Investigating Roma’s Early Season Success

It is not every day when we get to witness history, so when an event of historic proportions comes along one must take a deep breath and simply marvel at the magic of such a momentous occasion. 

When A.S. Roma beat Chievo Verona last Thursday, they became the first team in the 115 year history of the Italian League Championship to win the first ten games of the season. 

Roma’s perfect ten have turned a club expected to hover around mid-table into a global sensation. 

Now, let us go over the reasons behind the success of the capital club this season. 

1. Rudi Garcia

It hasn’t been easy for Thomas DiBenedetto since he took over the reins at Roma in the summer of 2011. The American entrepreneur has been forced to recruit three separate managers in three years and after another disappointing season at the hands of Zdenek Zeman and Aurelio Andreazzoli, yet another summer of change beckoned for the Giallorossi. 

On June 12, 2013 the vacated managerial post was handed to Lille manager Rudi Garcia. 

The French tactician who masterminded Lille’s league and cup double triumph in 2011, gained fame for unearthing talents such as Eden Hazard, Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy and Adil Rami to name a few. 

Rudi Garcia has a knack of getting the best out of the talents available at his disposal and that is exactly what the Frenchman is achieving at A.S. Roma. 

Under-performing players are suddenly becoming integral to the Giallorossi first team and good players have gained a touch of “world class” around them. 

Gervinho, much maligned at Arsenal, is producing the sort of form which made him one of Europe’s most sought-after wingers while at Lille. Young stars like Florenzi look older and wiser while old heads like Maicon and Totti seem a couple of years younger. Meanwhile, world class talents like Pjanic and De Rossi continue to be nurtured and developed. 

Garcia’a man management talents did not just leave an impact on the first-teamers with squad members coming in and performing well when called upon with Dodo, Torosidis and Marquinho as perfect examples. 

Suddenly, with Garcia at the helm, Roma’s mid-table squad seems good enough for a title challenge. 

2. Transfers

Thomas DiBenedetto comes from the “Moneyball” school of thought implemented successfully at the Oakland Athletics under Billy Beane and with the recently crowned World Series winners, the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox are owned by Fenway Sports Group (FSG) of which DiBenedetto is a partner. 

Moneyball is a methodology which originated within the statistics of Major League Baseball where players are rated on statistical values which influence the course of a baseball match. 

As a transfer strategy, Moneyball represents signing players based on their contribution to certain facets of play such as passing accuracy, pressing, crossing etc. Moneyball also focuses on acquiring talents who seem to have lost their way or seem to be underperforming for one reason or another – which allows the transfer to be negotiated at a lower value. 

DiBenedetto and the Roma board were heavily criticized in the summer for the transfer dealings which took place at the capital club. Roma supporters and Serie A pundits accused the owners of asset-stripping after the club brought in around 105 million euro in transfer outgoings. 

Marquinhos, Osvaldo and Lamela were sold for large transfer fees while Bojan, Stekelenburg and Tachtsidis also departed. 

With a clear transfer strategy and an ironclad football ideology, the capital club reinvested wisely by bringing in players who would make an instant impact on the starting eleven. 

Mehdi Benatia replaced Marquinhos, Ljajic and Gervinho covered for losing Erik Lamela and Bojan while Morgan De Sanctis took Stekelnburg’s spot as the club’s number one. 

The Stadio Olimpico also witnessed the arrival of Kevin Strootman to strengthen the midfield options after the retirement of Simone Perotta and the sale of Tachtisidis. Last but not least, Maicon joined on a free transfer from Manchester City. 

The new signings came straight into the first team with brilliant success which ensured that the likes of Marquinhos and Lamela are far from being missed. 

3. Tactics

Garcia, a philosopher with firm footballing principles, is an advocate of possession based attacking football which relies on clever movement, intricate passing and a high pressing game. 

Barring injury, Rudi Garcia lines up his Roma side in a progressive 4-3-3 formation with Totti as the mobile false nine. The defence is shielded by Danielle De Rossi while Pjanic and Strootman are allowed to foray into forward positions. The wingers Florenzi and Gervinho cut inside to add more numbers for the defenders to contend with while the fullbacks play a key role in the attacking third through their continuous overlaps. 

Garcia is not a gung-ho tactician though, his team is well drilled defensively and the high pressing game instigated by Roma’s attacking trio is crucial for quelling opposition attacks. In midfield, Strootman is tasked to cover for the forward movement of the left back while Florenzi and Pjanic drop back when needed to aid on the right flank. Benatia and Castan have formed a formidable partnership at the heart of Roma’s defence as the tactically adept Moroccan complements the physical prowess of Leandro Castan. 

Roma’s free flowing attacking football seems a page out Luciano Spalletti’s tactical notebook where the former Roma boss deployed an experimental 4-6-0 formation which kept all opposition defenders guessing due to the unpredictable movement from the team’s midfielders. 

This Roma side is not without a plan B though with Garcia and his charges showing tactical adaptability when required. The injury to Totti could have proven damaging to the fortunes of the capital club but Garcia modified the personal orders of his midfielders and wingers to get the best out of Marco Borriello as the battering ram. 

Garcia’s varied tactics are proving problematic to his Serie A counterparts and that has been critical to the success of the Giallorossi this campaign. 

4. Squad

Roma’s manager has been forced to make full use of his squad due to injuries and suspensions, pushing key players out of the starting line-up as Francesco Totti, Gervinho and Maicon, amongst others, were side-lined in recent weeks. 

The first team vacancies provided Rudi Garcia with an opportunity to test the mettle of squad members vying for first team berths and the likes of Ljajic, Borriello, Bradley and Dodo did not disappoint. 

19 different players have been utilized by Roma’s management in the 11 Serie A games this season – a sign that Garcia is willing to grant first team opportunities to those who work hard and show desire on the training ground. 

With motivation levels high and first team opportunities within their reach, Roma’s squad players are rising to the occasion and providing Garcia with plenty of selection headaches. 

5. Meanest Defence, Highly Prolific Attack

A.S. Roma seem to be a conundrum to the opposition on both sides of the pitch as they currently lead the defensive charts, while in attack, the Giallorossi, who scored 25 goals this season, lay second behind Inter Milan. 

The attacking stats would have been even better had Totti and Gervinho been available for the last three games against Udinese, Chievo Verona and Torino as Garcia’s man struggled to score more than one goal on each occasion. 

In defence, Roma are yet to concede a single goal at the Stadio Olimpico while De Sanctis has only been beaten twice away from home. The partnership of Benatia and Castan boasts the best defensive record across the European continent with just the single goal conceded. 

Conclusion

Rudi Garcia is building a title challenger based on defensive solidity and fluent attacking creativity worthy of the “La Magica” nickname. Roma’s perfect 10 is a wonderful achievement which bodes well for this young project and despite the recent draw with Torino, the capital’s undefeated club will continue to push for the Serie A title come next May.

Sources: http://www.transfermarkt.com http://espnfc.com http://www.squawka.com

Garcia's Roma Maintain Perfection Against Napoli

It was a battle between two sides enjoying a prosperous revolution under new management as A.S. Roma hosted S.S.C. Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico. 

