There’s no doubt that this team needs time to gel

One of the most curious aspects of Liverpool’s match against Sunderland on Saturday was the markedly different performances in the first and second half. In the first half, there seemed to be an element of control over the match, with the Black Cats restricted to long range shots, as well as an attacking threat in the final third, with a missed penalty, a potential sending off for Richardson, a goal for Suarez and a disallowed goal for Carroll that should have stood.

In the second half, the lack of a game plan was evident. Once the Reds conceded from Sebastian Larsson’s excellent volley, the Reds seemed to lack any real cohesive strategy, especially going forward. Some of this can be attributed to having four new players in the side. Any team adding so many players needs time to gel and Kenny Dalglish suggested as much after the match:

“It will take time to get to know each other but the most important factor is they got through the game. Two of the players have just come back from the Copa America. It’s a big ask. But we knew what we were doing when we picked the side. How long will it take to gel? It might be next week, I don’t know. There is no timescale, that’s a certainty. Whatever time they need, they will have.”

For sure, a 1-1 draw against Sunderland at home on the opening day of the season is hardy the end of the world, far from it in fact. Especially in the first half, the likes of Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing showed what they can do. Adam was instrumental in creating chances for the side in the first half, and his dangerous free kick led to Suarez opening the scoring. Downing used his pace and dribbling ability to great effect in the first half, especially with that mazy run that ended with him hitting the bar. Henderson contributed to some good pieces of passing and interplay and looks the sort of player who should be well at home in Liverpool’s pass and move style.

After half time however, something began to change. The Reds began to sit back (something I’ve talked about in another article today) and allow Sunderland more possession. Even after retrieving the ball though, the Reds gave the ball away a lot more frequently than they did in the first half. Henderson, Adam and Enrique didn’t always look on the same wavelength as their team-mates and although this can be attributed to them not having played much with the rest of the Reds team, it is strange why the lack of passing accuracy affected them more in the second half than in the first half.

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