Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City

Reina
Carragher Skrtel Agger Insua
Mascherano Lucas
Kuyt Gerrard Babel
Ngog

Goals:
Skrtel 50’
Adebayor 69’
Ireland 76’
Benayoun 77’

Paid the price for sitting on a lead and for poor marking on set plays. And, of course, less than 10 minutes later, Liverpool went behind to an incredibly dubious goal (edit: okay saw it again, Ireland was just behind the ball, apologies). What else is new? Hero turns to villain, villain to hero. Thank god City’s defense is as accident-prone as Liverpool’s. Not accident-prone enough, though.

It’s yet another game Liverpool will claim to have deserved the win, but don’t. Neither side will be happy with this draw, although it keeps City a point ahead of Liverpool with that game in hand and Liverpool – read Lucas – should have won it with the last touch of this game. This season is slowly killing me.

Football’s a game of clichés, and this one was a game of two halves. A blistering first five minutes – in which Given had to miraculously keep out what would have been Skrtel’s first goal for the club – turned into an utterly boring subsequent forty minutes. And you can blame injuries – yes injuries; it’s not like we haven’t seen enough of them – for taking all the steam of out Liverpool.

Agger suffered a concussion and was bloodied on the aforementioned Skrtel chance – a clash of heads with Toure on the incoming free kick – in the fifth. Less than 10 minutes later, Babel, De Jong, and Gerrard collided when Babel was cutting in for a shot, resulting in the Dutchman suffering an ankle knock. Kyrgiakos and Benayoun (again, horse placenta?!) respectively replaced the injured players, but Liverpool never built the sustained pressure of the first five minutes, and it settled into a defense contest between conservative two teams conservatively playing two defensive midfielders.

Liverpool had the best of the rest of the first half chances, but they were half chances – shots from Gerrard and Kuyt deflected and a Skrtel header wide of the post. City’s lone chance came through Wright-Phillips after a lovely Ireland dummy on the break, but the erratic winger shot high and wide.

But game opened up and the goals came in the second half. Surprisingly for Liverpool, but unsurprising given City’s defense, the home side looked the most likely to score from set plays, which they did five minutes after the restart. City just couldn’t keep Skrtel out, and the Slovakian scored with his third good chance, beating Adebayor to toe-poke Gerrard’s lovely free kick past Given.

As much as it frustrates the fans, especially when the side’s at home, Liverpool was far more content to sit back and try and hit City on the break with balls over the top. And it was understandable given fitness levels, only one substitution still available, and a crucial Champions League game on Tuesday. The away side saw its longest spell of possession, and although a resilient Liverpool kept them out in open play (Kyrgiakos did very well as an imposing rearguard), they finally conceded in the 69th. Yep, from a corner.

As little regard as I have for Mark Hughes as a tactical manager, his substitution of Tevez for Barry in the 61st changed the game. Tevez, who often plays well against Liverpool, should have been on for the start. As a second striker, in the hole instead of Ireland, the lively Argentinean brought Bellamy and Adebayor into the game much more than De Jong or a half-fit Barry were able to.

But it was a sloppy, regrettable equalizer, as usual. Skrtel, matched up against Adebayor on both ends, completely lost his man, and the Togolese striker drifted into the center for a glancing free header that gave Reina no chance.

As has happened in every single game where Liverpool’s let in an equalizer, the team was knocked back for the next few minutes, and it didn’t take long for City to take advantage. Again, Tevez was at the center of it, cutting in from the left and finding Wright-Phillips in the box. The little winger somehow turned a pass to Ireland, who appeared offside, but no flag and an easy goal as Skrtel didn't follow his run. Naturally.

But we finally saw some of that Liverpool resiliency we’ve dearly missed. It took less than a minute to get the equalizer, with City still celebrating their luck. And that’s why Mark Hughes will be infuriated with a fortunate draw. Liverpool marched down the field, Ngog controlled well on the right and worked out a shot, which was luckily deflected into the path of an on-rushing Benayoun. Couldn’t have been better for Liverpool.

But unlike last year’s squad, and last year’s match at Man City, Liverpool couldn’t find the winner despite having almost all the possession in the last ten minutes, with Aurelio coming on for Benayoun (being substituted as a substitute might suggest Benayoun’s not quite fit) to solidify the midfield. And Liverpool had their chances, although they came in the four minutes of added time.

