Liverpool squandered a chance to punch their ticket to the FA Cup semi-final with a dismal display against Championship side Blackburn, drawing 0-0 and requiring an unwanted replay. While there are those that will claim Rovers arrived at Anfield with a plan and executed it to perfection, that would be a definitive overstatement. The Reds never really got going, and the unfortunate scene of Martin Skrtel being carried off the pitch after three minutes tainted the whole match. Still, Liverpool had enough quality in the starting eleven to get another professional win but could not find a way to sort a physical second tier side that played without fear.
Skrtel scare – Martin Skrtel has been playing as well as any defender in the side. Lining up in the middle of the back three has helped him regain his confidence and leadership, as he quietly has played some of his best football in recent memory. So his awkward fall and subsequent injury became problematic for a number of reasons. Any time there is a stoppage of play that sees an injured player surrounded by a team of medical staff, taking every precaution, the colour of the match irreversibly changes. Considering he was collared, boarded, and carried from the pitch only complicated matters. This stoppage alone ran nearly 10 minutes, as teammates stood, unknowingly staring at Skrtel receiving treatment. The unlikely length of the delay is enough to undermine any team’s play, but witnessing a teammate being stretchered off with little information about his health is an unwarranted distraction no matter how capable a player or team is of refocusing on the task at hand. Then there is replacing him, which is no small problem. In truth, this match may never have recovered from the Slovak’s exit.
Too many changes – Since finding a solution to Liverpool’s early season woes, manager Brendan Rodgers has successfully been rotating only two or three players at a time. Occasionally, four players may be swapped but that has seemed to be the magic number for keeping the momentum in tact and maintaining the rhythm and flow of the squad’s improved form. Despite this being a cup match, however, today’s introduction of Glen Johnson to the back three, Emre Can pushing into midfield, on top of returning Lazar Markovic and Daniel Sturridge to start, seemed one change too many. So when Kolo Toure replaced Skrtel, there was a completely new back three and a less than established midfield pairing. This resulted in the defence being all over the shop at times, and the midfield never looking confident. All of these factors slowed the game considerably, as the back half of the Reds looked uncertain and tentative.
Right side woes – Early in the season, when Liverpool’s struggles were most acute, it seemed as though the side was always carrying at least one player every match. It was as if they were routinely playing a man down. Today saw the first real reminder of that occurrence since the turnaround in form. Adam Lallana struggled to gain a foothold for his entire shift. Everything Lallana did lacked pace, from his movement to he his decision making. He searched for ways to make an impact and continually came up empty. While not quite as poor, Markovic too lacked sharpness. The Serb’s decision making and passing precision were both left wanting. Combine this with Can’s move to right side of midfield, and the entire side looked unfamiliar and unsure what to expect from one another. It never quite worked. Plus, the change of shape that came from Mario Balotelli’s introduction for Markovic made little impact, if any.
Missed opportunities – Injury scare aside, this group never looked like the one that put in professional shift for a cruising win over Burnley midweek. It was fits and starts, sloppy play, and lack of fluidity from start to finish. Rovers clearly had a plan, but Liverpool helped them considerably with a poor overall performance. With the tight run of fixtures that the Reds have playing lately, a replay was the last thing they needed. Freedom from the pressures of added matches to their stretch run in the league only served to increase confidence in the quest for a return to Champions league places. Yet, now a replay away at Blackburn will be wedged amidst the two biggest matches of the final 10 scheduled, against Manchester United and Arsenal. The only saving grace may be that a host of currently injured players will be available and ready for that congested sequence. Liverpool’s lack of ruthlessness could make this draw prove more costly later. Not for the first time this campaign, the Reds have managed to make things a little more complicated for themselves.
Comments.
Loading comments…