I’M going to get into the game. But three things I want to bang on about first.
1. Play The Semi Finals At Wembley……if you must. It’s a dreadful affair Wembley. The London night, fractured — the feeling everyone is having more fun. The boozers closing at about 8pm. Dreadful. But if you want the income for the two games, sound. Do it that way.
Let’s have the final at Cardiff then. Cardiff where, in the words of Ste Armstrong, they’ve lashed the stadium at the top of Bold Street. Cardiff where the city is alive and actually something, actually pleased to see you, not a parasitic mess that treats you as a distraction and inconvenience. Let’s let them have double bubble for the semi. They love the money and that. Have the final where sport matters.
2. The Magic Of The Cup
The Magic Of The Cup has seemingly become The Rewriting Of The Rules. One side is given carte blanche to wallop the other. It started for Liverpool three minutes into their third round tie against AFC Wimbledon when Manquillo had to withstand a leg-breaking tackle. Nothing.
The rules are the rules. I’m all for a more physical game, but if that’s what we want then let’s change the rules. Let’s not have FA Cup rules and League rules. It’s the sneaking in of context. The context is the competition; that one side is The Underdog and as such should be given every chance. As soon as the side which is The Overdog responds, free kicks etc are given against.
This isn’t dealing with today’s game beyond the notion that The Underdog gets a pass to get about The Overdog. That is said in the dressing room. You know it. I know it. Television and the referee should know it: Let them know what we are about. In other words behave recklessly. Which leads to Martin Skrtel on the deck for eight minutes.
That’s magic.
3. The Pitch Is A Disgrace
The manager cited this earlier this season at a time when things were a bit more wobbly. It got short shrift in most quarters and I understand why. I never want to have the sense of football managers, gilded football managers, having hiding places.
And yet. And yet.
It’s dreadful. For the level of side we are, for all our gilded resources, how it has got this bad is remarkable. Growing up, I remember my dad waxing lyrical about the Anfield surface in comparison to Old Trafford or Highbury. We’d play on a carpet. It’s rare a flaw is as visible at a leading football club. There is no hiding place on it. The club, internally, should be working out how this has happened and should be doing something about it. The phrase “never again” should be bandied about.
Liverpool were too static, too slow. They didn’t get about their business and it should be a wake up call. This is my concern, dude. Liverpool still look short of goals, of fizz, of goals. The Burnley performance was impressive but too often games in this league are decided by muscle, by power, by having simply too much and Liverpool today didn’t have too much for Blackburn and they should.
It’s no disaster. Liverpool are still in the cup and one day soon we will all get to troupe along to Ewood Park. What a night that will be. Liverpool will play and play and Blackburn will break.
However, we can learn from this. Liverpool need to earn the right to play whatever the rules are. Emre Can looked lost in centre midfield, his performance became a paean for Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen. He isn’t sharp enough, he isn’t appreciative of the angles in and out of possession. The idea is that the only way he’ll learn is by playing and that’s fair. But I’m impatient and want to win. Emre Can in centre midfield is currently inhibitive to that.
4 – Just four of Liverpool’s 21 efforts in the match against Blackburn were on target. Wayward.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 8, 2015
Indeed, this wasn’t just a game crying out for Allen or Lucas, it was crying out for Gerrard. Gerrard to clatter someone. Gerrard to get in the referee’s ear. Gerrard to do something unlikely and make his class tell. Footballing arrogance; big characters.
It was noticeable in that context that from the moment Balotelli arrives on the pitch he’s the best player on it. He’s demanding of the ball, his movement good, his touch certain. The ball over his shoulder to Sturridge deserves a finish. It gets a finish, it then deserves our purplest prose evoking the marvellous, much missed Alan Edge.
Johnson did well without eradicating the mistakes that too often just piss you off. That is the problem. Everybody makes mistakes but it feels like his just keep on giving. Regardless it’s a solid performance at the back and some excellent final third passing which makes Emre seem that bit less essential. Johnson shows this year and next what cover in that position will need to look like.
