The Return of the Premier League

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First day back and expectations where high, too high? We are only 1/38th or 0.026 of the way through the season, so who knows…

The Match

Anfield was buzzing, as it should be. New signings on show, fist game of the 2011/12 season, thoughts of how well we are going to do running through everyone’s mind. The first 6 minutes lived up to expectation, excellent pass and move, hustle and bustle that led to Suarez through on the keeper. But the ex Man Utd player Kieran Richardson had other ideas…tackles from behind in the box, Suarez with only the keeper to beat is brought down for a certain penalty. Richardson surely set for an early shower…Nope. Phil Dowd has other ideas…penalty is given, and a yellow card for Richardson, maybe that was the sign of things to come.

Ok, so no red, but Suarez will slot this home…Oh! Skied into the Anfield Rd. end…hmmm, no worries we are all over them and sure enough a cracking free kick delivery from Charlie Adam and Luis steers it home after 12 minutes. The pass and move throughout the remainder of the first half was good, so to the pace of Stuart Downing popping up on either flank and coming close to goal of the season after only 34 minutes. Cutting in from the right to run passed 3 defenders before sending a fantastic left footed shot crashing into the bar, showing the sign of things to come from the lovable Smoggie…

Everyone, including Steve ‘Fat Head’ Bruce went in happy at half-time. Liverpool’s performance in the first 45mins showed promise, and Sunderland were lucky to still have a full complement of players and only be 1-0 down.

The second half saw Sunderland come out with a little more intent, and by the time Seb Larsson hit his 57th minute equaliser the Reds where seemingly running out of steam.

Yes, the equaliser was a defensive error. Flanagan was caught ball watching, but I doubt it will happen to him again. Everyone makes mistakes. Jon Flanagan isn’t 20 until January 1st next year, his total appearances in the first team number the same as the number of days of the week. I’m stating these facts because, let’s be honest, he’s over performed previously and one mistake does not make you a bad player…Steven Gerrard own goal League cup final, poor pass back for Thierry Henry and Stevie was far more accomplished when he made these mistakes. Flano never got the protection that he was used to in his previous 6 top flight matches, because the Energiser Bunny that is Dirk Kuyt wasn’t there to help out. Let us give the lad a chance.

We could say that one mistake and decent strike and the opposition was level. In all honesty, a better striker than Gyan may well have troubled Pepe earlier than this. That, for me, is more concerning than the mistake made by a guy learning to run at the highest level.

From this point on fitness seemed to be a problem, Kuyt came on for Henderson, who had a steady but not spectacular season start against his old employers. An hour in and the Summer ‘jolly’ in Denmark looked to be catching up. Similarly, Suarez started to flag…chasing but not with the zest of the first half hour, who can blame him after his Summer outing in Argentina, helping Uruguay claim the 2011 Copa America…

So the second half petered out with more long balls than we would have hoped, and more chances for Sunderland than we would have hoped. After 90+4mins of extra time 1-1 was, a fair result. In the words of the great man himself, “Sunderland made it difficult for us, they worked really hard and I think they deserved a point.”

The Stats

In context (and I know you all hate stats, but live with it…)

• 36% (4) of the starting line up played their competitive debut today.
• 63% (7) of the starting line up have played 14 or less competitive games for LFC.
• LFC’s top passer – Jordan Henderson – 88% (28/32) (via @AnfieldIndex Twitter feed)
• LFC’s other top 6 passers -
• Adam (71%), Enrique (76%), Lucas (77%), Carra (78%), Flano (80%), Agger (84%) (via @AnfieldIndex Twitter feed)
• Most telling stat (for me personally)
• Crossing accuracy of 38% today compared to an average of 20% for 2010/11 season (via @AnfieldIndex Twitter feed)

So all things considered, including the fact that our opponents should have been a man short after 6 minutes, Phil Dowd…( I know where you live). And don’t argue that Luis was heading away from goal, as Kenny said, ‘if you’re in the middle of the goal and want to go around the goalkeeper, it’s very difficult not to go away from goal, isn’t it?’ We cannot really be downhearted surely…I, for one, am not. And I cannot wait for this team to gel. Let us get behind these boys, they’re ours to shout for and at, but be realistic…

Related articles

• Liverpool pegged back by stubborn Sunderland (independent.co.uk)
• Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland – Match Review (footballfancast.com)

Matchday 37 – Expectations too high…?

