http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/liverpool/id/2846?cc=5901 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice article, better than some others I've read, yet kinda the same. I see so many of these nowadays ... superficial analyses where exalted metaphors take centre-stage. It's ok for the evening of..., it adds to the euphoria, but next morning, all sobered up, I want analysis in depth! I'm gonna hijack this with my points: - We had a fantastic first half, and a bad second half. We sat too deep, gap in front of Gerrard, midfield was stretched. Even before Milner came in. Why the change? Stamina only? - Milner unlike Navas was drifting inside and making runs. City thus gained a midfielder, whilst ours were drifting further up with respect to Gerrard. So, the midfield was lost. - For all the ref decisions they point went our way, I can point a same number going City's way - Suarez's looked like a dive, but Dimichellis trailing foot clipped him. Suarez made a meal of it, but you can't 2nd yellow for that. - Kompany was poor, Dimichellis was great. Silva is a bloody magician. - We were outtackled and out-intercepted 46 to 34, but we out-clearanced City 44 to 14. Last ditch defending. - We were outpassed in the attacking third 72 to 146. Of that 32 and 25 were Silva's and Nasri's! Hendo (16) and Suarez (12) led ours. Gerrard only had one. Sturridge only 5. - Coutinho led in tackles (5), Flano in interceptions (7). - Johnson supplied the top 2 pass combos to attacking players (12 to Coutinho and 11 to Suarez) - Sterling put in no tackles and no interceptions. Hendo put in only 1 of each. Skrtel led all with 16 clearances.
Hijack away. Just wanted to put up some sort of recap, see if we agree or disagree, did we miss out on anything? IF anyone is on twitter, Anfield Index does a great job of analyzing stats right after the games and putting them up. Stats don't tell the full story but it helps quele things such as "Sakho can't pass" when he completes 96% of them for example.
Sakho's pass is a bit predictable. If I was a forward, I'd hassle and harry him all day. Also, he became again a bit leggy and huffy-puffy towards the end of the game. Don 't like my defence get all panicky and last-ditch brained. The jury is still out on Sakho imo, but I am very well-disposed towards the lad - he is very commited.
i actually felt that city came out wanting to find space where the midfield was not helping full backs. henderson in particular didn't link well enough with flanagan and we got torn apart there. we only switched to the 4-3-3 rodgers alluded to after 2-2 and it was actually 4-5-1.
I just know that unless we run them out of the park like rabid dogs, the midfield doesn't work without Allen (or Lucas) helping out Gerrard - it becomes too stretched. I can point to half a dozen games to prove that (Wba, Fullham, Villa, Swansea, West Ham). Stoke, with Lucas instead of Allen, was ok going forward, shambles at defending.
I know that City lost, but, Silva was man of the match for me- he was the heart of everything that the visitors did right when attacking. Such a shame that Hicks and Gillett didn't back Rafa when he wanted to sign him- would love to have him on our team.
