Global Football Today » Luis Suarez

Giving Thanks To Liverpool Football Club

Adam Uthe — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 02:17:59 +0000

For those of you from outside the US, we have a holiday at the November known as Thanksgiving. We get together with family and pretend to be grateful for all the good things in our lives right before stuffing over faces full of food. It is American Excess at its finest.

I participate every year, so I have no room to talk but I would in all honesty like to take a moment to count my blessings as a Liverpool fan. A quick look at the calendar and the EPL table will show that it is November 12, 2013 and Liverpool currently occupy second place. Reds fans can thank a number of people/things for this and I would like to do so in no particular order.

Glen Johnson

Fullback (Left/Right back) might be the most thankless position on a football field. Even in the midst of a data-driven revolution in the sport, it is incredibly difficult to evaluate and quantify the value of a good left/right back. It would seem the only way to do so is to watch how a team plays with and without a particular fullback.

Two weeks ago we saw Jon Flanagan get a last minute start in place of an ill Glen Johnson. The youngster held his own against the best team in England so far this season. But there seemed to be something missing from the right back spot going forward. Liverpool had trouble maintaining possession in the attacking third. This past Saturday Johnson returned to the starting lineup (albeit against a lousy Fulham side) and showed us just how valuable he is. He was constantly stringing passes together with the forwards and the midfielders and helped Liverpool maintain their high backline. He did exactly what a fullback needs to do in Brendan Rodgers system: kept possession in the attacking third and delivered some effective crosses. Even if you look across the field at Aly Cissokho/Jose Enrique, you won’t find the same efficiency and reliability you get with a healthy, fit Glen Johnson.

Luis Suarez

This one is pretty obvious. There isn’t much to be said about the Uruguayan international that hasn’t already been said. He doesn’t just score at an incredibly efficient rate, he does it with a hint of the spectacular. For all the (legitimate) complaints about his tendency to go down easily in the penalty area, he actually tends to work tirelessly, chasing the ball around and making deadly runs in and out of the box. Keeping Suarez should be the team’s No.1 priority in January. We saw Suarez’s new strike partner Daniel Sturridge get visibly frustrated and force the issue way too often against Fulham because he was so concerned with getting a goal of his own. If Suarez leaves and Sturridge has to be relied upon even more for goals, things could go downhill in a hurry.

Lucas Leiva

Despite their success so far this season, Liverpool’s central midfield has been exposed. Steven Gerrard continues to get older and slower while Jordan Henderson works hard but fails to impact the game in big moments. The blond Brazilian has been the only line of defense between the back four and the midfield. Lucas’s work rate as a holding midfielder has helped Liverpool preserve a lot of wins this season and they’ll need more of the same from him in the second half of the season if they’re going to hold a Top 4 spot.

The Schedule Makers

Liverpool have only played three of the current top eight teams in the table and those games have been spread out very nicely. They need to continue to take advantage of their games against lesser competition because there is a 14 day stretch coming in December that will feature games against Tottenham, Manchester City, and Chelsea; all of three of which are away from home.

Sir Alex Ferguson

The recently retired Manchester United boss hasn’t had many nice things to say about Steven Gerrard lately, but his departure from Old Trafford has had a ripple effect across the Premier League. Teams (and referees) are no longer terrified of the Red Devils and as a result we have a wide open title race.

Arsenal

If Liverpool can’t win the whole thing, I’ll be pulling for Arsenal. They’ve been a ton of fun to watch this season and it’s nice to see someone not named Manchester or Chelsea running away with the league so easily.

Talking Tactics After Liverpool’s Draw At Newcastle

Adam Uthe — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 18:59:13 +0000

Despite a late push, Liverpool were incredibly fortunate to earn a 2-2 draw against Newcastle over the weekend. Even after Newcastle were reduced to ten men just before halftime, the Reds found themselves struggling to take advantage in the second half.

With Glen Johnson back in the starting lineup, this was supposed to be our first look at Liverpool’s truly “Best XI”. Lucas Leiva wound up missing the match due to the birth of his child and Jose Enrique was a late scratch. Still, Brendan Rodgers went to the 3-5-2 he has utilized for the last couple weeks while Johnson was injured. There were signs this wasn’t a great formation for this team in their 3-1 win over Crystal Palace two weeks ago, but Saturday’s draw really exposed the problems it presents.

I saw two big concerns in particular…

Problem 1: The Wing Backs

The biggest issue with this 3-5-2 formation is that it puts quite a bit of responsibility on the shoulders of the two wing backs. Against Newcastle this turned out to be Aly Cissokho and Glen Johnson. They both found themselves rushing to get forward to support the attack, only to be caught way out of position tracking back in defense. Ultimately the wing backs are responsible for being the only truly “wide” players in the formation and they have to cover the entire length of the field. Johnson and Cissokho didn’t look capable of doing so and neither Jose Enrique two weeks ago.

