http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/tomkins-be-bold-be-brave It's obvious that passing from the back can lead to mistakes - one such error cost Liverpool the win against City. Of course, no-one really looks at how often goals are conceded when a defence clears its lines, and in so doing gifts possession back to the opposition. As Brendan Rodgers said after the match, it's easy to smash it up the pitch. Liverpool displayed the excellent passing and pressing traits that so many of us had hoped to see, but in the end gifted the champions a point. Being confident in all situations, and learning to make the right angles for one another, is not necessarily something that comes overnight. This will be wavelength football - passing as a team and pressing as a team - and that takes time. For this game, Rodgers made several bold decisions. He was already without the imperious Daniel Agger, and then Lucas Leiva lasted only two minutes. That's a big chunk of the spine removed from the equation. And yet the manager still started with 17-year-old Raheem Sterling and 21-year-old Sebastian Coates, and introduced, as an early replacement, 20-year-old Jonjo Shelvey. Both Sterling and Coates were superb, and Shelvey did extremely well considering the unusually early nature of his introduction. From that moment on, Liverpool were as young as I can remember seeing in a Premier League game, particularly in the outfield positions. It was the Reds' youngest starting XI for almost a decade, but once Lucas was replaced by Shelvey, the outfield 10 had an average of roughly 23 and a half years. However, aside from a couple of slips at the back, it was not a naive performance in any way, shape or form. It was bold, brave, gritty and determined, with a satisfying sprinkling of skill and verve. The start to this season, as dictated by the fixtures computer, was never designed for easy first steps under a new manager. It was almost cruel, but you need to play these teams at some stage. All the same, implementing a new style of play was going to be challenging in the circumstances. For a game and a half - ie whenever the Reds have had 11 men on the pitch - the football has been very encouraging. On paper, based on the activity so far, this looks like being Liverpool's best transfer window since 2007 (in terms of the potential and value for money of the players brought in). However, the Reds have also lost a few players, some of which weren't by choice. It's hard to say if the squad is stronger now than it was last season - it may well not be at this precise juncture - but the changes are important in terms of transition. And, of course, more signings may follow. The four new signings thus far have an average age of just 22.5 - neatly comprising a 21, 22, 23 and 24 year old - and all are full internationals. Despite that, they are obviously not yet at the peak of their powers. In 2010 the players purchased in the summer window had an alarming average age of 30, so this is far more refreshing. It is based on long-term planning (although Şahin is obviously only on loan, and therefore, as things stand, represents the short-term). Given their age, perhaps the newly-signed quartet are not necessarily ideal for an instant impact, but I believe this is an approach based on the bigger picture. Add Raheem Sterling - snapped up towards the end of 2009-10 but who, at just 17, is like the proverbial new signing - and the average age of 'new' players in the squad drops by another full year. By contrast, the players Liverpool lost this summer were hugely experienced. The average age of those five first-team players is 31.5. Again, that experience may be missed initially, but at the same time they did not represent the future of the club. That may make the initial transition harder, but every game a youngster plays is experience in the bank for later. If you get the transfers right in just a single season, it can have a positive effect for years to come. In 2007-08, Liverpool signed eight players for the first-team squad, with an average age of 23.1. Five were undoubted hits; an above-average return (and one of the failures was due to a controversially-denied work permit). After most put in at least three or four seasons at the club, including a second-placed finish a season after they arrived, six have been sold, for what already makes a profit of £20m. The two still remaining - Martin Skrtel and Lucas Leiva - are still at a good age and worth far in excess of what was paid for them. In the next few years, that policy got somewhat derailed, for various reasons. But now there seems to be a sensible policy in place again. It's already clear that Joe Allen is a quality act. He has come in and looked instantly at home, completing almost all of his passes despite a wide range of executions and directions. So far he's passed the ball 143 times and found a red shirt on 135 occasions (94.4 per cent). Frankly, that's incredible. He hasn't looked in the slightest bit overwhelmed by the history and expectation, and that's always an important factor when players join Liverpool. Of course, some new signings start well - possibly due to the excitement and adrenaline - and then fade away. But it's hard to see this young man suffering that fate. He appears mentally strong, and to possess no technical deficiencies. Others may take time to settle, and for Roma, Fabio Borini certainly fit this