Grim is the word. Liverpool-Swansea was grim. Unrelentingly, teeth-grindingly, appallingly grim.
There was, this time, no leeway to claim the opposition were too direct or the officials blinkered. It was a simply, starkly, awful performance.
The shambling figures on the Anfield pitch bore no comparison even to the confused but dogged side who’d been denied victory at Everton on Sunday.
It may be wrong to single out individuals for criticism amid collective failure, but with Joe Cole it just feels so right.
A one-man study in the ravages of ageing (at 30 years old), Cole made a significant contribution. Not to Liverpool’s chances of winning this match, but to their forward planning. Whether it’s a mutual termination, a loan with wages paid or – bear with me here – a transfer for actual money, he must be shifted. Ian Ayre needs to be on the phone to Dubai, West Ham and the animal sanctuary Harry Redknapp once promised to open (in what was certainly not a cynical PR ploy) to make this happen.
Let’s face it, Cole is a bellwether for the extent to which this squad is all over the place. Like a basement riddled with dry rot, even the bits that look alright will crumble at the slightest touch.
At the start of the season the club looked well-stocked defensively. A Martin Kelly injury, Jose Enrique’s ongoing, partwork lobotomy (this week the hypothalamus gets it) and Jamie Carragher’s seemingly terminal decline have put paid to those notions.
On Wednesday Liverpool lined up with a converted fringe midfielder and a 19-year-old as full-backs. Jordan Henderson was tidy in possession without really getting to grips with the role’s positional demands, while Jack Robinson’s performance should ring alarm bells for anyone pinning their hopes on the left-back as a long-term prospect.
Frequently outmuscled by one of the Premier League’s less physical teams, of even more concern was Robinson’s apparent reticence to join attacks. A lack of what Brian Clough termed ‘moral courage’ has been the undoing of many a footballing prospect, and Robinson needs quickly to adapt his approach if he is to avoid slipping out of the picture entirely.
Carragher’s departure from the field was saddening, the erstwhile captain not sticking around for any of the after-match formalities. It cannot be long before he heads down the tunnel a final time.
And this is just the defence. Seb Coates, possibly the toughest man to dribble round in the entire league, offers hope. But the fact remains that an injury to Daniel Agger or Glen Johnson could open up fissures across the whole back line.
Such is the tightrope Liverpool now walk in virtually every position. Suarez must play, yet to lose the Uruguayan to injury or suspension would be disastrous. Even a generally excellent display from Steven Gerrard on Wednesday was tinged with foreboding. At a stage when his workload needs careful management, Gerrard is getting through more games than ever.
I wrote recently that Brendan Rodgers deserved credit for giving young players opportunities. Already, though, we’re at the stage where those chances to shine risk becoming onerous burdens.
Rehoming Cole aside, there is much to be done in January. The need for effective cover at full-back and up front should take priority, yet there may be enough of a job on to replace necessary outgoings to prevent a significant overall increase in depth.
As Rodgers has suggested, it will take more than one transfer window to begin putting things right. The danger is that in the meantime key first-teamers, be they mainstays of the Benitez era or Luis Suarez, will become restless. Persuading these players his long-term vision not only exists but is worth pursuing will be a big part of the manager’s job for months to come.
There has rarely been a time when Liverpool FC’s on-field future has felt so uncertain, so vulnerable to external and internal factors which could alter the club’s course entirely. Wednesday reflected the extent to which Rodgers has taken on a bigger job – in every sense of the word.
Follow Steve on Twitter @steve_graves
You write very well, Steve. Absolutely bang on too. I would personally like to see Stewpot Downing housed in ‘Arry’s sanctuary along with the perpetually-winded Cole.
When I stop to analyse what needs doing to the squad, especially given the possibility of Hendo being shipped-out too, it’s enough to cause a little bit of wee to trickle down my leg….
BIG job on for Brenno.
I agree with much of what you wrote, but I think you are being a bit harsh on Robinson. He has been playing very well and played decently against Udinese and well against West Brom.
He looked like he was getting forward quite a bit yesterday, passing Assaidi quite a few times, but the final third was a disaster. It was so stagnant without Cole doing anything and Yesil looking a bit lost. Robinson did not get forward as much as was probably ideal, but he did get forward. I think the Cole/Yesil situation created issues for Robinson and Assaidi.
If anything, Robinson’s biggest error was his mistake for the second goal. He was one of the two, with Henderson, who stayed back for the free kick, and Michu beat him to the ball and flicked it past him (Henderson also misjudged the ball and put himself out of position). That is why we were so open as both defenders who stayed back on the free-kick were beat to the ball. This was a defensive error which Rodgers can work on.
I think that Robinson has the “moral courage” to get forward. This was clearly not his best match, but to almost write him off was very premature IMO.
Come on Steve,it’s not just Joe Cole.This lad was an England International.I don’t think he got there by being somebody who is content just to swan about.
