It is a Premier League riddle, wrapped in a Champions League enigma: just why can't Liverpool repeat their European form on the domestic stage?
As Javier Mascherano said straight after Tuesday's incredible demolition of Real Madrid: "When Liverpool play like that we are capable of beating any team."
He was thinking of this weekend's title showdown with Manchester United, and offered the notion as evidence his side can win at Old Trafford to keep alive their dream of being Champions.
The problem is, they simply do not perform that way in the Premier League. Ever.
One senior figure at Anfield, a long-time supporter of Rafa Benitez, said as he left on Tuesday: "It's just a pity we can't play like that against Stoke." It was a sentiment echoed by thousands of Liverpool fans.
It was one of the greatest results in the club's history, with mighty Madrid handed their heavie st-ever Champions League drubbing.
The question remains, what do the likes of Stoke, Hull, Fulham, Wigan, and West Ham have that the Spaniards do not? Or perhaps it is not what those sides possess, but what Liverpool lack.
Against Real, you would have to say they lacked very little.
But as winger Ryan Babel admitted, something has been missing. "We played superbly, but winning any game is possible," he said.
"A season is long, and that's why teams make mistakes.
"We've made a lot mistakes and almost given away the title. It may be it makes a difference if you go at opponents. We've seen a lot of draws in the Premier League and we have fallen behind United because of that."
What Liverpool lack in domestic football is the ability to blow away limited opponents in the way Manchester United do. They have drawn too many times because their game plan too often is based on percentages, rather than United's philosophy that they can always score more goals than weaker sides.
That idea seemed to be grasped by skipper Steven Gerrard. He could not contain his enthusiasm for the tactics against Real.
"The most pleasing thing was the way we kept on going right until the very end, we were awesome," he said.
"When we play like that we pin teams back and just keep on putting pressure on them. We kept on looking for more goals."
Liverpool went at Madrid from the first whistle, but as Gerrard hinted, too often they simply do not start adventurously enough.
Before Tuesday, they had not scored inside the first 40 minutes for 11 matches, and had scored before half time in only two of their last 15 appearances at Anfield, where surely they should passionately be going at their opponents.
But without Gerrard and Fernando Torres, Liverpool are an ordinary team and Benitez must then resort to more pragmatic tactics.
Put bluntly, the answer to the initial question is Liverpool have again slipped out of the title race because they do not have enough top-class creative players or goalscorers.
As Javier Mascherano said straight after Tuesday's incredible demolition of Real Madrid: "When Liverpool play like that we are capable of beating any team."
He was thinking of this weekend's title showdown with Manchester United, and offered the notion as evidence his side can win at Old Trafford to keep alive their dream of being Champions.
The problem is, they simply do not perform that way in the Premier League. Ever.
One senior figure at Anfield, a long-time supporter of Rafa Benitez, said as he left on Tuesday: "It's just a pity we can't play like that against Stoke." It was a sentiment echoed by thousands of Liverpool fans.
It was one of the greatest results in the club's history, with mighty Madrid handed their heavie st-ever Champions League drubbing.
The question remains, what do the likes of Stoke, Hull, Fulham, Wigan, and West Ham have that the Spaniards do not? Or perhaps it is not what those sides possess, but what Liverpool lack.
Against Real, you would have to say they lacked very little.
But as winger Ryan Babel admitted, something has been missing. "We played superbly, but winning any game is possible," he said.
"A season is long, and that's why teams make mistakes.
"We've made a lot mistakes and almost given away the title. It may be it makes a difference if you go at opponents. We've seen a lot of draws in the Premier League and we have fallen behind United because of that."
What Liverpool lack in domestic football is the ability to blow away limited opponents in the way Manchester United do. They have drawn too many times because their game plan too often is based on percentages, rather than United's philosophy that they can always score more goals than weaker sides.
That idea seemed to be grasped by skipper Steven Gerrard. He could not contain his enthusiasm for the tactics against Real.
"The most pleasing thing was the way we kept on going right until the very end, we were awesome," he said.
"When we play like that we pin teams back and just keep on putting pressure on them. We kept on looking for more goals."
Liverpool went at Madrid from the first whistle, but as Gerrard hinted, too often they simply do not start adventurously enough.
Before Tuesday, they had not scored inside the first 40 minutes for 11 matches, and had scored before half time in only two of their last 15 appearances at Anfield, where surely they should passionately be going at their opponents.
But without Gerrard and Fernando Torres, Liverpool are an ordinary team and Benitez must then resort to more pragmatic tactics.
Put bluntly, the answer to the initial question is Liverpool have again slipped out of the title race because they do not have enough top-class creative players or goalscorers.
1 comment:
I would buy Young of villa.
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