Their inability to get back also seemed to create some confusion among the three center backs as to who needed to be where and when. Yohan Cabaye’s first half goal was certainly a spectacular shot, but he had the space and time to shoot because Liverpool couldn’t figure out who needed to step into his path.

Part of it was obviously due to their man advantage, but Liverpool looked much more comfortable defensively after Luis Alberto replaced Mamadou Sakho in the second half and they went back to a traditional 4-man back line.

Problem 2: Central Midfield

Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson were constantly chasing Newcastle around in the first half, thanks in large part to the confusion created by the wing backs. Newcastle were able to easily keep possession because there was tons of space for them to switch the field. Part of the reason they had such space was because Gerrard and Henderson were getting sucked out wide to support Johnson and Cissokho.

Then there’s the issue with Victor Moses having to play a central midfielder between Gerrard/Henderson and the two man strike force of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez. He was easily bottled up by Newcastle and saw his speed (his greatest asset) neutered by his new position. Liverpool were able to create more chances in the second half once he pushed out wide and had space to take his defender one on one or cut inside to play Sturridge/Suarez into the box.

Again, most of it was due to the advantage they had, but when Luis Alberto checked into the game for Sakho the team looked much more confident about their individual responsibilities. Assuming everyone is healthy, this is what the formation should probably look like…

Mignolet

Johnson – Agger – Sakho – Enrique

Lucas

Henderson – Gerrard

Suarez – Sturridge – Moses

If you put Suarez out wide and Sturridge in the middle, you don’t have to rely upon Johnson and Enrique to support the attack as much. Suarez’s work rate is pretty high even when he has to defend and does some of his best work cutting in from the outside. The same holds true for Victor Moses on the other side of Sturridge.

There’s still time to sort the tactics out before the trip to the Emirates Stadium in two weeks. West Brom comes to Anfield next and they will present a good opportunity to sort out any issues. A win in that particular game is now sorely needed since Arsenal and Chelsea won handily over the weekend. Liverpool’s Top 4 chances are still good, but their hopes at competing for an actual title are dwindling and a loss at home to the Baggies would almost certainly spell doom.

Here’s hoping we see a return to the 4-3-3!

Which Wrestling Villain Is Luis Suarez?

Adam Uthe — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 00:10:14 +0000

International breaks suck. Especially when your favorite nation (USA!!! USA!!!) has already qualified and doesn’t really have a shot at playing for a seed.

I could continue to harp on how bad of an idea Liverpool’s new three center back system is. If I wanted to, I could talk about how super awesome Daniel Sturridge is. Heck, I probably SHOULD be writing about how it’s okay for us to go ahead and believe that title No.19 is quickly becoming a legitimate possibility.

But that’s boring and there’s a million places you can go for such talk. I’m here to talk about the real issues.

Like which professional wrestling villain is more comparable to Luis Suarez.

Suarez is despised by just about everyone who doesn’t support Liverpool (and even some Liverpool supporters have been turned off by his summer antics) but at the end of the day he’s still must-see TV. He’s arguably the third best player in the world. He loves to go to ground easily around the box. He’s got all the ingredients to be a classic wrestling villain. Let’s see how he stacks up to the some of the greatest villains in wrestling history, with their ranking according to a recent WWE list (which can be found here)…

*Full Disclosure: I’m 25 years old, so unfortunately you won’t find any discussions of Sgt. Slaughter or Killer Kowalski in this list*

Vickie Guerrero

Excuse me…Excuse Me…EXCUSE ME!!!

Technically she never enters the ring, but the former GM of Monday Night Raw is incredibly annoying. “Annoying” is probably the one word that best describes Luis Suarez. Guerrero is always being interrupted by the crowd and constantly has to ask for everyone’s attention to get her message out. Suarez also tends to find his runs into the box interrupted by defenders and often has to plead with the referee for some attention.

Iron Sheik

This is about as old school as it will get in this discussion (other than my top pick, who will be revealed shortly). An over the top stereotype, the Iron Sheik loved to run his mouth and still does quite a bit on Twitter these days. He was often the embodiment of America’s political enemies. Suarez doesn’t really fit in here except I think there’s a bit of an element of racism in the way he is treated. Plenty of players dive as often as he does, but in general I think Hispanic players bear the brunt of the wrath of the general public. There’s an unfair association with diving and Cental/South America and Suarez embodies that association.

Kane

No comparison here, I just wanted to give a shout out to (Spoiler Alert!) the Undertaker’s brother. Kane is absolutely terrifying and let’s no man intimidate him. Luis Suarez does not have any such characteristics.

Randy Orton

Orton’s nickname is “the Viper” and Luis Suarez is often viewed as something of a snake. I don’t disagree. Both of these men love to lie low and strike at the most opportune moment.

Edge, The Rated-R Superstar

Edge is just a flat out unlikable d-bag. Most people outside of Liverpool’s loyal ranks would probably tend to agree. His finishing move (SPEAR!) is a little too physical for the likes of Suarez, but the level of contempt among the general population for both is pretty comparable. Edge often likes to whine when he doesn’t get his way and Suarez was pretty whiny over the summer when he tried to force his way out of Liverpool.

