Liverpool Fiorentina Will It Distract From Our 19th Title

Fiorentina awaits us tonight at their ground and once again we would probably have to play a blinder, hit a few past the Italians, keep a clean sheet and get a few of their players sent off before the press will acknowledge our achievements or basically be blind to everything our lads have achieved against all the odds. While most of the pre-match talk has been on the on-again feud between Hicks and Gillett as new potential suitors emerge from the Middle East, I am just concerned that Fiorentina could quite easily overwhelm us on the field. They aren’t the best team in Italy, but have been quite consistent the past two or three seasons at least and despite all that media talk about the Serie A being one of the backwaters of European football now, they still know how to defend and many of their lesser known teams have often sent our famous Premiership buddies into their own wilderness. From what I’ve seen of Fiorentina, a very organised side and can be quite capable of playing some delicious football too. Good thing Gilardino is out but with the kind of excellent defending Rafa has been instilling in our lads, I wouldn’t consider a clean sheet a certainty. It will all again depend on Torres and Gerrard and whether they can come up with some magic to keep us in the game throughout the proceedings. Wouldn’t be too bad if a draw is the final result but I wouldn’t rule out us losing on the day too. Keep the faith as we always say but it is a possibility.

Watching the Man City Hammers game last night, I finally get why Rafa wanted Barry. Without Barry, Man City won’t be half the team they are now. He’s holding them up and organising them. While he still isn’t worth the money Rafa was prepared to pay for him, on hindsight we sorely need a player like him now. Masch does a good job at destroying stuff but he doesn’t have the distribution qualities that Barry has which would be of great help to Stevie G and Torres. Of course Alonso filled that part in the past but Barry has the extra dimension of being able to tackle better. His passing might not be anywhere near the class of Alonso but now that the boy has left, gosh what a hole that gapes ever so wide. Lucas? I know just about ever Liverpool fan has little regard for him, but he can be a useful player if only Rafa freed him from having to be a water carrier. He never was one to begin with and looks a totally different player than when he first arrived. And that’s a real pity.

So we all love these European nights and always have a chance, especially with Rafa in charge. But should we really pay too much attention to it? Sometimes, I wonder if the truth is that we are better equipped to win the Champions League than the league. The one off situations bring the best out of the lads and yes the whole competition is much shorter than a league of course which is more of a grind. But while last season was a great improvement, why can’t our lads be more consistent like those Mancunians or glamour Londoners? But take nothing away from their effort and achievements, they will only get better. As long as Rafa gets the money to bring in better players. Which doesn’t look like happening since he’ll only have 20m to spend each season which also includes any salary raises to be paid to those who want more money. Let’s say Masch asks for a better package when Barca comes acalling again next summer. That’d be enough to wipe out half the 20 million. Just what Hicks and Gillett are thinking I don’t know – why all the power struggle? The Saudis are coming in with much more than they spent originally – take the money and run since they aren’t gonna be making any consistent income from the club the way they are running it. Ok I get it – they’re just using it to lay their own debts on the club. Which is why I hope the fans continue their vocal demonstrations against them. Sponsors won’t like it? Well they would like it better once those two are out of the way and the oil money are flowing into the club.

Anyway here’s what I think’s gonna happen tonight and some of you won’t like it – Fiorentina might just sneak past us and there’d be more media nonsense after that about a new crisis at Anfield. Maybe it might lead to an early exit, maybe not. But whatever it is, I hope we do prioritise the league as the 19th title is just calling out to us and wants to return to its’ rightful home that is Anfield!

Liverpool 19th Title Here We Come Thanks To Hull

Wow I must be some kind of psychic or Babel must have been lurking and reading what I wrote and telling it to the rest of the lads. Even Rafa took some of my advice and I could be doing his job for him already. Alright just a joke. But it was easy looking back considering we were to play in the Champions League in midweek and I will have something to say about that later but the only thing that was surprising against Hull was that Rafa didn’t take both Torres and Stevie G off much earlier. He should have done it right after the third goal. True our defence still looked like me and my mates at Sunday football but the thing about a team like Hull is that their best efforts will continue to look like me and my mates at Sunday football until they change their manager and bring in some useful players. It was too easy for Liverpool and honestly, really flattered them and Torres’ goals. That said, Torres clearly has his appetite back after a bout of grumbling at the start of the season and this can only bode well for us until the next time he gets injured, which touch wood, isn’t gonna happen this season, next season or every season that he stays with us.

