Liverpool 2-2 Northampton

Liverpool lose 2-4 on penalties

Jones
Kelly Kyrgiakos Agger Wilson
Pacheco Lucas Spearing Jovanovic
Babel
Ngog

Goals:
Jovanovic 9'
McKay 56'
Jacobs 98'
Ngog 115'

This won't be a standard review, because of its tardiness and as I'd imagine everyone's seen the wrist-slitting/condemnation/schadenfreude by now. I completely missed this match – either on radio or via stream – because of a seven-hour power outage yesterday. Evidently Liverpool had one too. But I still felt the need to watch this fiasco, in the hopes of deducing just why the side were so comprehensively awful. The short version is "shit rolls downhill," but bear with me anyway.

Let me start by saying that Northampton – the 17th-placed side in League Two – deserved to win. At Anfield. If I didn't know better, I'd suggest the Liverpool players had never met each other before. The home side started brightly enough, with Agger's excellent deep throughball allowing Jovanovic to slot in his first goal before 10 minutes were up, once again demonstrating the benefit of playing the ball out of defense. But with Liverpool unable to take the game to their opponents, Northampton grew in confidence. The Reds resorted to hoofs in the direction of the ineffective Babel and Ngog, once again bypassing midfield, and were frequently crowded out by the six men guarding the edge of the box. Only one shot – a tame Lucas effort from distance – tested Northampton's keeper in the first half. Meanwhile, the away side increasingly threatened, especially on crosses (as per usual), with chances in the 25th and 37th coming far too close for comfort.

It's long been established that Liverpool's never safe with a one-goal lead, even when in-form. They clearly weren't in-form today, and McKay punished them soon after the interval: Liverpool didn't close down after a throw-in, giving time and space for a left-wing cross, Kyrgiakos – probably the tallest player on the pitch – couldn't prevent the flick-on, and McKay stole in behind Agger and Kelly. Despicable. Yet again. So much for past as precedent; the team "improved" after the break for less than 10 minutes and Northampton deservedly equalized against the run of play. From there, the Cobblers were simply better, full of confidence, with Liverpool unable to rebound and drained of what little belief they might have had. It was nearly impossible to tell which was the Premiership team. Around the 75th minute, the traveling fans saw fit to rub salts in Anfield's wounds with a chorus of "olés" as Liverpool were unable to reclaim possession. I don't think the home side had a shot on goal in the entire second half.

Unsurprisingly, Hodgson again waited until late to make changes – Northampton made all three substitutions before Liverpool made their first. That it took until extra time seemingly means that the manager either expected the added 30 minutes or somehow hoped that the team would pull itself together despite any evidence of doing so. Neither's a heartening prospect. And Northampton were first on the score-sheet in extra time, with Wilson absolutely bamboozled by Herbert before Jacobs tapped-in after a blocked first shot and Jones save on the second.

The League Two side finally tired enough for Liverpool to get a last-ditch equalizer – Ngog heading in Kyrgiakos' flick-on from Shelvey's corner four minutes from full time – but it proved another false dawn: first, Kelly had to make an unbelievable clearance off the line when Jones flapped at a cross, then Ngog and Eccleston missed their spot kicks while Northampton converted four of their five to deservedly win the lottery. And here we are, yet again wondering if this is as low as the sky can fall. More than 12 hours after the fact, and it's still hard to keep the acidic taste of bile out of my mouth.

At times 4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1, with Babel coming from deeper, Liverpool were 4-4-2 for longer stretches. That sort of fluidity can be a benefit, with defenders unsure who's attacking from where, but it was a sign of the total lack of cohesion and the lack of tactics yesterday. Liverpool does not have the players for that formation, especially on the flanks, and it's baffling to see Hodgson continue with it. Players like Jovanovic and Pacheco (as well as Cole and Kuyt for that matter) are not 4-4-2 wingers. They are attacking midfielders/forwards who can threaten from wide positions, which is why the 4-2-3-1 (or even 4-3-3 if Liverpool becomes bold at some point) should be preferred.

Self-belief is crucial in this sport, and only one side had it yesterday. And that's the side that won. There's no easy answers for Liverpool's array of problems, especially when there are so many culprits. The majority of Liverpool players were dire yesterday. Pick your metaphor – the team looked like horny teenagers fumbling with a bra, fish flopping around on dry land, a blind squirrel foraging for a nut, whatever.

Showing far more awareness than we're used to, Ryan Babel perfectly assessed his own performance on Twitter this morning: No excuses for last nite .. We weren't good enough.. And I #failed personally .. Haven't lost faith, so I keep working. His strike partner also had one of his worst performances in a Liverpool shirt, but at least notched another goal. While it's somewhat unfair to pick on an 18-year-old on his debut, Danny Wilson also had a forgettable debut, especially when beaten all-ends-up on Northampton's second. Spearing was useless, Pacheco was often invisible relegated to the right flank (and deeper than he's used to, as is Roy's style), and Kyrgiakos – wearing the armband – barely looked bothered. The list is endless. It's easier to name the players who didn't disappoint: Shelvey. In a 20-minute cameo. And maybe Agger other than his defending on Northampton's equalizer.

And once again, the manager's liable for an awful lot. I want to give Hodgson a pass because of off-field drama and the brevity of his tenure, but results are making that incredibly difficult. It's doesn't help that he threw his players under the bus in the post-match interview, after bigging-up Manchester United following a game where the players did well and Liverpool could have taken at least a point. You stay classy, San Diego. A masterclass in how to win friends and influence people.

