So the season has begun and with two games under our belts and we have picked up a rather decent point tally. I mean considering that we beat Arsenal (although if truth be told , we did face a very weakened and strained Arsenal side) and rather unfairly drew with Sunderland. Its a better start than most critics were willing to concede to us.
However there is one glaring problem that seems to bother me every time I review the games we have played. The one thing that jumps out at anyone watching our game is that we are constantly squandering chances – I mean consider the Arsenal game, we constantly gave the ball away in the final third and the attempts by Carroll to break into the defense was feeble at most. Then we had Kuyt footing the ball wrongly in the box (who by the way is reaching his 50th goal mark , a good achievement but rather behind for a striker in the EPL, considering the amount of years he has played) .
This inability to seize the game by the throat and finish was the reason why we drew with Sunderland , off-course as a Liverpool fan: I am going to curse the referee that disallowed Carroll’s beautiful goal and bemoan the fact that a few more inches on either Downing or Adam’s shot would have lead to a contender for goal of a season. And I’m going to try to forget that our 2 goal in 2 game hero (Suarez) missed a penalty.
But the problem here is that other teams are not going to forget these mistakes and they are not going to be as strained as the weakened Arsenal side we faced or as lacklustre as the Sunderland side we faced – they are going to be full of world class talent and names. If we keep squandering chances like these , it can be said without a shadow of doubt we’d be dismantled by the other top teams.
The only thing we can count on is Kenny’s playing experience and history to ensure our team doesn’t become the club that keeps going on about what-ifs. We have to learn to apply the coup de grace efficiently and brilliantly, and fast or else we will straddle behind.
I trust king Kenny but why is he playing Henderson? we’ve got raul, kuyt ‘n’ jay to trust . Is it the £20 million that he used ?
This is one glaring error with your assessment.
Nobody has looked decent yet!! Not the teams who’ve played two games anyway.
Citeh looked excellent at times yesterday but how good are Bolton really? We’ll find out on Saturday. And don’t forget they (Citeh)two goals in!!
ManUre spawned it against the Baggies and Chelsea got booed off by there own supporters against same said team at half-time!!
In flashes, we’ve looked really good. Suarez is well below fitness and Adam and Henderson are finding there feet.
We would have beaten Sunderland if Kenny had started with Kelly there is no doubt about that. Probably by more than the single goal because Kelly puts the opposition under pressure which Flano, still a young but exceptional talent, does not.
The season is young and although we won’t win the league, neither will 19 other teams!
‘a good achievement but rather behind for a striker in the EPL, considering the amount of years he has played’
I’d agree if he’d played as a striker but I think you’ll find that for the vast majority of his games he’s played as a right winger. 50 goals is pretty good from the wing.
Another issue is the ‘squandering chances’ – we’ve scored 3 goals in the two games we’ve played so far this season and I think you’ll find if you check the stats (I don’t have time at the moment) that 3 goals with the number of chances we’ve had isn’t bad either. Quite often teams will have 10-15 chances in a game scoring only one or two. Some of those chances should probably be scored. I think you’re being needlessly negative.
The ‘very weakened Aresenal team’ was only missing two players that they had last season, Song and Fabrigas – we were missing Johnson and Gerrard – does that mean we were ‘very weakened’? Also ‘lacklustre Sunderland team’ – Did you watch the match? In what sense were they lacklustre? Not quite sure why I’m even replying to this, I’m not sure I agree with a single sentance!
I agree – I don’t think his article is particularly well thought out or written. “We’d be dismantled by other top teams”? Thought you were a Liverpool fan? Judging any team or player, for that matter, after only 2 games is ridiculous. Carroll can only improve (personally I thought he was very good on Saturday), Henderson had a great game and Downing/Enrique were brilliant. Adam was quiet first half but grew into the game. We beat Arsenal. At the Emirates. Dominated possession and in the end were very comfortable. Too negative by far. We are gathering momentum. THAT’S what you should write about.
I agree with you THENEWWORLD, this article is a joke. Why do we need to read this bad excuse for someone being board at home and thinking that they need to post something on here.
If you do feel the urge to write then write about something that you know about because football is clearly something you know nothing about.
Liverpool look refreshed and hungry again, they look like the Liverpool we were all used to enjoy watching. Ok, we have a long way to go but without our skipper and Johnson (englands best right back), several players still needing to gel, we have just turned over Arsenal in their own back yard and we sit at the top end of the league. When we do hit the ground running we will be fighting for the top spot and then i hope articles like this are left in the trash can where they belong.