Here’s Gary Lineker showing off his analytical and presenting skills while showcasing how awesome Torres was against Hull’s equally fantastic back four of Sonko and… god knows who else:

So now for the important issue here – another week, another big win and we finally turn away the likes of Hull at Anfield. We’re starting to look clinical in front of goal. The points are flowing again and so are the goals. Torres is bang on form and Stevie G is a changed man and should now be fully focused on the club and being a proper family man. And Babel even started to look deadly with his pace and incredible finishing. Are we now on track for the long awaited 19th title?

I would certainly hope so. But there were still the troubling signs of loose defending with our back four individually looking fine (Insua and Johnson) but collectively you wonder if they think they’re interchanging positions with Torres and Stevie G. It’s not just the inability to get the zonal marking system right, but in open play they looked quite out of sorts and on different wavelengths as well. Carragher has been making last ditch tackles throughout his career but when he was in peak form it all looked easy and calculated. But now it just looks… desperate. And for a team like Hull with a player like Geovanni to cut through us a few times with ease, and to even equalise – doesn’t look too good when you review the tape. You can’t expect to gift these to teams like Fiorentina and expect to knock in another 5 to trot off with smiles on your faces. Just doesn’t happen.

That said, I do expect the boys to be tighter come midweek – they usually do in Europe. Maybe due to the slower tempo and continental teams seldom play a high tempo and charge round like headless chickens game that sides like Hull specialise in, which strangely is the type that Liverpool cannot cope with. The only difference in midweek would be that we’ll be away, which then again will have Rafa returning to the soak and strike methods that he perfected in the last few seasons.

And finally, Babel. Honestly, his two goals and that fine start and finish for his first goal covered up his flaws. Still looked wasteful with the ball but hopefully the two goals helps his confidence and makes him work even harder at improving his final pass or decision making. His celebrations certainly showed his passion and determination. But those have been too far and few between. Some might say that you can’t possibly be playing for Holland and not be a good player. Well, that’s what many said of Kuyt before he arrived at Anfield and then looked nothing more than a faster Dider Deschamps carrying the water on the right. But now he’s really settled and although still doesn’t look like a Dutch player, puts in a lot of work and isn’t too bad of a crosser, passer and (sometimes) finisher. Maybe he should take Babel under his wings.

Fiorentina later maybe earlier during the week before the game. Still celebrating the goals and Sonko spending more time on the turf than on his feet.

Another Step To 19 With Hull City And Case For Ryan Babel

Ok I want to talk about the possibility of us finally winning our 19th title and today’s game against Hull City would probably be more important than many might think. So we all expect to win, and that is definitely what should be expected from a club like Liverpool. But so many times last season and the past decade (or more) we have consistently failed to look decent against these teams. Alright, we did look great last season, but failing to find the net means whatever you do during the rest of the game counts for nothing. And in the end yes it really counted for nothing because we won nothing. Credit to the lads for playing really well as a whole but these games really cost us in the end.

So the most important thing is to make sure we end up with the three points. I still think Rafa will rest a number of players, or at least once the points are wrapped up early (if possible), he’ll bring the likes of Stevie G, Torres and maybe Masch off. The latter might need some rest after playing against Leeds United as well. Tuesday’s game against Fiorentina will be a very tough one – those Italians are tough to break down and we don’t look that special anymore this season without Xabi so it would probably be the team that grinds the best that gets all the points. We can’t afford to drop any either and you know Fiorentina would know our zonal marking weaknesses by now.

