A great first half performance, yet one which epitomised our sheer lack of squad depth. We tore into Fulham, retained the ball with class and trenchancy, yet only Torres could offer a goal threat of any kind within the final third, and it was rather depressing that we were forced into playing Voronin in the absence of Gerrard and Riera. Once we went behind, the side’s collapse was frankly shambolic; we finished second last season due the countless times we maintained composure and came back from behind to clinch victory against the odds, against Manchester United twice, most notably.
Certain players within the squad, I feel, are simply not pulling their weight, and deserve to have their contracts terminated immediately. I’m referring to you, Mr. Babel, Mr. Voronin, and even, to an extent, the likes of Mascherano, and Carragher. Last season, upon going behind, the side performed akin to a championship-winning side; we would keep passing the ball, keep looking for the opening, not resorting to ‘chance tactics’ such as long balls and would never, ever give in, regardless of how well we were playing. This season tells a ridiculously different story – we go behind, and we give in, the players stop fighting, the defence folds.
So what exactly, has gone wrong?
I consider it to be an amalgamation of the players themselves, and utterly disastrous management. I can understand why Rafa took Torres off, he’s been injured recently and further damage would be a catastrophic blow to our goal supply. However, I cannot conceive of why anyone, anyone would consider taking off Benayoun when you’re looking for a goal. Simply pathetic, and to compound our misery, he brings on Babel and Ellington; two players patently not of the ability to play in the Premier League, and who never, in a million years, are going to help us win the league. Two reds didn’t help, but after the second goal, the players had practically given in, and the game was beyond our reach.
This summer’s transfers have not helped. When Benitez was in the hot seat at Valencia, a competent director of football and a squad built by Hector Cuper are what prompted the success Rafa had. Rafa has the tactical acumen, we’ve seen that time and time again, and last season he had, for the first time, a squad which was capable of challenging for the title, and to his credit, we finished second, ahead of a stronger Chelsea squad, and behind an even stronger Manchester United squad, in terms of depth at least. He spend five years, building a spine to our team, of, Reina, Skrtel, Carragher, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard and Torres – a spine which I feel was the league’s strongest by far last season. He then whipped flesh onto the bones, as Arbeloa and Aurelio offered two solid fullbacks, Agger could fill in for either Carragher or Skrtel, while Benayoun, Kuyt or Riera could flank Gerrard.
Unfortunately, last summer proved to be in many ways, similar to the summer of 2003, in which Houllier, having taken the team to 2nd place in the season before, then spend 14 million pounds on El Hadj Diouf. This summer, granted, Benitez replaced Alonso with Aquilani, and he is right in that we signed him for 5 years, not 10 games. However, Arbeloa is a fine right-back, and the acquisition of Johnson was quite frankly, although he may be a good player, unnecessary. That 18 million should have been spent on a centre back, to replace the increasingly uncertain Carragher, or to sign a world class attacking midfielder, in the form of a David Silva type player – someone who could exchange position with Gerrard and offer a further catalyst of creativity within the final third.
Fundamentally, the spine of the side regressed over the summer – we failed to reinforce a now shaky central defence partnership and to enhance our attacking midfield, simply to replace a competent fullback.
It is also time for senior places to set up to the plate. Lucas Leiva, despite a relentless media sabotage of his reputation, has actually offered everything to the cause, has battled, has chased lost causes when his supposedly world class partner Mascherano couldn’t be bothered, has attempted in vain to provide the creative spark in our midfield we so lack in Aquilani’s absence, despite it being beyond his abilities. He was one of the few players even attempting to drive the side tonight, and in acknowledgment of the stick he has received, Lucas, I applaud you. He will only improve with time, and is blossoming into a useful Premier League player.
However, the same cannot be said for Ryan Babel. He has feebly crumbled under the demands of Premiership football, has failed to live up to his potential and ultimately, has let the side down. It’s time for him to move; hopefully we can scam 5-7 million for him, and put that towards our next summer’s transfer kitty. Javier Mascherano’s work ethic has been abysmal, as it has been of Skrtel at times – whose ludicrous attempt to prevent Bendtner scoring last week summed up our defence this season – and typically, of Voronin, who again and again, displays no will to improve and adhere to the Benitez regime.
