Well I said this in my last blog, not to underestimate them and they put up such a fight. A truly brilliant game to go in the history books. However Liverpool managed to once again, find the hardest route to walk and did it in typical style. Having only ever lost 2 penalty shoot outs in a cup game the expectations were high for Liverpool to do well and they did indeed but just about on the skin of their teeth.
From the beginning Liverpool seemed to show more strength but having possession was one thing, actually making use of that possession is another.
Watching the game you just can't help but see, there were a lot of hesitation and lack of confidence in taking chances and the number of attempts against the number of on target shots; you would have believed it was a sign of desperation and not a sign of genuine intellectual play.
Yes Liverpool had put plenty of pressure, yes they had plenty of possession, but what they did with that possession was not as expected. I still don't think Carroll was really in the game and Henderson had a shocking game and should have been taken off much earlier for either Bellamy or Kuyt who would have been able to pick up loose balls from Carroll.
Now I don't want to focus on Carroll too much as there has been a lot of talk about him but my main concerns with him are:
- His attitude. Throughout the season we have seen his attitude towards fouls and such and as a central forward, sitting on the floor whining to the referee and linesman about why he's not getting a free kick while the ball is still in-play is both pathetic and stupid. Number of times he is fouled instead of getting up and carrying on; he sits on the floor pointing at the players, pointing at the referee and complaining. I know some of you maybe thinking, ell Suarez does it too, actually no, he doesn't he complains once the balls out of play as do and should most players.
- His positioning. Particularly in this game, he's not moving, he's solidifying himself into a position and using his strength to hopefully, and yes I stress hopefully, overpowering the opposition and creating something when he should be using it as a back-up to his other skills. There's a difference to playing to your strengths and just using your strengths. He spends too much time alloying himself to be surrounded by players making it impossible for him to really make anything happen. Now this is not to say he is a bad player, absolutely not. I just don't think the rest of the team fits his style of play. Liverpool have a whole host of players who are better with the ball on the ground, and suddenly we have to change the entire style to suit a single player which I find is a mistake at this stage. He definitely needs to work on his movement, and his stamina as it seems to wane after just 45mins. A central forward is meant to be flexible in their abilities, strong in their own court but still have skill in other fields too. When he was at Newcastle, he showed that he was capable but it seems like there is just too much focus on him using his head and not his feet at Liverpool.
- his hair...: I do't like it...
Carroll will develop, no doubt about it, but to have the entire team suit his game is wrong and I do find it odd that this seems to be the situation. Kuyt and Maxi are two players that do not suit Carroll and you can see that happening, as they both have not really featured at all lately. Playing Henderson and Downing who are both brilliant wingers as well as having Enrique and Johnson helping out just to provide for him seems to have disrupted Liverpool's flow of games. Previously having Maxi and Kuyt out, there were a lot of movement up front, a lot of fast paced games, but lately, the games have been slow, hesitant and almost static like.
Simply put, Carroll needs to find his feet... Literally and show his feet are as good as his head, or else he's just another player who loved the money than the game.
Sometimes I feel people fear to doubt Kenny Dalglish but with this way of play, I really don't think it is working. I can understand what he's trying to do, combining Suarez and Carroll, but it doesn't work when only half the combination is working while the other half is still figuring things out. Each game seems to be a struggle, especially with the big games. Bring back Maxi, Kuyt; Henderson really needs to improve his overall game and get Bellamy back on along side Suarez because they are a terror for defenders if they were to play together up front. Bellamy has shown his intelligence to seek out opportune moments and take advantage of them and Suarez has just been a threat from day one.
Kuyt was definitely an Impact Sub, but he is so much more than that and he has proven it in the past. He is a capable player, a man who runs and runs and runs. He came on and immediately changed the tone along with Bellamy of course but he has such stamina, that he would out last any of the players on the pitch and I think he would have been essential, especially on a game of this magnitude, you needed players who have played high pressured games. The man is an international player who has played so much more high profile and extremely pressured games than some of the others that he really should have had a starting position over Henderson.
But as they all say, a win is a win but Cardiff were definitely a team not to be underestimated. They played hard and played with real passion giving everyone a game to remember. Miller having some chances go by and Gestede got into some good positions to become a real threat. Heaton played a game and a half with some brilliant saves as well as a good save from Gerrard's Penalty.
Cardiff's defence were absolutely solid having only random weak moments but the level of concentration was brilliant, their formation was strong, however I thought Liverpool's defence in comparison left too many open gaps letting Cardiff to slip through too easily and it showed with every chance Cardiff had, Miller or Mason were able to make a run through the defence and pick up the ball and considering the amount of chances they actually had, were they to have more, I'm sure they would have walked away with the Cup.
Hopefully after reviewing this game, Kenny makes the right changes.
My Man of the Match would have to go to Steward Downing. The player showed real pace, real fight and brilliant footwork. His crosses were well received on the other end and his general movement was excellent. There were many players that could easily walk away with the Man of the Match but I'd have to give it to Steward Downing.
A brilliant steal from Villa, who's fans weren't too fond of him, why I have no idea.
Welcome to the first of many updates of Liverpool FC as we follow them through the ups and downs of the season.
Well we all know what happened last night, as Liverpool took on Brighton&Hove Albion and winning emphatically 6-1 with Brighton not helping themselves too much.
