Satisfied With Improvement, Daring To Dream

At the start of this season I had one target in mind - to see Liverpool improve. Long gone are the years where every season began with fanciful dreams of unprecedented glory. Age, experience, and the last few painful seasons had coloured my thinking to a level where I dared not raise my expectation levels to even a European place. To my mind, it seemed like the mentality throughout our support had re-adjusted itself to a similar idea. I read countless blogs, listened to podcasts, went on forums, even had some good old fashioned face to face conversations with friends and it seemed something was different. Although our rivals delight in our, previously unabashed optimism it seemed to me that a sea-change had occurred and the consensus was that expectations for the season ahead needed to be realistic.

Suddenly the only cries of “this is going to be our year” were lowly taunts from those who have loved reveling in our dashed hopes in years gone by. Unfortunately for them, their taunts though fell on deaf ears as the Red faithful remained focused on our most important target for the season ahead – Improvement.

Wouldn't you know it though, just when we decide to get real, they go and alter our reality!

Even with a huge slice of the season remaining I think its clear that the improvement we have craved has been displayed... and then some! The swashbuckling displays against Spurs, Bitters and Gooners stand up as the incredible examples of how far we have come. The improvement we wanted didn't only come, it came so thick and so fast that its left us right in the mix with an actual, realistic chance of lifting the big one with 12 games to go.

“its the hope that kills you”

It’s been a heck of a season but its caused us some difficulty in re-adjusting our ambitions. There are those captious souls who simply refuse to get their hopes up. There are many eternal optimists who have already raised hopes so high, if a fall were to come they may not survive (maybe slight bit of hyperbole there). The majority, to my mind, are like myself and caught in the middle trying to find the balance between hope and expectations. The scars from previous travails have given us a reluctance, but we must recognise there is no harm in hoping so long as you accept the reality of what actually marks out success for the season.

Success is what we wanted at the start of the season. Success is improvement. We can hope that this improvement could include us winning a league title, we can dream of Stevie lifting that trophy above his head in May. We can dream. As long as we understand that that is not the only marker for success we can dream. 12 games to go who knows what can happen. One thing I do know is I’m happy with how the season has gone so far. I will be ecstatic if we do finally manage to win no.19. Either way though I’ll be happy with improvement. And sure, if we don't win it in the end, Next year will be our year J

This article was originally published on www.tomkinstimes.com as a subscribers only piece.

Twitter: @barrymeehan7

Liverpool F.C - Champions Elect?

Tomorrow, whilst kids all over the world will be jumping on their parents heads at ungodly hours of the morning before rushing to their tree/stocking to enthusiastically unwrap gifts which will delight or disappoint them depending on how accurately the contents reflect their pre-Christmas wish, Liverpool supporters can take their time. Maybe spend an extra few minutes in bed, take a shower before putting on their freshest clothes and sauntering in to join the festivities all the while basking in the glow that Santa has already been and gone having delivered their team to the summit of the table, where they shall remain until the big day has passed at least.

Of course over the Christmas period we have some major tests to face, and it is for this reason alone I have decided to stop tempering my expectations and begin to hope that maybe, just maybe this is no short term success. Brendan Rodgers said, in what would be praised as intelligent “mind games” if uttered from the mouth of Ferguson or Mourinho, "I still believe the title is Manchester City's to lose. They have the strongest squad. The resources they have are incredible. We can't ever think we have cracked it. We can't become complacent. You have to be focused and move on to the next game." This not only helped to put some pressure on City before the meeting it also gives an honest assessment of our chances at this time. There is still a lot of football to be played before the champions are crowned, but there is no denying that we are sitting pretty. That is why I have decided to simply enjoy our current situation. As Rafa might have said “We are in a good moment” as we embark on a difficult couple of fixtures in quick succession which will reveal more about our ambitions.  I have confidence in this team. I have confidence in this manager. I have doubted them before and they have proved me wrong. I honestly believe it is possible for us to get something from each of these games away to City and Chelsea. Unfortunately you have to acknowledge the challenge this entails and recognise that we could sit outside the top 4 by new year. If that were to happen we can re-align our targets and again become embroiled in the day to day mundanity of scrapping it out amongst the other troglodytes for one of the  runner-up spots that awards a seat at Europes top table next year.

