Entertainment at Derby d'Italia

Internationale Milano vs Juventus Match Report - 15 September 2013

The Derby d’Italia was a showcase of Serie A on its very best of days. 

The battle between Inter and Juve at the Giuseppe Meazza was a tactical battle of the highest standards but it was also a very entertaining affair. 

Both teams began the match with similar formations albeit with different individual orders to their charges. Juventus began the game as the dominant side with Conte ordering his midfield and forwards to pressure the Inter defense. 

Juve’s high pressure resulted in Inter losing possession frequently as Tevez and Vucinic pressed against the Nerazzuri back three while Pogba and Vidal choked out any passing options to Inter’s fullbacks. 

Juventus kept the lion’s share of possession for long periods of the first half and lined-up as follows: 

The Bianconeri looked well drilled in building up the attack from the back and with Inter dropping deeper Chiellini was positioned as the center midfield partner to Pirlo. 

Despite Juve’s dominance they failed to create any clear-cut chances worth mentioning as Inter relied on their fullbacks and their center midfielders to nullify Lichtsteiner and Asamoah who could influence the Juventus attacking play. 

Guarin and Jonathan doubled up on Asamoah while Nagatomo and the hard-working Taider cancelled out Lichtsteiner’s attacking impetus. 

Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal were also denied the space they require as Inter’s compact midfield and defense ensured that Juventus were allowed to hold possession in deeper areas but they simply could not threaten Handanovic's goal. 

Tevez in the trequarista role attempted to break between the lines but with Vucinic lacking the intelligent movement required, the Bainconeri could not break down Inter’s stubborn defense. 

In the rare occasion of Inter holding possession during the first half, the Nerazzuri looked to counterattack through their fullbacks who almost immediately took advanced wing positions. Juve seemed ready for this tactic as they closed down any passing options and eventually outmuscled the Inter player holding-on to the ball. 

A flaw in Inter’s attack during the first half was the distance between their midfielders and forwards. Rodrigo Palacio was hovering next to Juve’s center backs who relied on their superior physical capabilities to negate the Argentine’s influence. 

Ricky Alvarez was very mobile but he also struggled when outnumbered by Conte’s big men in midfield and defense. 

The tactical stand-off between the sides lead to an expected goal-less half. 

The second half began with Conte bringing on Isla for the disappointing Lichtsteiner. 

Mazzarri’s changes at half-time were more profound as he asked his team to take a more dominant stance in the second half. The center defenders took a position closer to the half-way line while the full backs were now deployed to out-number Conte’s men in midfield. Rodrigo Palacio was also asked to drop deeper now so that he would be able to influence the attack more. 

With Jonathan and Nagatomo pushing forward, the Nerazzuri midfield pushed ahead as well with Guarin moving closer to the opposition penalty box. This in-turn forced Asamoah and Isla to retreat. 

As the half wore on, Juventus became restricted to counter attacking and on one occasion Tevez nearly setup Vucinic only for the chance to go begging as the Montenegrin footballer strayed offside. 

Tevez again was the architect of a Juventus attack as he disposed Nagatomo on the right wing and his pass finding Vidal; the Chilean star could not hit the target and the Inter fans at Giuseppe Meazza could breathe again. 

Ricky Alvarez was key for Internationale in the second half with his attacking movement and perhaps even more importantly through his pressing up the pitch as well as his close marking of Andrea Pirlo when Juventus held possession. This tactical order by Mazzarri paid dividends in the 73rd minute. 

The energetic Alvarez stole the ball off Chiellini in center midfield and moved patiently forward and delivered the perfect pass to substitute Mauricio Icardi – the Italy youth international rifled the shot past Buffon to give Inter a deserved lead. 

Mazzarri’s elation on the sidelines was short lived though as Asamoah used his strength to break into the Internationale penalty box from the left and setup Vidal for a quick equalizer. 

Juventus immediately showing the winning mentality instilled by their coach Antonio Conte. 

The Bianconeri continued their assault on the bewildered Inter defense and nearly took the lead through Carlos Tevez but the Argentine could not finish. 

With Inter’s South American contingent clearly tiring after their involvement with their international teams, Juventus reclaimed their dominance with Pogba and Isla close to winning the game for Antonio Conte. 

A thrilling Derby d’Italia draws to a close with a fair one-all score line. Walter Mazzarri maintains his undefeated start to life at Giuseppe Meazza. His brave tactical switch in the second half could have earned his team all three points but with Conte this Juventus team always seems to find a way to get the result required.

Premier League Transfer Window Review – The Top 6 Contenders

Financial problems you say? What financial problems?

Premier League clubs shelled out a massive £630 million pounds in transfer money during the summer transfer window. England’s top division was expected to be the biggest spenders across Europe this summer after the 71% hike in television money the clubs receive. Premier League clubs will now earn a frightening £3 billion pounds over three years.

Over the past couple of years, the platform for the success of the season ahead was set by how good the clubs performed over the summer transfer window. The signing of Robin van Persie gifted the league title to United last season while the lack of significant activity by Manchester City resulted in a disappointing season.

In this piece will be going over the transfer activity of the teams competing for the top four spots in the Premier League this season. The clubs embroiled in the top four fiasco being Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Spurs. I consider Liverpool to be a top four candidates as well and we will be looking at them in more detail in a separate article.

Arsenal:

Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal Chief Executive, promised a big summer for Arsenal but by the eve of the transfer window deadline day the club spent a total of zero pounds in transfer fees after signing free agents Mathieu Flamini and young French forward Yaya Sanogo.

The summer started promisingly with Arsenal chasing Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain before Arsene Wenger decided that the striker was not worth more than 23 million pounds. Napoli would then pounce successfully.

The Gunners readjusted their targets by submitting a 40 million and one pound bid for Liverpool Forward Luis Suarez. The bid resulted in the following response from Liverpool principle owner John Henry:

Arsenal were lead to believe that the bid would trigger the Uruguayan’s release clause – the release clause never existed and Liverpool took a strong stance against strengthening a direct rival. Arsenal’s Suarez chase was well and duly over.

Suddenly, the early promise turned to frustration.

There was light at the end of the transfer window tunnel for Arsenal after completing the signing of German star Mesut Ozil for 42.4 million pounds on deadline day. The former Real Madrid midfielder joins loanee Italian goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano from Serie B side Palermo.

