Good Game Bad Game [vs West Ham]

When I first started writing this blog it was precisely for days like this: a form of therapy when the frustration of a bad result just wouldn’t go away.

And it was a bad result, albeit not a bad performance. Indeed most of the side played well yet there was no rhythm. Everything was too disjointed particularly in the final third which strengthens my personal belief that this particular system that worked so well towards the tail end of last season doesn’t fit well when the team is shorn of Fernando Torres.

Certainly, Robbie Keane looks uncomfortable playing in it. Actually, scratch that, the impression is that he doesn’t really know what is expected of him, whether he should act as a striker or in support of someone else. In the end he is neither.

The booing at the end was disappointing, yet the sentiment is hard to hold back. Playing this way, missing such opportunities to forge ahead is exactly why Liverpool won’t win the league title. What’s worse, it will fuel the belief among opposing teams that they can come to Anfield and get at least a draw.

On the bright side, we were due to go a rough patch and, if this is it, then we can at least draw comfort from the fact that we are top of the league nevertheless. Not really any consolation, I know, but that’s the best I can offer.

Good Game
It may have been flagged off (wrongly) for offside, but Pepe Reina’s save at the death was simply breath-taking. Indeed, in what was largely a quite evening, he still was more than ready whenever needed.

The inclusion of Sami Hyppia may have been a surprise, especially against a fast player like Bellamy yet the Finn did well enough even though he will be wondering how at least one of those headers didn’t go in. As always, it was an impeccable show by Jamie Carragher who always positioned himself immaculately.

During the weekend, Benitez defended Andrea Dossena insisting that the Italian will come good and this evening we saw the first sign that he might just be right. Going forward he was excellent and his crosses always caused troubled. Yet, even defensively, he was very good in the rare occasions when he was put under pressure.

Same goes for Alvaro Arbeloa. Someone recently told me that I’m too critical of him which took me aback because I’m actually a big fan of Arbeloa. So much, I guess, that I tried to hide my bias by being overly critical. Well, not tonight as I think he proved that he is indeed worthy of being Steve Finnan’s heir.

Someone who I’ve knowingly been critical of lately is Yossi Benayoun. Coming on as a substitute, the Israeli has often appeared far too flustered. Given a starting slot, I thought that he did extremely well both creatively and also by the amount of effort he put even, so much that he probably overshadowed Kuyt in that department. My man of the match.

That might seem slightly harsh on Xabi Alonso whose passing and calmness in midfield is a work of art. What a shame it would have been to get rid of him.

Perhaps no player wanted to win this game as desperately as Steven Gerrard and certainly no player felt the pressure as much as he did. The team looks towards him when it needs inspiration but the expectations are certainly weighing him down. A good game, nevertheless, even if overshadowed by the wayward shots.

Dirk Kuyt was asked to play up-front on this occasion and as always did well even though his form has dipped slightly of late. What I like is how his technique, that was often ridiculed in the past, seems to be coming to the fore more these days.

Bad Game
Having started off so brightly, Albert Riera’s form has dipped sharply. Against West Ham he was probably at his worst and practically everything he tried didn’t work out. It might sound as if I’m picking on Robbie Keane but, as I said earlier, he doesn’t really seem to know what he should be doing. One half chance throughout the sixty minutes he was on the pitch is far too little for a player of his abilities.

Substitutes
That David N’Gog is the only striking alternative left to Benitez says a lot about the depth of the squad. The French teenager tries hard yet he simply doesn’t have the composure and experience to change he course of a game as he was asked to do today. Ideally, he would be introduced slowly in games where Liverpool are cruising but when was the last time we had one of those? Kristian Nemeth, once fully fit, would in my opinion be a better option.

Last week Ryan Babel said that he was frustrated at Liverpool. Well, the feeling is mutual, mate. Apart from a great run and shot, he did very, very little and the fact that he was on the pitch for just ten minutes shouldn’t be allowed to be used as an excuse.