The Sporting calendar

Watching the dire display from my beloved Liverpool FC against Wolves, then observing the Premiership table and counting just the 3 points from relegation we are, reminded me of the Liverpool team from a few years ago, in the bottom three at Christmas, yet managed to finish in the top three at the end of the season.
How did they manage to finish so high in the league after such a dire first half of the season?
By going back to basics.
If Roy Hodgson wants to remain as our manager, he has to get a grip of the 1st team he is playing.
If a player has one or two poor games, then they need to be dropped and the problems ironed out in the reserve team.
Guaranteed 1st team football for so called “stars” has never, nor will it ever, work!

How long does Torres need to sort his crisis of confidence out? 6 months on from the world cup finals, still he’s struggling?
I don’t believe he wants to play for Liverpool football club anymore.
He has been consistantly 10 yards off the pace all season, he is not hassling centre backs, he plays devoid of any positional sense, he does not look hungry, a token run towards any defenders clearing the ball, without so much as a tackle of block, is neither use nor ornament to anyone.
The Torres we paid more than £20 Million for, was alert, sharp, sat on the last man and frightened the life out of him, with pace, and running in behind the defence into the space. Defenders didn’t know if they should push up and risk being left stranded if any balls came over the top, or sit deep and be skinned as he ran at you with pace and trickery.
You only have to look at Torres this season and look at the Torres who destroyed Vidic in beating Man Utd 4-1 at old trafford.
Put him in the reserves and let the coaches there iron out his problems and give his place to a hungry forward who has positional sense in his play.
Another nightmare waiting to happen, is the continuous playing of players, out of position!
School boy error, it may be fine for half a game due to injury, but when opposing teams see Dirk Kuyt on the left instead of his familiar right side of midfield, it gives their winger and left back a lift and an attacking option.
It is school boy stuff Roy, for proof of this observe Fulham last season.
Fulham’s team picked itself. Players played week in week out alongside the same players in the same positions.
Why you are made manager of Liverpool, then decide to change players around and in and out of the team every other week god only knows.
Get a basic way of playing, put the first team in those positions and if changes are needed, make them gradually.
Let the team know a couple of bad games and then someone else will be given a chance in their position. To regain their place they must perform in the reserves and hope that the first teamer in their place has a couple of bad games, giving them another chance.

I really cannot understand why managers find this technique so difficult?
Play players consistantly in positions they were bought to play in.
Take Meireles for example, an attacking midfielder with a shot like a mule, scoring many goals ala graeme souness, from the edge of the penalty area.
Bought to provide more goals from midfield.
Where has he been played so far?
Right wing, left wing, sat in front of the back four, as a defensive midfielder. Why?
Maxi is another one. Starts scoring a few goals from the wing and midfield, then he’s “rested” – why?

Playing players in regular positions allows relationships to build and teamwork to grow, which increases defensive and attacking options.
They management can start coaching individual players in how they want them to play, improving individual technique.
It really is that simple

When Liverpool beat Real madrid at Anfield, although well down on the goals count, Real Madrid cut through the middle of our defence with ease in the second half.
Lucas was brought on to shore up the midfield and still the run through and shots kept on coming.
Liverpool brought on Jay Spearing, within 10 minutes the breakaway attacks stopped. So much so, Spearing was often popping up in Real’s box and looking likely to score.

Last night against Arsenal, the opportunity for Liverpool to take all three points was there, they played fast attacking football, they had Arsenal under the kosh for long periods, but still only came away with a point.
This point now leaves Man Utd level with us, but with two games in hand and surely the league title.

Arshavin is a class player, but even he would admit at the surprise of just how much space he was allowed. Four goals at Anfield is a wonderful performance, even sky sports news reported that he had only 5 touches all game. (He’s even in my fantasy football team – as a sub last night!)

Liverpool are not in a position for league challenges as I hope this season will make clear.
During the 1970s-80s, Man Utd were as Liverpoool are today, a few big names, but average in other areas. They tried to buy in big names in various positions, etc, as a result they were mocked for trying to buy the League title.
It never worked, even their first title win back in the early days of the premiership, came more by accident than plan.
Early in the season, Man Utd had some serious injuries to key players, Fergie was forced to promote a group of Youth cup winners into the first team.
They have never looked back, having seen the light and the way that great Liverpool teams of the past came about, find them young, promote them steadily to the first team and watch them grow in stature, brings success and continued success at that.

Liverpool have a similar set up, excellent young players, youth cup winning side, yet rarely have they managed a game for the first team. Carragher and Gerrard have many fans and we are forever being told how vital they are to the team, home grown talent who have passion, heart and skill, they drive the team and inspire the so called “big names” that are bought for millions of pounds, not against the big clubs, but when you are away to Bolton on a wet wednesday night in December, for example.

Liverpool need to wake up, if you only lose two games in the league all season and still cannot win the title, this must show that the title cannot be bought.
Get a style of play and stick to it, keep the regulars in the team, stop resting players and chopping and changing the side. How can a left back develop an understanding of how a left winger plays, if either of both only play 1 game in 3?
How can any player get “match fit” if they only ever play 70 minutes, before being substituted?

Create an atmosphere where players are battling for positions, if Agger is playing well and scoring goals, don’t “save him” for a league match, by dropping him for a champions league game, play him in all games until he has a couple of bad games, then give someone else a chance.

The Liverpool family and the football world, will today come together to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

96 of our kind fell, on a day that was supposed to be filled with excitement and passion for the sport and team they loved, which turned into a tragedy which touched the world.

I watched the scenes that day on television, it shouldn’t have happened, and I hope will never happen again.
The victims will never be forgotten and my thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends.

Champions league quarter final (1st leg) sees a full strength Liverpool side take on Chelsea at Anfield and lose quite heavily.
Is this the same team that took on the seemingly invincible Man Utd at Old Trafford and come away 4-1 winners?

I can’t help but wonder how Liverpool can beat Real Madrid 4-0, Man Utd 4-1 (at home) then dominate Aston Villa 5-0, are then well beaten at Anfield against a Chelsea team, who whilst a strong side, haven’t scored a single goal against us in the league this season, (pool have beaten them 1-0 and 2-0 in the league) it’s very strange.

How will this affect the league title race?
It could blow any remote hopes of a title win out of the water (yet again) or it could work in reverse and be a blessing in disguise, allowing us to focus on the league championship at last (our “bread and butter.”)

Sir Bob Paisley, we need your help!

PA

Chelsea (who have been my tip for the title all season) clinched a vital away win at Newcastle Utd 2-0, Alan Shearer’s first game in charge of the toon army.

Utd, must still be the favourites, in second place twopoints behind leaders Liverpool, with a game in hand, but with Aston Villa visiting Old Trafford tomorrow, it was vital the chasing teams kept the pressure on by winning.
Liverpool looked to have drawn yet another game when they had chances to win, after hitting the woodwork 4 times during a game they dominated throughout.
Fulham lacked any of the attacking threat they used to good effect to beat Utd last time out (before the break for international games).
In the second minute of injury time, up popped Benayoun to secure all three points and keep the title race alive.