Jamie Carragher has said after the game against Middlesbrough on Saturday “We know we will improve. We’ve got too many good players to keep performing the way we are doing at the moment so I’m sure it will turn.”
We do indeed have some good players but there is a general assumption that the improvement will just happen, that somehow it will all just click into place and we will start winning.
As players get their full fitness back and people like Dossena and Keane become integrated into the team, we may well start winning some games more comfortably. What is most worrying is that organised teams like Middlesbrough come to Anfield, defend well and we simply do not have the imagination or creativity to break them down.
The most concerning thing that Carragher said was “Middlesbrough performed well. To be honest, I couldn’t really see us scoring.”
That is a key problem. If a passionate 100% player like Carragher can’t see us scoring then how many others on the team may be thinking that this just isn’t our day?
Perhaps negative views like this are dictated by the lack of chances we are creating. Without any apparent natural wingers we are over-reliant on a moment of magic from an individual player (Torres vs Sunderland & Gerrard vs Boro). This will not happen in every game and sooner or later we will not be as fortunate as we have been so far.
The only way to address this is to buy 1 or preferably 2 out and out wingers. This not only provides balls into the box from a better angle but stretches the ground that the defenders have to cover and overall makes the team less one-dimensional.
This was number one priority at the start of the summer and I am baffled why, with only a few days left until the transfer window closes we are left with Kuyt, Benayoun and Babel as our established first team wide players. None of these are traditional wingers. Babel, who possesses the most pace out of the 3 does not have the crossing ability nor really the guile to go past players to be totally effective in this position. Both Kuyt and Benayoun are central players with some ability to play wide and once again we are trying to crowbar players into positions to which they are not naturally suited. El Zhar is too unproven, even if in time he may be effective.
Unless we get at least 1 quality winger in the next week, we can forget about even finishing in the top 2 this year. Our luck so far will not be sustained for a whole season. I’m afraid that once again come March, I will more concerned about the results of Everton, Villa and Portsmouth who may be pushing for 4th place than I will about Chelsea or Scum.
What Liverpool need is to play at their top game and not to fear against the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea. We need to have that self believe. So come on guys we can do it.I know we can.Please Benitez get Barry and Villa. They are the answer to our problems.
the problem with liverpools current performances is that the full backs have no pace, for example arbeloa continuesly passes inside and doesnt make a run and kuyt does the same, so there is no one mixing it up its all through the middle. If benitez keeps sticking with kuyt and benayoun, the owners should get rid of him beacuse he keeps buying players that are not liverpool quality, like dossena,arbeloa,keane etc. we need at least to players who can dribble and cross like riera and SWP. Finally what rafa should do is keep players in the side based on their performance,e.g: keep reina carrager skrtel aurelio alonso gerrard torres in the side and replace the other players who didnt play as well.
I am afraid that we won’t win the premiership under Rafa who other then Torres and Mascherano has signed garbage!.We’ve been crying out for two out and out wingers for many seasons yet our manager seems obsessed with signing more midfielders like Barry who we do not need!.Lets be honest in admitting that Kuyt,Lucas,Benayoun,Pennant,Voronin and Dossana havn’t exactly had us on the edge of our seats though some of these players show great effort on the field they still lack the quality expected from Liverpool fans.
We’re constantly asked to remain patient or that we just need a few more players to challenge for the title, with us it’s like asking how long is a piece of string!!?
Fact is that we totally depend on Torres and Gerard to rescue us all the time and are still miles behind Chelsea and the Mancs.Rafa is generally terrible at judging potential signings and keeps wasting millions in signing dross then blames others for his own errors.I am no fan of the owners but we also need a change of manager.
What width do Arsenal have? None of Nasri, Rosicky, Eboue and formerly Hleb could be described as a winger and yet they challenged for most of last season. What width do Chelsea have? Only Joe Cole attacks from wide in their midfield of Deco, Lampard, Ballack and Essien, yet they’re favourites and top of the league. I don’t hear the same media outcry demanding width for these two teams. Maybe width is going out of fashion.
Rafa has wanted to buy many players over the last few years but not been given the cash.
However he has bought some shite and from what i have seen we wont be in the race for the title, that is unless we get 2 or 3 top players .
Some of us luv Rafa but his time is limited.
The biggest problem is if he leaves (or sacked) his players (Spanish/ Brazilian/Argentinian etc.etc. )wil follow him out the gate and we will start all over again!