Squad Assessment:

Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny, Lukas Fabianski, Emiliano Viviano

Defenders: Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson

Midfielders: Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Mathieu Flamini, Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Frimpong, Gedion Zelalem

Forwards: Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Yaya Sanogo, Nicklas Bedtner, Ju-Yong Park, Ryu Miyaichi, Serge Gnabry

That Arsenal squad screams of imbalance.

Arsenal’s midfield could possibly be the most creative in the league as a whole. Ozil, Cazorla and Wilshere will find that killer through-pass and provide the Gunners with a lot of goal scoring opportunities. The Gunners also look more solid in midfield with Ramsey finally showing some of his promise before his injury a couple of years ago. Mikel Arteta is reliant and Flamini should prove to be an astute signing.

Arsenal have pace and skills on the wings in the shape of Theo Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Podolski.

Wenger though is not as spoiled for choice in defense. Arsenal have a total of three center backs – Arsene Wenger is using Sagna as his make shift center defender. The French manager seems to have lost faith in Vermaelen completely. Carl Jenkinson is an able right back but is still young and prone to the odd mistake.

As good as Arsenal look in midfield, the players usually tasked with the holding role do not possess the most exciting of fitness records. Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini will struggle to play a full season.

Emiliano Viviano will add competition to Szczesny but I doubt he will provide the domineering presence the Arsenal defense needs.

Arsenal are contenders for a top four position but despite that creativity in midfield their season will rely on two players – Koscielny and Giroud. Wenger simply has no adequate replacement for those two. The form of the goalkeeper will also be key to how high the Gunners finish this season.

For Wenger, it seems it will be a case of ensuring that his creative attack can score more than his feeble defense will concede this season.

Chelsea:

Ah yes! The return of the “Special” one…Oh, I meant the “Happy” one of course!

Whatever you want to label him, Jose Mourinho might just be Chelsea’s star signing of the summer transfer window.

On the pitch, The Blues bolstered their first team squad by bringing in Andre Schurrle along with Willian and Samuel Eto’o from troubled Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. Marco van Ginkel and Mark Schwarzer concluded the transfer activity at Stamford Bridge this summer. Chelsea will also benefit from the return of loanees Kevin De Bruyne and Michael Essien.

The exit door at the Bridge featured the loaning of Romelu Lukaku to Everton, Victor Moses to Liverpool, Oriol Romeu to Valencia and Marko Marin to Seville. Vitesse Arnhem were the biggest winners from Chelsea’s loan policy after successfully bringing in Piazon, Cuevas and Atsu.

Squad Assessment:

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech, Mark Schwarzer, Henrique Hilario, Jamal Blackman

Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Cezar Azpilicueta, Ryan Bertrand

Midfielders: Michael Essien, Ramires, Frank Lampard, Juan Mata, Oscar, John Obi Mikel, Kevin De Bryune, Marco Van Ginkel, Josh McEachran

Forwards: Fernando Torres, Andre Schurrle, Eden Hazard, Demba Ba, Samuel Eto’o

The Special One has a very Special squad.

Over the past couple of seasons, the Blues changed their transfer policy with a focus on signing premium young stars such as Hazard and Oscar – Chelsea continued this trend during the summer transfer window by signing young German international Andre Schurrle and promising Dutch midfielder Marco van Ginkel.

The Stamford Bridge outfit possibly have the best back four in the league and with Mourinho in charge the Blues will certainly be very solid defensively.

In midfield, Chelsea have a good combination of discipline and creativity with the likes of Michael Essien protecting the back four while Lampard, Mata and Oscar can provide the creative spark required. Chelsea’s midfield is almost injury-insured as they possess great depth in the shape of Mikel, van Ginkel and De Bruyne. Mata also looks set to spend a lot of time bench-warming this season.

In Eden Hazard, Chelsea have a player destined to be one of the top three players in the world over the next two seasons. Willian and Schurrle complete an attacking midfield line-up which would spark envy from all clubs in England and Europe.

Perhaps Chelsea’s biggest problem this season would be their attack. Fernando Torres seems unable to score for Chelsea in the Premier League while Demba Ba looks a shadow of the goal-scoring threat he used to be at Newcastle.

Chelsea attempted to rectify their attacking difficulties by unsettling Wayne Rooney but a move could not be completed. Mourinho then opted to sign Samuel Eto’o from Anzhi – a player he knows very well from their time at Inter. No one would doubt the attacking instincts of the ex-Cameroon international but at 32 years of Age Eto’o has the vibe of a signing who would paper over the cracks until Chelsea could sign a long-term forward option perhaps in January or next summer.

Jose Mourinho’s side, in my opinion, will compete for the top two spots come next May. The Blues will seek a title winning season by relying on a water-tight defense while utilizing the creativity and movement of their attacking midfield options to break down their opponents.

Manchester City:

With Roberto Mancini departing before the end of last season, it was always going to be a summer of change at the Etihad Stadium.

The new man at the helm of the Citizens is Chilean Manuel Pellegrini who arrived from Malaga. Pellegrini, who favors possession-based attacking football, identified targets that would be an improvement on the starting eleven at City last season.

In midfield, Man City signed Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk while Jesus Navas was brought in for the right wing position. Within weeks, Navas was reunited with Seville striker Alvaro Negredo who Pellegrini selected as his new number 9. The attacking supply lines were reinforced further by buying Stevan Jovetic who could play anywhere across the forward positions. The summer activity was concluded by the late arrival of Martin Demichelis to add cover at center back.

The outgoings were also plenty at City with high earners Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, Kolo Toure and Maicon leaving the club. Meanwhile, Scott Sinclair was loaned to West Brom.

Squad Assessment:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Richard Wright, Costel Pantilimon

Defenders: Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Martin Demichilis, Mateja Nastasic, Alexander Kolarov, Gael Clichy, Micah Richards, Pablo Zabaleta

Midfielders: Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, James Milner, David Dilva, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas

Forwards: Alvaro Negredo, Eden Dzeko, Kun Aguero, Stevan Jovetic, John Guidetti

Manchester City and Manuel Pellegrini will be looking to compete for the Premier League title this season with the squad assembled at the Etihad Stadium.

The Sky Blues boast a very solid center midfield with Fernandinho and Yaya Toure while David Silva, Jesus Navas, Samir Nasri and Stevan Jovetic will look to break down opposition defenses through their movement between the lines and pristine incisive through passes.

In Dzeko, Aguero and Negredo, Manuel Pellegrini has the best forward line in the league to call on.