Rudi Garcia’s charges are enjoying the best start to a Serie A campaign in the history of the capitol club with seven wins from their seven outings so far this season. Roma are also proudly sitting atop both the attacking and defensive charts with 20 goals scored and just the one goal conceded. 

Undefeated Napoli, on the other hand, are progressing well under the meticulous eye of Rafa Benitez who has guided his team to six wins in seven games this season, including an away triumph against A.C. Milan. The only disappointing result for the San Paolo side came in a home draw to lowly Sassuolo 

Despite both managers playing down the immediate impact of the score line, the battle at the Olimpico would still reveal a lot in terms of how the title race would shapeup for the remainder of the season. 

Tactical Setup:

A.S. Roma:

Rudi Garcia deploys a very fluid 4-3-3 system reliant on dominating possession and building the attack patiently with short intricate passes. 

Roma’s fullbacks are crucial to the success of their tactics as they take-on very advanced positions on both flanks as soon as Garcia’s men hold possession. The overlap allows the wingers to cut inside and add more numbers for the rival defenses to contend with. Roma’s forward ranks are reinforced further due to the forward movement of Miralem Pjanic. 

Garcia began the game with club captain Francesco Totti leading the line but much like his colleagues, Totti was asked to move around constantly as he dropped deeper when needed and popped up on the flanks on occasions. 

With Maicon, Dodo, Pjanic, Gervinho, Florenzi and Totti in constant motion, the opposing defenders and goalkeeper would have their work cut out throughout the 90 minutes. 

At the back, Rudi Garcia’s orders completed what seemed a well-drilled tactical approach for the Rome club. Physical specimen Leandro Castan played a key role in clearing risks of counterattacks by closely marking Napoli’s advanced forward – the Brazilian also appeared on several occasions mopping up at left back with Dodo returning from an attacking foray. 

Another player tasked with making up for Dodo’s defensive deficiencies was Dutchman Kevin Strootman who patrolled Roma’s midfield responsibly throughout the contest. 

Benatia and De Rossi, the least mobile of all outfield players, maintained tactical positions key to retaining possession and defending against quick counterattacks. 

S.S.C Napoli:

Under Walter Mazzarri, the 3-5-2 formation became synonymous with Napoli but where Benitez goes, the 4-2-3-1 system usually follows. The Spanish tactician utilized the transfer kitty received from the Edison Cavani transfer to create Napoli’s new squad in his own image. 

Rafa is a manager who prepares his line-up to stifle the opposition by nullifying their points of strength and taking advantage of their weaknesses. With that in mind, Napoli relied on a deep defensive line which would allow minimum space for Roma’s forwards to run to while looking for quick counterattacks over the top. Napoli’s midfield were assigned precise defensive orders as Inler and Behrami stood firm in front of the center backs to negate Roma’s dangerous through-balls from center midfield – Napoli’s defensive minded center midfielders were also tasked with minimizing space between the lines. 

Further up the pitch, Insigne, Pandev and Callejon were asked to press the home side’s defensive unit in order to allow minimum time in building an attack from the back. 

First Half:

The home side, supported by a vibrant Stadio Olimpico, began the game on the front foot as Roma dominated possession with Dodo and Maicon stretching Napoli’s defense. 

Roma’s left side held the lion’s share of the action as Dodo and the rejuvenated Gervinho combined to torment Christian Maggio who was returning from a niggling injury. Kevin Strootman played a significant role in the opening minutes as he dropped deep to instigate the attacking moves. 

The home side huffed and puffed with Pjanic and De Rossi troubling Reina before the Giallorossi created their first real chance on 16 minutes. Pjanic received the ball in center midfield and after a clever one-two with Totti, the Bosnian playmaker released a deft through-ball which reached Gervinho but the Ivorian winger shot with his weaker foot and could not hit the target. 

The Rome club continued their ascendancy as their attractive one-touch football left their opponents bamboozled on several occasions. Napoli also struggled with their passing as Roma’s forwards looked to regain possession high up the pitch forcing the away side to hoof the ball forward. Napoli, who prefer to build patiently from the back, simply could not get into the game. 

The away side’s disciplined midfield cancelled out Roma’s trio throughout the first half causing a stranglehold in center midfield – the onus was then on the flanks and that is where Roma’s superiority showed. 

Even with Roma having the edge, it took an inspired tackle from De Rossi to keep the scores level. A quick passing move through the middle saw Insigne break Roma’s high offside trap and released Goran Pandev clean through against De Sanctis – Napoli’s former keeper parried the shot but with the ball heading goal wards De Rossi intervened. 

Minutes later, Rudi Garcia was forced to make the first change of the match as he replaced the injured Totti by Marco Borriello. The less-mobile Italian striker who possesses a large frame was deployed as a battering ram and a focal point for Roma’s attack. 

Borriello almost enjoyed an immediate impact as his knockdown from a Strootman long ball cleared Florenzi for a shot from outside the box but the young midfielder could not find the target. 

Injury then struck the Napoli ranks as Paolo Cannavaro was introduced for the stricken Britos. 

With the half coming to a close, the Pandev-Insigne partnership was at it again – a clever turn and pass on the edge of the penalty box from Pandev freed Insigne but the forward could only hit the side netting for another hands-on-head moment for Benitez and co. 

As Rafa and Garcia worked on their halftime team talks, Pjanic produced a moment of magic to change the complexion of the contest. 

Paolo Cannavaro, who was still getting to grips with the pace of the game, mistimed his tackle on Gervinho and received a yellow card. The free kick, positioned towards the left of the penalty area, was shot to perfection by Pjanic who took the ball above the wall before diving beautifully into the back of the net. 

Second Half:

Pjanic’s last gasp screamer ensured that Benitez had to turn things around for the second half. 

Under the Spaniard’s orders, Napoli began the second half with their defense pushing higher and their midfield keeping possession. The away side relied on short intricate passes through the center of the park before looking to release their most advanced forward. 

Rafa also ordered his fullbacks to push higher as they were positioned around the halfway line while Callejon and Insigne were asked to cut inside and move closer to Pandev. 

With Inler and Behrami dominating the battle in center midfield, Napoli found success with their passing and were able to find space between the lines. 

Against the run of play, it was Roma who created the first major opportunity of the second half as an in-swinging corner was missed by Hamsik and reached De Rossi on the far-post but the stand-in skipper couldn’t anticipate the cross and the chance went begging. 

After the scare, Napoli returned to their control in the center of midfield with Behrami at the hub. The Swiss international regained possession almost immediately for the away side as he chased loose balls and dived into tackles quickly before Roma could spring any form of counterattack. 

Despite their dominion, Napoli were left frustrated as they lacked the penetration and the cutting edge. With Maggio unfit and Mesto out-of-position, the fullbacks could not provide the outlet required to trouble Roma’s defense on the flanks. Hamsik’s lack of form was another factor of irritation for the Naples club. 