Sterling seems isolated. The idea he and and Coutinho can combine on the left flank better on paper than reality. Henderson wasn’t himself and Liverpool never looked entirely likely.
But it is one more game. One more chance to watch these lads and have them play together. In a sense, good.
A season that had looked too full suddenly became too empty. We’ll get to go to a mill town, sing songs with our friends and see Liverpool hopefully win. With a sudden sense of summer, I’m finding few downsides to that. Frustrated but gratified. I want to know the date now. I’m excited already, despite the magic, despite Wembley.
Nothing should be easy but all of this should always be the most fun you can imagine.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda
Sakho and Moreno could have provided more forward thrust, and Sterling out on the wing nowadays is like playing Messi at right-back.
Just saying.
Yeah, although I get giving people games now that we’ve got more of a squad to play with, Sterling playing different positions every game because a) he’s so good and b) to accommodate others coming into the side stinks a bit of when Gerrard in his prime would play left mid or whatever for England so Beckham and Lampard could play. We did lack a bit of balance without a lefty in Moreno on the left.
The difference in the back three as a footballing platform from when Can and Sakho are both there is stark. I’m glad we didn’t go too gung ho to avoid a replay leaving Lovren, Johnson and Kolo exposed. A mid week away in the north west won’t be so bad now we’re out of Europe; it’s certainly more preferable than it was against Bolton when the schedule looked busier.
Agree about Can today. What happened to Joe Allen, not even on the bench. We let them push us to their left where they doubled up on Llana and invited him to go down the line. Marko seems to have regressed back to his early season form. Most of all I felt we missed Mo’s energy down the left. That’s no slight on Raheem who actually looked like our best defender.
Replay will be a different game but it might be the middle game of 3 in 6 days.
What’s the score on the pitch then? Is it really an 18 month wait till the start of the 16/17 season before it’s relayed? Bit mad if so. Especially with how we play. Shame really because we’ve always had a bowling green for as long as I can remember.
Some of the yellow card tackles they were getting away with was doing my head in as well, Neil. Love the Millennium Stadium shout too.
Good review.
Can’s too ponderous at the moment. I’m confident he’ll grow into a great midfielder, he has too much thrust and presence not to, but at the moment, the central area’s a bit too fast and furious for him. Joe Allen was missed tonight, but as you say, Lucas or Gerrard could have done a job. Kolo continues to offer reliable cover, GlenJo……well Gibbo nailed it. He can play well for 89 minutes but you can guarantee he’ll let the ball run under his feet at least once a game, and when that happens, he doesn’t look like a professional footballer: he looks like a dozy twat. Lovren’s done his stint now, time for Sakho, please. Mario looked good from the bench.
We weren’t at our best today, largely, I’d argue, because the Can switch didn’t work. It was a double-whammy: we lost his composure in defence and missed Joe Allen’s angles and tenacity in the middle. But, and it’s important to recognise this, the ref had a shocker. The tackled on Can was appalling (and Henley wasn’t even booked) and we should have had a couple of pens. If they go on, game over.
Couple of Mancs gloating over at Guardian Towers. Can’t wait for the league game!
What about the tackle on Mario? How is that not a red card?
As for Conway, if think he would have needed to decapitate someone before he got booked. I stopped counting after 6.
Thought multiple times today when Can had the ball “just give it to Coutinho”. I’m okay with him thinking he’s the best player in the pitch, as long it doesn’t impede on other player’s performances. Is there no chance of getting two strikers up top for a full 90?
4 games in ten days eventually took its toll. In contrast 4 games currently scheduled between here and 13 April! Albeit with poxy international break.
I feel a bit angry to be honest and I’m not really sure why. I think it started when I saw the teams. Firstly, I was annoyed Allen was injured again. Seems very injury prone. Most of all though I got a feeling Rodgers was trying to make the Lovren signing work or that he has an issue with Sakho. Obviously I’ve no idea of Sakho’s condition but that was my gut feeling. So, as the game went on it nagged at me more and more. Then there was the thing brilliantly summed up in the article about the physicality. I winced at times.