Vincent Kompany and Mateja Nastasic formed a good partnership last season in the center of defense but City do not possess an adequate cover for Kompany in the case of injury or suspension.

Joe Hart has also become a liability for a Man City since the turn of the year and his form is crucial if City were to win the title race.

Manchester United:

Oh United!

It was always going to be a difficult summer for United with Sir Alex departing after 27 years in charge but they could have surely made things easier upon themselves.

With David Gill retiring, United had to bring in a new CEO but instead of moving for someone with football experience to ease the load off David Moyes, the club decided to promote former commercial management director Ed Woodward who despite his success in growing the club’s commercial revenue he lacks adequate football experience.

United lost further experience after highly rated first team coach Rene Meulensteen left the club with Moyes favoring the recruitment of his backroom staff at Everton.

David Moyes identified center midfield as the key area which requires improvement and began the summer by chasing Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara. The move failed to materialize with the Spain internation joining Bayern Munich.

Moyes then decided to move for another Barcelona midfielder, this time in the shape of Cesc Fabregas. The Spanish champions refused to consider the sale and United dropped their chase of Fabregas before it became embarrassing for the Red Devils.

The elusive chase for a midfielder continued with United looking more desperate. The club’s target also seemed to lack sense as the deadline day approached. Manchester United became linked with attacking minded midfielders as much as defensive minded ones – Khedira, De Rossi and Ander Herrera were reported targets for Moyes before the club finally signed ex-Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini.

The above targets all have their commendable attributes but they seem to have very different profiles – a sign of desperation for Moyes as the summer went on. Another criticism aimed at United over the signing of Fellaini is that they allowed his release clause to pass which would have saved the club an extra 4 million pounds – this is yet another sign that Fellaini was far from being first choice for the club this summer.

United’s chase for a left back was another strange one for me. Patrice Evra is one of the best left backs in the league – yes, he is not getting younger but still has a couple of seasons to go. Fabio and Buttner are adequate covers for this season. So spending in the excess of 15 million for Coentrao or Leighton Baines as cover would have been bizarre.

Moyes might consider that keeping Rooney was his biggest achievement of this transfer window but he certainly did the minimal to aid this accomplishment. During United’s summer preseason tour, the Scot stated: “Overall, my thought on Wayne is, if for any reasons we had an injury to Robin van Persie, we'll need him”.

Nicely played David!

Squad Assessment:

Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Anders Lindengaard, Ben Amos

Defenders: Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Fabio, Alex Buttner, Rafael, Guillermo Varela

Midfielders: Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher, Marouane Fellaini, Shinji Kagawa, Ashley Young, Nani, Antonio Valencia, Adnan Januzaj

Forwards: Wayne Rooney, Chicharito, Danny Welbeck, Robin van Persie, Federico Macheda, Wilfried Zaha

In spite of the lack of transfer activity, United still possess one of the better squads in the Premier League.

De Gea is fulfilling his reputation as one of the best young keepers in the world while the experienced back four will prove to be a strong base for United through the season. Manchester United also possess enough defenders in reserves in the case of an injury crisis.

Moyes also possesses good options in midfield with Fellaini now joining the likes of Anderson, Carrick and Cleverley. Carrick was key for United over the last two seasons and will be very important over the next 9 months as well.

With Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck Manchester United have enough fire power to see out most opponents.

What United do lack though is skills and dribbling capabilities on the flanks and between the lines – a key component to the club’s success under Sir Alex. Yes, Shinji Kagawa is still in the ranks and yes Welbeck and Rooney can cover for those positions but the club does not possess a Ronaldo type player who could turn the game around coming in from the wings.

David Moyes has a challenge on his hands and he needs to adapt to the requirements of his new job immediately. United are a club who seek three points on every outing – a draw is not an acceptable result. The United manager favors a 4-4-1-1 formation and he certainly possesses the players to deploy that formation successfully – he needs to make sure that this formation does not cost United points in the shape of a high amount of draws.

I honestly can’t see United finish higher than third and with Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool strengthening this summer Moyes will need to adjust quickly. Overall, I predict an ulcer-inducing season for Manchester United supporters this season.

Tottenham:

Revolution at the Lane!

Andre Villas Boas is shaping his Spurs in his own image and the insane fee paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale provided the young Portuguese coach the finances needed for a spending spree which covered almost all positions across the pitch.

Out went William Gallas, Steven Caulker, Clint Dempsey, Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker, David Bentley and Gareth Bale.

In return, the White Hart Lane club signed Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli and Christian Eriksen in midfield while Roberto Soldado & Erik Lamela were brought in for the attacking positions.Vlad Chiriches came in to bolster the defensive ranks.

Spurs’ most important signing of the summer might probably be Franco Baldini who assisted Villas-Boas into one of the best transfer periods by any club in recent memory.

Squad Assessment:

Goalkeepers: Heurelho Gomes, Brad Friedel, Hugo Lloris

Defenders: Younes Kaboul, Jan Vertonghen, Vlad Chiriches, Michael Dawson, Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton, Danny Rose, Ezekiel Fryers

Midfielders: Aaron Lennon, Paulinho, Erik Lamela, Lewis Holtby, Etienne Capoue, Andros Townsend, Moussa Dembele, Nacer Chadli, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Christian Eriksen, Sandro

Forwards: Roberto Soldado, Emmanuel Adebayor, Jermain Defoe

That Spurs squad looks mouthwatering doesn’t it!

AVB has assembled a very strong starting eleven with enough backup in case of injuries and with options coming off the bench.

Spurs possibly have the strongest midfield in the Premier League – Paulinho, Sandro and Capoue are a big physical presence in center midfield while Eriksen, Dembele and Holtby would provide the creative spark.

Tottenham also seem to have a plethora of options on the wings with Lennon, Townsend, Chadli and the exciting Lamela.

AVB is expected to rely on a lone striker in attack with Soldado as the starting option and Defoe as his immediate backup.

While Kyle Walker and Danny Rose could be error-prone on occasions, Spurs still possess solid center defensive options lead by Jan Vertonghen and Michael Dawson while Lloris has proven to be one of the best keepers in the league last season.

Tottenham’s final position in the table this season will rely on the time it will take for the new players to gel together. Considering that this Spurs side will probably hit form after Christmas, collecting points while the team is still adjusting becomes crucial in order to guarantee a top four position come the end of the season.

To Conclude...

