The Flat Back Four

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Have You Seen Youssef "Messi" Msakni, Comolli?

We have seen how Liverpool suffered this season without any pace and creativity from midfield. Dalglish's preferred midfield foursome of Downing, Adam, Gerrard and Lucas will pass the ball to death but neither is comfortable to run with the ball.

Against teams that park the bus, especially teams that come to Anfield, the lack of unpredictability in the Liverpool play has caused the mighty Reds dearly. Now that most Premiership teams are double and triple marking Suarez, never has a need for a new footballing wizard been more apparent in Liverpool red.

Though Bellamy has pace, he hardly dribbles past a sea of defenders. Hence enter the young Tunisian who has lit up the 2012 Africa Nations Cup with his scintillating runs and dribbles. Youssef Msakni could be the answer to address Liverpool's shortcomings, frightening Premiership opposition with his close control and mesmerizing trickery.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Reinvention Of Chelsea's Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres at his best, was an absolute terror. Just ask Nemanja Vidic. Or even the whole Manchester United team for that matter. There is no fluke that El Nino became the fastest Liverpool player to reach the 50-goal mark. His searing speed, excellent touch and great dribbling skills made him a Kop hero as soon as he arrived at Anfield. Rafa Benitez' playing system brought out the best in Nando. Steven Gerrard's promptings helped elevate Torres to Anfield hero status.

Without Benitez and with an injured Gerrard, Torres cut a lonely figure upfront for Liverpool in his final season. Nando never settled within the team built by a cautious Roy Hodgson and was soon on his way when Chelsea plumped up the big money for him. His reason - the need to win trophies. For all his individual brilliance, Torres' Liverpool career was marred by boardroom struggles and no trophies. The move to Chelsea was purely motivated by the need for success.

At Liverpool, Roy Hodgson tried to play Torres as a target man and though he still scored goals, since Liverpool players were familiar with him, the Spaniard never looked comfortable. Ironically, that's exactly the way Chelsea plays - with a target man. Torres found very quickly that the service from the Chelsea midfield without a Gerrard-like player, was poor and laboured. He had to reinvent himself if he wanted to be a success at The Bridge.

Liverpool Still Unbeaten At Anfield, But Champions League Spot Is Slipping Away

After nine matches away, El Pistolero was back in the Liverpool line up. The Uruguayan had been watching in the stands as the mighty Reds gained excellent results against Manchester City and Manchester United without him. Suarez came on as a substitute and could not inspire Liverpool against a weakened Spurs team.

If not for Gareth Bale's uncharacteristic miss late in the game, Liverpool might have had to endure a night where they dominated the game but had no end result as usual. It's the eighth draw at Anfield and these "undeserved" draws are starting to kill the Reds' pursuit for the final Champions League spot.

After some enterprising wins over City, United and then Wolves, Liverpool could not break down a solid Spurs defence in which Michael Dawson was outstanding. Still there weren't enough shots on goal and it was all huff and puff from the Reds in the end. Even with a classy frontline of Bellamy, Kuyt, Carroll and Gerrard, Liverpool could only manage four shots on goal and clearly for a team with a 9% conversion rate, more shots would have meant more probability for a goal.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Three Leading Lights Of Newcastle's 2011/2012 Season

Newcastle started this season strongly, confounding critics and pundits in the process. When Andy Carroll left for better pastures with Liverpool, everyone predicted the end of the road for Newcastle. Alan Pardew had his detractors and now he is actually being considered to be Capello's successor as England manager.

However you look at it, Newcastle, being a historical and colourful English club, they are exactly where they should be this season. The Toon Army are where they are this season due to the superb efforts of three foreign players.

Tim Krul's performance this season has been sensational. Against Manchester United, he was the reason Newcastle salvaged a 1-1 draw. 45 saves this season with six clean sheets marked him out as one of the outstanding keepers in the Premier League this season. Krul's stellar performances again shunts the unlucky Steve Harper into his all-too-familiar no. 2 spot.

Unlucky Reds Home Form Are Reminders Of Rafa's Title Chasing Season

Liverpool huffed and puffed once more but came up against another excellent goalkeeping display. A feat that Mark Bunn probably will and could not repeat even if he tried. The journeyman goalkeeper showed far better reflexes than Paul Robinson have had this season to deny Andy Carroll a confidence-boosting goal. As if to add insult to hurt, Blackburn defence only had Chris Samba as the experienced defender, the rest were youth team players elevated to emergency first team action!

SIX home draws have surely dampened Liverpool's hopes for a Champions League spot. Drawing against the Wigans, Fulhams and Blackburns of the Premiership are of course nothing new for the mighty Reds. We should remember that home draws against inferior opposition costed Liverpool the Premiership title. There is a strange Benitez resonance to this season's results and this problem to kill off the lesser Premier League teams at home is rearing its ugle head again.

The Reds need to be ruthless like Manchester United if they want that fourth Champions League spot.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Premier League's Forgotten Men Emerges Impressively During Christmas

The Christmas fixtures brought about a change in team line ups. Clubs which could afford to rest key players relied on their bench to tide them over this hectic time. This meant first team starts for a trio of Premier League superstars who have somewhat faded from this season's football action.

Dimitar Berbatov, Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun made the most of rare starts to remind the Premiership world what they are all capable of. In a word, these forgotten men impressed during the Christmas period.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Cole And Aquilani Regain Form Away From Anfield

Joe Cole was the flagship signing of the ill-fated Roy Hodgson era, and he was a Rafa signing that Hodgson inherited. For me, like Bellamy, Cole was not given chances to impress at Anfield. It was also unfortunate that he got sent off in his very first game for Liverpool against Arsenal. His Liverpool career seemed to go downhill since then. Hodgson clearly preferred a method of play that stifles any kind of flair and creativity hence Joe Cole watched as Liverpool faltered under Woy.

Alberto Aquilani was brought in (was it a rash Benitez signing?) in the hope of appeasing the Anfield faithful after the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid. Then from Roma, Aquaman walked into Liverpool, still nursing an injury. It took the Italian a while to get accustomed to the pace and strength of the Premiership but at the tail end of 2009/2010, Aquilani showed glimpses of why he is nicknamed "Il Principino" with some masterful performances.

Both these players have grabbed their chance for a new start with relish. Cole and Aquilani are now mainstays with Lille and AC Milan, becoming vital cogs as the two clubs chase trophies in their respective leagues.

Five Excellent Goalkeeping Displays Thwart Liverpool's Champions League Aspirations

Liverpool have been terribly unlucky this season in front of goal. This fact all Liverpool fans know. 17 shots against the woodwork and four saved penalties testify to the Reds' dominant and yet strange lack of goals. Also Luis Suarez is the Premiership striker with the most number of attempted shots to goal (75) but only scored five goals. Nevertheless El Pistolero is Liverpool's top scorer this season with just eight in all competitions, underlining why Liverpool's supremacy in matches are not being converted into three points.

There is one other reason that has dented Liverpool's Champions League ambition. Excellent goalkeeping displays by the opposition has kept the Reds from winning at least five of their six drawn matches thus far. Under Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool have taken the game to the opposition whenever possible. And it has only been fantastic goalkeeping displays which have stopped Liverpool from winning against Manchester United, Norwich, Swansea, Manchester City and Wigan Athletic.