Napoli were also slow and predictable in building their attack and were eventually limited to long shots from distance. 

Rafa looked to rectify his side’s issues in attack by introducing Gonzalo Higuain for Goran Pandev on 68 minutes. 

Unfortunately for the Spaniard, the outcome of his latest tactical switch would be short lived – Cannavaro, who struggled with Borriello’s physical strength in the second half, pulled down Roma’s number 88 inside the penalty area – the referee pointed to the spot and duly sent-off Napoli’s beleaguered center back. 

With Totti on the sidelines, Pjanic stepped up to the plate and took his penalty successfully to give his manager the comfort of a two-goal cushion. 

Using their numerical advantage, Roma produced a master class of passing for the remainder of the contest as the Giallorossi created several attacking plays spamming 15 passes or more. 

The match came to a close with the Stadio Olimpico faithful celebrating their club’s eighth triumph in eight league games this season thus equaling a record set by Juventus during the 1985-86 and 1930-31 campaigns. 

Verdict:

Matches at the top of the table are usually decided by minute events swaying towards one team or another. Had Pandev or Insigne possessed the killer instinct when through on goal in the first half then Napoli would have emerged with at least one point from this match. 

Instead, Rafa Benitez was left ruing the injury to Britos and the subsequent introduction of Paolo Cannavaro – THE event which tilted matters in Roma’s favor. 

Despite these fine margins, Rudy Garcia’s role in the revolution at Roma must not be devaluated. The French coach is proving to be an excellent man manager as he is getting the best out of his players – Maicon is producing the kind of form he delivered under Mourinho at Inter Milan while Gervinho looks reborn after his struggles at Arsenal. 

Moreover, Garcia seems to have put together a group of players who gelled seamlessly. At the back, for example, the signing of Benatia to partner Castan is proving to be a masterstroke as the Moroccans’s reading of the game is complimented beautifully by the marauding Brazilian. 

Before the match, Roma’s manager played down the impact of their perfect start to the campaign claiming that the target for this season was still qualification to European competition. 

But deep down inside, the dream of Serie A glory must be brewing in the mind of Garcia after Roma equaled Juve’s eight match winning streak at the start of the season. Garcia knows that the Bianconeri emerged as title winners on both occasions they managed that feat! 

Garcia’s Giallorossi are now the last remaining perfect team across the major European league championships and Roma’s new manager believes his balanced squad possess the credentials to remain at the top come the end of the season.

Hodgson’s Gallant Alter Ego Leads England to Crucial Victory

World Cup Qualification - Group H

England vs Montenegro Tactical Analysis

11 October 2013

England’s must win game against Montenegro presented Roy Hodgson with his first genuine “do-or-die” challenge as England boss with the World Cup qualification to Brazil 2014 hanging in the balance. England head to the final two matches of the qualifying campaign as group leaders but with Montenegro, Ukraine and Poland in close proximity, Roy’s men must be victorious to avoid a nail-biting affair of continental play-offs and possible elimination. 

If there was one word to describe England’s qualifying campaign so far then “Timid” would be my word of choice. The Three Lions collected maximum points only against the minnows of Group H with wins against Moldova and San Marino home and away – but England were found wanting when confronting their direct qualification challengers as they drew with Poland and Montenegro away as well as Ukraine home and away. 

In typical Hodgson fashion, England look solid at the back while lacking the creativity going forward but most crucially Roy Hodgson is habitually setting England up to avoid defeat instead of aiming for the win. 

The pressure on Hodgson’s approach mounted after England’s insipid display in Ukraine. 

The appointment of a new ambitious FA chairman in Greg Dyke only added to the strain felt by Hodgson as Dyke refused to guarantee the safety of Roy’s position should England fail to qualify to Brazil 2014. 

With the tension piling around the England boss and with the nation expecting a positive result, it was up to Roy Hodgson to react. In turn, England’s imperiled manager responded by digging into his personality’s hidden adventurous side. 

Tactical Setup:

England:

Hodgson lined-up his team with a 4-2-3-1 formation with three forwards and a winger spearheading the Three Lion’s attack. Relying on inverted wingers, Hodgson placed Daniel Welbeck on the left wing while Tottenham’s young winger Andros Townsend was positioned on the right. Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge were given a chance to establish their new partnership after previously playing a total of 30 minutes together. 

The England manager decided to utilize his trusted lieutenants in center midfield as the Gerrard-Lampard partnership was restored for the 55th time during their long international careers. 

In defense, Kyle Walker retained his position at right back with Glen Johnson yet to return from injury while Leighton Baines deputized for the injured Ashley Cole at left back. Hodgson stuck with his preferred selection at center back as Gary Cahill partnered Everton’s Phil Jagielka. 

With England retaining possession and building an attack, the inverted wingers were asked to stretch the Montenegro defense as both Townsend and Welbeck would commence their runs from their respective touchlines. England’s fullbacks were tasked with supporting the attack by overlapping as England’s wingers would cut inside into the opposition penalty area as the attacking move progressed. 

Gerrard and Lampard were assigned disciplined roles as they maintained a deeper position throughout the 90 minutes. 

Montenegro:

Branko Brnovic, the Montenegro head coach, struggled with headaches of his own after losing six first-choice players including star striker Mirko Vucinic, goalkeeper Mladen Bosovic and defender Marko Basa. 

The defiant Brnovic, who played down the impact of the injury crisis, set up his Montenegro side to frustrate England as his team sat deep and limited the space around their penalty area. 

With Vucinic missing, Montenegro relied on the creativity of Stevan Jovetic and the physical presence of Dejan Damjanovic in attack as Brnovic looked for quick and incisive counter attacks. Stevan Jovetic was given the freedom to roam in order to use the lack of a dedicated defensive midfielder in England’s team selection. 

First Half:

Roy Hodgson’s men started positively as England’s new number seven, Andros Townsend, wasted no time in introducing himself to the defenders of Montenegro with a series of direct runs starting from the half-way line. 

England continued to dominate possession for long periods of the first-half but they failed to create clear cut chances to trouble keeper Vukasin Poleksic as the Three Lions lacked the penetration needed to break down the congested Montenegro defense. 

Montenegro, after weathering England’s early storm unscathed, settled more into the game as the half progressed and began causing trouble through long balls over the top and into the middle of the pitch with Jovetic’s covert runs proving problematic for the likes of Gerrard and Walker. 

England were finally able to create a chance of note on 40 minutes as Townsend broke into the penalty box and his saved shot reached Rooney who shot off-target. 

Almost immediately, Sturridge was left unmarked from a corner delivered by Steven Gerrard but the Liverpool striker hacked at the shot and the chance went begging. 

Sturridge was again presented with an opportunity to score before the half came to a close but the keeper saved well from a back heel by England’s number nine. 

The referee blew the whistle for half time with Brnovic the happier of the two managers as England were left frustrated. 

Second Half:

The second half started with the news confirming Ukraine’s win in the decisive game against Poland; a result which enforces the “must-win” factor on both nations in the duel between England and Montenegro. 

