The weekend’s result was a massive disappointment, of that there can be no doubt. As I’ve pointed out many times already this season: we lack the killer touch. There are those that would claim Swansea deserved their point at the weekend, and from the POV of a team that set out to stop us from scoring, they certainly earned it. However, football is about scoring goals and winning games and there was only one team attempting to do that on Saturday and for 90 long minutes we laboured without ever really looking like scoring. It’s been that way for a couple of months now and, while I’ve seen Reds fans bemoaning our lack of quality and Kenny’s signings, I think the solution lies within the club, rather than with any new signings.
It’s a point I’ve discussed at length with friends and family but one thing that would go a long way to solving our goal-scoring ineptitude is if the team was actually picked on merit. Take, for example, the most obvious candidate for a player that is seemingly ‘first-choice’ without having done enough to warrant it: Jordan Henderson. He’s clearly got a great deal of potential but he is for the future; right now is not his time, which is why it’s becoming all the more baffling week after week when he is preferred to Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, or even Maxi Rodriguez. I’ve seen Henderson have spells within games where he impresses me but for the most part he isn’t particularly bad, he’s just generally anonymous. We cannot afford to have passengers, no matter what their age or experience. And when there is talent and experience on the bench, there is no excuse.
Another example is Glen Johnson. He is a top attacking full-back, there is no doubt about that and he adds an attacking dimension down the right where other’s might not. But Martin Kelly provides the same with the added bonus of actually being able to defend too; he’s tall, fast, good in the air and a technically very good footballer. If this was a game of Top Trumps, Kelly would beat Johnson every time but it appears to not matter that he was in great form, Johnson is preferred.
The worrying aspect for me is how much these two players cost the club, as it would suggest that perhaps pressure is being put on management to make use of the clubs more expensive assets, rather than use the better home-grown/cheaper options. This is just a little conspiracy theory because it would be difficult to say where that pressure would be coming from but another example of this can be seen in Kenny’s persistence with Andy Carroll when he was clearly not doing it, at the expense of more in-form players and quite often at the expense of a good result. Perhaps the pressure could be coming from Kenny himself, determined to prove that his signings (if they were even his) can do it at this level. Or maybe Damien Comolli is held responsible for the buys, in his position, and is pushing for these players to play as often as possible. Most scarily of all, it could be the owners putting pressure on for their expensive assets to be played in a ‘well, you said they were good so you’ll damned well play them every week’ kind of way.
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About time someone wrote a post about this issue.
Martin Kelly should be our right full-back, Bellamy should be our left winger or 2nd striker, Id rather see Henderson play in the centre then on the wing his more favoured position and would do a better job then Adam.
Adam only comes good on set pieces he goes awol during the game and still cannot tackle.
Downing is getting game after game yet not producing the goods just some glimpses, just like Ryan Babel but he wasn’t fortunate enough to get game after game like Downing.
Skrtel is a liability give Coates a chance instead of Skrtel when needed.
Maxi has been great in the games hes played in the cup he deserves more game time.
Enrique = buy of the season for us.
I have total faith in KD but i have doubts about some of his tactics n team selection. Top 4 hasn’t escaped our grasps as of yet but we need to get our acts together before we do. LFC n Utd are known to finish the season off strong after xmas but the way we are playing we need to work on our finishing infront of goal
play johnson on right midfield
downing should be dropped with either maxi or kuyt in
Agree Johnson is more a right winger
Agree on Johnson, not sure about Kuyt, he has never been clever or quick with the ball, yes he scores the odd goal and runs all day and thats about it really, i could do that. Bellamy and Suarez upfront for me.
Totally agree, KD should drop under performing players!, and stop the tinkering!!.
it looks like kk’s team selection will be our undoing, only worthy addition is enrique. no way we will get top 4 this season, no way. never seen such bizarre team selction before – carroll over bellamy? maxi unable to get into the team, kuyt too, no place for cole, meireles and aqualani….oh wait, we got rid of them, just as well eh?
It is managers that make football, complicated, by over burden players with far too many instructions. That is a fact!.
