Looking back on the 2008/09 season where Liverpool finished second on a record points total, my thoughts always go towards one of the ELEVEN draws we had during that season. Some of them were thrilling encounters such as the 4-4 draw against Arsenal, but others, such as 0-0 home draws against West Ham, Fulham and West Ham, were disappointing performances which really the Reds should have done better in. We only needed a few of those draws to come our away to win the Premier League title, but alas, since we have slipped back from those promising times.
Fine margins win football matches, and fine margins are the difference between success and failure during a Premier League season. Every side has to play 38 games but little moments can make all the difference to the all important points total at the end of the season. Rafa Benitez’s side during that nearly season were pretty much superb throughout the campaing, but one fundamental area where they lacked a cutting edge was at set pieces and especially corners.
In fact it has been a running joke for the best part of 40 years that Liverpool have been hopeless at corners, and even in recent years the same trend has continued. Some may say that if teams like Barcelona don’t focus on scoring from corners, why should we? The fact is though we are not Barcelona and what is the harm in improving in the areas that you are weakest anyway?
Focusing on scoring from corners and set pieces may have connotations of focusing on being a more direct team, rather than a pass and move philosophy in keeping with the Liverpool Way, but for me, those fine margins that I’ve talked about, can be made up by having a good set piece delivery.
The ability to vary your play, and to be able to beat the opposition with a variety of options is crucial to a title winning side. In 2008/09, the only thing you could accuse Rafa Benitez’s side of being, was that they lacked variation; something that title winning sides such as Manchester United and Chelsea have always possessed.
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That was also a season, that though was one of Xabi Alonso’s best it was not good enough in games where Gerrard or Torres were out or recovering from injury , so now with Adams and Aquilani top draw at corners and free kicks then we should do a lot better from set pieces and lets not forget that they can also supply great killer passes in open play, latest addition Stewart Downing is up there as well.
2008/9 season was lost due to lack of strikers after Gerrard and Torres got sidelined due to injury. Rafa sold Kean and Crouch in a huff, big mistake!!! Kenny needs another good striker to be safe. If that doesnt happen then we will be in the same position.
David Tully,
You undersell your idea a little!
At least 1 in 3 goals come from set pieces on average.