Brendan Rodgers has challenged his Liverpool team to prove that they can compete with the top six sides by improving their results against them.
The Reds’ loss against Manchester United on Sunday was yet another game against one of the top six that they have failed to win, and with Arsenal and Manchester City on the horizon, Rodgers has challenged his side to prove they can mix it with the best in the Premier League.
“It’s not a problem mentally,” Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.
“We should have beaten Man City earlier on, we should have beaten Everton – but we haven’t.
“It’s not something mental, but it’s something we need to do if we’re going to progress.
“I feel that we’re a match for any of the teams in this league. But what allows you to close the gap in terms of the points is obviously having the squad that allows you to compete.”
January arrival at Anfield, Daniel Sturridge has hit the ground running, scoring two goals in his first two appearances for the club and already seeming to form an understanding with top scorer Luis Suarez.
The Liverpool chief has also seen Italian striker Fabio Borini return to the fold, further boosting his options.
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The Reds sit eighth in the Premier League table following Sunday’s defeat, three points adrift of Arsenal in sixth, and nine behind Tottenham in the lucrative fourth Champions League spot.
We are down to the last 16 of the Europa League and Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle are flying the flag for English clubs in pursuit of European glory. Tottenham v Inter Milan is arguably the tie of the round and Andre Villas-Boas will be eager to see Spurs progress ahead of his quest to be the first manager to win the Europa League with two different clubs.
There are some excellent fixtures to look forward to and below are the ten key facts ahead of the last 16 ties.
1. The round of 16 participants come from 11 countries, with representation split as follows:
3 clubs – England, Russia
2 clubs – Italy
1 club – Czech Republic, France, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey
2. Of the eight clubs that transferred to the competition after the UEFA Champions League group stage, only three survive: Chelsea FC, SL Benfica and FC Zenit St Petersburg.
3. Only three remaining clubs have graced the UEFA Europa League round of 16 before: Zenit (reached 2010/11 round of 16), Benfica (2010/11 semi-finals, 2009/10 quarter-finals) and FC Rubin Kazan (2009/10 round of 16).
4. UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea are among four previous winners of the European Cup, along with FC Internazionale Milano, Benfica and FC Steaua Bucureşti.
5. Three other clubs in the last 16 have won a major UEFA club competition title: Zenit, S.S. Lazio and Tottenham Hotspur FC. Newcastle United FC won the non-UEFA-backed Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
6. There are two reigning domestic champions competing in the round of 16: Zenit (Russia) and FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland). One is guaranteed to reach the quarter-finals as the pair meet in the last 16.
7. Including qualifying and play-off fixtures, the clubs who have required most games in Europe this season to reach the last 16 are Basel, FC Anji Makhachkala and FC Viktoria Plzeň, each with 14. Anji and Plzeň are the UEFA Europa League’s longest survivors this season, having entered in the second qualifying round. Basel began their European campaign at the equivalent stage of the UEFA Champions League.
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8. Rubin and Steaua are the only surviving participants that have appeared in all four editions of the UEFA Europa League.
9. Tottenham’s André Villas-Boas is bidding to become the first coach to win the UEFA Europa League twice, having captured it with FC Porto in 2010/11. Chelsea’s Rafael Benítez won the UEFA Cup with Valencia CF in 2004.
10. Only two coaches involved in the round of 16 have lifted the European Champion Clubs’ Cup – Anji’s Guus Hiddink, a winner with PSV Eindhoven in 1988, and Benítez with Liverpool in 2005. Additionally, Villas-Boas was the Chelsea coach for part of their triumphant 2011/12 UEFA Champions League campaign before being replaced by Roberto Di Matteo.
With the Premier League’s final run in now well under way, Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa looks set to finish his debut season at Old Trafford with not only a winner’s medal, but a whole realm of warm goodwill to boot.
You’ll find few supporters who have anything in the way of a bad thing to say about their Japanese superstar and the general consensus in the red half of Manchester, is that the recently turned 24-year-old has enjoyed a solid start to life within English football.
And when he has played, it’s felt incredibly difficult to argue with that. Technically gifted with an outstanding eye for a pass, the way in which the ex-Borussia Dortmund man plays football is incredibly easy on the eye and his recent hat-trick in the 4-0 win against Norwich City, displayed exactly what he’s capable of when at his devastating best.
The only problem, however, is that we’ve not seen Kagawa at his devastating best particularly often this season. In fact, over the course of the campaign, we’ve barely seen him at all.