Maybe he can’t get to grips with the “New Style”.This revelation about passing to each other.
Have you seen “Being Brendan Rodgers?” It’s on the telly every week.It’s great;he tells players which foot to kick the ball with and where to stand and run.And he makes speeches like Winston Churchill every week!
If I was 11 years old I’d hang on to every word.The problem is most of them are not 11 years old and neither am I.You can tell that by the reaction at the end of each speech…hesitant applause and sideways glances.
Anyway….here we go again!!!!!
are you sure your not still 11 years old?
Hi Steve,
What a great put down! Are you still 11 years old? Well Steve NO! I’m not 11 years old.I’ve been watching Liverpool for over 50 years and I played the game to a reasonably high standard.
If Managers came in and spoke to me like that I would not have have responded and neither would my team mates.We had a quiet word in our ears and we reacted accordingly.Have you any idea what it’s like to play at these standards?Do you not know that all players (and people) are individuals? The trick is to motivate individuals and they (we) in turn motivate each other.
But going back to Joe Cole;he’s a very capable player.I would have been delighted to have him in our team.
But here’s the point.Managers have different ideas about the players they want.One Manager buys a player;the next Manager doesn’t fancy him..
Just think about Dalglish first time around.Barnes,Beardsley,Aldridge,McMahon,Houghton etc.Think about how we were puzzled by the signings of McDermott and Ray Kennedy.
Anyway it’s Joe Cole’s misfortune to be signed by a Manager who thought he could be a part of the Team he had in mind and then found himself surplus.Joe Cole is a square peg in a round hole at the moment.He’s probably better advised to move on.
But again I don’t think you understand the game if you seriously believe that players of Joe Cole’s ability and committment are content to swan about and collect their money.It’s not like that in the real world Steve.These players would cripple their own Grandmothers to win a tackle and score a goal!
Anyway,nice piece,but getting a little bit tabloid!
Sorry Brian but I’ve got to disagree with you. Joe Cole WAS a good player but he lost his zip and sharpness 3 seasons ago and without that he is mediocre at best. It’s not about square pegs, Dalglish rarely used him last season. Remember Chelsea were happy to offload him and he was dropped from the England squad long ago. Joe Cole in his prime would have been perfect in the BR system but alas, for whatever reason, he isn’t anywhere near that player anymore.
Thanks Vince.But my point was that I don’t think that Joe Cole is happy just to go through the motions.I just don’t believe that any professional player does that.
I think he tries and I agree that he’s turned out not to be the player he was.
But all things must pass.And I just don’t think that Joe Cole is playing this way deliberately.That’s all.
Great article mate and very well written. We are short all over the pitch but the biggest problem is the lack of goals in the team. We need serious investment in players with experience. If we continue to play so many kids we will inevitably lose out and get out muscled. I read the other day that the owners were going to back BR in the Jan tran window. He has 10m to spend. We might get 1 player for that if we’re lucky but after last time who knows.
Expect more of the same for some time to come
Yeah, a bit harsh on Robinson but I agree with everything else in what is a very well written post.
You might not be far wrong in anything you’re pointing out but this is still an unusually reactionary article, Steve. I tend to not alter my perspective too drastically from game to game as opposed to just being pessimistic about the broader picture and with that said, I’m no more distressed after that game than I was excited after beating West Brom in the previous round.
I’m not willing to write off Robinson or Yesil as prospects at this stage in their development just because they aren’t ready to play against good, Premier league opposition now like Sterling, Suso and Wisdom may have shown. I didn’t need to watch the Swansea game to know the squad is painfully threadbare and that Joe Cole is crap at footy.
Liverpool are consistently inconsistent: we look not too far off where we’d all like to be after performances like against Man City and then a million miles off the pace against Arsenal the week after. It’s of course easier to point out in hindsight, but once the transfer window slammed shut without any further activity it was a predictable signifier that some of the same problems that marred some of last season would recur (erratic finishing, Lucas’ injury leaving the midfield disjointed and the defence unsure, a similar disconnect off the pitch in regards to decision-making by the club’s hierarchy).
I don’t think it was too outlandish given the trend of recent years to expect a fair share of dropped points, losses and even some abject performances at this stage of the season; what will be a cause for concern is if the same problems on and off the pitch remain unimproved as the season progresses, particularly past the January transfer window. Relying on debutant teens at fullback and on the wings to perform consistently over the course of a full season in such an unforgiving league isn’t fair on anyone.
In my opinion, if progression stagnates there will be plenty of time for doom-mongering nearer the end of the season because players the calibre of Lucas, Johnson, Suarez, the center back partnership and even the keeper in the midst of his wobble in form are all Champions League/title challenging level talents in their primes (as you alluded to Steve, all but one are Benitez signings – go figure) and it wouldn’t be beyond comprehension that a couple of those players could get itchy feet and pull a Torres/Mascherano, regardless of recent contract renewals.
