First of all when I left the game on Sunday I was bitterly disappointed. Partly because of the result, partly because of missed chances from Suarez and partly because of silly mistakes in defense.
Lets start with the 3 goals.
1st one is a wonder goal. Up until that point we had played fairly well. I liked that Kelly was back in the right back position. I thought Glen Johnson played well at left back and that it was the right move considering Jose Enrique's injury. On the goal I even think Skertel defends it properly and clears the box. Gera just happens to bring in down perfectly on his chest with one touch and hammers in what could turn out to be in the top 10 goals of the season. Not much we can do about that but we are punished for not finishing chances at that point. We should be up 2-0 if Suarez could finish.
It is what happens afterwards I am upset with.
1) there was no proper response to the goal.
2) Luis Suarez has to practice his finishing. Heading especially.
Just look at Rooney and how much he improved this part of his game a few years back despite being a smaller player.
Or just look at how good Solskjaer or Jermain defoe or Thierry Henry was with their finishing. Suarez has a lot to learn from these players.
Luis Suarez is a brilliant footballer and gets to lot of chances but he cannot finish. There was a couple of occasions last night he should have scored. Firstly his chance in the box when he moves away from the defender perfectly after switching back and fourth a few times and shoots it straight on the keeper. He goes for power but is close range and he does not manage to lift it off the ground. He should simply bend if far post so the keeper has to stretch. The keeper cant cover the whole goal and have a tendency to cover close post when a play approaches from the left (or the keepers right).
The other 2 chances he should have put away is the two headers. Glen Johnson's perfect cross which he headed over and the more difficult chance towards the end where Borini crosses perfectly. I thought Borini was more quiet than we saw him against Gomel for example but he had some good interventions.
I think it could be an idea to stick him upfront in the xmas tree formation and stick Suarez out left. Chances are Borini may not play as well in terms of creating chances but he is a better finisher and likes to run inbehind more than Suarez. Suarez tends to come back to meet the ball mainly.
3) Lack of effort from Gerrrad
I thought Gerrard had a poor game, especially second half. He did not work hard defensively and it is to me what we have seen time and time again. Against lower teams (those expected to finish in the bottom half) he does not work hard and look up for the games. And this is despite this being the first game of the season.
I think he should sit out the start of next game. Allen played well and so did Carroll when he came on I thought so on second thought what about playing Carroll up front with Suarez right behind (in the AMC position or the gerrard position) whilst leaving Borini out left and Downing on the right.
Considering the injuries we still have that may be the best option.
Right so I have gotten slightly off track. Back to what I was unhappy with. The 2nd and 3rd goal. Firstly why when Agger is level with Shane Long go in for the push the way he does. It was silly, stupid, will get him a 3 game suspension and we will have to make do without one of the best central defenders in the EPL.
Normally he would throw himself into a sliding tackle in that situation. I do not know why he did not do it there. Perhaps he did not feel he would get to the ball but then there is no point of intervening. Pepe could have saved that one and even if he did not we would just have been 2 goals down which city showed one can come back from against Southampton.
The penalty that Skertel gave away was fair enough. Yes he does not see Shane long coming in from behind but he should get told by others that he is coming and he also should get rid of it quicker coming out of defense like that. In the end he is trying to clear and unfortunately he takes out the strikers legs and as a result it is unfortunately a penalty. A bit unfair but unfortunately the right decision from Phil Dowd.
Credit to him for being strong in that decision. He has been wrong too many times previously in his career and I have given him stick and it is only right to give him credit when credit is due.
3rd goals we are a man down but it is failure to defend the second ball. Gerrard and Martin Kelly is standing still on the second ball when they can get close to Liam Ridgewell and defend the cross. The header is won strongly by Lukaku and well done to him but I think our defenders could have done more to put him off. If that means we have to put two bodies on him then so be it.
In the end we were the better team first half and after going 1-0 down we fell apart and started defending. I was disappointed to hear Brendan Rodgers lament the referees decisions because I thought he got them right. I wonder once he reviews decisions he realizes that we were not that hard done by.
The only change I would make on the team above is Carroll for Gerrard. If Brendan Rodgers thinks Carroll is not quick enough to play a good quick pressing and closing-down game in defense then perhaps try Jonjo Shelvey or Jordan Henderson in that position. Both have potential and can become players in that Gerrard position. I think Shelvey ironically has the most potential which is ironic considering the difference in cost.
Shelvey played in the Allen position earlier in preseason and played it well so an alternative is shelvey for gerrard but allen to push up and play behind the striker and shelvey play next to Lucas. He is a typical box to box midfielder with potential to score goals. The Blackpool loan showed that (6 goals in 9 games).
Anyway, Brendan Rodgers is going to take time to get us better. Things are starting to take shape and there are lots of positives to take. Our play in first half, the build up play and the fact that Luis Suarez are coming to so many chances are all great signs. All things considered I do not think the defense was that bad. Skertel played well and so did Kelly and Johnson.
I just hope we start playing Coates or Wilson instead of Carra is past it and the other two can only get better. They both have potential. They have showed it for Uruguay and Rangers respectively.
Game vs. Hearts is on The Score tomorrow so will be interesting. I am looking forward to watching it when I get home.
Your thoughts, disagreements etc. would be appreciated.
