Liverpool: The Summer So Far

Alright guys? It’s been a while! Since my last article I’ve completed my AS exams, decided on a university course, begun work on my UCAS application and been to a Taylor Swift concert, but more importantly Liverpool have made five major signings. Firmino, Clyne, Milner, Ings and Bogdan have all been brought in – the speed of the club’s business is certainly admirable, but do the new players represent astute purchases?

Let’s start with Firmino. Most of the Liverpool fan base was more taken aback than anything else when it was announced we’d signed him; the rumour had the same feel as a Sanchez or Shaqiri link, it seemed too good to be true. This was particularly the case as Manchester United had also been strongly linked – it seemed almost inevitable that once again a big talent would turn us down in favour of our rivals. Once the shock had died down the elation kicked in: for the first time in ages, Liverpool made a signing that managed to unite virtually every fan. Firmino is an exciting young talent, whose recent development has seen him earn a regular spot in the Brazil team. His flair and creativity alongside an eye for goal is exactly what Liverpool needed – I for one can’t wait to watch him combining with compatriot Philippe Coutinho in Liverpool red. The price tag did raise some eyebrows – surprisingly, the move represented the biggest transfer in Bundesliga history – but with no Champions League to offer, it’s no shock that Liverpool are having to pay big to attract big names. So long as he can replicate his Hoffenheim and Brazil form in the Premier League, Firmino is bound to be a big hit.

Nathaniel Clyne, too, is an excellent addition to the squad. Liverpool were in dire need of a right back; the amount of times Rodgers resorted to playing Can there last season demonstrated this. Glen Johnson was released in the summer (hallelujah) and Manquillo’s loan is reportedly going to be terminated, so the team really was in need of a first-team level right sided full back. In Clyne, they have got one of the best performing Premier League full backs of last season – defensively solid, he also offers a threat going forward. This makes him ideal for Liverpool, and I have every confidence he will succeed where his fellowSouthampton signings did not. At first reading, 12 million seems like a snip for a player of his quality. However, it must be taken into account that he did only have a year left to run on his contract. Even so, the sum is a reasonable amount to pay for such a talented player: as with Firmino, I must admit to being fairly surprised that we managed to secure him ahead of other clubs. At just 24, hopefully he’ll enjoy success at Anfield for years to come.

James Milner is the first of the new signings that has proved seriously divisive. While most are in agreement that picking up an experienced Premier League player on a free was a shrewd piece of business, the level of impact he’ll have on Liverpool’s performance in the coming campaign is very much up for debate. Some have painted Milner as the most criminally underrated player in history, professing that he will single-handedly return Liverpool to its former glory, while others have suggested that he may struggle to even make the starting eleven! In reality, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle ground. I have been known to criticise Milner before – indeed, he has been the butt of many a joke both in my articles and on Twitter. However, this was largely due to the contrast between himself and his former teammates – when surrounded by exotic, skilled foreign players full of flair and creativity, a man whose talents lie in hard graft and pressing can seem laughable. And yet these are the very talents which Liverpool require; the success of 2013/14 was built around a high pressing, high intensity game, and Milner can bring that back to the centre of our midfield. Although not the most exciting of our additions, Milner is sure to contribute a lot next season.

It’s very hard to judge the signing of Danny Ings at the moment, as currently the fee Liverpool will have to pay Burnley in compensation has not yet been agreed. The two clubs are hopeful of reaching an out-of-court agreement, but if current reports are to be believed then a tribunal is looking more and more likely due to Burnley’s attempts to hold out for 8 million pounds. If the final figure did end up close to that amount, it has to be said that it’s a big gamble of a purchase. Ings established himself in the Championship (alongside Sam Vokes) in the 2013/14 season, and did fairly well in a very average side in Burnley’s single season in the Premier League, but as yet he has not proved himself to be of Liverpool quality. At about 4-5 million, it is definitely a gamble worth taking – he clearly has talent, at 22 is likely to improve further, and he’s decent backup for when Sturridge inevitably gets injured. However, any more than that represents a big outlay for a player who, let’s face it, has hardly set the world alight thus far.   