Perhaps, the result in Kiev had a bigger impact on the psyche of Montenegro as they began the half looking to sneak a goal passed Joe Hart. In pushing forward, Brnovic’s side left a gap on their left side which Townsend utilized to maximum effect. 

England’s young winger picked up the ball behind the half way line and went on a darting run towards the Montenegro byline. Townsend then sent a cross which Savic could only head onto the path of Danny Welbeck – Poleksic would save the shot from England’s number 11 but Rooney latched on to the loose ball and scored by shooting under the keeper’s desperate lunge. 

The goal relaxed the nerves of the home side and inflicted more pressure on Brnovic who had to adopt more of an attacking approach for the remainder of the match to avoid elimination. 

The Montenegro manager began his team’s strategic adjustment by replacing right back Pavicevic with winger Fatos Beqiraj and Zverotic tasked with deploying the right back position. 

Sadly for Brnovic, with his tactical changes to the right flank still taking shape, England capitalized on the resulting uncertainty. Daniel Sturridge, who became more mobile as the match progressed, released Welbeck through a clever back-heel from England’s left wing and the pass attempted by the Manchester United forward deflected off the backtracking Boskovic and into his own net. 

With the away side now looking desperate, star man Jovetic attempted a pile-driver from distance which rifled off Joe Hart’s crossbar. 

Despite the scare, the comfort of a two goal cushion turned England into a much better side with the forwards now showing beautiful movement upfront aided by the calming presence of Michael Carrick in center midfield after replacing Frank Lampard. England created chance after chance with shots from Gerrard, Welbeck and Baines frightening Poleksic. 

Minutes later, against the run of play, Montenegro pulled a goal back through Dejan Damjanovic. Fatos Beqiraj was allowed to shoot from outside the box with Gerrard and Baines guilty of lazy defending – the shot reached the path of Damjanovic who guided the ball home for his second goal against England during the current qualifying campaign. 

The tension returned to haunt Wembley – will England through away a two-goal lead once again versus Montenegro? 

The response to that question was emphatic from Roy Hodgson’s men! 

England first looked to absorb the panic by enjoying a good period of calm possession instigated by Michael Carrick. Then, the brilliant Townsend ensured a full debut which will be remembered for a very long time. 

Tottenham’s youngster picked up the ball around the half-way line and after a strong dribble sent a missile which hit the inside of the post and into the net. 

Townsend was taken-off minutes later to a rapturous ovation from the adoring Wembley crowd and replaced by Jack Wilshere. 

After England’s third, Brnovic threw the towel and brought off Jovetic for Kasalica as Montenegro began to tire both physically and mentally. 

Hodgson looked to gain a strangle hold on the match for the remaining minutes by strengthening England’s center midfield with the introduction of James Milner. The change saw England line up in a 4-3-3 formation with Rooney now placed on the left wing and Welbeck moving to the right side. 

The Three Lions capped off an impressive performance with Daniel Sturridge earning a penalty in the final minute of added-on time and scoring the resulting spot-kick to take the score-line to a resounding 4-1. 

Verdict:

Full credit must go to Roy Hodgson for embracing an adventurous strategy in such “do-or-die” settings and the result was one of England’s better performances in recent years. 

After the match, Hodgson stressed that picking Andros Townsend was not an easy decision: “We agonized over selecting Andros Townsend. We argued back and forth and had a lot of time to think about it.” Hodgson said. “To leave people like Jack Wilshere and James Milner out, with all the good work he's put in for us in this group and the attacking flair they bring, was not easy.“ 

"But we envisaged something and it came off. “ Hodgson continued. “We thought Andros's pace against a packed defense would open doors.” 

Roy’s vision came to reality after Andros Townsend became the catalyst to a critical triumph. 

Hodgson must also be applauded for his reading of the match. The introduction of Michael Carrick for Frank Lampard was an inspired move which brought much needed solidity and assurance to England’s midfield. 

England have been stifled by the weight of expectations and fear of loss on several occasions over the last few years. Watching England play with such attacking verve was a joy to behold as the shackles were dropped and the forwards were allowed the freedom to put their opponents to the sword. 

Still, this was a game which was always dependant on who would score the first goal. Had Montenegro been able to use England’s gaps in center midfield then this would have a completely different article. 

England enjoyed the “ideal case situation” in key moments of the match as they were able to score immediately after half time, established a two-goal cushion and then score right after conceding to calm down their nerves but that should come as no surprise as fortune usually favors the brave. 

Advantage Roy Hodgson – now the England manager must choose which persona to don before the decider against Poland. 

*Interview with Roy Hodgson was taken from theguardian.com by Dominic Fifield 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/12/england-montenegro-roy-hodgson-andros-townsend

Spoils shared between Master and Protege

Premier League

Spurs vs Chelsea Match Analysis

September 28, 2013

The London derby between Spurs and Chelsea has a very different vibe about it this season. The White Hart Lane club are no longer the perennial under-achievers of London as they target a solid top-four finish this season with an eye on competing for the Premier League trophy. AVB’s side looks at Chelsea now as equals. 

To add to the drama, the contest pits Master and Apprentice in a head-to-head for the first time in the careers of Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas. AVB was part of Jose’s backroom staff for seven years at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan before the young Portuguese tactician decided to part-ways with Mourinho to take on a more senior role. 

In the build-up to the contest, AVB stated: “We had a great personal and professional relationship before. We don't have that now”. 

"I was never his No.2," AVB continued. "I was part of his staff, but I was never his assistant. That's one of the reasons we went our separate ways. I thought I could give him a lot more but he didn't feel the need to have someone next to him”. 

Mourinho’s response was passive-aggressive: “I'm not a kid. I don't discuss this with the media, it's a personal thing. I don't care what he says. I'm not here to do that. I'm not interested”. 

The rivalry between the coaches was expected to add more tension to what is usually a very intense affair. 

That, however, was not the case during the first half of the match. 

Spurs began the derby in the ascendancy with Christian Eriksen finding space in forward positions due to his intelligent movement. The Dane also showcased sublime vision and quick thinking as he played a role in every opportunity Tottenham created. 

Chelsea, on the other hand, were subdued with Mikel looking slow and labored in defensive midfield. Jose Mourinho deployed his trusted lieutenants for this key game as Frank Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole were involved in the starting line-up. 

Tottenham’s energetic midfield dominated the game during the first 20 minutes with Paulinho pushing forward while Townsend and Sigurdsson moved infield from their wide positions to aid the physical Soldado who was asked to rough-up the Blues’ center defenders. 

In the 19th minute, the home side was rewarded for their promising start. 

A quick turn from Christian Eriksen got him past Frank Lampard and towards the Chelsea penalty area. His quick pass from the left reached Soldado who set-up the rushing Sigurdsson for the opening goal of the contest. 

The Iceland international has been in superb form this season with AVB getting the best out of the advanced midfielder from wide left which allows Sigurdsson’s to cut inside undetected using his clever forward runs. 

Chelsea will point to the pedestrian Mikel who failed to react to Eriksen’s forward surge thus allowing Soldado the time and space to lay the pass to Sigurdsson. 