Pls follow my blog.
YNWA,
Stian
Lets start with the 3 goals.
1st one is a wonder goal. Up until that point we had played fairly well. I liked that Kelly was back in the right back position. I thought Glen Johnson played well at left back and that it was the right move considering Jose Enrique's injury. On the goal I even think Skertel defends it properly and clears the box. Gera just happens to bring in down perfectly on his chest with one touch and hammers in what could turn out to be in the top 10 goals of the season. Not much we can do about that but we are punished for not finishing chances at that point. We should be up 2-0 if Suarez could finish.
It is what happens afterwards I am upset with.
1) there was no proper response to the goal.
2) Luis Suarez has to practice his finishing. Heading especially.
Just look at Rooney and how much he improved this part of his game a few years back despite being a smaller player.
Or just look at how good Solskjaer or Jermain defoe or Thierry Henry was with their finishing. Suarez has a lot to learn from these players.
Luis Suarez is a brilliant footballer and gets to lot of chances but he cannot finish. There was a couple of occasions last night he should have scored. Firstly his chance in the box when he moves away from the defender perfectly after switching back and fourth a few times and shoots it straight on the keeper. He goes for power but is close range and he does not manage to lift it off the ground. He should simply bend if far post so the keeper has to stretch. The keeper cant cover the whole goal and have a tendency to cover close post when a play approaches from the left (or the keepers right).
The other 2 chances he should have put away is the two headers. Glen Johnson's perfect cross which he headed over and the more difficult chance towards the end where Borini crosses perfectly. I thought Borini was more quiet than we saw him against Gomel for example but he had some good interventions.
I think it could be an idea to stick him upfront in the xmas tree formation and stick Suarez out left. Chances are Borini may not play as well in terms of creating chances but he is a better finisher and likes to run inbehind more than Suarez. Suarez tends to come back to meet the ball mainly.
3) Lack of effort from Gerrrad
I thought Gerrard had a poor game, especially second half. He did not work hard defensively and it is to me what we have seen time and time again. Against lower teams (those expected to finish in the bottom half) he does not work hard and look up for the games. And this is despite this being the first game of the season.
I think he should sit out the start of next game. Allen played well and so did Carroll when he came on I thought so on second thought what about playing Carroll up front with Suarez right behind (in the AMC position or the gerrard position) whilst leaving Borini out left and Downing on the right.
Considering the injuries we still have that may be the best option.
Right so I have gotten slightly off track. Back to what I was unhappy with. The 2nd and 3rd goal. Firstly why when Agger is level with Shane Long go in for the push the way he does. It was silly, stupid, will get him a 3 game suspension and we will have to make do without one of the best central defenders in the EPL.
Normally he would throw himself into a sliding tackle in that situation. I do not know why he did not do it there. Perhaps he did not feel he would get to the ball but then there is no point of intervening. Pepe could have saved that one and even if he did not we would just have been 2 goals down which city showed one can come back from against Southampton.
The penalty that Skertel gave away was fair enough. Yes he does not see Shane long coming in from behind but he should get told by others that he is coming and he also should get rid of it quicker coming out of defense like that. In the end he is trying to clear and unfortunately he takes out the strikers legs and as a result it is unfortunately a penalty. A bit unfair but unfortunately the right decision from Phil Dowd.
Credit to him for being strong in that decision. He has been wrong too many times previously in his career and I have given him stick and it is only right to give him credit when credit is due.
3rd goals we are a man down but it is failure to defend the second ball. Gerrard and Martin Kelly is standing still on the second ball when they can get close to Liam Ridgewell and defend the cross. The header is won strongly by Lukaku and well done to him but I think our defenders could have done more to put him off. If that means we have to put two bodies on him then so be it.
In the end we were the better team first half and after going 1-0 down we fell apart and started defending. I was disappointed to hear Brendan Rodgers lament the referees decisions because I thought he got them right. I wonder once he reviews decisions he realizes that we were not that hard done by.
The only change I would make on the team above is Carroll for Gerrard. If Brendan Rodgers thinks Carroll is not quick enough to play a good quick pressing and closing-down game in defense then perhaps try Jonjo Shelvey or Jordan Henderson in that position. Both have potential and can become players in that Gerrard position. I think Shelvey ironically has the most potential which is ironic considering the difference in cost.
Shelvey played in the Allen position earlier in preseason and played it well so an alternative is shelvey for gerrard but allen to push up and play behind the striker and shelvey play next to Lucas. He is a typical box to box midfielder with potential to score goals. The Blackpool loan showed that (6 goals in 9 games).
Anyway, Brendan Rodgers is going to take time to get us better. Things are starting to take shape and there are lots of positives to take. Our play in first half, the build up play and the fact that Luis Suarez are coming to so many chances are all great signs. All things considered I do not think the defense was that bad. Skertel played well and so did Kelly and Johnson.
I just hope we start playing Coates or Wilson instead of Carra is past it and the other two can only get better. They both have potential. They have showed it for Uruguay and Rangers respectively.
Game vs. Hearts is on The Score tomorrow so will be interesting. I am looking forward to watching it when I get home.
Your thoughts, disagreements etc. would be appreciated.
Pls follow my blog.
YNWA,
Stian
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