Finally we come to the man himself, Adam Bogdan. This is by far the most heavily criticised signing the club has made – the keeper who lost his place at Championship side Bolton (admittedly after injury) hardly seems like a signing of Liverpool quality. However, personally I think it’s a decent addition. Admittedly this is partially because the prospect of the Bogdan chant (to the Batman theme tune) being sung on the Kop is a very funny one indeed, but there are other reasons. Firstly, we got him on a free. Secondly, his wages are likely to be low. Thirdly, he proved during his time in the Premier League with Bolton and again versus Liverpool in the cup this year that he has quality – as a back-up to Mignolet, there’s nothing wrong with him whatsoever. He may even offer competition for the number 1 spot – he’s certainly better than Brad Jones at any rate. Whilst we probably could have done better, it is by no means a catastrophic transfer.

To sum up, I am very satisfied with the signings the club have made so far. Three of them directly bolster our first team and the other two are solid back-up: all five will help us have a better campaign than last time out, and hopefully see us push for at least fourth once again. It is also pleasing to see that Liverpool are making additions to the youth side – Bobby Adekanye of Barcelona, Joe Gomez of Charlton and Allan Rodriguez (supposedly close to signing) of Internacional all come with big reputations. If we keep strengthening at every level in this fashion, we can hopefully secure success not just now but well into the future. Here’s to the new season!

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 1-3 Crystal Palace: Gerrard’s Anfield Farewell

After close to 17 years of loyal service to his boyhood club, Steven Gerrard yesterday played his last ever match at Anfield. This was a day of celebration, a day to pay homage to the man who has single-handedly rescued Liverpool on so many occasions. The mood was slightly dampened by a lacklustre performance leading to a disappointing 3-1 loss, but ultimately this was a day where the game and its result was a mere sideshow, simply providing the backdrop for the final farewell of a club legend.

The veritable feast of nostalgia meant that a plethora of old Gerrard clips were retrieved from the archives – footage of Olympiakos, Istanbul, the 2006 FA Cup Final and countless other memorable moments were unavoidable throughout the day. This was only fitting, but also inadvertently threw sharp focus on the failings and inadequacies of the current team; the jubilant faces of the likes of Torres, Mascherano and Alonso contrasted starkly to the defeated Lambert, Lovren and Lallana trudging off after a shocking showing against Palace. Certainly it raises questions over where the club is going – the glorious European nights seem so distant, totally out of reach with the current personnel. Coutinho, Henderson, Mignolet and to an extent Sterling are the only ones who can look back on the season with any sort of pride: are the rest really good enough for Liverpool? Come to that, is Rodgers? If Istanbul were to happen today, I don’t think we’d come from behind to win it. I think we’d bring on Lambert at 3-0 down, the famous fans would take a few selfies in complete silence and we’d whimper to a 5-1 defeat, after which the manager would praise our “great character” for snatching a goal back.

Still, that’s a debate for another day. This day was all about our captain: while the sublime and the ridiculous (looking at you on this one Voronin) came and went, Gerrard remained. To lose him is to lose an integral part of the club itself – Steven was Liverpool, he epitomised all that it stood for. If there was any justice in football he would have signed off with a screamer to win the FA Cup Final, but the damp squib of an ending does nothing to devalue his service to the club. I grew up with Gerrard as the go-to to get on the back of the shirt, the one everyone tried to replicate in the playground – he will surely go down as one of the greatest English players of all time.

