We Are Liverpool

There is nobody who handles losing quite as well as Liverpool. This is a taunt thrown our way by rival fans, who would undoubtedly have traded their seasons in a heartbeat to take our place in the Champions League final, but there is also a ring of truth about it. Defeat in Kyiv was cruel, and it was painful, but supporters left the stadium singing. You’ll Never Walk Alone proved as cathartic as ever, while Allez Allez Allez took on a defiant note: mark our words, we’re never going to stop. Soon, a video emerged of Klopp himself chanting at six in the morning, goofy smile firmly in place in spite of everything. Those outside of the Liverpool bubble might have questioned what on earth was going on – the team had, after all, just fallen short of glory by virtue of two of the worst goalkeeping mistakes ever witnessed at this level. Perhaps three words from a different song best sum it up: we are Liverpool.

This club sticks together. At times, it has had to do so – the 96 on the collar of every Liverpool shirt is a poignant reminder that nothing that unfolds on the pitch is of any lasting importance. Even so, it would have been easy for supporters to turn on Karius following the final, but that is not The Liverpool Way. In a strange fashion, it was his personal woes that helped bring everybody together so quickly; even on social media, which usually has a knack of amplifying the very worst in people, the overwhelming message was one of support for the young German. It is unlikely that there is anything that can be said to the 24-year-old that will stop him looking back on this match with horror in quiet moments for the rest of his life, but supporters looked to take some of the burden from him with a simple message. You’ll Never Walk Alone. People can say that we don’t sing it as loudly as we once did, or that everyone is now too bothered about filming it to belt it out, and perhaps there is some truth to this – when it really matters, though, it is more than a song. It is an ethos, one which enables fans to place their views on the long-term goalkeeping situation aside for a moment and just console a young man who needs support.

For his part, Karius also showed an understanding of how things are done at this club. It is telling that the first thing he did after the final whistle was go to the fans – disconsolate though he was, he knew that these were the people from whom forgiveness must be sought. It took courage to do this, and one need not look very far to think of players who would have just disappeared down the tunnel. Things like this mean something. Supporters should be at the heart of any club, and when the players recognise this an unbreakable bond forms; this is the same kind of bond that can carry a team through to a European final by sheer strength of support, sheer volume of songs. It produces an intensity capable of emanating from the stands and into the heavy metal football unfolding on the pitch. It is hard to say whether Karius himself will have a long-term future at Anfield, but if he leaves he can do so with his head high and with the respect of the only people that matter.

Mere days after the defeat, Liverpool announced a new addition to the team. Fabinho, snatched from under the noses of Manchester United, went some way to lifting spirits. In the midst of the excitement, it was easy to miss one comment from Klopp: “We have signed a fantastic player, but someone who is an equally fantastic person”. For this to be a preliminary comment about a signing is, in the world of modern football, quite remarkable – certainly it is anathema to the mindset of a coach like Mourinho, who can practically be heard scoffing at such a comment. Klopp, however, is not of the same mould. He is a team-builder; he recognises the importance of getting a group together, keeping them tightly-knit, and going on to achieve things as a unit. More than that, he intrinsically understands Liverpool: the parliamentary seat of Liverpool Walton has not been occupied by a Conservative for over fifty years, and the city and the club immediately embrace those who show a social conscience. Andrew Robertson has won everyone over with his immense performances, but also with his promotion of the local foodbanks. Salah is adored for his forty-four goals, but also for the joy he has brought to schoolchildren in the area. “This means more” is the tagline emerging from the club marketing department of late – it would be naïve to deny that this is at its heart part of a campaign driven towards selling replica shirts, but the sentiment does ring true. Of course, first and foremost Klopp and the fans want to put together a team of winners, but not at any cost – it does not profit a man to gain the whole world, but forfeit his soul.

This is the great consolation. The soul of the club is more than just intact, it is thriving under the management of a man who truly understands it. The core of the team also looks set to hold together – this group have made memories together on a journey all the way to the final, and they will be determined to return to complete the job. Already, additions are being made to address the weaknesses that meant we ultimately fell short: there are big reasons to be hugely optimistic into next season and beyond. This does not remove the pain of losing the final, and nor should it: although Liverpool’s ethos goes far beyond winning, it should not be forgotten that this club has victory in its very DNA. However, the regeneration of this footballing giant is well underway, and it’s never going to stop.

