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Sunday, October 02, 2005

Rafa’s tactical blunder contributes to Liverpool’s biggest home defeat in the Premiership

Rafa talked after the game on Wednesday how small details make the difference in big matches. I thought his tactic of playing Crouch upfront by himself cost Liverpool the game today. I know the Liverpool players made a lot of individual mistakes for the Chelsea goals.

There is a lot of talk about systems in the premiership at the moment. The trouble with playing with one up front is that when you go a goal down, you have to chase the game, and you leave gaps behind, which the opposition can exploit. The system can be effective if you have outstanding wingers who push forward to support the loan striker. I am afraid Garcia and Riise are simply not good enough to play in a 4-5-1 formation.

posted by Anonymous at 10/02/2005 08:53:00 pm

2 Comments:

Blogger T said...

I completely agree with you Skipper.

Further, if you get in the mindset of Mourinho, Terry, etc, what do you fear more: a Liverpool team at Anfield with just one striker up front, or a Liverpool team at Anfield with two strikers occupying the Chelsea defence?

I would say the clear answer is the second option.

Lampard and Mourinho say Chelsea deserve more respect. Ironically, they profitted today because Benitez showed Chelsea far too much respect.

10/02/2005 9:13 pm

 
Blogger RedsMan said...

Skippy, you beat me to launching an article on the match myself. I would have gone into analystic detail, but your article has summoned it up in a classical nutshell.

We lost today, and comprehensively, firstly because we had individual errors from the likely suspects. They happen from time to time and always the usual players. Traore aimed to clear without vision and then hastily aimed to make amends, when a simple thought would have enabled him to shadow Drogba away from danger. It's professional and Traore wasn't. Reina was very unlucky as Lampard was, the ball going under.

Secondly, while we came at Chelsea and gained the equaliser, we had not picked up defensively on key players and their passing was accurate throughout, Drogba skilling Hyypia with embarassing ease and Duff finishing off. Even Joe Cole was by the far post, a Liverpool player failing to keep with him.

That was not so bad at 1-2.

Then thirdly, another lapse, this time by Finnan, as he allowed the space for Drogba to run into, with Hyypia then stupidly allowing the ball to roll behind him for Cole to score.

Fourthly, as Cisse came on, a quick Del Horno throw into Finnan's area found the Irishman again caught out with Carragher having to come over. Where was Hyypia? Riise came across and as Robben miss the pass across goal, so did Riise, and Geremi was free to score. This move started with five Liverpool players and the three Chelsea ones.

Chelsea didn't play us off the pitch, we allowed these poor mistakes and lapses to filter and open us up, and Chelseas duly thanked us with goals. They did today that which we failed to do on Wednesday. It is such a contrasting show of form from Wednesday that it would take such lapses to concede.

I mentioned Cisse previously. I was annoyed to see he was coming on with 10mins of normal time. He should have been starting the game with Crouch, both upfront in a 4-4-2, that is so crystal clear.

RB now has two choices: continue with 4-5-1 in the hope the defence will not switch off again, and at the same time risk not scoring as highly as we would like; or changed to the 4-4-2, with two upfront adding twice the possibility of scoring than before, stabilising a four-man midfield that is solid in the centre. Today we had a 4-2-3-1 and, as Andy Gray showed after the game, Alonso and Hamannn were positioned too far back from attack.

I urge for LFC to be looking on the internet for some insight from their fans, for the club are very welcomed here. It is now time for some insight to come from us fans, as practically most, if not all, have hailed for a change in formation and selection. Now at least hear us out and go for a change.

Additionally, though I feel this could already be the case, a new CB is needed not as back-up, but to replace Hyypia. Finnan is not good enough at RB, neither is Josemi so we had little alternative there today. As for Traore, I have such a big case prepared to advocate for his release from Anfield, much less the first 11, they'd bring back the death penalty.

Finally, Riise and Garcia could have been excellent for us in their positions but with Riise he is usually reliable, he had an off day today. Garcia is unpreditable.

Today, Liverpool lost a battle, but we have not given up on the war. I hope it is enough to push us to get better. As for respect for Chelsea and Mourinho, that was always there, it is just that people do not take kindly to public statements preceived as boasts or innuendo quips at other clubs and players.

However, there were two things evidently deserving and clear today: Chelsea earned the points, and their fans chanting of "That's why we're champions."

Indubitably, that is why they are.


RedsMan.

10/03/2005 12:26 am

 

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