SO that explains it then, the team were tired after 3 games in six days. Jamie Carragher falling to sleep once again in a dereliction of defensive duties caught yawning when he should have perhaps been straining every sinew to dispel away the simplest of headed clearance.
Lately there are no excuses for the lack lustre displays of some of this allegedly tired team. Is the throw away comment from King Kenny just a smoke screen of an indicative mood that is becoming apparent within an ever dropped point at Anfield, and also on recent journeys away from the once invincible stadium?
Dalglish is possibly correct in his analysis, players did look very lacklustre, but more in approach to their opponents, nobody joining the attack, not one player prepared to break necks to join the forward ranks.
As a team of point gatherers we have actually capitulated, when getting in a position to collect points we have struggled to finish teams off, unable to complete the task at hand, whether through a weakness in mentality, or more possible a lack of true winners in our squad, fighters who would die for the cause. Think who amongst our squad would you choose to represent us in a brawl, a scrap; Downing, Henderson, Enrique, and even Maxi, these are not battling players, when things are not quite going for you, when you need fighters in the trenches, ours are lacking.
Those same players that Dalglish has defended with the tired excuse need to look at themselves, because for some it is just that an excuse, Luis Suarez having had a 6 week holiday mid-season, Andy Carroll being called upon every second Saturday, Dirk Kuyt having also found himself rested in the last month not to mention Messer’s Downing, Henderson and Carra whom have also had an opportunity to rest their sorry behinds on the bench recently.
Some should look toward their own performances, and instead of Kenny having to come out every week apologising for what are shabby individual displays, which ultimately are weakening the team as a whole, interestingly those players whom seem quick to come out and receive Man Of The Match champagne are not so quick to meet Geoff Shreeves after dreadful displays at Bolton, Sunderland and Wigan. That unfortunately is where we are lacking, not enough of those prepared to stand up and be counted, and too many I like to call Harry Kewell’s.
I think clearly these players have great ability, some greater than others, and at times this season we have as a unit looked particularly impressive, whilst we suffered defeats at home to Arsenal and in our visit to Queens Park Rangers as a team we actually looked quite strong, take away a few momentary lapses, we controlled both games, but clearly let down by poor finishing in the case of the Arsenal match, and poor defensive mistakes at Rangers.
We also played extremely well against Chelsea, United and Man City this season, in a sense Dalglish has proved we are capable of challenging and beating the top sides in the Premier League, this however cannot be the case when we are lacking certain individuals, and when the balance of the side has had to change through injuries.
The biggest change and most crucial to our backbone has been the injury to Daniel Agger whose partnership with Martin Skrtel which was an essential ingredient to our early season form. Follow that with Lucas also suffering injury and a pinpoint toward our inadequacies shows its ugly head. The replacements in those positions have not performed anywhere near the levels reached by the previous incumbents.
A lot has been made of our lack of fire power, or more to the point our lack of a clinical predator to pop the ball in the onion bag, for me this argument has just let our lack of creativity in midfield go un-noticed, if we believe that Jay Spearing is the answer to this lack of creativity, then I personally worry for our progress. Someone maybe Dalglish himself or Steve Clarke needs to tell Jay he is not Michel Platini!! He may well have a future of some description with Liverpool, but definitely not in this current position, too easily removed from possession of the football, constantly putting us under pressure when sloppy touch or passing lets him down. I understand this is his first full season and that experience will do him good, possibly the poor form of those around him have forced Kenny’s hand this season.
Clearly what has been shown from this campaign is the fact that our squad is not good enough and does not have the depth required to manage itself through injuries, and extra pressure put upon individuals, the players may well be tired, but some fans are also tired because supporting our men, and our King has become an exhausting experience this season.
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They were knackered last July as I said they would be if going ahead with wasting money on Adam and Downing ( I thought Henderson just might come good but no!). They then released Aquilani and that was MORE than the writing on the wall. At present the two deliriously happy LFC players are the aforementioned Aquilani and Joe Cole. They must keep themselves awake at night chortling into their pillows. The future is bleak as KD is unwilling to admit to his outrageously hideous mistakes. He wants backing from the crowd yet is not willing to trade the truth for it.