-   James Martin (@JamesMartin013)

Weekend Preview

It’s a limited Premier League schedule this weekend due to the FA Cup fixtures, but there are still plenty of games to get excited about both domestically and abroad. Leagues and knockout competitions alike are approaching the business end – the so-called ‘must-win’ matches are coming thick and fast.

One of the league games that does go ahead in England is Liverpool vs Watford. This should be well worth a watch. Notwithstanding the disappointing defeat to bitter rivals Manchester United, the hosts are in scintillating goal-scoring form. Salah continues to go from strength to strength in his debut season on Merseyside, and Sadio Mane appears to be emerging from his mini-slump just in time to help the team’s efforts to secure a place in the top four. Javi Gracia has steadied the ship at Watford since taking charge, but defensive frailties are still clear for all to see: Arsenal were able to expose these last weekend, putting three past the Hornets defence. It would not be a surprise if Liverpool were able to match or better this tally. However, the visitors are also capable of finding the net – Klopp’s men found this out in the 3-3 draw on the opening day. A repeat of such a scoreline is clearly unlikely, but a high-scoring fixture seems all but guaranteed.

The FA Cup also offers some interesting match-ups. The pick of these is probably Chelsea vs Leicester. The home side are looking to bounce back following the disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions League; Leicester are no Barcelona, but they might well fancy their chances of capitalising on the vulnerability of their opponents. Conte’s men actually played quite well against the Catalan side, but were undone by multiple moments of sloppiness at the back – few forwards are better-equipped to pounce on errors than Jamie Vardy. However, barring a rout against a woeful West Brom side last weekend, Leicester have not been in great form. Chelsea will undoubtedly feel they can at least manage to score against The Foxes; a performance anything like the one that they produced midweek would probably be enough to see them through to the semi-finals, potentially giving Conte a slight hope of redemption. Given Chelsea’s exit from all other competitions and unsatisfactory league position, a loss might prove to be the final nail in the coffin.

Further afield, Real Madrid vs Girona could prove to be a fascinating fixture. At the start of the season, such a statement would have sounded absurd – a walkover would have been considered essentially a given. This is still a possibility, of course: it was not long ago that the newly-promoted side were comprehensively dismantled by six goals to one against Barcelona. However, since then they have produced three straight impressive wins. Celta Vigo, Villareal and Deportivo have all been brushed aside, leaving Pablo Machín’s side in seventh place. Their opponents are only four places higher, in third; there is a danger of dropping down to fourth if Zidane cannot orchestrate a win in this match. This would leave a campaign that is already highly disappointing for Los Blancos on the brink of becoming disastrous. Girona, meanwhile, could move as high as fifth. To occupy a Europa League spot at such a late stage would be a huge accomplishment for the team playing their first ever season in the Spanish top flight. Real probably have enough to see off their challenge, but it is unlikely to be straightforward.

The final pick comes from Serie A, where Inter Milan travel to Sampdoria. The two teams are embroiled in fights for Champions League and Europa League qualification respectively, making this a massive game for both clubs. Inter are looking to capitalise on their game in hand over Lazio to move into fourth place – to do so, they must win. A victory for Sampdoria, on the other hand, would propel them above Inter’s city rivals into sixth place, just five points behind Inter themselves. The Milan side managed an impressive draw with high-flying Napoli last time out, putting a serious dent in Sarri’s title hopes, and will be confident of continuing that good form in this game. Sampdoria, by contrast, are looking to bounce back from a surprise drubbing at the hands of relegation-threatened Crotone, to whom they lost 4-1. Another loss here may well effectively end a campaign that had shown such promise. This may consequently be something of a cagey affair, and ultimately it seems likely that Inter will come out on top.

Alvaro Arbeloa: The Journey Back to the Bernabeu

"Madrid is the club of my life, I will never call to ask for a job, but I am always available to offer myself”. These were the parting words of Alvaro Arbeloa as he announced that he was hanging up his boots, following an ultimately disappointing final season in the game with West Ham United. It was fitting that he should pledge fealty to Los Blancos even as he left his playing career behind him; the Spanish giants shaped the whole direction of his career, and it was with them that he won all that could be won.

