Not As Easy As They Hoped. The Liverpool FC Return To European Football

(Flickr Images The Commons, Ruaraldah Guilles)

Well it wasn’t quite in the script for Liverpool on their return to the Uefa Champions League Tuesday night at Anfield. The Reds had to dig really deep and scraped a tight win over Champions League newcomers Ludogorets 2-1. Steven Gerrard converted a late spot kick to grab all three points and avoid any embarrassment.

Just like the frustrating 1-0 loss to Villa last weekend, the Reds found it hard to break down a stingy defense that parked a majority of their men behind the ball and made it very difficult to penetrate their back line. Liverpool’s quick passing and free-flowing attack, never got off the ground and when it looked like it was moving in the right direction, the finishing product wasn’t there at times.

Many of the moves broke down through poor passing which is something Brendan Rodgers will be looking to work hard to improve and get back to the style that saw Liverpool excite the footballing world last season. After finally getting the opener they quickly were caught off guard and conceded an equalizer. However persistence from Javier Manquillo earned the Reds a late penalty that none other than “Captain Fantastic” Steven Gerrard buried with ease.

Rodgers ready for clubs first real test of the season Vs Manchester City. Picture courtesy of www.theguardian.com

This match never looked easy which can be a concern for Liverpool fans who were so used to seeing incredible performances match after match last season. With that being said should Reds fans be concerned? Well it’s far too early to tell and even Rodgers made a great point in his press conference after the match and I quote

"“We are still adapting with a lot of new players coming into the squad. At times in other games in the league we have been outstanding and at other times we have been a wee bit slow. But the thing I can never question is the determination and character of this team.“I think that will come. I think we were outstanding last season – the key for us is the speed and movement and obviously we are not quite there in terms of fluency, because of so many players coming in and adapting to the style.”"

Losing Suarez and bringing in so many new signings will only take time for the squad to get back to that style of play that was almost unbeatable last season. It also didn’t help not having Daniel Sturridge through injury and no disrespect to Balotelli who had a great match scoring his first goal for the club, Sturridge makes those runs off the ball that Super Mario can’t. His pace alone opens up holes for other attacking players like Sterling and Coutinho to exploit. In the two matches without him, I saw that side of things missing in Liverpool’s attack. You can chalk it up how you want but along with some scary moments and negative sides to Liverpool’s game, on the night there were definitely many positives.

Key Positives

For one, Mario Balotelli looked in great form and was getting into positions in front of goal and in and around the box where he will need to be to score goals. His hard work and want for the ball paid off as he netted his first goal for the club in sublime fashion. Shrugging off two defenders and slicing a perfect shot with the outside of his boot into the corner. This is something Reds fans hope to see a lot of this season.

Performances like this will only help him grow in confidence and the one thing I and Reds fans will most likely agree with, is it is nice to see him wanting to play and make an impact. The form will come but the fact that he wants the ball, wants to chase defenders down and is looking to bag goals. This is something he has been lacking in years past, and it’s the piece of his game that will propel him for greatness this season.

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Another big moment would be bouncing back after conceding late to grab all three points. When you’ve been struggling all game and finally make a breakthrough only to be pegged back at 1-1, many teams heads would drop. However Liverpool stuck to their guns and some determination paid off when Javier Manquillo kept his eye on the play and was able to steal the ball away from goalkeeper Milan Borjan, before being tripped in the box for a clear-cut penalty. There was only one man cool enough to bury the penalty with ease and that was Stevie G. The captain slotted the ball home and a sigh of relief around Anfield could be heard from this side of the pond.

Areas of Improvement

Yes I know we try to take the positives away from this game but over this tight win and the loss last weekend to Villa there are many areas of improvement to be had.

Coutinho can lead Liverpool to glory www.thebiglead.com

The fluidity of their passing needs to improve, it was something that was ever-present last season, and an area of Liverpool’s game that when it does click works wonders on opponents. I hate to get on players backs and criticize, but one player who has been very poor when it comes to touch and pass in the last two matches has been Phillipe Coutinho. The Brazilian wonder has seen a dip in form especially in his passing side of his game. He was caught giving the ball away in midfield far too many times which brought the attack to a halt rather than a surge forward.

I only point him out because of the role he wants to and probably needs to play in order for Liverpool to have success. He is vital in the number 10 or “attacking midfielder” role. If he plays in that hole behind the striker he is going to see a lot of the ball and is the essential part to the attack moving as one. That first pass will have to be better but Coutinho has so much skill that if he gets back to his stellar ways of last season, these issues will evaporate over night.

Man marking in the backline between Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho has to be better. On the goals conceded in the last few matches , the center backs have been guilty of switching off at the last-minute. If they can hold their line and close the space between them, than they will find it easier to watch the runs in behind them.

With all that being said I believe Reds fans can sit back and relax. yes it hasn’t been the prettiest display of football in that last few games but most importantly they got a win to build off the loss to Villa. The signs of a breakthrough like last season have been there from time to time and consistency will come with determination and character. One things for certain, the Merseysiders have always been fighters, and won’t give up till the Kop is roaring again.