It is never a good feeling to lose a football match, especially if you are Liverpool Football Club as we want to win everything! The loss to Spurs on Sunday was not the best of results as it means that Liverpool may not finish the season in 5th place and clinch a Europa League place for next season. But some say that not beating Spurs on Sunday may be a blessing in disguise for Liverpool as they will not have the distraction of Europe League football next season. Whether or not playing in the Europa League next season is a good or bad thing for Liverpool, that is a debate for another day.
But there are two things Liverpool can learn following the loss to Spurs on Sunday:
1) The team needs new players! After Kenny Dalglish took over as manager he has lead the team on a great run and in the process bought out the best in some players who never really shone under Roy Hodgson namely Raul Meireles, Dirk Kuyt, Maxi, Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel. Coupled with the rise in form of some players, Kenny also gave the youngsters a chance and Kelly, Spearing, Shelvey, Flanagan and Robinson have all broken into the first team and done well. With the new January signings of Suarez and Carroll, Liverpool have been firing and some may have thought that we have a good enough team now to push on and challenge for major honours next season.
But the fact remains that Liverpool still lack some quality in certain positions on the field. That was highlighted on Sunday when we failed to break down a resilient Spurs team. The new owners have said that they are willing to give Dalglish cash this summer so he can go out and spend and this simply has to be done. There is no way we can go on with the current squad and hope to achieve great success next season.
2) What do we do with Andy Carroll? Many fans were asking after the Spurs game, how can Liverpool play with Carroll as the game style seemed to change on Sunday with Carroll on the field. When Carroll was out injured, Liverpool were playing some great attacking football and seemed world beaters, but come Sunday we reverted to pinging the long ball to Carroll and he did not do too well.
Carroll was bought for a large fee and you can be sure he is going to play. We can not spend that much money and expect him to sit on the bench. So Liverpool will have to find a way to play with Carroll in the side and for me it is simply, Liverpool need to get in two wide men who will be able to whip crosses into the box for Carroll to finish off.
So what are the two things learn’t? Liverpool need to buy and buy good this summer and secondly, Liverpool need to find a way to bring out the best in Andy Carroll.
How many fans wish that we had not signed Carroll now? I have to say that I am one of them. Playing 442 with the giant centre forward is so outdated. We couldn’t get the ball off Spurs for much of the game. How we missed having the extra man in midfield. It’s too easy to say that our players are not good enough. It was a tactical error to play 442 with Carroll against a skilled Spurs team.
I disagree that we have to play Carroll because we paid so much for him. If Berbatov and Torres can be left on the bench then why not Carroll?
I feel that at best, Carroll will be an impact player for particular occasions. A team can’t win games if it gets outplayed in midfield as we did against Spurs. Suarez was starved of service and that certainly makes no sense.
The tactics and style of play that we saw during Carroll’s absence is our future. Forget the fee paid for Carroll and use him only when needed. Play the most effective team. That’s what Fergie would do.
Just want to mention Flanagan who I believe will soon be world-class. This kid is is the real deal.
How many fans wish that we had not signed Carroll now? I have to say that I am one of them. Playing 442 with the giant centre forward is so outdated. We couldn’t get the ball off Spurs for much of the game. How we missed having the extra man in midfield. It’s too easy to say that our players are not good enough. It was a tactical error to play 442 with Carroll against a skilled Spurs team.
I disagree that we have to play Carroll because we paid so much for him. If Berbatov and Torres can be left on the bench then why not Carroll?
I feel that at best, Carroll will be an impact player for particular occasions. A team can’t win games if it gets outplayed in midfield as we did against Spurs. Suarez was starved of service and that certainly makes no sense.
The tactics and style of play that we saw during Carroll’s absence is our future. Forget the fee paid for Carroll and use him only when needed. Play the most effective team. That’s what Fergie would do.
Just want to mention Flanagan who I believe will soon be world-class. This kid is is the real deal. I would bet my house on it.
@flying pig,with a capital AGREED,with carrol we seems change the game tactic and it look really an awful game,personally i never like majority of english player,they’re overprice and overrated with not much of technical skill.As for big andy,are we paying his wages just for intercept long ball?? that guy can’t even created space or pull defender away for other player to exploit.The only way i see it is packed him down to reserved and let him picked up his skill and learned to play the LIVERPOOL WAY from there.
The third lesson is that we need desperalely to sall Carroll.
NO WAY, CARROL WILL BE GREAT. HE MIGHT NOT PLAY EACH WEEK, ESP IF WE SPEND AGAIN UP FRONT, BUT GIVEN HE HAS BEEN OUT FOR A WHILE I RECKON HE CAN BE FORGIVEN A LACK LUSTER GAME, ME MISSED RAUL IN THE MIDDLE MORE, DUE TO HIS ABSENSE, ARE MIDFIELD WAS NO WHERE NEAR AS DYNAMIC ENOUGH, WHAT WE LEARNT FORM THIS MATCH IS YES WE NEED MORE PLAYERS…WHO DIDNT KNOW THAT? AND THE OTHER IS LUCAS AND SPEARING WON TBE OUR MIDFEILD GENRALS NEXT SEASON, LUCAS HAS BEEN GREAT THIS YEAR AND HOPE HE GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGHT BUT THINK HE NEEDS A LOT MORE FREEDOM AND TO PLAY HIS FOOTBALL, WINNIG THE BALL HIGHER UP THE PITCH. sPEARING AGAIN HAS SHOWN TALENT, AND DEFO DERSEVE TO PALY SECOND FIDDLE NEXT YEAR TO WHO EVER IS BROUGHT IT TO PLAY MASHERS OLD ROLE. HE HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST MISS THIS SEASON BTW, THAT WITH AN ON FORM GERRARD. BLA BLA BLA THEYVE ALL NOT BEEN GOOD ENOUGH, SINCE JAN BEEN GREAT, BUT MAGIC DUST WONT LAST AN ENTIRE SEASON.