Arbeloa’s first steps on his footballing journey were taken to the north-east of the capital, in the city of Zaragoza. His family moved there when he was four years old – he joined the academy as a thirteen-year-old, and stayed there for the majority of his teenage years. The crowning moment of his time there came in his final season: he helped the team to a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Juvenil. At the time, the likes of Andres Iniesta and Victor Valdes featured for the Catalan club’s youth outfit; victory was a great achievement, and it was in no small part down to Arbeloa’s endeavour. A local match report from the time described the “enormous physical exertion” expended by the back line in order to preserve the clean sheet – this scrappiness and determination, by no means a given in those brought up in the Spanish culture where technique is everything, has been one of Arbeloa’s great strengths throughout his career. His performance helped to turn the heads of Barcelona’s great rivals.

In 2001, he made the move into Real Madrid’s youth ranks. By this point he was nearing eighteen, and was duly shifted up into the Real Madrid C team shortly after arriving. Again, his stay was not a long one; he impressed over the course of his 16 appearances in the 2002/03 season, and moved up for the second time in quick succession to join Real Madrid Castilla. It would prove harder to earn promotion to the senior side. From 2003 to 2006, Arbeloa racked up 84 appearances for the B team – for most of this period the first team remained a distant dream. This was no criticism of the full-back’s ability: the main squad was simply saturated with world class players, and Arbeloa’s talents would have had to be positively mercurial in order for him to displace club stalwart Michel Salgado.

Arbeloa was eventually handed a small taste of first team action, coming on as a substitute in a draw against Real Betis in the 2004/05 season. By the start of the 2006/07 season, however, it was apparent to both player and club that Arbeloa’s opportunities would be highly restricted if he stayed in the capital. The emergence of Sergio Ramos, who had succeeded where Arbeloa failed in taking the place of Salgado, meant competition was more fierce than ever: a move to Deportivo La Coruna was arranged. The player was clearly uncomfortable leaving the club he had grown to love over the course of his five years there, describing it as “a strange situation” but acknowledging that “something had to give” as a result of the number of defenders in the squad. At his new club, Arbeloa was finally given his chance – he played twenty-one games in the first half of the season, and instantly began to attract attention.

Indeed, his spell with Deportivo would prove to be a very short one. On the January deadline day, Liverpool moved for Arbeloa. Fellow Spaniard Rafa Benitez wanted to bolster his options: by this point Steve Finnan was 30, and Arbeloa was touted in some quarters as his replacement. However, it was at left-back where Arbeloa was handed his full debut, against none other than Real Madrid’s fiercest rivals. This time around, he had even more to deal with than Iniesta and Valdes: a certain 19-year-old Argentinian forward had burst on to the scene, and Arbeloa was tasked with dealing with him. The thinking was that the full-back’s discipline, combined with his strong right side, would help to nullify Messi’s magical left foot – to the extent that anyone is ever able to keep Messi quiet, it worked very well. The team won 2-1 on the night, and were able to limit Barcelona to one goal in the second leg at Anfield: they progressed on away goals.

This certainly helped to endear him to the Liverpool fans, and indeed to the manager – he remained a utility option across the back four for the remainder of the season, and only featured as a late substitute in the Champions League final defeat to AC Milan, but by the following campaign he was established as a first-team full-back. He made more league appearances than both Finnan and Riise, and impressed in a fairly understated manner. He was never one to maraud forward, and his lovely curling strike against Reading in early 2007 ended up being one of just two goals he scored for the club, but he was defensively dependable and showed admirable grit and determination. He played his part in limiting Liverpool’s goals conceded to just 28 and 27 in 2007/08 and 2008/09 respectively – in the latter, the team went very close to winning the league title. This did not prevent a very public falling-out with Jamie Carragher in a match against West Bromwich Albion: the centre-back took issue with Arbeloa’s handling of a defensive situation, but the Spaniard gave as good as he got and the two had to be separated by teammates. It was somewhat farcical, but ultimately it was fuelled by two players determined to make sure that the team succeeded – there aren’t many that would stand their ground in the face of a Carragher tirade, and Arbeloa’s passion is part of what makes him a popular figure amongst the Anfield faithful to this day.

