So say the pundits. Liverpool had to come from behind twice to beat Wigan 3-2 at Anfield yesterday, and it was more than enough to give me a heart attack. I really didn't know how the match was going to turn out when halftime rolled around and Liverpool were down 2-1. All credit to Amr Zaki, who scored an amazing second goal just before the halftime whistle. I'd put money on the fact that Zaki will not be a Wigan player by next year--if he keeps playing like he did yesterday, all the big clubs will be lining up at his doorstep (and I keep my fingers crossed that Liverpool are one of them).
In all honesty, Liverpool's defense looked pretty shaky. Daniel Agger was clearly at fault for the first goal, though he redeemed himself exceptionally well by setting up the first equalizer. Jamie Carragher was probably the only real solid link at the back, and by the end of the match, Rafa threw on two attacking players in place of both outside backs, leaving only Carragher and Agger in the defense.
Something that has come up recently is the issue of fouls on Xabi Alonso. In the past three league games, he's been the target of tackles that resulted in the opposition player getting sent off (and deservedly so, none of them were soft fouls). In some ways, it's a compliment, the fact that opposing teams feel they have to take him out to stop him and/or they can't quite get the ball off him and so go for his ankles instead. The problem, of course, is that if this keeps up, he's going to end up with a broken ankle or something, and then Liverpool will be in serious trouble, because Steven Gerrard is always an up-and-down player, and Torres is already looking to have some injury problems (hamstrings seem to be a particular problem spot for him).
Someone on RAWK suggested that some of it has to do with how Alonso handles the ball, turning it away from opponents to more effectively shield it, and I definitely saw that in evidence yesterday. It's the mark of a good player to be able to sense pressure and turn away from it, but the problem is that it exposes the back of your knees and ankles to the opponent, and less experienced tacklers can't or won't stop themselves from going in anyways.
In any event, I hope Alonso stays healthy and I hope opponents stop trying to take him out. To be perfectly honest, the best way to slow him down isn't to take him out, but to put consistent and constant pressure on him, not allow him to turn with the ball and have time to pick out a runner downfield. Manchester United made that mistake, and it cost them.
Despite his defensive lapse, Agger showed flashes of brilliance, especially the assist on the first equalizer. Showed how good he is getting forward and looked rather like a winger with his little juke around the sliding defender. It's worrying how nervous he looked, but then again, he's still quite young, and he's been off the pitch since last September. I guess the good thing about this is that Rafa can't just drop him from the lineup, because he doesn't really have a replacement. Sami Hyypia is class, but no one's going to deny that he's not as quick as Agger, nor as good at advancing the ball forward. Other good points from the match:
*El Zhar came on and made an immediate impact. Quick, sharp, a bit like Theo Walcott in the sense that he adds that bit of pace and spark down the touchline.
*Dirk Kuyt seems to have hit his scoring stride, which can only be good for Liverpool. When Torres gets fit again, it would be nice to have two strikers who are in the habit of finding the net.
*Yossi Benayoun looked very good as always coming off the bench. Quick and sharp as well, really good touch and skills on the ball, can get right into the box seems pretty comfortable handling the ball in tight spaces.
*Riera played well again, perhaps not his best game, but I like how he seems to win a lot of 50-50 balls. Where other players have the ball knocked out of bounds or get shouldered off the ball, Riera seems to come out on the other end of the tussle with the ball more often than not. Nice to have a player like that in the squad.
Next up is the Champions League match away to Atletico Madrid. There was a huge fiasco with the stadium arrangements, as UEFA had originally banned Atleti from playing in their home stadium for the next two home games due to fan behavior in their match against Marseille. But they reinstated it over the weekend, and now Liverpool are set to play the rojiblancos at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday.
Of course, Torres came back from the international break injured, and I think everyone's pretty disappointed that he won't get the chance to play at his old stadium. I think Liverpool fans wanted him to be able to show his old supporters that he made the right decision and that Liverpool have really accepted him as their own, and I think Atleti fans wanted to see their former captain, who was never really able to rise to that top level of stardom while at Atletico, now considered one of the best players in the world.
Oh well. I'll still be up at 2:45 on Thursday morning, as StarSports is picking up the match from Madrid. Liverpool seems to get a fair amount of coverage here, which rather surprises me. But I'm not complaining.
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