How can Liverpool return to winning form again? This seems to be a burning question when it comes to Liverpool taking on any team in recent days, does it not? I often wonder what happened to that team that dismantled most of their opponents, and went on to nearly win the league, had it not been for Manchester City and Chelsea last season.
Most of you might have already guessed it right; we cannot remain oblivious to the fact that the Reds do not have their shining star this season, Luis Suárez, who, by the way, seems to have temporarily lost his scoring boots playing for the Catalans. Liverpool seemed to rely on him a lot which can be easily explained if we take a look at his brilliant goal scoring record from 2013/14.
The recent Liverpool side, however, is a big concern for Brendan Rodgers and not just in the striking front, but also the other avenues which dictate the game. With Daniel Sturridge out of action due to a thigh injury, Liverpool’s worst nightmare has been the misfiring boots of Mario Balotelli. This has forced Rodgers to deploy Raheem Sterling as the intermittent striker.
Knowing the way Sterling likes to play, he does like the occasional width around the flanks which is only matched with his fantastic speed, especially when the Reds have been counter-attacking the opponents’ goal and creating more chances. Playing him as a striker may be a desperate attempt by the manager to get back on the winning streak, however, this tactic hasn’t seemed to have worked out at all.
Things did not seem to get better for them with a humiliating 3-0 defeat against Manchester United. Liverpool’s defence was completely shattered by the United forwarding troop. If we have a close look at all the three goals which were scored against them, we will actually see how weary their defence has been.
It is high time for Brendan to bring back in the eminent Kolo Touré alongside Mamadou Sakho to replace Alberto Moreno and Dejan Lovren simply because they have not at all impressed the way they should have this season.
Shockingly, Brendan Rodgers in his press conference earlier seemed to be very happy with his team, and the way they played against the Red Devils. According to him, it was good because it was the most attacking and aggressive kind of football they have played in the recent times.
Now, I might get a little stick for this from the Liverpool fans, but playing attacking football does not necessarily score you points if your defenders are not complementing your strikers, and are not in sync with the midfielders. Sterling created a lot of chances in that match but failed to have any impact on the game. Balotelli managed to get himself booked coming off as a substitute. Although, he came very close to scoring once or twice; but the Spanish goalkeeper, who is having blockbuster of a season, denied him the opportunity to celebrate every time.
Brendan Rodgers must be open to do some serious business in the January transfer market and buying a couple of world class defenders should be something right there at the top of list.
Having said that, Sterling should be given more autonomy to play across the wings and move around that box. He is capable of providing good deliveries into the area, and creates more chances that way. Fabio Borini, who has gained the reputation as an infrequent starter in the team, should be given a chance to prove himself on such occasions. With everything going sideways for Brendan, he needs to apply a more practical approach; try to shuffle things a bit.
The Belgian footballer, Simon Mignolet, has been the centre of criticism for the past few games, but, it all comes back to the poor defending which has cost Liverpool a fortune in terms of their position in the top half of the table. They have already conceded 22 goals against the 19 that they have scored against other teams. This is not something we normally see.
Keeping this in mind, the first thing Brendan needs to do is stop conceding goals instantly. A consistent back four with the likes of Sakho and Touré will help him get started well. It is evident that, if a team concedes a goal early on in the game, players get demotivated and push back into their half defending for their lives. This creates a lot of pressure and drastically affects their performance level.
It wouldn’t be wrong to point out here Chelsea were in a similar situation last season; lacking the striking force they needed to pose any imminent threat to the silverware. They were able to retain the third position with the help of a strong and disciplined back four led by John Terry. Even when they were lacking in the goal-scoring department, they conceded only 27, the lowest of all, and managed to keep 18 clean sheets, the highest of all. Such kind of commitment is a must for any team looking to make their presence known, especially when seeking to instil fear in the hearts of the opponent.
With already 16 games played, the Reds have managed to win 21 points. They currently occupy 11th position in the league table with six wins, three draws and seven losses. In order to move up in the table, the team must fight back with all they have coupled with the experience and tactical awareness of their manager. Mario Balotelli’s form will prove quintessential and decisive in the upcoming fixtures with Daniel Sturridge still a long way from a possible return to the starting eleven.
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