Converting Defense Into Attack

That goal-scoring has been one of Liverpool's greatest problems is no great secret. But Liverpool's first two goals last night – more specifically, how Liverpool scored those goals with quick transitions from defense to attack – shows the promise in this side. If Liverpool play a certain way.

The first was an archetypal break from defense.



Enrique's interception and pass, a one-touch layoff from Suarez, Downing's run into the opposition half before returning the ball to Suarez as central pivot, another one-touch move – a give and go with Henderson, which led to a throughball for Kelly, fortunately directed into his path by Gerrard. From Enrique's interception to Kelly's shot, Liverpool's procession from one penalty box to the other took all of 15 seconds.

This was Suarez at his most influential; he didn't have to singlehandedly conjure brilliance, but was the hub for the entire move, completing pass-and-move triangles with both Downing and Henderson before releasing Kelly. It would have been more aesthetically pleasing had the right-back finished the move – Brazil's hallmark goal in the 1970 World Cup made all the better because Carlos Alberto tallied it – but Liverpool scored despite Howard's save because Liverpool got midfielders into Everton's penalty box.



When Kelly takes his shot, Liverpool have five attackers in the penalty area – Kelly, Carroll, Henderson, Suarez, and Gerrard – matching Everton's five defenders. Five evenly-spaced attackers, all consciously trying to find space away from markers. No matter where Kelly's rebound fell, a Liverpool player had an excellent chance of following up. Which Gerrard did, sublimely.

For Liverpool's second, Kelly tackled Pienaar just inside Liverpool's half. 12 seconds later, after two passes and one mazy run, Gerrard slammed the ball into the back of the net.



Moments like this are why Henderson seems so promising. He immediately turns, gets his head up, and charges forward, instinctively starting the break as quickly as possible. Suarez takes off, splitting the retreating center-backs, both on the back foot not expecting Everton to cheaply concede possession. Gerrard's also beginning his burst forward, as is Downing on the far left.



And this is where Suarez makes goals by being Suarez. He'd ignored Henderson's run into the box, seemingly selfishly, preferring to take Distin on at the byline with a typical mazy dribble. But because he's Suarez, he beats Distin, then Jagielka for good measure.



Right here is where Suarez has had to take the shot in numerous other games, a shot which is probably saved by Howard or cleared off the line by Rodwell. But because Gerrard kills himself to get into the box once again, not picked up by Baines covering in the middle, Suarez has someone to pass to. Someone who isn't Downing, with two defenders between him and Suarez, or Carroll, who planted himself at the top of the box for an unlikely cutback.

It's not Route 1 football – which we saw at times yesterday, most notably when Reina's goal kick to Carroll was flicked on for Suarez, his shot saved by Howard – but it's direct football, whether with a quick counter-attack from Liverpool's own half or because Liverpool won the ball by challenging the opposition in their half. Move the ball at pace, before the defense settles, and move with pace without the ball. Those two goals were similar to some of the best that Liverpool have scored this season: Suarez's equalizer against Stoke in the Carling Cup and both goals in the 2-1 league win at Chelsea, among others. Too few others.

This team has been most potent when in free flow. Whether we've not seen it enough because of Liverpool personnel or tactics, or because most opponents don't allow it, is a valid question, one I'm not wholly equipped to answer. Having both Gerrard and Suarez at their best, combined with another attacker in Carroll and with Henderson and Downing both having bright moments, certainly helped. Gerrard, Suarez, and Carroll have started three matches, and Liverpool have won all three, scoring 11 against Brighton, Cardiff, and Everton. Even though he didn't score, pushing his lone chance wide of the post early in the second half, Carroll demonstrated that he's not a fish out of water in a quick passing, quick movement style of play.

As written in yesterday's match review, Liverpool need to take these tactical successes into account in the future. Quick, cohesive transitions have seen the team at its most promising during this transitional season. It's lead to an attack few can cope with when on top form, but that top form hasn't been displayed anywhere near enough.

Goal Breakdown: Suicidal Defending and Taking Advantage

Both of Liverpool's goals against Chelsea were fantastic, strikes which have an excellent chance of showing up on various best-of-season lists. The first showed the benefits of pressing from the front and quick pass and move football, the second direct football at its finest: a cross-field diagonal opening up acres of space for an attacking full-back bombing forward.

But make no mistake. Despite each goal's outstanding qualities, both came because of some suicidal decision-making from Chelsea's defense.



Cech's decision to send the goal kick to Mikel (an illegally-taken goal kick, having touched it twice, I might add...) baffles in the extreme. Four Liverpool players are closer to Mikel than any in blue. Both Terry and Luiz have gone wide, each to the left and right of the penalty box, which has to be by design. Mikel's lone option in that position is to empty it as far as humanly possible, and when he dawdles in making that decision, Adam's on him in a flash.