May i suggest the best possible starting eleven considering LFC is scared of scoring and devoid of ideas:
————–Reina—————
Kelly—–Agger—–Coates—-Enrique
————–Spearing————
-Johnson———Adam——Downing-
————–Suarez————–
————Bellamy————-
Now, me thinks this could be a better, mobile, attacking team with a goal threat. Please don’t even begin talking about Lucas, Spearing is much more mobile, snappy and hungrier; Johnson has got more pace and a much better player going forward. Kelly likes bombing forward at great pace as well so the two can always complement each other very well. If Downing is offpace we still have Aurelio who has an excellent left foot and still good at defending. Oh yes, we also have Maxi as backup should either the left or right wings are not ticking. Henderson, Carrol can be gradually brought in, and Lucas can be used to shut office. Your thoughts lads, coz KD’s current team really sucks and they are a team composed of snails and tortoises and lacking ideas.
Spearing is good only when lucas is supporting him….pls gv lucas credit when he done well.
Lucas is one of those snails. Not creative enough to play every game, and fans are so used to a mediocre team with Lucas as first choice. Sick and tired of current first IX.
Agreed with NDEBENKULU, however, Bellamy should play on the left in place of Downing, and Hendo just behind Suarez.
adam and spearing in the midfield .. chuck both of them out and play someone else .. they are both lack in speed and creativity.. and both of them can’t pass to save their lives
u must b joking..lucas is a great player..he dserve more than criticism!!
i think ur crazy to suggest kenny doesnt have total control. its simple for once we have a squad that needs two games a week. we need to get back into europe asap and add a bit to our squad.
Think the person who wrote this article and most of the people who have commented need to consider the following facts (rafa impression at the ready) 1 we have one of the best defensive records in the league, 2 we’ve created more chances than most, 3 we’ve hit the woodwork nearly twice as much as any other team, 4 at least three or four keepers have had the best game of their season against us 5 we’ve dropped at least five points due to terrible calls by officials, 6 our strikers haven’t hit a good patch of form YET 7 if we had scored only one more goal per game we would be 2nd in the league, 8 we are only three points off fourth. Now can you please explain to me why all our players are so bad how kenny is a puppet for the owners and why nobody at the club knows what they are doing again please?
You live in the “Land of IF” mate. Get real!
@chaucer except his 7th point the rest of his points are facts. It’s the original article & the rest of the comments are the ones which are dealing with so many IF’s. What if we started with him and what if we changed the formation… Don’t you think the managers and coaches would have worked out these things while they train. The players some are wanting to be played did play in our teams for the last two seasons too. Look how better we have performed comparatively. We all know that some of the players have not hit the potential or the form they had showed in their previous clubs… But then bad form is only temporary, Class is permenant. These players will tune into their best and that they will do by playing and not being benched. It’s frustrating to watch us sitting at 6th or 7th in the table… But when a team is in transition we the fans need to be lot more patient and supportive. Their enough pundits in the Media to tell Dalgish & LFC about whatever we did or doing is not working… As fans we need to cheer the team rather then tell our football manager which is his best XI. Pls guys do be the fans who we really are…YNWA. Unlike the media and our opposition who want to unsettle our best player with racism & diving allegations.
YNWA
Also to answer a few of the points of the article (because it made me mad and still in rant mode) Henderson was on against Swansea in the first half the half we controlled and did everything but score kuyt came on for the second when they came at us and the game was more 50-50 and we lost control for large periods and they threatened to take all 3 points at times (you did watch the game didn’t you?) Glen Johnson had just come back from an injury and needed game time to get back to match fitness so was given the west brom match which he performed well in and we won so based on MERIT kept his place for next game. Finally Bellamy is now at the stage of his career were he can’t play the full 90 minutes of every game, he also isn’t going to turn rubbish because he sits on the bench for a few games here and there, Carroll is a young player not long back from the first major injury of his career and needs game time to get up to speed and will rust if left on the bench for more than a game or so. Carroll would also have 3 goals in 10 games (8 starts) if the linesman at sunderland game hadn’t made a bad call. For a striker just getting up to speed that isn’t actually that bad and last few games him and Suarez have started looking good together so can people get off his back? He didn’t cost 35 million he cost 15 million cheaper than torres and looking at the players forms at moment since the sales I’d be picking Carroll.
