Nine Goal Thriller Keeps Liverpool In The Chase

Suarez and Sturridge - The REAL SAS

Sloppy defending coupled with exquisite finishing was the order of the day as Liverpool and Cardiff City served up a nine goal treat to keep the fans on the edge of their seats and make problems for those with coronary complaints. Two goals a piece for Jordon Mutch and Martin Skrtel, a Luis Suarez hat-trick and a goal each for Daniel Sturridge and Frazier Campbell provided the entertainment in a thrilling match.

As with most a Liverpool fans, I was confident of a win and didn't really expect to see Cardiff register one goal, let alone three. The first from Mutch was equally down to poor defending - yet again from Liverpool, as it was the quality finishing from Mutch. Following a suicide back pass from Joe Allen that allowed Frazier to play the ball into the path of the scorer. The amount of space allowed by the Liverpool defence, and the apparent reluctance to press on the edge of the box was again Liverpool's failing. However less than ten minutes later, Liverpool were level. Jordan Henderson's ball into space for the overlapping Glen Johnson who's centre was tapped in easily by Suarez at the near post. 1-1. 

On 25 minutes Liverpool were again guilty of leaving gaps in the defence large enough fir a No. 36 bus to breach. Campbell done exactly that and latched onto the pass from the impressive Mutch to cut across the visitors' shambolic defence to slide home his sixth Premiership goal of the season and the hosts' second. 2-1. Liverpool responded by trying to get balls in behind the Cardiff defence and thus began to turn the tide of the game. As half time approached one sensed Brendan Rodgers' men would recover and, recover they did as Skrtel poked home to level on 41 minutes from Philippe Coutinho's dangerous ball into the home team's penalty box. 2-2. 

The break gave the visitors a chance to regroup, regain focus and play in a manner more befitting of a team challenging for the league title. Through similar fashion to the equaliser, and again through Skrtel with his second of the game, heading home from Coutinho corner. 2-3. After that, it was the Suarez and Sturridge show. The SAS as they've now come to be known, swept aside the home side with some devastating link-up play between them. As clinical as the formidable, stealth-like unit after which they've been nick-named. And, I'd like to add, far more so than any previous impostors with the same name!

Sturridge picking up the effervescent Johnson's centre and playing an audacious back-heel pass in to the stride of Suarez... 2-4. Following another 15 minutes of continued pressure, the deadly duo struck again. Johnson's 40-yard pass on 75 minutes turned defence into attack and found Suarez moving into the vacant left side flank. His neat control and strength was too much for the marking City defender and as he raced through, Sturridge was on hand to meet his partner's centre and tap in. 2-5.  If there was any doubting the outcome of this encounter, surely it was erased now. The visitors were out of site.

Mutch grabbed what can only be considered a consolation in the 88th minute, heading in Kenwyn Jones headed lay off but by now, the damage was done and there was no way back for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side from here. 3-5. No sooner had the home side clawed back a modicum of respect, the SAS struck again on 90 minutes to close the proceedings in style. A long punt upfield from Skrtel found Suarez again in acres of space on the left flank. As he dribbled toward goal with only the keeper to beat, the following was inevitable. A little shimmy and a drop of the shoulder. 3-6.

There's no doubting that Liverpool made this unnecessarily difficult for themselves in the opening stages. The amount of space afforded to the home side was unforgivable and deserving of being punished twice. Young Jon Flanagan will surely learn from that as both errors came from his eagerness to get forward. There also appears to be a reluctance, on occasion for Liverpool to close opposition players down on the edge of their own box. For what, the good Lord only knows. What we all know though, is that this has to stop if and more likely when, they are facing the quality opposition that will inevitably arrive with playing in the Champions League.

For now, Liverpool remain in the mix and a 19th title is certainly not beyond them. As Brendan Rodgers said after the game when asked if he's "Got to say now you can win the league?", his response was, quite rightly "No, we've got to say we've gotta win the next game, and that's our focus". Never a truer word said. The focus in now on Wednesday night at 8pm when Sunderland come to Anfield. Let's see where we are after that.