Chelsea and Manchester City have the best squads and should eventually lead a two-horse race towards the Premier League trophy. Top four main-stays Manchester United and Arsenal are under serious pressure with Tottenham and Liverpool strengthening well over the course of the summer transfer window.

Unpredictable season ahead!

Shankly's Birthday Gift

Liverpool FC vs Manchester United Match Report - 01 September 2013

On the eve of Bill Shankly’s 100th birthday, an old adversary under a new regime were the visitors to Anfield as Brendan Rodgers’ Reds welcomed David Moyes’ Manchester United.

Paying tribute to the man responsible for the Liverpool Football Club we know today, the kop assembled a breathtaking mosaic of the great Bill Shankly before kick-off which was accompanied by immaculate one minute applause from every section of the Anfield crowd.

On the field, The Reds, determined to pay their respects to the great Scot, began the match on the front foot with Brendan’s men pushing high up the pitch and by the 3rd minute Jordan Henderson pressured Ashley Young into a mistake from which Daniel Sturridge earned Liverpool a corner.

From the corner, Steven Gerrard delivered a curling cross into the Manchester United penalty area which Agger attacked ahead of Rio Ferdinand before Daniel Sturridge nodded the ball into the net.

This was Sturridge’s third goal in Liverpool’s three Premier League games this season and already his fifth of all competitions.

Liverpool did look a threat from corners a few days earlier against Notts County with Agger unlucky not to have scored – his new-found attacking intent from set pieces paying dividends this time against United.

Brendan’s troops continued to press United with Sturridge & Aspas limiting the passing options of the United defense. Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverly simply could not get into the game while Robin Van Persie was closely monitored by Martin Skrtel. The Red Devils did look dangerous from set pieces though, with one particular corner finding its way to Liverpool’s six-yard box – the ball landed behind Van Persie who couldn’t control it and the chance went begging.

With Liverpool holding, Aspas would drop deep into the advanced midfield role to influence the attacking play. Coutinho would also cut inside while Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson pushed forward.

Although Coutinho seems to be improving at defending the zones on the left hand side, he also does seem to be burdened by his defensive responsibilities. The Brazilian does well in covering the zones but he does not get close to his opponent and he did leave Enrique exposed on a couple of occasions due to a United overlap.

There were no problems for Liverpool on their right side though as Johnson produced his best performance of the season thus far as he fully nullified Ashley Young. The England right back was greatly assisted by the ever-improving Jordan Henderson who seemed everywhere across the pitch helping Gerrard and Lucas in midfield while also blocking any overlap attempts by Patrice Evra.

David Moyes deployed Daniel Welbeck as the roaming forward behind Robin Van Persie – Welbeck also played a key role in pressuring Lucas and Gerrard in midfield when the Reds had possession of the ball.

The strange decision for me was positioning Ryan Giggs in the right midfield position. Yes, the Welshman was asked to cut inside and influence United’s attack from a central position when United held possession but one still wonders about the wisdom behind asking a 39 year old player-coach to hold such a demanding position?

The lack of attacking intent from Phil Jones in the right back position weakened United’s right side even further. The injury to Jones and the introduction of Valencia on 37 minutes was a potential blessing in disguise for the Red Devils.

Manchester United’s frustration grew as the half wore on with their booking count increasing while Van Persie came close to seeing Red.

The first half came to a close with Liverpool deservedly leading by a single goal.

Moyes ordered his men to press higher in the second half while Brendan Rodgers requested that his Reds remain compact and deep mirroring what Liverpool did away at Aston Villa a week earlier.

With Valencia at right back, Giggs was positioned more centrally. The Ecuador international used his strength to negate Coutinho’s attacking influence – Valencia added a new attacking outlet for United on the right as he showcased Coutinho’s lack of defensive discipline on a few occasions.

As the second half progressed, the tiring Aspas failed to pressure United’s central midfield who started having more time on the ball. Aspas was replaced on the 60th minute with Sterling introduced. The young England winger was asked to help Enrique on Liverpool’s left side while he would also add searing pace for Valencia to defend against. Sterling also allowed for Coutinho to move centrally where he is usually more effective.

Moyes attempted to stretch Liverpool’s midfield and defense by introducing Nani for Ashley Young. The Portuguese, deployed on the right wing, was introduced with intention of adding attacking pressure on Liverpool’s seemingly weaker left side. The ineffective Giggs was retained and this time asked to play on the left wing position.

The Red Devils maintained possession for large phases of the second half but they failed to penetrate Liverpool’s resolute defense. Gerrard, Lucas and Henderson became key to limiting United’s attack – their compact positioning ensured that the likes of Welbeck and Van Persie could not receive the ball where they could do most damage.

Brendan’s deep tactics were also ideal for Martin Skrtel. The Slovak is one of the best in the league at defending from a deep defensive position – he was fully dominant against Van Persie for the entire 90 minutes.

Moyes, now clearly desperate, brought on Javier Hernandez for the final 15 minutes with Welbeck now predominantly on the left wing cutting inside.

United were eventually limited to a snap shot by Nani from outside the box which Mignolet strongly saved and an opportunity by the subdued Van Persie from a Hernandez pass from Liverpool’s left side – the Holland international could not direct his shot goal-wards.

Liverpool’s new “Substance over Style” approach leads the Reds to their third 1-0 win in their third Premier League game of the season.

Brendan’s deep defensive line in the second half was ideal against a predominantly counter-attacking team in Manchester United. This defensive change also allowed Martin Skrtel the platform for a very solid defensive performance. Lucas and Gerrard looked solid and highly disciplined in center midfield while Jordan Henderson is starting to look like a key component to Liverpool this season. 

The injury to Glen Johnson is a disappointment for Liverpool though, after his car-crash-like tackle on Patrice Evra. The England international was excellent throughout against United showing once again how he cherishes the big occasions. 

On the morning of Bill Shankly’s 100th birthday, his beloved Liverpool sit atop the Premier League table and in Brendan Rodgers Liverpool have a progressive manager who is ever learning and adapting to the demands of the modern game while maintaining the foundations of The Liverpool Way.

Happy birthday Bill Shankly…this win was for you!

True Grit: Liverpool grind-out win at Villa Park

Aston Villa vs Liverpool Match Report – 24 August 2013

Over the years, Liverpool fans watched on as rivals went on to snatch three very important points when it mattered most despite having an off-day – you know, that Giggs very late goal at Craven Cottage or when Macheda rifled that screamer at Villa park. 