Babel and Voronin seem to be of the ‘Pennant mold’ – players who do not have the mental discipline or capacity to succeed at the highest level, and to work within Rafa’s strict tactical framework. Babel most probably possesses more natural talent than Lucas, yet the Brazilian has come on leaps and bounds under pressure, has done much more than expected of him and is now an important squad member, without whom, our central midfield depth looks worryingly weaker than any other central midfield in the top half. Lucas had the bottle to keep going when we were all on his backs, to keep training hard, to learn and to improve – he epitomises the type of player Liverpool needs. Babel, Voronin and Mascherano, unfortunately, encompass exactly the sort of personalities we should rid ourselves of.
And so we go to Lyon next week, in attempt to, for once and for all, banish our bad form and return to the halcyon days of last season. Gerrard is a doubt for the game, and unless Riera and Lucas or Aquilani are back, Voronin will most probably play, unfortunately. Torres has played far too much football over the last 3 seasons, and if Rafa keeps pushing it, I worry he too will be hit with another long-term injury – N’Gog should start – we do not want to risk Torres, and the Frenchman is another who has displayed the work ethic and determination to improve which we need. I pray Aquilani returns, which may mean Mascherano sits out and Lucas – if fit – pairs the Italian – finally a central midfield which is committed to the cause. We need fighters out there against Lyon – not people who can put in a performance for 45 minutes, only to give up as soon as we concede a goal. This for me, would mean the following start, if fit:
————————————-Reina—————————————
—–Johnson——————?————?——————–Aurelio——–
————————–Aquilani———-Lucas—————————–
——–Kuyt——————-Benayoun—————-Riera/Insua?—————
————————————N’Gog—————————————
I do not pick Gerrard as I think it would be a risk to play him, and feel that Torres needs to be given rest. I haven’t selected centre backs, as I’m frankly at a loss with our current pair – I hope Agger is fit, as he will offer solidity and composure, yet Carragher and Skrtel have had awful campaigns thus far. I place Aurelio at left back, as I feel he offers a greater defensive option than Insua and can balance out a back four which is likely to be exposed if Johnson plays. Insua or Riera are selected at left wing, as if Riera is unfit, Voronin is likely to come in. This is not reflective of how I see Riera – I feel he too has lacked drive at times this season, yet I’d rather see anyone on the pitch ahead of Voronin, even if that means placing Insua there; a man with an accurate cross and who will display work ethic.
It looks a weak side; Lucas and Aquilani does not appear to be a balanced central defensive midfield, yet if we can retain the ball well, as we did in the first half versus Fulham, then we should be ok. Lucas should at least offer more effort than Mascherano, and should do an apt job in supporting Aquilani. Across attacking midfield, the side looks decent, and our flanks also look relatively solid, so hopefully N’Gog’s improving confidence will benefit from some quality service, both from the flanks and from the creativity of Aquilani and Benayoun.
Even if he has only played two sets of 15 minutes, I feel Aquilani, if he has recovered from a virus, simply must start, as we have no other option. Leaving him out means that if he is not suspended, Argentina comes in, who I feel has only actually bothered to turn up for one and a half games this season, out of the 15 or so we have played. How do we know he will turn up against Lyon? If he is suspended, Spearing probably comes in, which would be unbearable to watch, or even worse, Plessis.
Apologies for the rather scrambled nature of this post; it’s an off-the-cuff release of a torrent of pent-up emotions, after two months of aesthetically terrible football, a despicable work rate among many ‘key’ players, and laughable managerial commands. I may have exaggerated my criticism of one or two players, but simply put, although I explained our spine has demised, it was only Alonso who left it. We may not have conducted transfer business correctly, yet you do not suddenly become a generally talentless bunch of cretins overnight, having finished second the previous season, while only losing one key player. Bar Torres, Kuyt, Benayoun, Johnson, Reina and Lucas, none of our other starting players – nor many reserves such as Babel, Spearing, Plessis, Voronin or Ellington – so far this season can claim to have given anywhere near 100% effort, and to have, regardless of individual form, kept going and looking to help the team when the going gets tough. This, quite frankly, for a team looking to win the title, is not good enough.