At the end of this campaign, having made 98 appearances for Liverpool, Arbeloa left the club. Glen Johnson had been brought in, sparking speculation about the Spaniard’s future, and he was duly given permission to re-join Real Madrid. This was a special moment for Arbeloa, who three years earlier had been considered surplus to requirements. He spoke of his pride, saying “when you leave the club with the feeling of not being able to be in the first team, you know that it's very difficult to return, so for me, when this opportunity presented itself, my first objective was to take it and fortunately I'm here." It was indeed fortunate, both for the player and the club: Arbeloa immediately became a regular, albeit once again on the left side of defence for a lot of the time. It was a disappointing season for the team – Real were pipped to the title by Barcelona, and exited both the Champions League and Copa del Rey at the round of 16 stage – but on a personal level Arbeloa was impressive. His form cemented his place in Spain’s squad at the 2010 World Cup.  As he had done at club level so many years earlier, Sergio Ramos frustrated his chances of regular minutes; just like at the Euros two years before, Arbeloa was limited to one appearance in the group stages. Nonetheless, by the end of the tournament the full-back had both a European Cup and World Cup to his name: to even make the twenty-three-man squad in Spain’s golden era was a massive achievement, and he deserves recognition for it.

The trophy rush carried over into Arbeloa’s club career. The 2010/11 season saw victory in the Copa del Ray, although the league title narrowly eluded them once again. It was also the campaign where Arbeloa finally got what he had been striving for since turning professional: regular minutes at right-back for Real Madrid. Sergio Ramos made the transition into the middle, allowing Arbeloa to slot into his natural position. This setup became firmly established, and endured into the 2011/12 season. This time, finally, the team overcame Barcelona to win the league: yet another personal triumph over the Catalans meant Arbeloa could add La Liga to his rapidly-growing list of honours. He was rewarded with a new long-term contract at the end of the season.

However, his time as a regular was coming to an end. The re-signature of Dani Carvajal meant that Arbeloa was once again locked out of the first team, but he resisted calls from the media for his departure. He was at the club he loved, and wanted to stay and help in any way he could. The fans, who like the Liverpool faithful before them had warmed to Arbeloa’s spirit and fight as well as his ability, were more than happy to get behind him in a bit-part role. It was in this capacity that he finally won the Champions League in 2014, watching from the bench as his team went one better than he was able to do with Liverpool seven years previously. This was yet another addition to a remarkable personal trophy haul - no Real Madrid fan would begrudge their loyal servant the medals, even if the part he played in getting them was limited.

He remained at the club for a further two years, bringing him up to a total of 233 appearances in his second spell. Of those, just nine came in the 2015/16 season: two of these were in the Champions League, which Real won for the second time in three years, but Arbeloa nonetheless felt that it was time to move on at the end of the campaign. In hindsight, he should have called it a day at this point – his move to West Ham United was ultimately ill-fated, and he retired at the end of the season having made just four appearances. He spoke of his disappointment, saying “it has not been an easy year” – when he looks back on his career as a whole, however, there will surely be nothing but satisfaction. He may have taken a long road to the Real Madrid first team, but the trophies to his name are tangible proof that it was well worth the wait.

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

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Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool: Post-Match Thoughts

Having predicted a scoreline of 5-1 Real Madrid prior to the match, I’m coming out of this game feeling extremely positive. We played very well for the majority of the game, made hardly any defensive errors (yep, you read that correctly) and managed to prevent Madrid from scoring two goals or more in a match for the first time since mid-September. We even managed to create a few promising attacks of our own, and although Casillas wasn’t tested very much at all we were at least working good chances. The only real negative is the fairly major one that we lost the game, but the performance was certainly encouraging.