Right now though, its Christmas and Liverpool are TOP of the League. We have a manager whose game plan seems to be coming together at the right time. We have a team who look equal parts stylish and dogged, ready to run through brick walls before deftly finishing an exquisite passing move. We have the best player in the world leading our line and scoring world class goals every week. Its not a bad place to be.

If, somehow, you are still struggling to enjoy it, just think back to the end of last season, how far away did the top of the league seem then?

I also want to take this opportunity to say Happy Christmas from The Red Article and a heartfelt thank you for all of your support throughout 2013. Eat, Drink, be Merry, enjoy every minute of it for who knows whats up ahead.

Liverpool FC – Champions elect..... for now at least!

Barry

Twitter:@barrymeehan7

Pressing the Point

Pressing the opposition successfully is something that has come into vogue in the last few seasons, mainly as a result of the successes of the dominant Barcelona side which was expertly perfected under the stewardship of their celebrated manager Pep Guardiola. Its something that Liverpool fans were already aware of from the time of our own outstanding manager Rafa Benitez. Back in 2009 we learned how profitable and successful effective pressing could be to a side looking to dominate and win football matches at the highest level. The successes of the Houllier teams of 2001 will not be denied but they were achieved through a more reactive style of defense  and attack for that matter. Even in 2005 we saw under our Spanish leader how we may look in the future as we rocked giants of the game on our successful Champions League run. It showed us a way of football we had forgotten but now could look forward to reveling in. As Benitez’s reign ended, and subsequent managers stepped into the fray, pressing became a less prominent component of our side. It was completely forgotten under the jaded and archaic management of the former Malmo kingpin Roy Hodgson. Then Kenny found it difficult to implement on any consistent basis, even if by this stage the quality of the team had diminished so much as to make it extremely difficult regardless of manager.

When Brendan Rodgers arrived we immediately looked to his previous team for guidance on how we may approach games. Swansea were excellent proponents of pressing the opposition and when this was married to their passing and movement they were a force to be reckoned with. “Philosophy” was the buzzword upon his appointment and Liverpool fans set about the task of learning as much as possible about his philosophy as soon as he was linked with the job. There were comments such as “when we haven’t got the ball is the moment for intense pressure to get the ball back’ which gave a glimpse of the future and excited supporters. Of course anybody expecting any immediate transition to this style soon had their expectations tempered as the complexities of the system were highlighted “You cannot go (press) on your own,You work on zonal pressure, so that when it is in your zone, you have the capacity to press. That ability to press immediately, within five or six seconds to get the ball, is important. But you also have to understand when you can’t and what the triggers are then to go for it again because you can’t run about like a madman.”. It was certainly going to take time to implement a complex system, and philosophy “You do(need time to implement that philosophy). There is no doubt about that. I'm very much a realist. It's certainly going to be a few years in relation to where the team is at now. It will need some investment and it will need time for me to work. But of course we're in the business of winning and winning games is important. But it's a philosophy and a style that's very much in the DNA of me and the club and hopefully we can roll that out over the years to come.” Since then there has been a lot of work done to implement this philosophy but at times there has been frustration, certainly for me, as there was little evidence of the work being carried out on the pitch on match days. It seemed at times that perhaps this was a part of the philosophy that had been left behind. Rodgers had said in his opening press conference “Your philosophy and your principles will always be governed by the players.” I had found myself wondering at times, if pressing had been deemed too difficult for this group and so had been left behind. It causes for incredible tactical awareness, good communication and very high levels of fitness. Perhaps Rodgers had decided to go a different way?