First, Kuyt (who again had a tough game, and would probably be rested if there weren’t so many injury problems) had a 50/50 penalty shout, pushed by Bellamy trying to break into the box. Two minutes later, the Dutchman’s volley was blocked at the back post for a corner. And from the resulting corner, Lucas had the chance to be the hero, to finally shed that scapegoat label. He completely failed to seize it; somehow open for a free header, he contrived to mishit it wide. Sigh. The final whistle immediately followed.

With the injury problems, it could have been a lot worse. Going behind, yet again, with less than 15 minutes remaining, shows how much worse it could have been. But it’s another game where we’re ruing a lead lost. Frustrating draws are better than infuriating losses, but only marginally. We saw last season how little draws help in the overall scheme of things.

I’m proud of the team for coming from behind. Proud of individual performances from Mascherano (absolutely everywhere), Gerrard (moreso the first half; he’s clearly still feeling his way back), Carragher (solid down the right and kept the dangerous Bellamy quiet for long stretches), and the aforementioned Kyrgiakos. Proud of the resiliency despite injuries that kept key players out and saw two starters off before a quarter of the game was over.

But it’s still two points dropped. And Liverpool stopped being able to drop points over a month ago.

Liverpool v Manchester City 11.21.09

7:45am, live in the US on espn2

Last 4 head-to-head:
1-1 (h) 02.22.09
3-2 Liverpool (a) 10.05.08
1-0 Liverpool (h) 05.04.08
0-0 (a) 12.30.07

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 2-2 Brum (h); 1-1 Lyon (a); 1-3 Fulham (a)
City: 3-3 Burnley (h); 0-0 Brum (a); 5-1 Scunthorpe (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 10; Gerrard 4; Benayoun, Kuyt, Ngog 3; Babel, Johnson 2
City: Bellamy 5; Adebayor 4; Petrov 3; Tevez, Wright-Phillips 2; Barry, Ireland, Lescott, Richards, Toure 1

Referee: Phil Dowd

Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Agger Insua
Lucas Mascherano
Kuyt Gerrard Aurelio
Ngog

Okay, so what’s going on with this Serbian horse placenta lady? The story came out after Van Persie’s ankle injury, we all had a few good laughs at the Arsenal striker, and that was that. And then four of Liverpool’s injured players – Benayoun, Riera, Aurelio, and Johnson – went to Serbia for treatment of their own. And now, all four have trained with the team, and Benitez has declared them available. The mind boggles.

With Gerrard, Agger, and Ngog (who broke his nose during the international break; hopefully he'll have one of those awesome Rip Hamilton masks) also back, the injury crisis seems a lot better. I’d be very surprised if Riera or Benayoun started given how both pulled up lame less than two weeks ago, but otherwise, the only player assuredly out is Torres.

It’s probably too soon for Aurelio – horse placenta or not – as well. But as said in the “Copy Chelsea” post a few days back, if it comes down to Aurelio or Babel on the left flank, I’d rather Aurelio in almost every situation. That Liverpool is playing City, an exceptionally dangerous team, especially on the counter, Aurelio seems the far safer option. I’ve never been enamored with Shawn Wright-Phillips, but if he’s one-on-one with Insua for long stretches, it could be a long day for the little Argentinean.

A reprieve from the massive casualty list should prevent Aquilani from starting. This article from the official site yesterday seems like definitive proof he won’t make the first XI. Of course, it could be yet another gambit by Benitez, but I still think Aqua will make at least one more appearance from the bench before starting (i.e. wait until Debrecen).

Benitez discussing Gareth Barry with Tony Evans a couple of days ago seems a similar attempt at mind games. Can’t be coincidence that Benitez gives a wide-ranging interview, with his most candid remarks on the Barry transfer saga, before Liverpool faces Barry’s new team, can it? I thoroughly enjoy when Benitez plays mind games.