Kuyt has been played mainly as a winger! And its not such much that we are not finishing properly but more of lacking the creativity to create the chances. I really have a strong doubt abt yr ability to understand the game.
You are talking aboput a team that in general has pplayed 2 games together. Sunderland I have said from the start are going to be the surprise this year with a balanced and well thought out squad. Arsenal were about as weakened as we were and we outpassed the master passers of the premiership. How often have we ever seen a team go to arsenal at home and have more possesion than them?? Kenny knows exactly what he is doing and henderson is a prospect for the future not one of our foremost for now.
Haha, I have to laugh at this report.
Im not sure where you are coming from? Every team misses chances, its always the way! I have never seen any team get a 100% on target / goals ratio!
What will please Liverpool fans in the plenty is the mass of chances we are creating. The more we miss is a good sign because it shows creativity.
Rather than bemoaning the lack of chances converted, how about we applaud KK and DC for bringing in players who can give our players chances.
What was the song about Andy Cole? he needs 30 chances to score? Well if our own AC needs that many chances in one game to score a couple of goals then at least we know they are going to be created.
Why is everyone so doom and gloom. 4 points out of 6, possibly 7 out of 9, we are averaging over 2 points a game since KK has been back in charge. that would equate to 76 points this season and a possible 4th spot.
I’m not really sure how you have come to the conclusion that not converting chances relates to being dismantled by other top teams. Its fair to say that if possession doesn’t create goals it will be hard to get the results. Being dismantled by other top teams however would imply not being able to retain possession and a shoddy defense. Cant really see how they relate
Biggest problem with LFC right now? Moronic, kneejerking fans and their sh*t opinions.
Well said mate
Spot on mate talk about kneejerking moronic idiot supporters with their negativity right know we should get behind the team and show the players we believe in them
Kuyt and Suarez combined at the end of the season as the most potent attacking force in the Prem. The problem right now is Andy Carroll! What a horrendous purchase, the only worse one was Henderson, I don’t understand either of them. Don’t lose Kuyt, bench Carroll and use him when you face physical teams. You have a tremendous 3-man striker rotation if you do it that way. You give Carroll time to grow into things, and keep the pass-and-move philosophy going strong.
76 pts will put us back in the CL next year. I have done extensive analysis of the #s and here’s what I think needs to happen to achieve that.
22 wins – 66pts
10 ties – 10pts
6 losses
It also means we have to average 2pts/game on average over 38 games. I think the above is achievable if: only 3 or less of those losses are to the “top 3”. We have to our home matches. But we need to take Arsenal and Tottenham out of the picture by beating them home/away. If we do that, we’ll get our points and go back to where we belong, in Europe.
YNWA
For your “analysis” to have any validity, you must consider every result of every team and how that pans out in relation to your horse…
I have an idea – take your “analysis” and put it to use where it belongs – the bookies! Go put a tenner on your “guess” and bite your fingers off waiting to see if your “bet” pans out!
Your “analysis” is wishful thinking, and guessing. Have more fun with it, show some faith, and place a big old bet on it. I guarantee that is what everyone else is doing. Bet with your heart, or bet with your brain, you’ll either walk away dancing, or crying 🙂 But because you follow this horse, no matter how you walk away, you will never walk away alone 🙂
Honestly we need Stevie-G back,game against arsenal was clear that we need someone in the Midfield who can show the boys what liverpool is all about.saying Kuyt scored less for a striker and things like that is very stupid and insulting,are you really a liverpool fan or someone who watches reds play everytime? i dont think so,Kuyt spent most of his time on the wing at liverpool and the likes of Albert Riera did not score like he is scoring-hatrics.Downing does not have a problem and Meireles have settled and my plea is that the likes of Henderson and Adam must be used around him in the absence of Stevie because his heart is already kop and beats red.Well Raul is the kind of player that you cannot say he should do too much like Stevie can but if he has someone who is willing to work like Downing,then you will hardly miss Stevie because has the drive to score and go forward like Stevie.
Do you want now what the one glaring problem with liverpool is? Whingin,moaning fans.the critisism of henderson is bewildering.why is it some fans expect every young signing to be another messi? Henderson had a descent game at the weekend.first time passing is good,looks to move the ball quickly and shows good movement,touch and awareness for a 20 year old.he,s not done much wrong and he,s gettin stick after just 2 games? I,d be worried if we werent creating chances but we are so i,m not concerned,the goals will come.carrol,s a handfull for any defender and when the partnership with suarez gets a good run we,ll see fireworks.if you dont think 2-0 is a good result at the emerates,albeit an understrength arsenal, what score were you lookin for… 4,5-0? Thats scoring virtually every chance,the perfect game.get a grip