The club isn’t on perilous financial footing with warring factions pulling it in different directions like it was under the last lot; we’re running out of reasons to justify mediocrity. It won’t be so easy to scapegoat elite players as treacherous mercenaries while burning effigies in replica shirts in front of Sky cameras just because they no longer want to play for a club whose primary concern for the time being at least, seems to be with managing the expectations of its fanbase and the ambitions of its best players.
Contrary to what I’ve just said however, I do believe long-term FSG want to restore LFC back to being a competitive powerhouse domestically and abroad, likewise I didn’t doubt Joe Cole’s honest intentions when he was saying pre-season that he wanted to be a success at Liverpool. But just because I think there’s a genuine will to attain said goals hidden away somewhere, doesn’t mean I have much faith in their respective abilities to actually achieve them.
I watched the first half replay and I am not quite sure what has everyone so down. Yeah we didn’t play very well but it was the league cup and we put out or second string side (which just doesn’t look like our second string side because it has many of our first string side from last year in it). Yesil did look way too young but that will change, and we have already been over why we don’t have a back up striker.
We can bitch and moan about Brendan Rodgers but the reason we are in this state has very little to do with him and everything to do with the epic swindlers, Purslow and Dalglish’s stubborn buy British policy. Cut the guy some slack and judge how things are going at the back end of the season after we hopefully get some reinforcements in January. I have seen enough (dominating the Mancs with 10 men for example) to be confident there is something to the style he is trying to implement, and if the refs had had an ounce of dignity in the manu and everton games we could be ahead of arsenal and within a win of the top four.
Yes, joe cole should never play for Liverpool again (I don’t mind BR giving him one last shot to prove himself but he blew it big time), and carragher neither (farewell aside) because he simply cannot run anymore (and I don’t mean he can’t run as fast as he used to, he literally can’t run, so it is little wonder why we were punished on the counter).
Get a decent striker or two and a classy left back, be patient while the kids grow into men and we will have a good side. Certainly no need to start hitting the panic buttons after a league cup loss in between important league fixtures and a Europa league tie.
Article and comments excellent.
The performances in terms of style of play and approach to the game so far this season have been wonderful. Unfortunately we don’t have the personnel to get the right results or even play to the expected level. The style requires 11 excellent players on the pitch and at the moment we are way short in our 1st eleven and squad.
Players that were just not good enough from the outset – Joe Cole , Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique, Andy Carroll (proviso that he is not a 20 goal a season striker but a good tactical option).
Players that have a lot to prove – Fabio Borrini, Jordan Henderson, Sahin.
Have excluded the youngsters as they still need time to develop and it would be unfair to judge them at this point in their LFC careers. Also ignoring players on the wane.
Based on this, we need the following players to come in sooner rather than later
1 > Striker – a natural finisher with technical ability to play in the system and able to link off Suarez – Demba Ba, Theo Walcott, Daniel Sturridge, Llorente, Falcao (a dream), Pato (a risk). Would favour Walcott or Sturridge as thet would work well in an interchanging front 3.
2> Full back – Another Glen Johnson would be ideal. A full back that can play on either side – imagine interchaging attacking full backs – completely unheard of and would cause huge problems for defenses. Only problem is finding one. Any suggestions?
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3> Experienced wingers – Relying on the youngsters is unreasonable. Need a player with a mature head and quality that can play on either wing. Th youngsters can rotate games and provide cover. Again Walcott or Sturridge might be the answer to killing two birds with one stone. I personally would favour Walcott as he has pace and a finish. If he can learn to play with Suarez he can get to play down the middle as well as the wings during a game. Too restricted at Arsenal and needs more freedom to express himself on the pitch which I think he could get at LFC. My timing of this comment is bad due to all the media speculation but i have been a Walcott fan for a long time.
The transfers may be expensive but if done smartly should offer an immediate return. This January is an important transfer window for LFC especially for Brendan Rodger’s reign. I believe in Rodgers has he has the qualities to become a great manager at LFC. I hope he gets the backing to succeed
Once again a great artical , thanks Steve. It hasn’t been early being a Liverpool fan for awhile now but at this present moment in time what can you expect. Utd have Van Perse, Rooney, Wellbeck and Hernandez. City have Tevez, Baletelli, Aguero and Djeko (can’t spell). We have Suarez, yes he scored a sublime goal against Newcastle, but he is only one man. Yes I’m worried but hopefully we will finish better than we started, which to me is an improvement, even only of sorts
Theres been a lot of changes to the squad over the last few years by various managers…the facts are that Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Joe Cole, Jordan Henderson and Fabio Borini haven’t had one good game between them(good game as in GOOD GAME)
Bad return for considerable investment..
Luckily one has left, some will defo leave v soon..
Henderson and Borini will be given longer I’m sure