category. But once he found his confidence, the goals started to flow at the turn of the year. This is his third club in three seasons, and it can be unsettling, constantly adjusting and then readjusting. Hopefully he'll settle in for a good few years at Anfield. Borini has superb movement to get himself into dangerous positions, and while he has only one goal so far, the work-rate he offers is top-class. He frequently regains possession in the opposition half, and that's something Rodgers clearly looks for. It can often take strikers a while to get off the mark, and once Borini gets his first league goal, he should find himself a bit more relaxed in front of goal. Part of the curse of the new striker is trying too hard, which is probably why so many good ones start with barren spells. The loan signing of Nuri Şahin is certainly an exciting one. It's a shame that it's not a permanent deal, given his pedigree, but it's great to see such a talent at the club, even if it only lasts 12 months. (It seems to me, from the outside, that Madrid did not want to sell him this summer. Maybe they will feel differently in a year's time, and maybe the player will be seduced by the Kop. Liverpool are really in a no-lose situation, bar the few million in wages which, of course, even purchased players must receive. If he does well, Liverpool will benefit. If he doesn't adapt, or gets injured, there's no hefty transfer fee to worry about losing.) Şahin, a creative deep-lying midfielder, excelled in Jürgen Klopp's fast-passing, high-pressing Borussia Dortmund side, so he should feel at home at Liverpool under Rodgers. He's already experienced German, Dutch and Spanish football, and played over 30 internationals for Turkey. That's some CV by 23. I remain a fan of the generally underrated Jordan Henderson (22), although he probably has a few more rough edges to his game than Allen (22) and Şahin (23), both of whom have played more football in their careers. Liverpool are amassing real strength in that area of the squad, particularly with the progression of Shelvey. While football is a results business, the interesting part is in how those results are achieved. Rodgers' approach is well defined, and the best managers stick to their principles in the face of adversity. This often sees them labelled as stubborn, but if they believe in a style that correlates to success, then they should work on improving it, rather than simply abandoning it at the first signs of difficulty. Do the right things consistently enough, and the results will eventually come.
Just to add - If Rodgers's continues this bold and fearless approach, then I will be happy. It's about time we took some risks rather than sticking to the easy choice. I mentioned in another article that Raheem represents the new attitude at Liverpool - aggressive, in your face, hard working and youth.
This is fair enough... but i don't and can't accept peopel covering for skertl in not dealing with the threat... berate the lack of options ofr skertl when he was in a good position facing the right way but the minute he turned aorud he put pressure on himself and his mistake was inexcusable.... In other words tomkins has gone back to the offical party line now he's writing for the website... nothing wrong with that as long as you don't take things as read is correct. The rest is ok, it brushes over how little an impact borini is having on the general play but it is fair to say he is working and occasionally getting in good scoring positions... there nothing really wrong with whats said but i jsut think the view is more fluff peice than hard hitting objective writing.... do we want hard hitting objective stuff on the website? Well in the context of 90% of hacks i nthe press being out to put us down at every chance maybe we don't. .................. Now, the central tenant. under rafa we signed good players... after that we didn't.... maybe thats harsh on tomkins, maybe not. Rafa up to 2008 signed a decnet set of players and did long term aquisitions... under g&H post torres and masch he was buying terrible stuff and the legacy of rafa was still being dealt with this summer too. BUT... forgiving tomkins his rafa love its pretty clear to see that just baout the only good signing made in a senior context for us since rafa left has been enrique and squarez. the list is long and shocking waste and contributes mightly to our 7ths and 8ths. aquilani can be counted as can keanse uner rafa... jovanovic too. cole, knochesky, poulsen, jones carroll, adam, downing... pehaps even henderson and bellamy. disaster zones.... its a bit of a tribute to rafa that we have reina johnson skertl agger and lucas... HALF our best side really. Add suarez and enrique to that form comolli and kenny and then we are looking at rodgers adding allen and borini and sahin... I think LFC can thank rafa for a youth policy that has lucikly continued that has now delivered flanagan, kelly, robinson, sterling and has the potential to deliver suso, wisdom and ibe to come.... cos the madness under both american owners has lead to such wastefullness that was only seen at chelsea at the theight of their spending. Its fairly clear to me this is our last chance to get it right now. we have a side to build on players from rafa's time are in their prime now and if we've got to replace them we simply have not got the cash to do so. We can come good but its all in rodgers hands.
