{"id":387,"date":"2016-02-10T12:31:51","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T12:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=387"},"modified":"2016-04-19T13:58:31","modified_gmt":"2016-04-19T13:58:31","slug":"west-ham-1-liverpool-1-2-1-aet-an-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/west-ham-1-liverpool-1-2-1-aet-an-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"West Ham 1 &#8211; Liverpool 1 (2-1 aet) Match Report &#038; Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>First Impressions And Disproving Assumption<\/h2>\n<p>There have been far, far, far too many games recently in which the defeat has seemed inevitable. Too many matches when a loss or a draw have been frustrating not because they\u2019ve seemed undeserved, but because you could see it coming from a mile away.<\/p>\n<p>There have been more occasions than most would care to admit to when the revelation of the team sheet has resulted in a slight rolling of the eyes and a shrugging of the shoulders. When seeing Alberto Moreno\u2019s name in the left back slot or Simon Mignolet in goal has caused a feeling of apathy owing to repeatedly poor performances.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_258\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258\" class=\"size-large wp-image-258\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Goalkeeper-Simon-Mignolet-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock-600x400.jpg\" alt=\"mooinblack \/ shutterstock.com\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Goalkeeper-Simon-Mignolet-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Goalkeeper-Simon-Mignolet-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Goalkeeper-Simon-Mignolet-of-Liverpool_EUO_mooinblack-shutterstock.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-258\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">mooinblack \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In other words, the wheels have come off the league campaign and it\u2019s been difficult to really and truly get behind the team that Jurgen Klopp\u2019s been picking with such unnerving regularity.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s something to be said about books, covers and judging them. The same thing can easily be said about the team that Klopp picked past night, with Twitter going into standard meltdown mode as soon as it was announced. The fear was that a physical West Ham side would make fools of Liverpool\u2019s more inexperienced players, as though the supposed \u2018first XI\u2019 has been non-stop brilliant this season when up against the Hammers.<\/p>\n<p>To say that the second string gave a good account of themselves would be an understatement. Even Simon Mignolet only messed up a couple of times rather than his usual double-figured amount. The centre-back pairing of Lucas and Thiago Illori was definitely cause for concern before kick off, with the former only having played the role fleetingly in the past and the latter hardly looking the strongest their in recent times.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Couldn&#8217;t understand Klopp using Lucas at CB in the last few months but looks like he was right! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Colossus?src=hash\">#Colossus<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Carra23\/status\/697181015547211777\">February 9, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"\u201cutf-8&quot;\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Yet both excelled, with Lucas in particular really impressing in a position that you could easily see become his future if he remains at Liverpool. He isn\u2019t the tallest player at 5\u2019 9 so he goes against Paul Tomkins\u2019 theory that the Reds need some commandingly tall players at the back. Yet he seemed to win virtually every header he went up for, something that he\u2019s also done against players like Marouane Fellaini in the past.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_316\" style=\"width: 543px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-316\" class=\"size-large wp-image-316\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000416-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"Lucas warming up before the home games against Crystal Palace\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000416-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000416-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000416-65x50.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-316\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lucas warming up before the home games against Crystal Palace<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Right now I would much rather see Lucas\u2019 name on the team sheet in the centre-back slot than Mamadou Sakho\u2019s, for example, and I really rate Sakho as a player. The same could be said for Illori over Dejan Lovren or Martin Skrtel. If Lucas was imperious then Illori was steady &#8211; something that shouldn\u2019t be sniffed at at the moment. Likewise Jon Flanagan will never set the world alight, but what he does offer is a degree of dependability in a back four that is constantly all over the place.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\"><p>\nIs there really a \u00a312m difference in the abilities of Brad Smith and Alberto Moreno? Not from what we have seen this season.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DominicKing_DM\/status\/697162801031340033\">February 9, 2016<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"\u201cutf-8&quot;\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Brad Smith was excellent in the left back spot &#8211; or at least relatively so when you compare his performance to those produced by Alberto Moreno in recent times. He is lightening fast and was causing West Ham\u2019s defence problems time and time again. In a world where Liverpool challenged for the title with Aly Cissokho in the full-back position and Djimi Traore has a Champions League winner\u2019s medal, is it about time we realised we\u2019re perhaps putting too much stock into the importance of having flair players in the back line and instead opted to have players who can just do a job?<\/p>\n<p>In the middle of the park Kevin Stewart and Pedro Chirivella gave excellent accounts of themselves. Stewart in particular should be immensely proud of his performance and Jurgen Klopp might have been given some food for thought over his midfield options by the former Spurs man. With Lucas looking increasingly out of his depth in the defensive midfield role thanks to his advancing years and his lack of pace, Stewart looks like a ready made replacement who will improve with guidance and if played alongside a more mature set of players than he was placed with last night.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Played well there, had to dig in at times. Kevin Stewart has been everywhere. He&#8217;s been superb.