Less than five minutes into the second half and Liverpool are 2-0 up and completely in control against an understrength Swansea side at Anfield. Having earned a throw-in deep in Swansea territory on the left, Jose Enrique combines brilliantly with Daniel Sturridge, Coutinho and Luis Suarez before getting on the end of Sturridge's pass to stab the ball high into the back of the net at the Anfield Road End. A picture book team goal.
The Reds would go on to score two more and wrap up the most emphatic of wins, and in some style.
The flair and panache shown by Liverpool was matched only by Swansea's ineptitude on the day. Not for the first time this season Brendan Rodgers' men got in front against a side they were expected to beat, confidence soared and the result was some of the most eye-catching football witnessed at Anfield for a number of years.
The pace and power of Daniel Sturridge, the elegance of Phillipe Coutinho and the sheer brilliance of Luis Suarez ensured the Swansea defence didn't know where to turn next. All that without even mentioning the endeavour of the revitalised Stewart Downing providing width on the right and the threats coming from both Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique, bombing on from the full back positions. At the heart of it all was Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool skipper pulled the strings in a masterful display from the deeper central midfield role in which he has excelled over the past couple of months. In doing so Gerrard has silenced those, myself included, who believed his best was behind him earlier in the season.
This is how it looks when confidence is high and things are going well. The problem is that when that isn't the case, all too often, Liverpool fans have had to watch a very different side. Certainly in the first half of the season, prior to the arrival of Daniel Sturridge, the Reds side tended to look disjointed and lacked the decisive and crisp passing that was so impressive against Swansea on Sunday. Possession was often kept but rather than patient build up that would eventually lead to a chance, Kopites saw ponderous and slow passing without either the movement off the ball or conviction in the passing to take things further.
There is little doubt that when Rodgers' side are on song that they are more than a match for most sides, the performances at Arsenal and especially at Manchester City showed that. Liverpool are capable of playing attractive, attacking football and sweeping teams aside but what they continue to lack is the grit or even the nous to win games when they aren't at their best, when the passing isn't so sharp and the confidence isn't sky high.
The recent defeat to West Brom is a perfect example. It was a far from inspiring display by Liverpool and yet they were still comfortably the better side, they had 20 plus shots on goal to West Brom's four and should have taken the three points. Had Steven Gerrard scored his penalty then Liverpool might well have won the game 1-0 and now be sat 6th in the table, ahead of Everton on goal difference. He didn't, of course, and the worrying thing was that after Ben Foster saved Gerrard's spot kick the Reds never looked like winning. There was an air of resignation, an acceptance, that this wasn't going to be their night. Even more concerning for Liverpool fans was that a frustrating night where they were set to be held to a draw turned into a 2-0 defeat as a result of some poor defending and a lack of concentration.
Liverpool need only look to their biggest rivals to see how they should have done things. Manchester United are, like it or not, the best in the business when it comes to winning without hitting the heights. Year after year we hear of how this is an average Manchester United team but invariably come the end of the season they are up there challenging for the major honours. United would almost certainly have gone on to win against West Brom in the same circumstances, even after a penalty miss late on. They have a belief and win at all costs attitude, something that this Liverpool side must learn to replicate if they are to get anyway near challenging the likes of United, City and Chelsea in the coming years.
It is, first and foremost, a mental issue and gaining confidence and getting used to winning will help. However, to really learn to grind out results when the going is tough Liverpool need the senior players to step up and all of the players to show a fight and desire to play right until the final whistle. That hasn't always been evident this season but there have been glimpses, such as the Arsenal away game, where the team stood firm having lost their two goal lead. Indeed, rather than crumble, Liverpool regrouped and ended the match the stronger of the teams. Of course, that resilience would have been welcome before Arsenal were able to get themselves level but Liverpool supporters can at least take solace in the fact that their side was able to regain their composure after such a setback.
Brendan Rodgers will be looking for players to help aide Liverpool in this aspect of their game this summer and a central defender or two will be key to ensuring repeats of the West Brom game don't become a regular occurrence. Also important is a back-up for Lucas and perhaps some added tenacity in midfield. Ultimately though, it is confidence, belief and determination that is required to allow Liverpool to win when the fluidity and style shown against Swansea deserts them. If they can manage that then their chances of taking the next step towards a return to Europe's elite will be significantly improved.
