Reina
Carragher Kyrgiakos Skrtel Konchesky
Maxi Meireles Lucas Cole
Gerrard
Torres
Goals:
Cahill 34'
Arteta 50'
Absolutely dreadful, utterly embarrassing, yet again. So much for any clouds being lifted. If Hodgson had any class, he'd resign right away. Somehow, I can't see that happening. Rome is burning, and the manager doesn't even know how to fiddle.
Liverpool invited Everton to attack from the opening whistle, and amazingly, Liverpool paid for it. I used to joke that I had a template for the bad games under Benitez, but almost every match review's been the same this season. The only difference is that Liverpool at least scored against United, Sunderland, and Blackpool. Otherwise, it's same old, same old yet again.
Gerrard may have been further forward and Meireles finally started in his preferred position, but once again, the away side perpetually had at least 9 men behind the ball. Everton attacked and attacked and attacked, while Liverpool didn't enter the opposition's final third until the 23rd minute. Torres immediately registered an attempt on target, heading Cole's cross on goal, but that was Liverpool's only chance of the half.
Meanwhile, they conceded in the usual manner. Cahill struck first after Hodgson's side was again beaten down its left, Coleman torching Konchesky before his deflected low cross found the Australian in space. Soon after the restart, despite the usual marginal improvement, Liverpool let in a second, from a set play. Man-marking somehow left Arteta in acres of space outside the box after Kyrgiakos' "clearing" header, with time to set himself, smoke a cigarette, and sip an espresso before lashing past Reina. Fun times.
Once again down by two, just like against Blackpool, Liverpool finally consistently sent men forward, but fumbled aimlessly in Everton's half. Torres almost always got the ball with his back to goal, which clearly isn't his preferred position. Despite an increasingly narrow Liverpool, with Maxi and Cole pushing forward in almost a 4-3-2-1, the away side continued to send in cross after cross which were easily headed away. Liverpool were limited to a spat of shots from distance, with few actually testing Howard.
And again, Hodgson delayed in making changes despite the deficit. Ngog replaced Lucas in the 71st. Babel came on for Cole in the 79th. Jovanovic for Maxi was the final substitution, six minutes before time. None helped, and all came too late. Babel was the brightest of the three, stinging Howard's palms with a blast reminiscent of his wonder goal against Lyon, but it was too little too late even if Mr Tourette's hadn't punched away.
Six points from eight games, out of a possible 24, is utterly unforgivable. I might be more inclined to hold fire if Liverpool demonstrated any signs of positivity before being down by two goals, simply due to the unworkable situation the previous owners put the manager in, but we haven't seen any. The tactics are prehistoric, unsuited to the personnel, and Hodgson has no Plan B when Plan A unsurprisingly fails. The deep backline continues to concede sloppy goals, and man-marking let in yet another set piece goal. The players seem even more jaded than during last season's terrors; the attitude is simply horrific, and that starts at the top. Liverpool stars – Gerrard and Torres – are being criminally misused, Torres especially.
I fear that the new owners will give Hodgson more time because of their newness. They'll be hesitant to rock the boat, unfamiliar with the set-up, sport, and country. But Liverpool can't afford that. We may only be eight games into the league, with 30 left to play, but there have been zero – ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO – signs of improvement. Hodgson keeps traveling the same worn, muddy path to nowhere. This is where it's got us, and this is where we're going.
Liverpool's lost some good players over the last two years, but on paper, this side has no business being relegation contenders. Yet on the pitch, they're playing like relegation contenders. It's Groundhog Day all over again, especially when you look at how Hodgson began the '98-99 season with Blackburn before being sacked in December, with the team at the bottom of the table after finishing sixth the prior season. By December, it was too late, and they went down in 19th place. No matter how talented Liverpool's squad looks, that could absolutely happen here.
17 October 2010
15 October 2010
Liverpool at Everton 10.17.10
8:30am ET, live in the US on Fox Soccer Plus.
Last four head-to-head:
1-0 Liverpool (h) 02.06.10
2-0 Liverpool (a) 11.29.09
0-1 aet Everton (a; FA Cup) 02.04.09
1-1 (h; FA Cup) 01.25.09
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 1-2 Blackpool (h); 0-0 Utrecht (a); 2-2 Sunderland (h)
Everton: 2-0 Brum (a); 0-0 Fulham (a); 1-1 Brentford [3-4 on penalties] (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Gerrard 3; Kuyt, Kyrgiakos, Ngog, Torres 1
Everton: Cahill 3; Arteta, Pienaar 1
Referee: Howard Webb
Joy.
Guess at a line-up:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Skrtel Konchesky
Meireles Poulsen Lucas Cole
Gerrard
Torres
Oh, right, football. I vaguely remember that. Now we get to see if removing the ominous specter of the "custodians" helps the on-field form in the slightest. Then again, form has a tendency to go out the window in these matches.
It doesn't matter if it's only October, as of the moment, it's a relegation six-pointer. This match is indescribably crucial, even more so than usual, regardless of the date. Everton's only above Liverpool, in lofty 17th compared to Liverpool's 18th, on goal difference. Both sides need points, and quick.
On the pitch, one hand giveth while the other taketh away. Torres should be "fit" (as should Konchesky), but Kuyt's out for at least the next month. Which is actually better than the 3-4 months initially feared. Agger's also out with a calf strain incurred during the international break, but who knows if he would have started anyway given Hogdson's proclivities. However, the Dutch robot has almost always been at his best against the blue half of Merseyside, with these contests tailor-made for his talents. And with all the problems Torres has had with his adductor, I'm skeptical of how healthy he actually is, and deathly frightened of another recurrence, two weeks after going off against Blackpool. But he's still a player that can win a match in a single moment. That is, if he gets the service to do so.
Once again, I'm hoping against hope that Poulsen won't start, but past is usually good precedent in this case, which is reflected in the above guess. Still, the manager seems to be the only one satisfied with his performances this season, and it was marginally hilarious to see Danish paper Ekstra Bladet give him a zero out of six and recommend he find a different sport after Denmark's 1-3 loss to Portugal a week ago. Sunday's is no match for a player who'd move faster if he were in a wheelchair.
So, being away from Anfield, I expect it'll be more 4-4-1-1 than 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, Meireles will probably stay on the right (instead of Maxi, or Cole moving over there) while Jovanovic remains on the bench, and Gerrard should be pushed further forward due to Kuyt's injury, which would allow Lucas a starting spot. Not much difference to the formation and tactics we've seen so far this season. Again, we should somewhat find out how much the off-field horrors affected the play. Can optimism travel to the team via osmosis?
Everton's win at St Andrews before the break, a venue where Brum had been unbeaten for more than a year and where Liverpool were lucky to draw 0-0, was the Blues first win of the season. Unlike Liverpool, who went away for the break with an awful result hanging over their heads, Everton have been waiting two weeks to try to build on their previous performance.
Fellani and Jagielka are both struggling with hamstring injuries – Fellaini's assuredly out, Jagielka's questionable – while Anichebe, Saha, Pienaar, and Rodwell are long-term casualties. Of course, if I were Fellaini, I'd deliberately injure my hamstring to stay away from Kyrgiakos after the last derby. However, with Cahill scoring goals and Arteta working his way back to fitness, Everton have their two best attacking threats available, and Liverpool's dubious (and dubiously deep) backline will have to up their game.
But, even considering the lingering fears over Liverpool's performances, at least we're able to focus on on-field matters for a change.
Last four head-to-head:
1-0 Liverpool (h) 02.06.10
2-0 Liverpool (a) 11.29.09
0-1 aet Everton (a; FA Cup) 02.04.09
1-1 (h; FA Cup) 01.25.09
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 1-2 Blackpool (h); 0-0 Utrecht (a); 2-2 Sunderland (h)
Everton: 2-0 Brum (a); 0-0 Fulham (a); 1-1 Brentford [3-4 on penalties] (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Gerrard 3; Kuyt, Kyrgiakos, Ngog, Torres 1
Everton: Cahill 3; Arteta, Pienaar 1
Referee: Howard Webb
Joy.
Guess at a line-up:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Skrtel Konchesky
Meireles Poulsen Lucas Cole
Gerrard
Torres
Oh, right, football. I vaguely remember that. Now we get to see if removing the ominous specter of the "custodians" helps the on-field form in the slightest. Then again, form has a tendency to go out the window in these matches.