With only 11 starts and two substitute appearances in the league this term, Kagawa has only made three more than the minimum ten showings you need to qualify for a Premier League winners medal. Having made a mere 18 appearances in all competitions, we’ve perhaps only learned marginally more about the talented midfielder, than we did before he first left the Bundesliga.
It does however speak volumes about the impact that he’s had with the Old Trafford faithful, that despite a debut campaign that’s been largely ravaged by injury – most prominently a twisted knee picked up against Braga in October that kept him out for two months – his initial £12million acquisition from Dortmund has been deemed a relative success.
But while he remains a prodigiously talented attacking outlet, he still resembles something of an enigmatic presence within this United side and one that perhaps Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to truly figure out.
His initial showings within English football at the start of the season, were understandably a mixed bag. As high as expectations were following his summer arrival, those that were left slightly puzzled at Kagawa’s inability to produce the goods from the off, were maybe being a little unrealistic in their demands.
The Kobe-born star remains in the process of adapting to the rigors of English football and back in October, he was keen to remind supporters that he was working hard to do his bit in smoothing the transition, telling The Independent: “I’ve realised that I need to limber up and strengthen my body trunk,” as he liked to put it.
Despite continuing to offer brilliance in short bursts, rather than sustained periods, Kagawa has slowly looked a more comfortable component within Ferguson’s side, even if his mid-season injury lay off represented a huge disruption in his adaptation.
But after carrying on from where he left off, since Kagawa’s return from injury, while his individual performances have begun to look a lot less puzzling, his presence remains an enigmatic puzzle piece within the overall collective at Old Trafford.
Because fitting his talents within a side that include both Robin van Persie but most prominently, Wayne Rooney, has proved a difficult prospect at the very least and one that still doesn’t look closer to reaching a permanent solution any time soon.
When Kagawa has played in his favoured position as the No10 behind Robin van Persie, that’s when we’ve tended to see the very best out of him, although the role behind the Dutchman just so happens to be the one in which Rooney also looks most comfortable. Ferguson’s managerial skills may well be peerless within the game, but fitting two into one is a feat that even the Scot may well find a bridge too far.
Kagawa’s fitness issues seem to have swept the issue under the carpet for large parts of the season but within recent weeks, it’s becoming increasingly impossible to ignore. With Van Persie a seeming lock-in up in attack and the flirtations with a diamond midfield now consigned to recent history, there’s only room for one behind the ex-Arsenal man.
The trend for much of the season when Kagawa and Rooney have been playing together, has been to shift the one not playing centrally out on the left hand side. But while Kagawa has perhaps suffered more when played out wide, he’s also arguably looked far more effective than the Englishman when he’s got the nod as the No10.
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And it was during the most memorable moment of Kagawa’s short United career so far, that Ferguson may have finally found the best way of cracking his Japanese enigma; but the answer isn’t one without difficult ramifications.
After a first 45 in which Rooney found himself playing centrally against Norwich City, it was when the ex-Everton striker swapped placed with Kagawa, that we really saw what United’s mercurial summer signing had to offer. Kagawa was absolutely magnificent playing in the archetypal playmaker role and despite the questionable quality of the opposition, he arguably looked like the best fit that United have had in that position in months – maybe even all season.
The problem for Manchester United is that for as potentially brilliant as Kagawa may be, exuding the very best performance out of him in the long term is going to have to come at the cost of pushing Wayne Rooney even further away from goal and for as polarising as he may continue to be, that remains an extremely difficult decision to make indeed.
But with Rooney no longer looking bulletproof within this United side, the prospect of Kagawa securing a central role for himself might not be so distant after all.
Tottenham Hotspur might not be a club necessarily blessed with an abundance of natural leaders, but in Michael Dawson, supporters at least have one figure they can count upon when the chips are down.
Quite how downcast the mood is within N17 is of course open to discussion, but following the central defender’s rallying call to fans this week, you get the idea that after the side’s dispiriting wobble which saw them drop out the top four for the first time since December last weekend, Dawson’s sentiments were very well timed indeed.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, the 29-year-old reassured fans that no one in the squad was contemplating a failure to finish within the top-four.
“We’re not thinking of that,” he said this week.
“As players you can’t. Who knows what will happen on 19th May? Hopefully it will be a good day and we’re celebrating. There’s a lot of hard work to go in from ourselves and also the other teams to get there.
