| [align=center]No need for caution Rafa
It’s typical for any new manager taking over a new club – at least one who knows what he’s doing. That is, get the defence right, gradually beef up the midfield, and sprinkle a few goal scoring magicians in the creative and attacking spots.
Rafa has got it spot on so far. After a couple of misfires with Pellegrino and Josemi (who is still a ‘maybe’) he’s now developed a back five that is nigh on impregnable. Reina, Warnock, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan. Perfectly balanced, committed, energetic and most of all reliable. Not only have we not conceded a league goal, we’ve barely given the opposition a sniff – and this without the need for the blanket coverage regularly provided by Didi Hamann in recent years.
So, that bit is done, and is working as well as anyone else’s defence – yes, even including Chelsea’s.
That’s where it becomes a little puzzling. With that solidity in defence, and the calibre of midfielders we now possess, why must we saturate the midfield and negate the attack? For those of you who have read this column over the years, you’ll know I’m a fervent critic of 4-5-1 – or whatever other ‘formation’ it goes by: 4-4-1-1, 4-2-3-1 or whatever. However you try to slice it, it’s the ‘1’ that’s the big problem. One striker against four defenders = very few goals. It’s been proven time and time and time again, and we’re currently confirming it weekly. It’s not just the lack of goals, it’s the whole balance of the midfield and attack that concerns me. I’ve already seen Cisse, Morientes and Crouch each suffer this season as the lone striker desperately trying to go it alone while the midfielders sit too deep, or else try to get on the end of their own knock downs. It just doesn’t work – not consistently enough anyway.
Theoretically it can work – if you get the balance absolutely right - but statistics prove it generally doesn’t. Whenever we play with one striker, we invariably fail to score – or sometimes we manage to bag a single goal. Whenever anyone else tries it – as more and more ‘average’ teams are now routinely doing - they fail too. It means we are more likely to squeak single goal wins than comprehensive victories, or we will draw. Guess what has happened this season so far? Why not, instead, give the primary striker a partner, and open up some room in the centre of the park for a balanced midfield quartet to do their stuff? For every setback employing 4-4-2 (an odd defeat) we’ll have far more successes (wins.)
We now have Riise, Alonso, Gerrard, Sissoko, Hamann, Zenden, Garcia and Sinama all capable of playing their part as that midfield quartet. That is more than enough creative talent to stretch and out manouevre virtually any current Premiership side, home or away. We don’t need five of them on the pitch at once to do so. Especially when, once they’ve actually found a bit of room in the midfield quagmire, they look up to see only a Lone Ranger - and no Tonto.
Even Man United fans, not known for their tactical genius, have figured it out. 4-4-2 = titles won, 4-5-1 = no titles. Proof, that even simpletons can understand it!
Now, don’t get me wrong here, I AM NOT, by any stretch of the imagination, calling Rafa a simpleton. Far from it. In fact, the man has so far proven his genius. All I am saying is that we are further ahead of the game than maybe we think we are – than possibly even he thinks we are! Rafa has a plan and he wants to meticulously execute it – that’s his style. What I’m saying is that Rafa has already taken us further than his original plan dictated – his plan is AHEAD of schedule. We have virtually everything in place now to challenge the rest. I’ve watched the mancs so far this season and I’ve watched Arsenal. They are nothing at all to fear as they’ve proven lately at Boro (Arsenal) and against Man City and us (the mancs.) Aged has-beens mixed with over-hyped youngsters is now the order of the day at both Highbury and the theatre of prawns. This is 2005, not 1999. The Champions of Europe now reside at Anfield. Only Chelsea pose a threat to us now. The rest, let’s face it, were also-rans before a ball was kicked. Charlton of all teams are setting the also-rans pace. David Moyes, recent messiah and saviour of the, ahem, people’s club, is the new George Burley.
So let’s go out there with one mentality – to WIN! Home or away, let’s go for it, because we have the players to do so. An unbreachable defence, a midfield that most European teams would kill for, means that we should have absolute confidence to field two strikers – every game.
It’s time to turn the nil-nil draws into, not one, but two, three nil victories. We have the squad, we have the balance, we have the talent, and we have the manager.
Let’s not just settle for second, third or fourth place due to too many cautious formations. Let’s instead push Chelsea all the way with a belief and confidence that we can win every game.
Come on Rafa, you’ve worked miracles so far with what you inherited. You’ve added players of the calibre suitable for Liverpool Football Club, and created a formidable team that is once again feared not only in England, but also across Europe.
Let’s go for it!
Alex Malone [/align] |
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