His unique standing in the footballing world was shown by the sheer volume of tributes he received from pros and ex-pros. Henry, Del Piero, Kaka, Suarez… the list goes on. It seemed that everyone had a good word for the skipper – the man who Zidane described as possibly the best in the world received high praise from all corners of the globe. It felt for all the world like his retirement: it was easy to forget that he isn’t ending his career, but simply moving across the pond. Not only that, he’s not quite done for us yet! The visit to Stoke is still to come, and while his proper send-off was at Anfield it’ll be good to see him don the shirt (probably the yellow one now I come to think of it) one last time.

I know this hasn’t been much of a match report, but this is not the time for analysing and summarising and criticising – this is the time to pay your respects to the man who has defined this football club for so long. I have had many a bad word for him over the past couple of seasons, but once you’ve acquired legendary status then you can never lose it – the club are undoubtedly losing a legend, one who will be greatly missed and also adored for the memories he has left us with. Thanks Stevie.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

  

Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool: Post-Match Thoughts

On Sunday, Liverpool travelled to Stamford Bridge knowing that their top four chances were all but over. A win would have kept them mathematically alive, but essentially all that was at stake was pride. Chelsea, too, had nothing to play for, although for much more desirable reasons: they have already won the league. This was evident in how the game panned out – the hosts barely got out of first gear, and Liverpool’s introduction of promising youngsters Jerome Sinclair and Jordon Ibe into the fray had a definite exhibition match sort of feel about it.

Still, there was nothing friendly about the game’s opening exchanges. Perhaps instructed by Mourinho not to lift off, Chelsea were quick to mark their territory with a couple of ferocious challenges early on. Fabregas should probably have seen red for a nasty challenge on Sterling, and then should certainly have been off for a second yellow just minutes later after holding Sterling back. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a Chelsea midfielder making his first Premier League start, also showed his willingness to go in for some robust challenges. The style of play was less PL champions and more Stoke circa 2011, and the opening goal had a similar feel about it. Fabregas whipped in a corner, and Terry, having lost Lambert, headed home past Mignolet. Hardly a vintage strike, but one that meant Liverpool were behind after all of five minutes.

From here on in, the Reds managed to up their game. The absence of Matic combined with the general end-of-season apathy of the hosts meant that there was space to be used in midfield, which Lallana and Coutinho utilised effectively. Several times attacks nearly came to something, but the final ball was lacking. Sterling had his best game for a while (perhaps showing off for potential new employers?), showing his ability to run at defenders and beat them. However, his end product was lacking – he dragged wide from good positions on a couple of occasions. In the end though, it was not a piece of intricate build-up that led to the equaliser. Like Chelsea’s goal, it came from a set piece. Lallana won a free kick on the edge of the box, and the subsequent delivery picked out Gerrard, who had been left unmarked at the far post. He guided the ball into the corner with his head, meaning the two teams went in level.

Liverpool were the better of the two sides for much of the second half, but still failed to properly test Courtois. This highlighted the need for additions to the squad in the summer – both the final ball and the clinical striker to be on the end of it are lacking, and if we are to replicate the title challenge of last season then we sorely need them. A defensive midfielder is also a must-buy: for the twenty minutes or so mid-way through the second half that Chelsea bothered to put in a performance, they cruised effortlessly through the midfield multiple times. Not since Mascherano have we had a competent defensive midfielder capable of shielding the defence enough to allow the other midfielders to get forward and help in attack. 

At the end of the day a draw against the champions isn’t a bad result, but the game highlighted just as many problems as it did strengths. It would be easy to praise the team, but the truth is that had Chelsea even been close to their best then they would have walked this match. Still, it did show the positives within our squad, and hopefully a few astute additions in the summer will be enough to get us back challenging for silverware next time out.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 2-1 QPR: Post-Match Thoughts

After a string of poor results stemming from even poorer performances, yesterday Liverpool finally managed to find themselves again. It wasn’t exactly a vintage display, but it was unrecognisable to the utter tripe we were forced to endure against Hull and, to a lesser extent, West Brom. This improvement was reflected in the final score – despite missing a penalty with the scores tied in the 80^th minute, Liverpool kept fighting and managed to come away as 2-1 victors.

