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Firing blanks - Wasteful Liverpool shut out again as reliance on Luis Suarez is laid bare at Anfield
After another disappointing draw at Anfield, their seventh of the Premier League season so far, the Reds need more from their attackers in the absence of their Uruguayan striker
15 Jan 2012 08:27:00
Getty Images
ANALYSIS
By David Lynch
Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Stoke City at Anfield marked Liverpool’s seventh in the Premier League at home this season. Though manager Kenny Dalglish was typically cagey over the problems facing his side in his post-match press conference, he faces the reality of working with a squad whose inability to score has become the rule, as opposed to the exception.
Though stalemates with both high-flying Manchester clubs at home could perhaps be excused, similar results against the league’s lesser lights – namely Norwich, Swansea, Sunderland, Blackburn and Stoke – are less acceptable.
It is often said that statistics cannot paint the whole picture in football and, whilst this is undoubtedly true, the fact that Liverpool have conceded the third fewest goals at home but have been outscored by nine others clearly indicates where their problems lie.
For a side who are hoping to finish among the top four teams, and thus secure Champions League qualification, this dearth of goals at home presents a significant worry.
Understandably, it was the Reds’ profligacy in front of goal which formed much of the narrative in the early part of the season. League-leaders Manchester City were the only side to surpass Liverpool in the chance creation charts, a statistic seemingly indicative of a simple problem of wasteful finishing. That the post had been hit several times also provided a crumb of comfort for Liverpool fans hoping to explain their indifferent start.
However, though the result and points gained from Saturday’s clash with Tony Pulis’ side were similar to previous disappointments, there was something markedly different in the performance.
For the first time this season, Liverpool struggled to conjure clear chances. What the Anfield faithful were presented with was perhaps harder to swallow than previous results; it was in fact a suggestion that their problems are much deeper than first thought.
When Luis Suarez’s eight-match ban was handed down, Liverpool fans could perhaps have been forgiven for believing that a rest for their Uruguayan star would be a beneficial thing. Suarez was wrongly seen as part of the goalscoring problem, a serial chance waster who could do with the rest after a long summer in which his national team won the Copa America.
If his absence has in fact proved anything, it is that Suarez brings much more to the table than most strikers. The former Ajax man is a creator, a spark who can so often make the difference between a stubborn defence coming out on top or the home fans going home happy.
The desperation for a man to finish the work done by Suarez is still evident, but his team-mates' inability to excel in either aspect of the work that the forward does is more worrying.
Those who were expected to step up to the plate both before and during the absence of Suarez have also not done so. So much has been written of Andy Carroll, the £35 million striker who was not deemed suitable to even start against Stoke.
His failure to get the nod ahead of a man who has previously been out of favour under Kenny Dalglish - Dirk Kuyt - says a lot about the difficulties the Geordie forward has faced since joining the Reds. Two goals in 18 league appearances perhaps says more.
Another man from the north east, Stewart Downing, has similarly failed to kick on since joining Liverpool in a big-money move from Aston Villa. He has scored just one goal, against lower-league Oldham in the FA Cup, and failed to provide an assist in 22 appearances.
These misfiring buys were part of Liverpool’s problem before their talismanic striker was denied them. Now, they have perhaps become the problem. A lack of contribution to either side of the attacking coin is now starting to cost Liverpool as they slip further behind in the chase for Champions League qualification.
That Liverpool appear to be two attacking players short of being a top side, and that this is an area in which they invested heavily – to the tune of £55m in fact – must weigh heavily on the team of Damien Comolli and Dalglish, the men who sanctioned these transfers.
Given previous results, the return of Suarez (even with the lesser mentioned bonus of having him play with Steven Gerrard) may not prove to be the panacea which the Reds expect. A dip into the transfer market for more attacking signings is surely a must, regardless of the imminent return of the 24-year-old.
That said, whether the American owners whose cash has previously been unwisely spent will be willing to loosen their purse strings once more is another question.
By David Lynch
Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Stoke City at Anfield marked Liverpool’s seventh in the Premier League at home this season. Though manager Kenny Dalglish was typically cagey over the problems facing his side in his post-match press conference, he faces the reality of working with a squad whose inability to score has become the rule, as opposed to the exception.
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Though stalemates with both high-flying Manchester clubs at home could perhaps be excused, similar results against the league’s lesser lights – namely Norwich, Swansea, Sunderland, Blackburn and Stoke – are less acceptable.
It is often said that statistics cannot paint the whole picture in football and, whilst this is undoubtedly true, the fact that Liverpool have conceded the third fewest goals at home but have been outscored by nine others clearly indicates where their problems lie.
For a side who are hoping to finish among the top four teams, and thus secure Champions League qualification, this dearth of goals at home presents a significant worry.
Understandably, it was the Reds’ profligacy in front of goal which formed much of the narrative in the early part of the season. League-leaders Manchester City were the only side to surpass Liverpool in the chance creation charts, a statistic seemingly indicative of a simple problem of wasteful finishing. That the post had been hit several times also provided a crumb of comfort for Liverpool fans hoping to explain their indifferent start.
However, though the result and points gained from Saturday’s clash with Tony Pulis’ side were similar to previous disappointments, there was something markedly different in the performance.
For the first time this season, Liverpool struggled to conjure clear chances. What the Anfield faithful were presented with was perhaps harder to swallow than previous results; it was in fact a suggestion that their problems are much deeper than first thought.
No way through | Kuyt was guilty of missing a golden chance for the Reds
When Luis Suarez’s eight-match ban was handed down, Liverpool fans could perhaps have been forgiven for believing that a rest for their Uruguayan star would be a beneficial thing. Suarez was wrongly seen as part of the goalscoring problem, a serial chance waster who could do with the rest after a long summer in which his national team won the Copa America.
If his absence has in fact proved anything, it is that Suarez brings much more to the table than most strikers. The former Ajax man is a creator, a spark who can so often make the difference between a stubborn defence coming out on top or the home fans going home happy.
The desperation for a man to finish the work done by Suarez is still evident, but his team-mates' inability to excel in either aspect of the work that the forward does is more worrying.
Those who were expected to step up to the plate both before and during the absence of Suarez have also not done so. So much has been written of Andy Carroll, the £35 million striker who was not deemed suitable to even start against Stoke.
His failure to get the nod ahead of a man who has previously been out of favour under Kenny Dalglish - Dirk Kuyt - says a lot about the difficulties the Geordie forward has faced since joining the Reds. Two goals in 18 league appearances perhaps says more.
Another man from the north east, Stewart Downing, has similarly failed to kick on since joining Liverpool in a big-money move from Aston Villa. He has scored just one goal, against lower-league Oldham in the FA Cup, and failed to provide an assist in 22 appearances.
These misfiring buys were part of Liverpool’s problem before their talismanic striker was denied them. Now, they have perhaps become the problem. A lack of contribution to either side of the attacking coin is now starting to cost Liverpool as they slip further behind in the chase for Champions League qualification.
That Liverpool appear to be two attacking players short of being a top side, and that this is an area in which they invested heavily – to the tune of £55m in fact – must weigh heavily on the team of Damien Comolli and Dalglish, the men who sanctioned these transfers.
Given previous results, the return of Suarez (even with the lesser mentioned bonus of having him play with Steven Gerrard) may not prove to be the panacea which the Reds expect. A dip into the transfer market for more attacking signings is surely a must, regardless of the imminent return of the 24-year-old.
That said, whether the American owners whose cash has previously been unwisely spent will be willing to loosen their purse strings once more is another question.
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