Despite City’s run of five straight league draws, they’re still an eminently dangerous side. Adebayor, Tevez, Bellamy, Santa Cruz, and Ireland are all first class attackers, and then there are Wright-Phillips, Petrov, and Barry, among others. Money may not be able to buy happiness, but it can buy a hell of a football team. Bellamy and Petrov, as well as Robinho, as listed as likely out through injury on the BBC, but I’m hesitant to trust that outlet, especially since they still think Carragher’s suspended (a red card professional foul is a one-game suspension, you rubes).

As usual, every game’s massive with the team struggling for points. But this is as big as the United ‘backs against the wall’ match. That United win remains Liverpool’s lone three-pointer since the end of September. Even with a run of five draws, City still sits one point above Liverpool in the standings with a game in hand. Three points here will push Liverpool up at least one place, if not into fourth if other results go their way.

No other result is an option.

Liverpool’s Team of the Decade

I know the decade technically isn’t over for another year. Don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, and for our purposes here, the decade is from 2000-2009.

And since we had such fun with the ‘compare the squads’ vote a few weeks back, I thought another poll or nine would be entertaining. Plus, it’s easy content! Win-win!

Over the next five or six weeks, I thought we’d decide the Liverpool team of the decade. On Mondays and Thursdays, I’ll post a new position, and we’ll choose the best player to feature for the club this decade. Depending on the formation, we’ll pick one or two players per position, from a selection of four to ten choices. With me so far?

As hinted at above, we’ll need to settle on a formation first. What’s the use in picking players if we don’t decide how they’ll be deployed? To mix my sports metaphors, if we’re playing fantasy football, we might as well go the whole nine yards.

4-4-2’s the easiest, but it means Gerrard’s a central midfielder, to be paired with one of Alonso, Hamann, Mascherano, Murphy, etc. 4-2-3-1 only needs one striker, and it’d probably be Torres. I added 3-5-2 to fill out the poll – really, this should be a choice between 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1, and I don’t want to make an executive decision – but it opens up a plethora of questions. Liverpool’s flanks have been dubious throughout the decade; having wingbacks might open up possibilities for better players. And Benitez has used 3-4-3 a couple of times (at Portsmouth last year and at Sunderland this).

So, which would you want to see? And on Monday, we’ll start picking the players, beginning with goalkeeper.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Copy Chelsea

Four months into the season, and Liverpool still hasn’t deployed the first-choice XI thanks to injuries. And last week we got word that both Benayoun and Riera could be out for a month. Awesome.

Injury problems have consistently troubled Liverpool this season, but with those two missing, the left flank is a massive concern. Aurelio and Babel would be the only options on that flank, and neither seems a suitable replacement. Lucas played there a couple of times – notably, the 3-0 win against Sunderland in 07/08 – but hasn’t for over a year.

My advice? As much as it hurts to suggest, I’d copy the league leaders.



Oh yes, the much-maligned diamond formation. Even writing the phrase brings back bad memories of Sven-Goran Eriksson. Let’s soldier on, though.

Without wingers, the key to this formation is the fullbacks. But Liverpool already play with a variation on wingbacks in the 4-2-3-1, and in Johnson and Aurelio (or Insua), Liverpool have two excellent attacking fullbacks. The most frequent complaint with the 4-4-2 diamond is the lack of width, which shouldn’t be a problem with Johnson and Aurelio getting forward.

It’s a fluid formation that should allow for players to swap positions, as Benitez is wont to do in the 4-2-3-1. Kuyt, Gerrard, and Benayoun/Riera – as well as Torres – consistently change positions in the 4-2-3-1. Gerrard’s perpetually in a free role. Torres will drop deep or into one of the channels to link up play. The wingers switch flanks and drift inside. None of these facets are incompatible with the diamond formation.

At the same time, both Lucas and Aquilani are more mobile than Alonso, and have the versatility for this formation. We’ve seen how Lucas tries to get from box to box, and all reports suggest Aquilani plays similarly.

I’d also like to see how it affects Kuyt. The Dutchman’s disappointed for a few weeks now, since picking up a knock during the last international break. I wonder if moving him further upfield and more centrally will help his form. He’d have less defensive duties, and could focus more on attacking play. Plus, I’d like to see another striker shoulder some of burden on Torres, who hasn’t been fit enough to lead the line by himself. Yes, Torres is usually at his best as a lone striker, but if he’s not fully fit, he’s far less able single-handedly front the attack.