Spurs, enthused by the goal, continued to push forward and nearly doubled their advantage minutes later as Townsend and Walker combined down the right flank to deliver a dangerous cross which Paulinho would have directed goal-wards if it wasn’t for a crucial interception by Ivanovic. 

The uninspired Blues continued to struggle in midfield with Paulinho breaking dangerously on several occasions. The impressive Dembele, who was positioned deeper, controlled the tempo and pressed high up the pitch as the Chelsea defense looked to establish an attack. 

Mourinho’s midfield trio of Mikel, Lampard and Oscar clearly wasn’t working while Ramires was wasted on the right flank. 

Despite the Blues finally coming to life during the last 10 minutes, it was Spurs who once again produced another threatening chance. 

A clever back-heel from Walker on the right, reached the direct Townsend who ran at Terry and reached the Chelsea penalty area – the young England winger passed to Paulinho but the Brazilian could only hit the side netting with the goal at his mercy. 

Advantage to the Apprentice at half-time! 

The second half started with a tactical change by Mourinho as Mata replaced the disinterested Mikel. The switch forced a series of changes to the Chelsea midfield as Ramires moved to the holding midfield role with Oscar asked to operate from the left. Eden Hazard also took-on a new post as central attacking midfielder. 

Another significant change by the Blues boss was in the role of Fernando Torres. Chelsea’s number nine was employed as the battering ram in the first half but was asked to drop deeper and run at defenders during the second 45 minutes. 

The changes worked a charm! 

First, Torres dribbled well on the right side and sent a good cross into the Spurs six-yard box – unfortunately for the Blues, Oscar failed to hit the ball cleanly and the chance was wasted. 

Minutes later, the Spaniard again dribbled past the Tottenham defense and was left one-on-one with Hugo Lloris who saved brilliantly. 

The menacing Torres became a nuisance to AVB’s defenders, particularly Vertonghen who clashed with Torres after a dive by the Belgian international. The reaction from Torres earned him a yellow-card. 

Villas-Boas reacted to the tactical changes made by Mourinho by implementing a high-offside line which caught the Chelsea attackers on several occasions. The White Hart Lane club also became reliant on quick counterattacks. 

Spurs though, struggled to get their midfield into the game with Ramires playing a key role in improving the Blues from the holding-midfield position in the second half. Mourinho also ensured that Eriksen would be closed-down quickly thus stifling the Danish international. 

On 65 minutes, Chelsea earned a free-kick close to the center circle which the impressive Mata delivered accurately to John Terry who headed home for a deserved equalizer. The Chelsea captain moved away from Dawson and was then left unmarked by Vertonghen and Townsend for a free header. 

With the wind in their sales, Mourinho brought-on Andre Schurrle for the quiet Eden Hazard to try and win the game. The German international was deployed on the left wing for Chelsea. 

AVB responded by taking-off Eriksen and replacing him with Lewis Holtby with the Dane going-off to a standing ovation from the Spurs faithful. Eriksen was the star of the show during the first half but Mourinho’s changes in the second half rendered him helpless. 

The young Spurs boss also substituted the tiring Soldado with Jermain Defoe. 

The intimidating Torres continued to torment the Tottenham defense, this time through a pass to Andre Schurrle and Lloris once again saved well from a one-on-one situation for the Blues. 

The absorbing tale of Fernando Torres in this derby was to come to an abrupt end though. The Spaniard, attempted to win the header against Jan Vertonghen which was judged to be on the aggressive side. This was one duel too many for Torres and Vertnoghen as the referee showed the number nine his second yellow of the contest and was sent-off. 

With Chelsea down to 10 men, Mourinho introduced Azpilicueta for Oscar with the Spanish fullback asked to play a role on the left side of midfield. 

The red card swayed the game back in favor of the home team as the Spurs midfield regained control of center midfield and relied on patient possession football to try and break down the Chelsea defense who sat deep in the last few minutes of the contest. 

Spurs were unable to create any clear-cut chances with AVB’s charges limited to a couple of shots from outside the box from Sigurdsson and Defoe. 

The full time whistle came with Mentor and Apprentice on an even keel. 

Villas-Boas will be proud of getting his team up for the game as they started as the better side but the “Happy One” was superior in reading the contest and made the changes necessary. 

Mourinho recently blamed a change of philosophy at the club for the faltering start of the Blues this season but the issue seems to be a mental one more than anything else. Chelsea are not showing the hunger and the winning attitude they mirrored during the first coming of the Special One – the Stamford Bridge side start their matches with a laid-back approach and generally seem saturated. 

The performance of Torres is a big plus for Chelsea despite the red card. Another Spaniard making a strong case is Juan Mata who is making it very difficult for Mourinho to keep him out of the starting line-up. 

Spurs on the other hand will be delighted with Christian Eriksen who looks a very astute signing capable of having a big impact. For AVB, this is a positive point against direct competitor for a top-four position in the league this season. Spurs must ensure that they keep racking up the points while the new players are bedding into their new surroundings to ensure they could push on after Christmas with a more settled squad. 

The one-all score line is a fair result in what should become a common duel between Mourinho and Villas-Boas as each manager continues the process of shaping-up their squads.

Top four in the first half, bottom three in the second!

Liverpool have made one of their better starts to a Premier League season this campaign, accumulating 10 points from a possible 15 and are currently sitting joint third in the standings.

But the Anfield club is struggling with symptoms of “Jekyll and Hyde” performances between the first half and the second.

During the first half, Brendan’s charges reveal their beautiful, attractive and riveting side of their personalities as they look a class above their bewildered opponents. The vigorous Reds dominate possession, push-up the pitch and strangle their opposition with a high-pressing game. Liverpool look to use intricate passing and clever movement in the attacking third to break down defenses when holding possession.

In the second half though, particularly after the 60 minute mark, a metamorphosis of the team takes place as Liverpool take-on the form of their ‘darker’ side!

Possession based football is abandoned and replaced by deep defensive tactics as the Reds sit back to protect Simon Mignolet’s goal with the team looking to counter attack quickly using the wide midfielders Jordan Hednerson and Victor Moses. Brendan’s tactics are also reliant on long balls from deep within the Liverpool half for Daniel Sturridge to chase.

It feels like watching two completely different teams!

During the first three games of the league season, reverting to such defensive tactics could be described as the realistic and logical approach with Brendan Rodgers looking to defend a one-goal advantage. Many hailed this approach as pragmatic. But as pragmatic as Rodgers could be, he is still the same man who said the following:

"If you are better than your opponent with the ball you have a 79% chance of winning the game".

Had Rodgers been able to follow his philosophy against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, his side would have won the contest.

The “pragmatic” approach would have been to sit deeper and defend the one-goal lead but surrendering possession and gifting the middle of the pitch to The Swans was far from practical. The tactic implemented only invited more pressure from the Welsh side who in-turn looked a class above their rivals in the second half.

This got me thinking…something must be forcing Brendan’s hand to relinquish his philosophy after the 60th minute?

