Saturday, January 18, 2014

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Kopblog.com: The blog's dollocks!

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Clueless Football Fans (Me included)

Posted: 17 Jan 2014 02:44 PM PST

“Flanno is shite, carthorse of a player, rash in the challenge, not great defensively and very limited going forward. Not really good enough for a side with hopes of qualifying for the champions league.”

This was my analysis of John Flanagan up until the Merseyside Derby a few weeks ago. Fast forward a couple of weeks and guess who is totally gutted when they see the name ‘Flanagan’ missing from the starting line up against City at the Etihad? Me.

LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, December 15, 2013: Liverpool's Jon Flanagan celebrates scoring the third goal against Tottenham Hotspur during the Premiership match at White Hart Lane. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

During the Cardiff match I was convinced Flanno had been possessed by former French international Bixente Lizarazu. I was fucking furious when Brendan took him off after 60 minutes and took to twitter to vent my rage. What I didn’t know was that he picked up an injury.

So what happened in the space of a couple of weeks that caused such a drastic change in my opinion of the player? Well, he put in some fine performances and as I’ve said before, desplayed all the qualities I thought he lacked. Those performances put him from 4th choice to 1st choice left back for us in my eyes. Fickle eh?

In my defence even our manager took Flanno to one side and basically said “you’re a bit shit, lad”. Actually what he said was “You’re not Cafu, stick to what your good at”. Even Brendan didnt see the hidden Lizarazu in there.

This got me thinking. Shouldn’t we as fans give it a bit more thought when labelling a player as ‘not good enough’? How many players attempt to make it as a pro? Well apparently 10% of Premier league academy graduates sign professional contracts. Even less sign a pro contract for a Premier League club because most have to go to a lower league club to get a contract. And of the amount who sign a pro contract at a PL club how many get multiple appearances in the first team of a top 6 club? A small amount I’d say. So how can anyone who made it that far be shit?

I played football with 3 guys who went on to become pros. Carl Cort, Jason Euell and Shaun Newton. Carl was in my school team and was in the Wimbledon youth team at the time as well. He was light years ahead of everyone else on the pitch whenever we played. Scouts would pester him after a game we lost 6-1 “lad, do you play for a club”, “yeah, Wimbledon”, “oh shit, thats a shame”.
In the Premier League Carl looked like an average player. Heskey looked a superior player and yet most of us think he’s shit.

The conclusion I’ve come to is that most if not all pros have the talent to be top class. Whether they become top class or not depends on a wide variety of things. Health, injury, luck, attitude, dedication, confidence, self esteem, life at home, support network away from the game… etc etc etc.

In the late 90s who thought Carragher would have gone on to be behind only Ian Callaghan in appearances for Liverpool? Certainly not me. I thought he was very limited and would be a stop gap. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Wednesday, January 21st, 2004: Liverpool's Jamie Carragher in action against Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premiership match at Molineux. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

After the game at Hull about 6 weeks ago everyone had written off Raheem Sterling. According to some idiots the notion was that now he’d signed his lucrative contract his hunger had gone. Others questioned his attitude, said he needed to concentrate more on scoring goals than scoring with women. He was clearly ‘regressing’. Most of us thought he needed to be shipped out on loan. Now if we sent him on loan we’d question the club’s sanity.

Daniel Sturridge is another one. Poor attitude apparently, arrogant, thinks he is better than what he is. That’s what journalists said and no doubt it came from people in the game. Fans lapped this up. So did our manager and skipper. To a degree. You could tell from the tone of their interviews when he first signed.

Gerrard: “He has said he wants to play football for a big club,” “There’ll be no excuses. He’ll be with good players at a great club. He's at an age now where he should be performing week in week out.”

BR: “We are bringing in a player who knows he has to perform if he wants to be at one of the biggest clubs in the world and this is probably his last chance.”

Last chance saloon for a 23 year old? I don’t get it.

He scored goals immediately but whenever he had a bad game it was due to laziness. Not fitness issues. Laziness. He apparently couldn’t be arsed. I remember someone on the Anfield Wrap saying he needs a slap! Some fans couldn’t help think “ok so thats why Chelsea got rid of him”.

When Chelsea first made a bid for Torres they offered £30m + Sturridge. We rejected the offer. They then offered £35m + Sturridge. Again we said no. I remember how the offer was ridiculed by most of us. Sturridge!? Fuck off! We ended up getting £50m and then spending £35m of it on Andy Carroll who now looks to be an inferior player to Sturridge by some distance.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 5, 2013: Liverpool's goalscorer Daniel Sturridge applauds the supporters after his side's 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace during the Premiership match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

I've been getting quite annoyed these past few weeks with the over analysis, and excessive critique of Coutinho's game as well as the outright disrespect towards Victor Moses.

