suarez to play yestday he was evrywher while Carrol was nowher. Carrol’s stil developin he shld learn 4rm d bench alongside Spearin. Get an establishd strika& a quality midfielda. Meanwhile I wouldn’t blame our defenders 4 anytin.d 1st goal was a spectacular goal& d 2nd a false penalty bt I wouldn’t complain bcos dat’s futbal cos I can rememba such crazy decisn favourd us like twice dis season. The big questn is Why Can’t We Score our own goal?. And Another is Why Didn’t Dalglish turn back 2 d winin 4matn of Suarez&Kuyt upfront when it was glarin Carrol was quiet on d pitch? Ynwa
Don’t let’s deceive ourselvs,tottenham were 1daful ystday bt it’s only goin 2 b disastrous 2 leav a youngster who shld b learnin 4rm bench as ur no1. Spearin wasted a chance,so did Carrol. What else do u want Suarez to play yestday he was evrywher while Carrol was nowher. Carrol’s stil developin he shld learn 4rm d bench alongside Spearin. Get an establishd strika& a quality midfielda. Meanwhile I wouldn’t blame our defenders 4 anytin.d 1st goal was a spectacular goal& d 2nd a false penalty bt I wouldn’t complain bcos dat’s futbal cos I can rememba such crazy decisn favourd us like twice dis season. The big questn is Why Can’t We Score our own goal?. And Another is Why Didn’t Dalglish turn back 2 d winin 4matn of Suarez&Kuyt upfront when it was glarin Carrol was quiet on d pitch? Ynwa
learn to write in english please you not texting, you on a computer
Nice observation anyway but I’m sure my point was clear besides why do have to waste precious time on ‘longhand’ when i can do d ‘shortie’ and I have decided to write this in ‘longie’ because of the Please you added. Once again,Nice observation.
Thanks I am an observant person. Most people would find it very difficult to read and understand what you wrote, not everyone is young
i agree.. but we must try to play youngster.. look..now we are 6th place… dont worry.. next seasson we will get 4th..
for the youngers.. for next seasson.. they will play 10 game in epl each one.
1. spearing 10-15 game
2. jonjo << loan him quicly
3. flano << 7- 10 games
4. robo << 5-8 games only
5. pacheco <>
i like to see what a progress for this talent..
and we will add more talent..
( attacking striker )
>> adel taraabt swoop for joe cole
( striker )
>> GOMEZZZ!!!!! swoop aquilani
( right winger )
>> ashley young or downing
( left winger )
>> marko marin
( canter back )
>> cahill
( left back )
>> ROSE << good .. if bale back..he just warming )
I reckon we have dropped a clanger by signing him and paying all that dosh-Newcastle have coped well without him and must be laughing their socks off by now at an inexperienced player who cost 35 million pounds and has scored twice in 5 months! bad signing! Oh yes- he will eventually chip in with a few more goals (who doesn’t) but for that price you want 20/25 a season year in year out……..in the model of darren bent-nic anelka-drogba etc etc-ship him off to man city and they will bench him-with all the rest of the injury prone flops….
I noticed on a couple of other blogs that a few are not convinced by Carroll. Let’s face it. What’s he really done to justify that price tag?
did you not see the city game? AC will be a great signing once the wings are sorted. we saw yesterday that there is still alot of work to be done but the kids have shown us that we not as bad as we were in december.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer. Yes, I did see the city game. He struck his first goal beautifully but I also thought Joe hart was slow getting down to it. Time will tell, but there have been plenty of one season wonders. Anyway, he’s not my problem, he’s yours. Just asking the question.
bollox he will-hes a crock thats cost us 35 million pounds! and 80 grand a week to sit there injured?? nice work if u can get it-no wonder he took the money and ran from newcastle-within half a season hes made a mint without hardly appearing!
320 grand a month-do the maths-hes been paid over 2 million quid already-for 2 goals? 3.8 million a season? for a 22 year old with 11 prem games experience? dont make me laugh……….
actually he cost chelski 35mil. john henry said we wanted AC PLUS 15 MIL from the torres deal and how much is he costing a goal. it was a great deal and you’ll be praising him next year you tool.
I’ve always said this. Everyone is being way too optimistic
LFC need a creative midfielder like Aquaman back, who can slice defences open with a killer pass.
The loss actualy could be a real blessing in disguise for us. Firstly lack of European football could help us focus more in the domestic competitions(we have done very well since our exit from Europe)
Then there was this feeling amongst the supporters that we already have a near enough team capable of challenging next season, this loss could open up alot of our eyes to the real problems we need to address next season.
Players like Maxi, Spearing, Skertel, while being improved massively and will be good squad players but are not consistent enough.
We hopefully now will look at the weakens with real clearity and address the problems.
i think when we get a quality left back & when stevie g cums back ral in centre mid with suarez & kuyt up front & 2 quality wide men we will have our 1st team we just need to build the squad then y.n.w.a