With Mikel out of the picture after Adam's tackle, it left Chelsea with two defending four, and Bellamy, Suarez, and Maxi's quick passing and movement rendered them irrelevant. Terry was beaten by Suarez's touch back to Bellamy, Luiz by Bellamy's extra pass to Maxi, leaving the Argentinean open to smartly finish past Cech.

The second, in the final minutes of the game, was little better from the home side's point of view.



With the ball held up on the left flank – Enrique, Downing, and Suarez successfully keeping possession after bringing the ball out from defense – Adam's pinpoint cross-field caught multiple players out of position.

Chelsea have eight defenders in their own half. Eight. Pity they're all bunched up on the wrong side of the pitch after Adam's diagonal. Terry and Luiz's positioning (circled) is exceptionally unforgivable: both far forward, both basically atop each other. Why Terry, ostensibly the left-sided center-back, is in that position is almost completely unexplainable.

Malouda and Cole are the only two defenders on the left side of the pitch in Chelsea's half, and both are closer to the center circle than the touchline. When Malouda can't get back, a retreating Ashley Cole's left one-on-one with a rampaging Johnson, who still has work to do to beat the Chelsea full-back, which he does brilliantly by shifting onto his left foot, nutmegging Cole in the process. Kuyt's run into the box keeps both Luiz and Terry occupied, leaving England's Brave Captain unable to clear off the line after he decides to stick closer to the already-marked Kuyt instead of bailing out Cole and Malouda.

Liverpool needed smart, sublime plays from its attackers in both cases: excellent pressing from a central midfielder and divine interplay between three of the front four in the first case; Adam's pass and Johnson's run in the second. And Dalglish's tactical chess – first half pressing, second half counter-attack – provided the platform for Liverpool to get both goals. But both were infinitely aided by Chelsea's defensive decisions: a strange clear-out leaving Mikel isolated on the first; positional indiscipline (especially in drifting toward the ball) as well as Luiz and Terry's indecision on the second.

The media's quick to draw knifes, as we've seen unfairly happen to Dalglish following Liverpool's multiple disappointing draws. But after conceding in this fashion, it's little wonder that those knifes are out for Villas-Boas this morning.

Goal Breakdown: Suarez 1-1 Stoke

Nothing, absolutely nothing, can take away from the sheer, singular brilliance of Suarez's swirling strike, but I wanted to highlight the contributions of those involved in the build-up, specifically three off-the-ball runs and two cross-field passes. Mostly to ensure they don't get lost in the utter majesty of the finish.

In case it isn't clear, in the above chart solid lines represent passes, the black dashed line is Agger striding forward in possession, and the red dashed lines are the player's movement off the ball following their pass.

Henderson, ostensibly the right-sided midfielder, comes inside to start the attack after Liverpool successfully defended a Stoke free kick (it was Lucas who won possession). After correctly spreading play to the full-back, Henderson follows Agger's run instead of retreating to the right flank. And having followed Agger's run, he's perfectly placed to draw Robert Huth (who's initially marking Suarez) away from the Uruguayan with a sprint to the byline, leaving Suarez one-on-one with the unfortunate right winger Shotton.

Meanwhile, Agger's continued going forward after setting up Maxi, getting into the box despite being a center-back pushed out to the left, but smartly retreating when the early cross didn't come. And at the same time, Maxi joined him in the penalty area after quickly passing onto Kelly, occupying the right-sided center-back Shawcross to ensure he didn't double up on or close down Liverpool's eventual scorer.

And we can't sell two brilliant cross-field balls short of credit. Maxi's to Kelly, shifting play from left to right, opened up the space for Henderson, Agger, and Suarez's runs. Spearing's from deep was pinpoint to Suarez drifting out wide, deftly weighted and easily controlled.

This goal, regardless of the necessarily wondrous finishing touch, is the epitome of both pass and move football and a fluid formation where numbered notation and starting position mean next to nothing.

When done correctly, it creates unwanted chaos for the opposition, requiring defenders to leave their planned marker, not necessarily sure who to pick up. The quick passing between Maxi, Kelly, and Spearing – two of three long in the air – ensures the defense has to chase, unable to settle into the preferred default shape. Henderson, Agger, and Maxi were comfortable enough to leave their required roles, demonstrating some of the intuitive attack we've been hoping for, seen so often in last season's big wins. The problem is that is not easy to build that intuitive understanding, especially with a fair amount of new signings over the summer. This goal is an apt demonstration of Liverpool's undeniable potential, in both creation and finish.

More of that please. And more heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, different class finishes from Suarez wouldn't be too bad either.

Liverpool Offside has video of the goal if you'd like to relive it in a more visual manner.