But this was something that was needed by Liverpool's team, with the previous results against the likes of Spurs where Kenny's Knights were unable to break the walls of London and to go to Old Trafford on such harsh circumstances, these games were difficult and it has been a difficult few weeks for Liverpool. But it seems the light is shining over Anfield, as well as a full moon...
With Suarez, Carroll and Gerrard having their first start together, it seemed fitting to have a game against a side that was doing well with 10 games without a loss, for them to be tested. Brighton were not a weak team and as many top-flight teams will know, sometimes the lower league teams can pull a surprise but this time was not one of those moments.
With Bellamy and Agger out due to injuries Carragher was back in the starting line up along side Skrtel who has had a brilliant season so far with a goal to his name in the FA Cup and a goal in the Premier League is doing more than just well.
With the next game against Stoke, Kenny will have a tough decision ahead him as to picking a team with everyone performing extremely well. Johnson and Adam having the highest successive pass rate in the Brighton game, both in the high 90%'s while Carroll is gelling better with the team.
One of the new threats comes from the precision of Gerrard and Suarez. History has shown Gerrard's ability to link up with players fast but having only played a few games together, they have shown some serious strength against any defence and with the possible inclusion of the fast paced Bellamy, that would be an attack force to be afraid of.
With the Merseyside Derby put on hold, we shall see Everton at a later date that is yet to be confirmed.
But let us look towards the next game, as Liverpool play at Wembley for the first time in many years but not to say we have not been there!!! Against a side that was tipped to have joined the Premier League last season but were narrowly beaten by their Welsh counter-part Swansea, Cardiff City look to take on the Reds as they join us on our trip to London for a showdown for the silverware.
Cardiff are no side to be taken lightly as with their latest performance; they have not been at their best but with any cup game, a team can change over night.
Cardiff currently 4th in the Championship League have not had the best spell of games however you can never underestimate a team that is in their lowest, as desperation and anger of defeat runs through their mind, determination grows and pushes each player to the limit. Teams have fallen to the might of a recovering team and Liverpool should never take them lightly as they managed to get this far for a reason.
From what I've seen of Cardiff City, they are having trouble in a few areas that need to be exploited, their defences have moments of weaknesses where concentration disappears and a team is able to slip passed them. With times like these, it is the faster pace players that will be needed with the likes of Suarez, Bellamy and Kuyt. So here are my Starting XI
Reina, Enrique, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Gerrard, Adam, Shelvey, Kuyt, Carroll, Bellamy.
Seem like a Peculiar mix? Well yes, with the usual four in theback and the ever reliable Reina in Goal, it is the midfield that needs working on. Gerrard as the Skipper will always be the centre-piece of any Squad but it is the players around him. With Lucas out I would use Shelvey, a player who has come up through the ranks and proven himself not just at Liverpool, but at Blackpool, Charlton and Arsenal during his younger years. His defensive abilities has proven effective and his stamina to attack and defend can be seen as a worthy replacement for the Defensive Brazilian. Adam with his proven ability to get hold of the ball and get it to the players he wants to makes him a strong player to have to keep and control the ball in the middle of the pitch. Kuyt's role would be supporting forwards on their attack especially with his undying will to chase a ball down regardless of the possibility of success. This will help Bellamy charge through the players and slip in behind the defence with Carroll also providing strength and height as a form of attack.
Carroll's other strength that people seem to forget is his ability to provide for the team, having assisted in many goals as of late. He may not have scored as many as everyone would hope but he's causing a calamity with the chances he provides for Bellamy and Suarez.
I would only play Suarez to replace Kuyt should the worse happen, and bring Carragher on to replace Shelvey for a more permanent Defence as we park the Red Wall of Anfield in front of the goal. As formidable as Kuyt is, Suarez has better ability with attacking against a wall of men; his agility will work better.
Players Forgotten - It seems some players have disappeared into the background so lets bring them back into the light.
Maxi Rodriguez - A man who score 2 hat-tricks towards the end of last season, a man that was always there to pick up the rebounds and smash one home seems to lose out to Henderson and Downing for a spot on the team. Is this a mistake?
Not in my eyes, for a player such as himself, he has the ability to control the midfield but also support the forwards on a well organised attack but what he currently lacks is the crossing ability that Downing and Henderson can provide for the taller fella Carroll. Maxi has shown his ability to work well along side Kuyt and his style suits Bellamy and Suarez much more but with Kenny's hope to have Carroll as the front man shows his ability is not needed as much as others maybe. This is not to say he is an unneeded player, far from it, his playing style to mix well with so many players makes him extremely useful and deadly when linking up with the rest of the team on an attack and this is something we need to have on the bench, someone who can spur on an attack.
At the moment, I believe the team needs to focus harder on finishing, and taking more chances.
As of late the game has seen us hesitate and play too safe, players staying back and not supporting Carroll up front. Leaving him there on his own is a poor choice to make, especially when playing against the likes of Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur.
If we are to play as we did against Brighton, with that much positivity, that much confidence and strength, we have the chance to take back our rightful spot at 4th and to set our targets for the title next season.
So let's see what happens in the coming as we take on Cardiff City at Wembley.
See you all next week.
YNWA
ANDY
LAI
