Thursday, November 20, 2008

TOMMY SMITH: Liverpool Still Need Ruthless Touch

If there’s just one thing lacking with the current Liverpool side at present it is their failure to be ruthless.

They have made a terrific start to the season, are level pegging with Chelsea at the top, but they could make things a lot easier if they could take a few more chances.

That must be Rafa Benitez’s main concern after seeing his side achieve a great result at Bolton – not one of our favourite places in the past – and dominate for long periods.

But it required a Steven Gerrard header late on to clinch the points.

Early in the second half, with the Reds holding a slender lead given to them by a superb Dirk Kuyt header, Bolton finally threatened and could easily have scored with two good chances.

Even so, it would have been irrelevant had Robbie Keane converted what looked the simplest of chances in the first half.

What was he trying to do? Why try to use the wrong foot to score, and subsequently completely miss his kick, when it looked all over a simple tap in?

Gerrard also missed out from another pinpoint cross while Fernando Torres, making a welcome return, could also have scored a couple late on.

However, his pass with the outside of his foot to his skipper for the second was worth waiting for. It was brilliant and shows what a hell of a player he is.

Goals are vital – we all know that’s obvious. But if you score them you take the pressure off your midfield and defence, and get the opposition to play more openly.

But, overall, the Reds are looking good, have now got over that deflating result at Spurs, and have shown they are serious title contenders.

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