“Bloody Luck” the Kopites claimed! 

The Reds on the other hand were often bereft of that “luck” as they saw dominant performances undermined by conceding a late goal resulting in two dropped points and even worse at times costing Liverpool the three points haul. This phenomenon was repeated agonizingly during the Benitez and Dalglish eras and was featured again last season during Rodgers’ first year as Liverpool boss (Liverpool were of course hardly dominant while Hodgson was in charge). 

Liverpool FC also needed to play well in order to win – watching Liverpool claim all three points after a bad performance was as rare as David Moyes winning a trophy. 

Winds of change seem to be blowing around Anfield these days though! 

Brendan Rodgers stuck with the same side which defeated Stoke a week earlier at Anfield. The 4-2-3-1 formation deployed by the Reds relies on building slowly from the back with the fullbacks stretching the play by taking advanced positions on the opposition touchline with Jordan Henderson and Coutinho cutting inside while the LFC forwards interchanged intelligently. Lucas and Gerrard were responsible for marshaling the midfield with the Brazilian asked to play the deeper role. 

Liverpool began the game on the front foot against their Claret and Blue opponents with the very fluid front line causing a series of problems to the Villa defense and on the 20th minute Brendan’s Boys made their dominance count. After Agbonlahor was dispossessed in midfield, the ball reached Jose Enrique on the left who drilled a low cross into the Aston Villa penalty box which found Sturridge after a clever dummy by Coutinho but it was all Sturridge after that point – the young England forward skipped past the surrounding Villa defenders and goalkeeper before shooting the ball into the roof of the net. 

The goal was Daniel Sturridge’s eighth goal in seven appearances for Liverpool and his second goal in two starts this season. 

"Daniel is a player I believe will prove when he is fit and playing that he is one of the top strikers in this division," said Rodgers. "He has all the attributes - he's super quick, has a wonderful touch, a great mover and you saw his finishing and composure today”. 

The Reds maintained a high defensive line throughout the first 30 minutes of the match with the forwards pressing the Villa players relentlessly - Lambert’s team simply struggled to make it past the half-way line. Despite their dominance, Liverpool failed to create more clear cut chances. 

Lambert decided to change things around during the last few minutes of the first-half as his midfielders got closer to one another and congested the middle of the pitch. The Reds meanwhile dropped deeper with Aston Villa now controlling possession. 

The pressure from Villa resulted in a shot by Benteke which forced a save from Mignolet. Andreas Weimann also came close a few minutes later after his shot deflected off Agger and over the net. 

The half came to a close with Liverpool leading from the only shot they had on target – odd isn't it! 

Villa, who won at The Emirates and performed valiantly at The Bridge, started the second half brightly as they hassled and hurried the Liverpool players. The Villans maintained a high defensive line with Antonio Luna and Matt Lowton pushing forward and Jores Okore allowed to run with the ball. 

The Reds meanwhile remained compact at the back and allowed little space for the Villa forwards to maneuver. The Liverpool forwards failed to support the defensive cause at times with Coutinho and Aspas lack of pressure on the Villa players – Rodgers decided to rectify that issue by bringing on new loan signing Aly Cissokho for Iago Aspas with the Frenchman taking the left midfield position and Coutinho moving centrally behind Daniel Sturridge. 

As the match went on, a combination of fatigue and nerves affected Brendan’s Reds who became too reliant on hoofing the ball up field and Liverpool’s creativity dried out. The Liverpool midfield seemed outnumbered by the Villa counterparts with Lucas specially looking out of sorts and out of position on several occasions as runners got passed him frequently. 

Despite the Villa pressure and possession, they failed to create enough opportunities to test Simon Mignolet. Aston Villa are a team who rely on counterattacks to trouble the opposition and it was evident they lacked the creativity in midfield to carve out opportunities for their forwards when confronting a compact defensive unit. 

Lambert tried to force the issue by bringing on Nicklas Helenius with the big Danish forward asked to provide the knock-downs and lay-offs to Christian Benteke. The plan nearly worked as the Dane set-up Benteke who attempted a half-volley which Mignolet saved with a strong fist! 

The Villans failed to create more opportunities with Liverpool holding on to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season. 

Rodgers stated: "Our record last year with our goals wasn't too bad. I feel we've got a lot of creativity in the team, but we can't always be the Harlem Globetrotters! It's about winning and for us, a 1-0 is as good as a 4-0 or 5-0”. 

As reasonable as that sounds, Liverpool looked tired in the second half. Their energy levels also dropped during the last 15 minutes against Stoke so perhaps The Reds are facing fitness issues? 

After the game, Rodgers added: “Tactically we had to play differently today. In the first half we controlled the ball and the spaces well. In the second half, we had to control the zones, defend half a pitch and deny them the space to run into and obviously that means conceding a bit more of the ball.” 

Brendan’s Liverpool have been showing tactical adaptability since the turn of the year; playing a deeper defensive line against a counterattacking team after taking the lead was a sound tactical switch. 

On this occasion the switch worked due to the following factors: 

The first being Kolo Toure who was asked to man-mark Christian Benteke and boy did he excel at it! The Ivorian’s physical presence neutralized the attacking threat of the Belgian striker who was subdued throughout and was only limited to two shots on target. Toure also played a key role in improving Liverpool’s defending from set pieces. 

The second was the very impressive Simon Mignolet. Several Liverpool fans doubted the wisdom behind loaning out Pepe Reina and replacing him with the ex-Sunderland keeper but Mignolet has been key to Liverpool’s clean sheet record so far this season. The Belgian keeper is proving to be an excellent shot stopper. 

Beyond the performances of Liverpool’s new recruits, a further new addition will take full credit for the triumph at Villa Park…that new addition is Belief! 

Liverpool’s determined performance was inspired by the undoubted belief they carried. The Liverpool players believed that they could make it passed the final whistle with another clean sheet. They believed that they had it in them to claim the three points. They just knew that a Liverpool win was the only outcome of the contest at Villa Park! 

The Reds are showing plenty of heart and the mental strength thus far with Mignolet’s last minute penalty save at Anfield last week and the team’s gritty performance against Villa perfect examples. 

Rodgers concluded: “There's a real togetherness throughout the club - from the team right the way through to the youth academy, we're very much one club. There's no magic formula other than having a vision of how we want to work and everyone pulling together and working their socks off”. 

It is still early days in the Premier League this season but if Brendan’s Reds keep this up then the word “Luck” will slowly but surely be replaced with “Belief”.