Coutinho is a 21 year old lad playing in a foreign continent. He's had 31 appearances for Liverpool, scored 5 goals, 8 assists and created 48 chances.

He scores a goal every 6.2 games and assists a goal every 3.9 games. Just to compare – Jack Wilshere is 22 and scores every 13.5 games and assists a goal every 7.6 games. Oscar is 22 and scores every 4.5 games with an assist every 6 games.

I looked up Gerrard and Lampard's stats from when they were 21 years old. Gerrard at that stage of his career scored every 9.3 games and Lampard every 6.3 games. I couldn't find assists stats going back that far.

So Coutinho's stats compare well against the Premier League elite at his age. Stats aside Coutinho passes the eyeball test for me. He just looks a class player and is a threat. I can't think of anyone in the Premier League his age who is better than him. Wilshere is 22 and has over 100 games for Arsenal under his belt. Aaron Ramsey is 23 with over 100 games for Arsenal. Oscar has already played 91 games for Chelsea aged 22.

I think the expectation on Coutinho from Liverpool fans is set way too high. Not even the media can be blamed for this one because I don't' see any criticism of Coutinho anywhere but on Liverpool fans forums. I don't know if we're expecting him to be (Brazilian) Ronaldo or Messi at this stage but it baffles me. I'm really not interested in his shot to goal ratio. The boy is a class player and when he's able to play a high number of games without picking up niggly injuries I have no doubt he will be a top top player for us.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, January 1, 2014: Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho Correia in action against Hull City during the Premiership match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

At the moment Moses is being ridiculed big time by LFC fans. "Send him back to Chelsea" is one of the more polite suggestions being made by the majority. He is clearly struggling but he has shown in his career that he has talent to make an impact. Why you would want to write him and send him away half way through the season makes no sense to me. It's not as if he is keeping a better player out of the side. If we were to sign a class winger which meant Moses wouldn't get a chance then fair enough. But why weaken the squad by turfing out a player that has talent that could possibly make a difference in the latter half of the season?

I've read fans calling him lazy and disinterested. This is a player that at 16 made his pro debut at and has over 200 senior club appearances not to mention 17 caps for Nigeria. He just turned 23 years of age. I don't' see how you get to this level by being lazy. I think it's a lazy thing to say, calling a professional football player lazy. (See what I did there?) Lacking in confidence, self belief a bit low, maybe feeling disillusioned? Most probably. I doubt Moses left Chelsea to come to Liverpool on loan to half arse it. He could have easily stayed at Chelsea and chill out in their reserves. His contract is lucrative and water tight. He didn't have to go anywhere but did so to get more football. I respect that.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 5, 2013: Liverpool's Victor Moses in action against Crystal Palace during the Premiership match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Players lose form, especially young players and when they do it can often appear that they are lazy or lack energy, especially if they are flair players slight in frame. The likes of Moses and Sterling won't be flying around the pitch launching into tackles and pumping their fist to the crowd. That's not their game. I think very few players take the field with a don't care attitude. People who don't care don't make it as top level professionals. Again I go back to the percentage of players who make it as a pro. It's minute, I can't see anyone without an excellent attitude and level of dedication making it as far as Moses has in his career. 200 club appearances, 17 international caps. Goals in the Premier League and Champions League. I think it's too easy and slightly ironic for fans, a lot of whom are over weight (that's me) and not at the pinnacle of their profession (also me) to sit on their arse and call a top level professional athlete lazy.

That's not to say we as fans can't criticise. Of course we can – it's all a part of being a football fan. However I think a little more thought should go into it before calling out someone as shit or lazy. Maybe we should think a bit more about why a player's form has gone or why a player looks poor yet the manager keeps picking him.

Glen Johnson's form is a concern. My mate texted me the other day asking "Is Glen Johnson done?". I don't see how he can be 'done' so suddenly but he's not been at a high level that's for sure. The trouble is we do not have competition for his place. A 5 out of 10 Glen Johnson for me is better than our other right back options. I have heard and read that the club isn't in a rush to renew Johnson's contract and if they do renew it he'll have to take a significant drop in pay. A new right back is high on the wish list.

I don't think the contract issue has anything to do with Johnson's performances but something isn't quite right.

I don't know if any of you have read the Anfield Wrap's interview with former red Howard Gayle. There was a bit of the interview I found fascinating and it was about Ian Rush and his initial lack of confidence when he first signed for Liverpool.

'The rigour of the banter was relentless and it hindered some of the lads' progress,' Gayle admits. 'Maybe they took it to heart. Rush was one of them. People question why he didn't score a goal for Liverpool in 12 to 18 months when he first signed, but a lot of it was down to confidence off the field. He let the banter get to him and nearly went down because of it.

'He'd get slaughtered because of his clothes and his hair. I remember speaking to him one day and he was really down. Because he was from Flint in Wales, he'd never mucked about with a group of lads who had generally grown up in the inner city. Everybody thought they were style icons, wearing the best gear and being quick about the tongue.