The team sheet had a rather end-of-season look about it: Rodgers opted to return to the double-pivot of Henderson and Gerrard that was such a disappointment in the first half of the campaign, and Lambert was also given a start. As it happened, this worked rather well – Gerrard’s defensive weaknesses weren’t exploited at all by an underwhelming QPR, and Henderson was able to force the issue at times with some wonderful long balls that his central midfield partner would be proud of. Lambert, too, did very well. He put in what was surely his best performance in a Liverpool shirt, making some decent runs and linking up fairly well with the rest of the attack. It was he who created the opening goal: a lovely pull-back across the box was controlled exquisitely by Coutinho, who proceeded to use his second touch to curl the ball unerringly into the top corner.

From then on in it was total control for the hosts, and in truth they should have added more goals. Lallana got through on goal, but smashed it wide at the near post rather than aiming for the far post or squaring it to Sterling. At the time this seemed like the wrong choice, but having seen what happened a little later on maybe it was sensible not to trust Sterling with an open goal! Early in the second half the youngster was picked out by a glorious Henderson ball, but despite being just six yards from goal he was unable to keep his effort down. This summed up his post-Christmas form: ever since the contract saga begun, he’s contributed little more than Victor Moses managed in a Liverpool shirt. Obviously we all know that Sterling possesses immense quality, but if he cannot produce that consistently then he is in no position to hold the club to ransom. For me, if he doesn’t soften on wage demands and doesn’t round off the season with three absolutely world class performances, he can leave.

His miss became even more depressing when Liverpool were punished for their wastefulness by Leroy Fer. The visitors had barely created anything all game, but then Fer steered the ball home from a Joey Barton corner to level the game up. It looked like, despite the vastly improved performance, Liverpool’s severe problems in attack would come back to haunt them once more to continue what has been a torrid end to the season. However, just when all seemed lost, the man who has always been there for us when we need him stepped up.

And missed his spot kick.

Steven Gerrard will undoubtedly be gutted that he’s missed what could well be his last ever LFC penalty, particularly as it was in front of the Kop, but the captain did not waste time dwelling on his poor effort. After Onouha got sent off for a second bookable offence the reds began to totally dominate once more, and Gerrard grabbed the reward for this dominance with just minutes to go. Coutinho’s corner found the skipper, who towered above Barton and emphatically headed the ball beyond Green.

With United having lost their game against West Brom, there is an outside chance that this win could earn Liverpool more than pride. I’m not getting my hopes up – LFC’s run-in includes a trip to Chelsea, and even if they do win all of their games it is unlikely that the Red Devils will drop 4 points (realistically five due to goal difference) in three games. However, it does at least mean that we’ve kept the pressure on: if United do slip up horrendously, we need to be in a position to capitalise. That said, the best thing about this game was the performance – in all likelihood the season is over, but it is vital for confidence that we go out with a bang rather than a whimper.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013  

West Brom 0-0 Liverpool: Post-Match Analysis

Well let’s face it, there’s not too much to say on this game. Even the commentators, who considering they are getting paid to watch and talk about football should always be happy, sounded bored out of their minds for the majority of the game. Other than a decent half-volley from Balotelli, a speculative effort from the halfway line by Coutinho and a good save from Myhill to deny Henderson from close range, there was really very little to get excited about; the fact that it took almost an hour for the first shot on target says all you need to know.

Of course, the Liverpool defence have to take at least some credit for making this game so boring. The lack of action was largely because of West Brom’s ridiculously deep line couple with Liverpool’s attacking impotence, but on the few occasions that the hosts did threaten the Reds defence coped admirably. Lovren in particular deserves credit: he has taken a huge amount of flak since his 20 million pound move in the summer, but he didn’t let that weigh on his mind. Other than a few poorly thought out “Hollywood balls” in the early stages he didn’t put a foot wrong, consistently beating Anichebe in the air and making a couple of vital challenges and interceptions. Mignolet had very little to do at all, but he will be pleased with the clean sheet: it takes him joint top in the running for the Golden Glove, something that nobody would have expected after his shaky start to the campaign.