The Reds would go on to score two more and wrap up the most emphatic of wins, and in some style.
The flair and panache shown by Liverpool was matched only by Swansea's ineptitude on the day. Not for the first time this season Brendan Rodgers' men got in front against a side they were expected to beat, confidence soared and the result was some of the most eye-catching football witnessed at Anfield for a number of years.
The pace and power of Daniel Sturridge, the elegance of Phillipe Coutinho and the sheer brilliance of Luis Suarez ensured the Swansea defence didn't know where to turn next. All that without even mentioning the endeavour of the revitalised Stewart Downing providing width on the right and the threats coming from both Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique, bombing on from the full back positions. At the heart of it all was Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool skipper pulled the strings in a masterful display from the deeper central midfield role in which he has excelled over the past couple of months. In doing so Gerrard has silenced those, myself included, who believed his best was behind him earlier in the season.
This is how it looks when confidence is high and things are going well. The problem is that when that isn't the case, all too often, Liverpool fans have had to watch a very different side. Certainly in the first half of the season, prior to the arrival of Daniel Sturridge, the Reds side tended to look disjointed and lacked the decisive and crisp passing that was so impressive against Swansea on Sunday. Possession was often kept but rather than patient build up that would eventually lead to a chance, Kopites saw ponderous and slow passing without either the movement off the ball or conviction in the passing to take things further.
There is little doubt that when Rodgers' side are on song that they are more than a match for most sides, the performances at Arsenal and especially at Manchester City showed that. Liverpool are capable of playing attractive, attacking football and sweeping teams aside but what they continue to lack is the grit or even the nous to win games when they aren't at their best, when the passing isn't so sharp and the confidence isn't sky high.
The recent defeat to West Brom is a perfect example. It was a far from inspiring display by Liverpool and yet they were still comfortably the better side, they had 20 plus shots on goal to West Brom's four and should have taken the three points. Had Steven Gerrard scored his penalty then Liverpool might well have won the game 1-0 and now be sat 6th in the table, ahead of Everton on goal difference. He didn't, of course, and the worrying thing was that after Ben Foster saved Gerrard's spot kick the Reds never looked like winning. There was an air of resignation, an acceptance, that this wasn't going to be their night. Even more concerning for Liverpool fans was that a frustrating night where they were set to be held to a draw turned into a 2-0 defeat as a result of some poor defending and a lack of concentration.
Liverpool need only look to their biggest rivals to see how they should have done things. Manchester United are, like it or not, the best in the business when it comes to winning without hitting the heights. Year after year we hear of how this is an average Manchester United team but invariably come the end of the season they are up there challenging for the major honours. United would almost certainly have gone on to win against West Brom in the same circumstances, even after a penalty miss late on. They have a belief and win at all costs attitude, something that this Liverpool side must learn to replicate if they are to get anyway near challenging the likes of United, City and Chelsea in the coming years.
It is, first and foremost, a mental issue and gaining confidence and getting used to winning will help. However, to really learn to grind out results when the going is tough Liverpool need the senior players to step up and all of the players to show a fight and desire to play right until the final whistle. That hasn't always been evident this season but there have been glimpses, such as the Arsenal away game, where the team stood firm having lost their two goal lead. Indeed, rather than crumble, Liverpool regrouped and ended the match the stronger of the teams. Of course, that resilience would have been welcome before Arsenal were able to get themselves level but Liverpool supporters can at least take solace in the fact that their side was able to regain their composure after such a setback.
Brendan Rodgers will be looking for players to help aide Liverpool in this aspect of their game this summer and a central defender or two will be key to ensuring repeats of the West Brom game don't become a regular occurrence. Also important is a back-up for Lucas and perhaps some added tenacity in midfield. Ultimately though, it is confidence, belief and determination that is required to allow Liverpool to win when the fluidity and style shown against Swansea deserts them. If they can manage that then their chances of taking the next step towards a return to Europe's elite will be significantly improved.
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