Now, this formation would put a lot of pressure on Mascherano and the centerbacks. In the 4-2-3-1, the wingers often drop deep to defend, especially if the fullbacks are upfield. With no wingers, it’ll be up to Mascherano and the centerbacks (and either Lucas or Aquilani, depending on which side of the field the ball is on) to cover the counter.

This admittedly worries me, especially given Mascherano’s form and Liverpool’s defensive fragility. It’s one thing to alter the formation when the team and players are on a hot streak; it’s another to use a new system when most if not all are struggling. But given where Liverpool’s struggled – reestablishing a dominant central midfield, scoring against packed defenses, and preventing stupid goals on the counter – it could be the remedy this team needs.

More importantly, the options are extremely limited without Benayoun and Riera. I’ve lost almost all faith in Babel, especially as a starter and on the left. Aurelio is a serviceable replacement, but he’s primarily a defender. Gerrard plays there for England, but Liverpool needs his talismanic performances in the middle, and the Gerrard/Torres pairing is what Liverpool needs to build around.

It doesn’t look that different from a Lampard-Deco-Ballack-Essien or Kaka-Gattuso-Seedorf-Pirlo midfield, both of which have given Liverpool fits in the past.

I doubt I’d argue for this formation if either Benayoun or Riera were available. But removing those two players severely weakens the team and the formation Benitez wants to play. Circumstances are what they are. Liverpool needs to do something to save the season, and using a formation that gets the best and fittest players on the pitch gives the team a fighting chance.

“You Have No MAH-BLES”

I probably filled my quota of Major League references with the one about Jobu a few weeks ago. I apologize to international readers and those who aren’t connoisseurs of marvelously cheesy sports movies, but this is too apt. Plus, it’s Major League 2.

Just like weak-hitting, voodoo apostate Pedro Cerrano, right now, Liverpool has no marbles.





I wish there was video of the title quote, but this will have to do.

In the previous match review and comments, I fervently complained about Liverpool settling for crosses and long balls in the last 10 minutes after running at defenders to some success for the first 80. Johnson, Benayoun, and Ngog doing that led Liverpool’s best threats, and led to Ngog’s goal and the penalty. It didn’t help when Benayoun went off injured in the 78th, with Babel unable to fill the same role. Unsurprisingly, chances were harder and harder to come by as the game went on – in complete contrast to the multitude of late winners last season.

The more I think about it, the more I can’t escape the feeling that Liverpool players were simply afraid to give the ball away in the later stages. And fear rarely helps in football. It’s one thing to run at defenders at 0-0 or 1-0 in the first half. It’s another to do it in the dying breaths of the game, where a giveaway could lead to an opposition break when Liverpool’s thoroughly exposed.

So the team, already fragile from this dire, dire streak, settled for the easy way out. It’s easy to pump a cross or over-the-top ball into the box, and it’s less likely that the individual player will be picked out for a mistake or that the opposition could counter. So even though the team needed all three points, no one had the marbles to seek out the winner, in the manner that had led to Liverpool’s best play.

I don’t know whether it’s because of individual weaknesses or Benitez’s innate conservatism. And I probably don’t want to know. It just needs to be remedied. Players other than Gerrard and Torres need to take matters into their own hands. Players other than those two and Benayoun need to stand up and be counted when the game’s on the line. Everyone needs to play with a chip on their shoulder, as if their career depends on it, because Rafa’s stint as Liverpool manager and this club’s fortunes as a whole actually do depend on it.

It’s time to spit upon hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. This team’s capable of it; we’ve seen the opposition put to the sword before, whether it’s top-half Villa last season or last place Hull in this. Football isn’t the rock of Sisyphus; shit that rolls downhill can shift direction with one good game.

Liverpool needs to find its marbles. And fast.

Liverpool 2-2 Birmingham

Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Insua
Lucas Mascherano
Benayoun Kuyt Riera
Ngog

Goals:
Ngog 13’
Chucho 26’
Jerome 45+3’
Gerrard 71’ (pen)

The beach ball season rolls on. That’s seven league games without a win against Birmingham.

