{"id":247,"date":"2015-10-02T15:58:20","date_gmt":"2015-10-02T15:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=247"},"modified":"2015-10-02T15:58:20","modified_gmt":"2015-10-02T15:58:20","slug":"liverpool-1-fc-sion-1-an-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/liverpool-1-fc-sion-1-an-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool 1 \u2013 FC Sion 1: An Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Liverpool take the lead, Liverpool concede a goal, the match ends in a draw. Haven\u2019t we been here before? FC Sion were 7th in the Swiss league when they arrived at Anfield for the second group game of the Europa League on Thursday night. At the weekend their owner had branded them a \u2018disgrace\u2019 when they lost 1-0 to their rivals. They are hardly the European greats the Anfield faithful is used to watching.<\/p>\n

Yet they did what teams like Juventus and Barcelona have failed to do at the famous old ground in the past \u2013 left unbeaten after a match in front of the Kop. How the mighty have fallen. Were there any clear reasons for the failure, or was it an accumulation of things? What are the major talking points of the game? We have a look at some of the key take aways from yet another disappointing home draw.<\/p>\n

Consistency Is Key<\/h2>\n

Rodgers deserves some of the criticism that has been coming his way over the past couple of months and some of the harsh words are unfair. One thing he keeps doing, though, is making his own job harder. Virtually every game this season the players have taken to the pitch and looked like strangers who don\u2019t know what the players next to them are going to do \u2013 most of the time it\u2019s because that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happened.<\/p>\n

The Liverpool manager said during the summer than the amount of signings that the club had made would allow him to consider picking one team for the cup matches and a different one for the league. It\u2019s an ambitious idea and perhaps one he might consider more readily if his job wasn\u2019t under imminent danger.<\/p>\n

When your back is against the wall, though, and you know that one or two wrong steps could mean the end of your tenure at the football club it\u2019s a lot more difficult to put faith in kids or players who you don\u2019t particularly trust. If Liverpool were flying in the league and the fans were singing Rodgers\u2019 name from the Kop once more, would Luis Enrique get a run out in the League Cup, for example? Possibly.<\/p>\n

The problem Rodgers has given himself is that he\u2019s trusting some kids, some of the time and sticking with experience at others. He\u2019s not confident enough about Divock Origi\u2019s ability to start him against League Two teams in a knockout competition like the League Cup, but he\u2019ll play him in compeitions that one defeat won\u2019t spell disaster like the Europa League. Danny Ings has made a great impression since he came on and scored in the match versus Norwich at Anfield, meaning that he\u2019s now a nailed on starter in the league alongside Daniel Sturridge until Christian Benteke returns from injury and gives the manager food for thought. The problem, however, is that Rodgers also wants Ings to lead the line in the cup games meaning he\u2019s running him into the ground.<\/p>\n

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almonfoto \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Rodgers started the season determined to get the team playing 4-3-3 only to abandon that plan when the results weren\u2019t forthcoming. He\u2019s reverted to a 5-3-2\/3-5-2 as the games have gone by, meaning the players who have spent the pre-season getting used to playing in a particular way are now throwing all of that work out of the window to get themselves accustomed to the new tactical whims of the manager.<\/p>\n

Chopping and changing of formations, ideas and playing staff isn\u2019t helping anyone. How is Jordan Rossiter supposed to make a good impression when he\u2019s playing alongside Emre Can one minute and then Joe Allen the next? How are the players supposed to develop relationships if they\u2019re never given a chance to learn each other\u2019s habits and styles during matches?<\/p>\n

If Rodgers had had the courage of his conviction from the start of the season he might have been able to witness the benefits of that now. Putting faith in one team for the early stages of the Europa League and the League Cup and picking an entirely different XI for the league would not only give the players that opportunity to learn from each other but it would also give him time to work on the formations and ideas that he wants to use moving forward. Consistency is useful in all forms of life, but it is especially true in football. When your back is against the wall you will inevitably feel the need to defend yourself, but the irony is that Rodgers is at his best when he\u2019s balls out brave; unless he remembers that \u2013 and soon \u2013 he\u2019ll continue to be under serious pressure.<\/p>\n

History Repeating<\/h2>\n

It used to be the cast that history repeating at Anfield would mean another team leaving the famous old ground disappointed; it would mean flags being waved on the Kop as a floodlit European game brought out the best of those in the stand as well as the lads on the pitch. Now it means another 1-1 draw with opposition Liverpool really should be putting to the sword.<\/p>\n

Here are some stats for you courtesy of @BassTunedToRed<\/a>: For four games in a row at Anfield Liverpool have had at least 14 shots from inside the opposition\u2019s box, but from almost 6.5 hours play they\u2019ve scored just six and conceded five. That\u2019s at least 56 shots from within the opposition\u2019s area over the last four games and roughly just one in ten of those shots have resulted in a goal. According to Opta Liverpool had seven clear cut chances against Sion, clear cut chances are defined as \u201ca situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario from very close range\u201d.<\/p>\n

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smileimage9 \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

For five games in a row Liverpool have taken the lead, but have only won one of those five. The other four games have ended in 1-1 draws with the equalising goal being scored after sixteen, thirteen, eleven and fourteen minutes have elapsed after the opening goal. Liverpool have then been unable to regain the lead in four out of the five games.<\/p>\n

Combine both of the above bits of information with the fact that Liverpool have had five, seven, seven and eight shots on target inside the box in the last four games and you have to feel that Liverpool really should be battering teams. Dan Kennett on Twitter confirmed as much:<\/p>\n

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4 #LFC<\/a> homes in a row vs Norwich, Carlisle, Villa and Sion 111 shots to 33 43 on target to 12 6 goals to 5 3 draws and a 3-2 win<\/p>\n

\u2014 Dan Kennett (@DanKennett) October 1, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n