Let’s put one topic to bed firstly, yes we were subject to some poor refereeing decisions but that should never be decisive on the outcome of a game. During 90 minutes of football there should never be that many disputed incidents that a team could still not have won a game through their own endeavour. Poor refereeing is not a new thing and without video technology being introduced this is never going to change and I also still cringe at the thought of seeing Howard Webb scheduled to officiate Liverpool fixtures. Putting that to one side as all teams have to endure this, we should be good enough to see off teams like Stoke City without letting poor decisions cost us. Asimir Begovic played brilliantly and Stoke’s defence ‘siege mentality’ of getting everything behind the ball was impressive don’t get me wrong but if we see ourselves as a ‘top 4’ team we should be capable of stepping up a gear to overcome them. The first twenty minutes we took the game to Stoke and they struggled with our relentless attacking. We did not turn this possession and pressure into goals and yet again this came back to haunt us. It is early in the season so we must remember this team is still having to gel but every team in the top half of the table has to integrate players, it’s the nature of the game.
Luis Suarez was as impressive as ever but he too was guilty of spurning big chances to score. Charlie Adam had an industrious first half stringing passes through to Downing and Co often but in the second half got closed down a lot more by Stoke’s hard working midfield. We cannot deny as Tony Pullis confirmed that Rory Delap did handle the ball and that should have been a penalty. The other claim of a penalty by Liverpool was a good decision as it wasn’t a penalty.
People may argue that the decision to award Stoke a penalty was harsh, but even as an ardent Liverpool fan I still think you put your arms around the player you invite them to manufacture a free kick or penalty. If anything this throws up a bigger question in the grand scheme of things. I first noticed it when I was at Anfield for the Spurs game towards the end of last season. It has also been seen this season against Bolton and the recent Stoke game. The heart of our defence is starting to falter. Now we can be as sentimental as we want, but all Liverpool fans know the good of the team and club comes before any player. He has been a great servant to Liverpool and is still important to the first team squad, but Jamie Carragher is starting to raise questions as to whether he should be first choice centre back.
If he had a world class centre back alongside him I think with his leadership and commanding of the back four that Jamie would still be a first team regular but we do not have that luxury. Martin Skrtel always seems to be a hot headed, tough tackling centre back but needs the guidance of a more accomplished partner. Daniel Agger excites me when you see him dribbling it out of defence comfortably even taking players on, but as a defender he sometimes goes missing. Whether it is letting his marker go at a corner or his positioning not being spot on, currently he is only ever going to at best a partner to a centre back who needs to be the heart of our defence. So what is the answer? Well the transfer window is closed but there are still many options available to us. Personally, one of our best signings during the summer, should be given his chance to follow in the footsteps of Hansen, Hyppia and Carragher in becoming the lynch pin of a strong Liverpool back four. Step up Sebastian Coates.
Many Liverpool fans will not have seen much of Coates, but his award of Young Player of the Tournament in the recent Copa America should give you some indication. From what I have seen, this 6’6” centre back is strong and loves nothing more than a rough and tumble for 90 minutes with an opposing striker. He looks assured and skilful on the ball and seems to tackle hard but has impeccable timing. In a perfect world I am sure Liverpool have signed Coates with an eye of him become the next Anfield cult hero at centre back and take the torch from Jamie Carragher and to play alongside him and show him the tricks of the trade. Would an aging Carragher be able to almost dictate Coates game so as a combined unit, Carragher’s weaknesses are no longer exploited? There is no doubting Jamie still has a lot of positives to his game but the bar has been raised in the Premier League and a ‘top 4’ team cannot afford to be carrying anyone. The other options are to have him alongside Agger or Skrtel but neither is accomplished enough in their own game to be tutoring a player throughout the game. This is Kenny’s biggest dilemma currently as there is nothing more demotivating to the team than when playing well, creating chances, you receive a sucker punch and the opposition are 1-0 up. It is safe to say the full back positions are now filled with sufficient cover but the heart of our defence needs immediate attention.
Danny Wilson may or may not be loaned out yet, but if he stays he is another centre back who has massive potential for us long term but I think Coates is ahead of him in their progression and ability currently. We go into the Spurs game this weekend knowing that they will pose the aerial threat of Adebayor so this will be a stern test for our back four, silencing the much travelled international striker. On his day he is capable of the spectacular but he is also known to be a confidence player and if he doesn’t see or get much of the ball he becomes deflated and almost non-existent and we will need to do this to snuff out the threat he possesses. If he is fit Van Der Vaart along with Modric, Parker and Lennon will try to thread inventive killer balls through so we cannot afford to have any defenders who are not alert and quick to the threat. Currently, Carragher’s recent performances don’t show this and it will be a big contributing factor in the outcome of the game who Kenny picks as a central defensive partnership. Dalglish is a man who eats, sleeps and dreams all things football so there is no doubt he can see what us fans are seeing from the terraces. The first decision is whether to address the problem in terms of personel or keep it the same and give them another opportunity to impress. The other is if you do change the personel, who do you pick and how do you instruct them to play their game? All of these questions will be answered Sunday 1.30pm at White Hart Lane, I am looking positively to the game and intrigued to see how we line up as this decision could cement our hopes of this season bringing Champions League football back to Anfield.