So back to Hull City and we need to win this in order to add another brick towards our dream for the big 19. On the surface everything looks really straightforward and a foregone conclusion. Phil Brown can’t manage. Hull City can’t defend. They know how to lose and this is Anfield. Of course, the latter didn’t seem to work well last season (or for more than the past decade) so we have to discount it. Maybe make the sign larger in the tunnel. We have become really patient in the past two or three seasons and don’t quite break down easily as we did in the past whenever we concede a goal or the opposition does something at what may look like a crucial period during a game. That is why we appear to have taken over the throne of comeback kings even though Chelsea and those Mancunians are doing their best to wrestle it back. But I’d rather we sweep teams like Hull City aside easily if we are to win the title. Because you don’t see Man Utd having to comeback every other week, especially against the minnows. So two things to look out for that might restore my faith and belief that we can still win the title this season – to beat Hull City easily and not need to make any comeback, or not having our heads drop if we do let in a goal first.

Now for Ryan Babel. After Leeds United, I am starting to think that if we are to win the elusive title, we need to do something with this boy. For all the skill and pace he has, and all the vocal determination he has sounded out, what has Babel really been doing on the training ground? He still provides no end product and keeps making the wrong choices with and without the ball. So many times he broke through the Leeds ranks on Wednesday but each time he basically wasted his final pass or decision. I’m beginning to believe that Rafa actually doesn’t spend any time coaching the lads and making them better players. Looking at his style and character, he probably tells them ok now it’s all up to you to show me that you can break into the team and do something special on the field. It’s all up to you! Because if the coaching staff has been spending time with Babel, the boy should be a world beater by now! It only took less than a season for Man Utd’s staff with Ronaldo and look at him now – bullying the little teams and that’s what we need at Anfield! C’mon Rafa – please take Babel aside and really really make him into the class player that you claim that he should be when you first signed him.

So I’m expecting plenty of goals tonight as long as Rafa will leave Stevie G and Torres on the field, and maybe Benayoun too. We’d probably let in a couple as well since Carragher really looks a liability now as his age has finally caught up with him (still the Man though – plays his heart out each time), Skrtel suddenly looks lost which is a pity since he was such a tough cookie before his injuries, Agger looks more like Jonathan “Sicknote” Woodgate and Johnson prefers to score goals. Need to get them playing as a unit again and really know how to play the zonal system. Other teams have done it before and it’s not like the worst system one can use. Again, Rafa might not actually train the lads on the ground.

Leeds United, Carling Cup And Are We Gaining Momentum?

This week will be an interesting one with the match of the midweek against Leeds United in the Carling Cup. Many fans like me are getting excited about it since we don’t get to play Leeds that often nowadays with them sinking to League One. Sometimes you wonder if we might end up like them with the current state of our financial affairs. One bad season, out of the Champions League and we could see our debts landing us the boot from the FA or even worse, now that UEFA have decided to be financial authorities as well. But we did ask for it by giving the soul of our club to those Americans and can only hope that either they find some new gold chest or they cannot resist a big money offer from a group or person who has the best interests of the club at heart.

But back to the game. News is that it is sold out at Elland Road. All 37,000 tickets. The fans are turning out in force to see their red hot side take on us mighty Scousers. Unfortunately (or fortunately) depending whose side you are on, there won’t be anything mighty about Liverpool because you can be sure Rafa will field mostly second stringers like Dossena, Babel (yes I consider him a second stringer until he actually learns how to play the game), Voronin and some of the local lads which I hope will happen because they really need to be given a chance. Still waiting for Nemeth to make the grade – the boy is good and just needs to be shown some faith. I expect Lucas to feature again as well since Rafa is obviously intent on giving him the limelight and every chance to get better. Whether that happens in the eyes of the majority of us remains to be seen, but I do reckon he is not that bad a player and still remember him spraying passes around just like Alonso when he first arrived. What has happened since I am not sure, but I do get the inkling that his style has changed under Rafa (now a destroyer).