A concern for me is Kelly - I don't think he has fully recovered since his hamstring injury last season. Defensively, he's pretty solid but I'm not sure I can see him playing possession football. Technically does not look up to scratch.
Yip as long as it doesn't tilt into arrogance before its been earned. The recent video isn't the first time there have been noises from the club about Sterlings attitude (he's still a child after all). I think the dangers of starting so young have been seen before both physically & mentally in players by the time they hit mid 20's Not remotely saying don't use him & the others but with a firm guiding hand. As BR said young players will run through barb wire for you when older players look for the holes or stop. There's a warning in that analogy; barbed wire causes damage. But I think BR seems to have a firm handle on it. Definitely brought a bit more excitement to our team. Looking forward to the others coming in & out too. And while MITO is correct that the manner in which Skrts gave the ball away can not be fully justified/explained by a new system, I wouldn't go as far as to say its "unforgivable" mistakes & moments of lunacy happen under any system. He's man enough to admit it & move on.
Well said... I think BR's experience as a Youth Team Coach at Chelsea will help him manage young talents like Sterling.
precisely, nobodys going to lynch a guy for a mistake, but lets not bury it by making excuses for him. just say bad error, he knows its a bad error lets move on by cutting out putting yourself under that pressure... ie get whomever wasn't offering him any option to offer him an option and ensure from now on that if you've no options the very worst thing you can do is turn your back on the closing player and isolate yourself. Skertl played really well and would have been motm had he not done that. lets not bruy him but also lets not bury the error by excusing it by saying hoofing it is never the answer etc etc.
I thought Skrtel had an excellent game apart from the obvious bit. When goalkeepers or back four make a bad mistake it usually ends up with a goal conceded. The ball lost further up the pitch clearly has a better chance of being recovered so mistakes can be made and then forgotten. Defenders have to take fewer risks, but then in a system where they're being told to play the ball that's not so easy- they just need to concentrate and work harder for each other so no-one is left without an option. I think one of the reasons Enrique was patchy last season is that he's a ball playing defender and the system then wasn't suiting him so much, and he got caught in possession too often. I'm expecting him to do much better under BR. I don't claim to be the fount of all footballing knowledge, but I doubt whether there are any great defenders past or present who haven't made an error as calamitous as Skrtel's at some point in their career.
Its just my opinion that the reason why Martin Skrtel made that mistake is because thats not his area of expertise. He's not a ball playing centre-back. He's a in your face, clatter anything with a pulse centre-back. It was obvious we sadly missed Daniel Agger, had he been available there is an 80% chance, that mistake would not have been made. Some people have noted that Brendan Rodgers would have found it easier to make certain decisions i.e pick Downing and Carragher. He instead made very brave decisions in picking Sterling and Coates. He made another brave decision, and that was to not slam Martin Skrtel after the game. It would have been easier to do so. Instead he praised him to the hilt. Martin Skrtel is going to remember and appreciate that. If we had made a fly out of the traps start and got pounded in our 3rd game then maybe it would be worse. However at the moment we're in what can be described as a ''trial and error'' stage. Mistakes are expected so its not really critical at the moment that they are made. Its how we learn from those mistakes is important,
lets look at this video...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvZzI5z8OkI lets just debate it out then, mine 3:21. skertl is in the left back slot which is a long way out of his position so I didn't get a good shot of before that. he looks up and has zero option to pass to so he is in the elft full slot but is right fotted... he turns back using his strong foot which bascially truns him towards the sideline... this is error no 1 from skertl.... you can see tevez is well in behind and totally unmarked. skertl had three choices 1. boot it 2. hang onto it 3. pass it to a marked man he choice to hold on so turned worngly to the sideline. now he's got three more choices 1. pass it back 2. hold onto it and get tackled 3. play it down the line hoping for a throw. he chooses the blind back pass... you can now see coates is marking up on another player and only starts to sprtint back once he sees the back pass. (3:24) Lets rewind... look at SHELVEY in the middle. he's covered off a bit but he's never reacted to anything. he could have dropped off like allen would have done to cover skertls position but he's not done that. watch as the thing unfolds and he really just watche sit happen. This is called inexperience. I hope rodgers shows him and he learns something from it. Its not his error but he's a contributing factor here. Who reacts? Joe allen... watch him sprinting back form well inthe middle but its too late. Did he leave tevez? not really thats not his job.. but at least he reacted. So.... there you have it. you can break it down into lots of things. 1. skertl wanted a pass but nobody showed further up field enough that a pass would not have been risky. 2. Shelvey never really spotted skertl out of position and dropped in like a lucas or allen would have so he has to learn that lesson... he never reacted at all. 3. skertl is filling in on the left side so turned onto his weak foot then only had one thought and that was back to the keeper off his right. Each decision put him in a worse position but the big error is a blind pass... he cuold have held onto it if booting it is off the tabel... shield it and hope your team mates drop back before you lose it/get fouled or kick it out. all in all its a team sport so where was enrique at the time? I don't know... where was the forward pass... marked, where was the sideways pass, blocked... why did he turn to his weaker foot... no agger... its still skerls bad error in the end.