It doesn't matter if it's only October, as of the moment, it's a relegation six-pointer. This match is indescribably crucial, even more so than usual, regardless of the date. Everton's only above Liverpool, in lofty 17th compared to Liverpool's 18th, on goal difference. Both sides need points, and quick.
On the pitch, one hand giveth while the other taketh away. Torres should be "fit" (as should Konchesky), but Kuyt's out for at least the next month. Which is actually better than the 3-4 months initially feared. Agger's also out with a calf strain incurred during the international break, but who knows if he would have started anyway given Hogdson's proclivities. However, the Dutch robot has almost always been at his best against the blue half of Merseyside, with these contests tailor-made for his talents. And with all the problems Torres has had with his adductor, I'm skeptical of how healthy he actually is, and deathly frightened of another recurrence, two weeks after going off against Blackpool. But he's still a player that can win a match in a single moment. That is, if he gets the service to do so.
Once again, I'm hoping against hope that Poulsen won't start, but past is usually good precedent in this case, which is reflected in the above guess. Still, the manager seems to be the only one satisfied with his performances this season, and it was marginally hilarious to see Danish paper Ekstra Bladet give him a zero out of six and recommend he find a different sport after Denmark's 1-3 loss to Portugal a week ago. Sunday's is no match for a player who'd move faster if he were in a wheelchair.
So, being away from Anfield, I expect it'll be more 4-4-1-1 than 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, Meireles will probably stay on the right (instead of Maxi, or Cole moving over there) while Jovanovic remains on the bench, and Gerrard should be pushed further forward due to Kuyt's injury, which would allow Lucas a starting spot. Not much difference to the formation and tactics we've seen so far this season. Again, we should somewhat find out how much the off-field horrors affected the play. Can optimism travel to the team via osmosis?
Everton's win at St Andrews before the break, a venue where Brum had been unbeaten for more than a year and where Liverpool were lucky to draw 0-0, was the Blues first win of the season. Unlike Liverpool, who went away for the break with an awful result hanging over their heads, Everton have been waiting two weeks to try to build on their previous performance.
Fellani and Jagielka are both struggling with hamstring injuries – Fellaini's assuredly out, Jagielka's questionable – while Anichebe, Saha, Pienaar, and Rodwell are long-term casualties. Of course, if I were Fellaini, I'd deliberately injure my hamstring to stay away from Kyrgiakos after the last derby. However, with Cahill scoring goals and Arteta working his way back to fitness, Everton have their two best attacking threats available, and Liverpool's dubious (and dubiously deep) backline will have to up their game.
But, even considering the lingering fears over Liverpool's performances, at least we're able to focus on on-field matters for a change.
13 October 2010
So, it's been an uneventful international break...
Update (11:25am ET Friday):
Deal was finally confirmed around 11am ET, but I had to wait for the official Liverpool FC statement. It's the most beautiful artwork I've ever seen in my life. As was watching Broughton and Henry make a statement on BBC News.
Finally. There will be time to hold the new owners feet to the fire, to make sure nothing like these past two years happen again. Hicks and Gillett initially made the right noises as well. But NESV has a far better resumé. And today is cause for celebration.
Preview for the Merseyside Derby up later this afternoon, after soaking in this wonderful, wonderful news.
---
Update (4:30pm ET Thursday): Don't feel like starting a new post, but do feel as if I should keep this somewhat current. This'll be an exceptionally short round-up of today's shenanigans.
After appearances in court on both sides of the ocean, we're in a holding pattern for one more day. The day began back in the UK High Court, where the "home team" were again victorious, winning an anti-suit injunction. We then traveled to Texas, where the District Court Judge basically gave Hicks until 7am tomorrow (Dallas time) to pull £300m or so from his cavernous ass. I'm struggling for other reasons why the judge recused today's hearing at 2:30pm (again, Dallas time) if not to give Hicks one more night to wreak nonsense. Maybe because he's never had to read two UK High Court rulings before.
As in the previous updates, the Guardian live blog and the Dallas Observer paint as full as a picture as we're going to get until tomorrow morning. I don't see how Hicks could miraculously find funding overnight, nor do I see the Texas judge ignoring two High Court rulings from the country where the club's located, but who knows what could happen after what we've seen over the last 48 hours.
Being a Liverpool fan is never boring. Unless we're watching this season's team play, that is.
----
Update (6:30pm ET): It ain't over until they're tarred, feathered, tied to a donkey, and ridden out of town.
Hicks has gotten a temporary restraining order preventing the sale to NESV in Dallas District Court.
• Here's the LFC.tv statement
• Here's the Dallas Observer story, with the full text of the TRO
• Here's another link to the Guardian's live blog, as in the earlier part of this post.
• And here's a link to my real-time Twitter comments over the past two hours, because I don't have the stomach to summarize them.
Long story short, Hicks was granted jurisdiction because RBS and NESV do business in Texas, as does Broughton in his capacity as British Airways chairman. Hicks may reside in Dallas, but the various Kop Holdings are incorporated in Delaware and the Cayman Islands.
It's not going away yet – as if it's be as easy as a single High Court case (silly us) – but I'm not giving up hope that we'll get resolution before this Texas hearing on October 25th – which is a cheeky delaying tactic – or that LFC can avoid administration to end this sad, sorry saga.
-----
I'm hesitant to post anything until tonight's board meeting, which will take place at 8pm UK time, but it feels wrong to let today's historic – and I don't use that word lightly – events go unmentioned for even a short while.
It actually appears Liverpool's long off-field nightmare is drawing to a close.
Not only did the UK High Court rule in favor of RBS/Broughton, Purslow and Ayre, but Justice Floyd imposed injunctions reconstituting the board and allowing the sale, refused to grant an appeal in his court, and ruled that Hicks and Gillett are liable for court costs. Here's the Guardian's live blog of today's proceedings. Here's Broughton's most-recent tight-lipped interview. All in all, both read as a complete and total win.
New owners aren't confirmed; the board has to reconvene to discuss proposals, which will most likely include Peter Lim, who publicly (and somewhat distastefully) upped his bid during the hearing yesterday, but John W Henry tweeted a celebratory message congratulating Broughton, Purslow, Ayre, RBS, and the fans soon after the verdict. While Hicks and Gillett can't appeal to the High Court, they still have the right to take a case to the Court of Appeal, but that restarts a whole new process, and while I'm clearly no legal expert, it appears that they'd only be able to claim compensatory damages, not prevent the imminent sale of the club because of the aforementioned injunctions (although a couple of lawyers quoted in the Guardian's live blog think it could lead to further delays). There's no explaining Tweedledee and Tweedledum's thought processes, but after today's firm smackdown, including somewhere between a quarter of a million and half a million pounds in court costs according to the Guardian, it'd make little sense. But much of the havoc they've wreaked makes little sense, and they stand to lose a hell of a lot more than £500,000 if the sale goes through as previously announced.
Today's events truly are cause for celebration. As many have delightfully pointed out on Twitter, it's especially karmic that Scousers and miners (well done, Chile) are celebrating on Maggie Thatcher's 85th birthday. But it's obviously not the end of the hard work that so many, such as Spirit of Shankly and Save Liverpool FC (among countless others), have put in. I'd still encourage people to join SoS; just because the tumors seem to be excised doesn't mean that the new owners/board/etc won't need to be held accountable. And, truth be told, they've haven't fully been excised yet, no matter how heartening today's affairs have been.
But it's nice, and somewhat unfamiliar, to have good news for a change. I'll echo John Henry in saying 'well done Broughton, Purslow, and Ayre,' and I'm even tempted to not include a sarcastic 'for once' or 'about time' (no such luck). Broughton especially appears to deserve a lot of credit for his maneuverings, and RBS played a blinder by appointing him. If this is seen to fruition, he'll go down in club history. Seriously. And deservedly.
Let's hope the good news keeps coming, and let's hope it starts translating to good news on the pitch. There is the small matter of the Merseyside Derby this Sunday.
Deal was finally confirmed around 11am ET, but I had to wait for the official Liverpool FC statement. It's the most beautiful artwork I've ever seen in my life. As was watching Broughton and Henry make a statement on BBC News.
Finally. There will be time to hold the new owners feet to the fire, to make sure nothing like these past two years happen again. Hicks and Gillett initially made the right noises as well. But NESV has a far better resumé. And today is cause for celebration.
Preview for the Merseyside Derby up later this afternoon, after soaking in this wonderful, wonderful news.