Probably the worst thing was the fact that a couple of years ago we moved into a nice area because the kids were in high school and we wanted to get off the estate. They’ve never really accepted us because of my daughters music, my mad dog and the odd van of gypsy’s coming to visit but I saw one when I was out recently and it transpired he’s been wanting to take his son to Anfield so I got them tickets for today and quite frankly, I feel embarrassed. Absolute shite! Then I read this article and I got angry about the Wembley semi thing. Cardiff was a good shout. 2001 was a brilliant day but I do like a London game. Just don’t like the FA or paying for something that benefits London. Wembley’s a wank stadium too. Soulless and poorly designed for a good atmosphere. Markovic needs to do more. He seems to freeze when he takes a player on. I’ve had it myself, you face up to a player and pause before you take him with the idea he’ll get frustrated and commit himself at which point you skin him. But what actually happens is you pause then forget what is was you were planning and when the defender commits he simply takes the ball off you. Disappointing. I read John’s match report but I also thought / think the same thing about Lallana. I think we need a klaxon in the crowd and when he’s skinned his man we let him know so he doesn’t try to go back and do it again. One final thing that annoyed me a bit was thoughts of this performance related pay with incentives for hitting targets. Got an instinctive feeling Coutinho needed to score today to hit his target. I know he’s scored some great goals recently and there is that thing about you can’t have it both ways, similar to should a striker be greedy, but it has to be within reason. Anyway, win in Blackburn and it’s all irrelevant.
Agree with you on Markovic.
Some nice touches to find teammates but for 20 mill you at least expect him roast the fullback and get to the bye line for some crosses. Seems he is still struggling with the physical side.
Against a better side, Lovren would have been seriously in trouble today. Get Sakho in asap!
I’m hoping he’s just easing Sakho back. It’s one of those big moments for Brendan. I’d like to think that, like the team, he’s moved on.
Your comments about Markovic are what I’ve actually always said about JOHNSON. When he acts instictively he can be a lovely footballer but when he has to choose from options he invariably loses the ball. He also slows the pace down.
And although I don’t usually like dissing players, I think its time we stopped hoping that Lovren will come good. There seems to be a genuine desire on the part of fans for him to succeed (as opposed to Balo, who seems to have alienated quite a few) but a poor Lovren can be immensely damaging whereas a poor Balo is just annoying. Lovren has brought nothing whatsoever to the team.
And…Hendo needs Allen and/or Lucas (Lucas for mine.) end of!!
It’s hard not to want Liverpool players to succeed. We all win if they do but I think when a player makes waves about how much they want to play for Liverpool then it tugs at our heart strings a bit. I’d love him to succeed but I remain unconvinced. I think he’s good enough to be our back up central defender. In fairness, Blackburn did well. They were organised and hard to break down. Just a frustrating day.
I’m sure that’s the case Paul. It’s wrong to assume based on nothing. I think it was a reaction to the shop over the road running out of croissants at 11.30 this morning then coming back and finding we had no coffee. I was still in a bad mood over it when the team news came out.
Yeah Pierre (seems ridiculous addressing someone as Pier Head) he has to show more. Despite his last few appearances though I still feel he may be a good player. Only instinct but I think he might fit the profile of a Liverpool player and may do well for us in time. Wank at the minute though.
”Yeah Pierre (seems ridiculous addressing someone as Pier Head) he has to show more”.
Says the fella going under the name ‘Robin Crimes” ! ;)
And I am definitely intrigued about the vans of gypsies turning up at your place, Robin.
Where ya living these days?
Sorry mate. I hope that hasn’t offended you. I’m assuming Pier Head isn’t your real name. Bizarrely, that is my real name and even more odd there’s actually 2 in the world. The others from London. I’ve never got to the bottom of why my parents thought Robin would be a good name bearing in mind my surname. I think they’re just naive tbh.