'I wore whatever I wanted and turned up at Melwood with flared bottoms. I come in one day and Evo said, "What the fuck are they?" I didn't give a damn. I had an Afro comb that I used to keep in my hair on the drive into training and the lads would rib me about it. Souey would say, "Ere comes the satellite dish." Again, I could take it because I could give it. Rushy, for a time, couldn't.'

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 6, 1996: Liverpool's Ian Rush celebrates scoring the fifth goal against Rochdale during the FA Cup 3rd Round match at Anfield. Rush set a new cup record by scoring his 42nd FA Cup goal, beating the record held by Dennis Law. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Maybe Aspas is being slaughtered in the dressing room for his tight kit? I jest.

I see in the comments section there is debate on what position we should strengthen this month. Well according to my sources we are looking at both full back areas, defensive midfield and winger/wide forward. I think the club are treating each position with equal importance and we'll bring in who we are able to bring in. So we could think we need a DM badly, if the wide player the club wants is easier to get than the DM we'll end up with a winger and no DM. I don't think the club see that we are desperate in any one position where we simply HAVE to get a player for the position. The summer was different where we just had to get a centre back and so splurged £17m on Sakho. Not the case this window. There will be no last minute £20m bid on player X, well not in my opinion.

For what it's worth I think our defence needs better protection but defensive midfield players who are better than what we currently have aren't cheap or easy to attract. Neither are right backs better than Glen Johnson. In the left back area we are sorted as we have the new Lizarazu. We are alright, not elite in the wide forward area of the field but I won't be gutted if we don't' strengthen there this month.

Aston Villa up next at Anfield. I am expecting a comfortable home victory. That might not turn out to be what happens but it's what I expect which is a clear indication of the progress made this season. You all know I am a half empty kinda guy when assessing LFC so if I predict an easy home win, you know things are rosy. We should give Villa a damn good hiding.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Kopblog.com: The blog's dollocks!

Kopblog.com: The blog's dollocks!

Link to Kopblog - The blog's dollocks!

Liverpool On Course For Fourth

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 03:06 AM PST

20 games gone in the league and we’ve now played every other team. I always thought that the league table after 20 games was a lot more significant than the table on Christmas Day, especially with the 2 most difficult away games still to come. We led the league at Christmas, lost 2 games, dropped down to 5th and then beat Hull to go up to 4th. I’ll take that.

For a while this season we’ve been getting good results without convincing everyone that we are good enough to stay the course. The first few games we won 1-0 by hanging on in the 2nd half. Then we were beating the lesser sides at Anfield but couldn’t beat a top half of the table side away from home. The defeat to Hull appeared to confirm some people’s doubts but since then we have been very good. As if the poor performance and result at the KC stadium provided the kick up the arse that was needed. After the Hull debacle we slaughtered Norwich and West Ham at home and then went to Spurs and gave them a good hiding. The team seemed to come of age at White Hart Lane. We controlled the game, defended well and was quite ruthless in attack. Players like Flanagan and Sterling impressing. Henderson and Allen in midfield doing great as well. 5-0 actually flattered Spurs, it really could have been 8 or 9.

We followed up the White Hart Lane massacre with what I thought was our best display since Kenny’s first spell as manager. That first 60 minutes against Cardiff was fucking filthy. The pressing, passing, movement, interchanging… Iw as on the edge of my seat, creaming my pants at the sexy football. “Aww, ahhhh yes, awwwww! Ooooohh! Oh my god! Fucking hell, shit, where’s the tissues ?” I haven’t eulogised over a performance like that since Mcmanaman and Fowler ran rings around Middlesborough at Anfield in December 1996 and before that you have to go back to Kenny’s first spell for such flair, style and panache while giving the opposition a beating. I got the impression that this was Brendan’s philosophy coming to fruition. I’ve noticed that our pressing game has come on big time since Gerrard got injured. Now the skipper is back and Allen is injured it will be interesting to see if the pressing disappears or if it’s maintained.

Although we lost at City and Chelsea I was impressed with how we played. Some fans who thought we would go on to win the league were hit with a sense of reality. I think those games showed that we aren’t at title winning level but I definitely saw signs to suggest we have come a long way since the start of last season. It was a bit demoralising to drop to 5th especially with Everton above us but a good win against Hull put us back in the top 4 to make us feel good about ourselves.

After 20 games it’s clear we are genuine contenders for a top 4 spot and that’s what we all hoped for at the start of the season. Credit to the manager and players. So far so good!

For the first time in a long time I am looking forward to the 2nd half of the season. I think we’ll be battling United, Spurs and Everton for 4th. I don’t see us challenging for the title or finishing in the top 3. Unless of course we strengthen the team with top class new transfers this month.