But while his positive reflections will sit well with supporters, it was his call to the White Hart Lane faithful to raise the volume level against Manchester City this Sunday, that felt particularly poignant.
“There is no better place than White Hart Lane when it’s rocking and that support can make such a difference,” the former Nottingham Forest man continued.
“When the players are performing and the fans are behind us, they are our 12th man, just like they were recently against Arsenal. We’d all love a repeat of that.”
On face value, there’s nothing within Dawson’s cries for an added vocal presence in N17 that particularly resonates as out of the ordinary. Calls for solidarity and a collective grouping together when clubs’ backs are against the wall is nothing new and if such a thing as a skipper’s handbook existed, you imagine the previous sentiment would feature somewhere towards the front.
Yet after a season that has seen White Hart Lane draped in a blanket of tension and a mire of skepticism – perhaps thanks in no small part to the side’s difficulty in finding a rhythm when playing in front of the home crowd – the debate upon the atmosphere is more a topical point of conversation, as opposed to a small flash in the pan.
And following Clint Dempsey’s recent suggestions that the unease emitted from the home support might be beginning to have a detrimental effect upon the first team, Dawson’s recent comments might hold a little more weight than simply a series of throwaway remarks.
This isn’t to say that the England man has wheeled out something of a coded jibe to a set of fans in which he is thought very highly of indeed, but following a 2-2 draw with Everton played out in front of a backdrop of frustration and jangling nerves, there might have been more to Dawson’s comments than initially met the eye.
And although sensitivity must always be harnessed when approaching the subject of dwindling atmosphere with supporters, with so much on the line for Spurs this season, it’s perhaps imperative that the subject has been given an added spot of prominence over the last ten days.
Frustrations with the noise levels at White Hart Lane have been bubbling under the surface for a while now. Some have attributed a harder-line approach from stewards to standing at games – an obvious flouting of the regulations but commonplace across the more vocally prominent stands in the Premier League – while others have looked towards the jagged and awkward performances that Villas-Boas’ side have served up in North London.
But although both of the aforementioned have played a part, the patented vivacity and energy of the White Hart Lane crowd just hasn’t been there for large parts of this campaign and it’s something which has to change over the last handful of games this season.
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As Dawson mentioned, we know that this home crowd is still capable of carrying their team over the line, as they did almost single-handedly during the 2-1 over Arsenal earlier on this year and although a north London derby can of course be classified as a one-off, the fixtures against Manchester United and West Ham drew a similar level of passion out of the paying public in N17.
And moving forward, that’s what the Tottenham support simply have to try and replicate during their remaining home clashes with City, Southampton and Sunderland on the last day of the season.
The likelihood is, it’s going to be tough, it’s going to be scrappy and it might not necessarily be pleasant. But now’s not the time to start yearning for anything approaching box office football.
Spurs have to get over the line one way or another, but the chorus of moans, groans and general feeling of discontent that felt palpable at times during the Everton game isn’t likely to help anyone. Be it the genteel smattering of boos that greeted Emmanuel Adebayor’s name on the line-up or the general feeling of disdain that Clint Dempsey seems to have attracted, regardless of how much supporters may believe it’s affecting the first team, it’s certainly not having a positive effect.
It’s time to lay the arms down, take a deep breath and put the frustration on the backburner in N17, at least until the end of the season. Tottenham need their 12th man back and they’d be no better time to return than against Manchester City this weekend.
Summary: Manchester United were crowned Premier League champions after Robin Van Persie’s stunning first-half hat-trick sunk struggling Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
It was fitting that Van Persie, wearing the number 20 on his back, was the man to fire United to their 20th top-flight crown and regain the throne from local rivals Manchester City.
Their intent was clear from the first kick and within 90 seconds the PFA Player of the Year nominee had the hosts in front. Rafael’s deep cross from the right was expertly returned back across goal by Ryan Giggs giving Van Persie the easy task of turning in from a yard out.
After a two-month drought the Dutchman was accused of fatigue but gave everyone a reminder of his world class credentials with a stunning second just before the quarter hour. Wayne Rooney clipped a wonderful ball over the Villa backline and Van Persie watched the ball drop over his shoulder before unleashing a breathtaking first time volley into the bottom corner.
The hat-trick was complete 20 minutes later with Giggs picking out Van Persie once again and the Red Devils leading scorer stabbed the ball past Brad Guzan to register his 24th goal of the season and move above Luis Suarez in the Golden Boot stakes.