---
Update (4:30pm ET Thursday): Don't feel like starting a new post, but do feel as if I should keep this somewhat current. This'll be an exceptionally short round-up of today's shenanigans.
After appearances in court on both sides of the ocean, we're in a holding pattern for one more day. The day began back in the UK High Court, where the "home team" were again victorious, winning an anti-suit injunction. We then traveled to Texas, where the District Court Judge basically gave Hicks until 7am tomorrow (Dallas time) to pull £300m or so from his cavernous ass. I'm struggling for other reasons why the judge recused today's hearing at 2:30pm (again, Dallas time) if not to give Hicks one more night to wreak nonsense. Maybe because he's never had to read two UK High Court rulings before.
As in the previous updates, the Guardian live blog and the Dallas Observer paint as full as a picture as we're going to get until tomorrow morning. I don't see how Hicks could miraculously find funding overnight, nor do I see the Texas judge ignoring two High Court rulings from the country where the club's located, but who knows what could happen after what we've seen over the last 48 hours.
Being a Liverpool fan is never boring. Unless we're watching this season's team play, that is.
----
Update (6:30pm ET): It ain't over until they're tarred, feathered, tied to a donkey, and ridden out of town.
Hicks has gotten a temporary restraining order preventing the sale to NESV in Dallas District Court.
• Here's the LFC.tv statement
• Here's the Dallas Observer story, with the full text of the TRO
• Here's another link to the Guardian's live blog, as in the earlier part of this post.
• And here's a link to my real-time Twitter comments over the past two hours, because I don't have the stomach to summarize them.
Long story short, Hicks was granted jurisdiction because RBS and NESV do business in Texas, as does Broughton in his capacity as British Airways chairman. Hicks may reside in Dallas, but the various Kop Holdings are incorporated in Delaware and the Cayman Islands.
It's not going away yet – as if it's be as easy as a single High Court case (silly us) – but I'm not giving up hope that we'll get resolution before this Texas hearing on October 25th – which is a cheeky delaying tactic – or that LFC can avoid administration to end this sad, sorry saga.
-----
I'm hesitant to post anything until tonight's board meeting, which will take place at 8pm UK time, but it feels wrong to let today's historic – and I don't use that word lightly – events go unmentioned for even a short while.
It actually appears Liverpool's long off-field nightmare is drawing to a close.
Not only did the UK High Court rule in favor of RBS/Broughton, Purslow and Ayre, but Justice Floyd imposed injunctions reconstituting the board and allowing the sale, refused to grant an appeal in his court, and ruled that Hicks and Gillett are liable for court costs. Here's the Guardian's live blog of today's proceedings. Here's Broughton's most-recent tight-lipped interview. All in all, both read as a complete and total win.
New owners aren't confirmed; the board has to reconvene to discuss proposals, which will most likely include Peter Lim, who publicly (and somewhat distastefully) upped his bid during the hearing yesterday, but John W Henry tweeted a celebratory message congratulating Broughton, Purslow, Ayre, RBS, and the fans soon after the verdict. While Hicks and Gillett can't appeal to the High Court, they still have the right to take a case to the Court of Appeal, but that restarts a whole new process, and while I'm clearly no legal expert, it appears that they'd only be able to claim compensatory damages, not prevent the imminent sale of the club because of the aforementioned injunctions (although a couple of lawyers quoted in the Guardian's live blog think it could lead to further delays). There's no explaining Tweedledee and Tweedledum's thought processes, but after today's firm smackdown, including somewhere between a quarter of a million and half a million pounds in court costs according to the Guardian, it'd make little sense. But much of the havoc they've wreaked makes little sense, and they stand to lose a hell of a lot more than £500,000 if the sale goes through as previously announced.
Today's events truly are cause for celebration. As many have delightfully pointed out on Twitter, it's especially karmic that Scousers and miners (well done, Chile) are celebrating on Maggie Thatcher's 85th birthday. But it's obviously not the end of the hard work that so many, such as Spirit of Shankly and Save Liverpool FC (among countless others), have put in. I'd still encourage people to join SoS; just because the tumors seem to be excised doesn't mean that the new owners/board/etc won't need to be held accountable. And, truth be told, they've haven't fully been excised yet, no matter how heartening today's affairs have been.
But it's nice, and somewhat unfamiliar, to have good news for a change. I'll echo John Henry in saying 'well done Broughton, Purslow, and Ayre,' and I'm even tempted to not include a sarcastic 'for once' or 'about time' (no such luck). Broughton especially appears to deserve a lot of credit for his maneuverings, and RBS played a blinder by appointing him. If this is seen to fruition, he'll go down in club history. Seriously. And deservedly.
Let's hope the good news keeps coming, and let's hope it starts translating to good news on the pitch. There is the small matter of the Merseyside Derby this Sunday.
06 October 2010
On New England Sports Ventures
Even though it's bumping this morning's post off the top, as promised, a good friend of the blog, Mike Anton, chimes in with his thoughts on the Red Sox ownership group. There are a lot of well-placed baseball fans giving their opinions on Henry et al today (see LFCNY and the Liverpool Echo for two), but I thought Mike was a good source for a few reasons. One, I trust his opinion. Two, the masochist that he is, he actually enjoys baseball. And three, most importantly, I expected him to be somewhat blunt, as a Yankees fan who lived in Boston during their two World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. Which had to have been fun for him. Always trust a Yankees fan to say as many bad things about Boston as possible. But being a Liverpool fan, I also expect him to be as rational as a Yankees fan who lived in Boston can be.
Without further ado...
Without further ado...
Well, lucky Liverpudlians, that terrible turn with American owners seems to be solved with...more Americans!! Thankfully, New England Sports Ventures have a much better track record than our departing duo ever had, collectively or individually.
There are quite a few parallels between the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC, so we can hopefully extrapolate what happened in Boston to what will probably occur with our Reds.
Pros:
They're winners: The Red Sox were lovable losers, always finding a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, especially against their main rivals, The Yankees, who dominated the sport over various decades. They had an 86-year World Championship drought (makes the wait for the League look a bit easier...or more foreboding...) and this ownership group was one of the main reasons why it stopped at 86 years. Just to be braggarts, they also won the World Series in 2007, making it two titles in five years.
They Spend Money Wisely: John Henry, the man at the head of the ownership group, made his money as a commodities trader, first in the 70s with soy beans, and then later with full-blown futures funds. He created a prediction formula on his own (well, with a couple history books and a calculator, too) and made millions because he knew how to manage his money.
The same goes for the Red Sox. In 2004, they had the perfect mix of young, cheap talent, the right specialty players (a fast player who was a steals specialist, someone who could hit left-handers off the bench, etc.) a few big name (and big-ticket) stars, and a number of character guys who just wanted to work hard and win at all costs.
They Understand The Fans: Red Sox fans are a fairly masochistic bunch. Their constituency, roughly five states in the US, are utter lunatics. They live and die with every regular season game. They know every player on the roster both at the main club and in their farm team (read: reserve system). They see the rest of the league and know exactly what it is they do or do not need and are fairly "woe is me" about the whole situation, all the while having the strangest optimism every April that "this is the year" they're going to win. Sound familiar?
These same fans also treat the ownership group like heroes. The new group came in after a few decades of worthless spending, doling out big money on players that didn't amount to anything and refused to build up their young talent. NESV demanded the team be treated like a world-class winning organization, and soon they became that very thing.
But it's not all sunshine and lollipops....
They Don't ALWAYS Spend So Wisely: A couple years ago, there was a Japanese pitcher named "Daisuke Matsuzaka." He was in his mid-20s and dominated Japanese baseball like no other pitcher. A bidding war struck up between a few teams, but whenever it's Red Sox against Yankees, dollar signs go through the roof. The way the bid worked was much like football: you paid a transfer fee to the club, then had 72 hours to negotiate a deal. The Sox paid $51,111,111.11 to the club for the right to give him a six-year, $52 million dollar contract. He currently sucks ass.
And They Don't Always Spend Enough: The American baseball free agent market is the closest we have in sport to the capitalistic-as-all-get-out football market. You can pay any player anything your heart desires, so long as you'll be able to afford the contract. On a few occasions, however, the Red Sox were steadfast in not going the extra mile to sign players. One of the heroes from the 2004 team, center fielder Johnny Damon, was allowed to walk to the hated Yankees because the Sox refused to give him a four-year deal. Clearly, sentimentality comes second to business. Furthermore, they let a franchise free agent in Mark Texiera sign with the Yankees because they couldn't cough up another $3 or so million dollars.
