by LFC2007 » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:53 pm
The FA cup is well within reach but to get fourth now would take a huge effort, maybe 10 wins in 12 or something of that order.
How does that leave our season? Well, success in the League Cup is progress on its own terms and the lack of progress in the league likewise. The League Cup win ends six seasons without a trophy, it gave the fans a day to savour at Wembley, and some of the players their first experience of winning a major trophy. You can never take away from us the fact that we've played in all the major cup competitions and won in the most dramatic of fashion in all of them. In the league, meanwhile, we're in a strikingly similar position to where we were at the same stage last season (a point better off, but four points further behind fourth with a game in hand). That's what the results tell us but like Kenny said, this is to ignore the teams performances and what they tell us about the team going forward.
For me, they tell of a side that does a satisfactory job in all but the final third of the pitch and in particular in the final act of goalscoring. In defence, we are miles further forward from where we used to be. Skrtel's form from since Kenny arrived has improved beyond all recognition and he alongside Agger have formed a rock solid defensive partnership that many doubted would succeed. Enrique has come in and been an instant hit, solving a problem we spent years trying to address unsuccessfully with the likes of Insua, Dossena and Aurelio, and, at right back, Johnson has had his best season for the club so far. At best, most of us wonder whether or not we need an extra CB as back up for Agger/Skrtel, but we no longer demand a complete revamp in that dept. They're all at a good age, too, and this is to say nothing of the youngsters we've coming through behind them: Kelly, Flanagan, Robinson, Coates.
In the attack, we've a lot more work to do in, though it's fair to say we've more than held our own in most games this season. It's a good measure of creativity and a lot of cutting edge that we lack. The stat's about hitting the woodwork speak for themselves, as does the number of times the oppo goalie has come to Anfield and played an absolute blinder. That said, it wouldn't repeatedly happen if it was purely luck, so we need to realise that serious change is needed. One top striker won't suddenly solve all of our attacking problems. The midfielders have also lacked for contribution in terms of end product whereas they should all be getting at least four or five league goals/assists a season when fit. Suarez, despite his mercurial talent, hasn't been prolific with us, either, and for a player of his ability, theres no reason he can't get 15 a season. Surrounding him with better players would be a start, but I think that on a personal level, he needs a to gain bit more composure in front of goal. Sometimes he's just too eager for his own good.
You don't normally rely on defenders for many goals, but it is something else to work on. Skrtel has a couple already in the league, Johnson has one, while Agger and Enrique have both had some unbelievable chances without scoring. We should remember, too, that when one problem is solved, new problems often arise. If we improve in the attack, we have to make sure to go on being as solid in defence. We can't necessarily be sure that Skrtel won't revert to his old dodgy self, less still that Agger's injuries will recur, and if if this comes to pass we need to manage it.
It's also never a bad idea to benchmark against the best to see how you might improve. If the template for success is there, why not look to learn something from it? Can we look at the likes of Downing and Henderson and say that they compare favourably to the likes of Silva and Nasri, Mata and Sturridge, Young and Valencia? If not, why not, then set about to change it. This is my own view, but I think it would be naive to think that coaching alone would be sufficient to make the necessary improvements in these positions. There are certain abilities that you just can't learn, so it's going to take new players I think, probably new signings. A striker or two, a winger or two, and a midfielder would be the emphasis I would have in the forthcoming window, though mindful all the time not to ignore the defence, just in case there are deals to be had.
Who do I see being the man in charge to make these changes? Kenny, of course. He deserves a chance to build on the progress that's unquestionably been made since he arrived at the club, as well to rectify the mistakes he's made. I notice that the same people who are keen for a change in our manager felt that AVB deserved more time at Chelsea, despite having taking over a side that finished second last season and spending tens of millions on new players. The irony. Maybe they are just incredibly biased towards their own opinions?
we are just not clinical but thats not a reason to change the manager.