Unfortunately for Villa, who remain 17th and in deep trouble, they had to endure a second half which more or less resembled a procession for United. They did come close to a consolation when Andreas Weinmann’s header beat David de Gea but not Van Persie on the line.
Ferguson rejoiced on the touchline as his year-long quest to recapture the title finally came to a happy ending as joined the players in a lap of honour around Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson post-match…”It is sweet, doesn’t matter when you win it, the consistency has been phenomenal. We have lived up to the expectation. This could arguable be [our best ever squad]. There is a lot of youth and a lot will get better, we expect that.”
Paul Lambert post-match…”You want to give a good account of yourselves at Old Trafford but after the start we had you are not wanting to concede more goals. The lads kept on going and, for us, next Monday [against Sunderland] is the one we have to win.”
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Good night for…Robin Van Persie: His decision to leave Arsenal in the summer in search of a title winners medal was fully justified tonight. A stunning treble, the second of which is destined to be a contender for Goal of the Season, capped an excellent night and season for the prolific Dutchman.
Bad night for…Ron Vlaar: Not the captain Villa need in this time of struggle. Allowances are made given he was coming up against a world-class striker but the rate at which Vlaar crumbled after the first goal went in should surely lead to Paul Lambert questioning whether he has the mental strength to lead the club on the field.
There aren’t too many Arsenal fans who wouldn’t take Cesc Fabregas back if given the opportunity. Despite the circumstances surrounding the player’s exit to Barcelona in 2011, Fabregas remains an icon and a much-loved part of Arsenal’s recent history.
The same cannot be said about Alex Song. For those who wanted to look past those party trick lofted passes to Robin van Persie in his final year at Arsenal, it was clear to see that Song really didn’t provide much to the team. He constantly neglected his defensive duties and often thought of himself as something of a creative wizard. The assists numbers may have been impressive, but in comparison to the number of times he threw away possession they didn’t look too good.
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Incidentally, Song hasn’t looked too good in a Barcelona shirt this season, either. It is quite plain to see how out of sync he is with the rest of the Barcelona team, doing nothing to offer a backup to Sergio Busquets and the duties required of that role, while at times looking tactically inept. It’s not just a vicious swipe at the player; Fabregas also admitted to how difficult he found the transition from Arsenal to Barcelona and the tactical approach carried out by the Catalans. It just so happens that the team had alternatives to Fabregas, while they’ve really struggled in the defensive department for much of the season – an area in which Song was brought in to provide cover.
Song is capable of offering a lot and has seen a very good season in an Arsenal shirt, but what good would it do to revisit the player in the near future? Such is Barcelona’s style of play that they can sometimes afford for Song not to be at the top of his game; Arsenal simply do not share that same pressing game that sees Barcelona retrieve the ball so expertly.
There really shouldn’t be any thoughts of bringing Song back to Arsenal. It’s not that it would show Arsenal in a negative light, but the question has to be asked what the player can really bring to the team.
A defensive midfielder is needed going into next season, but there are many options available around Europe who would prove to be a better acquisition than the Barcelona midfielder. On top of that and possibly even more of an important factor over his footballing contributions is that Song left Arsenal on bad terms, with reports suggesting his attitude really started to turn for the worst in his final year. It doesn’t matter how good a player is or has been in the past, Arsene Wenger will always look past a maturing player with that kind of baggage.
It’s still quite clear that Fabregas has an appetite for the Premier League. He hasn’t been able to slot into the Barcelona midfield as seamlessly as previously thought, either playing out of position or lacking the tactical discipline to link up with Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
The positive for Arsenal is that Fabregas finally has his league title and may feel a little more at ease to return to England in the near future. Of course, that’s not to imply that’s it on the trophy front for the player, but he certainly won’t feel as anxious as he did in his final year with Arsenal.
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Importantly, Arsenal will need to show another level of ambition if they are to explore the option of re-signing Fabregas. There are good players currently in the team but both the player and the supporters need to see more in the coming transfer window. It most certainly won’t be about Arsenal biting the bullet or swallowing their pride to bring back Fabregas; Arsene Wenger has mentioned in the past that is it possible we’ll see the player in an Arsenal shirt once again. More than Barcelona, Arsenal is Fabregas’ football home.
