BRENDAN Rodgers has talked extensively on his desire to bring back the passing, possessive and attacking football that Liverpool Football Club used to be well noted for and while we all revel in the imminent return of attractive football to Anfield we must truthfully ask ourselves, “Is this really enough?” and “What matters most?”
I personally think King Kenny did a good job in this regard and has laid quite a sturdy foundation.
When he was in charge we were rarely outmatched and for some spells during matches, we really played with the class of the formidable opponents we ought to be.
Stylish football will forever be a craving of any Liverpool fan but I think I wouldn’t be wrong to say that the elusive end-product has no doubt been our downfall for the past few seasons, not the elegance of our play. We always seem to lack the creativity to pry open opposition defences despite controlling the game and even when we have managed to do this, profligacy has been another of our troubles. Suarez has by far been the most dangerous of our frontline and has been a gulf apart from his colleagues but even he is guilty of some quite inexplicably poor finishing at times.
We have also been late turning up for some games and it often takes conceding a goal to spark the team into life. It took two goals, a change of formation and a relentless Andy Carroll to wake us up in the FA Cup final which was unforgivable no matter our last-ditch efforts. This squad has already proven that attractive football is not beyond them, Rodgers and his team’s task is to make sure that they make the most of it on the pitch, start every game with the right mentality and keep up this mentality and style throughout every game.
The hardest part in my opinion will be blending all these together and creating a team that provides both eye candy for the fans and good results for the board. It’s nice to watch your team play very well but it’s much better when they go ahead and win the game.
It’s all good and well playing football worthy of Europe but without the consistency and results to back it up, it counts for absolutely nothing. This is Rodgers’ real challenge – finding the missing piece to the puzzle that is our current squad. Stylish football will always be lauded but King Kenny would still be here if substance wasn’t as crucial – if not more.
There is no shortage of talent in our ranks and yet we seem to fail where others like Arsenal, Manchester United and other top four contenders excel more often than not: making good use of our dominance in matches and eking out results amidst a generally poor performance. Addressing this issue as early as possible (pre-season would be ideal but probably unlikely) is imperative if we’re looking to start next season’s campaign off on the right foot and wish to materialize a return to top-tier European football.
So is it all about results, or should the style in which you win also count? I feel style is good, substance is better – but both is best!
What matters most to you?
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