Chris “Y2J” Jericho

Now we’re getting closer to a legitimate comparison. Jericho’s ego is one of the largest in the history of professional wrestling (and that’s saying something) and Suarez showed us a glimpse of such ego during his summer drama. Both of these men love to troll their haters and seem to feed off of the hatred. They are the best at what they do and are incredibly entertaining, no matter how despicable they may behave at any given time.

Ric Flair (1…2…3…WINNER!!!)

Here’s my pick for the most accurate comparison. Flair is an all-time great among the wrestling ranks. Suarez still has a way to go in his career, but his ability easily belongs in the Top 5 of current footballers. Like Jericho, Flair fed off the negative energy and entertained even the most ardent of his haters.

The biggest trait they both share is their “sneakiness”. Flair resorted to downright dirty tactics and did whatever it took to win. Likewise, Suarez has earned his reputation as a diver and is no stranger to dirty tactics (see: Branislav Ivanovic’s arm). It is the combination of this “sneakiness” and their ability (both of which are simultaneously connected and completely separate) that makes such a match made in infamy.

Both of them also have a…here it comes…FLAIR for the dramatic!!! Goodnight everybody!

What do you think? Is there another wrestling villain out there who is comparable to the polarizing Uruguayan?

5 Lessons Learned From Liverpool’s Victory Against Sunderland

Adam Uthe — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 00:47:06 +0000

I’m going to be completely honest: I was a complete spaz on Sunday.

Every time Luis Suarez touched the ball I was on my toes, hands clasped together as I focused in on the play developing. For all his faults, he is still must-see TV even after a long suspension. Of course, Liverpool’s defense kept things interesting as well. Which brings us to the point of this post. There were some things I couldn’t help but notice after the final whistle blew, starting with…

The 3-5-2 Won’t Work Against Good Teams

Sunderland are a bit deceiving because they’ve got so much individual talent, yet they can’t seem to get it organized and on the same page. Liverpool were fortunate to concede just one goal with their new three man backline of Kolo Toure, Martin Skrtel, and Mamadou Sakho. The wing backs (in this case Jose Enrique and Jordan Henderson) were caught too far forward way too often and Sunderland were quick to take advantage from the opening kick. They were able to get wide way too easily and if the opponent had been Tottenham or Arsenal or even Everton, the consequences would have been more severe.

I realize there’s a surplus of center back talent at the moment, but I really would like to see Brendan Rodgers get back to a four man back line with two true fullbacks.

Luis Suarez And Daniel Sturridge CAN Play Together

I think part of it was due to the fact that they were a true striker tandem playing off of one another, but they looked incredibly in sync for just their second appearance together this season. I had my doubts, but that’s also because I still want to see the 4-3-3 formation that was being used prior to the Sunderland game.

Even if one has to play a more traditional “winger” role and only one can be a lone center forward, the future looks bright with both of these guys on the pitch at the same time.

Mamadou Sakho Might Be The Best Addition Of The Summer

You could certainly make a case for Victory Moses, especially after seeing him all over the attacking third against Sunderland, and Kolo Toure has been steady at the back, but my pick is the French center back. He frustrated Jozy Altidore right from the start. Last season Liverpool struggled with large, powerful strikers but Sakho had no issues handling the American international. He also looked very composed whenever he was on the ball and had some decent distribution coming out of the back at times.

I’m still waiting for Kolo Toure to get himself injured, but it’s good to know Sakho is capable of shutting down big target forwards when called upon.

A Central Midfielder Is January’s Top Priority

Lucas and Steven Gerrard looked pretty good, but they were facing Sunderland and guys like Mesut Özil and Christian Eriksen won’t be as easy to shut down through the center of the park. Whether he’s a more central figure in a 4-3-3 or a wing back in the 3-5-2, Jordan Henderson hasn’t progressed the way we thought he might after his strong finish to last season. Joe Allen must be struggling mightily in training because he can’t buy himself any playing time right now. Yes, Coutinho can be considered a central attacking midfielder, but Liverpool really need another box-to-box guy.

Personally, I would’ve loved to see Etienne Capoue in there but the Reds will have to look long and hard come January for an enforcer to make the back line’s job easier. Lyon’s Maxime Gonalons and Benfica’s Nemanja Matic are worth keeping an eye on.

The Schedule Is Liverpool’s Best Friend

Liverpool’s next three are Crystal Palace, Newcastle, and a very tricky West Brom before the big showdown with Arsenal. Six points against Crystal Palace and Newcastle is mandatory to keep title hopes alive as neither of those sides really present much of a challenge. We can all see what a trap West Brom is right before Arsenal, but a draw there wouldn’t be terrible. There are lots of wins to be had after the trip to the Emirates; three of the four opponents after that are a dreadful Fulham, Hull City, and an underachieving Norwich with a trip to Goodison Park sandwiched in the middle.

