Liverpool v Arsenal preview

Got some thinking to do...

In a few minutes from now Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side host Premiership leaders Arsenal at Anfield, and like with every fixture between now and the 11th May, is a must win for the Reds.

It goes without saying that Liverpool have not done well against the teams above them in the league this season having taken a big fat zero points from the possible nine available from Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. Cries of bad luck, poor refereeing aside, the final scoreline speaks for itself, and this is what matters. The biggest issue for Liverpool this season, in my opinion has been their defence. Shocking would not have been an understatement for many an occasion this season and this is something Rodgers must remedy.

I don't believe the inability to capture an obscure Ukrainian attacking midfielder in January to be the failure of Liverpool, but rather the lack of focussing on bringing in a competent defender to shore up the leaky back line. This is absolutely clear and I don't know what team observers are watching if they see missing out on signing Yehven Konoplyanka as the death knell for Liverpool's season. Only Man City have scored more goals than Liverpool so far this term thus the attacking element in the side does not appear to be the burning issue. The fact that they've shipped more goals than the rest of the top five sides is.

The one saving grace for Liverpool is that all the losses against the top teams have come away from home and the chance to play the top three sides in front of their own fans is definitely an advantage. I for one am expecting much more from the Reds at Anfield and let's hope the side give the fans - and themselves for that matter - something to be proud of. I'm not particularly bothered about the performance if I'm honest. The primary aim against the top sides must be to get the result. Point. These are the kind of games that will shape Rodgers fate and determine whether this season is a mere flash in the pan or a genuine 'Phoenix from the ashes' scenario.

Personally, I'd like to see Jon Flanagan and Martin Kelly starting as the full backs to give the team a bit more 'bite'. I don't think Aly Cissokho has been all that from what I've seen of him. There is certainly no room for the kind of mistake that Kolo Touré made to gift West Bromwich Albion an equaliser in the last fixture. For the midfield and attack, business as usual.

A win for Liverpool would give them 50 points and a five point cushion over Everton who have a difficult away trip to a resurgent Tottenham tomorrow - Not to mention three points behind Chelsea and Man City who occupy third and second respectively. Let's hope in a couple of hours we're talking about three points gained instead of two thrown away, or worse still, three given away.

Follow me on Twitter: @ Mrbengreen

So far so good...?



Yes - He loves himself!

 Again, it's been a while since I've written on here. Sad but true. Not that I haven't wanted to. There's one particular reason... I've been shit scared at the strength with which Liverpool have started the season! Call me superstitious but I've been careful not to write too positively for fear of jinxing the whole thing. I mean let's face it, even my arch nemesis Luis Suarez is passing the ball more in the final third. Now this is something I never thought I'd see. Not while he wears the red of Liverpool anyway.

Witchcraft aside, I think most Liverpool fans with the exception of the foolhardy would admit surprise at the start to the season Liverpool have made. The new additions over the summer have not disappointed when they've played and this speaks volumes for Brendan Rodgers' eye for a player. His only utter failing in the transfer market has been Fabio Borini and he's been banished on loan Somewhere or Sunderland (either name will do), which kind of absolves him of the crime he committed in signing Borini in the first place. "It's a fair kop guv'nor!"

Liverpool have adopted a distinct strategy in the transfer market which seems to be paying off. The acquisition of Victor Moses, Mamadou Sakho, Aly Cissokho and Luis Alberto all indicate that the club are looking not just for youth, ability, potential blah blah blah... But hunger. Obviously not in the same sense as in Jan Molby or Neil Ruddock, but as in the desire to succeed where others had written them off. This is true in the case of Daniel Sturridge. Living proof that one man's muck is another man's brass! After Manchester City and Chelsea, he's taken the opportunity at Liverpool with both hands and this is paying dividends for both him and the club. Moses is another example. Although one has to wonder why he ever went to Chelsea from Wigan in the first place. Anyone that's even heard of football could have told the lad he'd struggle to get a run of games there. I hope the move becomes permanent next year. 