However, encouraging though the newfound defensive strength is, it is almost meaningless when we don’t have anyone capable of doing the job at the other end. Sturridge’s almost constant injury problems have been a real blow, and unsurprisingly the genius of Suarez has been missed this season. His ability to draw three defenders and then beat them left space for the rest of our attackers to work in – with the exception of Coutinho, nobody has managed to reproduce that sort of thing this season. This has meant that Liverpool have been reduced to aimlessly passing it around just outside the edge of the 18 yard box, occasionally taking pot shots in the hope that they can be bailed out by a wondergoal. Come the summer, whoever is in charge of the club by then will have to prioritise bringing in players who can create and score goals: the links with Depay are encouraging, but if recent history is anything to go by then we’ll probably fail to secure his signature and instead settle for Milner.

Balotelli was given a rare chance by Rodgers in this match. He proved all of the vacuous critics wrong in that his work rate could not really be faulted – he made multiple good runs and showed willingness to press the opposition at times. However, he was still ineffectual. This was largely down to the service he was provided, but he does of course have to take some blame for failing to make anything happen: when you’re out of favour, you have to grasp any chance you’re given. Rodgers looked a defeated man at times, slumped against the wall of the dugout, and this view was reinforced when he threw Borini on with just under half an hour to play. The Italian is even more out in the cold than his compatriot Balotelli, and everybody knew that he would be unable to offer the incisive input needed to break down the West Brom back line.

It was a pointless change from a manager who rapidly seems to be running out of ideas – none of the formations he tries are making any difference, and his press conferences are becoming gradually more ridiculous by the day. Am I saying he should be sacked immediately? Not necessarily, no. Rodgers has an ambition for the club which we saw a snippet of in our excellent campaign last year, and if he is given more time then there is every chance that he’ll be able to get us to sustain that level of performance and consistently challenge for the league. However, you couldn’t blame FSG for pulling the plug on him; he wasted all of their money in the summer, transforming the team from a 100+ goals per season outfit to one who consistently struggles to find the net. Again, the injuries to Sturridge and the almost unavoidable departure of Suarez have to be taken into account here, but Rodgers cannot absolve himself of all blame like he seems to want to do in press conferences. Especially considering Klopp might be available, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Rodgers was shown the door at the end of the season.

Be it the manager, the personnel or simply the style of play, something clearly needs to change for next season. This campaign is pretty much a write-off now, but we cannot afford to carry on with these disappointing performances into the new season. We have a good young team with bags of potential, but we need more: we need to bolster the squad with prolific goal-scorers and set them up in a way that allows the goals to start flowing freely once more. One season of mediocrity after a squad overhaul that saw our best player leave can just about be forgiven – if the trend is not reversed in the next campaign, then all of the progress we seemed to be making last season will be undone.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013 

Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle: The Chase Is On

Despite dominating for the majority of the game, Liverpool had to survive a couple of scares in order to come out as 2-0 winners against Newcastle. The visitors were denied a clear penalty when Lovren foolishly scythed down Perez in the box, and Mignolet was called upon to make a couple of top saves. In the end, though, Liverpool were very much deserving winners; the result leaves them just four points adrift of fourth placed Manchester City, whose recent rapid decline will give Rodgers’ side hope of an unlikely finish in the Champions League places.