Certain parts of the team/squad need improving if we are to challenge for the title. Full backs on both sides. We have no back up for Johnson when he’s injured and no competition for his place. When he’s off form, as he’s been the case for a while, there is still no realistic chance someone else takes his place in the side. Left back is a problem area and has been for a while. Have we ever had a top class left back at Liverpool? I don’t rate Enrique at all, but he gets injured, Cissokho gets his chance and doesn’t look great. Flanno gets a chance and is a revelation, displaying all the ability I thought he didn’t have. Intelligent runs off the ball, good passing and first touch, offering a constant attacking threat and solid in defence. Then he gets injured and we’re playing Agger at left back at Chelsea.
Left back is the priority but ultimately I think we need a right back as well. We’ve been linked with Martin Montoya from Barca and Ryan Bertrand from Chelsea but ai doubt we’ll be signing either player.

Defensive midfield player to ultimately take over from Lucas. I think we need to upgrade on the Brazilian if we are to progress to the next level. Get someone in with more mobility, pace and power. Those players aren’t easy to get so I’m not holding my breath on this one.
I am not writing off Lucas, I think he’s a very good player, I just don’t think he’s a great player. I think if we are to win the league or the CL again we’ll need a great player in the defensive midfield role. This is because the way Brendan likes to play means its likely the defensive midfield player is isolated at times and I think it takes a special talent to handle that against quality opposition.

Wide forward/attacking midfield player. We need more goals from midfield, whether from wide forward or the number 10 position. Sterling and Coutinho are doing great for players at their stage of development, but to compete for a title we need elite level decision making and end product in the final third. We get that from Suarez and Sturridge but the level drops with other players. It looks like the club are trying to address this as we’ve been linked with the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Mohamed Salah. Again I think signing either is a long shot but I don’t think we are in desperate need to strengthen this area.

It wouldn’t surprise me if we didnt sign anyone this month. It wouldn’t be the end of the world for me as I think when our injured players return we’ll have a squad capable of finishing in the top 4. However if the ownership see this season as an opportunity to win the league ahead of schedule maybe they would sanction moves for top top players. Then again getting those players is very difficult and very expensive. I think we’ll have to qualify for the CL and look good doing it before signing any top shelf players.

Next up is Stoke away and according to reports we should have Sturridge back available for this one. I’d have him on the bench. Stoke have only lost one game at home this season and have already beaten Chelsea and almost beat Everton but for last minute idiocy from Jermaine Pennant when he have away a penalty. It’s going to be a difficult game but one I think we should win considering the players will have a full week to recover and prepare for the game.

We then have Aston Villa at home which is a must win and then Everton at Anfield. 9 points would be nice.

We have a lot of big games at Anfield in the second half of the season that will determine our fate. Key home games are:

Everton 28th January
Arsenal 8th February
Spurs 29th March
City 12th April
Chelsea 26th April
Newcastle 11th May

The majority of our away games are against bottom of the table sides. The more of those we win the less pressure on the big games at Anfield. We have the following away games to come against the lesser sides:

Stoke 12th January
West Brom 2nd February
Fulham 12th February
Cardiff 22nd March
West Ham 5th April
Norwich 19th April
Crystal Palace 3rd May

The most home wins we’ve won in a season in the Premier League era is 15 in 1995/96. We’ve already won 9 this season. I think we’ll win 14 or 15 come the end of the season.

Our away record has to improve. When you look at the fixtures to come it should improve. I’m predicting 5 wins, 2 draws, 2 defeats from our remaining 9 away games.

So my season prediction is:

Home. Win 14. Draw 3. Lose 2. 45 pts.
Away. Win 8. Draw 5. Lose 6. 29 pts.
Total. Win 22. Draw 8. Lose 8. 74 pts.

This wouldn’t have been my prediction before a ball was kicked this season. I thought we’d get around 68 points. So far Liverpool have exceeded my expectations, and I think we’ll continue to exceed expectations. I’ve tried to remain realistic though. I think 74 points is doable and will be good enough for 4th place.
There is a lot of football to be played however and no honours or champions league places are handed out in January.

In early December after all teams had played 14 games I predicted what the table would look like after 20 games.

Predicted table:

Manchester City 44 pts
Chelsea 43 pts
Arsenal 42 pts
Liverpool 37 pts
Tottenham 36 pts
Manchester United 36 pts
Everton 35 pts
Southampton 29 pts
Newcastle 29 pts

Real table:

Arsenal 45pts
Manchester City 44 pts
Chelsea 43 pts
Liverpool 39 pts
Everton 38 pts
Tottenham 37 pts
Manchester United 34 pts
Newcastle 33 pts
Southampton 27 pts

I got City and Chelsea spot on but slightly under estimated Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs. United failed to meet my expectations. Ha ha.