Follow me on Twitter: @Mrbengreen

Cardiff City v Liverpool - Match Preview

Liverpool travel to the Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow in a game that pits the current leaders of the form guide versus the bottom side. It's hard to see the Reds coming away with anything other than three points and it would take a very confident, if not foolhardy man to bet against Brendan Rodgers' side. To quote the FM 2013 press response: "Confidence is high and the team are playing with the freedom
this brings..."!

Liverpool are indeed flying high right now on the back of some top drawer performances. Second in

Daniel Sturridge: The new Frazier Campbell?

the Premiership and top of the form table with five wins and a draw from their last six games translating to 16 points from the 18 available. Along the way, Rodgers' men have earned well-deserved plaudits with the clinical despatching of Arsenal and Manchester United and notching up 19 goals. Title talk is now rife and one can feel the belief in team, the manager and the fans. The club is even the popular choice with the public. Does that make them the Housewives favourite...? Enough already! Before we all get carried away and start printing the "N-n-n-n 19" T-Shirts, let's take a look at the current state of play at the top of the table.

With all the furore of the trophy heading to Anfield, the main contenders and let's not forget still, favourites to come out on top, are Manchester City and they have two games in hand on second and third placed Liverpool and Arsenal respectively. Given their goal difference, they could, theoretically be on top of the pile if they win them. And, seeing as they welcome rock-bottom Fulham to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, there's a good chance the theory could well turn into reality. I always find it odd how the papers and the fans alike seem to miss that reality. Yes, it's fair to say Liverpool are in with a shout, but the odds remain squarely stacked against them and it would do us fans no harm to add a sprinkle of realism to the big bowl of optimism going round at the moment.

On the other hand concerning Liverpool's opponents tomorrow, since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came through the doors at Cardiff City FC on 2nd January this year, the side has won only two of the ten games played. The hefty concession of 20 goals en route does not bode well for them either. One has to wonder what made Solskjaer take the hotseat offered by controversial owner Vincent Tan. Let's face it, following a successful spell as Manager of the Manchester Utd. reserve team - beating the Liverpool reserve side to the Lancashire Senior Trophy in the 2007/8 season. Then, going on to manage Molde FK and winning back to back Tippeligaen championships, you'd have thought he'd sit tight and wait for a perhaps, more "reputable" side to approach him. Arguably, the Bluebirds' Managerial seat is somewhat more of a poisoned chalice. Being realistic, that's the closest they have to a cup this season. 

Cardiff's two wins have come against Fulham and Norwich but that hasn't stopped them being firmly rooted second from bottom in the Premiership. Thus a seven point return from a possible 30 will likely only guarantee 41 year-old Solskjaer Championship football come August. It's quite likely that he'd have had more joy taking over another side. He clearly has some potential but as a replacement for the dearly departed Malky Mackay, I'm not sure he's improved the team if at all. You could argue that Mackay certainly had a better win ratio over 10 games winning three and picking up three draws along the way. Not exactly the record of world beaters, but the Baby-faced Assassin's tenure has coupled with a steady decline.

I really can't see where Cardiff's threat can come from tomorrow. The Independent made a "head-to-head" this afternoon between Cardiff's Frazier Campbell and Liverpool's very own Daniel Sturridge. Is there any point? I was struggling for what to write after such an eventful weekend and clearly, I'm not the only one. If we look at Campbell's season stats, we see five goals from 24 appearances, compared to Sturridge's 18 from 19. In old money, that's a 95% chance of scoring during a game. Compare that to Campbell's 20% and you can see where the smart money lies.

As you know, I don't make predictions, however, I'd suggest a healthy win for the visitors tomorrow, by a two or three goal margin. Football is a funny old game as someone used to say, so with that in mind, let's hope we still have something to smile about come 5pm tomorrow.

Follow me on Twitter: @Mrbengreen