Liverpool could have taken something from the game. I don't want to HEAR anyone say again that they played badly. They did not. It was a good game to watch and BOTH teams had chances. It's very simple why Liverpool lost...and one man has to raise both his hands, feet and whatever else he can. Brendan....WHY change a system your players are used to right before a TOUGH away match?
I don't know what formation Liverpool were playing and quite frankly, I could care less. I was shocked that Moses was not starting and I thought it was quite alarming that Sturridge kept getting the ball from the halfway line. The tactics were all wrong, and this dampened the SAS threat and allowed Arsenal more confidence to push forward and evoke their own attacking game. And Rodgers only has himself to blame. Even despite the handicap, Liverpool had some very good chances and could have clawed their way back into the game.
This is something that managers like to do. It's a temptation thing. Rodgers knew this would be a big match, and the tendency is to change things to try and get an upper-hand. But, it's the WORST thing you can do in these sorts of games. Rodgers should have played the EXACT system with the EXACT players from their last match. He should then have seen how it would have worked for the first ten minutes, then IF need be...change it up. It's such a criminal thing to do as a manager that I think Rodgers will accept he messed up. If you noticed, not once did he scream or shout at his players. By the time the second goal went in, Rodgers just sat down and conceded.
Rodgers has to learn to stick with one system and groups of players. The more and more they play their most fruitful system, the more effective that SAS attack will be. In contrast, Arsenal know exactly how they play and have been doing it for YEARS. So with ANY team, big or small, they will always have that flow and feel comfortable in the strategy that they employ.
It's a long season people, and this is just the one match. Having seen Tottenham play today, I have faith that with the kind of killer players Liverpool have, they are my pick to perhaps steal that fourth position. Rodgers just needs to get the team playing the ONE, CONSISTENT way.
bada smack!
HH
