Wigan 1 - 1 Liverpool (Positives and Negatives)

Wigan 1 - 1 Liverpool. Well after a great start to the game we took the lead and then faded out of the game. A lot of the old habits came back into our play in what turned out to be a very frustrating performance. Going from the high of a 2-0 victory over Chelsea to a 1-1 draw with Wigan can be frustrating in itself so its important not to look at things purely based on the result.





Torres finishes with precision at the DW Stadium!!!





POSITIVES:

Torres' Goal: Although it wasnt enough to seal the 3 points this time out, its a case of another game, another Torres goal. This time he linked up well with Steven Gerrard who provided an excellent through ball which Torres controlled perfectly and finished with! deadly precision. There were a number of times through the game when Torres looked dangerous but as the game wore on he became an incresingly isolated figure.

Martin Kelly: Kelly was called upon to play right back yet again in place of the injured Glen Johnson and without having a spectacular game he again defended well, and attacked brightly when the opportunity arose. Kelly is getting more experience than he might have if Glen had not been injured but it is proving to be a blessing in disguise as Kelly's performance continue to improve.

We Didn't Lose: Although this remains a game we should have had enough to win, especially after our explosive start to the game, the way we allowed Wigan back in and the dominence they held for about 75 minutes of the game means we should be pretty relieved to have gotten out of there. Wigan created some great chances and even had one goal (correctly) disallowed.

NEGATIVES:

Failing to press home our advantage: As mentioned earlier we really started this game well. We started off the game in much the same way as we started against Chelsea. We surged forward as a unit and seemed able to cut open the Wigan defense at will. Once the goal went in I am sure I am not the only Liverpool fan who felt that we would go on to record a comfertable victory. This obviously didnt happen, and although a draw away from home isn't neccesarily an awful result its the performance which will rankle fans the most. The players will need to take a certain portion of the blame, In fact Steven Gerrard tried (admirably) to personally take the blame in an interview with the echo, but after the goal our approach to the game changed completely.

Our tactics after the goal: After taking the lead we seemed to drop right back and concede possession to Wigan in much the same way as we had done earlier in the week against Chelsea, the difference being Chelsea currently sit in 1st place in the Premier League table and are the reigning champions, Wigan started this game 3rd from bottom. Dirk Kuyt started the game up top with Fernando Torres and interplay between them and Gerrard was very fruitful until we took the lead, but after that he was dropped into a much deeper posision and that seemed to help Wigan regain possession more easily. We started playing a lot of long balls out of defence to an isolated Torres and so we basically just gave the ball back time and time again. I totally understand that we cant go gung-ho all the time but surely we are strong enough to hold possession better and continue to try and attack the game.

Our Substitutions: At half time Meireles had to come off due to injury, in his place came Jonjo Shelvey. Jonjo put in his best effort and tried his hardest but although he is a hugely talented and promising player, he is not the finished article yet and it showed today. Its these kind of times that remind me that Aquilani (currently playing out of his skin for Juventus) is still technically a Liverpool player and surely didn't need to be loaned out so prematurely. Just when we needed to press and chase the game further Roy withdrew Kuyt and brought on Poulson. Now I fully understand that Dirk may have needed a rest but bringing on a defensive midfielder who has struggled for any sort of form, in place of one of our most attacking players seemed baffling. Our last substitution was made in the 80th minute with Maxi, who had been largely quiet, being withdrawn  for Nathan Eccleston, another player with a bright future but is not near being the finished article. The fact that Ngog and Jovanovic were left on the bench was very strange, to say the least, when considering those who were brought on!

Roy's Comments after the game: Roy made a comment after the game stating "We have five injuries at the moment. We finished the game with Martin Kelly, Jonjo Shelvey and Nathan Eccleston. That's what we have at the moment. Hopefully we will get some players back soon." this is hardly going to inspire confidence in the 3 players mentioned. It also begs the question of why others were left on the bench (Or loaned out like Aquilani or Insua) if these players are so dissappointing that they are to be used as an excuse.