Of all the summer signings, I've been most impressed with Kolo Touré.  I'd even say Rodgers has replaced Jamie Carragher with a better player. The guy can do it all. Tackle, positions himself well,  and brings the ball forward out of defence without just "hoofing" it upfield. Touré didn't have anything to prove other than what mugs Man City were for letting him go for free. Liverpool missed him in the Man United game for sure and he's already proving to be a vital part of the first eleven. In fact, the entire current back three of Touré, Sakho and Martin Skrtel or Daniel Agger looks to be the strongest central defence the team has had since the days of Sami Hyypia and Stéphane Henchoz. Yes, the formation is different but in terms of confidence. Confidence that they won't leak a goal or two each match.

The midfield is looking good and although we've not seen much of them, Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto both look to be good buys. I think the latter isn't quite ready yet, and he'll need this season to get used to things but he his technical ability is as good as I've seen. It's fair to say that Aspas too, still has some work to do but the boy does bring some more invention to the side. I won't call him the next Bruno Cheyrou just yet! But with the Jordan Henderson as the next Ray Kennedy and Philippe Coutinho being the next, well... Philippe Coutinho, it's looking like back to the future. The team is playing well, and thus far, my impression of Rodgers has been spot on. He hasn't delivered totally but he's heading in the right direction.

Rodgers is a man who really knows what Liverpool Football Club is about, and the owners have made the right choice in his appointment. His tactical knowledge is solid, he knows how to motivate the players and most importantly, he learns from his mistakes (enter Borini and Oussama Assaidi). That said the team is still not quite where it should be. I thought there were lapses in defence on Saturday which, against a better side would have been surely punished and the team also needs to improve their concentration and consistency in the second half of games when leading. 

Having said that, a top four finish should be achievable given the start they've made to this campaign. I still believe Liverpool need to seek out a replacement for Luis Suarez in the event that he gets itchy feet again. Am I glad he stayed? I can't say I am really. I am glad that he's playing more for the team now and not being guilty of breaking down the attacking phase of play. But I still don't have much time for the guy.

He's like Marmite. You either love it or you don't. Personally I can't stand the stuff!

Follow me on Twitter @Mrbengreen

You'll win nothing with kids!

Button it chaps. You need me!

You've probably noticed I've not written much this last week or two. It's not because I've won the Lottery and now couldn't give a toss about Liverpool FC. Not that I can say I've been that busy I haven't had time. I can't even put it down to writer's block. The fact is that there isn't anything interesting to write about. The close season optimism is now as exciting as the proverbial damp squib!

I'm sick to the back teeth of Luis Suarez and its got to the point that I want him to go simply so that I can take a good look at the team Brendan Rodgers has assembled and propose a way forward with what's left. I'm not interested where he goes, just so long as he does. Do us all a favor. Same can be said for Pepe Reina. As much as I like Peps, I'd like to sacrifice him, just for something to write about. 

A quick look at the papers and what do I see? Steve McClaren has joined Harry Redknapp's mighty army at QPR... Big deal.  Manuel Pellegrini thinks Manchester City will win the league... Well he's hardly going to say "It's looking unlikely" is he? And to top it all, Lazio, Genoa and Lecce have been charged with match fixing... No shock there. A good Roma supporting friend of mine told me that months ago so it isn't really news. Apart from the fact that Lecce aren't being used to draw blood from boils anymore - Boom boom!

Side-splitting jokes apart, the one piece of news that has caught my interest is that Stewart Downing could be on his way to West Ham. Personally speaking, I think Rodgers would be making a mistake to sell him and this is for two reasons. Firstly, because along with Jordan Henderson he was one of our better players toward the end of last season. He finished with five assists, which although doesn't seem that many, I'm near on certain that all of those came in the second half of the season when he really picked things up. He even scored three goals which is his best tally for Liverpool so far considering he was out of favor for much of 2012/13. Surely something to build on.

Secondly, and more importantly, Liverpool need his experience. Rodgers has made four signings this close season, and only one, Kolo Toure has proven himself in the Premiership. Yes, Simon Mignolet comes with big expectations but he's not at the peak of his ability just yet. With the exception of Reina - for now anyway - Steven Gerrard and Glenda Johnson, Liverpool don't have many old heads in the squad. Martin Skrtel is 28 but he's not been much use of late. Looking at the "spine" of the team as it's called, there isn't any experience in attack. Between the sticks, defence and midfield yes, but in attack? Not that I can think of. 

