Sissoko to Juve

Well, the Sissoko move has been finalized.

Momo hasn’t had the best season the few times he’s seen the field, but it’s with sadness that he completes this move.

And it is a good move for all involved.

He’s currently fifth choice in central midfield, behind Gerrard, Masch, Alonso, and Lucas. He’s only 23 years old and still needs to develop as a footballer, so he needs to be playing. And Liverpool will recoup £8.2m from the transfer if reports are correct, which isn’t as much as people were hoping, but still £2.6m more than Liverpool bought him for.

He should have more time on the ball in Italy, and should get the run of games needed to cement and improve his form.

He was a useful and necessary player for Liverpool over his first two seasons, but Liverpool’s squad is improving, and Sissoko is one of the casualties of that. Benitez has sold players that he’s bought every season in order to improve the side. It’s sad to see Momo leave, but he needs to play and Liverpool needs those funds for Mascherano. That’s football, that’s life.

We will never forget the Chelsea match for the Community Shield, or the two legs against Barca in the Champions League. Those games were hallmarks of what Sissoko is and can be as a player; Michael Ballack probably still has nightmares featuring Momo.

We will never forget his determination to return after the eye injury that could have ruined his career, and the fact that he discarded the doctor-prescribed glasses in his return match before ten minutes were off the clock. Hard as nails.

And never forget, Momo is Boss. He’s magic, you know. You’ll never get past Sissoko.



All the best of luck.

On Gerrard, substitutions, and the derby

The biggest talking point following Saturday’s match, outside of Mark Clattenburg, was the 71st minute substitution of Steven Gerrard for Lucas, who had yet to play a single minute of Premier League action.

In retrospect, it was the right move. The game was tied 1-1 when Gerrard exited. The game finished 2-1. Lucas was heavily involved, setting up an excellent chance for Voronin in the 77th minute, and taking the cool, composed shot in injury time that Phil Neville had to handle to prevent a goal.

And yet, because it’s Gerrard, and because Benitez has come under a lot of scrutiny recently, people seem upset with the decision.

I agree with many; Sissoko played far worse than Gerrard, and was far guiltier for the majority of Liverpool’s turnovers.

But this discussion really begins and ends with Benitez’s post-match comments:

“In this game, sometimes you need to play with the brain and we were playing with heart. We needed to keep the ball and pass the ball.”

Admittedly, that’s a bit harsh, and I’m surprised to see Rafa so forthright. But it’s true. For all of Sissoko’s faults, and believe me, many were on display, Gerrard tried to do everything on his own, when the final ball wasn’t coming off for him, and was breaking up Liverpool’s attacks as much as Sissoko’s giveaways.

If Lucas comes on for Sissoko, does the way Liverpool plays change at all?

Lucas would have been subservient (for lack of a better term) to Gerrard in the center, and the problems Benitez spoke about would have continued. Liverpool’s shape would have still been contorted, as Gerrard did not stay on the left or right, nor was there room for him in the center with both Mascherano and Sissoko involved. And while Sissoko did little different after Gerrard went off and missed a glorious chance in the 79th minute, Lucas’s disciplined involvement turned the game in Liverpool’s favor.

I don’t want to put the cart so far in front of the horse, but Lucas was Alonso-esque yesterday, and Liverpool needed that sort of presence.

How this affects Gerrard I’m less sure about. Hopefully not at all, or even better, it pushes Gerrard to improve. But I do fear being brought off could negatively affect his confidence at a time where he’s not had the best spell for either Liverpool or England. Which is why I was so heartened by the way he celebrated Kuyt’s second goal and after the match.

Look, the name of this blog is “Oh You Beauty” for a reason. Steven Gerrard can be an absolutely immaculate player, and has saved Liverpool’s bacon time and time again. Olympiakos, AC Milan, West Ham, Luton; the list goes on, and that’s just the last couple of years. And it’s hard to fault him, especially as a local lad, for doing all he could to try and beat the city rivals, especially with his CV. But, and I think even he’d admit it, he’s not been at his best since the Chelsea match, although he is getting back on form bit by bit.

And while it’s very strange to write this when talking about Gerrard, no player is bigger than the team. Liverpool winning is what matters. Usually, that means Gerrard has a role to play given his importance and influence, and we’ve seen him “take the game by the scruff of the neck” and lead Liverpool to victory. But yesterday, cooler heads were necessary, and Stevie tried to do too much on his own.

Also, for all the stick that Benitez gets over his substitutions, in hindsight the only thing he did wrong yesterday was not bringing on Pennant for Sissoko until around 5 minutes were left. Bringing on Babel, whose speed can turn a game, for Benayoun, was the right move. I hope I’ve explained why I believe bringing on Lucas for Gerrard was the right move. Pennant for Sissoko was also a smart substitution, even if I think it should have happened earlier.

Credit to Benitez; I’ve complained about subs in the past, but the way the bench was managed on Saturday won Liverpool this derby. Rafa spotted where a substitute could change the game, made the substitution, and the game changed for the better. End of.

If complaints like these arise when Liverpool wins a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, I’d hate to see what would have happened had Liverpool drawn or lost.

Sissoko gets his new contract

Liverpoolfc.tv reports today that Sissoko has joined Gerrard, Alonso, Carragher, and Reina in signing a new contract extension. The only one left who was mooted for a new contract and hasn't gotten one is Finnan.

That's all well and good, and I truly don't mean that blithely, but there's far more stunning news on the official site.



Rafa's gone and grown a goatee. And it's a stellar goatee at that.

It'll eventually come to me who he reminds me of, but it's quite sinister nonetheless. Is this the year for his heel turn? It'd be fitting with his “outburst” following the CL final, and could create a lovely media narrative. Can't wait.

So now all four central midfielders outside of Mascherano have multi-year contracts? I realize, maybe even more so than a month or two ago, that Lucas will have little impact on this season and the main rotation will be Ste, Xabi, Momo, and Masch, but something still has to give.

But I reckon it's not going to give until January at the earliest, and most likely, not until next summer. Which will give Rafa (and his goatee) more than enough time to mull over his possibilities.

Interesting.

Momo is Boss

Sissoko fit for derby day

It is excellent news that Momo Sissoko will be fit for Saturday’s game against the bitters. It’s especially fun as Liverpool basically hijacked his signing after Everton had agreed a fee, but Momo has become an essential part of our midfield. Not only is he a tireless workhorse, breaking up play as few others do, but he allows Alonso and Gerrard to play their own games. Momo runs and tackles and runs some more, Alonso sets the tempo with his vision and distribution, and Gerrard is given creative license to attack from wherever he pleases. They all have their roles, and it all fits together quite nicely.

Sissoko’s development as a player over the past year has been nothing short of fantastic. Yes, he is still rash at times, and his passing, short and long, leaves something to be desired, but he’s improved these elements as well. It is no coincidence that Liverpool’s slip in form in late February/ early March of last season took place while Sissoko was out with that frightening eye injury.

The depth in the squad that Benitez has finally achieved this season is designed to allow Liverpool to lose a key player like Sissoko (and Carragher, and Riise...) and carry on, unlike Rafa’s first season where injuries doomed the league campaign. So far it’s worked, but thankfully, we haven’t had to see much of it. Having Momo back in the squad, especially for a game as unrelenting as the Everton game undoubtedly will be, is very reassuring.