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Sunday 16th May and the expectation was for LFC to hit Spurs as hard as we did Brimingham, Newcastle and Fulham, that expectation wasn’t filled…

There are currently two streams of thought on the Europa League qualification, obvious what they are, which side of the fence do you fall on…?

The improvements that have come about since the spirit of Dalglish was injected into the side are well documented and I will suffice to say, Pld 17, Won 11, Drawn 3, Lost 3 – a 64% win rate in the Premier league…extrapolate this through for a season and that’s 73 points (on wins alone), something only two teams could achieve this season (depending on Chelsea winning their remaining fixture).

But back to the topic in question…Europa or not…

Obviously, being highly competitive, I want to do the best possible in anything.  Therefore, I want the best for my team, however I’m undecided as to what that is right now.  In previous seasons Europe (preferably CL) would have been an expectation, a need.  There were many reasons behind that need, but mainly the additional income and being able to attract the right player.  That time, in my opinion, has gone.

We have owners who are here for the long haul it seems.  They are looking to invest and have allowed us to not have to worry about the collapse of ‘our’ club.  So with that the additional income brought about by trips throughout the continent isn’t overtly necessary…The fact that FSG are looking to reduce the wage bill may concern some, however that is what will come from the investment in the grass-roots, via the academy and buying the right player to build a future for the club.  We are all far too familiar with overpaid nancy boys…

The fact that the club and it’s new full-time manager and staff have done so much in so short a time, with the available resource, will add to the attraction of any player who is hungry to achieve, perform and work hard. The only problem we may have is that once an interest is raised, mercenary agents and clubs alike will think our pockets are easily emptied, something I am sure the business-men will not allow to happen.

Do we really need the additional 12 fixtures, starting in mid August, that would take us through to the Quater Finals??  Should we aim for them and use them as training ground for the young players or should that be the place of the League Cup?  In all honesty, if we do qualify we’ll want to win it…

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Matchday 36 – Liverpool back on the brink…

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I haven’t written about Liverpool FC since early October.

Initially, this was due to fact that I did not want my blog to turn into another team/manager beatfest, then as the results continued to make bad reading, not just from the poor journalism, but also because Liverpool FC were below average, I resigned myself to mid-table mediocrity.

As we are all now well aware, 2011 has been a fantastic year on the footballing front.  The King has returned to great effect, showing his 20 years ‘away from the Liverpool FC limelight’, has not blunted his footballing acumen or his handling of the media.

The team we have has been strengthened, and it all started when Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish got a flight back from his cruise…add to this the removal of El Sulkio and the incoming ‘team members’, mix it up with a little pass and move and even Maxi can get a hat-trick…or two!

But the best signing of 2011 for me is Steve Clarke…

His experience is second to none, assistant manager to Jose Mourinho, he was a part of the coaching set-up which saw Chelsea win two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups over three seasons.  This was a fantastic appointment by Kenny, another shrewd piece of business by the man who had been out of touch.  Tonight’s performance was a the perfect case in point. The fluidity of the movement, one touch football, back to the days of old. The tenacity and pace from the first to last whistle. It all encompassed a ‘team’, from keeper to striker to manager to coach…the Liverpool way is back, with a vengeance.

United can have title 19, Liverpool FC are on the brink of returning to the great days, we can take 19, 20 and 21, but the fact that we are being spoken about again as title contenders after half a season of strugglers is purely down to the fact that the right people are back at the helm.  The debt has gone, the collective shoulders have been lightened. Matchday is optimistic again and life is good…even to the degree that we don’t mind those from across Stanley Park helping us out…

Let us hope that the finalisation of the caretaker comes soon…

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Alternative Vote – Referendum failure?