The headline news in the lead-up to the game was that Brendan Rodgers had selected a second string team to face the reigning European champions. Balotelli, Coutinho, Sterling, Gerrard and Henderson all found themselves on the bench, with Lovren not even making the matchday squad. Many fans were up in arms about this, with the ‘Rodgers Out’ crowd on Twitter becoming more vociferous than ever before. However, Brendan had the last laugh. All of the players he selected were hungry to prove themselves and earn a permanent place in the first team, and consequently they worked exceptionally hard. Borini chased down every ball, Emre Can and Lucas seemed to be in the right place to make a tackle whenever Real came at us and Kolo Toure had the game of his life. Lazar Markovic also showed some promising signs, and even Skrtel looked more solid than usual. Despite going behind after 26 minutes through a Benzema goal, there was no point where the game looked beyond us. This is a testament to our performance; we arguably deserved a draw against one of the best teams in the world.

The statistics, predictably, were very much in favour of Real. They had more possession and lots more shots – a team of their calibre playing at home nearly always dominate the game, so this was unsurprising. Mignolet was called into action a lot, and he rose to the challenge magnificently. He had one of his best games in a Liverpool shirt, showing confidence when coming for the ball and making some excellent saves. Our chances came through playing Madrid at their own game: we staged multiple rapid counter-attacks, with Markovic utilising the frequency with which Marcelo was out of position. The final ball was never quite there, but there were definitely dangerous moments. There were two instances where decent crosses would surely have resulted in a goal, and Lallana fashioned a decent chance for himself which he put just wide of the far post. The pattern of absorbing pressure well then springing counter attacks continued right until the end of the match; we never looked totally out of it.

Whilst this stellar performance certainly vindicated Rodgers, it has also caused him some problems for Saturday’s game against Chelsea. If he plays the same team that he fielded against Madrid, questions will have to be asked if we get anything other than a victory. Obviously playing Chelsea is an extremely tough game, but it is winnable; as such, if Rodgers benches his star players again then fails to get a result, he will have to take some blame. On the other hand, the so-called reserves made such a good account of themselves that it seems harsh to drop them – the Real game was one of our best performances of the season. Personally, I would go for a happy medium. Toure should definitely retain his spot in defence, as he was solid throughout and arguably our man of the match. Can should also start – he was excellent, and deserves a run in the starting eleven. However, I would start Borini, Markovic and Lucas on the bench: whilst they all had fairly good games, none of them were good enough to keep Balotelli, Sterling and Henderson out of the team for such a big game. That said, if Rodgers did name an unchanged side then he couldn’t be blamed.

In conclusion, this is the most positive I’ve ever felt after a Liverpool defeat. We played with pride, and Real didn’t completely outclass us. We retained our goal threat until the final whistle, and never let the Spanish giants relax. Our defence was also uncharacteristically good, aside from an error apiece for Skrtel and Lucas. If we can maintain that level of performance against Chelsea at the weekend, we have a good chance of getting a result.

-James Martin

Real Madrid vs Liverpool: Preview

This Tuesday, Liverpool face Champions League holders Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Since their 3-0 battering in the reverse fixture, the reds have drawn 0-0 with Hull, edged past Swansea in the League Cup and lost 1-0 to a depressingly average Newcastle side. Even if we were in our scintillating form of last season it would be tough to get any sort of result away to the Spanish giants – in this sort of form, it is extremely hard to see anything other than a thrashing.

As if things weren’t hard enough for us already when Real came to Anfield, Gareth Bale is expected to return to the side for this game. This means that our defence – currently one of the worst in the league – will be up against a front three of Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale. On top of this, Real don’t have a clash with Barcelona around the corner this time out; it is Liverpool with the big fixture ahead (against Chelsea). Due to this, they won’t show mercy and ease up like they did last time, meaning that we could be in for a huge score. There is even a worry that irony could deal up a cruel scenario whereby Madrid break our record of the biggest ever Champions League margin of victory. Liverpool will surely be hopeful of stopping ‘Los Blancos’ from scoring more than eight times, but the very fact that it has to be entertained as a possibility shows just how bleak the situation is.