Is it the Demise of Tiki-Taka? Is this the End of an Era?

Over the past couple of weeks, the terms “The End of an Era”, “The demise of Tiki-Taka” and “Changing of the Guard” have been echoing strongly across the world of Football. These strong statements were the result of the dominant performances put-in by the German clubs Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich against Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively which sent shockwaves across the globe.

The much anticipated Classico in the Champions League final suddenly became an all German affair!

So let’s take a closer look at the above statements and dissect them accordingly…

1. The Demise of Tiki-Taka

Before we discuss the eulogy of Tiki-Taka, how about we take a look at how the term saw light.

During the 2006 World Cup match between Spain and Tunisia, late Spanish announcer Andres Montes described Spain’s intricate and quick short passing as Tiki-Taka.

So we can define “Tiki-Taka” as a style of football characterized by short passing and movement, maintaining possession and working the ball through the various channels. It is a style focused on individual orders rather than the traditional thinking of a rigid football formation.

But was Tiki-Taka first implemented by Luis Aragones during the world cup in 2006?

The answer is a definite No!

This style of play adored by the football pop-culture first became famous with Ajax under the management of Rinus Michels during the late 60’s and early 70’s although some football historians claim that remnants of this tactical approach was witnessed by Ajax as early as 1915 and by the Hungarian national team in the 1950’s.

At the time, this tactical approach was known as “Total Football” where every outfield player could take over the role of any other player in the team. In Total Football, a player who moves out of his position is covered by another from the same team, thus retaining the team's intended organizational shape. In this fluid system, no outfield player is fixed to a single role; anyone can be successively an attacker, a midfielder and a defender. The only player with a fixed position is the goalkeeper.

Under the tutelage of Rinus Michels, Ajax were to enjoy their most successful era while also leading the Dutch national team to the World Cup final in 1974.

Flexible movement and adaptability are key components for the success of Total Football and so was the constant creation of space as ex-Ajax defender Barry Hulshoff explains: “We discussed space the whole time. Johan Cruyff always talked about where people should run and where they should stand, and when they should not move. It (total football) was about making space, coming into space, and organizing space - like architecture on the football pitch.”

When the term “Total Football” is spoken, the name Johan Cruyff immediately comes to mind. He became the man who personified this tactical style both as a football player and later on as a coach.

During his playing days, Cruyff who was deployed as a forward, wandered all over the pitch and popping up where he can inflict most damage to the opposition defenses (rings any bells?). The players around him would move dynamically adapting themselves around his movement, switching positions to ensure no tactical gaps are left open.

Sounds very familiar doesn’t it?

A version of “Total Football” appeared with the mighty Liverpool teams of the late 70’s and early 80’s under the guidance of Messrs Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish which was simply titled “Pass & Move”.

Johan Cruyff then brought “Total Football” to Barcelona as manager during his tenure between 1988 and 1996, an era which saw the Dutch legend claim 11 trophies.

But, Cruyff’s greatest achievement was establishing “Total Football” as the foundation for the Barcelona sides that followed. The Dutch tactician did not just apply his brand of football only on the first team but ensured the reserves and youth teams were well versed with the requirements to implement Total Football.

After Cruyff’s departure from the Nou Camp, the youth and reserve teams continued to be trained on delicate short passing and movement under the keen eye of Pep Segura and Rodolfo Borrell which eventually gave rise to Barcelona’s golden generation which include the likes of superstars Xavi, Iniesta, Pique and Messi to name but a few.

In the summer of 2008, Pep Guardiola was appointed as Barcelona’s first team manager to take “Total Football” to its next level of evolution.

Guardiola implemented the basics of “Total Football” he acquired under Cruyff with a twist!

Messi was deployed in the “Cruyff” role with Barca’s stars dovetailing around the mercurial Argentine. The flexible movement, adaptability and space creation of “Total Football” was complemented by defending from the front and a high defensive line.

The young Spanish coach, who spent one year with Barcelona’s team B, ensured that his team plays with a high defensive line with his players pressing and hassling opposition players high up the pitch. The Spanish tactician famously stating: "You win the ball back when there are thirty meters to their goal not eighty."

Pep’s Barcelona became a tactical conundrum as they maintained high percentage of possession while they broke down defenses with ease. Guardiola added high fitness levels to the attacking talent of his team while instructing them to defend from the front. Opposition teams did not just struggle with the likes of Messi, Eto’o and Iniesta offensively but were also suffocated at the rare occasions they had possession.

Guardiola’s Tiki-Taka brought Barcelona the most successful season in football history with the Balugrana winning every competition they participated in; a total of 6 trophies.

The dominance of Barcelona’s Tiki-Taka waned during Pep’s last season as teams found ways around the intricacies of this tactical approach.

This season, Tito Vilanova’s edition of the Tiki-Taka continued the downfall witnessed last season - but, is this really the end of the Tiki-Taka?

Perhaps this is the end of the media friendly term “Tiki-Taka” as “Total Football” continues to develop and evolve.

Versions of “Total Football” are now being deployed at several clubs including Ajax, Bayern, Dortmund, Liverpool and Swansea. Football is evolving and the days of long-ball based tactics are dying quickly with the reliance on short passing and high pressing become more common.

“Total Football” will now choose a new home, or return to an older cauldron to continue its adventure of growth and evolution bringing rewards to the team which implements this approach successfully.

2. Changing of the Guard

Now that we have gone over the faith of “Tiki-Taka”, let’s look at the recent regression at Barcelona and the potential change of the guard in European football.

The recent defeats suffered by Barcelona to Bayern Munich have been compared to the 4-0 defeat suffered against Milan in the 1994 Champions League final as an omen for the end of an era at the Nou Camp.

So what happened at Barca over the past couple of seasons that got them here?

Transfers

Before we look into tactics and the difference in approach between Guardiola and Vilanova we’ll start with what I believe is the root of trouble at Barca and that is transfers!

Imagine being a club supporter with Samuel Eto’s as your number 9 – Eto’s just scored over 30 goals in the 2008/2009 season and he is approaching his prime at 28 years old.

Then suddenly, the club you support decides to give your leading scorer away plus an extra 46 million Euros to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovich. Now, no disrespect to Ibra, but Eto’o would cost 30 million Euros at the very least – so potentially, Barcelona just gave 76 million Euros away.