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Not sure if it would have made much difference (tongue in cheek), however I do wish I had written something before the referendum, as now it may be seen as being a poor loser…

It was a resounding defeat, and maybe naively, surprisingly so. A fraction under 68% of those who turned out voted against change, and I for one am interested in the reasons why. Was it due to the overwhelming majority of the country agreeing with, in my opinion, an unfair system that allows a minority rule? Or was it due to the NO campaign flooding the country with propaganda?

I think from the tone of my writing so far, you will understand my feeling even if I go no further, however I do not want to be accused of being unable to express an informed opinion…

So, time for stats – turnout was, on average, 42%. Not great, in fact poor as far as I’m concerned. The Financial Times described this as ‘surprisingly high’, what were they expecting? I understand voter apathy when it comes to general elections, with those who are representing us, being fairly far removed from normal life. But this was the chance to ensure that the vote was more meaningful than ever. So why did the overall majority decide to not even bother to invest a few minutes of one day of their lives to try for an improvement in future decision-making, not a lot to ask in the grand scheme…?

The NO campaign obviously had a huge backing from the main parties and business, the money spent in my area alone is shameful, especially when one of the campaigns focus points was the belief that the introduction of AV would mean an additional £250million cost to the public. But looking deeper into this campaign, its own website contradicts this amount and states different figures…no propaganda, headline catching nonsense here then?? £130million on machines to count the votes…why?

Australia uses AV, and has done so for almost 80 years, they do not have the equivalent of £130million of electronic voting machines….

The second main point that the NO campaign made, and this is from anecdotal conversations with those bombarded with the leaflets, was linked to ‘extremism’. The NO campaign regaled in the use of the BNP gaining seats across the country and uses this detail in such as a way to ensure that the average person recoils in horror at that possibility. The campaign actually goes as far as using an example from Australia…’Under AV, however, the far-right One Nation Party won 11 seats in the Queensland state legislature, whereas they would have only won 8 under First Past the Post‘. That surely just means that there were more voters taking this party as their second or third choice, because they cannot take a seat without the vote…

Anyway, if AV helped extremist parties, why did the BNP advise their supporters to back a ‘No’ vote? Currently, MPs can get elected with support from less than 1 in 3 voters, therefore first past the post (FPTP) has the risk that extremist parties can get in. With AV, no-one can get elected unless most people back them.

I personally, am very disappointed with the outcome. However, more so with the fact that of the 42% who voted, almost 2/3rds voted NO, meaning that 28.56% of this country agree with something and the rest of us have to put up with it, this is where apathy hurts our democracy. I was asked earlier this week about my thoughts on compulsory voting (@rachydivanerd), my response was related to individuals being fully informed. Would a compulsory vote mean that people would aim to ensure they understand the options, rather than voting for or against something they do not actually understand? Or would there be an increased likelihood of corruption with votes being ‘sold’? This is a debate for another day…

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• Referendum on Alternative Voting Defeated in the UK (elections.firedoglake.com)
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• Australian experience has been misrepresented in AV debate (guardian.co.uk)

Get out of our club…

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I was hoping that today’s blog would be about a welcome return for Stevie G, about a Torres hat-trick, more importantly about three points, it isn’t.  I was hoping it would be about the tens of thousands of supporters that engaged in the protest march against the owners, 7,000 turned out.  That isn’t bad, however it’s about 16% of our home gate.

But today for me isn’t about stats, ok its been 53 years since we started this badly, today for me is about passion…

The Match

I’ll be brief…not good enough

The March

There are a hardcore of fans that seem to care enough to bother to get involved, but I am aware of fans who can’t be arsed to get involved with a protest, be it a march or a stay behind…the only stay behind they are interested in is a lock in at their local, it can’t continue.  I know of supporters who turned out for the march that did not have a ticket for the game and others with a ticket who stayed in the pub for their pre-match drink.  That is also not good enough.