 

We can’t even rely on the goals of Daniel Sturridge to help us out. He is still sidelined, having been out of action ever since the 3-0 win over Tottenham. It is no coincidence that this game was our last convincing performance; his movement and excellent combination with Raheem Sterling bring a fluidity to our attack that has been severely lacking in recent weeks. It will come down to Mario Balotelli to score in this game, and if the last few games are anything to go by then that seems unlikely. He isn’t playing particularly badly; whilst he’s missed a few chances that he should probably have taken, the main problem is the lack of service he is receiving. Brendan Rodgers is stubbornly continuing to play Balotelli as a lone striker, and as such is failing to get anywhere near the best out of him. If Rodgers refuses to play the diamond when up against Newcastle, it seems unlikely that he’ll be prepared to take the risk away to Real Madrid. If Sterling was played up front with Balotelli, we might be able to score early on, unsettle the hosts and possibly even snatch a point from the match. As it is we’ll probably attempt to apply some early pressure, make a couple of half-chances but fail to take them and then get ripped apart by the sheer quality of Real.

The one thing that works in Liverpool’s favour is that they have absolutely no expectation on them whatsoever. As an ardent LFC fan, I tend to be optimistic going into games. Even I have written us off for this one. This feeling is surely shared by the players from both sides, and it could have an effect. For Liverpool, it will hopefully allow them to play with total freedom; there’s nothing to lose, so they can just go out there and try to emulate the lovely football that they created last season. For Real, it could lead to complacency. Modric has already come out and said that the team were “saving energy” in their last game against the reds. This attitude might lead to mistakes, which if Liverpool manage to capitalise on could lead to a shock result.

I don’t think that we’ll put in a performance as poor as the one against Newcastle. If there is one thing guaranteed to get a team fired up, it’s a game against one of the biggest teams in the world. I am hopeful that Liverpool can make a good account of themselves, and finish the game with their pride intact. However, whilst there is a remote chance that Real will pay the price for underestimating us, I personally can’t see us getting a result. My final score prediction is 5-1 to Real Madrid.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 0-3 Real Madrid: Post-Match Analysis

Yesterday, Liverpool played host to Real Madrid in a Champions League tie at Anfield. Playing the reigning champions of Europe was never going to be easy, and so it proved: the errors that have manifested themselves throughout this season were brutally exploited by the Spanish giants, and the game ended 3-0.

The game started very promisingly for Liverpool; the high press and the rapid attacks were reminiscent of last season. Real looked shaken by the intensity of the start – some uncharacteristic unforced errors were made, with passes going astray and crosses being wasted. The only real issue was the failure to test Casillas. Although Liverpool were applying pressure and looking the stronger side, the final ball was lacking and consequently the Real Madrid goalkeeper had little to do. Even the LFC defence looked better than usual, with Johnson putting in his best performance in a while and, at least for the first twenty minutes, dealing with the threat of Ronaldo.

Sadly (but somewhat predictably), it was too good to last. The effort that the men in red were exerting was clear, and after twenty minutes the intensity started to drop off. It didn’t take Real long to punish them for the lapse; 23 minutes in they showed their class and came up with a stunning goal. The passing was rapid and accurate, culminating in a lovely Rodriguez chip over the top which Ronaldo converted excellently. Unlike most of the goals we’ve conceded this season, it was down to the skill of the opposition rather than a glaring defensive error.

After this, Liverpool’s resistance totally disintegrated. The game turned into the exhibition that so many had predicted pre-game, and by the half an hour mark Madrid had made it 2. This time it was Benzema: Toni Kroos crossed it in, unchallenged by anyone, and Benzema beat Johnson comfortably at the far post to loop it over Mignolet and in. Though the finish itself was nice, the cross should never have been allowed to come in. Five minutes before half time they had a third, again through Benzema. This was the worst of the lot, and typified our defending so far this season. It came from a corner – the defence were totally unable to clear after Pepe knocked it down, Mignolet failed to claim the ball and Benzema poked it home from close range. The game was nearly made interesting again by Coutinho, who was our best player on the night- seconds before half time his long range effort cannoned off the post.

Balotelli was taken off for Lallana at half time – this left Liverpool without an out-and-out striker. It was Sterling who functioned as the false 9, and he looked fairly dangerous. The renewed pace in attack allowed the hosts to threaten for the first ten minutes of the half, but soon enough control had been seized again by Real. Kroos and Modric pulled the strings, toying with Liverpool and preventing them from getting a touch of the ball for prolonged periods. This slowed the tempo down massively. It is likely that Madrid had El Clasico on their minds, as if they’d wanted more goals in the second half they probably could have got them. As it was, the second half ended at a pedestrian pace and finished 3-0.

