Reds Stutter On

Dirk to the rescue.

After last weeks, dull, lifeless and ultimately boring game in Prague last week this game could only get better, but when you consider just how bad the game was last week there was still plenty of room for the second leg to be a drab affair and still be an improvement - and that is essentially what was served up last night, an improvement, albeit without setting the world ablaze.

As always there are positives and negatives to every game, sometimes more of one and less of the other. The majority of last nights positives centre around the actual outcome rather than what happened during the 90mins. There were plenty of children at the game last night, great for them to get the experience of watching the reds at Anfield on a European night, an experience I'm sure they wont forget. We kept another clean sheet - that's 6 in the last 8 games now, long may that run continue. The game was also a sell, fantastic for the club, especially as it was a 6pm kick off, ridiculous time, nothing wrong with 8pm kick offs, but a sell out it was, and by my memory that's the first Euro sell out this season - we did have a laugh trying to figure out why and we concluded that it could only be people desperately trying to rack up the games in the run up to the final - if we get there - interesting to see what the criteria for tickets would be. And, finally we are through to the next round and due to both Braga and Porto qualifying our fixtures have been altered so that we now play away on the 10th and at home on the 17th - try and tell me that's not an advantage! More on that a bit later though.

On the pitch, well it wasn't exactly the performance we wanted but there were some positives to take from it. Danny Wilson, a centre back playing at left back, says he is willing to adapt to play anywhere along the back for the reds, now that is the right attitude and to be honest over the two legs i think he was one of the better performers, he was given a chance, he took it well, got a second bite of the apple and he played well again, i would really like to see him get a chance in the League, just like Kelly did, and i certainly would love him to keep his place against Braga - no more than he deserves on both counts. Pepe deserves a mention for 1. staying awake and 2. staying alert, he wasn't needed much but when he was needed he didn't disappoint.

Raul Meireles, now he really has come alive under Kenny Dalglish, last night again he was the man who controlled the middle, our most creative player by miles and a player who deservedly should have taken the MOTM award - fast running out of positive things to say that haven't already been said about him, now that is a good headache to have. And then there is Dirk Kuyt, like him or not, he never gives up, he is wasted out on the right and seems to come alive further up the pitch in a more natural striking role, he may not be having the best of games sometimes but then he pops up with the goal that wins it, and he does score the important ones - he kept at it, got his goal and rescued us from the torture of another 30mins, nice one Dirk.

As always it is not possible to praise everyone, so i just pick out the players i think deserve the mention most, likewise with the criticism - that is reserved for those who i think deserve it most. Now, generally, whilst the football served up wasn't great, we did retain the ball well at times, movement could have been better, but we always looked in control, we created plenty of opportunities to score yet took none. On the whole the performance was average, and on the scale average is below good so there is plenty of room for improvement - the contest over two legs? probably forgettable.

Now there are gonna be two main points of criticism here. The first, David Ngog, you would think that the arrival of two big money strikers would be enough encouragement for a striker who wasn't even challenging for the first choice position before they arrived to up his game. Well you would think that, but obviously that logic is lost on Ngog. He's lightweight, in more ways than one, easily 'moved' off the ball, doesn't even take a shove, doesn't seem to know how to hold a ball up and generally looks more isolated up front than Torres ever did even at his lowest point (at Liverpool not Chelsea!). His movement isn't the best, he isn't always were he should be, needs to look at his attitude, he  never looks bothered, does he even realise who he plays for? I just don't think he is good enough for Liverpool, we have better strikers in the youth teams and losing Ngog in the summer would remove one obstacle to those youngsters who are working hard to get their chance. Think it's time to cash in while we can, not that we will get much.

And that second piece of criticism?? This is aimed at the supporters who cheered when Poulsen was substituted. What is that all about? OK so he wasn't having the best game ever, but there weren't exactly many on the pitch who were. Under Kenny, Poulsen has played better than he ever did under Hodgson, and he has had some decent games. He doesn't set the world on fire with his world class skills, an he isn't exactly gonna go a long run with the ball, but he isn't in the team to do that. He did a decent job in the middle, much like Lucas who was having a quiet game too, they tackled, they passed, they allowed the players ahead to push on, and limited the attacking flow on the players behind them. And he was more involved in the game than the player who replaced him - and how HE gets in the team ahead of others is beyond me. Bottom line is, no matter whether you like them or not, Liverpool players should not be booed off by Liverpool supporters, wtf is that all about, really?? If you're happy with the change then fine be happy, no need to be a nob about it though.

One thing that does bother me about Liverpool in Europe is the feeling that a second leg at Anfield guarantees we go through - it doesn't. It's an advantage, that's it, if things don't go right in the first leg then the home support will make it a night to remember in the second, and it is always easier to play on home soil. But we need to start playing for victories away from home. Away goals still count as two in the event of a draw, and all it would have taken was a late goal last night and we would have been out. This season the reds have only scored 5 goals away in Europe, 4 of those came against Rabotnicki and Trabzonspor, that is a problem. We need to start scoring away goals in Europe. It would certainly make the second leg easier. Last season, Atletico proved the value of an away goal is just as important as a home victory in Europe, they won on home soil 1-0, beaten away 2-1, beaten by us, yet they went through courtesy of an away goal - they're vital and we need to start doing the business away from home, having to play at Anfield and outscore the opposition like we did last season season on 3 occasions is not an ideal situation to be in. Playing at Anfield second leg does not guarantee we go through, confidence is one thing, but arrogance is different, we need to give ourselves something to be confident about, beating Braga away will put us in a great position to go through, it will give us confidence. It has already been said to me that if we draw away we will go through, we wont, just means we will be favourites to go through - that is something different.

Lets end on another positive..

Liverpool are now 8 games unbeaten, 5 victories, 3 draws and 6 clean sheets. Next up is premier league high flyer's West Ham, wont be an easy game, they never are, we need to work hard for the victory, i think we will get the three points too, that would be 9games unbeaten, 6 wins, 7 clean sheets, and a chance to extend that to 10 games unbeaten when we welcome, if welcome is the word, our neighbours from down the road next Sunday. Confidence is high, but we will need two good performances in the next two games if we are to win, we can't play like we did over two legs against Sparta, the Utd game isn't the problem, we need no help raising our game for them, the West Ham game is the worry, we need to be on the ball, the teams fighting for survival our the ones to avoid at the moment, that said, i think we will be OK.

Fourth is still a long shot, there is a link on the sidebar to another article i wrote on the matter, still stand by it, still would love to be proved wrong, need to keep ourselves grounded and as the King keeps saying, the next game is the most important one - let's see where we end up come May.

I keep saying this but there never really is much done about it - feedback! more HERE.