Saturday

It sucks that I can’t go through the same volume of games as I was going through in the fall of 2011. Of course, this has been the case for some time as audit busy season brings on busy weekends until the end of April. In any case, I watched two games today, one of which was slow and rigid (take a wild guess?), whereas the other one was good pace.

Liverpool Sunderland. That makes three straight league defeats for the scousers. Europe slowly slips through their grasp as Arsenal finds their typical third half of the season wind, and with Chelsea picking up the points after a shocking change in management.

Liverpool has been well-organized in their games all the season, but the problem with a rigid system (one which players are separated distinctly into their separate roles, and instructed to roam) is that the transition from the middle third to the second third is slower. In a more fluid system, as popularized by the Dutch, overlapping and roaming in all positions is encouraged to the extent that everyone returns to their assigned defensive markers once possession changes hands. A rigid system is actually very difficult to play because once the game starts, and players make runs this way or that, they will inevitably end up in different parts of the pitch than their intended position. It is only experienced and disciplined teams that can reorganize efficiently. A prominent example is the current Barcelona of our time. They play a rigid 4-1-2-3. Busquets/Keita is restricted to a 20 yard radius in the middle of the pitch, while Xavi and Iniesta will generally stay outside the box unless the numbers in a given attack permit or necessitate otherwise. All the while. Before Pep changed Messi to a false 9, he would cut into the right, and immediately report back down the flank. In a rigid 4-2-3-1, such as Liverpool’s, what happens is their frontman will hold the attack options. By design, he is expected to slow it down for other decisive players to make darting runs into the box or down the side. Dalglish’s design is a good one considering the selection of players at his disposal, but I think they fall dreadfully short in making the right movement in attack while keeping the shape of the formation. Unfortunately for Liverpool, they do not do that crucial second part I mentioned. If Suarez is able to get the ball up front, Kuyt will veer to the right as he has done in his whole career. Understandable, considering he is most comfortable running that way, and because of his dominant right foot. Henderson, an inexperienced right wide will then veer into the middle to avoid the clutter and because he knows his comfort level will increase centrally. Dalglish has presumably put Kuyt behind Suarez so that Suarez can trap the ball, and hopefully put a good ball through to the onrushing Kuyt. Then ideally, Henderson will hold his position and make the field wilder, while Bellamy will look to act as an inside forward who will cut in and hit the curlers. If that is the textbook, then what happened this morning was the exact opposite. In all the directionless mayhem, Suarez was once again forced to either take it into the box alone, or pass it deeper down to Adam, who due to Kuyt’s disappearance + Henderson’s inability to find space ahead of Turner + Bellamy being tracked well by the likes of Phil Bardsley, would simply attempt to dribble or side foot the ball to Enrique. What then happened was Adam would lose the ball whilst dribbling, or if it reached Enrique, Enrique would then cross it blindly (without an intended target, hoping to get someone) into the box. Even with Enrique’s crosses, a box bereft of Andy Carroll made for a toothless Liverpool.

Playing in this manner against Sunderland is not acceptable for a club of Liverpool’s size, particularly considering the absence of their iconic frontman Stephane Sessegon. The goal conceded was a combination of a fantastic shot by Frazier Campbell and just straight bad luck to Pepe Reina. I don’t think Liverpool fans can be too upset at their backline about a shot that was taken from 30 yards out, hitting the woodwork, and rebounded. 

To me, Liverpool’s scoring problem is thus more due to lack of clinical movement. They either need to figure that out, or they need to think about making their play more open. Perhaps risking a more open defense for a faster offensive transition. 

I won’t go too much into the Everton Tottenham game, but I will say that all this hoodoo about Tottenham;s recent results being caused by Redknapp’s distracted state is garbage. Harry Redknapp is an experienced, professional manager that isn’t going to bring his career speculation into the locker room. Tottenham has lost against Arsenal, United and now Everton. In typical Tottenham fashion, they outplayed Arsenal in the first half of their game, they outplayed United the entire game, while perhaps Everton was more even. They outplayed United our entire game even without Scott Parker, Van Der Vaart, and Gareth Bale, who is their core. If anything, they’ve simply been unlucky in their past three games, and nothing more should be made of it, because any fingers pointed at the link between Harry and the England job is simply garbage. 

Tomorrow marks a potentially important game to United. I’ve thought this entire week that Swansea has has a good chance against City. With news of Kompany’s injury on Thursday, I firmly believe Swansea will win it tomorrow. The only problem with Swansea is that they look beautiful up to the crucial part of scoring goals. I’ve never considered Scott Sinclair a good finisher or penalty taker, while Dyer is at his best in assisting. Graham is a respectable forward, but I prefer the likes of Leroy Lita to hit the goals. Before Kompany was injured, I would have said…well, Kompany may be able to marshall City’s defense to keep a cleansheet. But with the error-prone Savic coming instead, I really do think Swansea has a very good chance of scraping a win. It’s really not my hopeful thinking is a United supporter, but Swansea;s football at home has been fantastic all season, and they don’t have fear. These are the two biggest things to fear when it comes to a bigger club playing a smaller club. Unfortunately for us, West Brom is also a tricky customer considering their recent exploits, but us being at home just might get it done. In either case, I’m really hoping, and somewhat expecting tomorrow to be a pivotal day. 

LETS GO SWANS