Agreed Brother! I cringed when we spent big money for Henderson, knowing that Rafa spent less than 2 million quid for a player ten times better than him: Jonjo Shelvey!!…Actually, LFC’s top players still holding the team together are all Rafa’s buys! Pepe, Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Gerro/Carra (emerged to their greatness under Rafa)…just look at the young players he brought in as well! Sterling, jonjo, Ngoo, Eccs, Pacheco and the coaches Borello and Pep!! I’m tired making this statement, but I knew that Daglish would come to this! His offseason moves just made me shake my head! and see! they are so true! I’ve lived in ‘Pool my whole life and I’m a REDS fan first, not a Daglish fan first! I so wish he would resign and leave, because he’s one of those individuals who would be so hard to fire! and if they’re going to keep him, why is Kean a coach!!, why not have brought in Hansen or Thommo!!??? hmmmmm…Makes no sense!!! I’d be happy with Robbie as an assistance coach as he’d force these goal shy forwards into something better!
Yes…there are no more excuses,this current Liverpool team is a disgrace to all the great teams and managers who went before them.This current team needs a complete overhaul this summer(Fenway Sports,are you willing?)The defence is ok,but midfield and upfront…apart form Luis Suarez…the whole lot can go imo,and that includes giving up on Gerrard to `keep carrying us through`!!We need a new manager,if we get some decent funds,step forward Jose Mourinhio,he`ll get us the champions team we need.Never mind the British quota re.European competion quota rules…hell we`re miles away from European Champs League anyway at the mo.John W Henry has to make a stand with his investment in LFC,if he does..big money for investing in the team and new stadium…if not…horses for courses next season,top 4 EPL club status will be a long fading memory of the past!!!!!
For me kenny has dug his own pit by
-supporting mediocre players
-poor tactics
-overrated players
-fans queries have gone unnoticed
-living the best players out
-playing Henderson on the right
-overpriced players
-poor substitutes
-stubborn unwilling to take advice
-sterling Adam Morgan and suso?
-we can see we need a striker in January and what happened
-now he is saying if ere is no player coming in Jan and if there is any he ha to be good enough.
To me this man is somehow not willing to accept mistakes. The Craig bellamy burst up now doing rounds?
I believe he lost the dressing room. Comoli ain’t helping too. What is Steve Clarke job there.
Stop insulting us fans by supporting the man we are LFC not KDfc read the article on skysports blog. If gets in charge of another transfer season i am sorry lads we will be doomed
With KD in charge of LFC next season, & his knowledge of the transfer market, i’ll bet a huge sum we wont make top 4.
I never agreed with Kenny coming back in the first place but I did think the summer signings were alright at the time.
People can tell me to shag off and support another club all they want but the truth is my passion is for the club I’ve supported for years is for some reason waning. I don’tknow why but every year seems to be the same old incompetant run of the mill. The constant dissappointment takes it out of you I suppose. If I saw effort, I don’t think I would be so bad. Tiring times indeed!
You will be surprised to know you are not the only one…, it is sad, the whole state of affairs.
But have to have hope, and keep faith on the name.
We need squad depth it’s a reality. Kd has earned another crack. We were great for 2/3 of season progressing well in two cups and yes bad luck in the league. The arsenal defeat killed our belief. We kept believing after hitting the post missed pens etc until the arse game. We need these four players to hit top four. They should be willing to come since we are a Europa team. Junior Hoilett. Clint
Dempsey . Matias Suarez . Ben Arfa. We would have strength and mor guile and attacking threat. Our bench will be stronger. Then when were top four next year we go for the best young players in Europe and stregthen our defence. Next year it’s goals we need and fourth will be ours..
You have to stay strong guys,quick fixes are not coming, see this season out, hope we win F.A.Cup, but most of all we must continue to show support, it is not easy but it is a must.
Next year we will be stronger for sure, oh and the SkySports brigade are not worth listening to.
The sacking of Roy Hodgson was the worst thing we ever did, in the sense that people now believe that we can just sack managers when things go wrong.
#YNWA
Exactly Chris they are not going to get quick fixes and i think they will sign 1 top class player in the off season and a few cheaper speculative options.
Next season i firmly believe those new players who have failed surely can only improve.
Messrs not messer’s; otherwise decent read.
Where is the Editor when you need him, to be fair though Messers is about right(Those who mess) haha.
Would you like a job Mendy? I think there is one going now!!!!
Unfortunately the parting gift that Hicks and Gillet allowed Purslow to give us in my view was always going to be the most damaging. LFC is a profitable business, and was never really going to go bust. There was always going to be someone who took us over. The club would always survive, but the sacking of Rafa has been the most damaging. I would have kept him even at the expense of Gerrard and Carragher as I’ve mentioned many times before on these pages. I would have re-employed Rafa ahead of Dalglish as well. I won’t say anything bad about Kenny, but the church bells started to ring in my head after seeing the players he signed. Every player Rafa signed is massively outperforming Kenny’s. Kenny knows he’s got it wrong that’s why every time you see him he looks about ready to cry because it hurts. Sadly I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew.