A Tale of Two Liverpool Football Clubs

There have been two Liverpool FCs this season.

There is the side who beat Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid. Facing the best teams in the world, Liverpool played out of their skin. Against Chelsea and Manchester United they mixed a tight passing game with consistent possession to keep fierce pressure on the domestic giants, forcing them to concede. They beat Manchester for the first time in years and they broke Chelsea’s long unbeaten home streak. Against Real, Liverpool doggedly fended off the Spanish side’s persistent attacks and eventually stole the first leg with a fantastic away goal, headed home by Yossi Benayoun from a set play that came after steady pressure.

The other Liverpool FC dropped points in ten draws and two losses against mid and lower table sides. The Liverpool who felled Europe’s giants would be expected to dominate and destroy the likes of Stoke, Hull, Fulham, West Ham, Middlesbrough and even Tottenham. But it was not to be. The inspiration, drive and confidence the Reds displayed at Stamford Bridge and the San Bernabeu was nowhere to be found during the trip to White Hart Lane or to today’s visit to Riverside Stadium.

Liverpool looked the dominant side during the first half hour of play. Even after Xabi Alonso’s own goal from a Boro corner, supporters should have expected Liverpool to recover from the setback. The Merseyside club had already forced Boro’s Brad Jones to make saves in front of goal and had Liverpool kept on the pressure, surely he would be forced to concede goals to a Red onslaught.

But instead Liverpool’s drive evaporated. The own-goal took the wind from their lungs and the pace from their legs. Another Boro goal in the second half seemed to seal Liverpool’s fate, and despite positive substitutions from Rafa Benitez, the Reds could not recover from the deficit.

Had the first Liverpool shown up every week this season, the Reds could have  feasibly added another twenty points to their tally, accepting that the draws against Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester City are acceptible for true title contenders.  Instead they will surely be fighting for second place while Manchester United collect another title.

If Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres regain and maintain their fitness, it is reasonable to think Liverpool can challenge for another Champions League trophy, since further advancement would mean facing more of the strong sides who bring out the very best in Liverpool, we can expect the first Liverpool to show up to the matches.

But there will have to be a reckoning come the next transfer window.  Fernando Torres cannot be Liverpool’s only star striker. They will need more convincing firepower to support and cover the Spanish genius. The attacking width of Albert Riera, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio has been great for the Reds, but they could use some more wide creativity on the right hand side. An Arjen Robben or even a Shaun Wright-Phillips could make a huge difference in Liverpool’s attack and ability to break down the ten-men-behind the ball sides who have persistently prevented the Reds from securing the three points again and again.

This year Liverpool have stayed in the race longer than they have in years.  Liverpool have given Manchester United a true title challenge until today with far less resources than Sir Alex Ferguson’s side can boast. They have it in them to beat the biggest sides in Europe. But when they learn how to consistently beat the smaller sides in England, Liverpool will finally be able to take home title number 19.

The Spirit of ’81: Liverpool take on Real Madrid

The last time Liverpool FC faced Real Madrid in competitive action was the European final in 1981. Alan Kennedy’s goal was enough to secure the trophy for the Reds. At the time Liverpool were footballing giants both in Europe and at home.

Rafael Benitez has yet to win the Premier League title since taking the  helm in 2004, but Liverpool’s presence in Europe has been formidable under the Spaniard’s leadership.

Between Benitez’s success at Valencia and winning the Champions League his first season with Liverpool, the Reds have been able to attract a lot of  fine talent to Merseyside. Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt, Jaiver Mascherano, Yossi Benayoun, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Albert Riera and one Fernando Torres have all gladly joined Rafa’s ranks and the smell of European glory has had no small lure for these capable players.

Rafa’s side is already much stronger than the one he inherited from predecessor Gerrard Houllier. And while Liverpool once again have faltered in the Premier League with far too many draws. The Champions League may continue to be the arena where Liverpool add to their sizable trophy cabinet.

Since 2005 Liverpool have overcome Leverkusen, Juventus, Chelsea, AC Milan, Barcelona, Eindhoven, Chelsea again, Inter Milan and Arsenal in European elimination play. Real are an imposing side, but Liverpool beat Barcelona two years ago, first securing a lead and two away goals in the away leg before returning to Anfield. This was without the talent of Fernando Torres, who will be hungry to score his first goal at the San Bernabeu stadium.

When Liverpool were selected to play Real, the Spanish giants were in a rut. But Madrid have too much quality to stay down for too long, and a recent burst in form shows they are definitely ready and hungry as the match with Liverpool approaches.

The big question for England’s most succesful side is the fitness of skipper and eternal lighting rod, Steven Gerrard. If he is ready to play today, the rest of the side can attack with more confidence and drive. Along with Fernando Torres, Gerrard is a true match-changer and could provide the inspired edge Liverpool will need to add to Alan Kennedy’s tally against Real Madrid.

Inter v. United – Mourinho v. Ferguson

Lovers of the Premier League miss the brooding presence of Jose Mourinho. Even if you are no Chelsea supporter, you can admit the league is lacking something since the Special One’s departure. Imagine watching the Stars Wars films sans Darth Vader. It’s a lot less fun without the super-villain. Like facing Thierry Henry, one fears the threat Mourinho posed, but it was still sad to see him leave the EPL.

Anyone who agrees with me can relive the old days in a couple of hours. Inter host Manchester United in the first leg of the Champions League knock-out round at 7:45 GMT.

Sir Alex Ferguson claims he is going to attack today, but a draw would suffice with the leg at Old Trafford still to come. With Wayne Rooney back in action and scoring, United will have a great chance to secure the coveted away goal. Lately, United have had many close (arguably unconvincing) wins, but these have largely come against sides who have parked behind the ball, trying to draw with the English giants. There were few chances to be had. Inter will be expected to attack in their home ground, and the visiting title defenders should have more space and create more opportunities than they’ve had against sides like Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United.

With much experience playing against top English sides, Mourinho the tactician will no doubt have schemes to gain a serious advantage over United at San Siro. If Mourinho can come to Old Trafford with a goal or two ahead, he may feel this round will be his to win. Especially if Inter can maintain a clean sheet today. A tall order against United who are, despite their close matches, bursting with momentum. The English teams have been hard to beat in Europe in recent years, but Mourinho’s strategic brilliance and Premier League experience could give Inter the advantage.

Among others, Inter will be without Vieira, who has been left from the squad, and Materazzi, who is with injury. Look to Ibrahimovich, hailed by many to be one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment, to continue his great season. Adriano will also be a serious threat on goal.

Apart from Rooney, Man U will be looking to Cristiano Ronaldo and probably young Nani to exploit the space Inter leave in the wake of their attacks. With Vidic suspended, Rio Ferdinand will be the pivotal defender, warding off Inter’s in-form strikers.

No matter the result, it should prove a tense, exciting contest between two European giants.

Liverpool’s Title Hopes Dashed?

Liverpool supporters were devastated when former Red striker Craig Bellamy’s deflected shot flew home to put Manchester City up one-nil in the 49th minute yesterday. Liverpool entered the match eight points behind Manchester United, and players and supporters alike don’t need reminding: their side cannot afford to concede many more points.

Dirk Kuyt’s fine equalizer rescued a point for the Merseyside hopefuls, but a win would have kept them firmly in the race. There is still room for hope in the famous Anfield boot room.

Manchester United must still visit. Spurs, Boro and Newcastle: three sides with varied form, but who tend to cause problems for the big four. They also host Arsenal and Aston Villa and have the Manchester derby before the season ends.

Liverpool have already secured a win against Man U and they ended Chelsea’s long home unbeaten run. If they can translate the confidence and belief from these successes into a win at Old Trafford on 14 March, they can cut the lead to 4 points. Then it would only take two Man U draws for Liverpool to pull level. Assuming they will all their remaining matches.

It seems a lot to ask, so many United points dropped and a flawless run to see out Liverpool’s season, but as anyone who watched the Red comeback against AC Milan in 2005 knows: miracles happen in football.

Liverpool must go for it. Full strength. Full belief. The return of Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso and a good result against Real Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League fixture could be just the boost the Merseyside club need. But even if they don’t win the league this season, it will be important to keep fighting and keep improving. This is already their best season since 1990. There’s plenty to build on and plenty left to dream for Liverpool FC.

Eduardo’s Injuries, Wenger’s Ulcer

Martin Taylor says his only intent was to strip the ball. If this was the case, Eduardo da Silva’s touch was too quick and too deft for the Birmingham man, and the result was disaster.  As Taylor went in for the tackle, Eduardo was pushing the ball to the side to maneuver around the charging defender. Taylor’s studs flew past the ball and crashed into Eduardo’s shin. At full speed, viewers may have thought the way Eduardo’s leg bent was a trick of the eye, but slow-motion replay revealed otherwise. His foot and ankle made an angle that has no place in the body’s vocabulary. (Click to see the still, but it’s not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.) The Arsenal striker’s leg was severely broken by the ugly, mistimed tackle. This was just as the young hitman was coming alive in the Premier League. Everyone could see he’d been good, especially with his Champions League performances,  but his potential and promise in the domestic league were just starting to bloom into serious goal-scoring prolificacy. Eduardo had a bright future with Arsenal. This was derailed on 23 February 2008.

Recently, Eduardo returned to first team action in FA Cup replay action against Cardiff. Ardent supporters of any club are normally prepared to be patient with a returning player. Especially after a long injury. A player often needs time to get back to match fitness, even when he’s getting the starts.  Eduardo scored two goals his first match back. He’d been out of action for nearly a year. The feeling of Arsenal supporters must have been pure elation.

Arsenal went most of this season with  Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie carrying the bulk of striking responsabilities. Both have had bouts of injury. Fine strikers, but surely Arsene Wenger must have been dying for more forward options. Especially as Arsenal has struggled with results at various points throughout the season. Now, with Russian Euro star Andrei Arshavin joining the ranks and Eduardo returning, the French manager has four great strikers to choose from. It’s as if he’s made two new signings rather than one.

Unfortunately, almost immediately after returning, Eduardo departed again with a hamstring injury. Wenger said this happened two minutes before he was about to take the striker off. The Croation international is only supposed to miss two weeks, but this is a major frustration for player, manager and side. After spending a year itching to return, two more weeks must seem like another lifetime to Eduardo who only wants to run onto that pitch and score his goals.

Surely he will do so again.

A hamstring injury can often raise alarms as it can be a recurring problem if not tended to properly, and while Arsenal will be hoping for a quick recovery, they will have to be cautious, keeping the player’s long-term health in mind. With Aston Villa in remarkable form, Arsenal are going to have to work hard to secure a fourth place finish in a troublesome season. Eduardo could be an important factor in that goal. Supporters, players and Wenger’s ulcer will all breath a sigh of relief when the kid returns for good. And he’ll probably score a goal or two when he does.

Ashley Young’s Guns

Imagine Ashley Young bursting into the penalty box, clad in Michael Palin’s Spanish Inquisitor costume, fists on hips, proudly rattling off his best attributes: Amongst my weaponry are such diverse elements as speed, invention, passing, crossing, ruthless efficiency, a nice claret and blue uniform… ah… I’ll come in again!

Weaponry indeed. He may be Aston Villa’s most valuable asset. Bought as a striker for an initial £8m from Watford, Young has since been deployed on both wings and in the hole just behind the forwards, with much success. While Young is a true threat on goal, his real impact comes from his brilliance at playmaking and assisting. He made 15 assists in his first full season for Villa last year with 1069 succesful passes. This was a mere 221 fewer passes than recent PFA winner Cristiano Ronaldo made in the same season and more than twice as many assists.

Liverpool have Stephen Gerrard. Manchester United have Ronaldo. Everton have Mikel Arteta. Many credit Carlos Tevez with saving West Ham from relegation in 2007.  Pedro Mendes may have done the same for Portsmouth the season before that. The pivotal player is not merely one who is gifted and versatile on the ball, but also one who lifts his teammates and elevates their level of play. Sometimes it’s a matter of leadership. Sometimes it’s simply allowing other players to trust you fully, knowing your attacks and possession will be so convincing, they can enjoy the confidence to take risks and cause danger as you create space and soak up the defenders who rightly fear all you can do on and off the ball.

Many would assert it is Gareth Barry who fills this pivotal role for Villa, and such an argument has plenty of merit. But in my opinion Young has been a veritable lighting rod for the Villans this season. Apart from a three-match ban after a dangerous, two-footed tackle on Sunderland’s Dean Whitehead, Young has had a pristine season. The threats he creates for himself and for others is unsettling to defenders and he has a knack for putting his opponents off balance with the simplist of turns and drives. His ability to create space, retain the ball and service his fellow attackers in key moments has been one of the utmost importance to Villa’s impressive current standing in the table. And since Gabby Agbonlahor, Villa’s top striker, is one who relies on a good delivery from his supporting attackers, Young is the perfect midfield foil to the tall, pacy hitman.

As of this writing, Villa are in third place, a mere five points shy of the top. So far they’ve shown serious intent to build on their good standing in recent years and this could be the season they finish in the top four and enjoy a campaign in next season’s Champions League. The upcoming match hosting Chelsea will be an important test. If Villa lose, they slide down to fourth. If they win, they will enjoy a five point buffer over the Blues as well as plenty of confidence and resolve from having defeated a league giant.

Expect Ashley Young to continue to fight hard for his team’s success. His pace and creativity will be all important against Chelsea. And it’s very likely that his threat from advanced positions will cause Chelsea to commit multiple players to shutting him down, opening up more space for Agbonlahor, Heskey, Barry, et al. Even if Young doesn’t deliver the killer goal or assist, his presence will influence the match and give a lift to his teammates, against Chelsea and against the other challenges to come as Villa strive to build on their impressive run of results.

Nobody expected the Ashley Young inquisition. Not all that weaponry for a mere £8m anyway.

Last Gasp Drama – Liverpool’s Late Winners

Yossi Benayoun collected the ball and dragged it past the Portsmouth defender, pushing into space in the far left corner of the box. His short cross floated into traffic, but as the defenders shifted forward, Liverpool’s Fernando Torres held his ground, allowing the space to be created for him, rather than carving it out for himself. It was a subtle act of instinctive genius and it gave the Spanish striker the perfect angle to head the ball with such strength and accuracy, keeper David James could do nothing but push it into the top of his own net. This was one minute into stoppage time, and the sixth time Liverpool were able to secure maximum points in the final minutes of a league match this season.

The contests against Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Manchester City, Wigan Athletic, Chelsea and Portsmouth all included a winning goal in the 83rd minute or later. In the case of Chelsea, Liverpool won two-nil, but both Torres’ goals came after the 89th minute. Four of these matches were come-from-behind wins with the equalizers also coming late in the match. Last season’s Liverpool would not seem likely to pull out these last gasp winners, but now there seems to be an underlying diligence to Liverpool’s play as the pressure of a dwindling clock imposes itself. While the Reds have dropped some surprising points (nine draws), the fact they can pull out the win in the dying moments, when the results look certain, shows they may well have the spark needed to finally end the eighteen-year title drought.

Torres has often been the key to these late wins. He’s contributed six goals to the matches mentioned above. He has a gift for turning the smallest of opportunities into an explosive goal, which has made all the difference as the clock winds down. Dirk Kuyt has made an impact as well. The Dutchman is not known for being prolific since he moved to England, but lately he has  a knack for getting on the sheets when it matters most.  He’s only had a handful of goals this season, but most of them have either put Liverpool level after being behind or have secured the win in late drama.

Much criticism has been levied upon Liverpool for missing chances and squandering potential in a season that has been full of promise. And surely supporters kept hoping for a late goal when Liverpool dropped points against Villa, Stoke, Tottenham, Fulham, Hull, Arsenal, Stoke again, West Ham and Everton.  With these disappointments, Liverpool will be seven points behind Manchester United if the champs win their match in hand against Fulham on Wednesday. This is still the best start Liverpool have had to a season since they last won the league in 1990, but there is little room for error. Manchester are not going to drop many points in the remaining months: Liverpool cannot afford too many more mistakes.

The season itself may become a reflection of a come-from-behind match. Right now Liverpool are a goal down in the table. Though the season’s clock ticks down, there is still time enough for a couple of late miracles. With the knowledge they can pull these wins out of nowhere, Liverpool need to call up the essential grit throughout the upcoming matches, not just in the final minutes. If they play like they’ve played in the dying moments of these dramatic matches for an entire ninety minutes, they will have a clear and convincing chance to win the league. The form is there. Liverpool just need to maintain the winning mentality.

The Reds have consistantly played their best against their biggest rivals, winning once against Manchester United so far and twice against Chelsea. Liverpool thrive against the sides who attack. As long as they don’t give up too many goals, Rafa Benitez’s men can take advantage of the space left by the forward-minded teams, and at the same time, Liverpool are pushed  to play at a higher level by the energy and imperative spirit of a big match. The ten-men-behind-the-ball sides  are the ones who give Liverpool the most problems. When the space closes up in the attacking third, Liverpool cannot seem to find ways to break defenses down.

But this was Liverpool’s problem last season as well. The Reds struggled with many senseless draws in the 2007/08 season, finally finding consistent, successful form in the later part of the season after a brilliant win against Inter Milan sparked a fantastic fun of results both in Europe and at home. Perhaps the recent two-nil toppling of Chelsea followed by the great win against Portsmouth will prove to be the ignition point for Liverpool’s current season. The difference between this year and last is the top of the table is not yet out of sight. If Liverpool can find the winning formula and break down the sides who come to play for a draw, there is still time to catch up with Manchester United. Even as the clock ticks down.

Coming Soon: Abramovich Sacks His Own Mother

Mourinho. Grant. Scolari. Hiddink. The revolving door of Chelsea FC management continues to spin. A newcomer to the world of the English Premier League might wonder at first glance if Chelsea is another incarnation of Newcastle United, forever dreaming of success, struggling with results,  and then sacking the boss when the season falls apart. But Chelsea’s achievements quickly dispel that theory. Two league titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and a Community Shield (if you care about that sort of thing) all since Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003. Chelsea also enjoyed a record home unbeaten streak in the League, an 86 match run that ended only this season when Liverpool beat them 1-0.

After purchasing the club, Abramovich quickly plunged his own financial resources into the subsequent transfer windows, buying up enough top shelf talent to transform Chelsea into his own personal dream team. The Russian oligarch eschewed the role of pragmatic investor and acted more like a twelve-year-old plugging a cheat code into a video game. Up up down down triangle square: Chelsea’s bank account suddenly bubbled over with funds and it became hunting season in the superplayer market for the West London club. The detriment his rash spending caused European football (setting ridiculous standards and overblowing the value of the talent) may seem less consequential in today’s market since Manchester City’s £130m bid on Kaka makes Abramovich’s deals look modest. But the Russian’s moves and methods were quite a shock when he first made them and he quickly transformed Chelsea from a mid-table standard to a title contender.  And to think this was the same club that had fought to avoid relegation to the old third division in the early 80s.

To steer his platinum squad to victory, Abramovich brought in Jose Mourinho for an initial salary of £4.2 million.  And indeed, all the aforementioned trophies were gathered during the Portuguese manager’s expensive, dynamic reign. But a poor Champions League outing last season escalated the tensions that had been boiling between owner and manager for many months and before anyone could grasp what had happened: Mourinho was gone. By all official accounts, he resigned, but what, if anything did Abramovich do to hold on to the man who had brought Chelsea so many rewards? Very little it would seem.

Almost immediately, Abramovich gave the job to Avram Grant. Grant was promoted from director of football to manager, a surprising move since Grant’s resume, with no coaching experience outside of Israel, was very sparse in contrast with Mourinho’s. For a club of Chelsea’s new found stature, his appointment proved baffling to the football world.  His main qualification seemed to be his longstanding friendship with Abramovich. And yet, despite the widespread skepticism of his managerial worth, Grant guided Chelsea into second place in both of the coveted races: a mere two points behind Manchester United in the Premier League, and losing to them in the Champions League final on penalty kicks. Many would consider this a brilliant start to a promising managerial career, but not Abramovich. Second best is nowhere near good enough. Grant’s contract was terminated at season’s end.

To start the 2008/09 campaign, Abramovich brought in Philippe Scolari. Here was a proper heir to Mourinho’s kingdom, at least on paper. Scolari is a legend of international football, having coached the Brazilian national team to a World Cup victory in 2002 and bringing Portugal as far as the semi-finals in 2006. Many questioned whether he could adapt this international effectiveness to the world of club football, but overall it seemed his abilities and experience combined with Chelsea’s overwhelming talent and depth should prove to be a highly successful marriage.  At the beginning of the season Chelsea looked virtually unstoppable. The goals kept coming and clean sheets abounded. But streaks thrive and fade and the winning run gave way to a series of unconvincing results. And though Chelsea are currently only seven points behind league leaders Manchester United, the gap was enough for Abramovich to pull the lever to the trap door beneath Scolari.

What Abramovich fails to understand is good leadership often needs time.  Apart from Chelsea the other two clubs to find repeated success have been Manchester United and Arsenal. The former’s results have been staggering, the latter’s impressive.  But it took Sir Alex Ferguson years to establish himself as a successful coach for Man U.  And while Arsene Wenger has not won trophies for Arsenal every year, his board has been patient with him as his long-term planning and youth development have been healthy for the Gunners both as a competitive force and as a global brand. Once these men established their ability to achieve, neither have had to worry about keeping their jobs in the years when they haven’t won big. So far, their organizations seem willing to take the long view and stand by the men who have delivered the success. Abramovich has no such patience. Otherwise, Mourinho would still be steering the boat.

As Chelsea’s new manager, Guss Hiddink, takes charge, he must look at his predecessors and realize job security is not implicit when Abramovich is writing the paychecks, and frankly, even a League title may not ensure a renewed contract if Chelsea are knocked out of the Champions League, a prize Abramovich is so intent on claiming. Hiddink does almost have a luxury in that his contract only extends to the end of the current season. He won’t be fighting to keep a job, only, perhaps, to extend it. This somehow seems like less pressure than Mourinho, Grant and Scolari bore during their stints in charge. I suppose it depends on what Hiddink’s goals are as Chelsea manager. Perhaps the pressure will be the same if he sees a future with the Blues beyond this year.

But even if Abramovich’s mother were to take the reigns as Chelsea manager after Hiddink doesn’t meet the great expectations bestowed upon him, she’d surely stay up late nights, sleepless, wondering if her son will sack her if she doesn’t get maximum points in the next match against Wigan. Maybe Chelsea managers should except that Abramovich’s hatchet is inevitable, and start taking bets on who can last the longest.

Roman is interested in immediate results. There’s no waiting for glory as far as he is concerned.  Anyone who doesn’t bring the instant trophies will be out the door. No question. José. Avram. Philippe. Guus. Mum. Anyone.

Anyone.