Haha, I live in a house in Chester. What it is, my brother in law is almost one of them in that he goes out grafting with them, so I know them and they come round trying to sell me cars and stuff. About a month ago I nearly bought one off them. I’d almost agreed the deal but alarm bells starting ringing. One of them kept saying, roite, i gotta go now my missus is gonna kill me. Do you want it or not. I said no, because when has a gypsy ever feared his missus? Something was afoot.
Really? Sorry mate, I always assumed it was a moniker. Please tell me you considered a career in hip hop…..
Bad day at the office.
Noone in red played above average today. Fatigue and absences showed.
Don’t really understand the praise for Balotelli. Apart from one – albeit sublime – ball to Sturridge, the lad offered next to nothing. His usual headless chicken blast into row z from 30 yards instead of patiently weighing up better options sums him up. He is patently unsuited to Rodgers’ L’pool – both on and off the pitch it appears – and I will be very surprised to see him still with us next season. Shame cos the skill is there, application and movement are not.
Gerrard!!!!! Gerrard my arse
You’ve named your arse?
The comments on Lovren are ridiculous (and bordering on spiteful). I don’t think I’ve ever seen a clearer case of people determined to have their initial conclusions validated regardless of the evidence. He was no better and no worse than any other of the back three today, all of whom had relatively quiet days after the first half hour. And as much as I like Sakho, I can think of at least two absolute give-aways he made in his last couple of pre-injury games, both of which could/should have led to goals. The comments afterwards were a long the lines of : “good old Sakho, he made a bit of a boo-boo but didn’t let that affect his game”. I remember at the time thinking that if Lovren had made either of those passes he’d have been eviscerated. As it is, as patchy as Lovren’s passing can be at times (i.e. not as patchy as some here protest), he hasn’t done anything remotely as dangerous as both the Sakho give-aways.
Just for the avoidance of doubt, this does not mean Lovren > Sakho. It means people are lacking objectivity.
And the irony isn’t lost on me that some of the commenters most vocal in their criticism of Lovren have been amongst Allen’s strongest defenders (rightly so) when he was being unfairly vilified.
Where’s the criticism of Lovren you speak of? Which stuff is bordering on spiteful. Help us out mate.
Lovren was given a 2 in the player ratings. A 2! You get more than that for managing to not put your shirt on back-to-front. His disposal was poor in the first half, but he reset at half time and was much better in the second 45. By contrast Markovich and Johnson got, I think, a 5 or a 5 and a half.
It was just a gratuitous piss-take designed to reinforce a ‘mind made up, he is gash’ mentality.
Then again, if everybody has honed in on Lovren as the man to hate, it takes the pressure off Joe Allen
Said at home to Chelsea in November Emre is a liability in center mid as he can be got at by opponents who play in and around him. Repeated it after the loss in Istanbul and will do so again today. For all his strengths, of which there are many, he has no sharpness & zero acceleration.
He must not play there. Yes he’s been exposed once or twice at right centre back (city’s goal at Anfield) but you can teach him to read things better & be better positionally, whereas you cannot learn to accelerate & be nippy when defending in tight central areas in midfield – those are by and large innate physical/genetic gifts. If he accepts it (something tells me he wouldnt as he sees himself as a centre mid) he could become an immense ball playing centre back/libero.
Sterling must not play wing back. We will be stunting his development by playing him all over the shop too much longer. He’s at an age now we’re he needs to play in one position (two at most) to learn it properly so we give him every chance of becoming world class. Thats a ways away at the minute. He’s been no better than ok recently. For someone with his talent thats not good enough. As manager you’re paid to get the most out of each player. Brendan is failing with Sterling presently.
No mention of Lovren in Neil’s piece. Perhaps because its only possible to say so many negative things about one player? All he does is dive in & give the ball away. Thats it. Every game. Dive in, win the ball, slide it away for a throw. Dive in, give a free kick away. Get the ball, give it away. £20m. Its still mind boggling.
