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
No comments:
Post a Comment