Three December matches with Spurs, Manchester City, and Chelsea will ultimately show us how high this team can climb, but until then there are loads of chances for three points.

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Scousers Stymied At Old Trafford

Ivor Irwin — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 15:24:08 +0000

Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
No doubt about it. Manager David Moyes was ecstatic after this win. Seconds after the referee Mark Clattenburg blew his whistle, Moyes was out on the pitch, shaking hands with every single Manchester United player before standing in front of the Stretford End nodding, bowing and grinning in a manner that bellied his usual gruff, Caledonian reserve. No. No doubt about it. Losing to both Manchester City and Liverpool in four days would have been unbearable.

Moyes certainly bollixed up the night for the ravenous jackals of Fleet Street. The big story was supposed to be Luis Suárez’s comeback after a ten match suspension, but the Premier League’s most press-worthy racist cannibal, although clearly very fit, was not at all sharp. Instead, a more collectively gutsy United abandoned the self-absorbed kind of sloppiness that has stunted so much of the football they’ve played thus far this season for something more disciplined. Led by captain Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, who is a few weeks short of 40, they hustled and pressed. Indeed, they reminded me of a hustling pressing team like Swansea City… playing against Manchester United. “The whole club were hurt by the game on Sunday,” Moyes said.

Let’s get this straight, though. This is not a great United side. Hustle can only go so far when your technique is limited by the quality of true soldiers you have available. The same old problems still show themselves off at the back like galvanized neon and though it was nice to see a fit Jonny Evans back at the back, his lack of positional sense, along with the relentless panic that repeatedly seizes Chris Smalling, did the hard working full back pairing of Rafael and Alexander Büttner no favors. Liverpool were allowed way too much possession in United’s penalty box and, although the tricky dribbling of Sturridge and Suarez plagued Evans and Smalling as we knew it would do, the usual supply of killer passes they get to feed on from Coutinho were sorely missed. Having Phil Jones around as a sweeper didn’t hurt either. Evans and Smalling are faster than the usual pairing of Vidic and Ferdinand. Both fine athletes, they could be a marvelous pairing if they had just a little more savvinness about them. With Jones playing the fixed role of water boy between them, neither of the Liverpool strikers got the kind of time or space they tend to feed upon like vampires.

United made eight changes from the Sunday team, but this was not the usual cobbling together of reserves and youth-team kids that all the top six of the PL normally put out for this competition. Too many problems for that. Moyes used the fixture well. Nani can drive you crazy, but he was mostly full of derring-do and energy. Clearly superior to either Valencia or Young, Nani looked positively majestic later in the match when he was joined on the field by Adnan Januzaj. And although Moyes moans about his not being fit and in spite of being played totally out of position on the left, Shinji Kagawa can do so much in small isolated spaces, engineering chances out of nothing, that it’s essentially Moyes finds a way to play him more. Atypical was an exquisite bit of business where Kagawa, boxed in by three defenders, still gave them the slip, managing to make the space and time to flick an absolute ooh-ah 20-harder beauty that, sadly, hit the bar.

Sizzling up front and competent at the back, United always looked like they had it in them more to score than the Red Scousers. Having ceded the middle to Liverpool, United relied on stifling Liverpool’s misfiring attack and cavalry-like speedy counterattacks performed with gusto by Rafael and Nani and the constantly dangerous pairing of Wayne Rooney and– substituting effectively for Robin Van Persie–Javíer Hernandez. Indeed, with Rooney captain for the night, the groove he has now found, even against City, may be the best football he has ever played. Rooney, always at his best when allowed to roam all over the pitch and given no help whatsoever by an ineffective Anderson, was United’s best player throughout.

There were a number of near-misses for both sides, but when Hernández struck, a minute into the second half, it was a clever, beautiful goal. Rooney’s corner was not especially well taken, but it was clear that this was a play he and the Mexican assassin had worked on before. As the ball arced its way in, Hernández spun away from his marker, José Enrique, altered his body to suit the trajectory of the ball, rose, his instep all the way up to his chest and fired his shot past goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. A striker of his ability, underrated even by his own boss, Chicharito only needed the one moment of being unmarked by a generous Liverpool defense to administer the dagger. His beautiful coup-de-grace will surely give Moyes food for thought after observing too many episodes of Danny Welbeck’s dithering.

Liverpool fans will surely moan that they played well and lost. The brilliance of David De Gea had something to do with that and more than a few chances were wasted by Sturridge, Henderson and Suarez. The Spaniard’s fine save from a fantastic Victor Moses header certainly showed what an innately brilliant a shot-stopper he is. Liverpool losing after controlling the ball for more than 60% of the game surely shows that United did something right, too. The next fixture against West Bromwich Albion, a decent but very beatable opponent, will also offer Moyes the opportunity to tinker with his line-up.

Liverpool Loss Reveals Need For Luis (And Luis)

Adam Uthe — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:41:12 +0000

I could have spent more time making that headline more alliterate, but alliteration is for losers.

Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton on Saturday that suddenly has them on the outside looking in when it comes to the EPL title race. Without Philippe Coutinho in the lineup, Liverpool seemed to be missing the creativity that has propelled them to such a good start. Daniel Sturridge found himself in need of service and reverted to Selfish Daniel, taking a handful of ill-advised shots in search of a spark for himself. With Jose Enrique and Aly Cissokho not quite 100% fit, Brendan Rodgers sent out all four of his primary center backs. With little help attacking from the flanks, the Reds were forced to try and barrel their way through the center of Southampton’s defense without their diminutive, Brazilian playmaker to unlock everything.

The loss is even worse considering the other results from around the league this past weekend. Manchester City looked impressive dominating the Manchester Derby on Sunday while Tottenham stole three points at the death and Arsenal and Chelsea completed very businesslike wins over lesser opponents. As talented as they may be, a loss to Southampton at home is the kind of result that you look back on when you’re 6 points out of first in the middle of April and wonder what could have been.

However, Liverpool fans need not lose hope just yet. First and foremost, their next two opponents are Sunderland and Crystal; the two worst teams in the table. Sunderland has just sacked Paolo di Canio and Crystal Palace will be welcoming back Ian Holloway after a two game suspension. These two teams present Liverpool a golden opportunity for six points and the chance to quickly get back into the title race. Then there’s the return of Luis Suarez from his suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovic last season. And in the absence of Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool may have found a new No.10 to pull the strings and feed Sturridge and Suarez: Luis Alberto. The young Spaniard scored a hat trick for the Under-21 side this time last week and showed signs of life as he displayed his creativity as a late sub against Southampton. The moment that sticks out in my mind was his attempted heel flick that, had he continued his run, would have sprung Sturridge into the box with just moments left in the match. Unfortunately, Selfish Daniel revealed himself at an inopportune time and he couldn’t be bothered to continue his run in the dying embers of a match that was there to be (at the very least) drawn.

The return of one Luis and the revelation of another leaves Brendan Rodgers with more options than he appeared to have after Coutinho departed last Monday’s draw with his shoulder injury. Here’s a Starting XI that should easily be able to conquer Sunderland Crystal Palace over the next few weeks…

Mignolet

Flanagan – Agger – Sakho – Enrique

Lucas

Gerrard – Henderson

Aspas – Suarez – Luis Alberto

First of all, I’m not convinced Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez can form a proper partnership playing in Rodgers’ preferred 4-3-3. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to have Sturridge sit on the bench at the start of the next match to let him clear his head. I’m not wild about Aspas’s start in the EPL, but he has the creativity to link up very well with Suarez and Alberto at the top of the formation. The central midfield trio looked silly against Southampton and Liverpool suddenly find themselves with limited options beyond Joe Allen. If Martin Kelly is still slow to recover, I don’t see the problem in letting a true right back like Jon Flanagan take over for Glen Johnson. The four center back line clearly didn’t work, so get some natural outside backs in there.

I’m really excited to see Suarez back. I think he ought to be back in the starting lineup immediately and it was very encouraging to see him singing You’ll Never Walk Alone so enthusiastically prior to kickoff on Saturday. I think he’s over all the summer nonsense and starving to get back to his goal scoring ways. Do not underestimate his level of motivation, especially heading into a match against a Sunderland squad ripe for the picking. Stick Alberto next to him, and I see a 3-0 result this weekend to get things back on track.

Fear not Liverpool fans. Saturday’s loss hurt, but Dos Luis(es?) can still help right the ship!

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Liverpool Treading Water After Transfer Deadline

Adam Uthe — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 00:50:07 +0000

Well it took a little longer than I would’ve liked, but Liverpool got the defensive reinforcements they desperately needed; even before Kolo Toure and Sebastian Coates got hurt recently.

The club announced the signings of 20-year-old Sporting Lisbon center back Tiago Ilori and 23-year-old Paris-Saint Germain center back Mamadou Sakho. They’ve also brought in Chelsea winger/forward Victor Moses for a season long loan while simultaneously sending Fabio Borini to Sunderland on loan. The first two cost approximately €19 million ($25 million, £16 million) combined and will challenge fellow newcomer Kolo Toure once he is deemed fit to play again. Moses is a good loan signing (especially with Borini departing) but I’m not sure how much I like him long term with Brendan Rodgers having shored up his front line through summer signings Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas; not to mention youngsters like Raheem Sterling and Jordan Ibe.

The best bit of business, however, has to be the club’s ability to retain the services of Luis Suarez (who seems to be sorry for his recent behavior) and Daniel Agger. The former is still an elite goalscorer who will be needed when Daniel Sturridge eventually cools off. When all is said and done Brendan Rodgers can sit back and feel good about the business he’s done in last two transfer windows. All the piece are in place, and many of them appear to be clicking, especially after Sunday’s triumph against Manchester United.