The trials and tribulations of England’s number one Joe Hart have been clear for all to see. A series of high profile gaffes have riddled the stoppers recent Manchester City career, and if midweek was anything to go by it looks set to continue.
If Hodgson is going to pick on form rather than reputation then selecting Celtic’s Fraser Forster is a must. The SPFL stalwart has been imperious for the Scottish giants, and another performance on the highest stage of all midweek has allowed Forster to throw himself well into contention for the national side.
His displays on the continent have garnered the Celtic man an array of admirers. Speaking on the subject of the England goalkeeping jersey to the Sun, legend Gianluigi Buffon had the following to say:
“I think it is time now for England to give Forster a chance. He has shown again in the Champions League what he is capable of. He made some big saves against Barcelona.”
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“He has proved he can handle the big games and the pressure situations. Now it is time to test himself at the international level. If the England coach is picking his team on form then Fraser is his only option.”
High praise from someone held in such regard in goalkeeping and indeed footballing circles. Buffon is right and for me this decision is anything but a gamble, it is prudent selection. Forster has proven himself consistently in Champions League over the last couple of seasons, and his ability to deal with the rigours of SPFL physicality will hold him in good stead for the upcoming games against Poland and Montenegro. A save percentage of 80.9% for Forster compared to 74.4% for Hart between 2010 and 2013 would according to Bloomberg’s statistics point to a need for change in goal. Do we temper this slightly because the Premier League is more competitive? I’m not convinced personally.
For me the bigger risk is continuing this indulgence of a player clearly painfully out of form. What does it say to Joe Hart and indeed other players when someone like Hodgson continue to persist with him through such dark times. Some may argue it shows long-term faith but personally it falls woefully short of the meritocratic ethics we should be instilling in our national side.
I still believe that Joe Hart is the long-term England number one, but for him to get to that level he needs to pushed by those in and around him. Giving Forster a chance will take Hart out of the spotlight and firing line whilst ensuring he is given the necessary kick to re-find his best form.
Maintaining faith is a gamble for Hodgson in itself, especially considering how crucial the upcoming games will be for England’s World Cup hopes. On current form I just cannot see Forster doing any worse than what Hart has done of late.
There may be a school of thought that would suggest that giving a goalkeeper his debut at such a pivotal moment is non-sensical. Defenders and keepers need to strike up a relationship which takes time, something that England do not have at the moment.
This issue is a genuine concern, but England’s finest international stars should be able to deal with it. Considering how shaky communication seems to be between Hart and his defence of late I really don’t see the risk being quite as great as many would make out.
Picking Forster ahead of Hart just sends out all the right messages. The national side do not pick on reputation but performances, the way it should be in my opinion. How can rising stars ever be motivated to impress the national selectors when they know a select few are guaranteed a berth?
The title suggests that the decision to pick Forster would represent a gamble, but personally England’s World Cup charge is more under threat if Hart continues to play.
Forster is high on confidence and riding the crest of a wave, whereas the City man looks a shadow his former self. Dropping him is not only a benefit to England in general but the player himself. People are kidding themselves if they think games against Montenegro and Poland will be easy and the decision over who to play between the sticks could be crucial to whether we qualify or not.
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My belief is that Hodgson just doesn’t has the guts to make the changes necessary and this a concern for England as a whole going forward. The safer bet is to play Forster, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the England manager see’s fit to keep the faith with an ailing Hart.
Will this be the decision to cost England a place in Rio?
In recent weeks Joe Hart has become no stranger to public scrutiny. A series of high-profile errors for club Manchester City has seen England’s no. 1 drop to the bench in the Premier League, an outcome that has prompted speculation over both his domestic and international future.
And tonight will be no different, as the 6’5 stopper looks set to make his first appearance in three weeks when he lines up in England’s friendly with Germany at Wembley.
To say then that the stakes are high for the goalkeeper would probably be something of an understatement. A solid performance would help reassure fans that he is still a good first choice at international level, and perhaps take the focus off him when he returns to Manchester. A poor game, however, will serve to compound what is an already precarious situation for him.
With the World Cup in Brazil now just a few months away, Hart will be anxious to put his ‘blip’ behind him as quickly as possible – a process that is likely to require a significant, if unwelcome, test of character.
This story though, is one which the majority of us have seen before, when a certain Paul Robinson was the subject of a very similar situation.
Following a freak goal against Croatia in a Euro 2008 qualifier, mounting pressure saw the then Tottenham man dropped for the final match of qualification, which proved to be the end of his time as England’s goalkeeper.