The Sox believe in playing baseball on a budget, even if they are one of the top three in revenue year in and year out. This past season, they decided to sell the team on "defense!" and "pitching!" when in reality they decided to spend on one big free agent pitcher (and overpaid for his services) while plugging in cheap, decent players, hoping that the overall talent could make the team a winner. They missed the playoffs this season. When they spend and spend well, they win. When they don't, they're still a good, solid team, just... underwhelming.
Boy, Do They Like Making Money: Their home field, Fenway Park, was first built in 1912, which they still use. It's an ugly matchbox of a stadium that people now consider "quaint" because they're too nice to use "horribly outdated." Most ownership groups who wanted to purchase the Sox in '03 were going to tear it down and build a new stadium. But not these guys! They believed that the park was the franchise, so they decided to keep the old barn because they couldn't envision a franchise without it. (Editor's Note: Please ignore the use of the word "franchise." A can of worms better left closed.)
Then they whored that thing out as hard as they possibly could.
The place only holds roughly 35,000, while most comparable stadiums fit 55,0000, so seats were placed everywhere. On top of the Green Monster, the space-saving giant wall that is meant to simulate a wall 380 feet away, there are now rows and rows of seats (at $200 a pop). There are new expensive club seats, banners and ads all over the Green Monster and anywhere else you look, corporate sponsorships all over the place. After games, on their own TV network, the Red Sox cut their post game show in half so they could sell "exclusive" naming rights to two different companies, one to their "Red Sox Post Game" show, and one to their "Post Post Game" show. They have a fan club named Red Sox Nation that costs about $20 a year, and a couple years ago they had a novelty "name the President of Red Sox Nation" vote....that cost 99 cents per vote.
In closing... It seems like a really good fit. There are some very clear similarities between both clubs, as noted, and the people themselves are fairly similar. The Boston area has a good number of Liverpool supporters (headed by www.lfcboston.com) already, so they'll put the heat on the Yanks if they screw up like Hicks/Gillett did. There are some concerns, but their management style is very similar to that of Rafa: spend well, hopefully spend wisely, but sometimes it doesn't work out the way everyone hoped. Sure, they aren't Saudi sugar-daddies, but it seems to be a phenomenal match with Liverpool FC... even if they are the owners of my most hated rivals (think of Bitters buying out your second-favorite sports team – this is my nightmare). So over in the states, I'll be moping about, but all of you closer to Anfield should rest easy. Your nightmare is nearly completed.
Xenophobia... think less but see it grow
So, it's been an eventful 24 hours. For those living in a cave, a quick summary.
• The junta of Broughton, Purslow, and Ayre seized control of the website yesterday, putting out a hilarious statement after Hicks and Gillett attempted to sack Purslow and Ayre. Unsurprisingly, the offers that the three wanted to accept weren't big enough for George and Tommy. Maybe Broughton and Purslow weren't as evil as we thought, at least when it comes to off-the-pitch matters.
• Those three outvoted Hicks and Gillett, accepting the takeover proposal from New England Sports Ventures.
• There will be a legal challenge, but given the terms of Hicks and Gillett's most recent refinance, the UK board members are apparently on solid ground, and Broughton's already giving self-satisfied interviews. (LFC.tv Q&A, BBC News video)
Two American owners ran the club into the ground, and now we're getting an American consortium instead. Some understandably see it as out of the frying pan and into the fire, while others are simply happy that the long nightmare seems to be coming to a close. And as an American, it puts me in a strange place. It's not often I feel the need to (or want to, for that matter) defend my countrymen.
Surprisingly, Broughton summed it up well in his Sky Sports interview.
Didn't we blame xenophobia for some of Rafa's treatment by the British press? How is this different? Why is nationality important? In this case, past does not necessarily equal precedent, and Americans aren't all alike. Again, thankfully.
Deep-pocketed "philanthropists" weren't lining up to put in offers, whether from China, Hong Kong, or the Middle East. A similar situation to what Manchester City fell into was never on the cards or it would have manifested by now. And because of UEFA's impending financial fair play regulations, the days of free spending City and Chelsea are soon coming to a close.
Any new owners need to clear the debt and either build a new stadium or renovate Anfield. Broughton's already claiming that's been agreed. Because of commercial revenue, if the club's put on a solid financial footing, it can be run in the vein of Arsenal: making a small profit while reinvesting in the team as need be. That's the goal. Not being beholden to a Sheikh Mansour or Abramovich.
As I wrote in the comments yesterday, I'm not familiar with the intricacies of the Red Sox. Baseball is fucking boring. I've read opinions from a fair few Boston LFC fans that Henry/NESV are excellent owners (keeping an eye on LFC Boston's twitter account may not be a bad idea), and for balance, later today I hope to have a summary of Henry's tenure from a friend who's a Yankees fan that lived in Boston during the Red Sox's World Series seasons. But what I do know is that the ownership group provided a platform to "reverse the curse" (God, I hate that phrase) and walked a tightrope in renovating Fenway Park (a new stadium was even less feasible than on Merseyside because of sentimental attachments to that ballpark's history) while maximizing revenue.
No owner's coming in as a charity case. They will expect to make money off of Liverpool. That's football these days; sport is business. If the on-field product is good, something's done about the stadium, and Liverpool's debt is manageable, they'll make their profit and the club will be sustainable into the future. Whether that will actually be the case still remains to be seen.
By all means, be skeptical. But judge any new owners on their business plan, not their nationality. Anything else is irrational, reactionary, unfair, and unhelpful.
• The junta of Broughton, Purslow, and Ayre seized control of the website yesterday, putting out a hilarious statement after Hicks and Gillett attempted to sack Purslow and Ayre. Unsurprisingly, the offers that the three wanted to accept weren't big enough for George and Tommy. Maybe Broughton and Purslow weren't as evil as we thought, at least when it comes to off-the-pitch matters.
• Those three outvoted Hicks and Gillett, accepting the takeover proposal from New England Sports Ventures.
• There will be a legal challenge, but given the terms of Hicks and Gillett's most recent refinance, the UK board members are apparently on solid ground, and Broughton's already giving self-satisfied interviews. (LFC.tv Q&A, BBC News video)
Two American owners ran the club into the ground, and now we're getting an American consortium instead. Some understandably see it as out of the frying pan and into the fire, while others are simply happy that the long nightmare seems to be coming to a close. And as an American, it puts me in a strange place. It's not often I feel the need to (or want to, for that matter) defend my countrymen.
Surprisingly, Broughton summed it up well in his Sky Sports interview.
"First of all, there’s nothing wrong with being American. Ask Sunderland, Ellis Short is a great owner there. There’s nothing wrong with being American. Leverage is a problem in a football club."Spirit of Shankly thankfully said similar:
"The identity and nationality of any owners of Liverpool Football Club is irrelevant. How they act as custodians is the most important thing and we have seen previously that initial announcements and promises made by new owners and the checks and due diligence made by those entrusted with that role on our behalf have all been left wanting."'Once bitten, twice shy' is a good maxim. NESV will be held to their statements, and the fans are far more clued up than they were three years ago. But holding the prospective new owners' accountable cannot descend into out-and-out anti-Americanism, as is already happening in various corners of the internet. Thankfully, it's been a minority so far.
Didn't we blame xenophobia for some of Rafa's treatment by the British press? How is this different? Why is nationality important? In this case, past does not necessarily equal precedent, and Americans aren't all alike. Again, thankfully.
Deep-pocketed "philanthropists" weren't lining up to put in offers, whether from China, Hong Kong, or the Middle East. A similar situation to what Manchester City fell into was never on the cards or it would have manifested by now. And because of UEFA's impending financial fair play regulations, the days of free spending City and Chelsea are soon coming to a close.
Any new owners need to clear the debt and either build a new stadium or renovate Anfield. Broughton's already claiming that's been agreed. Because of commercial revenue, if the club's put on a solid financial footing, it can be run in the vein of Arsenal: making a small profit while reinvesting in the team as need be. That's the goal. Not being beholden to a Sheikh Mansour or Abramovich.
As I wrote in the comments yesterday, I'm not familiar with the intricacies of the Red Sox. Baseball is fucking boring. I've read opinions from a fair few Boston LFC fans that Henry/NESV are excellent owners (keeping an eye on LFC Boston's twitter account may not be a bad idea), and for balance, later today I hope to have a summary of Henry's tenure from a friend who's a Yankees fan that lived in Boston during the Red Sox's World Series seasons. But what I do know is that the ownership group provided a platform to "reverse the curse" (God, I hate that phrase) and walked a tightrope in renovating Fenway Park (a new stadium was even less feasible than on Merseyside because of sentimental attachments to that ballpark's history) while maximizing revenue.