And both sides will feel cheated. With the amount of possession and chances, it’s two more points dropped by Liverpool. In front thanks to yet another set piece goal conceded by Liverpool and a wonderful second, Birmingham will rue Ngog’s dive for glory, which rescued said point.

After a quarter of the game, it looked to be just what was needed. Liverpool were ahead after patiently carving open Birmingham. Ngog scored a wonderful left-footed volley from Riera’s cross after Hart miraculously kept out two previous efforts. The home side were on top, especially down the right, as the beating Glen Johnson was giving Liam Ridgewell would see him jailed in 37 states. Didn’t last. Couldn’t last. Not this season.

It started when Liverpool conceded what was probably the dumbest equalizer of the season, which is saying something. Lucas gave up an insanely soft free kick, holding on a goal kick. McFadden lofted it into the box, and Birmingham won two headers (Roger Johnson at the back post over Glen and Ridgewell over Skrtel) before Chucho pounced from about a yard out. This is a short team, missing its most important defender, but come on.

Once again, Liverpool were knocked off-stride by conceding. But they still should have retaken the lead with a plethora of chances around the 32nd minute. First, Hart barely tipped over a Mascherano shot from distance on the break. When Birmingham were unable to fully clear the subsequent corner, they were under siege before an open Ngog miskicked and Lucas’s tame effort was cleared off the line by two players. Finally, Skrtel blasted a volley over from the top of the box, giving Birmingham a reprieve Liverpool would dearly regret.

After that, we were back to constant pressure, no end product, before Cameron Jerome notched the best goal he’ll ever score. And Birmingham had the best chance before that, on the break, only to see Reina thankfully come out to push Chucho too wide for a shot on target. Riera and Benayoun switched flanks to little effect, Birmingham blocked a smattering of half-chances, and then Riera pulled up injured, clutching the hamstring that previously kept him out. Surprisingly, Gerrard came on. Surely, Superman would change the game. Well, the game sure changed.

Less than two minutes later, Scott Dann headed out of defense just looking to clear his lines. Jerome collected, held off Mascherano, and unleashed a dipping shot from over 35 yards. Reina, marginally off his line (as he should be in that situation), had no chance. Sums up this season. Liverpool had 75% of the possession and Birmingham had two goals from three shots.

One up and unable to believe their luck, Birmingham were even happier to park the bus in the second half. Had luck been with Liverpool, Kuyt would have won a penalty in the 51st when Ridgewell clipped his ankle in the act of shooting. Of course, if luck had been with Liverpool at all this season, they wouldn’t have been in this situation.

Naturally, you’ll counter with “you make your own luck.” Which is exactly what Ngog did. More and more frustration led to sloppier and sloppier play until the 63rd, when Gerrard caromed a header off the post. From there, Liverpool found another gear and turned up the pressure before Ngog dove his way to an equalizer six minutes later.

Let’s get it out of the way now. We’re all against diving. Diving is bad for the sport. I’m sure more than a few British pundits will mention Ngog’s from France. At this point, I’d push my own mother down a flight of stairs for a Liverpool win, and she’s just recovering from a broken ankle. So I’m not going to complain if Ngog goes down when Carsley lunges in. Ngog and Carsley had some handbags – understandable on Carsley’s part – and both saw yellow before Gerrard sent Hart the wrong way.

That was the point where Liverpool would find the breakthrough. That was the point where Liverpool would turn the season around, get the winner, and go into the international break deeply relieved, only a point behind fourth. Ha. At least they didn’t concede. Again.

Liverpool found chances harder and harder to come by with 10, then 11 men packed in Birmingham’s box. The home side saw all of the ball, and Birmingham were all hands on deck, but the breakthrough wasn’t coming. Continuing the luck with injuries, Benayoun pulled up with a hamstring injury in the 78th (for those counting at home, that’s two attackers lost to hamstring injuries today), with Babel coming on, before Aquilani made his home debut for Lucas in the 83rd.

Unable to write the dream script, I thought Aquilani actually slowed down play too much. Before anyone gets carried away, I’m not blaming him for anything, and I’m thrilled to see him healthy. But with Benayoun and Lucas out, Liverpool resorted to crosses and hoofs from the middle, and Birmingham’s defenders had more than enough to keep that out, even with Liverpool throwing every man forward.