This may be controversial, but hey it’s my blog…there is too much lethargy on the pitch and in the pubs.  Put down that beer and show your support for the removal of the worst thing for our club EVER!  There is no beating about the bush here. We need to do whatever it takes to get these greedy blood suckers out of our club.  I admit I was not there today, work and family commitments etc, etc plus a 120 mile round trip into the bargain, but if I’m at the game anyway of course I’d march.  I stayed back after the Benfica game last season to join the post game protest.  I know a guy who travels 500+ miles for home games, who set off early today to join the march, I think you get my drift…We have a huge army that can be mobilised, but I’m not sure what how low we need to sink before they feel the need to get involved.

The Manager

First of all, I have never been one for calling for the managers’ head, the players are as responsible as the manager, at times.

One LFC fan site poll has posted stats of 83% (657 votes) in favour of getting rid of Hodgson (www.kopthat.co.uk – numbers correct at time of publishing).  Anger and disappointment is always thrown at the manager, he is the figurehead.  He takes the plaudits when it goes well, so he has to take the stick when it isn’t.

Honestly, I didn’t want Roy Hodgson as Liverpool FC manager, but when he was announced I knew I had to support him.  He was now our’s to attack or defend, but to defend someone they have to give you something in return, so far he has not given me anything to stand up to those who are calling for his head.  The squad we have is not a bottom 3 side, so why are they in the bottom 3?  The majority of the squad is/was Rafa’s, he has gone, time to move on, but he is being blamed for the poor start to the season by certain media types…What would Roy have to do to have the media turn on him the way they did on Rafa?…not sure I want him here long enough to find out.

Talking of defence, that is supposed to be Hodgson’s strength…7 games played, 11 goals conceded, with a goal difference of -4.  Last season we conceded 10 in the first 7 games, but we had scored 22 and had 15 points on the table.  The start wasn’t majorly different to this seasons’ opposition wise either, playing two of the promoted sides in the first 7 games.  When do you call time?  How many games is too many.

Congratulations to Roy for standing up and taking the blame for the start, is it a bit too late though?  He was happy with a draw at Birmingham…maybe we should be , it’s a tough place to go but he shouldn’t come out and say that.  This type of comment filters down the mediocrity to the players, ‘the boss is happy with a point, that’s we’ll try for’.   If I was to discuss performance with the team that I manage and say, ‘don’t worry about performing to the best of your ability and striving to improve, just tick over, pick up your salary, go home, relax it doesn’t matter’ I would get the boot.

Anyone can be mediocre, but don’t do it in my presence, you won’t work for me long if you are…and you shouldn’t be wearing the red of Liverpool FC if that’s all you strive to be….

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• Reds form unacceptable – Hodgson (news.bbc.co.uk)

Thursday night, not Channel 5….FC Utrecht v LFC

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The Match

The first half started at a decent pace, but the pitch looked like it would have been more at home at Twickenham than in the Europa league.  This aside, as both teams play on the same surface, Utrecht will have been the happier after the first 45 minutes.

Liverpool had a few attempts, but none worrying the keeper except for maybe one curling effort by Fernando from 20 odd yards, which was closer than he thought ( I think).  At the other end, two great stops from Pepe (again) and a whistle for an infringement by the big Utrecht forward kept the sides level after the first half.  The halftime team talk would have needed the word penetration, because at times we looked comfortable doing nothing.

The central pairing once again were too close together and did very little to change my mind that they should never play together.  My worry about the midfield that was on show tonight, and I include Kuyt in this, is that there is nobody who I see as a leader.  No one to perform a directing role when it’s needed, just a Jamie does for the back four.  This would, in my opinion, be where Shelvey will prove his worth in the future.

The better chances in the second half were again Utrechts’ but the stats show 4 attempts on target for us and 5 for Utrecht, in all honesty I feel we didn’t do that well, and really we got away with taking a point.  As it stands we are top of the table and if we can win at home and remain unbeaten away we will escape the group without too many problems.  Hope again is what we have, but in perspective this isn’t a bad result again a side who have won all of their home games in the Eredivisie.

Performance-wise only Johnson shone from an attacking point, maybe strengthening the shouts for a right midfield position, and Martin Kelly performed very well with only a lapse very late on which could have left us empty handed.