No owner's coming in as a charity case. They will expect to make money off of Liverpool. That's football these days; sport is business. If the on-field product is good, something's done about the stadium, and Liverpool's debt is manageable, they'll make their profit and the club will be sustainable into the future. Whether that will actually be the case still remains to be seen.
By all means, be skeptical. But judge any new owners on their business plan, not their nationality. Anything else is irrational, reactionary, unfair, and unhelpful.
04 October 2010
Roy Hodgson = Robbie Keane?
Buying Robbie Keane was arguably one of Benitez' biggest mistakes. It was the last major purchase that wasn't financed with outgoing sales (as when Alonso paid for Aquilani and Johnson), and it turned out to be a massive bust.
However, Rafa realized it in short order, and shipped Keane out at the first opportunity. Having paid £19m for the player, Liverpool recouped somewhere between £12-16m, depending on unannounced add-ons that may or may not have been reached. Granted, £3-7m is still a loss, and that the manager wasn't allowed to use those funds to replace the player still frustrates, but Liverpool knew when to cut its losses, and still came the closest to winning the league since the trophy was last lifted in 1990. Since then, Keane's barely featured for Spurs, and was loaned to Celtic last spring, who refused to pony up whatever Tottenham demanded for the player. Now, the former captain is behind Defoe, Crouch, and Paylyuchenko in the pecking order, and Spurs couldn't give him away during the summer transfer window. Had Liverpool kept Keane for the entirety of '08-09, who knows if they would have reaped the same results, and I highly doubt they would have reaped as much in the transfer fee.
Liverpool needs to do the same thing with Roy Hodgson.
I'm as afraid of the Newcastle parallels as anyone. Liverpool has rarely been a firing club. Souness and Evans were sacked mid-season (February and November, respectively), but more often than not, the manager's given multiple chances to come good. Which, of course, is why it was so frustrating to see Benitez sacked after one bad season.
And yes, it's only been seven league games (14 in all competitions), but I fear that Hodgson will never come good. His tactics are embarrassingly outdated, unsuited to the current squad, and he's shown little clue as to what managing Liverpool means.
Let's review the tactical problems first.
Refusal to press high up the pitch. This is one of the biggest changes from Benitez's style, along with the deep backline and man-marking on set plays (we'll get there). And it's hindering Liverpool in attack. Eto'o gave an interesting interview a week ago on the topic:
The dreadfully deep backline. I've highlighted this on multiple occasions, most notably in the average position comparison of the Sunderland matches. Liverpool's used to a high backline reliant on the offside trap, with attacking fullbacks who provide the width. Now, players like Johnson are being asked to defend at the edge of their penalty area, which leads to moments like the terrible penalty concession against Blackpool. They're basically inviting teams to attack, which Blackpool were glad to do on Sunday. Liverpool's happier hoofing the ball out of defense than playing it to the defensive midfielders and building from the back, and Agger – the most-creative center-back in the squad, has been ostracized for the bullying talents of Carragher, Skrtel, and Kyrgiakos. The Dane's played nine times this season. He's been a center-back twice, against Steaua and Northampton. He's been a left-back in all six of his league appearances, including thrice off the bench because Konchesky got injured.
Lack of width. Yes, width was a problem under Rafa as well. It has been since the days of Barnes and McManaman. But we rarely saw a central midfielder forced out to the right; it's diabolically baffling that Meireles continues to play there, and it's no surprise the Portuguese looked twice the player when moving centrally in the last 30 minutes against Blackpool. At the same time, Kuyt, Cole, and Jovanovic aren't 4-4-2 wingers. Benitez's 4-2-3-1 system (while pressing high up the pitch) played to Kuyt's strengths – as he did with Holland during the World Cup – but asking him to play as a typical out-and-out winger highlights his deficiencies on the ball and on the touchline. If he, or Cole, or Jovanovic come inside, the fullback's completely exposed because there's no one like Mascherano to cover. And Cole's had the same problems when deployed on the left (as has Jovanovic), leading to the incredibly narrow formation. This is the one difference to Hodgson's formation at Fulham, where he used "opposite wingers" like Duff and Davies (left-footers on the right, right-footers on the left, allowing players to cut in and shoot) to good effect.
Man-marking on set plays. Zonal marking was a stick used to unfairly beat Benitez throughout his tenure, but like pressing high up the pitch, it was a tactic suited to the players in the squad. Liverpool's not the tallest team, and aside from Hyypiä and Kyrgiakos, Liverpool hasn't had aerially-dominate center-backs. Zonal marking helped ameliorate that weakness by marking areas instead of creating one-on-one matches where the opposition were at an advantage. At the same time, Reina, at 6'2", isn't incredibly tall as goalkeepers go. Man-marking leads to crowds around the keeper when opponents pile men into the box, making it harder for Pepe to get space and claim balls into the box.
Leaving substitutions until late. Thankfully, this changed against Blackpool, but Hodgson waited until the 75th minute against Birmingham, the 81st against Utrecht, and at the beginning of extra time against Northampton. Liverpool were level in all three. Was Hodgson really happy with the team during those matches? Were ineffective draws the goal? And we thought the last manager was stubborn in his starting XI selections...
Poulsen. This isn't truly tactical. But I'm still flummoxed that Christian Poulsen – who can't jump, can't tackle, and plays even safer, less creative passes than Lucas – has marginalized the Brazilian. Every manager has favorites, but those favorites shouldn't be keeping better, younger players out of the squad.
Shipping out Aquilani and Insua, marginalizing Agger and Lucas. We don't know how much the board (read: Purslow) is to blame for the first two. But Hodgson could have fought those battles if he so desired. Now, Liverpool has a huge hole at left-back (despite buying Konchesky and re-signing Aurelio) and Aquilani's been increasingly excellent for Juventus – paired with the defensive Felipe Melo in central midfield, no less. Not as an out-and-out attacking midfielder as we thought he needed to be. At the same time, the likes of Lucas and Agger – both better than those who have replaced them – are relegated to the second-string. The fear that both will depart in the January window heightens with each match.
And then there are the embarrassing comments, making it that much harder to respect Hodgson, leading to the belief that he just doesn't get this club or its fans. He took five days to defend Torres from Ferguson's drunken rantings after the United match. He threw his "B-team" under the bus after the loss to Northampton. He was seemingly satisfied with underwhelming draws against Birmingham, Sunderland, and Utrecht, with Liverpool arguably outplayed in all three. He ham-handedly critiqued fan's protests against the owners. And there were the recent jaw-dropping quotes in the run-up to Sunday's match, where Hodgson referred to himself as 'one of the most-respected managers in Europe.'
I've become more vehement in my critiques, and in demanding his exit, for two reasons. One, because I'm increasingly convinced Hodgson can't and won't change. Some say he needs time to implement his system, but we're seeing his system. It's the same system he used at Fulham. Defend deep, 'keep the shape', hope to strangle the opposition, and hope to get something against the run of play. It actually worked for Fulham against Liverpool in both meetings last season. But it's a small-club mentality, and it's not working with the players Liverpool has. I doubt that it ever can.
Two, because of the international break, this seems as good an opportunity as any to get a new manager in. Admittedly, the majority of first-team players will be away with their countries, but it's still two more weeks for to get settled and work with those not on international duty. And if the new man is Dalglish, he'll hit the ground running because of his familiarity with the club and players. If Liverpool failing to get a result against Everton on the 17th (God forbid) leads to Hodgson getting the sack, there are only four days before the next match at Napoli. Because of the Europa League, Liverpool has two games a week almost every week until mid-December. That schedule will really hurt a new manager's chances of settling quickly. And by then, it really could be too late.
I don't want to see Dalglish's legacy tarnished by the ownership debacle, but I truly believe we can't wait until they're finally booted out. Multiple RBS deadlines have been mooted, whether it's the 1st, 6th, 11th, or 15th of this month, but that won't be the end of the fight by any means. And because of the situation, I think Dalglish is the best choice – a legitimately safe pair of hands, unlike the manager we got this summer. Other names mooted, like Pelligrini, Rijkaard, etc., actually are untenable until the off-field situation is resolved. Dalglish is different. It's not as if he's been away from the game, living in a cave, since his last managerial position.