To make matters worse, Zlatan ended up falling out with Guardiola and was then loaned to Milan. Do I need to keep crunching the numbers to depict this financial catastrophe?

Ah, but wait, there is more; see the table below:

Player Name	Signed For (£)	Number of Appearances	Sold For (£)
Henrique	7 Million	0	Free Transfer (Contract Cancelled)
Aleksander Hleb	14.8 Million	19	2 Million
Martin Caceres	14.5 Million	13	2.6 Million
Dmitro Chygrynskiy	22 Million	12	13.2 Million
Total	58.3 Million	44	17.8 Million

The table above shows that Barcelona have suffered a 40.5 Million Pounds Sterling on just four players. That’s a 0.9 Million Pounds per game for the above players!

How much do you think David Villa will cost when he is eventually sold? Are you happy with the contribution of Alexis Sanchez? What about Cesc Fabregas? How about Alex Song?

The above four have cost over 120 Million Euros and none of them are members of the starting eleven!

Recent managers at Barcelona, including Pep Guardiola, have failed to bring the best out of their new signings with the onus set firmly on the players to adapt to the current model.

Adaptability is part of parcel of Tiki-Taka as mentioned earlier but neglecting certain traits in a player who costs over 20 Million pounds and simply asking them to adapt is certainly disruptive to the player, the club and the club’s finances.

Tactics:

There are two main tactical approaches to a game of football.

You have managers like Rafa Benitez who sets his team up to nullify the opposition while managers like Jupp Heynckes looks to dominate the opposition – both managers maintain a good balance between the two approaches though.

And here lies the problem at Barcelona tactically.

The dominant Tiki-Taka has forced several teams in the Spanish League and the European Champions League to throw the towel even before a ball was kicked but to expect that at all times from all teams is arrogant whether or not Barcelona possess the best player in the world or not.

Barcelona have shown a continuous weakness in adapting their tactics against the key strengths of the opposition.

Tiki-Taka forces the opposition to adapt more often than not but what Barca have lacked this season is the pressing high up the pitch thus allowing opposition midfielders more time on the ball thus allowing them to impose their will further.

So is it the end of an era? 

There are so many variables to this question!

Personally, I believe Tito Vilanova should be shown the door at the end of the season – the Barcelona head coach showed a lack of respect to the history of the club in the defeat to Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp by resting key members of the team.

Bringing in a new manager at Barcelona, however, is a dilemma – they need to recruit someone who believes in “Total Football” and that limits the choices available.

Whoever is the manager at Barcelona next season, the team will still possess the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Dani Alves, Pique, Jordi Alba and Messi of course.

You can’t count a team with so much talent out.

The answer would have been far easier if Jupp Heynckes was to stay at Bayern next season as they are the club ready to take the reins from Barcelona.

But with Guardiola coming in, expect the kind of revolution he embarked on when he was appointed by Barcelona. Keeping that in mind, we could see the likes of Ribery, Robben, Mario Gomez depart the club.

If Guardiola was to settle in quickly into his Bavarian surroundings then Bayern Munich will have the edge to start a new era of dominance.

How about the domination of the Spanish Armada?

This is slightly easier to answer.

Spain will remain a force – yes, the likes of Xavi, Puyol and Villa are nearing the end of their international careers but the Spanish youth supply lines continue to produce adequate talent.

Tiki-Taka was first deployed by Luis Aragones to maintain possession and protect a susceptible defensive line and I believe future Spanish coaches will maintain this approach.

Having said that, I believe the current crop of German internationals who were key to Bayern and Dortmund dismantling their Spanish opposition will be crowned with a major international tournament sooner rather than later.

I can’t see a European nation winning the World Cup in Brazil but by 2016 most of the current German stars will be at the ideal age to lead their nation to glory at the European Championship or the World Cup in Russia.

A power shift on the international stage is at hand!

Bayern Teach the World how to Beat Barcelona!

While I reflect on the latest fiasco surrounding Luis Suarez, I decided to take a break from matters related to Liverpool and take a look at the sublime performance put in by Bayern Munich and their coach Jupp Heynckes last night against Barcelona.

Jupp Heynckes is certainly doing his absolute best to ensure Pep Guardiola feels the pressure. On the day that Bayern announced Pep’s first signing, Dortmund trequarista Mario Gotze, Jupp came back to ensure that the limelight returns to where it belongs – the here and the now with the reigning Bayern Munich manager.

Unlike most sides who face Barcelona, Heynckes did not simply set the tactics to nullify Barcelona’s offensive assets and pray for the best – the German veteran prepared his team to impose their will instead! 

Barcelona were allowed possession of the football were it mattered the least – next to Victor Valdes; with Mario Gomez and Thomas Muller pressing Pique and Batra relentlessly. The pressing continued with the disciplined Bastian Schweinsteiger keeping a keen eye on the movements of Xavi and Iniesta while Javi Martinez gave an ideal “Holding Midfield” performance. 

But the real heroes of this triumph were the Bayern contingent positioned on the wings and this is where Jupp eventually won the game. Ribery and Robben formed a constant nuisance in attack forcing the likes of Alba and Dani Alves to reconsider every time they thought about providing the attacking overlap. Bayern’s wingers also produced a responsible performance of the highest caliber as they tracked back to support their midfielders and defenders in doubling up on Barca’s attacking options. 

Meanwhile, Alaba and skipper Philip Lahm were simply perfect – they shadowed the movement of Barcelona’s forward trio into surrender as Messi, Sanchez and Pedro looked inept and futile. 

The center backs were commanding but in truth Dante & Boateng only confronted whatever remained of Barca’s attack with Bayern producing the perfect team performance. 

Barcelona were limited to 2 shots on target and 4 shots in total! 

Yes, Messi wasn’t fully fit and Yes Barcelona did miss the likes of Puyol and Mascherano but you can take nothing away from that German triumph. 

Tito Vilanova failed to alter his tactics – the presence of an out-and-out striker to trouble the Bayern defense was a necessity. In the end, Villa was introduced far too late. 

Jupp Heynckes’ belief in his team is what made the difference – the wily German forced the questions out of that Barca lineup and instilled the right attitude into his players and he deserves full credit to this footballing massacre!

Liverpool's Strengths & Weaknesses - Part II

I have been trying to write this article for weeks but I could not place myself in a state of mind to look at Liverpool’s weaknesses this season on the back of positive results against Swansea, Zenit, Wigan and Tottenham. 

