Philippe Coutinho’s 70th minute score propelled Liverpool to a date with Aston Villa at Wembley in the FA Cup Semi Final; it was enough to beat Blackburn 0-1 in the replay at Ewood Park.
The victory saved the Reds the embarrassment of being bounced out of the tournament by a Championship side as well as a third consecutive loss in all competitions.
Despite starting well and dominating possession, Liverpool continued to struggle in the final third. Neither Daniel Sturridge nor Raheem Sterling found a way to get behind Balckburn’s well-disciplined and deep defensive block.
Yet, it was a clever one-two with Jordan Henderson that freed the Brazilian midfield magician to slip in behind and smash low drive off the far post and into the side netting to seal the Merseysiders’ advancement.
Here are four findings from last night’s match:
Anaemic attack
Despite controlling nearly the entire match, Liverpool showed few solutions for breaking down Blackburn. The Rovers remained compact and deep, inviting the Reds to set up shop in the attacking half and content to counter. While negative, Rovers tactics proved effective, minimizing Liverpool’s paciest players.
The Reds tried to create greater width, mainly thorough fullback play, as Sterling and Coutinho looked to cut inside at every chance. Sterling looked better on the left side but was at his best when slipping into more central positions. Somewhat isolated and still lacking sharpness, Sturridge seems unable to find the necessary space and appears in greater need of a strike partner each time he leads the line. Add to that the number of heavy touches and lack of precision all over the pitch and it became clear why Liverpool could not capitalise on the possession.
Shape change not the solution
Given the personnel problems with suspensions and injury, Brendan Rodgers little choice but to change the team shape. Returning to a more traditional back four with traditional fullbacks did not overwhelmingly strengthen the defence. In fact, were it not from another strong performance from Simon Mignolet, the Reds no doubt would have conceded one of the scant chances they gave away.
More concerning was Mamadou Sakho hobbling off with an injury. The shift to an extra defender from the midfield seemed to slow pace of play in attack, almost encouraging more recycling of possession rather than inspiring cutting edge. Adjusting the shape and tactics of the team did little to solve the problems that have crept into the side over the last few weeks.
Allen or Lucas, not both
The return of Lucas Leiva from injury has provided some more options to Rodgers, not to mention the promise of a more stable midfield shield. However, there is no question Lucas has lost some pace from repeated injuries and relies increasingly on reading the game and guile. Joe Allen is less the defensive shield and more the metronome midfielder. Still, they both play well from deeper positions. Playing them both in the same side did not quite work as well with the adjusted shape.
Playing both together led to slow build up play and meant Liverpool were unable to find the higher gear in term of speed of play that would have likely helped the attack unlock the Rovers’ defence with greater facility.
Again, Rodgers had limited roster options and, given the paucity of chances created, might have counted on a slightly slower but steadier back half to remain defensively solid.
Regaining control and rebuilding confidence
Granted Blackburn is lower-league opposition and the pitch conditions were less than ideal, but Liverpool doggedly relied on graft to grind out a much needed victory. Missing starters and leaders meant that Liverpool never looked their best.
Nevertheless, they controlled the game for nearly the entire 90 minutes, penning Blackburn back and rarely allowing them to mount any sustained threat.
Considering that when Sakho left the game, the only routine starter from The Reds’ strongest run of form was Alberto Moreno, Liverpool showed resolve. Even the much maligned Dejan Lovren returned with a his best performance in months. Perhaps more than anything, The Reds can and should take confidence from the fact that their best sequence of sharp, one-touch play produced the kind of penetration required to yield goals. When Liverpool accelerate their combinations and speed of play, they are at their best. Tonight revealed flashes of their manic best, something that had recently gone missing.
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