For the next two weeks, I’ll be reduced to repeating ‘at least it’s a point’ in an effort to keep sane, fully aware that Liverpool needed a dive to draw against the 15th placed side. That’s normally, and obviously, not good enough – even against a bogey team like Brum with injuries as they are. But this hasn’t been a “normal” season for some time now. The team’s holding on by their fingernails.

At least it’s a point. At least it's a point. Sigh.

Liverpool v Birmingham 11.09.09

3pm, live in the US on espn2

Sorry this is late, but I wanted to wait given the injuries and the game being on Monday. Posting on Friday morning like usual would have meant even more baseless speculation over who’s available.

Last 4 head-to-head:
2-2 (a) 04.26.08
0-0 (h) 09.22.07
1-0 Liverpool (a; League Cup) 11.08.06
7-0 Liverpool (a; FA Cup) 03.21.06

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 1-1 Lyon (a); 1-3 Fulham (a); 1-2 Arsenal (a)
Brum: 0-0 City (h); 2-1 Sunderland (h); 1-3 Arsenal (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 10; Benayoun, Gerrard, Kuyt 3; Babel, Johnson, Ngog 2
Brum: Bowyer, McFadden 2; Larsson, O’Connor, Phillips, Ridgewell 1

Referee: Peter Walton

Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Insua
Lucas Mascherano
Kuyt Benayoun Aurelio
Babel

At least are looking a little brighter on the injury front, even if we’re still massively unsure whether Gerrard or Torres will need surgery thanks to contradictory reports. But Benitez was much more positive over Johnson, Aurelio, Skrtel, and Riera, which would be a huge boon.

At the same time, both Degen and Carragher are suspended. Degen’s out for three games for serious foul play, while Carragher will only miss this match for a professional foul. Given the injury troubles and recent form, it’s certainly not the best time to be missing two defenders, including the vice-captain.

At least it sounds like Skrtel, Agger, and Johnson should be available, as would Aurelio, but I think he’s more likely to feature in midfield. And to be honest, this is a “good” game for Liverpool’s defense. Chances are that Birmingham will try to frustrate Liverpool at Anfield. Although the team’s struggled for goals, and will find it difficult to break down a very resilient Birmingham side, it’s seemingly safer than teams going on the attack against a fragile Liverpool, which has happened more in 17 games this season than in years past. Obviously, Liverpool will have to be wary on the break, especially of Chucho.

And I can’t write a preview without mentioning Torres, especially since I’m guessing he’ll miss out. Benitez argues he’s been getting better, and wants to hold off on surgery. I’d argue that he should sit this one out and rest for a full two weeks with the international break coming up. The depth at striker means he’d have to be on the bench, just in case, but Liverpool should be able to survive without him. Although I just had a seriously bad flashback to 0-0 against Birmingham at Anfield two seasons ago, when Kuyt and Voronin started in place of Torres, which inspired this post.

And at the same time, I wouldn’t mind seeing Babel get a chance in Torres’ spot after Wednesday’s match. Ngog has been Torres’ primary backup, but given the boost to Babel’s confidence after Wednesday – and yes, the need to give him a few games in a row and see if the Dutchman can do a job – I’m curious.

However, I’d still rather Aurelio or even Riera on the left, as long as it doesn’t mean Voronin in the hole. If we’re talking about Babel in midfield, the post under this one still stands: I do think Babel’s better off the bench. Both Aurelio and Riera are more secure defensively, especially when the opposition counters. And even though I’ve questioned the threat Brum will provide, Liverpool will still need to be on their guard.

And I hate when Liverpool plays Birmingham, although at least Steve Bruce, who remains a bogeyman for Benitez, isn’t the manager anymore. Let’s just pretend it’s a cup game; the last time Liverpool beat Birmingham in the league was 2004, seven games ago. Garry O’Connor will miss out through injury, while captain Barry Ferguson is suspended.

Birmingham are tied with Hull for the fewest goals scored, but they’ve only let in 12, better than any other bottom-half side and four goals fewer than Liverpool. McLeish has the team very well-organized at the back, which frightens given Liverpool’s recent reliance on a half-fit Torres for goals.