12 goals in the last 3 premier league games, a 3 game win streak and the Reds finally defeated a top 4 team this season. Rodger’s Liverpool seem to have turned the corner at long last! 

Then came Southampton….and the weaknesses I could not get myself to write about suddenly rose to the surface….again! 

So, enough procrastination and let’s take a look at the repetitive errors that have haunted Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool side so far this season… 

1. Fear of the Target Man! 

Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku, Rickie Lambert, Kenwyne Jones – four players who looked like world beaters once facing Liverpool. Hell, even Oldham’s Matt Smith looked like a seasoned Champions League campaigner against the Reds defense this season! 

Liverpool have struggled massively to deal with physical target men this season and the Reds have shown no sign of turning that around. 

Brendan’s Reds have dominated possession in almost every game they have played this season – teams accept that now and the physical sides of the Premier League hit back by the oldest trick in the book – route one football to the big bad target man! 

Stoke City, for example, tripled their attempts of aerial duels when facing Liverpool which produced positive results – Stoke earned 4 points against Liverpool this season. 

The story was repeated again yesterday against Rickie Lambert – neither Agger nor Skrtel managed to keep the big Englishman at bay with the Southampton forward managing to keep possession or earning a free kick on several occasions. 

2. We come not to fight! 

Liverpool have a well documented style of play – suffocate the opposition by dominating possession. 

Too many times this season though, Brendan’s Reds easily accepted being on the back foot if the opposing team decided to put on a fight. 

Oldham showed no respect to the Reds and the Liverpool players were simply bullied by the fight shown by the Owls. Stoke City also dominated the Merseysiders at the Brittania through their sheer physical strength. 

Once the going gets tough, too many times the Reds did not get going! 

3. Slow Starters! 

Brendan’s Reds started several games without the required desire to win. 

Manchester United away and the game against Southampton are perfect examples of Liverpool only coming into the game after conceding the second goal – only a few teams in the Premier League have the capability to win the game after being two goals down and a club in transition simply does not fall under that category. 

4. Repeated Tactical Errors! 

Brendan Rodgers is in the process of adapting his favorite formation to the players he has available at Liverpool. 

The Northern Irishman started the season with a 4-3-3 formation which has recently morphed into a 4-2-3-1 formation but that transition hasn’t quite worked out so far. 

Take a look at the following data: 

Against West Brom, Rodgers started with a solid 4-2-3-1 formation with the midfield comprising of Lucas and Gerrard in the holding midfield roles, Stewart Downing as the Right Attacking Midfielder, Jordan Henderson on the Left and Jonjo Shelvey down the middle supporting Luis Suarez. 

In an attempt to win the game, Rodgers takes off the responsible Downing and Henderson and brings on the lightweight Sterling and the attacking minded Borini – in the 78th minute Shelvey was replaced by Coutinho. 

Two minutes later West Brom take the lead. 

Brendan Rodgers weakened his midfield and left Lucas exposed – Gerrard was asked to influence the game further up the pitch while neither Sterling, Borini or Coutinho offered defensive support in midfield. 

Liverpool lost the game 2-0. 

A one-off? 

Look below... 

Against Zenit at Anfield, Rodgers starts the game with another solid formation with Lucas, Gerrard, Allen, Downing and Henderson in midfield. 

Liverpool dominated the game and scored 3 goals by the 59th minute – they needed one more goal to qualify. 

Again to boost the offence, Rodgers decides to weaken his center midfield options to add more width – Liverpool’s chances dry out in the last 30 minutes and the Reds are eliminated. 

Wait there’s more! 

Against Tottenham, Rodgers starts with an attacking formation with Lucas and Gerrard in the holding midfield role, Downing on the right while Coutinho and Suarez interchanged in supporting Sturridge. 

The Reds failed to control the midfield and were in danger of being overrun in the second half – Rodgers takes off Coutinho and strengthens his midfield by bringing on Allen during the 59th minute. Liverpool end up coming back from being a goal down to win the game 3-2. 

Not convinced yet? 

In the game against Southampton, Rodgers once again starts with an attacking line-up with Coutinho and Suarez supporting Sturridge. Liverpool struggled to maintain possession and lost the midfield battle against a pressing Southampton side. 

Pochettino sealed the game for his team by adding another midfielder in the second half as Steven Davis replaced Gaston Ramirez – Rodgers failed to react to that change and Liverpool lost the game. 

The key to Liverpool’s is by winning the midfield battle – Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing allow the Reds to dominate the midfield as they possess the physical strength and tactical responsibility to track back and aid the holding midfielder. 

Rodgers has a dilemma to incorporate both Sturridge and Coutinho at once in his team - he needs to find balance between the attacking and defensive aspects of his team. 

5. Stubbornness!

We as fans will never have the opportunity to assess players like managers do as they see the playing staff in training daily while we view our favorite stars once or twice a week on the telly or in the stadium. 

Still, one cant but wonder regarding the sheer stubbornness regarding certain players. 

Take Joe Allen for example – Brendan Rodgers insists on deploying the Welshman in the defensive midfield role despite the obvious lack of balance and physical strength. 

I feel sorry for the little guy as he gets shoved off the ball with ease. 

The worst part of it is that the midfield and the whole back line lose confidence when Allen plays instead of Lucas in that holding role – Gerrard does not have the confidence in his midfield partner to move forward and have a bigger influence on the game. The 2 center backs also think twice before passing the ball to Allen when trying to build the attack from the back. 

Another example is Nuri Sahin who recently criticized Rodgers for playing him out of position – now we all believe that a player should put his head down and do as told but when Jurgen Klopp asks: “Whats was Rodgers thinking?” one must stop and take notice.

Now, I cant guarantee that switching Sahin to the holding midfield role next to Gerrard would have worked wonders with Joe Allen playing the forward role but it was certainly worth a try specially in the early Europa League games. 

Again, we never know if this was tried in training or not but the utter stubbornness regarding Joe Allen and certain player roles certainly raises some questions. 

Eight Games to Go! 

Despite all the criticism I highlighted above, I still have great faith in Brendan Rodgers and in his philosophy regarding our football club. 

I believe we are moving in the right direction and the massive improvement in the goals scored this season is evidence of our moving in the right direction.

The young Northern Irishman must adapt quicker though – he needs to find answers to several questions that have repeated themselves all season without proper response; most notably the Liverpool manager must find balance between attack and defense.

He must also be more open regarding certain views, players and their roles. 

Onwards and upwards...