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Pragmatic tactics prevail over tiki-taka football

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Liverpool VillaTWO 1-0 wins to kick off the league season with maximum points is, by most accounts, an excellent start.

A fluent, though rather wasteful, first game against Stoke City needed Simon Mignolet’s terrific late double save (from a penalty and rebound) to secure 3 points that should have been secured long previously. Though the saves were clearly not as crucial as Dudek’s famous double save against Shevchenko, they were nevertheless critical in converting a rather nervy first game for the Belgian into a morale boosting one.

Overall the football was smooth and silky, with decent possession stats (55.3%) and chances created (25 shots with 11 on target).

The win over Aston Villa was just as valuable, but rather different in its execution. Liverpool played well in the first half, but despite creating good positions in the final third didn’t convert them into many clear chances. Aspas and Coutinho weren’t quite at their best and the team relied heavily on Daniel Sturridge.

An excellent move, with a thoughtful dummy by Coutinho, was ended by a wonderful dribble by Sturridge leading to the winning goal. However Villa dominated the second half, and while they didn’t have too many one on one chances, were able to get plenty of shots away- 17 in total, though only 3 on target (to Liverpool’s meagre 5, with the goal being the only goal-bound effort).

The most interesting theme for me was how Brendan Rodgers was willing to be pragmatic with his tactics in relation to the Barcelona type style he has tried to implement. Don’t get me wrong, Liverpool wanted to play the same football in the second half as the first; that we didn’t was due to a number of factors, not least added verve and pressing by Villa and nervous play on our behalf trying to defend just a single goal.

However in his first season, on too many occasions, including our previous Villa game where Benteke ran riot, we consistently maintained a high line regardless of whether the opposition had pacey forwards or were a counter-attacking team.

In this game, when our own brand of football was not getting out of gear in the second half, the defensive line retreated to the edge of the 18 yard box to ensure few balls could be played behind Agger and Toure (who was excellent again). During the game I had thought this was simply as a result of the Villa pressure, but Rodgers insisted in his post-match interviews that the team had prepared for such an eventuality in order to negate the pace in behind of Agbonlahor, Benteke and Weimann.
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How true this was will be borne out when our team is next under the cosh but against an attack that “lacks” pace – will Toure and co. now hold a high line and look to press and compact the game, as there is little threat in behind, to try and regain control in the game?

If we do, then Rodgers can take an equitable dose of credit for the successful rearguard action against Villa, if not and the team still drops to the 18 yard line regardless of the type of opposition forwards then our deep line against Villa was most probably due to fear rather than planning.

Regardless, an away win against an organised Villa that beat Arsenal, were unlucky not to do the same against Chelsea and have one of the top strikers in the league is still a very good result. They are now a much stronger unit than the one that finished in the bottom 6 for the previous two seasons.

Last season Rodgers, at times, showed a lack of flexibility in adapting his system to the opposition or indeed the characteristics of our own defenders. I wrote in an article in Febuary, and on a number of other occasions, how our centre-backs had grown up playing deeper during their Liverpool and international careers. They weren’t well suited to hold a high line as they hadn’t much experience playing that way, didn’t have the pace to play that way or weren’t that strong one on one against an agile attacker.

Kolo Toure, despite being 32, has played that way, particularly during his Arsenal days, and the others have had a year more experience understanding and becoming more comfortable. However until we buy a lightening quick centre-back (Andre Wisdom is probably our fastest at present but also our most junior), making pragmatic defensive tactical decisions when tiki-taka or our pressing game isn’t quite working is the right way to go.

The season is long, but Brendan Rodgers seems to have shown signs that he’s learnt a number of lessons from his first season. Another example is that a fully fit Joe Allen has played just 7 minutes of Premier League football so far, and I for one think the team has been stronger for it.

I’m not totally writing Allen off yet, but for Rodgers to recognise his mistakes of last season and correct them shows that he’s improved. Let’s hope the team also continues to do so.