The upcoming international break, more meaningless than usual as Kyrgiakos is the only player involved in the playoffs, finally arrives, and it’s at a surprisingly good time. Hopefully, the break will allow Liverpool to lessen the massive casualty list. But they need to go into the break with a good result, or it’ll be two more weeks of ‘what’s wrong with Liverpool?’ in the media.

Babel vs. Voronin

From the comments of the last post:

Anonymous said:

I disagree about Babel. I'd much rather see him starting for Voronin rather than coming off the bench. Then bring in Aqua at the 70 min mark. Voronin just looks a half step slow in everything he does. At least Babel has the potential for moments of brilliance along with the mistakes. Voronin just gives you average plus mistakes.

Don’t get me wrong; Voronin was no great shakes yesterday. He gave the ball away too often, under-hit Liverpool’s best chance, and did little attacking as a support striker. He is average plus mistakes. But Babel’s inconsistency squared.

Despite the Dutchman’s brilliant goal, I doubt he would have helped much from the start. The two opportunities after Babel’s strike do well to sum him up: the free kick blasted 12 yards in front of goal which went out for a throw on the far side, and the neat run into the box only to shoot six yards wide of the near post. One moment of brilliance, two moments of banging your head against the wall. That’s Ryan Babel, as harsh as that comes off.

Neither player is “good enough” to consistently win games for the team. Liverpool needs better first-team players to challenge for the title and Champions League. But as everyone acknowledges, last night was a very bad exception and Liverpool hasn’t been this stretched by injuries in years. Starting Voronin, where Liverpool could use his hold-up play and workrate, then bringing on the potentially game-changing Babel was the right move. As much as I wanted to see Aqua around the 70th as well, yesterday’s was an action-packed, crucial game still in the balance, which isn't the best time to give a player with 15 minutes under his belt a European debut.

Now, my main point. Babel as a sub. Let’s start with his goal return, which is 17 in 103 games so far.

46 starts with five goals, compared to 57 substitute appearances and 12 goals off the bench. For those keeping track at home, that’s an average of a goal every 9.2 games when starting and every 4.75 games when a sub. His scoring record is more than twice as good as a substitute.

And then there are the individual games. The games he scored when starting? 6-0 over Derby, 5-0 over Luton Town, 3-1 in a dead rubber over PSV, 3-1 over Bolton, and 5-1 over Newcastle. Every one was a rout.

The games he scored as a sub? Besiktas (x2), Newcastle, Bolton, Marseille, Arsenal (CL), Chelsea (CL), United, West Ham, Hull (x2), and Lyon. Again, most were routs; Babel only provided the winner in one of those matches – against United of all teams – unless we’re counting the penalty won in the CL against Arsenal. But it’s still a much better scoring record against better opposition.

Incidentally, the only match Liverpool lost when Babel scored was the Chelsea CL semi, where Liverpool lost 2-3 and Babel tallied a wicked long-range shot that Cech probably should’ve kept out in the 117th.

And when were the goals scored? Babel’s never scored between the 1-30th minutes, but scored 3 between 31-45, 2 between 46-60, 1 between 61-75, and 11 between 76-120 (the aforementioned Chelsea goal was the only extra-time strike). 12 of his 17 goals have come in the last third of the game! If that’s not a supersub, I don’t know what is.

Now, Voronin’s goal return doesn’t hold a candle to Babel’s, starting, off the bench, whatever. Six goals in 40 games, with all the goals coming in ’07-08. I don't have the assist numbers for any season but this one – Voronin has two assists to Babel's one – but I'd guess Voronin tallied slightly more per game in '07-08 as well. But yes, Voronin is a dissimilar and probably inferior player. The difference between an £11m player and a free transfer, I guess. But unlike Babel, we usually know what we’re getting: workrate, clever layoffs and flick-ons, and a couple of frustrating shots off target. Talents more suited to a starting second striker, especially in Benitez's system and when paired with Torres.

The key is that Voronin was brought in as a squad player, replacing Fowler, and probably would have been sold this summer were Benitez allowed to use the money on another striker. Babel was bought to be a game-changer, the third-highest transfer fee paid by Liverpool at the time. Three seasons into his Liverpool career, not enough games have been changed. Hopefully, yesterday marked a turning point.