Although a hefty defeat is never pleasant, the game wasn’t as bad as many people are making it out to be. It should not be forgotten that Real Madrid are current champions of Europe, and that they are 10 times winners of the prestigious tournament. It is also unfounded to suggest  that Liverpool didn’t show promise; it’s fair to say that if we’d started against QPR like we did against Real then we’d have had the game wrapped up in the first twenty minutes. Coutinho looked back to somewhere near his scintillating best, and Sterling was excellent as usual. The only real problem the match highlighted was one we are all very aware of already – our defence simply isn’t good enough.  If the club are going to continue the progress they have been making in recent times, this issue has to be dealt with.
-James Martin
Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

QPR 2-3 Liverpool: What Just Happened?

After a frantic finish at Loftus Road, QPR and Liverpool fans alike were left in a state of utter shock. Four goals in the last seven minutes turned a dreary 1-0 affair into a mind-boggling 3-2 victory for the reds. Despite being dominated by QPR for large periods of the match, two own goals and a nice strike from Coutinho saw LFC take all three points. The win fires them up to 5^th in the table, although wins for Swansea and/or Manchester United would see them drop.

The first half was one of the most lacklustre performances Liverpool have produced in living memory. They barely produced a chance of their own, allowing QPR to apply mounds of pressure onto an extremely shaky defence. Some of the clearances were nigh-on suicidal; it’s a minor miracle that Rangers didn’t manage a goal in the first half. Leroy Fer struck the bar twice, and a goal line intervention from Glen Johnson was needed to stop Rodgers’ team going a goal down. Mignolet was also called upon on multiple occasions. He had a very good game, making three or four vital stops. The few times Liverpool did venture forwards it ended in frustration- Mario Balotelli was hugely wasteful, taking poor shots from ridiculous areas. Another issue in the LFC attack was the more advanced role Gerrard was playing in. His lack of pace prevented Liverpool from springing attacks quickly, and consequently many a blistering run from Raheem Sterling went to waste. With the possible exception of Adam Lallana, Sterling was the only player in a red shirt who looked capable of creating any sort of chance.

Liverpool started the second half a lot better, but that wasn’t hard. In truth we still looked pretty awful; a few chances were being carved out, but they didn’t look like being taken. Defensively there was little improvement- Bobby Zamora continued to terrorise our back line. This doesn’t bode well for our clash against Real in just three days time; if Zamora, Austin and Phillips can make our defence look so weak, what will Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale do to it? All we can do is try to outscore them, but based on today’s evidence that might be tough. It took nearly 70 minutes for the reds to eventually get the ball into the QPR net, and even then they had to rely on Richard Dunne to do it for them.

After the breakthrough, the game went dead for a while. For a glorious fifteen minutes, Liverpool fans started to hope that their team might be able to calm the game down, prevent QPR from getting forward and grind out a 1-0 win. What were we thinking? In typical LFC fashion, it didn’t all go according to plan. With just three minutes of normal time to play, substitute Eduardo Vargas scored to put the London outfit back on level terms- the chance was created courtesy of some shambolic defending from Jose Enrique. The anger and despair didn’t last long. In the 90^th minute Coutinho drilled the ball excellently into the far corner to restore Liverpool’s lead. He deserved a goal for the impact he made on the game; after replacing Lallana in the 66^th minute he vastly improved the LFC attacking threat.

Unbelievably, the game was far from over. Barely a minute after Coutinho had scored what most people were sure would be the winner, Vargas scored from a corner with a glancing header. The ball nicked off Steven Gerrard and somehow crept in at the near post, making the score 2-2 in the 92^nd minute. In the final minute of added time, it looked like QPR might even go on and snatch the victory. They won a free kick in a dangerous position, but the delivery into the box was poor. This allowed Liverpool to break- Coutinho played an inch perfect pass through to Raheem Sterling, who’s attempted ball across goal to Balotelli was diverted into the net by Steven Caulker. Rangers barely had time to kick off again, meaning that Liverpool somehow left Loftus Road with all three points. 