You can catch more from me on my own blog: http://taintlessred.blogspot.co.uk/
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Gabriel Darshan (Writer) - aka Sutha Nirmalananthan aka TaintlessRed. I am a lifelong Liverpool fan who has followed the Reds from near (e.g. living in Kirkby) and far (e.g. living in Johannesburg), though am again living back home in the UK. I’ve watched football in stadia all around the world, from the Maracana to the Camp Nou, though Anfield will of course always be the greatest! I enjoy healthy football debate, preferring reasoned analysis based on sound evidence over gossip. I also write a blog at http://taintlessred.blogspot.co.uk/ on all things Liverpool FC and you can follow me on twitter @taintlessred

24 comments

  • Bill says:

    Allen cost us a goal against Notts last night, lost the ball them feigned injury to get subbed because he was ashamed. Send him to West Ham to go with the other misfits.

    • Xabi says:

      Lol he was proper shaking in his boots when he had possession of the ball. He wouldn’t have started on Sunday anyway. Toure will be a massive miss.

  • Ajay says:

    totally agree. Get rid of Allen and Toure will be a MASSIVE miss :(.

  • CHUKWUEMEKA says:

    lets hope he s learned something by playing less of allen

  • StevieG says:

    1 – 0 up against villa , with villa dominating , and what does Rodgers do ????

    ….brings on his pet Allen in midfield. THAT IS NOT LEARNING HIS LESSONS

    picking Allen and alberto in midfield v a league 1 team is ridiculous too

    • no sheep says:

      yes you are right. did we lose or draw that game again? unbelievable.

      • realist says:

        Baaaaaa . The little troll no sheep is so stupid.

        We nearly didn’t win the game you fool

        • SoJo says:

          Anyone reading these comments would think that you guys are taking about an opposition player. Maybe it is just me but growing up as a red, we didn’t slate our own players, we encouraged them to get better. Like I said we reserved this sort of abuse for the opposition. Lets just give the kid a chance, it’s not his fault we paid what we did to get him. I for one hope he recovers quickly from his injury, we need the cover in midfield.

          • Michael says:

            Some players are simply NOT Liverpool quality and never will be

            You can give them 100 games or the best thing to do is cut your losses early

            Konchesky, poulsen , diao , meijer etc etc are previous examples….no amount of good will , encouragement or patience would have made them good enough

            Allen , Borini and assaidi are current examples. When they play it harms Liverpool. They need to be gone from our club fir their sake and LFCs

  • T.boier says:

    Excellent article… Well said that.. but we must not undermine the fact that our very own Skrtel isnt a comfortable player anymore judging by what i saw personally last season tending to draw fouls when unnecessary & making his return against United seem to get me nervous & concerned because the 2-previos kept clean sheet by Agger & Toure is a good one for confidence & I pray Skrtel doesnt come to undo the good job but rather.,that his sitting on the bench would propel him to have a good game because a victory makes us top the log beyond the international break

    • TaintlessRed says:

      Thanks. I’m also a tad worried by Skrtle. Toure was playing very well and is much more comfortable on the ball and playing one on one against attackers than Skrtel. Like you say let’s hope he’s really motivated to do well, my worry is that he’ll be too motivated and give away too many fouls.

  • Goody~Goody says:

    Good one, LFC must win EPL 2013/2014 season! YNWA

  • pino pino says:

    Br is a complete liar and bloke,always lying what happened in notts game showed that the villa tactics was done out of fear,Rodgers thinks he is fooling us cum january we shall see ,no squad depth still exiting players clueless manager at best Y.N.W.A

  • pino pino says:

    why continue weakening our midfield by wasting my hendo’s energy and pace on the flanks giving average iago a go as a SS,am tired of Br please just sick of seeing him as our manager, no signings still wants to play his PET ask dalglish about his donkey pet aunty CARROLL

  • kemlynroadite says:

    FSG has been laid bare, and so have we by the looks of things. I have been banging on about the stadium but lets be honest that is the true marker of their intentions. Every team with stadiums in mind releases images/pictures/artists impressions. Not these Yanks. I wonder why?

    The person who sickens me is Ian Ayre, masquerading as a Liverpool fan whilst taking his fat cheque and being complicit in the deceit. He is full of it.

    The person I feel sorry for is Brendan, who has a good team ethic and plays a decent brand of football. The only shortcomings can be put down to lack of depth/quality in positions. If he was backed I am sure he would come good, infact he has come good, given the squad and the obscene financial restrictions placed upon him.

