January hasn’t been such a bad month, and Brendan Rodgers will be hoping his side can do a similar run of form to that of last season post-Christmas, as unlikely as that seems. Their next hurdle is a trip to Aston Villa, a club in turmoil both on and off the field. I spoke to @EddEvans_, of @TheVillansVoice to get his perspective on the game:
To start off, can you tell us about the main dangers Aston Villa can pose to Liverpool on Saturday, and who you think the real danger-men for your side are?
Well, where do we start? It’s been evident to everyone, not only Villa fans, that we’ve been dismal going forward this season. However, who knows what Carles Gil can bring to the table. Many Valencia fans suggest he’s a bright prospect, and could offer the support Benteke desperately requires. But without seeing Gil play yet, I’m forced to say Benteke is our ‘danger man’. He’s an imposing and powerful figure, who can potentially boss the Liverpool back four about. Christian also enjoys playing against the Reds, as you well know.
Do you have any particular areas of your squad you’d like to see strengthened in January?
I’d like to see us sign one, maybe two, wide players. A young, prosperous winger who has pace and flair, and also shows intent with the ball in their feet. This season, Agbonlahor and Weimann just haven’t been able to provide the service Benteke needs and deserves, that’s perhaps one of the reasons why we’ve only scored 11 goals thus far. Since the sale of Young and Milner, we’ve lost our attacking impetus on the flanks, our wide players seem almost afraid to make that decisive run and cross that ball.
Can you tell the readers about the protest which is expected to take place, and give us your thoughts on it?
The protest will take place within the first eight minutes of the game. Villa fans situated in the Holte End will not take to their seats until the 8th minute. Why the number eight? This is symbolic to the number of years Randy Lerner has been chairman of the club. The 82 minutes remaining in the fixture are also representative of our European Cup success in the early 80’s, with this gesture fans are aiming to display the tragic decline of the club under Lerner’s rule. Personally, I’m all for the protest. Without sounding to cliché, actions speak far louder than words. However, I still believe very little will come out of the protests being held, as the board seem to be blind to what the fans are feeling.
Are you Lambert in, or Lambert out?
That’s a very good question, and one I will certainly struggle to answer. I’m not one to sit on the fence, but there’s an argument for both causes. If I was to lean towards one, it would most likely be Lambert out. For over two years now our style of play has been deteriorating under the governing of Paul Lambert, our forwards players appear reluctant to attack high up the pitch. Instead, we play keep-ball football in the centre of the field and look to attack teams on the break when the opportunity arises. This counter-attacking football has failed to take off however, to the point where Lambert is now correcting his tactics due to a recent visit to the Munich training ground. The Scot looks lost at sea on the touchline, I believe its time for change. However, this is where the Lambert supporters have a solid case. Who would replace Lambert? In the past our board has been awful in recruiting managers, Alex McLeish is a perfect example of this.
When looking at the current Liverpool squad, who do you feel poses your side the most threat on Saturday?
I’m a huge fan of Raheem Sterling, he has everything at such a tender age. He has pace, flair, skill and the end product, whether it be crossing or finishing. The young lad also has a phenomenal engine and attitude, he looks hungry to win, which is something I feel our players fail to show. Lazar Markovic is also making a name for himself, he was arguably Liverpool’s brightest spark in their recent victory over Sunderland. He certainly possesses a huge threat to our defence, who have been relatively strong in recent games. Then there’s obviously the leader, Steven Gerrard. Not a lot needs to be said about the Red’s skipper, I think his legacy explains what threat he can pose to Villa.
Do you think Liverpool are starting to find their feet again, after their disappointing start to the season?
Certainly, Liverpool have lost only one of their last nine encounters and are high in morale, despite the news of Gerrard’s departure. The start of the season was always going to be hard losing Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in such a short space of time. Liverpool played incredibly well last season and possibly deserved to win the title. With the loss of key players, it was always going to be a colossal task to repeat last years success.
Finally, can we get a score prediction from you?
Villa seem to thrive when they visit Anfield for some unknown reason, but I can’t see the same happening at Villa Park. We’re in a dreadful position playing a team on the charge, a loss is most definitely on the cards. I predict a 0-2 loss for Saturday. I fear the threat of Sterling, Markovic and Coutinho will be far too much for our defence to cope with. Liverpool have been shaky at the back this season which may be a positive in terms of our goal drought, but we’ve been hopeless in front of goal, I just can’t see us scoring.
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I find myself in complete agreement with Edd, and think we will run out 2-0 winners as well. The pace of Lazar Markovic and a fresh Raheem Sterling, who is returning from holiday, will be enough to secure the result.
