After the third goal went in on Sunday morning I was asked in the pub why I wasn’t going beserk and exploding with rage. I honestly didn’t have an answer to the lad at the time but I must have been in shock as I’m usually not shy in loudly expressing my opinions during a Liverpool match. It actually didn’t sink in properly until about an hour after the game ended when I calmly walked out to my back garden and let out some primal rage!
If I want to try and look at the glass half full we can say that before the season we would have taken two points from the away games at Arsenal and Spurs, and we actually have three. However that doesn’t stop me feeling really annoyed at how poorly we played at White Hart Lane, especially in the first half. The only word that I can use to describe that performance is disgraceful. Too many players went missing in a game that was vital to our chances of getting back into the top four. I know it’s only five games into the season but Spurs are looking like being our main challengers for the Champions League spot that Arsenal look like throwing away, and we can’t be allowing them a three point advantage over us.
The right side of the team was particularly poor, Skertl is very poor as a footballer and playing him at right back to face Gareth Bale was a real headscratcher from King Kenny for me. I’m curious to know what young John Flanagan has done wrong, apart from one poor performance against Sunderland. He never looked out of his depth last season and once Kelly and Johnson were going to be unavailable it would have been obvious to have him in at right back instead of Skertl, who clearly doesn’t even want to play in that position.
Jordan Henderson, who really hasn’t offered much at all so far, was very poor and almost non-existent again and left Skertl even further exposed. I would love to know why Kuyt wasn’t in the side for this one as I think he’s a big game player and can often be relied on to do the business against the top sides. It’s obviously early days with Henderson, and all our new signings, and Henderson at 21 is clearly one for the future, so while he is not in form he should not be in the side at the expense of Kuyt who has been magnificent under Kenny’s leadership.
Other than Jose Enrique who I rate, I’m not sure that any of our new signings have really impressed yet at all, other than the odd glimpse. Even Andy Carroll is still not finding his feet, though to be fair he isn’t exactly getting much service, certainly Downing is not putting in the quality crosses that I was anticipating was the reason we paid so much money for him. I’d start Craig Bellamy on the wing against Wolves and Steven Gerrard can’t come back fast enough for me.
Jamie Carragher had another poor game as well, especially with some of his positioning. As a backs to the wall last line of defence he is still magnificent, as evidenced in the second half at Stamford Bridge earlier this year, but far too many errors are creeping into his game. Too many goals are being conceded that he could have done better in, like everyone else I am sick of him hoofing the ball and his tendency to blame his teammates all the time is bothering me too. I hate to pick on Carragher because he is clearly a proper legend and I don’t want to be making knee jerk statements that he is finished, but surely it has to be accepted that he is not the player he used to be and it is time to ease him out of being a guaranteed starter? The only problem is that who can we call on to take over that will be able to replace his leadership? Agger is injured again and Skertl has been horrendous since his injury at Man City a few years ago. Coates could be brilliant but that is still to be determined at the time of writing.
Our next league game which is Wolves at home will be a perfect way to get our season back on track and give the boys some confidence with the derby and Man Utd coming up next in early October. Just remember as awful as it was at Spurs it is just one game and we still have loads to play for and don’t forget that we are still doing better at this stage of the season than we were twelve months ago which seems like the dark ages now!
