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Patience running thin as Reds fall into realms of mediocrity

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Liverpool FC Gerrard and JohnsonMONDAY night’s calamitous capitulation in the last 10 minutes of an otherwise dominant display can’t be blamed on a lack of luck; I believe that there is a distinct lack of mental toughness in this squad, and this trickles from the top down.

Glen Johnson, Jose Enrique and Dan Agger are their own worst enemies at times. A night of good work was (and not for the first time) undone due to a momentary lapse in concentration.

This is unacceptable when the match is comfortably won, unforgivable when it is in the balance.

West Brom were poor, showed very little ambition and were happy to contain for most of the game. With every chance missed and every attack broken down blood pressure rose and frustration was felt from the terraces.

In a previous blog I suggested our need for a general, a shouter, a cage rattler, an experienced player who refuses to let standards drop. Unfortunately there is a dearth of these characters in today’s game. With Jamie Carragher soon to depart we will be down to none.

Coaches, pundits, players and anyone who claims to know the game speaks of bravery on the pitch. I’m not talking about acting the big man, fronting opponents and being unafraid to “mix it”, the type of bravery I am getting at is being unafraid to take the bull by the horns and take individual responsibility for the destiny of the maximum reward at the final whistle.

Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez are the only consistently proactive players at our disposal. They are our X-factor elements and when they are on the pitch too many others hide behind them. We failed to flood the box when attacking from wide positions, when confidence is brittle and nerves are showing avoiding the firing line has been paramount.
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I won’t criticise our captain for his missed penalty as these things happen but the aftermath was something completely different, a collective drop of the heads followed the excellent Ben Foster’s save a set piece and counter attack later met a stunned Anfield, two goals down and yet another defeat which shock, but no longer surprise.

Fast forward three days later and it’s the same old story. This time tired legs on a boggy pitch couldn’t find the vital away goal past a solid if unspectacular Zenit side who are in the midst of their off season.

This side are falling into the realms of mediocrity. From a Reds point of view this tie will be remembered for the missed chances of our Uruguayan star Luis Suarez. Our usually prolific ace was brave as we expect him to be, showing for the ball and taking responsibility. Unfortunately his trademark swaggering finishes were poorly absent as he got caught up in the side’s current malaise.

Two goals in the final stages was accompanied with a crescendo of groans from the brave few who made the trip, and the rest of us at home after rushing out of work to catch the action. Consistently high levels of performance have been limited to a stretch of 2 or 3 games on the trot.

Youngsters who have now got games and experience behind them are lacking in maturity; that is not a slight on them. Andre Wisdom has suffered at right-back in recent weeks, Raheem Sterling and Jonjo Shelvey have been dipped in and out of action, failing to recapture their early season promise when call upon. This is inevitable with youth, levels of performance will fluctuate.

It is not unfair for us to expect more from the players and staff. Many of us writers on this site defend the club we love on a weekly basis, but sometimes accountability is needed. We would all willingly sacrifice pretty patterns for hard fought ugly wins which will pull us up the table and win back some self-respect.

Whatever happens in the return leg in this Europa League tie, thoughts are sadly turning to next season as this campaign quickly becomes less about glory days and more about damage limitation. The neutered atmosphere at Anfield has and will, reflect this.

I look forward to reading your comments.
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I've been following the Reds ever since I set eyes on the majestic sight that is the Kop in full voice with flags aloft, albeit from the television with my dad as a 5 year old in my hometown of Dublin! He would tell me about the Irish contingent, the likes of Heighway, Whelan, Beglin and Houghton, he is a Leeds fan due to his hero Johnny Giles but I had to go against the grain on this one, his 3 year old grandson will not be afforded the same opportunity!
I completed a Higher National Diploma in Print Journalism back in Dublin where I briefly worked for the Irish Independent on a placement, covering Rugby, obituaries (including the great John Charles) and some sub editing. I then made the short journey to Liverpool, where I currently reside to undertake International Journalism at John Moores University. Some will say that over the years I have picked up a Jan Molbyesque native twang but I'm not so sure!
I was also lucky enough to have worked for the socialist publication "Morning Star" covering the Reds at Anfield which allowed me gain access to the press box and press conferences, I covered about 10 games and loved every minute of it!
I am excited to be joining the team at live4liverpool.com. From what I have seen so far the standard of articles have been first class, I hope to contribute to this by publishing pieces which create opinion and debate.

5 comments

  • Spiv says:

    IMO having watched our slow demise over the past 4 seasons (since 08/09) it’s become clear where the problem lies……LFC – the team, the club and even the fans to some extent – consider themselves to be bigger than they are. Don’t get me wrong, as a club and brand, LFC is massive – one of the biggest – BUT just like Inter for many years or even United during the 70’s & 80’s, LFC are no more than a mediocre side that are only up for the big games. Had we had played West Brom at a time when we were chasing for the title or ensuring we retain a position in the top 4 or playing Zenit in the CL rather than he Europa, I am convinced we would have seen a very different performance in both matches. We may have not beaten a top 10 team this season but our performances against City in both games, along with a 10 man effort against United earlier in the season + our recent away game at the Emirates just goes to show when we want to do it, we can put in great performances…almost winning ones.

    I believe – rightly or wrongly – that LFC has reached a stage where a massive overhaul is required in terms of investment similar to what City have done over the past few seasons. I am not convinced that LFC have the time any longer to build from the bottom up in order to become a powerhouse once more. Arsenal have proven this already and I really hope our board (or future boards) don’t make the same mistakes.

    Our own senior players have been crying out for more experienced players to be brought in, similar to what the Arsenal fans have been saying for the last few years. It’s no surprise that in both clubs cases the future (currently) is looking pretty bleak! The days when a team can be built from nothing into a dominant force are near over. The academies who produce great young starlets sell them to the highest bidders. Unless LFC can bring through 5 or 6 top players in one go (similar to United in the mid 90’s) I’m afraid we are going to need a board with deep pockets who are prepared to spend BIG!

    • bob says:

      rodgers said at start of january he needed to bring in some experienced players , but did he ? no
      any decent manager would have realised we needed experienced players within weeks of taking over . but rodgers didnt , instead he blew our money on rubbish

  • Thomas says:

    Patience is NOT wearing thin – its long gone . I dont like FSG they are here for our cash , not the glory of LFC , But the least they can do is give us a decent manager , not some 2nd rate championship level fool .

    Rodgers is out of his depth , a decent manager would at least have us challenging the top 4 not the embarrassing mid table mess Rodgers has got us in .

    In 40 years , i cant remember a more incompetent manager lasting this long at any big club . FSG need to act now

  • bob says:

    i think its totally unfair of you to put blame on the likes of johnson enrique and agger , when its rodgers system is leaving all our defenders exposed

    they were the best defence in the country last season and are all top class players , but with rodgers ridiculous system which sees the full backs pushing up and gaps aplenty in the midfield , its no wonder mistakes are being made

    there is little or no protection from the midfield , and when allen plays , its like having a 12 year old instead of a man

    no , the players are NOT to blame . rodgers inefficient open system is to blame . rodgers has to be removed or things will continue to be dreadful

  • Chan says:

    Well if you have a mediocre manager, its no surprise then that we are mired in mediocrity. It’s just pure common sense.

    Only BR have the ability to turn an essentially top class back 4 and gk into one that is just like himself, Championship grade.

    Like Bob says, BR has a system albeit a flawed one and only one. UIf that does not work, than we are doomed.

    We can do with an overhaul but it has got to start with the manager. We are are no Chelski or Sheikh but BR still has many resources compare to the likes of Everton and yet he delivers our worst season in living memory.

    Give a pat to yourself FSG.

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