When the news came out following the end of season review in June that FSG would back Brendan Rodgers to continue as Liverpool manager, I must admit I was disappointed. We had been humiliated 6-1 by Stoke City to cap off a dismal season during which we finished outside the top four, as well as a disastrous Champions League campaign which resulted in failure to qualify from a relatively kind group, along with semi-final defeats in both domestic cup competitions. It simply wasn’t good enough for Liverpool Football Club. Along with many fans, I felt we needed a change. Jurgen Klopp had recently left his post at Borussia Dortmund and seemed like the perfect fit- a fresh face with new ideas and a pedigree of success at a top European club. Instead FSG put faith in Rodgers, allowing him full control of his transfer targets this summer. There’s no point in complaining, and as a Liverpool fan I will back Rodgers to succeed. It’s a new season, a clean slate, but now there is nowhere for Rodgers to hide- he has to make it work, otherwise there is only one scenario.
Here we are, two games into the new Premier League season and Liverpool sit among only four sides to collect maximum points thus far. Both have been 1-0 wins, the first away to Stoke and the most recent at home to Bournemouth. Two wins, two clean sheets. On the face of it that sounds like a promising start. Given how we ended last season, Rodgers has done well to steady the ship and build a solid foundation to build on. As he says himself, the performances should click into gear sooner or later as new signings adapt and the players reach full match fitness. Right now, the most important thing is getting points on the board early, and to Rodgers’ credit, we have done that so far. It’s only two matches, granted, but look at the situation Chelsea and Tottenham find themselves in already, without a win so far. Arsenal already suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham on the opening day on their own turf. Beating Stoke and Bournemouth 1-0 is hardly much to shout about, but with a tough away trip to the Emirates awaiting on Monday night, having those wins under our belt is a major boost.
If you look closer at the two games, however, cracks start to appear as you analyse Liverpool’s performances. Granted, we won both games, but have we performed especially well on either occasion? Personally, I haven’t been too impressed, certainly when looking at the creative and attacking aspects of our displays so far. The opening day against Stoke was a dull affair. Throughout the entire match, we looked rigid, devoid of ideas and lacking a cutting edge in the final third. It took a spectacular 30 yard strike from Coutinho to snatch the three points with five minutes left, but other than that we rarely looked like scoring. At home to Bournemouth, a newly promoted side, we can certainly count ourselves fortunate to have had Elphick’s header disallowed for a soft foul on Lovren. Had that goal stood, the dynamic of the game would have been altered significantly. The second slice of good fortune came with Benteke’s goal which should have been disallowed for offside under the new rules due to Coutinho’s attempt to reach the ball. Bournemouth’s players and manager have the right to feel hard done by. Benteke did then hit the bar late on, and our overall performance level gradually improved, but you would expect Liverpool to win more convincingly at home against opposition of Bournemouth’s caliber (no disrespect to the Cherries who gave us a competitive game).
Are these worrying signs then? Should we be beating teams like Stoke and Bournemouth more comfortably rather than relying on a long range strike and a couple of dubious refereeing decisions? The answer is complex. Undeniably, we have been unconvincing so far and there has certainly been an element of fortune which has contributed to our 100% start to the season. Yet this ignores a crucial underlying factor behind both wins- our defensive structure and organisation. This is something Rodgers has never consistently and successfully applied to his team since arriving at Liverpool. Leaking goals has been a constant source of frustration in recent seasons, but there is a very definite new look to Liverpool this season- something almost unrecognisable from past seasons. There is cohesion, discipline and tactical understanding which has formed the basis for these two victories. Whilst there remains plenty of room for improvement in an attacking sense, we have rarely looked in danger of conceding so far this season, bar the disallowed Bournemouth goal. The fact is, if we keep a clean sheet, it only takes one moment of inspiration or good fortune to take all three points. Mignolet has remained relatively untroubled and that is down to a number of factors.
Firstly, Dejan Lovren has looked much improved thus far. He is fortunate to be given a chance ahead of Mamadou Sakho (who I believe to be our best centre back), but in fairness he was excellent against Stoke, and although less impressive against Bournemouth, he is getting the basics right which he failed to do for the majority of last season. He is making key interceptions, winning 50-50 duels in the air, and passing the ball with more conviction and accuracy. He has a long way to go to regain the faith of Liverpool supporters, but he has started in the right manner. One bad performance though and the critics will return in full force. The new full backs have also made a major difference. Nathaniel Clyne has slotted in seamlessly and has been superb thus far, whilst Joe Gomez has made an excellent first impression to oust Alberto Moreno from the left back position, showing vast maturity and versatility for an 18 year old whose natural position is at centre back. Clyne and Gomez are both strong, quick and willing to push forwards, but the key factor is that they put their defensive duties first and are in the right position to cut out danger and make important tackles. When the time is right, they burst up the wing to join the attack, but having full backs whose natural instincts are to defend is of significant benefit to the defensive balance of the team. In midfield, the energy and work rate of Henderson and Milner, the former operating in a deeper role thus far, have offered protection for the back four which was missing at times last season. With Emre Can having made positive contributions in two substitute appearances, he looks set to occupy a ‘controlling role’ in midfield this season, offering further screening of the defence.
Therefore, whilst our performances thus far have been underwhelming in an attacking sense, the new-found defensive solidity of the team is an encouraging sign. Another cause for optimism is the bright start made by Christian Benteke after his £32.5 million move. He has already dispelled the myth that he is ‘Andy Carroll 2.0′ with his all round contribution, especially against Bournemouth. His willingness to press and make runs in behind, along with his neat foot work and strong hold up play have added a new dimension to our attack. He needs to continue in this way, of course, but having scored already on his home debut, he has lifted some initial weight off his shoulders. Rodgers expressed his delight after the Bournemouth game at how Benteke turned a hopeful punt into the box into a chance for Coutinho as he controlled the ball and knocked it into the Brazilian’s path. This strays a long way from the Rodgers blue print. Are we witnessing a transition in Rodgers’ footballing philosophy, abandoning his idealistic footballing utopia of a possession-based passing game for a more pragmatic, direct and less elegant approach? At this stage in the season it’s too early to tell for sure (remembering we still have Roberto Firmino and hopefully Daniel Sturridge to add to the mix) and the forthcoming months will reveal much more about the direction in which Rodgers is taking Liverpool.
At the end of the day, if Liverpool win, the fans are happy. Ideally we all want to see slick, dominant, attacking performances with plenty of goals, but if it requires a more defensive set-up to get us further up the table and grind out results early in the season, so be it. Had Rodgers approached these opening two games with the same kind of gung-ho style we’ve seen in the past, and had we not collected maximum points, both he and the team would be under a huge amount of pressure and criticism already. As it is, we head into the Arsenal game in a positive frame of mind. Monday night at the Emirates will be the acid test for Rodgers and the team. If we can apply the same level of defensive performance against the likes of Alexis Sanchez and co., there will be reason to believe that we are very much heading in the right direction. We managed it against Stoke and Bournemouth, but Arsenal will prove a much tougher test of our credentials and will offer a genuine indicator of our progress. Take a point or even three and it starts to look like a very good start to the season for Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers. Lose, however, and the same questions and doubts will inevitably arise once more.
Sean Walsh
Latest posts by Sean Walsh (see all)
- Swansea City vs Tottenham Hotspur – Preview - October 4, 2015
- AS Monaco vs Tottenham Hotspur – Preview - September 30, 2015
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City – Preview - September 25, 2015