To use a phrase our Texan tumor will understand, know when to hold them, and know when to fold them. It's time to fold this hand before the stakes are too high to buy back in.
However, Rafa realized it in short order, and shipped Keane out at the first opportunity. Having paid £19m for the player, Liverpool recouped somewhere between £12-16m, depending on unannounced add-ons that may or may not have been reached. Granted, £3-7m is still a loss, and that the manager wasn't allowed to use those funds to replace the player still frustrates, but Liverpool knew when to cut its losses, and still came the closest to winning the league since the trophy was last lifted in 1990. Since then, Keane's barely featured for Spurs, and was loaned to Celtic last spring, who refused to pony up whatever Tottenham demanded for the player. Now, the former captain is behind Defoe, Crouch, and Paylyuchenko in the pecking order, and Spurs couldn't give him away during the summer transfer window. Had Liverpool kept Keane for the entirety of '08-09, who knows if they would have reaped the same results, and I highly doubt they would have reaped as much in the transfer fee.
Liverpool needs to do the same thing with Roy Hodgson.
I'm as afraid of the Newcastle parallels as anyone. Liverpool has rarely been a firing club. Souness and Evans were sacked mid-season (February and November, respectively), but more often than not, the manager's given multiple chances to come good. Which, of course, is why it was so frustrating to see Benitez sacked after one bad season.
And yes, it's only been seven league games (14 in all competitions), but I fear that Hodgson will never come good. His tactics are embarrassingly outdated, unsuited to the current squad, and he's shown little clue as to what managing Liverpool means.
Let's review the tactical problems first.
Refusal to press high up the pitch. This is one of the biggest changes from Benitez's style, along with the deep backline and man-marking on set plays (we'll get there). And it's hindering Liverpool in attack. Eto'o gave an interesting interview a week ago on the topic:
"With Mourinho we played on the counter-attack, with Benitez we press more and that's better for us forwards because we win back the ball higher up the pitch and create more chances."It's no coincidence that while Eto'o is thriving under Benitez, Torres is struggling under Hodgson, almost completely starved of chances. Yes, he's been injured, but he's been injured off and on for three seasons now, and still scored 17 goals in '08-09 and 22 goals in '09-10. In 38 and 32 appearances respectively. But because Liverpool's not pressing as high up the pitch, Torres is receiving the ball in deeper positions, often with his back to goal. Players like Kuyt, Cole, and Gerrard aren't able to get behind the backline when Torres does hold play up because they're coming from deeper (if Gerrard comes forward at all). Nonetheless, if we're counting set plays won (specifically, the two against United), Torres has created four goals, the most assists in the squad so far this season. But he looks a disgruntled, off-form fish out of water, and that's massively frightening given the rumors that surrounded the player this summer.
The dreadfully deep backline. I've highlighted this on multiple occasions, most notably in the average position comparison of the Sunderland matches. Liverpool's used to a high backline reliant on the offside trap, with attacking fullbacks who provide the width. Now, players like Johnson are being asked to defend at the edge of their penalty area, which leads to moments like the terrible penalty concession against Blackpool. They're basically inviting teams to attack, which Blackpool were glad to do on Sunday. Liverpool's happier hoofing the ball out of defense than playing it to the defensive midfielders and building from the back, and Agger – the most-creative center-back in the squad, has been ostracized for the bullying talents of Carragher, Skrtel, and Kyrgiakos. The Dane's played nine times this season. He's been a center-back twice, against Steaua and Northampton. He's been a left-back in all six of his league appearances, including thrice off the bench because Konchesky got injured.
Lack of width. Yes, width was a problem under Rafa as well. It has been since the days of Barnes and McManaman. But we rarely saw a central midfielder forced out to the right; it's diabolically baffling that Meireles continues to play there, and it's no surprise the Portuguese looked twice the player when moving centrally in the last 30 minutes against Blackpool. At the same time, Kuyt, Cole, and Jovanovic aren't 4-4-2 wingers. Benitez's 4-2-3-1 system (while pressing high up the pitch) played to Kuyt's strengths – as he did with Holland during the World Cup – but asking him to play as a typical out-and-out winger highlights his deficiencies on the ball and on the touchline. If he, or Cole, or Jovanovic come inside, the fullback's completely exposed because there's no one like Mascherano to cover. And Cole's had the same problems when deployed on the left (as has Jovanovic), leading to the incredibly narrow formation. This is the one difference to Hodgson's formation at Fulham, where he used "opposite wingers" like Duff and Davies (left-footers on the right, right-footers on the left, allowing players to cut in and shoot) to good effect.
Man-marking on set plays. Zonal marking was a stick used to unfairly beat Benitez throughout his tenure, but like pressing high up the pitch, it was a tactic suited to the players in the squad. Liverpool's not the tallest team, and aside from Hyypiä and Kyrgiakos, Liverpool hasn't had aerially-dominate center-backs. Zonal marking helped ameliorate that weakness by marking areas instead of creating one-on-one matches where the opposition were at an advantage. At the same time, Reina, at 6'2", isn't incredibly tall as goalkeepers go. Man-marking leads to crowds around the keeper when opponents pile men into the box, making it harder for Pepe to get space and claim balls into the box.
Leaving substitutions until late. Thankfully, this changed against Blackpool, but Hodgson waited until the 75th minute against Birmingham, the 81st against Utrecht, and at the beginning of extra time against Northampton. Liverpool were level in all three. Was Hodgson really happy with the team during those matches? Were ineffective draws the goal? And we thought the last manager was stubborn in his starting XI selections...
Poulsen. This isn't truly tactical. But I'm still flummoxed that Christian Poulsen – who can't jump, can't tackle, and plays even safer, less creative passes than Lucas – has marginalized the Brazilian. Every manager has favorites, but those favorites shouldn't be keeping better, younger players out of the squad.
Shipping out Aquilani and Insua, marginalizing Agger and Lucas. We don't know how much the board (read: Purslow) is to blame for the first two. But Hodgson could have fought those battles if he so desired. Now, Liverpool has a huge hole at left-back (despite buying Konchesky and re-signing Aurelio) and Aquilani's been increasingly excellent for Juventus – paired with the defensive Felipe Melo in central midfield, no less. Not as an out-and-out attacking midfielder as we thought he needed to be. At the same time, the likes of Lucas and Agger – both better than those who have replaced them – are relegated to the second-string. The fear that both will depart in the January window heightens with each match.
And then there are the embarrassing comments, making it that much harder to respect Hodgson, leading to the belief that he just doesn't get this club or its fans. He took five days to defend Torres from Ferguson's drunken rantings after the United match. He threw his "B-team" under the bus after the loss to Northampton. He was seemingly satisfied with underwhelming draws against Birmingham, Sunderland, and Utrecht, with Liverpool arguably outplayed in all three. He ham-handedly critiqued fan's protests against the owners. And there were the recent jaw-dropping quotes in the run-up to Sunday's match, where Hodgson referred to himself as 'one of the most-respected managers in Europe.'
I've become more vehement in my critiques, and in demanding his exit, for two reasons. One, because I'm increasingly convinced Hodgson can't and won't change. Some say he needs time to implement his system, but we're seeing his system. It's the same system he used at Fulham. Defend deep, 'keep the shape', hope to strangle the opposition, and hope to get something against the run of play. It actually worked for Fulham against Liverpool in both meetings last season. But it's a small-club mentality, and it's not working with the players Liverpool has. I doubt that it ever can.
Two, because of the international break, this seems as good an opportunity as any to get a new manager in. Admittedly, the majority of first-team players will be away with their countries, but it's still two more weeks for to get settled and work with those not on international duty. And if the new man is Dalglish, he'll hit the ground running because of his familiarity with the club and players. If Liverpool failing to get a result against Everton on the 17th (God forbid) leads to Hodgson getting the sack, there are only four days before the next match at Napoli. Because of the Europa League, Liverpool has two games a week almost every week until mid-December. That schedule will really hurt a new manager's chances of settling quickly. And by then, it really could be too late.
I don't want to see Dalglish's legacy tarnished by the ownership debacle, but I truly believe we can't wait until they're finally booted out. Multiple RBS deadlines have been mooted, whether it's the 1st, 6th, 11th, or 15th of this month, but that won't be the end of the fight by any means. And because of the situation, I think Dalglish is the best choice – a legitimately safe pair of hands, unlike the manager we got this summer. Other names mooted, like Pelligrini, Rijkaard, etc., actually are untenable until the off-field situation is resolved. Dalglish is different. It's not as if he's been away from the game, living in a cave, since his last managerial position.
