Four Reasons not to worry about Liverpool’s 15 conceded goals in 5 games
3) The opposition.
Looking at the two teams yesterday as an example, you’d be forgiven for thinking that we should have steamrollered the opposition. One major difference though was that Valerenga are halfway through their domestic season right now and are clearly much fitter and sharper than us as a result. This was obvious in a couple of areas; the lack of a quick pressing game which we usually employ and also the tendency to hesitate on the ball by most of our lot which is only corrected by match practice. It’s no surprise that Kenny has chosen to play our most testing friendly opposition (Valencia) before our first domestic game of the season, and it’ll be a very different team that runs out at Anfield on Saturday with a much stronger line-up.
4) Friendly form means very little to the actual season.
It’s as simple as that. There’ll be a few ‘dedicated’ fans who can remember friendly results at the end of a season (God love ‘em!) but for the most part, those results are completely forgotten soon after the season starts and with good reason. Bolton have won 5 pre-season games in a row now; does anybody think they’ll go through the season in that sort of form…? So if winning form doesn’t really matter once the proper matches start, why should any other form?
Of course I’d have liked a lovely run of form in the friendly games, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but I’m not particularly bothered as long as we start well against Sunderland. I’m as annoyed as anyone about conceding soft goals against unglamorous opposition but we haven’t lost any points or gone out of a cup competition because of it. There were some positives last night too; Downing in particular looked very classy and a fit Agger for me is one of the top centre backs in the world, we’re a much more dangerous team with him striding forward from the back. One game at a time and the next one is Valencia with a much stronger starting XI.
This will probably be the team against Sunderland (barring a new left back): Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carra, Kelly, Downing, Adam, Meireles, Kuyt, Carroll, Suarez. Remember the makeshift teams Kenny was putting out last season and still winning games and then look at the one we can put out now, including, for the first time in ages, an actual left winger. If you’re still not optimistic about the upcoming campaign then I suggest you Google ‘buy Prozac’ and get your credit card out.
16 responses to “Four Reasons not to worry about Liverpool’s 15 conceded goals in 5 games”
we are losing to a reserve team which is 10th in the norwegian league
Bcg, what’s your point? Its a pre season game so who gives a toss? Its all about fitness and gwlling. Its not about champagne football in preseason. Expect Liverpool to win competative games, not fitness warmups. Gain some perspective man.
If you was to play football in ANY league from the Sunday leagues in your town or the premier league u would know that the amount of effort and intensity involved in a friendly compared to a competitive game is on a different level wich tells me there really is no need to read into these results and just hang fire for the season to start all will be sweeeet
Hey, yhe top four teams dont concede so much in preseason. And their sdo not look so average.
It would be good to show some consistency now, build a winning mentality. However, in all fairness, a whole lot of diff players and diff combinations were being tried. The players also do not want to pick up injuries with preseason warm ups. I think the Valencia game should start to shape up the team as we fine tune. The weaknesses shown so far are not tobe ignored but sorted immediately! Its good they were exposed during preseason, thats the whole point of a preseason. Lets continue to work hard and improve.
Pre season means little especially stats from pre season , if u look at it like that Bolton will shine this year n last year ngog would of scored a bag full of goals but he didn’t n I can’t see. Boltons results carrying on through out the season ,
You took the words right out of my mouth! Excellent post! Nothing further to add ha
ehhhh, how will suarez play against sunderland?hes going to be rested….plus id question miereles too as he has a bruised foot…but anyhow.
Totally correct.
All I know is il looking foward to the season and can’t wait to see the starting line up against sunderland, come on LIVERPOOL !!!
And one reason to worry.
# It was your first choice back four last night against a very very mediocre team from Norway.
There’s no way I’d play Adam over Lucas. Agger is great going forward but his defence is hit and miss. It would be interesting to see him play left back. Carrol…he makes me so nervous. I have no faith in him whatsoever. Maybe in the future as a sub when we need to change up the play but as our main striker it’s embarrassing. Forgoet the price tag as that was politics, he needs to at best play BEHIND Suarez or Kuyt but that would mean they’re stuck up front. Carrol is just a waste of a player. I’d rather player Suarez with Kuyt, or even Miereles or Maxi up front, as they’re agile and not 1 dimensional and it will reduce all those fucking long ball from the back or side that fucking go nowhere at best hitting him in the side of his head.
We were 6th last season because of suarez and not kk alone. he was our best player so i believe the new team should be build to complement suarez and not carrol and he gets injured alot.
Can’t wait to see the posts when carroll finishes the season with 20 plus goals! Were not building a team around carroll were building a team that complements each other! Carroll not only scored goals at newcastle he created many chances for others especially nolan! Can’t wait to see saurez and gerrard getting on the end of them! Plus to say he is one dimensional is quiet a statement to make! He can make his own chances out of nothing! Goals against city and the one he scored against us for newcastle can back that up! The goal he scored for England was finished in style too and that came from a fantastic team move! Also he can be a target man. It sometime works well to knock a long ball up when everything else fails and there ain’t many better or taller in the league! ANDY CARROLL IS AWESOME!!
Comment by Paul
2011-08-02 21:43:36
And one reason to worry.
# It was your first choice back four last night against a very very mediocre team from Norway.
As you follow “our” team so intently,any chance you can give us your assessment?Things like the last time that back four played together,what stage each player was regarding injury recovery,fitness etc.Maybe you could move on then to the midfield,it’s new componants,new training staff,new methods,tactics,players missing,the usual info for an assessment that’s worth taking any notice of.That’s if you actually watched the game on either of “our” Liverpool outlets and aren’t the usual sit and snipe ill informed armchair supporter of “your” team.I’ve watched the game 3 times now so it will be interesting to see your indepth take.
hahahahahaa what a stupid post,Suarez not even started pre season and Meireles is injured,I guarente this will be line up:
Reina
Kelly,Carra,Agger,Johnson
Adam,Henderson,Lucas(or Spearing)
Downing Kuyt
Carroll
and we will lose 3:1