Sunday’s last minute draw with Everton may have felt like a defeat to the Liverpool faithful. Phil Jagielka’s last minute wonder-strike denied the Reds two valuable points and ensured that the team extended their run without a win to 3 league matches, having only chalked up one win in their last 5 matches in all competitions (not including penalty shootouts).
It was hoped that a win in the derby, where the form book is thrown out of the metaphorical window, would ignite their season, and failure has left them licking their wounds, looking to the next game against West Brom to get the season started. But was their derby performance good enough to get their season up and running?
The result could have been better, but for 91 minutes the performance was as close to complete as we’ve seen this season.
It would not have been the biggest of Liverpool’s few wins; their 3-0 drubbing of Tottenham would have still looked the more impressive performance on paper, but this match showed more than a few glimpses of a team who were looking like clicking.
– The much maligned defence were a different beast altogether. The entire backline were composed, authoritative and dominant. Romelu Lukaku, a player who has garnished a reputation for tormenting Liverpool’s defence for both Everton and West Brom was barely given a kick and Everton as a unit, offered very little of the attacking threat that they’ve become associated with under Roberto Martinez’s stewardship.
– Steven Gerrard has been in for fierce criticism in recent weeks. He answered that with one precise swing of his right boot; the icing on the cake of a much improved all round performance.
– Adam Lallana looks fitter and sharper with every game. He has begun flowing through the final third with the freedom and creativity that earned him his move in the summer, and seems to be building connections with his teammates, already at the centre of some impressive pieces of linkup, showcasing his creativity and deft touch.
– There were numerous occasions where Liverpool fully controlled the tempo for minutes on end. The ball was moved from left to right, back and forth. Probing and prying. It was inventive, confident and led to real chances
– Most impressive of all though, Mario Balotelli has really taken on the mantra of ‘defending from the front’. His tracking back and willingness to not only win the ball, but also spring into attack gave Liverpool a real attacking threat; one from which he earned the freekick which Gerrard converted. With the departure of Suarez, it was wondered whether Liverpool could find another source of his relentless work-rate and Balotelli looks like the most surprising candidate who might just fill the gap.
One important aspect that can be taken from the positives above, is that no less than 5 of the 8 new signings can be directly associated with the improvements. Javier Manquillo and Dejan Lovren have been almost ever presents, as has Alberto Moreno since signing, as well as the above mentioned Lallana and Balotelli.
Of course, Lazar Markovic is still bedding in after injury and missing a large chunk of pre-season, Emre Can has been injured over recent weeks and Rickie Lambert has struggled with the early pressures associated with finally turning out for his boyhood club, but it is early days for all the new signings. With the squad becoming more accustomed to each other and their own requirements, the level of performance from the unit can grow.
The result may not have been ideal, nor the manner in which it came about, but the performance was littered with positives which, if carried forward, can springboard the club back to the level that we saw last season. Starting with Basel…