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While that eventuality appears to still be quite a long way off for the 26-year-old Hart, who’s England record boasts just two defeats, it’s fair to say that the jury is further out than it has ever been on whether Roy Hodgson should stick with him.
It was Fraser Forster who took his place when he played against Chile on Friday, turning in a solid display for his first international cap, while Norwich’s John Ruddy also on one cap, is similarly waiting in the wings.
Both are very good goalkeepers, but with a lack of international experience and ability levels that don’t clearly eclipse those of Hart, the odds of them usurping his place for the upcoming tournament seem improbable at best.
But then, it is not Hart’s ability that is really in question. Indeed, it is basically indisputable that when on form he is world-class and perhaps the first player truly capable of taking on the mantle of England’s former international stalwart David Seaman.
What is also indisputable, however, is that at present his top-flight performances are not up to these very high standards.
Such a downturn in form is far from irreversible and most players will go through patches when playing well is a lot harder to come by. The difference of course, is that it is much easier to forget these when it concerns an outfielder as opposed to a goalkeeper.
Goalkeepers are generally played consistently and thus not party to a squad-rotation system. When dropped for any reason other than injury therefore, it is often taken as a statement of lost confidence on behalf of the manager, at domestic level at least.
This, when taken in conjunction with the attitude of the British press, an entity that wastes no time in criticising the individuals it helps to build up as idols, it’s understandable that a player’s and particularly goalkeeper’s confidence could be affected by these events.
Tonight though, could prove to be a turning point. A good display, or failing that, one that prompts no comment, would help stem the flow of unwanted analysis that has been directed towards Hart recently, which could go some way to helping him regain his goalkeeping vigour.
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And speculation over the potential of arrival of a new stopper at City in January, unlikely to have done a lot for him up to now, might similarly die down with a return to form.
Speculation over Hart’s future then, is really a little premature. Football is, after all, a very fickle business, a fact that regularly causes us to lose sight of the fallibility of those who engage in it at the highest level. Nobody can play well all the time and if anything, the current questions over his performances are a testimony to how good he is known to be.
Come next summer, I firmly expect him to be lining up in the World Cup, and for Manchester City long before then.
It’s no secret that Liverpool need further quality in depth, signings to keep them challenging at the top of the Premier League table. The team’s run of results don’t change that, despite going into Christmas day as league leaders. But it’s also very difficult to paint a damning image of the club off the back of two high-profile losses. The two issues are not exactly intertwined.
Liverpool needed the 5-0 win at Tottenham to put wind in their sails. They went into the game at Manchester City with all the confidence that they could be the first team to hand a defeat to City at the own ground this season. Brendan Rodgers’ side looked like they belonged. They outplayed City for spells in the game and should have gone ahead early when Luis Suarez put Raheem Sterling through on goal. City weren’t at their best without their talismanic striker, Sergio Aguero, out injured, but you felt that Liverpool were playing a hand in the home side’s sluggish start.
Liverpool don’t have the squad to challenge Manchester City or Chelsea, but they’re nevertheless doing a good job of it this season, almost defiantly. Rodgers has to take a lot of the credit. He’s recalled Sterling, who was extremely poor in the past, and entrusted him to spearhead counter-attacking operations. His pace more than troubled City and Spurs. Jordan Henderson is another who has been instrumental in Liverpool’s good form of late, doing much more than offering simple industry.
But Liverpool failed at City because of poor officiating, not because they couldn’t match up to one of the other big names in the league. How much of a difference would a handful of star signings have made on the day? Liverpool did miss plenty of good opportunities, but there is no guarantee that even the most clinical of finishers would have put them away. Liverpool had done enough to take a draw from the game but were left with nothing due to the inadequacy of one of the officials.
From a Liverpool perspective, you could make a similar case for their loss at Chelsea. Rodgers’ side weren’t played off the park; they were very much in it, taking the early lead and missing out on a penalty towards the end. There were many questioning Howard Webb’s decision to let play continue after Samuel Eto’o’s foul on Suarez in the box. Again, would a handful of world-class additions have made much of a difference when the outcome of the game at Stamford Bridge was arguably decided by the official?
There are shortcomings to this Liverpool team. Can they sustain what they’re doing at present? They have one fit centre-forward and a lack of creativity in the middle of the pitch. But that’s an issue that speaks of the wider picture; City and Chelsea weren’t great and Liverpool were good enough to get results.