If Rodgers persists with him and keeps Sakho on the bench, as he did for so long earlier in the season I might add, that decision alone would be a sackable offense. Especially now given the crystal clear proof who is by miles the superior player (as if there was even a doubt about it in October anyway)
Unsurprisingly we were tired today. No rotation does that funny enough. And unsurprisingly relying on worldies from 25 yards to break the deadlock isnt going to cut it going forward. Balance has been an issue all season. When we’re scoring we’re conceding. When we’re not conceding we’re not scoring. As Neil pointed out on the pod, we’re not going to be thumping anyone anytime soon & as Mike said, the battle to improve our goal difference was lost long ago.
We were poor. They came for a 0-0 and got it. That sums today up.
I think there is going to be quite a few of these performances between now and May. Thats why the bookies have us as outsiders to finish behind an awful Utd team, not because “their fans are lumping on” as was mentioned laughably in the previous pod. Bookmakers are rarely wrong. As appalling as Utd have been, they play 6 out of their last 10 at home. And its at Old Trafford where their record is very good.
I still don’t think we’ll get there but as ever hope Im wrong.
PS: Could not give a flying fuck about the FA Cup (its all about Top 4, dummy) but we could do without another extra game. All the replays and extra times etc accumulated over the season will take their toll in the end.
Welcome back mate.
I shouldn’t worry Chris. We’re a good team, with a good, if flawed (who isn’t?) manager who improves players. Emre wil be great for us, one way or another.
Agree about Sterling: I love that we’re moving towards total football, but players need time to establish themselves in a role before playing elsewhere. Having said that, he’s young and he’s played there before. We haven’t seen the best of him this season but that could be for any number of reasons; style of play, youthful inconsistency, number of games, Suarez leaving. I’m confident he’ll come good again, but he shouldn’t become a utility player: I’ve always believed that Gerrard could have been an even better player had he been forced to master one position earlier in his career.
This was just a game too far at the moment. You can’t blame Blackburn for playing the way they did; it wasn’t really a game of equals in that sense.So they did what they had to do and did it well.And we were just a bit leggy after recent games.
One thing does annoy me though and that’s the increasing tendency for everybody to fall down as though they’ve been shot after every tackle;even if the tackle misses man and ball.And I’m not just talking about Blacburn here.
If I was in charge of referees I would tell them to judge a foul if the player looked as though he was falling onto a concrete road when he went down and not as though he was falling onto a mattress.
Has anybody ever tripped when you were crossing a road or walking along a pavement?Did you fall head first with arms outstretched in front of you or did you stumble ungainly like a 2 day old foal and stay upright till you had regained your balance?
It reminds me of a Mate of mine who was working on some new flooring in office reception area.The apprentices put some cones out to divert people from the newly laid floor.A Health&Safety officer came along and said the cones were too close to the wall.When the apprentice asked why,the Health&Safety Officer said that if there was a fire drill people wouldn’t be able to get past them.
The apprentice said “I bet if there was a real bloody fire they would get past them though wouldn’t they?”
And it’s the same with being tripped for a foul “I bet if they were really tripped they wouldn’t fall like that though would they?
.
I feel that a match review of the tie vs Blackburn that fails to mention how frustrating Lallana was (and I have no idea what some of you saw who claim he was SO much better at RWB, compared to his performance as right inside forward/am or vs Markovic at RWB) is incomplete.
I also do not get the criticism of Markovic. Especially when his price tag is mentioned. Remember how much was paid for Lallana and ponder the fact that Markovic had never really been a winger or even wide midfielder, let alone a WB.
If you can’t appreciate how GOOD, how classy, poised, technically and tactically astute Markovic is, maybe the problem is with ‘you’ rather than with him.
So, you think he played well against Blackburn?
I’m sure he has potential for the future or has showed some good ability in the past but this is a match review of the Blackburn game. If you think he was good, classy, poised, technically and tactically astute then I’d recommend you stay off the glue before matches.
Well played, Robin Crimes. :-)
I thought his skills and poise did show even vs Blackburn, yes.
He wasn’t as effective as I’d like him to be, but he was much MUCH better than many appear to think.