The Perspective

I’m old enough to remember the days of grinding out draws or 1-0 wins in the European cup of the 80′s away from home, and yes this was a proper knock out competition and yes again these games were against other European League Champions, but maybe our focus is too much on performance at the moment.  We long for escapism, we long to be entertained, we long for some silverware.

We are where we are due to a mistake (Moores and Parry) and greed (Hicks and Gillett and probably Moores and Parry to a lesser extent too).  From a footballing point of view we have to support what we have, we are not happy with it, we all know that, but we have to walk on with hope in our hearts, because WE are Liverpool F.C.

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Anfield 25th September 2010 – not just football

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THE GAME

After an upbeat start, which saw the ball in the back of the net twice within 5 minutes, we could have been forgiven for thinking that Sunderland would receive the backlash from the midweek dispair.  This was not to be the case and once again we only took a stuttering point.

The first goal being disallowed for offside we were only 1-0 up, but looking good. The game seemed to settle and felt like it may drop into a boring affair until 25 minutes in a Poulsen handball gifted the away side a lifeline.  This was duly taken, Darren Bent dispatching a penalty that Pepe may be slightly dissappointed he did not save.

This was a knock, but it should not have been one that rocked the team we should have been able to pick up from here and establish some dominance.  It didn’t come and just after the break we were having to chase the game to get anything out of it.  Maybe this is a sign of the loss of confidence and belief that surrounds the club with the off field shenangans, but whatever it is it needs to be shaken off.

A bit of class from Torres and Gerrard saved us from the jaws of defeat, and this brought on a rally of sorts, but nothing that would have had the away support biting their nails.  The change to 4-4-2 seemed to bring about a little improvement, but this and the fact Torres looked like his sharpness was returning, is little comfort right now.  Lets be honest, three points was the expectation for today…

THE BACKGROUND

Football finance expert David Conn stated the original purchase of Liverpool F.C. was ‘financial chicanery’ in a piece for FourFourTwo. And this last week has seen Hicks try his hand at more, touting his ‘business’ around the finance districts of London and New York City (as reported via Twitter by @ErinNYC75 and her husband). This undoubtedly led to the  decision that today would see the beginning of direct action, with an after match sit-in protest.  Spirit Of Shankly organisers called for this action and fans remained in their thousands to give support.

The protest was shown briefly during the round up of Sky Sports News’ SoccerSaturday program, but once again the punditry and worse the ill-informed knowledge of one Jeff Stelling, raised more than just an eyebrow from me today…’maybe they should concentrate on what’s going on on the pitch, but we’ll come back to that‘…this sort of comment belittles the work being done by those who care for their club. It seems that there are members of the media who really do not understand or worse, don’t care about our plight.  Call me paranoid, but I really am starting to think there are some pundits who are reveling in watching the biggest club in England fall in to decline.

Fortunately Phil Thompson was there to set the record straight, Stelling made another blinding statement, ‘the owners didn’t send that football team out‘.  Thommo replies,

‘I agree, we went there with Benitez last year, look at the players and everything, he’s not picking the team, he’s not bought the players but this is all consuming. Jeff, whatever you say about Rafa Benitez, the last 15 months, since last Summers transfer window, we’re in profit, we shouldn’t be in profit we should be spending money.

When you don’t spend money, you get £50million in for Alonso and Mascherano and you bring in 2 players for £11million and £4million where are you going to end up finishing Jeff? We still have good players but we are lowering and lowering the standards all the time because of the owners, and I know what you are saying but it’s quality in players which that brings about.

And this is a plea, for if anybody, sporting people who make decisions who watch this programme, they cannot allow this to happen in October, for the whole of football because it will kill Liverpool Football Club if this goes on and it will kill football because if other people think that this can happen it is wrong and it is wrong because it is impacting on my football club‘.

This all comes the day after the front page of the Wall Street Journal showed just how powerful us supporters are, reporting the Twitter photos of Hicks on a bench outside the offices of Deutsche Bank AG, hopefully this is the start of the end for Hicks and his greed.

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