Liverpool's Midfield Is Equally At Fault As Their Forward Line

The home supporters entering Anfield must have thought that they would witness another spectacular night at their legendary stadium. After all, their optimism had been renewed, with their team having won in consecutive Cup clashes against the sides leading the Premier League table, Manchester City and United.

However all that hope was once again brought down to earth with a dry thud, as Liverpool failed to break down a resolute Spurs defence with the match ending goalless. In a pattern that is becoming a feature, the Reds once again failed to improve on a run of form, skipping yet another opportunity to approach the top four. On a night where Tottenham showed why they deserve another run in the Champions League, Liverpool put up a display that lacked that decisive edge which any top team should put up. And they should no longer blame a misfiring forward line; the midfield is as much at fault.

Spurs Could Have Made It An Even Worse Night At Anfield For The Reds....

Liverpool should consider themselves lucky to have got a point out of the fixture. If Gareth Bale had taken the late one-on-one chance against Pepe Reina, Spurs would have completed consecutive season doubles over Liverpool. So it can be looked as a point gained rather than two lost which makes the situation graver. Even if they are to suffer a sudden downslide, Spurs look set for European football and look to have taken the baton of European regulars from Liverpool.

So why is it that after those most spectacular of week's, the second of which saw Andy Carroll score, have Liverpool failed to beat the White Hart Lane based club?

The answer lies in the lack of firepower from the midfield. Among the new signings Stewart Downing has hardly shown the steady run of form and accuracy he had displayed in his Middlesbrough and Aston Villa days, Charlie Adam is a ghost of the Blackpool skipper who lit the league last season and Jordan Henderson hasn’t completely adapted to the burden of playing at Merseyside. The work horse that he is, Dirk Kuyt is unable to add craft in the middle, Maxi Rodriguez has never been a figure of consistency and Steven Gerrard is incapable of taking the entire creative burden right now having just returned from a major groin injury. 

Midfield's Inconsistency Has Been The Biggest Headache....

To make matters worse, they lack a natural anchorman as Lucas Leiva is out for the season. Kenny Dalglish must be glad he signed Craig Bellamy who despite being a wing-forward, has the pace to run back and forth as an option to help out in the midfield. But the unfortunate part for Liverpool supporters is not that they have a bad team which is rapidly sliding. It is the fact that these very players produce an exceptional performance one week, and in the very next they allow themselves to be run over. The lack of passing and slow build up is a contrast from the counter attacks that the same team has in different weeks. And there can be no excuses for such inconsistency. As a simple example, Charlie Adam who was everything a central midfielder should be when Liverpool won at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season and whose shot forced Liverpool’s equalizer against League leaders Man City was totally absent as Liverpool lost to Fulham in the next week.

Can King Kenny be blamed? His signings haven’t been spectacular yes, but is it his failure to mould them into a consistently firing attacking unit, or the fact that they are taking their time to settle down? Fans will hope for the latter, that next season their beloved Liverpool break into the top 4 once again, but this unit has given little to show any assurance. Every time they bag a couple of wins they have followed it with a draw or a loss.

The midfield has shown a lack of combativeness, the lack of determination to build up on wins and most importantly a consistent goal scoring back-up for a misfiring forward line. It is true that for a team to progress, the midfield and forward has to be in harmony but it falls on the men behind the forwards to give the team a boost when a goal doesn’t come. 

The Team Needs To Start Grinding Out Results...

Now if we bring further statistics, Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy have 6 and 5 assists this season and following them Agger, Kuyt, and Henderson have 3 each. But highlighting this painful inconsistency is Charlie Adam, who has 8 assists this season.

The solution is not another grand revamp. Money has been used wisely, shown in transfers like Jose Enrique and Luiz Suarez as well as overused, as in the case of Andy Carroll. But there is no doubting the talent and potential of this squad, especially with Gerrard’s return from injury. Liverpool just simply need to find a way to grind out results when the going is against them and do it in all their matches. The trophy cabinet should be opened after 6 long years with the Carling Cup final coming closer, though Arsene Wenger will advise them to be cautious till the last minute.

The focus should certainly be to return Anfield’s glorious past. And a massive test awaits with a trip to Manchester United next week, and no one knows which Liverpool side will turn up; those who beat Chelsea 2-1 away, or those who lost 3-1 to Bolton at the Reebok. It falls upon the men in the middle of the park to ensure the former, and to continue giving that assurance.

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