The lack of quality throughout can and likely will be exposed elsewhere down the line at a much less obvious time, for example in the way Hull convincingly took all three points from Liverpool just prior to this good run of form.
Wherever Liverpool finish this season, they will need reinforcements of better quality than they already have. Importantly, though, the results in these recent big games haven’t condemned Liverpool to a lesser standing. They were good enough to stand up to the two strongest squads in the league.
After a nervy first half on Wednesday night, Edin Dzeko’s fifteenth and sixteenth Premier League strikes of the season kept Manchester City on course for their second title in three years. The Bosnia and Herzegovina striker’s recent hot streak in front of goal couldn’t have come at a better time for the Citizens, who now likely only need a point from their final fixture at home to West Ham to finish the season as champions.
Having now been at the club for nearly three and a half years, is Dzeko finally being appreciated at City?
The striker was Roberto Mancini’s ninth signing back in January 2011 when he arrived from Wolfsburg for a cool £27 million. Dzeko had announced himself on the European footballing stage through his strike partnership with Grafite. In 2009. the pair were integral to the German club’s inaugural Bundesliga triumph, scoring a German record fifty four goals in just thirty four matches. In doing so, Dzeko and Grafite surpassed the legendary former Bayern Munich partnership of Gerd Muller and Uli Hoeness.
But like so many foreigners, Dzeko initially struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League. In his first half season in Manchester, the forward could only muster two league goals from fifteen appearances.
Under Mancini’s management, Dzeko came to be regarded as something of a “super sub” at the club. From the beginning of the 2011/12 season up until the Italian’s sacking, the striker delivered a healthy return of twenty eight league goals from sixty two matche, a ratio which becomes even more impressive considering thirty of these appearances came from the bench.
Despite these strikes, Dzeko never seemed to completely win over the faith of his manager. When given the opportunity to start, more often than not the striker struggled to impress. With Mancini regularly favouring a 4-2-3-1 formation, Dzeko understandably found it difficult to dislodge Sergio Aguero from the starting lineup.
City fans have at times been heavily critical of the forward’s performances. Accusations that he is cumbersome and lacks the work rate of the Argentine fan favourite have frequently been levelled at the striker. Dzeko has also been criticised for not offering much other than a goal threat who is occasionally guilty of missing simple chances.
During his time in Manchester, the striker has frequently found himself behind many in the pecking order. Considering the embarrassment of riches at the club’s disposal, the £27 million man has often found himself as City’s third or even fourth choice option. Aguero, Mario Balotelli, Carlos Tevez and more recently Alvaro Negredo have have all enjoyed the manager’s favour ahead of the former Wolfsburg striker.
But under Manuel Pellegrini, Dzeko has enjoyed something of a renaissance. The Chilean’s preference for 4-4-2 has given the striker greater game time, making twenty two starts so far this season. In the current calendar year, Dzeko is the Premier League’s top scorer with twelve strikes so far, with so many of these proving crucial in City’s title pursuit. The striker opened the floodgates on Wednesday night and delivered braces in crucial away day victories at Everton and Manchester United.
This recent hot streak has seemingly finally won over the City faithful. But the statistics show that the formerly maligned striker was arguably subjected to some particularly unfair criticism.
A recent report on CaughtOffside, published prior to City’s victory over Villa, shows that Dzeko is incredibly sixth in the all-time Premier League minutes per goal record for strikers. Despite being a “super sub” for so much of his time at the Etihad, the striker has, on average, netted once every 136 minutes. Even without ever managing to win over Mancini’s favour, Dzeko still managed to bag fourteen league goals in consecutive seasons.
Bearing this goalscoring return in so few starts, it is remarkable to think that the striker has only now seemingly won over the City supporters. It has somehow taken nearly three and a half years for the Citizens to realise that they have more than one prolific striker currently on their books.
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Unfortunately for Dzeko, the struggle for recognition is an issue which has plagued him for both club and country. Despite netting ten in ten appearances during Bosnia and Herzegovina’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign, the striker was still subjected to booing from his own fans during a recent friendly defeat to Egypt.
If City do indeed secure the point needed on Sunday to lift the Premier League title, much of it will have been down to Dzeko’s contribution in the current calendar year. It may have taken them a while, but it seems City fans are now finally appreciating the efforts of their £27 million striker.