Unfortunately, the rest of the English Premier League appears to have followed suit and brought in a number of impressive signings this summer; especially after the news from Monday’s transfer deadline. Chelsea brought back the greatest manager to ever patrol the touch lines at Stamford Bridge in Jose Mourinho. Manchester United have added the hard working Marouane Fellaini and (possibly, depending on what has transpired by the time you read this) Fabio Coentrao. Manchester City brought in the likes of Stevan Jovetic, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, and Alvaro Negredo. Tottenham turned Gareth Bale into Christian Eriksen, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela, Paulinho, and Etienne Capoue. Arsenal, as long as it took them, managed to reel in German playmaking sensation Mesut Özil. Even Everton (yeah, those guys) managed to scoop up Gareth Barry (loan), Romelu Lukaku (loan), Gerard Defelou, and James McCarthy.

The stature of England’s top flight was on full display at the end of Monday’s transfer deadline. Even teams like Sunderland, Southampton, and Swansea made some quiet additions that could turn some heads. Just when things were looking up for Liverpool after their victory on Sunday, the rest of their biggest competitors went out and made themselves even better. I do believe this roster, as currently constructed, is capable of earning a Champions League berth next season, but that task looks much more difficult than it did Monday morning.

Eventually Daniel Sturridge is going to stop scoring and the defense is going to concede goals. The Reds are off to a great start, but these reinforcements were really the bare minimum Brendan Rodgers needed if a Top 4 finish was the goal for this season. Manchester United are going to wake up, Tottenham will see a lot of their summer signings progress as the season goes on, and teams like Everton, Swansea, Sunderland, and Southampton will all challenge for the Top 4 throughout much of the season. Earning a Champions League spot will be more difficult than it has been for several years.

Here’s a look at the lineup I’d like to see once Suarez is back…

Mignolet

Johnson – Agger- Sakho – Cissokho

Gerrard – Lucas – Luis Alberto

Suarez – Sturridge – Aspas

Although it’s only been a couple weeks, I think it’s safe to say Sturridge is best deployed in a central position at the head of the attack and having a couple dribblers like Suarez and Aspas on either side of him should help free up space for him in the box. With the front line so well established, it looks like the only way to get Luis Alberto out there regularly is to have him occupy the third midfield spot with Steven Gerrard and Lucas, with Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen in the mix as well. As for the defense, you might as well throw the new guys out there and see what they’ve got. Sakho (and even Ilori) and Cissokho are better than Martin Skrtel and Jose Enrique respectively.

Again, Brendan Rodgers has just finished up what was pretty much the best possible summer he could have short of making Real Madrid truly fancy Luis Suarez over Gareth Bale and turning the windfall into five or six very good players as Spurs did. Unfortunately, the rest of the top half of the table made some good moves for their own and a Top 4 spot just became even more difficult than ever to achieve.

Either way, sit back and enjoy Liverpool fans. It looks like we’re finally going to see the Reds finally make a legitimate run at a return to European competition.

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Searching for the final piece in the quest for La Décima: Why Real Madrid are after the wrong player

Ben Hastings — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 01:16:06 +0000

Note: This article was written before Gareth Bale’s transfer to Real Madrid had been confirmed, but it just as relevant now as then

Real Madrid’s pursuit of Gareth Bale has dominated the headlines this summer, and frankly, I’m a bit tired of it. Not because I think Bale should stay at Tottenham and help them get into the Champions League. Far from it. Let’s face it, Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world, courtesy of winning the aforementioned competition nine times, and not many players get the chance to play in that famous all white kit.

No, the reason I am tired of hearing of Bale to Madrid is twofold. Firstly, I don’t buy into the idea that after Ronaldo and Messi, Bale is the greatest player in the world. Secondly, I believe Real Madrid have greater needs, namely another number nine, and that the player they should really be after is a certain Luis Suarez.

Let’s deal with the issue of judging Bale’s ability first. Is Bale a great young player who has the potential to become even better? Yes. But I would hardly put him as the third best player on the planet. I think the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Frank Ribery, Radamel Falcao, and even Robin van Persie might have something to say about that. Nor is he the only promising young player out there. Thomas Muller, Mario Goetze, Eden Hazard, and Mario Balotelli are all younger than Bale and have already played key roles in the their clubs winning major silverware. Bale has not.

The constant comparisons to Christiano Ronaldo are also not entirely warranted. In the summer of 2008, the 23-year-old Ronaldo was coming off of a record setting 42 goal season. At 24, Bale is coming off a still remarkable, but relatively less impressive 26 goal season. Will Bale take his game to Ronaldo type levels next year?

The evidence would say otherwise. Ronaldo got to the level he is at by an incredible desire to perfect every aspect of his game, in many ways reminiscent of stories told of the great Pele. While both are incredible athletes, Ronaldo’s game is not based as much on pure speed as Bale’s is. Possessing great speed can often handicap players in developing other parts of their game, think Michael Owen, and whether Bale will be able to adapt his game when defenses learn to set themselves up to deny him space to run into remains to be seen.