The answer came to me during the second half against Southampton in the Premier League match at Anfield.

For the first time this season, Liverpool had to chase the game in the second half and the cracks started to show. With no attacking influence from the fullbacks, due to the injury to Glen Johnson and the unfit Jose Enrique, the attacking impetus from the Reds center midfield became vital if the Reds were to find a way back in the second half.

Unfortunately, neither Lucas nor Gerrard produced the impact required.

Both Gerrard and Lucas looked tired beyond 65 minutes and it only got worse as the game wore on. Gerrard, who only produced two key passes throughout the 90 minutes, could not marshal the attack from a deeper position nor could he rely on his usual engine to push closer to the Southampton penalty area.

Lucas, who was also moving up-field, struggled against the Southampton pressing and gave the ball away on several occasions. The Brazilian, impaired by his fitness, also failed to win key duels in midfield.

Eventually, Brendan’s side could only muster 4 attempts with just one on target and most importantly, no goals.

Furthermore, with The Reds forced to use Gerrard and Lucas further up the pitch, the Reds left space in the middle of the park which Southampton used to instigate dangerous counterattacks. This resulted with Southampton creating eight attempts, six of them on target.

With Liverpool playing deeper and looking to defend a goal advantage, Lucas and Gerrard have enough in them to close-down their opponents and ensure space is covered at the back. But, as an attacking threat, Liverpool’s current center midfield partnership lacks the fitness requirements to pose any impact beyond 60 minutes.

This change in tactics during the second half has Liverpool producing the following stats:

Stats after 5 Matches	First Half	Second Half
Possession Average %	54	46
Total Attempts	38	25
Total Shots on Target	19	8
Total Goals	5	0
League Position	2	18

Abysmal reading for Brendan Rodgers!

The Liverpool boss discussed the apparent fitness issues in a recent interview with The Times:

“Funnily enough we have sat down this week and looked at that. For me it has been mostly in the last two games.”

“We intentionally dropped our lines a bit deeper against Aston Villa because of their pace, and that was fine. Against Manchester United we dropped too deep, too quickly. Even though we looked comfortable that was not the type of game we want to play” Rodgers continued.

“And against Swansea we were very good in the first half but were not how I expected us to be in the second half” concluded the Northern Irish coach.

Despite the Liverpool boss playing down fitness issues ravaging his team, the backroom staff at the club must make the resolution of this issue top priority if the Reds are to continue their chase for the Premier League top-four successfully.

*Data collected from Squawka.com and Football365.com

Bundesliga Transfer Window Review

The league which provided both sides of the Champions League final last season witnessed a summer of “controlled” spending as only three clubs spent over 10 million Euros in net transfer fees (Bayern Munich, Schalke 04, VfL Wolfsburg).

This article will cover the main moves of the Bundesliga this summer and what could be expected from the clubs over the coming nine months…

Bayern Munich

How do you improve a club which won every single competition that they participated in last season?

That was the question rattling the brains of Messrs Uli Hoeneß, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and newly recruited manager Pep Guardiola throughout the summer.

Bayern confirmed the hiring of Guardiola in the middle of January 2013 in order to allow the Spanish tactician ample time to assess the squad from a distance and plan ahead for the coming season.

The early announcement, though, seemed to have eased the pressure on Jupp Heynckes who lead his team to the most successful season in the club’s history thus mounting the pressure on the incoming Guardiola.

Bayern ,acting early with player recruitment as well, announced their first major signing of the summer, Mario Gotze, on April 23rd as a statement of intent that they are pushing to improve the club even further after the departure of Heynckes.

What followed though can be described by one word: “Caution”.

It would have been very difficult for Guardiola to convince the board or the supporters that the club needed a transformation to adapt to the tactics utilized by the Spaniard – after all, Heynckes was only using a very adaptable version of the Tiki-Taka himself.

With that in mind, Pep moved for a player he knew very well in the shape of Thiago Alcantara from former club FC Barcelona. Bayern also signed Jan Kircchoff on a free transfer to add to the club’s defensive ranks. Both are “low-risk” signings going forward while Guardiola settles in to his new post and then decide on more profound changes in the coming transfer windows.

The Bavarian club was active with their sales during the summer as they announced the departures of forwards Mario Gomez and Nils Petersen. Luiz Gustavo and Emre Can joined Bundesliga rivals VFL Wulfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen respectively while Anatoliy Tymoshchuk joined Russian Clubn Zenit St. Petersburg on a free transfer.

Squad Assessment:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Tom Starke, Lukas Reader

Defenders: Philipp Lahm , Rafinha, Dante, Daniel Van Buyten, Jan Kircchoff, Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber, Diego Contento, David Alaba

Midfielders: Javi Martinez, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantara, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze, Xherdan Shaqiri

Forwards: Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Mario Mandzukic, Claudio Pizarro

Bayern Munich will rely on possession-based football this season with emphasis on attacking fullbacks and an interchangeable midfield and attack.

Lahm is one of the top-two right backs in the world while Alaba is perhaps the most exciting young left back in world football. Dante, Boateng and Badstuber will compete for the two starting positions in center defense for what forms a formidable Bayern back four.

Behind the back four is Manuel Neuer of course, who continues to produce stunning saves when called-upon. The Bavarian’s world class keeper completes what shapes up to be one of the best defensive units in Europe.

Bayern’s midfield is as strong as they come across Europe – Javi Martinez, for me, was the best midfielder in the world last season as he was the linchpin in the tactical mastery displayed by the Bavarian side under Jupp Heynckes. Bastian Schweinsteiger is one of the best midfield players of his generation while both Kroos and Alcantara seem to be developing well to lead the midfield in the near future. Gotze and Muller will fill the advanced role in Bayern’s midfield three.

The sales of Nils Petersen and more importantly Mario Gomez leaves the Allianz Arena side short in terms of striking options. The style of play donned by Gomez does not fit with the Tiki-Taka preached by Guardiola but the lack of replacement for the outgoing German international striker could prove costly to the Bavarians in case of a long term injury to Mandzukic.

No troubles of this sort exist with the Munich outfit as Ribery and Robben are two of the best wing combinations in Europe – they are also adequately replaced by the likes of Shaqiri on the bench.

Still, one feels that the Bayern attack is perhaps where Guardiola will commence his transformation over the coming windows.

Overall, Bayern Munich will certainly be the side to beat in Germany as the likes of Dortmund will have their work cut out in their attempts to dethrone the Bundesliga champions.

As for the Champions League, the Bavarians certainly are contenders for the trophy once again this season. In fact, Bayern have competed in three of the last four UEFA Champions League finals. Few could bet against them reaching the semi-finals of the competition this season.

Borussia Dortmund

After the seismic response from Bayern Munich last season and their reclamation of their place as the emperors of the German game, BVB had to strike back this summer.

Furthermore, Dortmund suffered the blow of losing star player Mario Gotze to their Bavarian rivals even before the season ended.

BVB, who have become an example for how to obtain success within limited financial means, produced an inspired summer to strengthen their first team using the money received from the sale of Mario Gotze.