Good analysis MITO. It's another aspect of Joe Allen's game that I really admire. His ability to find space and get into it to give the man with the ball another option. He also have fantastic awareness and vision. Skrtel is not a natural ball playing defender so it may take time for him to grow accustomed to it. I have noticed that he looks a lot more composed with Agger by his side. Coates will become a good defender and has the ability to play the ball - he will certainly grow into the defence soon.
I was disappointed in Tomkins for going back to the official site. He stayed away, as he said, to retain his independence and to be able to criticise. So what's changed? I wasn't aware this is Borini's 3rd club in as many years. That's troubling. Why does he keep getting shunted out? Sticking to your principles in the face of adversity is one thing; refusing to accept it might not be working and accepting a Plan B is a good diea, especially in football, is just blind arrogance. And Rodgers doesn't apparently do Plan Bs. Bye, Andy. I'm guessing you didn't consider Lucas a good buy when he came because few did. And yet the same Lucas critics criticise Kenny's signings after one rebuilding season which got silverware. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you're not suggesting Rafa just stopped being able to spot players and you recognise his hand was forced by H&G into buying cheaper and cheaper squad players or freebies to keep the first XI as strong as possible. The effect was still being felt last season, when we had to bring in several new players, not all of whom will work out - best managers get 50% success rate - and not all would fit in immediately. But still Rodgers will get a lot of the credit Kenny deserves for turning the club around from crisis so quickly, bringing on Academy players and, most importantly, giving the club some silverware, because Rodgers now has a squad which knows how it feels to win, while he does not have to worry about regular Talk****e whines about Liverpool not having won anything since 2006. He's able to say he wants to concentrate on the league simply because he doesn't have that monkey on his back. Conversely, Rodgers will also get the credit for Swansea, a system that was already established when he arrived, which he had a bad away record with and struggled to convert possession into goals, something Laudrup appears to be able to do.
Some will say that he took that system and improved it, Swansea were playing good football before Rodgers but not the same or anywhere near the level he had them playing at. It could be said that Laudrup has an easier job than Rodgers.
From my understanding, Martinez/Sousa were very much attack minded but Rodgers helped them become more solid in possession which improved their defence? ...
Sousa was more defensive, Martinez attacking. Rodgers got the balance right. I'm sure some Swans may disagree as I have watched Swansea a lot in recent years but am not saying I know this or that but just my opinion on what I've seen.
And exactly where was this last year for good ol Kenny? When Lucas got hurt did we rectify it? What about our chance to get a goalscorer in january window? Do you actually think Kenny did no wrong? That is what it sounds like anytime you type on here as you shoot everyone down without knowing what they believe or thought, you aren't giving BR a second but keep banging on about "where was this patience with Kenny" when this board was at least 3/4 in favor of keeping Kenny and giving him another chance. Media cliches, **** me, you are the cliche of take off your red tinted specs for one second and actually have a debate instead of typing long smug comments putting down anyone else who has an opinion.
It's good to have a plan B but Rodgers has only just started his tenure as LFC manager - why would he even consider developing a plan B when he is still working on his plan A? Everyone at the club is working together and have the same philosophy - from the staff, first team to the academy (Thanks to Rafa).
Cheers! I really do like Swansea. They had a vision all those years ago and they are sticking by it! Michael Laudrup is the perfect replacement for Rodgers and he will continue the attacking style. Hope they do well!