This season, however, there have already been signs that the philosophy is bedding in. Early in the season we ground out results to set the stall, in more recent games we have started to dominate possession all the while being clinical when chances are created. The last game, the 5-0 victory away from home against Spurs, showed us how effective this system can be when implemented correctly. This is not to say that we are now the finished article and we can expect to witness this level in every game while Rodgers is at the helm. We are still a work in progress and there is still plenty of work to be done before we can achieve this standard on a regular basis. The difference now is we have the sampler, the paradigm, for what we may come to expect. We have something to put our faith in as supporters and something for the players to believe in which will lead them to become further invested in the project.  Our league position is one thing, ok its the biggest thing, but for me the improvement in our performance levels has been the most satisfying part of the season so far. 

Twitter: @barrymeehan7

Spurs 0 - 5 Liverpool (Talking Points)

A couple of days has passed now since our 5-0 victory Spurs, but such was the impact of this result, Liverpool fans all over the world are still basking in its glory. Thankfully this result just confirms what many of us believed since the start of the season, Liverpool will be crowned champions in May. Of course that's not actually what this means,  no single game played in December could confirm that no matter how impressive.  What this result does so however is give Brendan Rodgers a base camp or platform on which he can build.  It gives him a reference point he can use in future to point doubters toward to assuage their skepticism   Up till now we had seen glimpses at best of where we might be headed.  We had witnessed some good periods of play, strong halves and fought to gain some confidence building results but up until Sunday we were yet to put all these aspects together into one 90 minute performance.

Expectations can only have been raised by such a performance and that is not only natural it is exactly what we need, we don't have to feel like pretenders to the thrown anymore. This results shows that our current league position if fully justified and has been achieved through our own merits. Everyone connected with the club is obviously on a high right now but there is an imminent test for Rodgers to prepare for immediately. It's his job to ensure that confidence isn't allowed to morph into complacency. He won't need to look too far as a reference point for disappointment, the recent abject performance against Hull will remind everyone how quickly a club seemingly on the crest of a wave can change to one being touted as pretenders. A win against Cardiff at home this coming Saturday is expected and has to be considered a must. Anything less than 3 points pretty much wipes out the achievements in London. Once Cardiff leave Liverpool we embark upon preparations for an extremely difficult Christmas period which includes away fixtures versus both Chelsea and City. We need to make sure they leave empty handed

Now for somewhere talking points from the Spurs game...

Pressing
I think the most frustrating part of the season, so far, for me has been the pressing. We've been inconsistent at best with regard to pressing. Although results have been good I've frequently worried that it would be impossible for us to control games in the manner proffered by Rodgers unless we were able to master this vital component of that style. Sundays performance more than tempered my concerns as we harried or opponents into mistakes in dangerous areas time after time. One or two players focussing on pressing is what has caused us trouble in previous games. Against Spurs we got the team approach spot on, with the midfielders and Suarez responding to triggers instantaneously to hunt the opposition in packs. After almost 1.5 seasons it seems the pressing style mentioned by Rodgers upon his appointment may be starting to come together.

That Flanagan Goal!
I honestly can't tell you the last goal I enjoyed so much. Of course it was a great goal,  made all the better by smashing in off the bar but mainly because of the pure and unbridled joy all over the face of the young Liverpuddlian. He looked like he had been introduced to the action directly from the Kop ten minutes beforehand. I think by now everyone has identified his improvement leaving few questioning his credentials as a Liverpool player. His primary role is not that of a goalscorer but having dangerous players all over the pitch is what marks or great sides.

See, we’re better without Gerrard
I’ve heard this said by plenty of people in the aftermath of the game and I want to speak about it briefly. My opinion is that rather than this game providing proof that Steven Gerrard should be dropped from the starting 11, this game showed that we now have several options in midfield, Gerrard is just one of them. In many situations he can still be the best option but maybe this doesn’t have to be every week anymore. 1 for 1, we still dont yet have any 1 individual midfielder who can provide the magic that Gerrard has the ability to bring, in fairness very few teams do,  but in his absence the sum of the alternatives can be better in his absence. Players like Henderson and Allen certainly stepped up to the plate in this instance ably supported by Sterling and Lucas but of the players just named, 3 are lacking in the experience needed and 1 is still trying to rediscover his best form after coming back from injury. Inexperience can bring the inconsistency that Hendo, Allen and Sterling have shown so-far in their Liverpool careers and the experience provided by Gerrard can guide them through these difficult stages. Regardless of that even, his statistics still show he is a fine addition to our squad. If the learnings from this game enable Rodgers to bench his Captain due to fatigue, poor form or purely tactical reasons in future, well that to me is an improvement on the season so far.

