Life as a Liverpool fan is tough at the moment. And since I have this inexplicable knack of getting emotionally attached to all the underperforming teams in the world, watching sport is a bittersweet joy, more often than not. (The following caricature by Sahil Rizwan on Cricinfo Page 2 brilliantly sums up my predicament - http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/456755.html?selected=18)
It is no secret that Liverpool are currently undergoing their worst times for a long while, both financially and on the field. The appointment of Roy Hodgson as manager was an inspired move, but had it been planned better, he might have managed to temper the bitterness that engulfed Anfield following the exit of Rafa Benitez, and quite possibly stopped Yossi Benayoun from moving to Chelsea.
Hodgson has done his best in the circumstances to revive Liverpool’s chances of finishing in the top 4 this season, but he has been handcuffed by the lack of financial support from the debt-ridden owners desperate to sell the club. His signings have been intelligent but limited. For Liverpool to really stake their claim as a contender for a Champions League berth, Hodgson needs to somehow add a couple of desperately needed requirements to his side.
Liverpool have had a tough itinerary first up, with Arsenal and Manchester City, both of whom finished last season above Liverpool, as their first two opponents. They looked fairly decent against a second-string Arsenal, and marginally dominated the Gunners. They should have come away with 3 points, but an uncharacteristic Reina blunder cost them.
City, though outplayed them in every department. In their first game against Tottenham, City looked every bit the disjointed side they supposedly were, and were saved by some brilliance from the ever-impressive Joe Hart. However, at home against Liverpool, they combined brilliantly to post their largest victory over the Reds in 73 years.
One might have though Mancini’s move to play 3 defensive midfielders with 2 attacking midfielders on the flanks with just 1 lone striker might force a nil-nil result. But Yaya Toure was deployed in a far more advancing role than he has ever played, and Milner and Johnson were simply brilliant in the 3-0 victory.
What’s most frightening is that their bench was even more expensive than the 11 men on the field. There is huge competition at Eastlands for midfield and forward-line spots, and guys like Johnson did their best to convince Mancini of their class. When you consider that players of the likes of Silva, Adebayor, Balotelli, Wright-Phillips, Jo and Robinho are in the squad and pressing for a start, one wonders what City is capable of and how Mancini is going to keep his multi-million dollar signings happy.
Considering that both City and Liverpool are vying for that fourth spot in the league table, the threadbare cupboard Roy Hodgson is forced to play with is put into even more stark contrast by the embarrassment of riches at Eastlands. There seem to be two clear areas that need immediate attention if Liverpool are to survive the season.
The first is one that was badly exposed in the game against City, the lack of a quality left-back. Daniel Agger, a natural centre-half was forced into that position and played through a concussion at that. He was no match for an inspired Adam Johnson, and two of the 3 goals, the first and the conceding of the penalty, clearly showed Agger was found wanting, apart from a million other darting runs that Johnson made. Fabio Aurelio has been played in that position frequently last season, but considering the fact that right-wingers the likes of Nani, Lennon, Walcott and co. play in the Premier League, neither Agger nor Aurelio are reliable options. Hodgson, of course, has already identified this, but the question remains whether even Fulham left-back Paul Konchesky is good enough.
The second, of course, is what we can call the ‘Mascherano situation’. Quite obviously, if a player wants out, he won’t be in the right frame of mind when forced to play. Hodgson hasn’t forced him to play, but supposing the transfer to Barcelona doesn’t materialize will he warm the bench for the entire season just because he hasn’t the right frame of mind, particularly when he is one of the top players in this ragged Liverpool unit?
Now assuming the move does take place, Hodgson has brought in Christian Poulson. He would be expected to do the defensive midfield duties alongside Lucas. There is no reliable backup then for the duo. Hodgson has played Gerrard in that defensive role for the last couple of matches, and, in my opinion, that particular move is going nowhere. Liverpool need inspiration up front, and until Fernando Torres comes into his own, Gerrard has to provide it. Even in the game against City, the closest Liverpool came to getting past Hart was when Gerrard consciously moved forward assisting in attack and powered through a long-range effort that found the upright. It probably is far too late for a new signing at this stage, and given the shoestring budget Hodgson has to work with, the purchase of a left-back would be his prime concern.
Finally it boils down to whether Mascherano stays, happy or sad, how Lucas and Poulson cope up if he goes, and if Gerrard is forced to hang back throughout the season. The first of these possibilities is obviously the most desirable, while the last makes no sense at all.
A third, if lesser, concern would be the unreliability of Pepe Reina. Arguably one of the best shot-stoppers in the league, he has been uncharacteristically jittery in the two matches thus far. It is very early to ring alarm bells, but Liverpool can ill afford their custodian hitting indifferent form, and I can’t remember when the last time Liverpool had conceded 3 goals was.
Talking about other Premiership sides, I have been mighty impressed by Tottenham. Seeing as I have only recently started following the EPL seriously, I was quite surprised to learn they had a most potent attack comprising Defoe, Keane, Pavyluchenko, Crouch and Dos Santos. This is the sort of attack that can seriously compete with the best in the league at least on paper. Throw in Lennon, Modric and the ever-impressive Bale and suddenly you have a mighty impressive starcast. Bale, in particular, has been sensational, and I expect that his and City custodian Joe Hart’s stocks are set to soar this season.
Tottenham most certainly do have a strong chance of finishing inside the top 4 (as much as I hate admitting it, a far stronger chance than Liverpool), though City fans would beg to differ. It remains to be seen how strong their bench is as they have Champions League football to play as well.
Again, as I said at the start, tough times ahead. As Harvey Dent puts it, “The night is darkest before the dawn.” It probably cannot get any darker for Liverpool.
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