Turning now to Real Madrid’s part in this, are they really willing to pay a figure that could be as high as £100 million for a player whose preferred position on the left is already occupied? Even if you played Bale through the middle where he played at times last season for Spurs, that would still mean displacing Mesut Ozil or Isco, two tremendously talented players, who while not offering the same pace on the counterattack as Bale, probably offer more in terms of creativity when sides sit back deep to deny Madrid space.

Strangely, after a number of summer signing already completed in defense and midfield, the one position where Madrid are lacking after Gonzalo Higuain’s departure to Napoli is the one they have seemed in no rush to reinforce. With only Karim Benzema and youngster Alvaro Morata as true strikers, Madrid are lacking in fire power for a team that aims to challenge on all fronts. Of course they still have Ronaldo, but he very much likes to play on the left side and new manager Carlo Ancelotti has said Ronaldo will play where he wants. That leaves Benzema, who can be a streaky forward, and Morata, who though already being compared to Fernando Morientes, is still only 20-years-old. Madrid’s lack of a true world class striker has been evident in their recent failings at the last hurdle in the Champions League and their reluctance to reinforce in this department is baffling.

Madrid missed out on Cavani, who has joined nouveau riche PSG, as well as Falcao, who has joined another billionaire’s club in Monaco, while Lewandowski looks set to join Bayern Munich next season. That leaves two strikers who I believe could fit the bill at the Santiago Bernabeu: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Suarez. Zlatan is a nonstarter because of his age, his wages, his perceived inability to do it in Europe, and his propensity to kick his teammates in the head. Therefore, Suarez, a player who was clearly willing to do anything it would take to agitate for a move to Madrid seems the obvious option. Is Suarez a bit of a devil? Of course. But that’s also what makes him such a brilliantly unpredictable player. Besides, what have Madrid got to complain about, they still employ Pepe after all.

It seems that much like Balotelli, Suarez’s antics have distracted people from realizing what a great player he is. Pundits continually say they have the potential to be great. Based on the way the two carried their respective team’s last season, Super Mario for Milan and Suarez for Liverpool, I would say that potential has been realized.

Suarez has exceptional technical ability, he is quick, he is a masterful dribbler, he works incredibly hard for the team, his movement and awareness are top notch, he can pull wide to open up space for midfield runners, and he has improved the one aspect of his game he is sometimes criticized for, his finishing, netting 30 goals in the last campaign. He is undoubtedly a big game player and has been a huge part of Uruguay’s success in recent years. Furthermore, Suarez is the perfect age to make the move, at 26-year-old he should be entering his peak and he would certainly fit in well in Spanish football, linking up with the attacking trio behind him at Madrid. Plus he could be had for half the price as Daniel Levy is reported to want for Bale.

Real Madrid are a club at times seemingly more interested in their Hollywood appeal than footballing success. They are rumored to have turned down Ronaldinho in favor of David Beckham because the Brazilian was too ‘ugly’ to play for the Galáticos. While this is hardly a perfect comparison, Bale resembles a monkey while Suarez has some undeniable rat like qualities, Madrid president Florentino Pérez would be wise not to repeat the same mistake.

Two Weeks Later…

Adam Uthe — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:52:35 +0000

Last week I tossed around some overreactions to Liverpool’s 1-0 victory against Stoke City. Saturday’s game against Aston Villa wound up being extremely similar to its predecessor.

Daniel Sturridge got a first half goal and Simon Mignolet came up big a couple times in the second half. I wouldn’t call them efficient, but both wins were certainly huge and seem to have given the entire team a huge confidence boost going forward. They’ll need it with Manchester United on tap for next Sunday.

In the meantime, however, it’s worth asking the question: Just how good is this team?

I’ve seen a lot of people throwing around Liverpool’s recent record without Luis Suarez and it seems plenty of fans are ready to permanently part ways with the polarizing Uruguayan. I’m not thrilled at that prospect. While he did convert it, Daniel Sturridge made his first half goal a lot more difficult than it needed to be. He’s a great steward for the starting striker spot in Brendan Rodgers’s 4-3-3 formation while Suarez serves his suspension, but I still remain unconvinced he can carry the load for an entire season. Suarez’s ruthless efficiency, as well as his ability to create for himself, is still very valuable as the Reds pursue a Top 4 finish this season.

Moving to the midfield, Philippe Coutinho has had two decent games but still looks like a man among boys in the center of the pitch. Jordan Henderson hasn’t taken the next step the way we all hope he will this season, but it’s still early on. Lucas has looked a bit sluggish too as Aston Villa had a little bit of success going straight down the middle of the pitch in the second half on Saturday.

As far as defense goes, Sebastian Coates’s season ending ACL injury seems to have finally conked Rodgers on the head and made him realize he needs to buy a center back before the transfer window closes. Aly Cissokho made his debut in a brief appearance as a substitute and looks capable of platooning with Jose Enrique at left back. Kolo Toure has held a couple target forwards (Peter Crouch, Christian Benteke) in check for these first two games, but he’ll really be tested by Robin van Persie next weekend.