Downing has not enjoyed the most convincing of times since moving to Liverpool, but one has to admit that he's been looking like a new player this last few months. Personally, I'd keep him at least until January so the newcomers can be brought in gradually. Arguably for the whole season. My concern is that Liverpool will be relying too much on potential and not enough on established ability going into the next campaign. I repeat, the Champions League is too far an expectation, but Rodgers should at least give himself a chance and be careful he doesn't make a rod for his own back. 

Alas, I fear that Liverpool will be relying on a young team that doesn't have the experience to fulfill the expectations placed upon them and the pressure that comes with it. For this reason, I'd say top five or six is realistic. Some bloke once said "You'll win nothing with kids" and although he ended up with a massive lump of egg on his face, I don't see that particular bolt of lightening striking twice. 

Follow me on Twitter @Mrbengreen

Build from the back

Oops!!

No cryptic start to the title of this blog. It is about what it says it's about. Liverpool remain in my view a team in transition, despite Brendan Rodgers telling The Mirror this week that he thinks he's solved Liverpool's "Top-four puzzle". Perhaps he knows something we don't? I hope so. Reported over the last couple of days has been the possible signing of Sunderland 'keeper Simon Mignolet.

If Rodgers can get Mignolet on board, then he may well be right. The finishing table from last season shows The Reds a creditable seventh, just two points away from the blue-noses across the way. In other words, a win or two draws short of sixth. You probably know where I'm going with this. Pepe Reina is rumored to be leaving for Barcelona this year, and I think that could be a good move for both Reina and Liverpool. Errors against Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham among others' individual mistakes cost the team dear and I think it's time for a change between the sticks. 

I checked some stats for both Mignolet and Reina and they make interesting reading. The shots faced to goals conceded is telling. According to thescore.com Reina's ratio shows that out of 292 shots he was  beaten 34 times. Or 11.6% of all shots bulging the net. On the other hand, Mignolet, played more games but let in 54 goals having faced 524 strikes. Remember, he was playing for Sunderland, bless him! These numbers give us a return of 10.3% which considering he was clearly overworked speaks volumes for his ability. 

There are another two areas I looked at which indicate that perhaps Reina has, quite literally, taken his eye off the ball. He's been at fault for at least, arguably six points this season. Against Citeh and the Gooners, valuable points were lost through errors. A glance at Reina's stats show a steady increase over the last three seasons to reach six howlers last term. If I wanted to be pedantic, I'd say that was six points right there. Not enough for European qualification but a place higher nonetheless. Mignolet on the other hand has an error count of just two. Notwithstanding the fact the poor lad didn't get a moment's rest! Add to that the fact that Reina has missed 32% or 10 of his 41 crosses compared to Mignolet's 6% or 3 of the 50 crosses he's had to intercept and you get the picture.

Unlike David James, who I believe Liverpool let go before his peak, it's probably time for Peps to move on. I wouldn't say he's past it, but I get the impression that he's not as happy at Liverpool these days as he has been in the past. Is it any coincidence that since the speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona, his form has steadily declined? I'd say, his heart is definitely not in it anymore. To be fair to him, he started out at Barcelona and the chance to return there as number one and follow in his old man's footsteps must be a hard one to resist. On the other hand, Mignolet at 25 has his best years ahead of him and is in the kind of form Reina was showing three or four seasons ago.

Pepe Reina will be sorely missed because he has been a relatively consistent performer over the time he's been at Liverpool but if Rodgers is intending to push for a top four spot next season, then he could do a lot worse than bringing Mignolet in to shore up the last line of defence. With the additions made to the attack, he still has work to do with the rest of the defence. Kolo "tree-trunk legs" Toure is a more than worthwhile signing in my opinion but we still need more cover. You know, build from the back, so to speak.

Follow me on Twitter @Mrbengreen