To use a phrase our Texan tumor will understand, know when to hold them, and know when to fold them. It's time to fold this hand before the stakes are too high to buy back in.
03 October 2010
Liverpool 1-2 Blackpool
Reina
Johnson Kyrgiakos Skrtel Carragher
Meireles Gerrard Poulsen Cole
Kuyt Torres
Goals:
Adam 29' (pen)
Varney 45+1'
Kyrgiakos 53'
The height of embarrassment. We're past infuriating and well into comical. Well done to the manager for making Liverpool look as bad on the pitch as the owners have off the pitch.
We had hoped that an open game, with Blackpool bound to attack, would help Liverpool find its feet in front of goal. Ha. Ha ha ha ha. The open game simply meant that Liverpool couldn't keep its terrible shape, and the home side were deservedly two down by halftime. And, in keeping with this season's overriding theme, Torres had gone off injured less than ten minutes into this fiasco. It feels like I've written "shit rolls downhill" in every match review this season.
Liverpool were in utter shambles until the intermission. Promoted Blackpool, with a squad that cost less than most of the Liverpool starters, dominated from the start. Liverpool simply abdicated the flanks, with Meireles and Cole again forced wide, but Blackpool still bossed the center of the pitch. Reina was forced into action by the second minute. But while Liverpool had marginally regrouped following Torres' injury, with Cole's 26th-minute chance from a corner blocked on the line, Johnson continued his sparkling defensive form, bamboozled by Varney and stupidly conceding a penalty with the majority of Liverpool players caught upfield. Reina went the right way – as he did for Bent's penalty a week ago – but Adam's shot still found the net. When the world's falling down around your feet, sometimes you still can't help but laugh.
And the home side had no immediate response. Fumbling aimlessly in attack, limited to speculative "shots" from distance and easy saves for Gilks, Liverpool were again exposed on the counter right before halftime. Blackpool passed their way through Liverpool's backline, with Varney beating the offside trap as Johnson failed to track his run, slotting past Reina seconds before the whistle.
Once again, Liverpool responded after halftime – it'd be nice if they could "respond" at the start of matches – and Kyrgiakos pulled one back in the 53rd, smartly heading in Gerrard's free kick. Who would have imagined that a centerback who's good in the air would make Liverpool better on set plays. From there, it looked a matter of time until Liverpool leveled, especially after Hodgson replaced the insipid Poulsen with Jovanovic on the hour mark, moving Meireles into the middle.
But Blackpool weathered the storm. Liverpool couldn't find a way past a team whose manager's repeatedly stated that it can't defend. Crosses went to no one. Moves broke down at the top of the box. Yes, Cole should have leveled, through in the 59th, and Liverpool could have had a penalty in the 70th when Adam handled Johnson's cross, but I'm struggling to remember any Liverpool chances from the 66th until the 88th. Meanwhile, Blackpool nearly when 3-1 up twice, both on the break, with Johnson making a redeeming tackle in the 69th and Varney shooting over in the 83rd when defenders stood off him. Then Gilks saved Kuyt's header, Kyrgiakos' landed on the roof of the net, and the Greek defender – again thrown forward in a last-ditch attempt – was spectacularly denied with the final act of the game. An equalizer wouldn't have been deserved.
It's impossible to encapsulate just how awful Liverpool were. There have been zero signs of progress all season long. The team's only gotten worse since the near fight-back against the Mancs, and has deserved its results in the last four matches. Square pegs continue to be forced into round holes. The insanely deep backline is an utter mess. Gerrard's had little influence, Joe Cole can't find his feet in any attacking position. Even Reina – Liverpool's only redeeming player – looks shakier because of the trouble in front of him. Liverpool is just terrible from top to bottom, and there doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel, any signs of positivity, or any plan for improvement.
After playing the likes of Northampton, Sunderland, and Blackpool, we can't complain about the opposition's strength anymore. It's the worst start to a season for 57 years. Liverpool were relegated that season, leading the way to Shankly's renaissance. I hope the club won't have to suffer that baptism by fire, but if this continues, there's every chance Liverpool could go down. You wanted Leeds and Newcastle parallels? We're getting Leeds and Newcastle parallels. This team is simply bad, and only so much can be blamed on the owners.
I try to avoid being reactionary, but this result bolsters the belief that Hodgson has to go. The sooner the better. I completely understand those saying that there's no point firing the manager with so many deeper problems, but it shouldn't affect the players to this extent. There's still some separation between the on-field play and the off-field turmoil, and Liverpool's shown no sign of getting better on the field. And while I don't trust the board at all, Liverpool has a ready-made replacement in the wings with Dalglish. While that's again a frightening parallel to Newcastle – resorting to an old favorite in the hopes of coming good – it's hard to believe the King could be any worse.
There needs to be a catalyst. Roy Hodgson cannot be that catalyst.
Johnson Kyrgiakos Skrtel Carragher
Meireles Gerrard Poulsen Cole
Kuyt Torres
Goals:
Adam 29' (pen)
Varney 45+1'
Kyrgiakos 53'
The height of embarrassment. We're past infuriating and well into comical. Well done to the manager for making Liverpool look as bad on the pitch as the owners have off the pitch.
We had hoped that an open game, with Blackpool bound to attack, would help Liverpool find its feet in front of goal. Ha. Ha ha ha ha. The open game simply meant that Liverpool couldn't keep its terrible shape, and the home side were deservedly two down by halftime. And, in keeping with this season's overriding theme, Torres had gone off injured less than ten minutes into this fiasco. It feels like I've written "shit rolls downhill" in every match review this season.
Liverpool were in utter shambles until the intermission. Promoted Blackpool, with a squad that cost less than most of the Liverpool starters, dominated from the start. Liverpool simply abdicated the flanks, with Meireles and Cole again forced wide, but Blackpool still bossed the center of the pitch. Reina was forced into action by the second minute. But while Liverpool had marginally regrouped following Torres' injury, with Cole's 26th-minute chance from a corner blocked on the line, Johnson continued his sparkling defensive form, bamboozled by Varney and stupidly conceding a penalty with the majority of Liverpool players caught upfield. Reina went the right way – as he did for Bent's penalty a week ago – but Adam's shot still found the net. When the world's falling down around your feet, sometimes you still can't help but laugh.
And the home side had no immediate response. Fumbling aimlessly in attack, limited to speculative "shots" from distance and easy saves for Gilks, Liverpool were again exposed on the counter right before halftime. Blackpool passed their way through Liverpool's backline, with Varney beating the offside trap as Johnson failed to track his run, slotting past Reina seconds before the whistle.
Once again, Liverpool responded after halftime – it'd be nice if they could "respond" at the start of matches – and Kyrgiakos pulled one back in the 53rd, smartly heading in Gerrard's free kick. Who would have imagined that a centerback who's good in the air would make Liverpool better on set plays. From there, it looked a matter of time until Liverpool leveled, especially after Hodgson replaced the insipid Poulsen with Jovanovic on the hour mark, moving Meireles into the middle.
But Blackpool weathered the storm. Liverpool couldn't find a way past a team whose manager's repeatedly stated that it can't defend. Crosses went to no one. Moves broke down at the top of the box. Yes, Cole should have leveled, through in the 59th, and Liverpool could have had a penalty in the 70th when Adam handled Johnson's cross, but I'm struggling to remember any Liverpool chances from the 66th until the 88th. Meanwhile, Blackpool nearly when 3-1 up twice, both on the break, with Johnson making a redeeming tackle in the 69th and Varney shooting over in the 83rd when defenders stood off him. Then Gilks saved Kuyt's header, Kyrgiakos' landed on the roof of the net, and the Greek defender – again thrown forward in a last-ditch attempt – was spectacularly denied with the final act of the game. An equalizer wouldn't have been deserved.
It's impossible to encapsulate just how awful Liverpool were. There have been zero signs of progress all season long. The team's only gotten worse since the near fight-back against the Mancs, and has deserved its results in the last four matches. Square pegs continue to be forced into round holes. The insanely deep backline is an utter mess. Gerrard's had little influence, Joe Cole can't find his feet in any attacking position. Even Reina – Liverpool's only redeeming player – looks shakier because of the trouble in front of him. Liverpool is just terrible from top to bottom, and there doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel, any signs of positivity, or any plan for improvement.