I’m not trying to be a buzzkill or anything. Liverpool are off to their best start in years after winning their first two. While it’s true that great teams grind out results, no matter how ugly, when they aren’t at their best, but it’s disconcerting to see just two goals in as many games when there were plenty of more chances that could’ve been converted. That’s why Suarez is so desperately needed. Manchester United will show us just how good this team really is.

Until then, walk on with cautious optimism in your heart!

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Immediate Overreactions Of A Hyperbolic Nature

Adam Uthe — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 01:47:11 +0000

WA WA WEE WOW!!!

WASN’T THAT AN EXCITING OPENING DAY?!?!

Sorry…that was just my Runner’s High wearing off. But really, talk about getting off to a fast start. Saturday’s 1-0 win over Stoke certainly seemed to have it all.

Now, I’m going to try and avoid recapping each individual game as much as possible this season. But the first match of the season is a time for overreaction and hyperbole (hence the title of this post) so I came up with a list of over-the-top statements and a more realistic counter for each one. Starting with…

OVERREACTION: SIMON MIGNOLET IS THE BEST!!!

REALITY CHECK: WE DON’T KNOW IF HE’S BETTER THAN PEPE REINA

I don’t think there’s a lot of people out there singing the Belgian’s praises so highly, even after he did his homework and denied Jonathan Walters minutes before the final whistle. It would be foolish to overlook his tentative first half in which he struggled to re-direct with the ball at his feet on several different occasions. Let’s hope it was simply first day jitters because he’s going to see much more of the ball at his feet throughout the rest of the season.

OVERREACTION: WHO NEEDS LUIS SUAREZ WHEN YOU’VE GOT DANIEL STURRIDGE?!

REALITY CHECK: THIS TEAM ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT SUAREZ’S EFFICIENCY

It was certainly good to see Daniel Sturridge prove himself capable of leading the front line. While his goal turned out to be the difference, however, it was a bit lucky. Liverpool managed to put up double digits shots on goal and yet only one of them made it in the back of the net.

Sound familiar?

If anything, this match showed us just how valuable Luis Suarez is if a Top 4 finish is going to be achieved. This team had similar performances with the lethal Uruguayan in the lineup last year. Without him, this team will have to rely upon Simon Mignolet more often than they’d like. With him, a Champions League spot next season isn’t completely ludicrous to imagine.

OVERREACTION: IAGO ASPAS IS A BUST!

REALITY CHECK: HE’S NOT A BUST…YET

The newcomer from Celta Vigo didn’t exactly wow everyone with his finishing ability, but (as we just discussed) neither did anyone else. Since I reside in the United States, I did not catch any of the preseason action. I was pretty shocked by how small Aspas is, especially compared to your average EPL center back. His skill set is well suited for the style of play Brendan Rodgers prefers, but guys like Vincent Kompany, Phil Jones, John Terry, etc are going to eat him alive if he can’t get stronger in a hurry or figure out how to move the ball even quicker than he’s shown he’s capable of.

OVERREACTION: SHOULD’VE SOLD HENDERSON AND PUT IT ALL ON JONJO SHELVEY

REALITY CHECK: KEEPING HENDERSON AND SELLING SHELVEY WAS (PROBABLY) THE CORRECT DECISION

I found myself pondering this issue when Jordan Henderson missed a good chance in the first half inside the box. He had a pretty quiet game for someone whom management appears ready make the next midfield general once Steven Gerrard rides off into the sunset. Shelvey didn’t exactly light the world on fire himself, but he had his moments against a grizzled Manchester United defense in his Swansea debut.

Jordan Henderson has always been, good but not quite great; or even “very good” for that matter. This is a make-or-break season for him. Shelvey is young and appears to have a brighter future ahead of him in terms of upside. If Henderson doesn’t start finishing more chances and coming up big in big moments he’s going to find himself on the bench in favor of Joe Allen.

OVERREACTION: ALY CISSOKHO WILL CURE ALL OF LIVERPOOL’S DEFENSIVE WOES!

REALITY CHECK: THE (BIGGER) DEFENSIVE PROBLEM IS NEXT TO DANIEL AGGER

Jose Enrique may not be a world beater at left back, but he’s capable. He does have a tendency to get dispossessed a little too easily while going forward, but he was fine on Saturday. Cissokho may turn out to be world class, but we’ll have to wait and see. The greater need is at center back next to Daniel Agger. Kolo Toure was the physical presence Liverpool needed him to be, but Brendan Rodgers would prefer to have a second Agger; a center back who is extremely confident on the ball. Toure was OK distributing out of the back and Peter Crouch had his moments in the first half as he was getting in behind the line pretty frequently; both through the air and on the ground.

A platoon between Toure, Martin Skrtel, and Andre Wisdom probably won’t be enough to earn a Top 4 finish this season.

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”