In came Armenian attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk for 27.5 million Euros. The goal scoring midfielder was joined by the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from AS St. Etienne. Finally, the club moved for Sokratis to replace Felipe Santana at center back.

Jurgen Klopp could also pride himself at keeping striker Robert Lewandowski who threatened to leave the club after refusing to renew his running contract. BVB resisted to buckle under the pressure of losing their target man for free by the end of the season and kept hold of Poland’s number nine.

Another positive move by Die Schwarzgelben was the loan of future star Moritz Leitner to VFB Stuttgart to gain valuable first team football.

Squad Assessment:

Goalkeepers: Roman Weidenfeller, Mitchell Langerak, Zlatan Alomerovic

Defenders: Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels, Marian Sarr, Sokratis, Koray Gunter, Marcell Schmelzer, Jannik Bandowski, Oliver Kirsch, Lukasz Piszczek, Erik Durm

Midfielders: Sebastian Kehl, Sven Bender, Ilkay Gundongan, Nuri Sahin, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Kevin Grosskreutz, Jonas Hofmann, Jakub Blaszczykowski

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang, Julian Schieber, Marvin Ducksch

Jurgen Klopp has a well-balanced squad who are interchangeable and adaptable.

Roman Weindefeller is a very able keeper who played a key role in helping his club to the Bundesliga titles as well as the Champions League final last season.

In Subotic and Hummels, BVB possess two of the most sought-after center defenders in Europe who have formed a great partnership. Sokratis will add capable depth to this key position. BVB’s fullbacks also represent the envy from a lot of clubs across the European continent – Marcell Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek are two of the best attacking fullbacks out there.

Grosskreutz has done well in replacing Piszczek when needed but one feels that an injury to Schmelzer could be damaging to Dortmund as they lack the presence of an adequate cover in their squad.

In midfield, Dortmund possess dynamic and adaptable players who can perform their attacking and defensive duties equally. Sven Bender is showing the skills to match his early promise while Gundongan is one of the best young creative midfielders in world football who is equally adept at influencing the attack from advanced positions as well as set the tempo of the match from a deeper midfield position.

Nuri Sahin seems to be returning to his old form under Klopp and Kehl will add much needed experience when required. Kuba Blaszczykowski can play anywhere on the right side and has been an inspiration for BVB over the last few seasons.

New signing Henrik Mkhitaryan will be responsible for providing the attacking impetus from midfield and replace the gap left by the departure of Gotze. The Armenian boasts a record of 44 goals and 24 assists from 106 matches over three seasons for Shakhtar Donetsk. The much-coveted Mkhitaryan enjoyed his most prolific season last year as he scored 29 goals from 42 games.

Mkhitaryan enjoyed a blistering start to his Dortmund career scoring three goals and providing one assist in his first four Bundesliga appearances and should prove an excellent signing for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The BVB football manager also enjoys a plethora of attacking talent in the shape of Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus and new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. As a front three, few clubs possess a better combination than Dortmund with Aubameyang on the right cutting inside while Reus uses his powerful and direct approach from the left to aid Robert Lewandowski who is becoming one of the best target men in world football.

Der BVB do lack in terms of cover for Lewandowski while Grosskreutz and Blaszczykowski could play a part in replacing Reus or Aubameyang.

Jurgen Klopp will be looking to close the gap at the top of the Bundesliga table this season as he looks a sterner competition to Bayern Munich than they could achieve last year. Despite the loss of Gotze, the BVB squad and first team is actually stronger this year and will push Bayern to the limits in the Bundesliga this season.

Dortmund will look to the stability of the playing squad and the side’s tactics as their main advantage over their Bavarian rivals who will be integrating fresh methods under new coach Pep Guardiola.

BVB have been grouped with Arsenal, Marseille and Napoli in the UEFA Champions League group of death. If they survive, Die Borussen will prove to be a tough nut to crack in the later stages and could possibly push for another semi-final spot this season.

Bundesliga Contenders for European Qualification:

Looking at the transfer activity across the other German clubs in the Bundesliga, one could easily see the effects of the financial crisis as the clubs worked within their limited resources during the summer transfer window.

What follows is a brief overview of the activity conducted by the clubs expected to compete at the top end of the table this season:

Bayer Leverkusen:

Bayer Leverkusen, used the cash received from the sale of Andre Schurrle to Chelsea, and signed nine players for the first squad with Giulio Donati, Heung-Min Son and Emre Can the main signings of the summer thus showing an emphasis on youth in the club’s transfer strategy. Erin Derdiyok is also a good signing for the BayArena side on loan from Hoffenheim.

Sami Hyypia has a youthful side to call-on with the side’s main strength coming in their center midfield options. Heung-Min, Sidney Sam, Erin Derdiyok and Keissling form the nucleus for an active and hard-working attack.

In defense, the club will miss the presence of Daniel Carvajal who left to Real Madrid with Roberto Hilbert and Giulio Donati competing for the right back spot. Leverkusen’s center defensive partnership is decent but is certainly open for improvement; the same could be said for their left back options as well.

Overall, Bayer will be looking to finish in the UEFA Champions League spots this season and Sami Hyypia possesses the squad to achieve this target.

Schalke 04:

“Null Vier” enjoyed a good summer after strengthening their squad by bringing in Filipe Santana, Christian Clemens, Adam Szalai, Leon Goretzka and Kevin-Prince Boateng. The club also loaned Denis Aogo from Hamburg SV to improve their first team.

Schalke are in fact the second highest team in terms of transfer spending this summer behind the mighty Bayern Munich.

“Die Knappen” possess a good squad across the pitch with their back-four options being one of the best in the German league. Howedes, Santana, Papadopoulos and Matip will provide Jens Keller with a welcome headache as they vie for the center back positions. Uchida and Aogo complete what looks a solid back-four for Schalke.

The Gelsenkirchen side boast an exciting youthful supply line which includes the likes of Julian Draxler, Max Meyer, Leon Goretzka and Cristian Clemens – all of whom should get ample time in the first team this season.

Schalke’s youth will be complemented by the experience provided by players like Jefferson Farfan, Klaas Jan-Huntelaar and Kevin-Prince Boateng which should guide the club to a top four Bundesliga finish.

Borussia Mönchengladbach:

A quiet summer at Borussia-Park saw the club improve their forward options by signing Brazilian attacking midfielder Raffael and striker Max Kruse.

You get the feel of a team ready to make the move upwards with this Mönchengladbach squad which fields a host of up-and-coming stars such as ter Stigen, Alvaro Dominguez, Granit Xhaka, Patrick Herrmann and Luuk de Jong.

The addition of a seasoned footballer such as Raffael was much needed considering the over-reliance on youth throughout the squad while Kruse will offer the club good movement in forward positions.

Lucien Favre is building his Borussia side slowly but surely and although a top four spot could be ahead of schedule come the end of the season, Gladbach will certainly enjoy the scalp of a few big sides during the season.

Others:

The Bundesliga features a few more clubs looking to break into the European spots by next May mainly in the form of VFL Wolfsburg who spent big on Luiz Gustavo, Hannover 96 and VfB Stuttgart.