The performance can hardly be called inspiring; whilst Sterling played well and Coutinho made a strong case for inclusion in the starting line-up against Real, the team as a whole played extremely poorly. The only real positive to take from it is that we got the three points; in one sense that’s all that matters, but we won’t be able to rely on two own goals to get us the win every match. We need to up our game, and we need to do it soon.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Suarez to Real - Deal or no Deal?

NOTE: Suarez saga number 2 is written about here: http://jamesmartinblogs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/not-again-suarez-saga-version-20.html

In the 2012/13 season, our best player has been Luis Suarez. He has been prolific in front of goal, and terrorised defences with his superb on-the-ball skills. Naturally, he is attracting a lot of interest from other clubs, and the club that looks most keen to sign him is Real Madrid. At this stage there are only rumours, but it has been suggested that Madrid are looking to do a swap deal whereby Liverpool get Benzema and Di Maria in return for Suarez.

This swap could be great for Liverpool. Angel Di Maria would be an excellent signing, as he is a proven talent and we could do with another winger. Stewart Downing has improved vastly this season, but is still not up to the standards of the rest of our attacking line. Di Maria has assisted 16 goals in all competitions this season, which is extremely impressive. He has also netted 9, which isn’t a bad tally for a wide player. If both he and Benzema were able to make the transition to English football, the attacking partnership of Di Maria, Benzema, Sturridge and Coutinho has the potential to be formidable, one of the best in the Premier League.

Also, Suarez brings a lot of controversy. He picked up a 7-match ban last season for racism, and is currently serving a 10-match ban for biting Ivanovic, meaning he will miss the first six games of next season. This prompts a question: Is he worth it? Benzema has scored 19 goals for Real Madrid this season, and has assisted 20! For a forward, that is a ridiculously high amount of assists. We also know he can be extremely deadly in front of goal (he netted 32 times for Madrid in the 2011/12 season). This sort of return for goals and assists is on a par with Suarez’s (arguably even better), and Benzema doesn’t bring with him the excess baggage of controversy. If he could carry his form from Madrid over to Liverpool, he would arguably be even better for us than Suarez has been. Getting Di Maria on top of this would be an added bonus, and if Madrid were to offer this deal we would be foolish not to at least consider it.

On paper at least, this looks like an extremely tempting offer. However, things have the potential to go very wrong. We know that Suarez fits in at Liverpool, and he has proven his ability to score goals for us on numerous occasions. Benzema is a very talented striker, but has never played in English football. It is more physical than La Liga, and if he failed to make the transition Liverpool would be in trouble. Without a suitable replacement for Suarez, we would be hugely reliant on Sturridge to get us goals, and his form is much too hit-and-miss to warrant the role of main striker. Di Maria could also prove a bad signing. Despite his relatively high goals and assists return, he does have a tendency to squander chances by going for ambitious long shots or trying fancy passes. We need a winger who can consistently provide chances, not one who throws them away.

All this uncertainty makes me think that it wouldn’t be worth taking the risk. Without Suarez we would have had an absolutely awful season, and if we’re going to get rid of him the price has to be right. However, were more to be offered, I think that it could be a good deal. If Real were to offer some money as well as the two players, we would at least have a safety blanket that allows us to sign others if Di Maria and Benzema backfire. Another name that has been mentioned a couple of times in relation to this deal is Diego Lopez. If Madrid were to offer him as well as Di Maria and Benzema in return for Suarez, Liverpool should definitely do it. Lopez has been keeping Casillas out of the first team recently in La Liga, and with Reina seemingly on his way out I cannot think of a better replacement. If Madrid were to make this offer (which is admittedly unlikely), we would be extremely foolish not to take it.

To sum up, it will have to be a pretty special offer from Madrid to make it worth getting rid of Suarez. Although Benzema and Di Maria are great in La Liga, they have never played in the Premier League, and may struggle. Suarez is a proven talent at Liverpool. However, were money or Diego Lopez to be offered alongside Di Maria and Benzema, it would make it a good trade, and I think Liverpool should go for it. If everything went well, we could end up with one of the best ‘keepers in the Premier League as well as one of the best attacking line-ups. Suddenly Suarez is starting to seem like a small price to pay.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013