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Liverpool Have Rediscovered Belief

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Liverpool and the club captain showed that Liverpool are able to grind out wins still

Liverpool and the club captain showed that Liverpool are able to grind out wins still

If there was one thing that was more worrying than anything else about Liverpool’s troubles this season, it was this.

Belief. Or rather, the lack of it.

Of course, the team and individual players’ form was slowly worsening with every game as new players struggled to adapt and Rodgers decided to change the team’s formation in Sturridge’s absence. But then with that slow eroding of form, the next thing to fade away was their confidence. Gone was the slick passing and quick pace, the lethal counter attacks and the fear factor that was instilled in other teams as a result of it.

But perhaps most importantly, there was a severe lack of belief in the squad. Every single player was at their lowest point; with Sturridge’s imminent returns both delayed by last minute injuries, they sunk further and further into depression and disbelief. No one seemed to believe they had the quality to win games anymore. Mignolet was desperately trying to be a confident sweeper keeper, but consistent failures made him question his own judgement.

The already leaky defence was made even weaker when the new signings struggled to settle into a back four that was poorly guarded by a skipper who no longer had the legs to chase down opposition forwards, and had thus been identified by teams as the weak link in our midfield. A midfield that was already missing key players and struggling to accommodate several new signings who had no idea how to play with their new team mates.

This meant they struggled to link up with forwards who either hadn’t had enough game time to get into their groove or were simply not suited to the lone frontman role they had been forced to play in Sturridge’s absence. Sterling was being buried under the pressure of carrying the team as a result, and with Coutinho having started poorly every single player seemed to lack the belief that they could do anything to influence the game.

As Rodgers desperately tried to figure out the problem and what could be done to fix it, the squad slowly lost its identity as the results only got worse. Hell, even I had lost belief in the Reds’ ability to win games.

Until last weekend.

The first half against Stoke was as bad a performance as all the other games; it only really looked better because Stoke were equally as poor, although we did slowly improve towards half time.

10 minutes into the second half though, something changed. The crowd had decided they’d had enough. Stoke fans had been taunting us the entire game, but we finally decided to hit back. Fans appealed feverishly for every minor decision that needed to be made and applauded a player whenever he actually did something right.

Of course, these were all things we’d normally expect a professional football player to do when in good form. But somewhere along the line, the Anfield faithful had decided that there was no use in waiting to be entertained and groaning every time a player cocked up. They realised that the players needed motivation from the people that adore them most.

And the players responded. While Stoke did look more threatening as the game opened up, Liverpool rediscovered some of that intricate passing and quick movement which had been the death of so many teams last season. It was still tough work, but we created chances. Quite a few, actually. Lucas and Allen should have put us 2-0 up before Johnson eventually scored the winner.

Sterling looked revitalised, leading every attack with gusto, working in tandem with Coutinho and Lambert to breathe down the necks of Stoke’s defenders time and time again. The fullbacks got forward. Slowly but surely, everyone began to believe that they could win this game.

No one personified that more than Glen Johnson. I’ve rightly given the right back plenty of stick this season, but for the first time he stopped lazily ambling around and actually looked like he was making an effort. He started to track back quickly when caught in possession and looked to get forward and influence the game. He even skinned a man once when a nutmeg actually came off for him.

When Rickie Lambert’s header cannoned off the crossbar, there were at least three other Stoke players who should have got there first. But somehow, inexplicably, Glen Johnson was already waiting in the 18-yard box and immediately charged towards the loose ball and dived forward, suffering a kick to the face in the process.

That is the belief that has been missing from our play for so long. A week ago, that ball would have been cleared by a defender and nothing would have come of it. Not anymore.

If we can keep that belief, then the performances will come as we saw against Leicester City last night. And then, crucially, so will the results.

Belief is so damn important to a footballer. It influences everything they do on a football pitch.

Fortunately, our lads seem have to found theirs. And not a moment too soon.

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Drummer, gamer and football fanatic. I love to write about Liverpool and spend most of my time thinking about the mighty Reds. That or Game of Thrones.

4 comments

  • Femi says:

    the revitalization is basically due to Lucas presence in the team

  • Yannis Politopoulos says:

    To Steven Gerrard

    S uch a great
    T alent with perfect
    E nergy in the
    V ersion of his
    E volution
    N ear to our feelings

    My son Apostolos loves Steven
    Greetings from Volos, Greece
    Yannis Politopoulos

  • Diego Digger Souness says:

    Rediscovered belief? No we haven’t

    • Erin says:

      Talking to josh. The man who thinks Rogers is a true great. A sham of a manager who will destroy what’s left

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