A game of two halves costs LFC 100% record

Swansea City vs Liverpool Match Analysis - 16 September 2013

It was a case of “Yesterday’s Friends, Today’s Foes” as Brendan Rodgers took his table-topping Liverpool to the Liberty Stadium to take on Swansea City. 

Rodgers of course, was the man who lead the Swans to the Premier League before making the move to Anfield. It is always emotional when facing a previous employer but on this occasion, the spotlight would be on a player who made the jump in the opposite direction – Jonjo Shelvey, deemed not good enough for the Reds by Brendan Rodgers, moved to Swansea this summer. 

The young England international began the game with a chip on his shoulder. 

Swansea’s number 8 advanced from midfield with a point to prove and attempted a shot from outside the box; the shot, blocked by Gerrard, fell kindly for Shelvey who continued to move into the Liverpool penalty area – this time his shot was once again blocked, this time by Skrtel. Shelvey was not to be denied though; he picked up the ball again and rifled a shot in to the net! 

Redemption for the former Red? 

Not quite! 

A couple of minutes later, Shelvey revealed the side of his game responsible for Brendan Rodgers’ damning assessment. The Swansea midfielder, pressured by Henderson, passes the ball towards his keeper with hope but without even looking – the instinctive Sturridge intercepts the pass and shoots to score his 4th goal in 4 league games this season. 

The match settled after the insane Shelvey-inspired start with Liverpool dominating possession. Rodgers handed debuts to deadline day signings Mamadou Sakho and Victor Moses who were positioned in center defense and left wing respectively. 

With Moses positioned on the left, Coutinho returned to his favorite role as the Trequarista – the Brazilian exchanged positions with Jordan Henderson as the one who would drop deeper into center midfield to help build a Liverpool attack. 

Liverpool’s fullbacks were asked to curb their forward movement as the Reds relied on a very patient possession-based approach. The injury to Glen Johnson and the introduction of Victor Moses on the left wing are possibly the main reasons why we rarely saw the LFC fullbacks overlap in advanced positions. Andre Wisdom does not possess the attacking verve of Johnson while Moses would potentially leave space for Swansea to take advantage of as he gets used to his role on the left thus forcing Enrique to be more responsible offensively. 

Liverpool’s dominant possession play was complemented by aggressive pressing on the Swansea defenders and center midfielders up the pitch. The Reds choked out passing outlets as they closed down the Swans attacking options as well – Dyer, Michu and Bony were almost inexistent for long periods of the first half. 

To counter-act Liverpool’s domination of the proceedings, Laudrup asked his team to push up while Routledge was ordered to move centrally from the left to aid the troubled midfield. 

As the half progressed, Victor Moses got involved more in the attacking sense – first the Nigerian winger set up Sturridge for a chance after a right footed cross from the left. Minutes later, with Swansea gaining momentum, Moses intercepted another stray pass from Shelvey and pushed forward before cutting inside and scoring with a right-footed shot – Sturridge played a role in the debut goal for Liverpool’s new number 12 by occupying a couple of retreating Swansea defenders through his clever movement. 

The Welsh side looked for an immediate reaction with Dyer breaking into the Liverpool penalty box from the right side – Dyer’s shot, saved by Mignolet, reached Bony with the goal gaping only for Skrtel to deny the Ivorian with a precise tackle. 

Skrtel is showing the colossal form he displayed under Kenny Dalglish and is almost becoming an “untouchable” for the Liverpool defense. 

The second half started with Laudrup looking to strengthen his midfield options by introducing Jonathan De Guzman for Nathan Dyer. 

Laudrup’s attempts to win the midfield battle were boosted after Coutinho suffered a shoulder injury. Liverpool’s number 10 replaced by Iago Aspas. 

Swansea’s attacking-minded tactics in the second half paid dividends on 64 minutes with “You-know-who” involved yet again! A brilliant move, started by Shelvey, resulted in Michu scoring his first goal of the Premier League campaign after Shelvey nodded down a Britton cross to perfection. 

Almost immediately, Laudrup looked to smother any chance of a Liverpool recovery by taking-off Bony and bringing on Alejandro Pozuelo to further bolster their grip on the battle in midfield. With Michu now leading the line, you could notice an improved Swansea performance with the players reverting to a more familiar approach which they applied last season. 

As it has become customary this season, Brendan’s Reds relied on a deep defensive line after the 60th minute with their defenders forced to play long balls from the back looking for the runs of Daniel Sturridge and Victor Moses. 

The Swansea pressing remained relentless as the Liberty Stadium faithful sensed a winning goal – on several occasions, Liverpool’s wing outlets were outnumber 3-1. Despite the Swan’s dominance in the second half, they struggled to create goal-mouth chances as Liverpool dug deep and once again relied on the strength of character they are showing this season. The Reds, could have won the match with the last kick of the game after Aspas was left one-on-one with Vorm but the Spain forward took too much time before hitting the trigger. 

The referee blew the full-time whistle with a fair 2-2 score line. 

This was a very encouraging performance by Swansea after their disappointing start to the season. Michael Laudrup is still struggling with using Bony and Michu together as the Swans looked a better side with the Spaniard leading the attack on his own. 

If there ever was a match to typify who Jonjo Shelvey is as a football player then this would be the ideal one – the young midfielder has the skills to turn the game around for his team; he also has a knack for concentration lapses that could be very costly for his side. 

"I just want to say sorry to the fans for the two bad mistakes that gifted Liverpool a draw," said Shelvey, after the match. 

As for Liverpool, the forced changes to their back four impacted their solidity at the back with Mignolet beaten for the first time this season. The injury to Glen Johnson is a damaging one for the Reds as Wisdom failed to provide the attacking outlet required with Liverpool under pressure – the England U21 captain conceded possession on several occasions. 

Despite the two goals conceded, Sakho enjoyed an impressive debut showcasing his tackling abilities as well as his footballing skills. The French defender must adapt to Brendan’s defensive requirements quickly with the Reds boss stating: 

"I thought he (Sakho) was excellent and assured. He stepped out maybe a wee bit too far for the second goal but that's something that, once he gets used to working with us, he'll improve on. Overall I thought he was strong, aggressive and passed it well”. 

The biggest worry for Liverpool is their center midfield options – with Henderson now deployed on the right, Brendan Rodgers only has Joe Allen to come-off the bench to aid his center midfield options. With Allen injured against his old club, LFC could not bring-on a player to sway the midfield battle back in their favor. 

Another concern is the Red’s failure to dominate football matches after the 65th minute this season. Swansea maintained a whopping 68% of possession in the second half and 59% overall. 

The return to the Liberty Stadium provided Rodgers with the first serious questions asked of his side this season. LFC looked a class apart when maintaining possession in the first half but when put under pressure, Liverpool’s players could not show their strengths. Still, Liverpool’s Northern Irish manager would be pleased with his side’s mental strength once again this campaign – The Reds return to Anfield still undefeated and still top of the table.