The player of the match was undoubtedly Philippe Coutinho, who by now must be getting almost embarrassed by the number of man of the match and player of the month awards he’s picked up this season! He dazzled Anfield with his mesmerising skill, and epitomised his other-worldly passing ability with a ridiculously clever backheel that took out four hapless Newcastle defenders at once. Although he did not chalk up any goals or assists (which lots of football fans would have you believe means he had a bad game), he was instrumental in his side’s victory. The man who did open the scoring for us was Raheem Sterling – he too had an excellent game, causing the Newcastle back line all sorts of problems with his pace, quick feet and incisive passing as well as scoring excellently past them with a curling shot into the corner. However, he also highlighted just how far he still has to go before he is the fabled “complete attacker”: he missed two very simple opportunities to score, firing wide and then over from positions that were both less than 10 yards out. Even if his eventual plan is to leave Liverpool (which hopefully it isn’t – he is an immense talent with bags of ability), he can surely see that another season’s development at a club so renowned for handling young players well is the best thing for his game.

Another notable performance was that of Joe Allen. Aside from quietly getting on with controlling the midfield as he often does so well, he also bagged his first ever Premier League goal at Anfield to put the match to bed. Having survived a penalty scare towards the end of the first half and then been dominated for the first few minutes of the second, the stage looked set for Newcastle to punish Liverpool for all the chances that had gone begging earlier. However, the little Welshman was on hand to settle the Kop nerves with twenty minutes to play, smashing home an instinctive volley after Can, who had been up for a corner, headed the ball back into the danger zone.

Even the most pessimistic of Liverpool fans, perhaps those who were having flashbacks of what happened last time Joe Allen scored, had their fears alleviated ten minutes later when Moussa Sissoko was shown a red card for a second bookable offence. In truth he should probably have been given a straight red – his studs-up challenge on Lucas, who had a solid game, could have left the Brazilian seriously injured. Either way, it meant that the last ten minutes of the match was a formality: Newcastle just sat back and aimed to prevent Liverpool from getting a third. This they did, but Liverpool will not mind about that: the players doubtless left Anfield yesterday satisfied with their evening’s work.

It’s hard not to play a game of what might have been when looking at the table, but it does at least look a lot better than it might have done after this result. City’s slip-ups mean that the top four picture, which even Rodgers all but ruled out after the back-to-back defeats to United and Arsenal, is now not so bleak – the reds trail by just four points, with six games still left to play. Admittedly Liverpool would still have to be considered outsiders; a trip to Chelsea mars an otherwise easy run-in. However, in a season that has seen an almost unprecedented number of twists and turns in the race for fourth place, who knows what could happen?

Before turning their attention back to this late push for fourth, however, the players have the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final to think about. Tim Sherwood has blessed Villa with his fabled win ratio, and they have chosen a rather inconvenient time to hit such good form. Liverpool face a big challenge in trying to deal with the in-form Christian Benteke, and will have to be at their best to advance to the final. Hopefully they can go all the way though: call me a sentimentalist, but I think that Gerrard lifting the cup after his last game, which also happens to be his birthday, would be the perfect send-off for a man who has been a truly loyal servant to the club.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool: The Five Stages of Grief

Stage 1: We played very badly. Mignolet bailed us out, we somehow survived.

Stage 2: We played quite well. Should have scored, Markovic messed up a simple pass that would have left a tap-in for Sterling.

Stage 3: We capitulated, and having conceded three in eight minutes went into the break 3-0 down.

Stage 4: We didn’t come out with any real fight. Arsenal sat back, and we couldn’t break through. We got a penalty and just about converted it, but it was too late to think of a comeback.

Stage 5: Can picked up a stupid second yellow to compound our misery, and Giroud topped it off with a nice goal in stoppage time. The result leaves us nowhere near the top four, and realistically ends our hopes of Champions League football next season.

There really isn’t much else to say. Perhaps this result could leave Rodgers’s long-term future in jeopardy, and the missing out on the top four is bound to cut our work out for us in the summer when trying to keep hold of our best players and attract new ones, but those are articles for another time. Right now, the bottom line is that we lost: I’m sorry, but I can’t bring myself to write any more than this on what was a dreadful result with dreadful consequences.

Mignolet was one of the few players who put in a generally good performance