Liverpool managed a last-gasp win against Fulham on a windy Wednesday in London, and the win spoke volumes about their title credentials. There were many positives with some getting more coverage than others. Steven Gerrard was unplayable at times, Philippe Coutinho showed why he is the little magician, and Daniel Sturridge has proven that he is now a goal-a-game striker. There was one unsung positive though, an unlikely hero that emerged in the form of left-back Aly Cissokho.
“Liverpool need a new left back” or “left- back is the place Liverpool need to strengthen the most” have been widely-echoed opinions from Liverpool fans on social media. As a Liverpool fan myself I could not agree more. Jose Enrique is injured and doesn’t do enough defensively for a team that needs greater backline stability. Jon Flanagan is a converted left-back but due to Glen Johnson’s disintegrating form and injury worries the impressive youngster has gone back to his preferred right side. So the that leaves the left back position down to one man…
Aly Cissokho came to Liverpool on a season-long loan deal from Spanish league side Valencia trying to find first team football. That search was immediately halted as he was injured in the Capital One Cup match against Notts County. After coming back from injury his first high profile match was a top of the table clash against Arsenal at the Emirates. He was comfortably one of the worst playerss on the pitch and his confidence quickly fell victim to nerves. He could not pass, his touch was appalling, and he was a liability in the Liverpool team.
Fast-forward to Wednesday.
Cissokho was impeccable in my opinion. He has played his way into a starting job at Liverpool, and in my belief should keep it when players like Johnson return from injury. Against a impressive Fulham side fighting relegation, the Frenchman was by far Liverpool’s most impressive defender. He had his work cut out for him defensively as fellow defender Kolo Toure looked uncomfortable. Cissokho ably picked up the slack though, making vital interceptions and looking composed when on the ball. Despite the increased workload, Cissokho showed immaculate stamina.
The weakest part of the 26-year-old’s game is his offensive abilities. Cissokho’s touch is not the best and he is not a natural crosser or play maker. That being said, he has constantly improved since joining Liverpool and showed this development at Craven Cottage. He made passes when put under pressure and often made crosses from hard angles before getting back to defend the next play. Cissokho also created two goal scoring chances and had a outstanding 95% pass completion rate.
Cissokho’s experience playing in Europe is now showing; he has a newfound confidence under Brendan Rodgers. He already stated in an interview that he wants a permanent move to Merseyside, and why should he be denied? He seems to already care for the club and is trying his hardest to make an impression. Players like that are extremely hard to come by these days. The Fulham performance showed great composure by a man that believed he should be in the team.
So is the left-back position sorted out? Not quite. Even if the 26 year old made more drastic improvements and secured a move, you cannot have just one left back in your side. But for the time being, this is Aly Cissokho’s moment as Liverpool’s unsung hero.
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Main photo credit: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda
