1 – Liverpool
2 – Chelsea
3 – Manchester United
4 – Manchester City
5 – Arsenal
6 – Aston Villa
7 – Everton
8 – Tottenham
9 – Fulham
10 – Sunderland
11 – West Ham
12 – Wigan
13 – Birmingham
14 – Blackburn
15 – Bolton
16 – Hull
17 – Portsmouth
18 – Wolverhampton
19 – Stoke
20 – Burnley
I’ll take the blame if I jinx it. Predictions tend to make asses of any and all sportswriters, but I still feel duty-bound to tell you my best guess. FYI: I’ve never picked Liverpool to win it all in print.
I’ll expound a lot more with a preview of Liverpool's season in the next couple of days. Yes, it’ll be tough to take 6 points off both United and Chelsea again. Yes, it’ll be tough to win as many games in the final few minutes, which saved Liverpool something like 12 points last season. But I truly think they can do it.
I’d be a lot more emphatic about this prediction had Alonso not been sold. Whether or not Lucas, and subsequently Aquilani, can fill the void is Liverpool’s major concern. And, honestly, although I fear the early bedding-in process, both have the potential to be excellent players.
I trust Benitez to replace Alonso far more than I trust Ferguson to replace Ronaldo and Tevez. I think Liverpool and Chelsea are narrowly better than United on paper, but as of this writing (really, the transfer window should be from the last day of the season until the first of the next), I don’t think Valencia and Owen can replace what the Mancs have lost. I don't know if Nani can make the leap either, although he looked dangerous in the Community Shield until going off with a dislocated shoulder. United are arguably deeper than their competitors, but for the first time in a long time, I don't think they're as strong in the first XI when everyone's fit.
Chelsea’s the only one of the big four who have “improved,” and that improvement is solely adding Ancelotti and Zhirkov. I think Zhirkov’s a tidy player who’ll give both Malouda and Ashley Cole a run for their starting berth, but it remains to be seen whether Ancelotti’s style will work in England. For all of Ancelotti’s success in Europe, which is clearly Abramovich’s focus, he only won the league once with Milan in eight attempts. That question mark is the only reason I haven’t picked the Blues to win the title. If Hiddink were still in charge, I probably would.
With these three teams so tightly packed, it’ll probably come down to which side can stay the fittest and who can stay in form during the winter doldrums (where Liverpool stuttered last season and saw United overhaul the points deficit).
And I think, not far behind, will be three or four teams competing for the fourth CL spot: Nouveau riche City, Arsenal, and Villa definitely (although Villa will miss Laursen and Barry), and both Everton and Tottenham with an outside shot at it. City will be far better this year after all that spending, but I’m obviously not sure how that attacking-heavy squad will work. They’ll assuredly finish higher than 10th, but how much higher depends on whether Mark Hughes can manage all those personalities.
Arsenal lost Adebayor and Toure, but bought Vermaelen (center back) and have a healthy Eduardo, which seems almost a wash to me. They probably could have done with a couple more purchases, but such is the state of the economy (must be nice to be Real Madrid and City, the only two exceptions).
I’m guessing a six-way struggle for relegation, with Brum and Blackburn also having the potential to get sucked in. But I reckon the Brummies are the promoted side most likely to stay up – although that may just be because they're often a Benitez bogey side. After last season’s draws, I’d enjoy seeing both Hull and Stoke relegated, but now that Altidore’s joined Hull, I’m marginally conflicted. Burnley delighted me during the playoffs, but I don’t know if they can compete week-in and week-out and keep it up for a full season.
Five days until kickoff.
08 August 2009
Liverpool 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Reina
Johnson Carragher Ayala Insua
Lucas Mascherano
Kuyt Gerrard Benayoun
Torres
Subs:
San Jose for Carra 16’
Babel for Kuyt 61’
Kelly for Johnson 74’
Spearing for Mascherano 79’
Voronin for Benayoun 79’
Ngog for Torres 82’
Goals:
Aguero 15’
Forlan 33’
Lucas 81’
Good riddance to these friendlies.
I had to frequently stop and remind myself that it’s still preseason while watching. It was basically the first XI and will probably be the team that starts against Spurs outside of Ayala. It was full-blooded and end-to-end at times, especially in the first half. There weren’t a raft of second-half changes, unlike in previous friendlies, even for Atletico, who are two weeks behind Liverpool in preseason preparation.
News flash: Liverpool’s isn’t as good when they’re missing the top three center backs, and Atletico has the class to exploit it in Forlan and Aguero,
Carra limping off in the 13th was the key. As always with preseason injuries, I’m nervous even after Rafa’s pronouncement that he’ll be fine for Spurs. And while Carragher was receiving treatment, Lopez (Kuyt’s man) got down Liverpool’s right and delivered a cross for Aguero (who had peeled away from Ayala) to head in.
San Jose replaced Carragher immediately after, and Liverpool had something like four chances to score in the next 15 minutes, including what appeared to be a stone penalty on Torres in the 21st. No such luck, and Atleti punished in the 33rd when the defense was caught at sea, Simao’s backheel found Forlan in space, and the striker hammered a superlative shot from outside the box. A minute later, Torres blasted a thumper off the inside of the near post. Liverpool had the superiority in possession and chances, but were punished by two excellent strikes by two excellent strikers. It happens. Best to get it out of the system now.
Liverpool were better in the second half, fitter than the opposition at this stage of the season, and it showed in the amount of possession. But the team still found it tough to make the break through, with the final touch often astray and Asenjo resilient in goal.
Still, a draw would have been a fair result after Lucas pulled one back in the 81st, beating the offside trap to reach Gerrard’s throughball and slot under the keeper, and Dowd ignored another clear penalty, when Lucas was barged over after getting into the box in the 85th.
So, despite the scoreline, and despite goals again being hard to come by, I’m fine with today’s performance. Days like today can happen when two inexperienced defenders are up against strikers like those, and that Atletico saw fewer scoring chances as the game went on is encouraging. In addition, I thought Kelly again played well at right back, and deserves to be the second-string back-up behind Johnson.
The announcer repeatedly mentioned that Rafa wrote Lucas has been the best player in preseason in the match program, and the Brazilian kept it up today. The more time he spends in the first team, the more comfortable he’s going to be when making those pass-and-move forays forward, with Gerrard sometimes coming deeper to start the attack, and the formation will look more and more like a 4-1-4-1 in attack. And I’m still under the impression Aquilani will play similarly.
As today proved, that style of play can lead to more congestion in the middle unless the fullbacks provide width in attack, and as the team gets acclimated, we’re likely to see games like today’s, where the end product is lacking. There’s an additional excuse for today, as it’s preseason, but I’m still nervous about the goal return for the first few weeks.
Hopefully, having both Gerrard and Torres fit for more than 12 league games this year will make up for it. Spurs in eight days.
Johnson Carragher Ayala Insua
Lucas Mascherano
Kuyt Gerrard Benayoun
Torres
Subs:
San Jose for Carra 16’
Babel for Kuyt 61’
Kelly for Johnson 74’
Spearing for Mascherano 79’
Voronin for Benayoun 79’
Ngog for Torres 82’
Goals:
Aguero 15’
Forlan 33’
Lucas 81’
Good riddance to these friendlies.
I had to frequently stop and remind myself that it’s still preseason while watching. It was basically the first XI and will probably be the team that starts against Spurs outside of Ayala. It was full-blooded and end-to-end at times, especially in the first half. There weren’t a raft of second-half changes, unlike in previous friendlies, even for Atletico, who are two weeks behind Liverpool in preseason preparation.
News flash: Liverpool’s isn’t as good when they’re missing the top three center backs, and Atletico has the class to exploit it in Forlan and Aguero,
Carra limping off in the 13th was the key. As always with preseason injuries, I’m nervous even after Rafa’s pronouncement that he’ll be fine for Spurs. And while Carragher was receiving treatment, Lopez (Kuyt’s man) got down Liverpool’s right and delivered a cross for Aguero (who had peeled away from Ayala) to head in.
San Jose replaced Carragher immediately after, and Liverpool had something like four chances to score in the next 15 minutes, including what appeared to be a stone penalty on Torres in the 21st. No such luck, and Atleti punished in the 33rd when the defense was caught at sea, Simao’s backheel found Forlan in space, and the striker hammered a superlative shot from outside the box. A minute later, Torres blasted a thumper off the inside of the near post. Liverpool had the superiority in possession and chances, but were punished by two excellent strikes by two excellent strikers. It happens. Best to get it out of the system now.
Liverpool were better in the second half, fitter than the opposition at this stage of the season, and it showed in the amount of possession. But the team still found it tough to make the break through, with the final touch often astray and Asenjo resilient in goal.
Still, a draw would have been a fair result after Lucas pulled one back in the 81st, beating the offside trap to reach Gerrard’s throughball and slot under the keeper, and Dowd ignored another clear penalty, when Lucas was barged over after getting into the box in the 85th.
So, despite the scoreline, and despite goals again being hard to come by, I’m fine with today’s performance. Days like today can happen when two inexperienced defenders are up against strikers like those, and that Atletico saw fewer scoring chances as the game went on is encouraging. In addition, I thought Kelly again played well at right back, and deserves to be the second-string back-up behind Johnson.
The announcer repeatedly mentioned that Rafa wrote Lucas has been the best player in preseason in the match program, and the Brazilian kept it up today. The more time he spends in the first team, the more comfortable he’s going to be when making those pass-and-move forays forward, with Gerrard sometimes coming deeper to start the attack, and the formation will look more and more like a 4-1-4-1 in attack. And I’m still under the impression Aquilani will play similarly.
As today proved, that style of play can lead to more congestion in the middle unless the fullbacks provide width in attack, and as the team gets acclimated, we’re likely to see games like today’s, where the end product is lacking. There’s an additional excuse for today, as it’s preseason, but I’m still nervous about the goal return for the first few weeks.
Hopefully, having both Gerrard and Torres fit for more than 12 league games this year will make up for it. Spurs in eight days.
06 August 2009
For the love of God, don’t call him Aquaman
The main reason I hate writing during the transfer window is it prompts even more uninformed opinion than usual. I try to have at least some observation and statistics to back up my other “analysis.”
Consequently, I’m hesitant to write too much about Alberto Aquilani or define the player before he plays for Liverpool. I simply haven’t seen enough of him, let alone the unknown that surrounds every foreign player coming to the Premiership.
However, and unsurprisingly, I’ve got a few thoughts and concerns.
• The first option, with a minimum of fuss. This deal was announced one day after Alonso’s sale. One day. I don’t think Rick Parry completed a single task in a day. Granted, this was obviously in the works given Alonso’s protracted saga (which, the more I read, the more I’m convinced took so long because Benitez was fully content to wait until Madrid succumbed to the asking price), but there was no hesitation once the Spaniard was sold. Rafa picks a player, Rafa gets the player. That buys Aquilani a lot of leeway with me.
• Aquilani plays further forward than Alonso. I touched upon this in earlier speculation, and all that I’ve read, the YouTube video’s I’ve subjected myself to, Benitez’s recent comments, and that different looking 4-1-4-1 in the last friendly make me suspect it even more. Aquilani seems likely to force some sort of change in tactics. I assume he will play deeper for Liverpool than he did for Rome, in an attempt to give him that much more time on the ball before he’s closed down, but some change is likely. And this isn’t a season where Liverpool will have much time or patience for experimentation.
• Yes, I’ve seen his appearance record too. League appearances with Roma (since ’04-05): 29, 24, 13, 21, 14. Some of that is down to having Totti, De Rossi, and Pizzaro in front of him, but he has a reputation for being frequently injured. As he’s recovering from ankle surgery now, we’re not likely to see him play until September at best. We’ll see how his medical goes, but Benitez hasn’t been afraid to take a gamble on players with a “history” of injuries – Aurelio and Degen pop immediately to mind. However, and it’s a rather big however, both of those were free transfers. This deal falls somewhere between £15-20m. A slight discrepancy. How much you worry probably depends on how much you trust Rafa, but despite my sycophancy, I’m still wary.
• It’s a small sample, but… Liverpool hasn’t had the best history with Italians, although that includes all of two players over 107 years. Reserve goalkeeper Daniele Padelli’s stint in ’06-07 was ignominious at best – a lone start in the last game against an already-relegated Charlton saw the stopper concede twice in a 2-2 draw. Dossena seemed all but on his way out before Aurelio’s injury, and even afterward, rumors of a deal with Napoli appeared around the same time as Arbeloa’s sale. But now I really don’t expect him to be sold. I’ve no idea if the two are friendly off the pitch (having both played for the national team), but as an American who’s lived abroad, I can attest that it’s nice to have a countryman around sometimes.
So, welcome to Liverpool, Alberto. Make us dream.
Consequently, I’m hesitant to write too much about Alberto Aquilani or define the player before he plays for Liverpool. I simply haven’t seen enough of him, let alone the unknown that surrounds every foreign player coming to the Premiership.
However, and unsurprisingly, I’ve got a few thoughts and concerns.
• The first option, with a minimum of fuss. This deal was announced one day after Alonso’s sale. One day. I don’t think Rick Parry completed a single task in a day. Granted, this was obviously in the works given Alonso’s protracted saga (which, the more I read, the more I’m convinced took so long because Benitez was fully content to wait until Madrid succumbed to the asking price), but there was no hesitation once the Spaniard was sold. Rafa picks a player, Rafa gets the player. That buys Aquilani a lot of leeway with me.
• Aquilani plays further forward than Alonso. I touched upon this in earlier speculation, and all that I’ve read, the YouTube video’s I’ve subjected myself to, Benitez’s recent comments, and that different looking 4-1-4-1 in the last friendly make me suspect it even more. Aquilani seems likely to force some sort of change in tactics. I assume he will play deeper for Liverpool than he did for Rome, in an attempt to give him that much more time on the ball before he’s closed down, but some change is likely. And this isn’t a season where Liverpool will have much time or patience for experimentation.
• Yes, I’ve seen his appearance record too. League appearances with Roma (since ’04-05): 29, 24, 13, 21, 14. Some of that is down to having Totti, De Rossi, and Pizzaro in front of him, but he has a reputation for being frequently injured. As he’s recovering from ankle surgery now, we’re not likely to see him play until September at best. We’ll see how his medical goes, but Benitez hasn’t been afraid to take a gamble on players with a “history” of injuries – Aurelio and Degen pop immediately to mind. However, and it’s a rather big however, both of those were free transfers. This deal falls somewhere between £15-20m. A slight discrepancy. How much you worry probably depends on how much you trust Rafa, but despite my sycophancy, I’m still wary.
• It’s a small sample, but… Liverpool hasn’t had the best history with Italians, although that includes all of two players over 107 years. Reserve goalkeeper Daniele Padelli’s stint in ’06-07 was ignominious at best – a lone start in the last game against an already-relegated Charlton saw the stopper concede twice in a 2-2 draw. Dossena seemed all but on his way out before Aurelio’s injury, and even afterward, rumors of a deal with Napoli appeared around the same time as Arbeloa’s sale. But now I really don’t expect him to be sold. I’ve no idea if the two are friendly off the pitch (having both played for the national team), but as an American who’s lived abroad, I can attest that it’s nice to have a countryman around sometimes.
So, welcome to Liverpool, Alberto. Make us dream.
05 August 2009
Liverpool 2-0 Lyn Oslo
Cavalieri
Johnson Kelly San Jose Dossena
Kuyt Lucas Spearing Babel
Ngog Voronin
Subs:
Mascherano for Spearing 46’
Degen for Johnson 46’
Riera for Babel 46’
Plessis for Lucas 46’
Benayoun for Kuyt 46’
Gerrard for Voronin 62’
Torres for Ngog 62’
Insua for Dossena 62’
Ayala for San Jose 62’
Gulasci for Cavalieri 79’
Carragher for Riera 86’
Goals:
Voronin 44’
Ngog 59’
I know everyone’s more interested in the Aquilani news. And, believe me, I’ll get to that later tonight or tomorrow morning, when I get my thoughts collected. But friendly fire first.
There really should have been more than a goal in the first half, with chances galore – most for Liverpool (and many of those from distance), but a notable blast off the post from Lyn Oslo on the break in the 37th and a couple of strong saves from Cavalieri. Voronin was the worst offender, over-intricate as usual, which, naturally, meant he scored the opener. It’s best he get those misses out of his system now anyway. After numerous opportunities, Babel gave him one he couldn’t miss – after a run from the right, the Dutchman delivered a cross that Voronin met with a diving header from a yard out. Finally.
Other than the annoying 'it's preseason, let's see if this backheel in traffic comes off' attack, the only thing worth mentioning was the Kuyt-Johnson pairing. We just saw glimpses of what’s possible, but that flank is going to be magic this season. M-a-g-i-c. I firmly believe that, and I don’t usually make such bold predictions (because it usually jinxes them).
The second half saw more of the same, with the pace unsurprisingly slower. Thankfully, we were treated to the solitary goal a little sooner, when Ngog tallied after a nice run and cutback from Dossena (in possession thanks to a superb long ball from Mascherano), redirecting the Italian’s pass with his knee from six yards.
The changes around the hour mark saw Liverpool alter the formation: an unbalanced 4-1-4-1 with Plessis dropping to centerback (paired with Ayala), Degen moving into right midfield, and both Benayoun and Gerrard floating centrally behind Torres, with Gerrard usually dropping a little deeper to pivot between the lines. A sign of things to come with Aquilani?
Mascherano was dominant in the holding role, tackling everything that moved, while Degen was better in a more advanced position (frequently the furthest player forward). I was impressed with Kelly at right back, who also nearly broke his duck, just wide from the top of the box after staying forward following an attacking foray in the 75th.
Some of the gloss was taken off in the 84th thanks to Oslo’s greasy pitch. Riera lost his footing trying to put a cross in, and had to be taken off on a stretcher. Benitez seemed optimistic that he just twisted it. Please don’t let it be ligaments.
So, goals from the back-up strikers. A decent run-out for the first-teamers (with a couple of honestly “good” performances). A desire to impress from the youngsters and reserves, with Kelly deservedly named the official site’s man-of-the-match. No injury concerns other than Riera, and players actually looked fitter than in previous friendlies. As always in preseason, that’ll do.
The last of these “matches” is Saturday against Atletico Madrid, on FSC at 10am eastern.
Johnson Kelly San Jose Dossena
Kuyt Lucas Spearing Babel
Ngog Voronin
Subs:
Mascherano for Spearing 46’
Degen for Johnson 46’
Riera for Babel 46’
Plessis for Lucas 46’
Benayoun for Kuyt 46’
Gerrard for Voronin 62’
Torres for Ngog 62’
Insua for Dossena 62’
Ayala for San Jose 62’
Gulasci for Cavalieri 79’
Carragher for Riera 86’
Goals:
Voronin 44’
Ngog 59’
I know everyone’s more interested in the Aquilani news. And, believe me, I’ll get to that later tonight or tomorrow morning, when I get my thoughts collected. But friendly fire first.
There really should have been more than a goal in the first half, with chances galore – most for Liverpool (and many of those from distance), but a notable blast off the post from Lyn Oslo on the break in the 37th and a couple of strong saves from Cavalieri. Voronin was the worst offender, over-intricate as usual, which, naturally, meant he scored the opener. It’s best he get those misses out of his system now anyway. After numerous opportunities, Babel gave him one he couldn’t miss – after a run from the right, the Dutchman delivered a cross that Voronin met with a diving header from a yard out. Finally.
Other than the annoying 'it's preseason, let's see if this backheel in traffic comes off' attack, the only thing worth mentioning was the Kuyt-Johnson pairing. We just saw glimpses of what’s possible, but that flank is going to be magic this season. M-a-g-i-c. I firmly believe that, and I don’t usually make such bold predictions (because it usually jinxes them).
The second half saw more of the same, with the pace unsurprisingly slower. Thankfully, we were treated to the solitary goal a little sooner, when Ngog tallied after a nice run and cutback from Dossena (in possession thanks to a superb long ball from Mascherano), redirecting the Italian’s pass with his knee from six yards.
The changes around the hour mark saw Liverpool alter the formation: an unbalanced 4-1-4-1 with Plessis dropping to centerback (paired with Ayala), Degen moving into right midfield, and both Benayoun and Gerrard floating centrally behind Torres, with Gerrard usually dropping a little deeper to pivot between the lines. A sign of things to come with Aquilani?
Mascherano was dominant in the holding role, tackling everything that moved, while Degen was better in a more advanced position (frequently the furthest player forward). I was impressed with Kelly at right back, who also nearly broke his duck, just wide from the top of the box after staying forward following an attacking foray in the 75th.
Some of the gloss was taken off in the 84th thanks to Oslo’s greasy pitch. Riera lost his footing trying to put a cross in, and had to be taken off on a stretcher. Benitez seemed optimistic that he just twisted it. Please don’t let it be ligaments.
So, goals from the back-up strikers. A decent run-out for the first-teamers (with a couple of honestly “good” performances). A desire to impress from the youngsters and reserves, with Kelly deservedly named the official site’s man-of-the-match. No injury concerns other than Riera, and players actually looked fitter than in previous friendlies. As always in preseason, that’ll do.
The last of these “matches” is Saturday against Atletico Madrid, on FSC at 10am eastern.
04 August 2009
Ugh
Well, subject to a medical of course (of course!), Alonso’s finally been sold to Real Madrid. In other earth-shattering news, the sky’s still blue.
The sum of the text on the official website, in sum, is thus:
And, continuing with the laconic theme, I’m of little mind to eulogize Alonso’s stint, as I often do when players are sold. I’ve written more than enough proclaiming the Spaniard’s talents and contributions to the team over the past few months. Plus, and no offense meant, but Alonso’s been a more-integral part of the team than say, Arbeloa, Luis Garcia, or Warnock. No player’s bigger than the club, and Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, and Reina are more important to the current team, but I’m still going to have to come to terms with this sale. Yes, even though it’s been in the works for weeks, I’m still not a happy camper.
So, for at least now, I’ll just say, ‘Thanks for the last five years, Xabi, enjoy your time with the other mercenaries you’re now teammates with. I hope the tax cut is worth it.’
You can read one of two things into Liverpool’s above statement. Either the fee was less than Liverpool’s supposed hard-line, or Benitez doesn’t want to tie his hands in regards to future business by showing his budget. Either way, I don’t think the fee amounts to Xabi’s true worth, especially when it’s Madrid who set the crazy market in the first place, but that’s more as a result of Alonso’s talent rather than whatever total Liverpool recouped.
And either way, the summer’s long, drawn-out saga reaches the end of phase one. Yep, only phase one. We still have, at most, a month left of speculation over replacements. Awesome. And yep, "replacements." I used the plural for a reason. I don't know if one purchase will be enough to fill the void.
I imagine most have seen the Aquilani gossip since Monday. Marca (sigh) says a £15.3m deal was negotiated (sorry for the Goal.com link), contingent upon the sale of Alonso. I don’t catch a ton of Serie A, but I thought him a player similar to Paul Scholes, who plays further up the field. Maybe Benitez sees him if a different position in England, or maybe he sees a more mobile formation, similar to Barca last season: Mascherano holding deep, Gerrard and Aquilani in the Iniesta/Xavi positions, and two of Kuyt/Babel/Benayoun playing closer to Torres.
But the Football Manager-esque speculation can wait for another day. Players will be bought, but Xabi Alonso’s going to be very hard to replace. And there are only 12 days until the league starts.
The sum of the text on the official website, in sum, is thus:
Liverpool Football Club this evening confirmed they had reached agreement for the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, subject only to a medical.Verbose, as usual.
The terms of the deal will remain confidential and undisclosed.
And, continuing with the laconic theme, I’m of little mind to eulogize Alonso’s stint, as I often do when players are sold. I’ve written more than enough proclaiming the Spaniard’s talents and contributions to the team over the past few months. Plus, and no offense meant, but Alonso’s been a more-integral part of the team than say, Arbeloa, Luis Garcia, or Warnock. No player’s bigger than the club, and Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, and Reina are more important to the current team, but I’m still going to have to come to terms with this sale. Yes, even though it’s been in the works for weeks, I’m still not a happy camper.
So, for at least now, I’ll just say, ‘Thanks for the last five years, Xabi, enjoy your time with the other mercenaries you’re now teammates with. I hope the tax cut is worth it.’