So with mostly the reserves in action, I don’t look forward to it. Leeds are a team on fire right now – they keep winning and it’s about time I guess. They missed out on promotion the last two seasons and it looks like their year this time. Still a long way to go though but if they boot us out of it, it would probably give them a massive lift. But such a result could hurt our momentum and that is something Rafa should really take into consideration. Playing our best 11 might risk injuries and less I forget, fatigue. But maybe the gaffer could let them play for at least a half or when the result is a certainty whichever comes first. You can be sure that with the media always on our back and painting a constant picture of doom and gloom and Rafa going bonkers, losing to Leeds could send the result on to the back page headlines and putting the first team under pressure again in the next Premiership game. Even though they were not involved in that game. But that’s just how the widespread negativity towards the club is at the moment, or perhaps the ridicule we are receiving due to the mess Hicks and Gillett have caused.

I do believe we are gaining momentum, if not with our defending, at least with the results. We’ve never been the best of sides, and if fans are still comparing us unfavourably to last season with Alonso in the team, then just look at the games and results recently – we’re still having to come back from lost causes quite often. The one thing that is still there (or at least returning) is the spirit in the team. That was really what made us tick last season and if we can go at it again, we should still be in the title stakes. That doesn’t mean I think we have a great chance of winning it – but I’ll keep the faith. One thing is for sure, Aquilani must work well for the team and has to stay injury free once he’s back. Or maybe we should have gone for Cassano instead.

The win at Upton Park was fantastic. Quite a game and it was great to see Torres enjoying himself again. He cut a frustrated figure ever since returning from the Confed Cup and even sounded like he was tired of the Premiership. Rafa probably gave him a good clip on the ear and now he’s showing hunger again. Benayoun is also starting to show that he can play from the start and do it well, which is what Rafa claimed he wanted before he gave him that spot. The question now is what happens once Aquilani is back. Knowing Rafa, the Italian would probably have to fight for his place like the rest. Interesting though to see that the two natural wingers in the squad are not given starts even though the gaffer wants to play a wider and more expansive game. Babbel might not deserve a start but I’m still of the opinion that Riera has done relatively well each time he’s played.

So on to Elland Road and hopefully whoever gets to play, does well. Important game no matter what others might say, in or outside the club. The boys need to win and I hope they do. Rafa has already sounded out the warning that Leeds play a direct game quite often and that could mean trouble with our zonal system again. Maybe the replacements might actually be good at that.

Upton Park Beckons

Not quite sure how all this works since I tried before but failed. But now I just need to write about everything come what may as we try to find a way to the elusive 19th title. Last season was the closest we’ve come since a long while and it still hurts no matter how positive a spin you may try to put on it. And naturally our hopes were raised for this season. Things haven’t quite gone as we hoped. You could already see it coming once Alonso wanted to move and the whole situation dragged on too long for new signings to be made and coming in earlier to settle. I do feel that Aquilani might be a good signing but with his injury record and not fit till October by then our title hopes would probably be gone. Some have already written us off but it might actually have been good for the team to start this way. Who knows it might have been enough to get the players started again and this is why tonight would be really important.

We’ve done relatively well at Upton Park in recent years but last season was one of our worst displays there. Ended up winning but with them Hammers struggling so far, we must seize the opportunity and come away with the three points. Don’t care if we do it the ugly way. Sometimes you yearn for the old Benitez sides that just grinded out the results. Now we’re one of the most entertaining because shots keep flying at goal but don’t hit the net quite as often. That’s exciting because you always wonder when the goals will come and when they finally do, it’s a great burst of joy that you can feel in your gut just exploding.

Other than Chelsea (and now Utd) doing what they do best (win), they still haven’t quite run away with things yet. We’ve usually done well after returning from Europe, but having to do so at Upton Park makes it much tougher. The return of Benayoun to his old hunting ground is making the headlines but I expect Noble to keep him relatively quiet (if he gets to start that is). Well he is starting it appears. The lineup looks quite compact but all the big names are in it so if we don’t win, you can expect the daggers to come out flying at Benitez again.

Well keeping my fingers crossed that we finish with three points. Arsenal were back in their groove and with the two big games tomorrow, if we win and they don’t, things could get really interesting again. Back later.