After winning 2-1, and having chances to make the game more comfortable, you would have been forgiven Steve Clarke for not being too critical about Liverpool’s display against Wolves at the weekend, but Kenny Dalglish’s right hand man feels there is still a lot more improving to do:
“I think we maybe played a little bit too open at certain times in the game…and we lost our composure a bit in the second half…but we can address that on the training pitch. The amount of chances that we created in the game [Against Wolves] was the pleasing aspect. If one of those goes in and it becomes 3-1 then it’s a more comfortable afternoon for everybody. We could only convert two but it was enough to get the three points. There’s always something to work on and improve. If I look at a game and don’t see anything to work on then I might as well give up coaching.”
Such comments completely reassure me that the Reds have the best possible people in place behind Kenny Dalglish to ensure standards are set very high. Clarke’s comments reflect nearly exactly what I felt about the game on Saturday and it’s great to know that they will be working on the training pitch to ensure there is a more composed performance when the Reds face Everton on Saturday.
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One of the biggest focuses in training this week is how they will combat the likes of Leon Osman and Tim Cahill who love to play in between the midfield and attack; an area where the Reds have been particularly vulnerable in recent weeks.
If Kenny does persist with playing a 4-4-2 formation, Clarke and Kevin Keen will need to ensure that Lucas Leiva is not overrun in the middle of the park. Despite being at home, and playing in a Merseyside Derby, I am 100% sure that David Moyes will go with a 5 man midfield, not only because he doesn’t have enough strikers to play 4-4-2, but also because it is a formation which is tried and tested in stifling the opposition, something it nearly succeeded in doing against Manchester City last week.
After overrunning the Reds midfield, Moyes will then look to press high up the pitch to force the Reds to give away possession and it will be from there that the Blues will set up a platform of attack.
The Reds were a soft touch under Roy Hodgson last time they went to Goodison Park last season, and the 2-0 defeat will most likely be repeated if the Reds replicate their performance of a couple of weeks ago against Tottenham. At White Hart Lane, there was no real fight from the Reds to win back possession and they were dominated in all areas of the pitch even before the sending off.
Despite Everton not having the same level of players as Spurs, they will capitalise if there is a lack of cutting edge from the Reds. If Lucas is left to fend for himself against Moyes’ 5 man midfield (which worked so hard v Man City last Sunday), the Reds will not come out of the game with anything to show for it. Steve Clarke is fully aware of this, and he knows he needs more from the likes of Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson defensive wise. If we press off the ball and keep possession when we have it, we will nullify Everton’s game plan, and it is essential that we either pack the midfield on Saturday afternoon or at least compete in regards to work rate. We may have better players than Everton, but Merseyside Derbies are generally wars of attrition rather than barometers of quality and the Reds must be prepared to fight and ensure they are composed when in possession.
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This week it is former LFC WAG Michela Quattrociocche!!
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Good article, agree with all you’ve said.
Would also like to add that if KD starts with Henderson on the right with adam and lucas in midfield and plays a 442 we’ll get mullered..
Kuyt on the RW and a 451 should do it!
ref. m. atkinson will have a decisive, negative influence on liverpool`s match on saturday. like h. webb he interpretes the rules correctly but HARSHLY against liverpool – which has cost the club fx. fa-cup and euro league……… they are both 100% anti-liverpool – m. atkinson fx. gives lfc early yellow cards to destroy their game.
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