Go tell that to the Marines’ Dr. Kenny is the one in Charge so he decides the players that plays. Lol. Kenny’s player Judging ability is the PoOREST I’ve ever Witnessd.
Talking about Johnson&Kelly, i know Kelly is good,but u guys should not forget 2 seasons ago in such a hurry. Glen is also ‘one of the BEST’
AND now to you Mr. ANField rd DrEAM.
1) Those chances we are Creating will be ‘GOALS’and not ‘WASTED’ if we have AGUEro in the team instead of CARrol
2)LFc players should be ashamed Goal keepers now use them to SHINE& get their best games bcos our Strikers are Unable to Finish golden chances & Purnish goal keepers for standing in their way(post)
3)Those shot hitting the wood work should Shake the net if you have players wit legs Straightend for goals. Wood work my foot! are we on the pitch to give Supersports HIGHLIGHTS.
4)AND finaly for your ‘defensive record’ does it also pertain to Kenny’s regime or are u talking of record from the past?
Actualy I’m not Criticizin Kenny’s method of Play in fact i feel we will Win TROPHIES with his style but his ABILITY TO SELECT POOR PLAYErs ahead of GOOD ones is the Problem we are talking about here. All d same, Ynwa.
I think KD’s stubborness in sticking with players whom he bought at such inflated prices but are not performing such as Carroll, Henderson, Downing and in the process costing us valuable points are well documented. It’s pointless trying to get through to him. We do not expect to win the league this season but do expect to be at least occupying 4th comfortably after spending 100 mill and with no European distraction. Heck look at Newcastle, new players, much less money, new manager and sitting comfortably at 3rd without losing a game.
The only way to for LFC reverse this downward spiral is to SACK KD and reappoint Rafa.
I to would like to see henderson in a more central position, esp while stevie is out. Dunno why adam is so favoured, gives way to many frees away!
also cant understand why he leaves Maxi out, proven goalscorer!!!!! we need goals!
Its definatly kenny trying to prove a point, trying to justify his signings! not working kenny!
I feel you and i truly understand your argument, at least someone can reason as i do. Kenny is the Liverpool fans favorite and my favorite but i have a problem of him trying to experiment too much with English talent yes it may have worked in the 90’s while he was in charge of Newcastle and Blackburn but this time he got all wrong. what are my reasons:
1. Carroll we bought Carroll for a whopping 35Mil + he was still nursing a long term injury until this day we haven’t felt any impact from him Carroll looked at Newcastle but-the style of play Liverpool is using doesn’t suit him. In short Carroll will not be in Liverpool at some point he will have to offloaded due to pressure if the teams performance continues slumping i hope he wont be another Shevchenko
Is it just me or have we deserved to win every game we have played this season bar 1 against tottenham. If Suarez put away his chances than we would be 2nd in the league……
Get off the teams back!!!!!!!!!!
Its all summed up in KD’s word ”I don’t know his (henderson) right position but I know he is at the right club”. If Roy Hodgson has said this, it would have been a quote of the century. Anyways in KD will trust till…….
WHAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO IS WHY DID KENNY BUY HENDERSON BEARING IN MIND HE IS A CENTRAL MIDFIELDER AND NOT A RIGHT WINGER, HENDERSON HAS WAS THE FLOP OF THE MATCH AGAINST SWANSEA UNTIL KENNY REALIZED HE IS JUST A PASSENGER IS THE TEAM HE DID SUN HIM DURING HALF TIME, WHY START HENDERSON AT THE EXPENSE OF BELLAMY AND KUYT WHO ARE MORE EXPERIENCED AND IMPACT PLAYERS……..KENNY IS GETTING ITS WRONG ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE FANS EXPECTATIONS TURN TO FRUSTRATION AS ITS THE CASE RIGHT NOW…..THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND MAN UNITED IS THAT WE DON’T HAVE SO MANY GAMES THAT GIVE US A LUXURY OF GIVING THE LIKES OF HENDERSON TIME TO CLICK AND FIND THERE FORM AT THE EXPENSE OF ON FORM PLAYERS WE NEED RESULTS NOW WHEN TOP 4 IS STILL ON OUR GRASP.