    The people I blame? Well, apart from FSG I blame us as supporters. Why? Because we throw money at the club like drunken sailors, 3 new tops, 6 new tops in the last 12 months? “Oh yes please I will take all three”. Season ticket prices going up? “Ok, I will renew no matter what the cost.” You may say we are exploited because they know we love the club. Maybe we should have sought to arrest the greed in football sooner.

    They are raking it in. And we let them.

    If they had nothing to hide they would be at the games.

    By the way FSG never saved us, Royal Bank of Scotland did, as other posters point out they were well within their rights to liquidate LFC but they didn’t.

    Looking back, Tom and George used to at least buy players and never sold a player unless he asked for it .e.g. Alonso, Masch.

    They were no worse How could they be. They spent none of their own money, just like FSG.

    I am worried. Very worried.

    Wont even mention R**** V*n P****e or W***e R****Y.

    I am terrified for Sunday.

    New stadium. Oh wever

    • patrick says:

      Top comment. Liverpool fans have been naive and stupid to blindly follow not just by one , but by two sets of greedy yanks . Time for them to wake up methinks :-/

  • Forever Reds says:

    Rick Parry has to shoulder all the blamed for the club’s current predicament because at that time he choose to sell Liverpool FC to Tom Hicks and George Gillette instead of DIC and pocketted a huge commission from Tom Hicks and George Gillette. If he had chosen to sell to DIC then I think Liverpool would not be in this predicament. All because of Rick Parry.

    • patrick says:

      Yes , then blame hicks & Gillett for being sc um . And then fsg for being sc um. There are more than just parry to blame

      Nearly 9 years of american ownership has ruined this club…& it’s not over yet

    • TaintlessRed says:

      Yes, a huge missed opportunity by the club. Also disingenuous as we’d already agreed to sell to DIC before parry and Moores changed their minds.

  • Drew says:

    I don’t understand the FSG hate as an American fan (and being an American fan doesn’t mean I don’t live and die with LFC every match so just save it). You all have clearly not studied what they did with a struggling Red Sox franchise who hadn’t won a title in almost 90 years. They purchased the club in 2001 and won titles in 2004 and 2007 and are currently leading the American League East by 2.5 games – they look a threat nearly every year now. They spent (and continue to spend) money, a good bit of money, to make this happen. What they did not do was grossly overspend on players that didn’t add statistical value to the club. All they need to return Liverpool to glory is time to understand the numbers game in football and purchase players who add statistical value for the money. You can see their early mistakes in trying to make “splash” signings to appease over-zealous fans – it didn’t work. I guarantee you they will put this club on sound financial footing, maximize its worldwide popularity to boost revenue (for spends), upgrade the stadium, and spend smartly on players that improve the team for the long term. It is what they did with the Red Sox and it is a winning formula. Flailing about chasing the next hot name on the list is certainly no way to build a club. The efforts we have made this window have been reasonable and players have rejected LFC to move along to better positioned clubs. Overspending on these players above their valuation is wasteful if it would even make a difference. This club has to find either young, hungry players or players looking for a second chance (Sturridge, etc.) that don’t cost a fortune (low risk, high reward potential) in order to break through. Yes an occasional upper tier player will sign in the meantime, but surely no proven superstar until we regain top 4. Give this group time; back the players and the manager and be patient above all. YNWA is supposed to mean something to us as supporters – does it?

    • Phil Ashton says:

      1. They dontcareabout Liverpool liketheydo red sox .why would they?

      2. They don’t understand football

      3. Football doesntwork likebaseball . There isno chance of successin football withoutserious investment

      4. They onlywant to make money out ofLiverpool.they are nit interested in returning us to thetop

      You seriously need to stop being so naive

      PS . Didn’t red soxjusthavetheir worst season in 67 yearslastyear ?

      PP S . Most red soxfansare seriouslyunhappy with fenwaystoo

    • tommy says:

      Drew . You clearly don’t understand our club or football in general. Just like FSG your american pals – you are talking nonsense

  • Phil Ashton says:

    1. They dont care about Liverpool likethey do red sox .why would they ?

    2. They don’t understand football

    3. Football doesnt work like baseball . There is no chance of success in football without serious investment

    4. They only want to make money out of Liverpool.they are nit interested in returning us to the top

    You seriously need to stop being so naive

    P S . Didn’t red sox just have their worst season in 67 years last year ?

    P P S . Most red sox fans are seriously unhappy with fenways too

Comments are closed.