Liverpool suffered a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday despite having a host of chances to find the net themselves. Adam Bate looks at how a lack of conviction at both ends is undermining Brendan Rodgers and his team…
Monday 15 December 2014 06:57, UK
“We were the better side.” Brendan Rodgers’ assessment of his Liverpool team’s first-half performance at Old Trafford might raise a chuckle from the neutral but you could also see what he meant… If only you’re willing to turn a blind eye to events in both penalty boxes.
Unfortunately for Rodgers, that seems to be the sort of negligence with which his players are approaching their work at the moment. Great managers often talk about the details that decide games but Liverpool look flaky at the back with an alarming lack of conviction in attack.
Not that these have been the only issues. Rodgers has also faced accusations of abandoning the style of play that brought them success. As a result, there was a shift in emphasis before kick-off. “We’ve got to get back to doing what we do best,” he said in explaining his selection. “To play with intensity and a high level of technique.”
The early signs on that score were good and the creativity that was conspicuous by its absence in recent disappointments against Sunderland and Basel was evident once more. Liverpool pressed United in their own half and induced a series of errors from their great rivals.
Raheem Sterling, playing as the central striker, had support from Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana with the trio finding encouraging angles for passes as they pulled the opposition back-three around. The creativity issues were addressed. But it’s to no avail without the accompanying finish.
League leaders Chelsea have the best shooting accuracy and top the shot conversion rate charts in this season’s Premier League. That’s an illustration of its importance. In contrast, Liverpool rank outside the top 10 in the division on both metrics and it proved costly on Sunday.
“It’s all jab, jab, jab,” said Gary Neville on co-commentary for Sky Sports and that seemed to sum it up. Sterling was a willing runner – his 93 sprints bettered only twice all season in the Premier League – but the finishing felt like a mere afterthought.
He alone had more shots on target than the Manchester United team in the first half. And yet, Sterling was unable to beat David de Gea while United twice found the net in the opening 45 minutes. Mario Balotelli then continued the trend after coming on as a half-time substitute.
The Opta data shows that Balotelli has now had seven clear chances to score this season and netted none of them. By comparison, the only other player to have had two or more such opportunities without scoring a Premier League goal is Burnley’s Lukas Jutkiewicz. And he’s missed only three.
Balotelli was presented with two good chances against United but each time the shot was too close to De Gea. The Italian arrived at Anfield with a reputation for being a difficult character off the pitch but a cool finisher on it. He’s struggling to fulfil his part of the bargain and his Liverpool career is in danger of becoming perceived as unsalvageable.
“If Liverpool had Suarez from last season or Sturridge was fit today, I’m not sure Liverpool would’ve lost the game because they created that many chances that a proper striker, a top-class finisher, I’m sure would have put one of those away.
De Gea’s saves were impressive and his man of the match award deserved, but the praise for the United goalkeeper need not be regarded as a free pass for the Liverpool forwards. They were complicit in his clean sheet and while Liverpool supporters might be sick of hearing the names of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge cited as reasons for their results, that doesn’t make it inaccurate.
“If Liverpool had Suarez from last season or Sturridge was fit today,” said Jamie Carragher afterwards, “I’m not sure Liverpool would’ve lost the game because they created that many chances that a proper striker, a top-class finisher, I’m sure would have put one of those away.”
That Balotelli was introduced for Lallana after the pre-match talk of focusing on the technical emphasised the fact that Rodgers is still scrambling for answers. “We know what the solutions are,” he told Sky Sports afterwards. But the tinkering goes on.
The switch to 3-5-2 could not be regarded as a success. Alberto Moreno might have enjoyed the added freedom that comes with the wing-back role but Joe Allen was unable to adequately cover for his attacking forays and was too easily outfoxed by Antonio Valencia for the opening goal.
In the centre of the pitch, Coutinho undermined some good work with the ball by forgetting the importance of remaining switched on without it as he allowed Wayne Rooney to wander forwards unchecked despite the United skipper being in his eye line for at least 40 yards of his journey.
“We lose our runner from the midfield area, which you can’t do,” said Rodgers. But Carragher was more brutal in his conclusion. “What Coutinho does on the edge of the box is unforgivable. It’s lazy.” It could also be symptomatic of an attitude that needs to change before the results do.
“Brendan Rodgers talked about a technical game,” said Neville. “Well, you’re playing Manchester United. The technical comes after the physical unfortunately. You’ve got to win the battle.” In the areas where games are decided, Liverpool appear to regard it as optional.
While there was an element of misfortune to the second goal given that Robin van Persie’s touch rendered Juan Mata offside, the third was hapless. Dejan Lovren’s attempted clearance was panic personified before Brad Jones once again found himself diving one way as the ball travelled in another direction.
According to Opta, that’s seven errors leading to a shot or a goal by Lovren so far this season. Nobody else in the division has made more than four. It’s a damning statistic given that the club paid a reported £20million to sign him just four-and-a-half months ago.
As for Jones, the decision to select a goalkeeper who’d not started a Premier League game in 21 months might in itself be interpreted as an act that highlighted the issues Liverpool are facing in the positions that matter most.
While United could count on a star between the sticks and a host of attacking options, Rodgers turned to his second-choice keeper and felt unable to pick a single striker in his starting line-up.
“It probably epitomised our season really,” he said. “We’re not prolific enough in terms of goalscoring. We created so many chances today. But we also make defensive mistakes and that’s what’s cost us today. At least we created the opportunities. If we can cut out the mistakes we’re going to be in with a chance of winning more games.”
That last point is inarguable. But having changed his goalkeeper, his formation, the style and the personnel, the problems still continue for Liverpool. This is now their lowest points tally at this stage of the season in half a century and the pressure is building.
In particular, the midweek Capital One Cup trip to Championship leaders Bournemouth feels fraught with danger. Being ‘the better team’ on Wednesday won’t be enough. It’s time for Liverpool to show they can do what’s necessary at both ends of the pitch.