Lets hope things work out for us and Rafa soon or we wil all suffer.
The mighty Reds LFC my home town team
Quaresma, Quaresma, Quaresma.
Benitez out also the end of the season or hopefully sooner along with Parry and the yanks. DIC in full control bringing in Murinho and yes, I am a liverpool fan.
We’d win the premiership then.
Benitez is pathetic as a manager and I really can’t wait to see him go.
i would love to see stewart downing at anfield. i don’t know much about that riera and to be honest i don’t think he stood out at man city what i can remember of him. i also think that we could see alot of nabil el zhar this year. we definately need out and out wingers be’coz when we had them last we won the league
My opinion? As far as I can see, this is not rocket science. Anyone with a brain can easily see that without adequate wingers, liverpool will struggle this year. It baffles me a bit when I read consistently that we are linked with AV Barry but not a proven or decent winger in the mold of Petrov from Man City. What an addition that guy would be to Liverpool. I watched their game yesterday and he was unbelievable on the wings.Putting decent crosses in with some deadly accuracy. Did I mention that he can sprint as well? With services like that from the wings, Torres and Keane would be on cloud 9.
Also, Dossena, Petrov on the wings would be a mouth watering propects on the left side. Wow. Evidnetly, we do have some money from all I have been hearing and reading, we need to get this guy now.
Yes,true..no matter how many converted deploy players Rafa out as an in and out winger / i.e. wide players,we can never fight againt stubborn teams (which we have seen last game againts Boro) I truely believe that we were just lucky and / plus Stevie’s winning spirit to seal the game off..But then again,think of when he is not there (remember he is isnt 100% fit),or he was substituded earlier,or he’s not on form?we need creative wingers who can long pass the ball to any of the offensive players..we just can rely on two new sighnings fullbacks,we dont even know how they will cope with the tactical game of EPL..lets just be realistic,even world class player like El Moro or Karl Heinz Riedle (remember anyone?) cant cope with the system..with due respect to Degan and Dossenna..but we will hope and pray they will come good..splash out the money on another player..i love Quaresma and i wanna see Riera (coz he have played in EPL) before..i the big money that we have we may need to use it wisely,on creative wingers and also those who have played in EPL..shaun wright philips,downing,joe cole (although his role is more or less like yossi- sell yossi then bring him in) or bently (pity..he’s with another London club!)..
please just stop splashing on youngsters..no more..we had more than enough..if there is CL youth cup,FIFA youth club cup,,our youngster would have won it all.!!..but we know,rafa is working very hard..
IN RAFA W TRUST!
Lack of width will cost us. you think?
Riera will be a massive mistake. the most tactically inept manager in the epl will find some way to mess it up – like rotate the fella out of form, or work him so poorly until he blows his hamstring.
I am a disillusioned liverpool fan. there is no way in hell we win with rafa as boss. ditto that with parry.
This season is beginning to sour already. it starts poorly, even with the wins, and you have some hope only to see it fail later, not by the lack of effort by the players but because of the constant lack of preparation they get from the coach tactically against opponents; the stupid rotation policy and his very dubious selections.
I agree totally about the lack of width and what is frustrating is that this is not a new problem and you dont need to be a footballing genius to see it.
It is true Rafa has tried to help the situation in buying Degan and Dossena who have reputations of being more offensive however I still feel we need wide midfielders who are comforatble at getting good quality balls in the box from wide areas.
It frustrates me more so when I hear of Pennants possible departure. We spent good money on him after missing out on other targets and knew at the time that good wingers are hard to come by.
Yes Pennant does not score the goals needed from a winger, his delivery isnt always great but he offers good balance to the team and he does work hard.
This balance allows the spine of the team to become less stifled and gives them the space to operate. Surely that is a big help?
Sell Pennant only when we replace with a great winger.
Kuyt deserves respect for some of his performances out wide but while against great teams his workrate and disciplin will be needed there are lots of other games against stubborn mediocre sides where his game wont be needed but need craft, pace and guile to break defences down.
At the very least we can only afford one side of the midfield to lack width and so stop using Benayoun and Kuyt at the same time.
Before the transfer window closes I would like to see a natural left winger, Queresma* or Riera.
In January or next summer we can then look to improve on Pennant/ Kuyt.
Regards
Mr Stating the obvious
We should get this Riera he might be the answer.