"Reds To Stick With 'False Number Nine' Role?
Bournemouth 1 - 3 Liverpool
Gosling 57' Sterling 20' , 51'
Markovic 27'
Possession: 43% - 57%
Shots: 13-16
On Target: 3-5
Corners: 3-7
Fouls: 8-7
Yellow Cards: 0
Red Cards: 0
A joyous, yet relieved Brendan Rodgers exited the Goldsands Stadium on Wednesday night with a certain 20-year old superstar (If you could recognise him with his new hair-do) to thank for as his job as Liverpool manager remains intact for the time being. Lazar Markovic's first goal for the club was a massive boost to the squad as well, however Raheem and his dazzling new hairstyle took all the plaudits as Brendan's men ran out 3-1 winners, thus securing their place in the Capital One Cup quarter final, where they will be pitted against none other than Chelsea, who are not strangers to a cup exit by the hands of Liverpool in the past.
How the Goals Went In
Raheem Sterling (1st), 20 minutes: Any fears of an early smash, grab and parking of the bus by the home side where distinguished in the 20 minute mark, as an incredible 51-pass move resulted into young Raheem heading the ball past a hapless Artur Boruc after Henderson teed him up perfectly with a header of his own. Most of the acclaim for this goal must be handed to Markovic, who played a magnificently timed through ball to set up Henderson in the first place.
Lazar Markovic, 27 minutes: It has finally arrived, exactly a week succeeding his abysmal sending off against Basel at Anfield for barely 'poking' the Basel player Safari. Boruc parried a Coutinho shot on the right byline, of which fell brilliantly to Markovic, who delivered enough power and accuracy to ease it into the net and score his first, of many Liverpool goals to come. Bournemouth will be angered by the fact that one of their defenders, Tommy Elphick claimed to have heard the whistle sound as Coutinho was darting past him, and thus stopped prior to the Brazilian getting his shot away. Markovic won't be losing sleep however, as the man who 'pokes who he wants' has finally got off the mark goalscoring wise.
Raheem Sterling (2nd), 51 minutes: Suarez-esque I would call this one. Although not attempting to fill the lads head with any added pressure, this strike was one the Uruguayan would look proudly upon. The youngster latched on to a pass from Lallana and darted past one of Bournemouth's centre backs' right hand side, then to his left, and after almost dazing the poor fellow to the ground, Raheem let loose a shot with his right peg that landed comfortably in the right hand corner of the net. Huge credit to Kolo Toure as well, who intercepted a Bournemouth attack and played a 'Gerrard-like' pass to Lallana in the build up to the goal.
Heroes, Villains & Talking Points (Within Liverpool Squad & Based on my Personal View)
Man Of The Match: It may only be a petty Bournemouth side, however young Raheem's performance is one that should give us reds fans plenty of cause for optimism as we head into Sunday's crunch match against Arsenal. The 20 year old was here, there and everywhere, and although netting twice could have had a handful more to add on to his double.
Worst Player: This category is always a head-scratcher when we do win, however Brad Jones gets my vote this time around. The 32 year old was relatively untroubled throughout the match, however when the keeper was forced into action he could not prevent a tame shot from Dan Gosling fumble into his hands and past him in his own net. Certainly not one to remember for the Australian, who is looking to impress the boss following the recent performances of the reds' current number one Mignolet.
5 Things We Learnt From The Match
1. The new 'false number 9' role to be carried forward?
The 'two-up top' idea failed, the 'lone striker' project with a certain Mario Balotelli failed, miserably. The last of formations that proved to be a success under Rodgers was the 'SAS' partnership of last season, however the boss has none of the two in his grasp at the moment, and this new look 'false number nine' system is appearing to be a very promising one indeed. Although boasting no aerial threat and power with the deployment of this system, Rodgers seems content with keeping the ball on the floor and 'passing our way into the opposition's net. Heck, if it produces performances of parallel quality to Wednesday night's, why not? Having a 20 year old as the vocal point of the 'false number nine' comes with its fair share of pressure obviously, and the return of Daniel Sturridge in the New Year may abolish the system before it really lifting its feet off the ground.