You can read one of two things into Liverpool’s above statement. Either the fee was less than Liverpool’s supposed hard-line, or Benitez doesn’t want to tie his hands in regards to future business by showing his budget. Either way, I don’t think the fee amounts to Xabi’s true worth, especially when it’s Madrid who set the crazy market in the first place, but that’s more as a result of Alonso’s talent rather than whatever total Liverpool recouped.
And either way, the summer’s long, drawn-out saga reaches the end of phase one. Yep, only phase one. We still have, at most, a month left of speculation over replacements. Awesome. And yep, "replacements." I used the plural for a reason. I don't know if one purchase will be enough to fill the void.
I imagine most have seen the Aquilani gossip since Monday. Marca (sigh) says a £15.3m deal was negotiated (sorry for the Goal.com link), contingent upon the sale of Alonso. I don’t catch a ton of Serie A, but I thought him a player similar to Paul Scholes, who plays further up the field. Maybe Benitez sees him if a different position in England, or maybe he sees a more mobile formation, similar to Barca last season: Mascherano holding deep, Gerrard and Aquilani in the Iniesta/Xavi positions, and two of Kuyt/Babel/Benayoun playing closer to Torres.
But the Football Manager-esque speculation can wait for another day. Players will be bought, but Xabi Alonso’s going to be very hard to replace. And there are only 12 days until the league starts.
When do Liverpool concede? (And a bonus graph)
So, following this infographic, McrRed suggested comparing the totals to the goals Liverpool let in. Ask and you shall receive, and so on.
Against:
Already Ahead: 7
Go-Ahead Goals: 24
Equalizers: 9
Still Behind: 6
Similar proportions to Liverpool's tally, but in far fewer number, for the most part. Unsurprisingly, the one obvious difference is the amount of goals after the 75th minute. Liverpool's opponents scored 11 from 76-90', the joint-top time period (along with 31-45'), but it wasn't out of step with the other 15-minute segments. Liverpool scored almost double the amount of goals in that block of time (35) than during any other spell.
The "already ahead" goals are another dissimilarity; again, unsurprising – Liverpool losses were a rare occurrence. Liverpool scored 40 times when they were already in front. Opponents only went two up or more on Liverpool seven times, and Liverpool still only lost in three of those five games (with a win against City and a draw at Hull).
It's also interesting that Liverpool both scored and conceded the fewest at the beginnings of the halves. It's only a shot in the dark, but I'm guessing these numbers, and most of the stats in the "against" category, are consistent with the league-wide average. Liverpool just concede fewer than most (only United and Chelsea let in less last season).
Because this isn't really a new infographic, I reckon I'll also add one of the few one-dimensional graphics I've made. It only shows one thing – how long it took the best Liverpool goalscorers to get to 50 – but it's still different to see it visually. Plus, it's another opportunity to laud Torres. I love those opportunities.
In case you're wondering, it took Gerrard 297 games to score 50 goals. It only took him 151 more to score the next 50 – and that's a telling statistics as to what he's added under Benitez.
The club's third and fourth all-time scorers aren't on this list. Billy Liddell just missed the cut with 174 games. And I didn't consider Gordon Hodgson because he played in the 20s and 30s; Hodgson's tied with Fowler on 94.
Finally, Carragher's on pace to reach his 50th goal in 5193 more games.
Liverpool's friendly against Lyn Oslo is on FSC tomorrow at 1pm eastern. I'll have to catch it on DVR, but I should have some sort of write-up in the evening.
Against:
Already Ahead: 7
Go-Ahead Goals: 24
Equalizers: 9
Still Behind: 6
Similar proportions to Liverpool's tally, but in far fewer number, for the most part. Unsurprisingly, the one obvious difference is the amount of goals after the 75th minute. Liverpool's opponents scored 11 from 76-90', the joint-top time period (along with 31-45'), but it wasn't out of step with the other 15-minute segments. Liverpool scored almost double the amount of goals in that block of time (35) than during any other spell.
The "already ahead" goals are another dissimilarity; again, unsurprising – Liverpool losses were a rare occurrence. Liverpool scored 40 times when they were already in front. Opponents only went two up or more on Liverpool seven times, and Liverpool still only lost in three of those five games (with a win against City and a draw at Hull).
It's also interesting that Liverpool both scored and conceded the fewest at the beginnings of the halves. It's only a shot in the dark, but I'm guessing these numbers, and most of the stats in the "against" category, are consistent with the league-wide average. Liverpool just concede fewer than most (only United and Chelsea let in less last season).
Because this isn't really a new infographic, I reckon I'll also add one of the few one-dimensional graphics I've made. It only shows one thing – how long it took the best Liverpool goalscorers to get to 50 – but it's still different to see it visually. Plus, it's another opportunity to laud Torres. I love those opportunities.
In case you're wondering, it took Gerrard 297 games to score 50 goals. It only took him 151 more to score the next 50 – and that's a telling statistics as to what he's added under Benitez.
The club's third and fourth all-time scorers aren't on this list. Billy Liddell just missed the cut with 174 games. And I didn't consider Gordon Hodgson because he played in the 20s and 30s; Hodgson's tied with Fowler on 94.
Finally, Carragher's on pace to reach his 50th goal in 5193 more games.
Liverpool's friendly against Lyn Oslo is on FSC tomorrow at 1pm eastern. I'll have to catch it on DVR, but I should have some sort of write-up in the evening.
02 August 2009
Liverpool 0-3 Espanyol
Reina
Johnson Carragher San Jose Insua
Mascherano Lucas
Kuyt Gerrard Benayoun
Torres
Subs:
Babel for Benayoun 46’
Dossena for Insua 46’
Degen for Johnson 46’
Spearing for Mascherano 46’
Plessis for Lucas 70’
Riera for Kuyt 70’
Ngog for Torres 70’
Voronin for Gerrard 70’
Kelly for Carragher 83’
Alonso for Spearing 83’
Goals:
Luis Garcia 19’
Sahar 64’ 87’
Meh. ‘It’s only preseason. It’s only preseason.’
And to be fair, it was a fairly typical preseason game, even though the scoreline actually could have been worse. There were some decent moments despite Liverpool rarely leaving first gear, but there was a lot that could worry. And the fact that it was a fairly strong line-up, with only San Jose an unfamiliar first-team face, makes me contemplate worrying. But, it’s preseason. Just keep repeating that.
Espanyol were up for it as well, christening their new stadium. It didn’t look like a preseason friendly from their end, stifling Liverpool’s attack and keeping possession quite nicely. And they’ve just begun their preseason campaign.
A 2nd minute low drive smothered by Reina set the tone, but had either of Gerrard’s thunderbolts off the goal frame gone in, we might have had a different result. But he caromed a trademark blast from distance off the crossbar in the 19th, and ricocheted a free kick off the far post in the 27th. And in between, Luis Garcia scored seconds after Gerrard’s first chance, turning on a Nakamura throughball perfectly, beating the centerbacks and then Reina.
From there, I’m struggling to come up with any Liverpool attacks worth describing. Before the half closed, Espanyol should have stretched the lead in the 41st when Tamudo had a goal dubiously chalked off when the linesman flagged for offside.
The second 45 saw a lot of changes, which served to stifle an already niggly game mainly played in midfield. Liverpool’s best chance of the half came when Degen got the ball in the box, only to see Pareja make a nice block in the 60th. And four minutes later, the right back was responsible for blowing the offside trap, allowing Ben Sahar in behind to slot through Reina’s legs.
There were only three other incidents of note: Sahar’s second goal in the 87th, after a careless giveaway in midfield, San Jose getting turned, and three defenders unable to clear, with the ball falling to the former Chelsea man for an easy tap in; Sahar's chance for a hat-trick denied by a San Jose clearance off the line (after Degen again blew the offside trap) two minutes later; and Alonso actually entering the game – for Spearing, who had come on at halftime – for a seven-minute cameo.
Obviously, given my ambivalence to the final scoreline, I’m most concerned with Alonso’s participation of those three incidents. If anything, it’s just going to stoke the rumors that he’s on his way out. While the majority of the first team played the first half, he came out as the last sub for an inconsequential run-out. Which makes little sense to me. Super.
As performances go, Gerrard had some dangerous moments in the first half, Carragher had some usual imperious clearances in defense, and Benayoun and Insua linked well at times. I can’t go without mentioning Lucas after yesterday’s post, and he seemed fairly par for the course as well: he looked to make short, incisive passes and move forward, was often in the “right” position, cleaned up adequately, but also made a couple of silly and reckless tackles. San Jose had a difficult night, but that’s a good learning experience given how tough an opponent Espanyol turned out to be. And while I’d rather not focus on it, let’s just say that Degen didn’t do anything to improve my opinion of him.
I’m not going to lose any sleep over the result, and I doubt the team will either. And having to play an opposition actually up for it at this stage, and losing by three goals in the process, will hopefully be a good thing. Not only was it a good workout (and with no injuries!), but maybe, even though it’s only August 2, it’ll give the players a bit of motivation going into the real campaign.
Johnson Carragher San Jose Insua
Mascherano Lucas
Kuyt Gerrard Benayoun
Torres
Subs:
Babel for Benayoun 46’
Dossena for Insua 46’
Degen for Johnson 46’
Spearing for Mascherano 46’
Plessis for Lucas 70’
Riera for Kuyt 70’
Ngog for Torres 70’
Voronin for Gerrard 70’
Kelly for Carragher 83’
Alonso for Spearing 83’
Goals:
Luis Garcia 19’
Sahar 64’ 87’
Meh. ‘It’s only preseason. It’s only preseason.’
And to be fair, it was a fairly typical preseason game, even though the scoreline actually could have been worse. There were some decent moments despite Liverpool rarely leaving first gear, but there was a lot that could worry. And the fact that it was a fairly strong line-up, with only San Jose an unfamiliar first-team face, makes me contemplate worrying. But, it’s preseason. Just keep repeating that.
Espanyol were up for it as well, christening their new stadium. It didn’t look like a preseason friendly from their end, stifling Liverpool’s attack and keeping possession quite nicely. And they’ve just begun their preseason campaign.
