THE game against West Ham on Sunday took a familiar path to many matches at Anfield in recent years, with the Reds dominating possession for large swathes of the game but ultimately coming up short in the end.
It would be difficult to be too harsh on the team this time, as we genuinely did look like the only team looking to win, with West Ham content to occasionally break forward via the bullish persistence of Mohamed Diame.
After the additions of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho in January added a new dimension and cutting edge to Liverpool’s attack, it was hugely disappointing to slip back into the ‘plenty of shots but nothing to show for it’ routine of last season and the first few months of this season. Which is why I was even more frustrated by our inability to either break with any haste, or take advantage of numerous set-pieces. Both have become real issues for me in the past 18 months.
Our inability to regularly take advantage from set-pieces is something which as irked me greatly over the past few seasons. It’s almost as if it’s an area that gets little attention in training and when we win a corner or a free-kick in a dangerous position, there is such a lack of anticipation that we often just play it short and continue play.
In his article ‘Set-Pieces Setbacks’ Paul Tomkins identifies Liverpool’s preference for the short corner as a good thing. It is something that teams which dominate games tend to favour as it allows them to keep the pressure on in the opposition half.
And while it is totally understandable that Rodgers would favour this, it’s worrying all the same. A brief period from the end of January to a few weeks ago, when Liverpool had a bit of a goal-spurt, Liverpool tend to dominate games without taking a great deal of advantage of the possession and chances, so what is the point in keeping the pressure on when it inevitably leads to more missed opportunities and squandered possession?
Even when we do take a ‘proper’ corner or free-kick, Gerrard tends to be the taker which is something which will always baffle me. For one, the man is many things and his attributes are almost numerous but Gerrard has never been very good at whipping in corners. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of stick for this but he just isn’t.
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But that isn’t the worst of it – why is a man who is one of our tallest, most physically imposing – not to mention a great header of the ball – taking our corners? It’s as confusing as Didier Drogba taking Chelsea’s for much of his tenure there.
Liverpool need to get back to how things were under Houllier and much of Benitez’s time, when we were actually dangerous from dead-balls. Admittedly, we’re not blessed with a player like Hyypia or Torres who gives us an edge in the box in those situations but we have many physically imposing players such as Agger, Skrtel, Gerrard and Henderson and really do need to make them count more.
My second issue which resurfaced against West Ham at the weekend is our total lack of speed or pace when breaking on the counter. The result of this was generally that the opposition players had more than enough time to get back behind the ball.
On West Ham’s rare forays forward the two centre backs and Lucas, more often than not, managed to break up the attack fairly quickly, but the speed of the counter-attack was almost always pedestrian.
Liverpool are not naturally a defensive side, so counter-attacking isn’t really a large part of their style. We tend to dominate most sides so the need to break from defence is not one which we come across very often but when the opportunity is presented, you need to make it count. With full-backs like Enrique and Johnson, and quick, tricky forward players such as Suarez, Coutinho and Sturridge, we really should be more dangerous when these situations occur.
The concern with this issue for me is that we’ve become a lot like Arsenal have been for years – no plan B. The plan A is nice and works a lot of the time but when it doesn’t we just keep on hitting our heads against a brick wall. Or, in West Ham’s case on Sunday afternoon, a wall made out of 10 outfield players.
Our style of play though will dictate how we break forward, and given that our build-up play tends to be slow and considered, it makes sense that our counter-attacks would be too but it’s an area that needs to be worked on if Liverpool are to take full advantage of any opportunity to punish the opposition; we can’t let them off the hook so easily when they make mistakes because, as we saw in Lucas’s last-gasp clearance in the dying moments of the game, they will only come back and punish yours.
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We have seen this all before. What’s the solution? Has BR got the answer or is it business as usual ?
I am amazed that BR refuses to play anything else but 4-3-3. He needs to see that its not always works. Also, I am getting tired of Glen Johnson – he has been down right awful on the offensive and he doesn’t do anything on defense. At least Enrique wins balls and fights –
We need a new right back…
When is everyone going to wake up to the reality that …Rodgers is a useless manager
realised that a long while ago
I’ve realized that a long time ago. Never mind plan b….it doesn’t exist because BR is a genius who is going to bring back the pass and move game. He wants to work on plan A. Makes my blood boil.
Can someone tell me. Do we have doctors at Anfield? If so, why did S Downing play whilst sick? He must be fundamental to the implementation of plan A.
To be honest, Rogers has meet my expectations. He kept Liverpool in the PL. I am grateful that we won 13 games out of 33 and are not going down. Seriously, i am.
It is now for the owners to show their ruthlessness and dismiss this clown before more damage is done.
Drawing board? Let Ancelloti or bring back the man who is sat Third in the league as we speak, with 2 semi finals and will still be unemployed at the end of the season.
Our owners are not experienced in our game. Lets get a manager who is.
YNWA
More ridiculous mis-management from Rodgers
“Stewart felt ill on the morning ” and guess what ? The clown still picked him
we needed a goal – and he sends on assaidi , who has never contributed anything , and is too lightweight
rodgers is totally inept tactically
and yet again – more bullsh/t from him after match
we must get a decent manager – or its more mediocrity next season
to those dreamers who see imaginary progress under rodgers … wake up .
BR is out of his depth . FSG made a huge error giving this guy a big job like liverpool boss.
BR needs to go back to the championship and learn his trade there
I know that everybody else is thoroughly sick to death of listening to Brenda bang on how “brilliant” his team are, whilst anybody who has caught even a glimpse of them playing would tell you different!
But what I didn’t know was that so many Liverpool supporters were just as fed up of Roy rodger’s sexy pass-pass-pass-snooze-pass plan A! With no end product and certainly no plan B,C or D! Well, well, well! Small world! Taxi for trigger!
We should conduct a survey on the this website to determine if BR should be sacked or remain for another season, i promise you that the majority including myself will confirm my suggestion that BR should be sacked if we do not make Europe, BR is not a motivator and has no plan B , he is average and also another survey that FSG must sell the club to a billionaire as they do not have the money to take us to the top again.
If we don’t even make Europa league with our squad he has to go. And I think he will. FSG sacked Kenny for much less.
I soooooo hope you are right . I want this nightmare over
I think Rodgers is useless. How he got a job this size I’ll never know
He needs to be sacked. This is an horrible embarrassing season
If you wish you can watch LFC’s game against West Ham and extensive highlights on http://www.footballwatch.net/team/37
Bring back, El Sid, the Rafa Benitez the Don Daddy, and sack that trick ass bitch!
We haqd better get used to watching games that mean nothing and the team cant get up for it under BR!