For how happy the players supposedly are, as stated in multiple interviews, you couldn't tell it from the match. Liverpool looked tactically inept, to say the absolute least, and there was no Plan B when Plan A inevitably failed. And when Hodgson finally made substitutions, they made little sense: Jovanovic for Eccleston is understandable, but Shelvey for Babel, with the central midfielder playing on the right, and then Ince for Pacheco, moving Shelvey central but putting a left-winger on the right, only increased the discontinuity. And at 1-2 down, Hodgson's solution was to send Kyrgiakos forward, which led to Liverpool's "most threatening" play. Words fail me.

Comparisons to Liverpool's recent Cup disgraces, such as the loss to Burnley in Benitez's first season, don't seem valid. Yesterday's starting XI contained six full internationals (one retired), three players capped at the u21 level, and one highly-regarded u19 international; only Spearing has never played for his country at any level. The majority of them have played together at some point. The 04-05 team that lost in the FA Cup contained the likes of Zak Whitbread, David Raven, John Welsh, Darren Potter, and Antonio Nuñez, among others. Burnley was in the Championship; Northampton's currently struggling in the lowest tier of the Football League. And yesterday's match was at Anfield, which is the height of embarrassment.

Yes, this was an unfamiliar side despite the inclusion of Agger, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Babel, and Ngog, with eleven changes from Sunday's match. But it was also a side that led to optimism prior to kickoff; we wanted to see most of these names on the team sheet. And when the same old problems persist, you can't help but question the manager, as well worry as to what this bodes for the future. This team, from top to bottom, has become a bungling mess; they've forgotten what "pressing the ball" even means, there's been no pretense of the promised 'pass and move,' and "disjointed" doesn't even come close to summarizing yesterday's debacle. And I can't find enough scapegoats to blame for it.

Liverpool v Northampton 09.22.10

3pm ET. Not on live in the US. In fact, I don't know if it's on live anywhere. And if there are no streams, there'll be no match review. Sorry. I honestly expect to have to listen to this game through BBC Radio.

Last three matches
Liverpool: 2-3 United (a); 4-1 Steaua (h); 0-0 Brum (a)
Northampton: 1-3 Shrewsbury (a); 2-1 Southend (h); 1-1 Aldershot (h)

Referee: Anthony Taylor

A Football League referee since 2006, this is the second season Taylor's been on the Premier League list, having done four PL games in total. He's never been in charge of a Liverpool fixture.

Guess at a line-up:
Jones
Kelly Kyrgiakos Agger Wilson
Lucas Spearing
Pacheco Shelvey Babel
Ngog

Blooding youngsters is what the Carling Cup is for. That's pretty much it. And with a talented group of youngsters, it's one of the few times I've been excited for this competition. So it's no surprise that tomorrow's match probably won't be televised.

Hodgson's taken some of the fun out of guessing the lineup with his comments today, basically guaranteeing Wilson, Agger, Kyrgiakos, Jones, Babel, Ngog, and Pacheco will start, but that was the sort of XI expected anyway. It'll be a team similar to that which faced Rabotnicki at the end of July; a chance for young players and out-of-favor "veterans" to stake a claim. And at the moment, the potential in the reserves and u-18s is one of the few positives around Anfield at the moment.

In addition to the players named by Hodgson, the likes of Amoo, Eccleston, and Shelvey also appear to be in contention. And there will have to be some first-teamers involved; Kyrgiakos and Agger are certain, while I'll be stunned if Lucas doesn't start in midfield with either Spearing or Shelvey. Predicting what mix Hodgson will choose is the hard part.

I could easily have guessed a front four of Amoo, Pacheco, Jovanovic, and Ngog instead of the one above (well, if it wasn't for Hodgson's mention of Babel). Pacheco can play anywhere along the line of three. Amoo's already featured on the right. Jovanovic, on as a sub late against the Mancs, could use more game time. That both Ngog and Babel look likely to start probably means the Dutchman will man one of the wings in Hodgson's preferred 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1, but Liverpool could also play 4-4-2 with both up top and Pacheco/Jovanovic on the flanks.

The only surprise in defense is that it'll be Wilson at left back instead of Agger. Kelly was always going to replace Johnson, while fourth-choice Kyrgiakos will get appearances in this competition. Agger's played left-back previously, which is why I expected to see him there tomorrow, but it's nice to see him in his preferred position (despite recent quotes which required clarification on the official site today).

Northampton beat Reading in the second round to advance to this stage, where there'll be absolutely no pressure for a result. The only League Two club left in the tournament, the Cobblers have won twice in their last eight matches (and one of those wins, against Reading, came on penalties), but – and this will come off as patronizing no matter how it's written – they won't be expecting a win tomorrow either. They'll hope for a big gate and good day out, and anything else will be a bonus. It's the biggest game many of them will play, and they'll undoubtedly make Liverpool work hard, looking to catch an unfamiliar lineup unaware.

But the majority of the lineup guessed above has played together, whether in the Europa League or in the reserves. There's potential, experience, and talent in the squad, and a win's expected and essential. Plus, a Carling Cup run would be a massive benefit for Pacheco, Kelly, et al – players who need to get matches to stay happy, gain experience, and prove their use to the squad.