A 2nd minute low drive smothered by Reina set the tone, but had either of Gerrard’s thunderbolts off the goal frame gone in, we might have had a different result. But he caromed a trademark blast from distance off the crossbar in the 19th, and ricocheted a free kick off the far post in the 27th. And in between, Luis Garcia scored seconds after Gerrard’s first chance, turning on a Nakamura throughball perfectly, beating the centerbacks and then Reina.
From there, I’m struggling to come up with any Liverpool attacks worth describing. Before the half closed, Espanyol should have stretched the lead in the 41st when Tamudo had a goal dubiously chalked off when the linesman flagged for offside.
The second 45 saw a lot of changes, which served to stifle an already niggly game mainly played in midfield. Liverpool’s best chance of the half came when Degen got the ball in the box, only to see Pareja make a nice block in the 60th. And four minutes later, the right back was responsible for blowing the offside trap, allowing Ben Sahar in behind to slot through Reina’s legs.
There were only three other incidents of note: Sahar’s second goal in the 87th, after a careless giveaway in midfield, San Jose getting turned, and three defenders unable to clear, with the ball falling to the former Chelsea man for an easy tap in; Sahar's chance for a hat-trick denied by a San Jose clearance off the line (after Degen again blew the offside trap) two minutes later; and Alonso actually entering the game – for Spearing, who had come on at halftime – for a seven-minute cameo.
Obviously, given my ambivalence to the final scoreline, I’m most concerned with Alonso’s participation of those three incidents. If anything, it’s just going to stoke the rumors that he’s on his way out. While the majority of the first team played the first half, he came out as the last sub for an inconsequential run-out. Which makes little sense to me. Super.
As performances go, Gerrard had some dangerous moments in the first half, Carragher had some usual imperious clearances in defense, and Benayoun and Insua linked well at times. I can’t go without mentioning Lucas after yesterday’s post, and he seemed fairly par for the course as well: he looked to make short, incisive passes and move forward, was often in the “right” position, cleaned up adequately, but also made a couple of silly and reckless tackles. San Jose had a difficult night, but that’s a good learning experience given how tough an opponent Espanyol turned out to be. And while I’d rather not focus on it, let’s just say that Degen didn’t do anything to improve my opinion of him.
I’m not going to lose any sleep over the result, and I doubt the team will either. And having to play an opposition actually up for it at this stage, and losing by three goals in the process, will hopefully be a good thing. Not only was it a good workout (and with no injuries!), but maybe, even though it’s only August 2, it’ll give the players a bit of motivation going into the real campaign.
01 August 2009
To Lucas or Not To Lucas
Okay, so I don't want to single out Marlon (second time that I've posted because of one of your comments!), but I think this sentiment deserves to be here rather than subsumed beneath 15 previous comments.
But I agree with the above comment, and for two reasons – but I'm still a little nervous about him as an everyday player, as I am about pretty much every player until they establish themselves.
One, I've been underwhelmed by the names mooted as replacements. Some are good players – even potentially Liverpool-quality – but most would necessitate a change in system (which I don't want to happen, as it'd probably break up the Gerrard/Torres partnership). And none brings to the table what Alonso can.
Two, Lucas knows Benitez's system having been a Liverpool player for two full seasons, and has turned in some good performances against big teams (United, Inter, Chelsea). And while he's had his scapegoat moments (Wigan and Everton during the dire winter stretch last season), he's also consistently improved during his tenure. And he's only 22 years old.
But, I'm admittedly still a bit wary of the Masch/Lucas pairing against the likes of Stoke and Birmingham (among others). And I find that tough to reconcile with my firm belief in the 4-2-3-1 and the Gerrard/Torres pairing.
Hopefully, this will all be moot, but while hope springs eternal, the spring often runs dry.
At this point I'd rather see Lucas come good then seeing a new signing flourish in our midfield.I'm doing my utmost to not assume Alonso's definitely departing, but it's difficult. And the discussion over his possible replacement is a valid one, as much as I don't really desire to tackle the issue.
But I agree with the above comment, and for two reasons – but I'm still a little nervous about him as an everyday player, as I am about pretty much every player until they establish themselves.
One, I've been underwhelmed by the names mooted as replacements. Some are good players – even potentially Liverpool-quality – but most would necessitate a change in system (which I don't want to happen, as it'd probably break up the Gerrard/Torres partnership). And none brings to the table what Alonso can.
Two, Lucas knows Benitez's system having been a Liverpool player for two full seasons, and has turned in some good performances against big teams (United, Inter, Chelsea). And while he's had his scapegoat moments (Wigan and Everton during the dire winter stretch last season), he's also consistently improved during his tenure. And he's only 22 years old.
But, I'm admittedly still a bit wary of the Masch/Lucas pairing against the likes of Stoke and Birmingham (among others). And I find that tough to reconcile with my firm belief in the 4-2-3-1 and the Gerrard/Torres pairing.
Hopefully, this will all be moot, but while hope springs eternal, the spring often runs dry.
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