2. It could have been a whole different football match if.....
Us reds fans have the right to show high levels of hope and enthusiasm after Wednesday's match, however let us face it, if Bournemouth where not as nervy and more clinical upfront, this could have resulted into a complete opposite match entirely. Bournemouth should have been one-up after a mere two minutes of play, only for Brett Pittman to fire wide after getting himself one-on-one with Brad Jones. Yes, unfortunately this match could have easily concluded in a 3-1 win for the home side rather then the visitors, and Rodgers must be wary of this when high-fliers Arsenal make the trip to Merseyside this coming Sunday. Liverpool's defensive frailties are still there for everybody to witness.... Is a certain returning Frenchman the person to change these continuous defensive errors the right way around? Let us analyse the possibility with the next of my points.
3. Mamadou Sakho - The 18 Million Pound Answer?
Add 7 million pounds to that, and you have got yourself the main culprit of our catastrophic defending this season. Ever since the departure of red legend Jamie Carragher to the Sky Sports team, Liverpool's defence has been nothing short of dreadful. From conceding more than 50 goals last campaign to an even more disastrous start this time round, us reds fans have pleaded with Brendan numerous times to sort this mess out. Whilst his 25 million answer of Dejan Lovren proving to be a disastrous one entirely, we look to a player who was brought in two summers ago to make a step up and conclude these defensive errors once and for all.
Mamadou Sakho's return from a lengthy lay-off has been of a relief to many fans worldwide, and the 24 year old has showed us with his performance on Wednesday night that he is indeed the man to hold the mantle in the heart of Liverpool's back line for the present moment. The Frenchman possesses many of the traits his counterpart in Dejan Lovren lacks in abundance; Strength, Power, and Leadership are just three of many skills the former gives to the squad in contrast to the latter. Who will the 24 year old partner however? Martin Skrtel? Kolo Toure? Dejan Lovren? Although a thought amongst many to ponder for Brendan as Sunday looms in the distance, I will give you a hint of my personal opinion with this video clip.:
4. Possibly The Worst Match to Play Prior To a Season-Defining League Fixture?
Yes, Liverpool did play exceptionally good football at times on Wednesday night. Does it, however, give us a different viewpoint and approach to the big match on Sunday? We played well against a Bournemouth side, who, although top of the Championship at the moment, are in that league for a reason. I do not advise Rodgers to rest on his laurels and rely on the players who shone in the Capital one Cup to produce a 'mirror-image' display against a team of Arsenal's calibre. In fact, I foresee a number of changes from the reds boss, as he will no doubt look to shore up his back line as solidly as possible. Will he opt for the same formation? Possibly. Both Lambert and Balotelli have proved to be extremely poor signings thus far, and Raheem seems to be answering his goalscoring critics at the moment, whilst ravishing in the new role entrusted upon him.
5. Brendan Rodgers vs Fabio Borini
You know you are in the bosses bad books when two of your main strikers are misfiring, one is out injured, and the boss opts for a 'false number nine' formation rather than picking you in a match against lower league opposition. It took Brendan 89 minutes to give in to the numerous darts across the touchline made by Borini in attempt to get noticed, and his introduction proved far too late, as the Italian hardly had a touch of the ball. Fabio Borini has given 100 % in every little stint granted to the forward, and talks of a rift between manager and player would not have me entirely surprised. I have made desperate shouts in the past couple of weeks for the Italian to be given a chance in the first team, but it seems that Brendan's hard-headedness has prevailed on each and every occasion. As I doubt he will be let loose in this Sunday's fixture, we look beyond Christmas in hope that the ever-determined Fabio Borini shines once given a stint amongst the regulars.
There where a staggering 51 passes completed prior to Liverpool's first of three goals on Wednesday night, a feat that has brandished talk about the return of the 'Tiki-Taka' football Brendan holds so dearly to his heart. The main question on this debate is: Does this system still work in modern day football? Can a team pass it around for 90 minutes straight in hope that they will find their way through the defence? What if you are faced with an opposition such as Stoke or West Ham, who seem content on placing eleven behind the ball in hope of a counter attack or dead ball coming in their favour? The system works well against a lacklustre Bournemouth back four, will it do the same against Arsenal this weekend? Lots of questions to ponder amongst you fans, as we enter a must-win fixture.
One thing is for certain, Brendan Rodgers lives to fight another day! Do not worry Brendan, you only have the small matter of Arsenal to deal with next, a fixture that is no doubt pivotal in determining whether Liverpool are going to turn around there season or not. Win on Sunday, and Brendan's song will be chanted along the Mersey until Christmas morning. Lose however, and the reds will drop further down the table, in and amongst the relegation battlers, somewhere neither him, or us reds fans want this beloved club to be come Sunday evening.
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Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !! YNWA !!
