After what has been a frustrating time and personally I have been a bit dejected by performances lately....
So frustrated I have still watched every game but I haven't been able to enjoy them. I think a lot of liverpool fans have felt the same.
Having said that.....What a win tonight. and what a win for Carroll. Just watched the replay. For the first time in a while we had energy.
Not everything was great but some of the players that have deserved a chance got it and delivered. (Maxi and Carroll). Maxi has got a knack for scoring.... And I think he has deserved more chances recently.
Andy Carroll has all left us all frustrated but has he had a consistent run in the team (by that I mean 6-10 consecutive games. It is a bit the same that we saw with Ryan Babel under benitez.
I also thought the pundits on Sportsnet world (has EPL rights in Canada) tonight made a good point about Carrolls service from the wingers.
Don hutchinson specifically pointed out that Downing has not been at his best and we haven't had anyone performing and putting crosses in from the right. Henderson and Kuyt has not played well in the right wing position this year.
By all means Carroll is not without fault either. He missed some sitters and has had some chances. He even missed another one tonight....long before his goal. He also in my opinion does not know how to get momentum into his headers by moving on to the ball.
It was John Aldridge that pointed this out on Liverpool echo's website and I think he had an excellent point. Andy carroll can get to stationary in the box. He moves into the position he wants to finish from in the box. Instead of starting his runs from further back and coming on to the ball with momentum. Few could then stop his 6ft 5inch frame.
With ideal movement (which may come with experience) he could become worth more of the money over time. 35M was still steep and I don't think he has enough pace to be worth that much.
I guess I just think strikers thrive if they have the trust of their managers and get consecutive games. Torres lacked that from Andre villas boas and you see what has happened. Few can argue he has quality... after what he did at Liverpool.
Big Andy has also lacked some faith from kenny, not as in support in the media but faith in terms of consistent playing time.
I think there is a few reasons that he hasn't succeeded and got consistent games. As I said above missing chances has not helped in that respect, lack of luck - some amazing goal keeping performances early in the season, the price tag and the enormous pressure £35M, playing system (only playing with one striker all the way up top) and kenny's unwillingness to play suarez in any of the wing positions in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
I forget if he has tried it with Carroll up top, Suarez on the right wing and with downing and gerrard in the left wing and central AM positions respectively.
I do not think we have tried that properly and for enough games. Carroll maybe does not have the pace to play well in the position for many games (can't be a threat and run in behind defences to good effect) due to the pace issue but against weaker teams I would think it could work. Even a 442 could have been tried more with gerrard playing right mid. Whether we like gerrard playing there or not one of his most productive seasons was in that positions and his delivery and accuracy is the best in the team from that position in my eyes.
Injuries to Lucas, adam, gerrard (earlier in the season) and wing backs (johnson, kelly) have hurt us. Gerrard especially early, but then when fit and in the team I think we have had to try to rely on him a bit too much.
I personally think Shelvey should have been given more chances and he proved tonight that he has some qualities that can make him into a great central midfielder. His shot eventually set up the maxi second goal.
Both him and henderson (in front of spearing) could have stepped in more in central mid when adam and lucas was injured if we wanted gerrard to play at right mid for certain games.
The right side remains a problem and kenny has been unwilling to try glen johnson in that position (also been hobbling with injuries).
Kuyt and gerrard is getting older although they have a few years left in them.
Personally I think Carra should be done. Coates played great and will only become better with experience. I think we would have had more success playing him ahead of Carra in more games when Agger got injured.
Jay spearing has proved in the last 10 games that he simply isn't a top 4 player. I have said it before and I will say it again. He cannot be a starter in this Liverpool squad if we aspire to fight for CL. After this season I wonder if he is even good enough to be a squad player.
We lost a ton of quality in the most important area of the team. Central mid. Xavi and mascherano was amazing at defensive mid... I know. Long gone and stop reminiscing... But my point is we need to sign another player of that quality. That is where some of the carroll money should have gone. Then we could have probably picked up carroll much cheaper in the summer last year. (Sorry went on a bit of a tangent rant there..)
Coming back to our issues this season, Lucas (a man much maligned before by many including myself) has now come good and proven us wrong and his form before the injury showed potential of being a great midfielder.
Fact is we are going to get injuries.
We need good enough cover in all positions and I don't think we have it for
1) striker after suarez due to bellamy can't play many games in a row... 2) defensive mid 3) Right/left wing (bellamy (injury prone) /kuyt (not a traditional winger but ok for squad player)/ henderson (not a right winger - more of a central midfielder which I don't think have the xfactor).
Once Carra is gone we are going to need another back up in central D as well. Maybe danny wilson can be that player (yet to get enough chances and like that he is on loan at blackpool). Hope he gets better like jonjo shelvey does.
I think carra could go down to 4th choice and retire after next season. Maybe even this...
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I actually thought Henderson surprisingly played really well tonight first in mid but even better at right back.
It was like he realised we need to raise our performance with 10 men. There was drive and effort in his game and he actually was able to go past defenders in a traditional wing sense.
I don't know that he was coming from deeper and was allowed to make surging runs...but thought he looked decent.
YNWA,
Stian
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