After playing the likes of Northampton, Sunderland, and Blackpool, we can't complain about the opposition's strength anymore. It's the worst start to a season for 57 years. Liverpool were relegated that season, leading the way to Shankly's renaissance. I hope the club won't have to suffer that baptism by fire, but if this continues, there's every chance Liverpool could go down. You wanted Leeds and Newcastle parallels? We're getting Leeds and Newcastle parallels. This team is simply bad, and only so much can be blamed on the owners.
I try to avoid being reactionary, but this result bolsters the belief that Hodgson has to go. The sooner the better. I completely understand those saying that there's no point firing the manager with so many deeper problems, but it shouldn't affect the players to this extent. There's still some separation between the on-field play and the off-field turmoil, and Liverpool's shown no sign of getting better on the field. And while I don't trust the board at all, Liverpool has a ready-made replacement in the wings with Dalglish. While that's again a frightening parallel to Newcastle – resorting to an old favorite in the hopes of coming good – it's hard to believe the King could be any worse.
There needs to be a catalyst. Roy Hodgson cannot be that catalyst.
01 October 2010
Liverpool v Blackpool 10.03.10
10am ET, not live in the US. Delayed showing on FSC at 5pm. It is being shown live in Australia, so there should be streams in the usual places.
Last four head-to-head:
2-2 (h) 01.09.71
0-0 (a) 08.17.70
1-3 (h) 05.13.67
2-1 (a) 09.05.66
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-0 Utrecht (a); 2-2 Sunderland (h); 2-2 Northampton [2-4 on penalties] (h)
Blackpool: 1-2 Blackburn (h); 0-4 Chelsea (a); 2-0 Newcastle (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Gerrard 3; Kuyt, Ngog, Torres 1
Blackpool: Harewood 2; Adam, Baptiste, Campbell, Phillips, Taylor-Fletcher, Varney 1
Referee: Mike Jones
This is only Jones' second time in charge of a Liverpool match. You may remember the first.
Guess at a Desired line-up:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Skrtel Agger
Gerrard Meireles
Kuyt Cole Jovanovic
Torres
The above is almost certainly a pipe dream. Agger's probably still injured, I expect teacher's pet Poulsen to keep his spot, Jovanovic hasn't been seen since Northampton, and Meireles and Cole seem likely to stay on the flanks. Huzzah. If I were actually wagering money on the starting XI, it'd be Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Kelly; Meireles, Gerrard, Poulsen, Cole; Kuyt, Torres.
If Agger's still out, we'll have to hope Kelly's fit enough after injuring his knee yesterday. At the same time, we'll have to hope that whoever plays left back is able to supplement the attack, especially if Cole starts on the left, with his propensity to drift inside. Is this a bad time to mention that Insua was pretty good at going forward? And if Kelly and Agger aren't fit, I have absolutely no clue who'll start at left back. Carra? Johnson? Darby? Torres? Your guess is as good as mine.
Gerrard's return to the line-up should see Liverpool marginally more dynamic in midfield. But as long as it's not Lucas/Poulsen – not singling out either player, just the pairing – Liverpool should be more dynamic. Despite my complaints, Gerrard is Liverpool's top-scorer in the league, although two of the three came from dead balls and he still hasn't registered an assist in any competition (13 other players have, and Torres is Liverpool's top creator if we're counting penalties and free kicks won). Which is why I'd like to see him play in tandem with Meireles; on paper, that should be an attacking, competent pairing. And we've only seen Meireles in central midfield – his supposedly preferred position – against Steaua. Which, incidentally, Liverpool won 4-1. Relatedly, Cole was also in the hole for that contest, and picked up the man-of-the-match award.
I do worry whether Torres will start after a tough 90 minutes on Thursday. Yes, he's not in form, but I've steadfastly defended the player because of Liverpool's current tactics. If we're asking the main striker to hold up play with his back to goal, maybe Liverpool is better suited starting Ngog or playing 4-4-2. Yet, regardless, you have to want El Niño's name on the teamsheet, and hope he crams the complainers' complaints down their gullets. One of these days.
These two clubs haven't met in almost 40 years. And Liverpool's recent tactics should be familiar to the fans alive for that last meeting; they're straight out of Alf Ramsey's "wingless wonders" book.
'I'm going to attack them, and see how good their back four is...'
Words that should strike fear in the heart of any Liverpool fan that's seen the team this season. Ian Holloway's never been a shrinking violet, and Blackpool seemingly only know one style of play. Attack, attack, attack. Then attack some more. It's led to absolute maulings at the hands of Arsenal and Chelsea, and cost them a late goal against Blackburn last Saturday, but the style's still commendable. They've scored in every match but the two against the current 1st and 3rd-placed sides.
One would hope that these tactics lead into Liverpool's hands. The team's suffered against sides willing to pack the penalty area, and Sunday's match is at Anfield. But you can't rule any result out during this era of bad feelings.
Last four head-to-head:
2-2 (h) 01.09.71
0-0 (a) 08.17.70
1-3 (h) 05.13.67
2-1 (a) 09.05.66
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-0 Utrecht (a); 2-2 Sunderland (h); 2-2 Northampton [2-4 on penalties] (h)
Blackpool: 1-2 Blackburn (h); 0-4 Chelsea (a); 2-0 Newcastle (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Gerrard 3; Kuyt, Ngog, Torres 1
Blackpool: Harewood 2; Adam, Baptiste, Campbell, Phillips, Taylor-Fletcher, Varney 1
Referee: Mike Jones
This is only Jones' second time in charge of a Liverpool match. You may remember the first.
Reina
Johnson Carragher Skrtel Agger
Gerrard Meireles
Kuyt Cole Jovanovic
Torres
The above is almost certainly a pipe dream. Agger's probably still injured, I expect teacher's pet Poulsen to keep his spot, Jovanovic hasn't been seen since Northampton, and Meireles and Cole seem likely to stay on the flanks. Huzzah. If I were actually wagering money on the starting XI, it'd be Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Kelly; Meireles, Gerrard, Poulsen, Cole; Kuyt, Torres.
If Agger's still out, we'll have to hope Kelly's fit enough after injuring his knee yesterday. At the same time, we'll have to hope that whoever plays left back is able to supplement the attack, especially if Cole starts on the left, with his propensity to drift inside. Is this a bad time to mention that Insua was pretty good at going forward? And if Kelly and Agger aren't fit, I have absolutely no clue who'll start at left back. Carra? Johnson? Darby? Torres? Your guess is as good as mine.
Gerrard's return to the line-up should see Liverpool marginally more dynamic in midfield. But as long as it's not Lucas/Poulsen – not singling out either player, just the pairing – Liverpool should be more dynamic. Despite my complaints, Gerrard is Liverpool's top-scorer in the league, although two of the three came from dead balls and he still hasn't registered an assist in any competition (13 other players have, and Torres is Liverpool's top creator if we're counting penalties and free kicks won). Which is why I'd like to see him play in tandem with Meireles; on paper, that should be an attacking, competent pairing. And we've only seen Meireles in central midfield – his supposedly preferred position – against Steaua. Which, incidentally, Liverpool won 4-1. Relatedly, Cole was also in the hole for that contest, and picked up the man-of-the-match award.
I do worry whether Torres will start after a tough 90 minutes on Thursday. Yes, he's not in form, but I've steadfastly defended the player because of Liverpool's current tactics. If we're asking the main striker to hold up play with his back to goal, maybe Liverpool is better suited starting Ngog or playing 4-4-2. Yet, regardless, you have to want El Niño's name on the teamsheet, and hope he crams the complainers' complaints down their gullets. One of these days.
These two clubs haven't met in almost 40 years. And Liverpool's recent tactics should be familiar to the fans alive for that last meeting; they're straight out of Alf Ramsey's "wingless wonders" book.
'I'm going to attack them, and see how good their back four is...'
Words that should strike fear in the heart of any Liverpool fan that's seen the team this season. Ian Holloway's never been a shrinking violet, and Blackpool seemingly only know one style of play. Attack, attack, attack. Then attack some more. It's led to absolute maulings at the hands of Arsenal and Chelsea, and cost them a late goal against Blackburn last Saturday, but the style's still commendable. They've scored in every match but the two against the current 1st and 3rd-placed sides.
One would hope that these tactics lead into Liverpool's hands. The team's suffered against sides willing to pack the penalty area, and Sunday's match is at Anfield. But you can't rule any result out during this era of bad feelings.
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