Quick hits

Sakho was immense, he quickly seems to finding his feet in the league . He looks strong powerful and comfortable on the ball. Once acclimatised I really feel he will become one of the strongest defenders in the league

Sterling had without doubt his best performance in the first team to date. He looked hungry, he pressed relentlessly and showed great skill in tight situations at times. He needs to maintain this form though as plenty will remain unconvinced after 1 (albeit excellent) performance.

The form of both Lucas and Johnson improved again for this game. Neither was impeccable but an improvement was needed and it was given. Lets hope this continues

Another cameo from Alberto who also seems to be finding his place in this side. He is showing signs of becoming a viable first 11 option. He has a long way to go yet but passes like the one for Suarez’s 2^nd will live long in the memory.

Clean Sheet...... well it was about bloody time!

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Liverpool v Fulham - (Preview & Prediction)

We've had a really good start to the season.  So good in fact that a defeat away from home against the league leaders had been greeted with huge disappointment because it seems to signal that we are not the title challengers we had convinced ourselves we were. Personally, I'm not so worried about the result but I must be honest and say the performance did leave me a little bit cold.

Our target at the beginning of the season was Champions League qualification, this is still the case. If at any stage during the season we seem to be on course to achieve more than that it can only be a bonus but our base target is top four and the result against Arsenal did not unduly damage our progress on that front.

In order to achieve top four it is essential that we win the games against the teams we are expected to beat and the game this weekend against Fulham is a prime example of this. A lot of people are taking it as a given that we will win comfortably and of course that's understandable because of the poor showing from Fulham so far this season, but I always fear teams a little bit more when they are at a particularly low ebb. This is mainly because results tend to improve eventually with the downward trajectory halted, it's our job to make sure any improvement doesn't come against us.

Having said that.... Fulham are a week side and on paper seem the ideal game for us following last week’s defeat. Individually they have some real talent in their squad.  They have some pretty decent game changers in their side even if they are yet to turn them into a team who can consistently perform.  In their last game against Utd they were truly awful in the first half and any improvement they showed in the second half was caveat-ed by the fact that Utd’s intensity dropped off a little with the game more a less won, they began keeping one eye on their big European game to come.

As for us, the only truly poor results we have had so far have come against teams with real quality who were bang in form. That's not a phrase that can be used to describe The Cottagers. We have some question marks around our line up.  Controversial as it may seem I would be happy to see Stevie rested for this one with Joe Allen finally getting a chance to show what he can offer. I’m not fond of Stevie playing as defensive midfielder in the first place, but he has also looked tired recently and a particularly poor showing from him last weekend should trigger a period of rest for our captain. I dont believe this will happen, but I would be happier if it did. Obviously if Johnno is fit again it may influence the set up drastically.  I think our 3-5-2 last week looked tepid in his absence even though Flanno's individual performance was decent.  Johnno is tailor made for the attacking requirements of the formation however we don't have any other player who can match his levels. If Johnno is still out we may consider going back to basics formation wise. Coutinho is in line to come back into the first 11 and a game against Fulham would seem ideal for him to get some good game time under his belt.  It will take him time to get back to top gear but the only way to do it is with minutes on the pitch. With the Goodison Derby coming up and a rough run of fixtures following on it’s tail, we really need to get him back firing on all cylinders ASAP. Even though Cissokho's performance last week was very poor I think he will continue on the left hand side of defense regardless of formation mainly due to Enrique’s continued absence.

All things considered, we have no reason to doubt our quality at the moment. Our strikers may have drawn a blank last week but they will truly relish this match up. We’ll need to be switched on to ensure there are no scares from their danger-men but overall I think we will prove to be to strong for Fulham in all areas of the park.  If we can get a goal early enough to settle the nerves of players and fans we could really push on and win by a decent margin. 

I’m going to predict a scoreline of 3-0 to the Red men for this one.