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Stephen Evans (@StephenEvans75) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StephenEvans75\/status\/697173360774619136\">February 9, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"\u201cutf-8&quot;\"><\/script>Likewise Chirivella looks as though he\u2019s got a bright future. The 18-year-old more than held his own against a West Ham midfield that\u2019s made fools of the likes of Arsenal and Man City, let alone our more senior players. He kept things tidy, moved the game forward and was a calming influence in a remarkable manner when you consider his age. If Jurgen Klopp wants to call upon a youth player to bolster his squad in the coming months then don\u2019t be surprised to see his name on the substitute\u2019s bench.<\/p>\n<h2>The Final Third<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the loss there were plenty of positives to take out of the game, not least of which was the return of Daniel Sturridge. The man with the wriggly arms dance is a class above and you could visibly notice the West Ham defenders panic every time he had the ball. He was a little rusty, but that\u2019s only to be expected seeing as though he hasn\u2019t pulled on the Red shirt since 1973.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_174\" style=\"width: 586px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-174\" class=\"size-large wp-image-174\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Philippe-Coutinho-of-Liverpool-FC_EUO_photofriday-shutterstock-576x400.jpg\" alt=\"photofriday \/ shutterstock.com\" width=\"576\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Philippe-Coutinho-of-Liverpool-FC_EUO_photofriday-shutterstock-576x400.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Philippe-Coutinho-of-Liverpool-FC_EUO_photofriday-shutterstock-288x200.jpg 288w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Philippe-Coutinho-of-Liverpool-FC_EUO_photofriday-shutterstock.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-174\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photofriday \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Philippe Coutinho\u2019s return should also have Liverpool fans licking their lips. The Brazilian looked excellent at times, ghosting in and out of the Hammers\u2019 defence as if they weren\u2019t there and seeming to have a brilliant understanding with Teixeira despite not really having played with him before. His free kick was sumptuous and displayed an intelligence we haven\u2019t seen on the pitch in recent times unless Joe Allen has been making one of his rare appearances.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\"><p>\nLove it when a footy player plays percentages. That&#8217;s his best chance of scoring by absolute miles.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Philip Blundell (@PhilBlundell) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PhilBlundell\/status\/697160694815461376\">February 9, 2016<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"\u201cutf-8&quot;\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>An attacking trio of Coutinho, Sturridge and Roberto Firmino is enough to make the heart flutter and if we\u2019d had them from the start of the season all fit and firing there\u2019s no telling how differently our season could have panned out. Klopp is right to have been strict with Sturridge over his return, with the manager refusing to rush him back just because we\u2019ve been struggling for goals.<\/p>\n<p>If Daniel Sturridge can stay fit for the rest of the season then I\u2019d fancy us to win at least one cup and probably two. The Europa League is now Liverpool\u2019s most important target moving forward, with the top four well and truly out of sight with only thirteen games remaining, twelve points the deficit and five teams all needing to be overtaken should we get there. Whilst plenty of Europe\u2019s elite attackers will fancy their chances against Mignolet and his merry men, not many of the defences from far flung places will be keen to take on our attacking triumvirate if they start to click as it\u2019s easy to imagine they will.<\/p>\n<h2>Not A Christian Thing To Do<\/h2>\n<p>All of which brings us neatly around to Christian Benteke. The \u00a332.5 million man had his best game for Liverpool arguably since we played Arsenal at the start of the season last night. Yet he didn\u2019t score. Therein lies the problem.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_284\" style=\"width: 543px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-284\" class=\"size-large wp-image-284\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Christian-Benteke-On-The-Prowl-v-Rubin-Kazan-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"Benteke\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Christian-Benteke-On-The-Prowl-v-Rubin-Kazan-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Christian-Benteke-On-The-Prowl-v-Rubin-Kazan-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Christian-Benteke-On-The-Prowl-v-Rubin-Kazan-65x50.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-284\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benteke<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The former Aston Villa target man is, above all else, suppose to score goals. It\u2019s all well and good him showing good strength and holding defenders off. He can bring other Liverpool players into the game until the cows come home. If he doesn\u2019t stick the round thing into the rectangular thing, however, he\u2019s as good as useless to this team of misfiring misfits.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Benteke now hasn&#8217;t scored in 594 minutes of play. In that time he&#8217;s played full 90 min matches against West Ham x 3 and Exeter x 2.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamMcGuire90\/status\/697185873700462592\">February 9, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"\u201cutf-8&quot;\"><\/script>Sam McGuire, whose tweet you should see above this, wrote a good blog about Benteke the other week. The general gist of it said that old Tekkers is doing for us pretty much what he did for Aston Villa, stats-wise. The fact that we aren\u2019t playing to his strengths in the way that Villa did isn\u2019t his fault and he should get a degree of sympathy rather than the lambasting he\u2019s received of late.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that at Villa he often had players like Gabby Agbonlahor running around him, opening up space and distracting defenders. He had quick and intelligent players getting on to his knockdowns and putting in the sort of cross that he thrives off game-in, game-out. He hasn\u2019t been getting that at Liverpool and probably won\u2019t do for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\"><p>\nBenteke appears to be playing with all the confidence of a man with diarrhoea who&#8217;s about to sneeze.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jason (@NickMotown) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NickMotown\/status\/697177885325586437\">February 9, 2016<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"\u201cutf-8&quot;\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Maybe confidence is the problem. Perhaps he just needs to score one and then the ball will fly into the net game after game. The problem is that whilst we\u2019re trying to play him into form he\u2019s costing us a place in the FA Cup. If Daniel Sturridge gets any one of the countless chances the Belgian had last night then Liverpool are through to the next round rather than West Ham.<\/p>\n<p>He definitely looked like a much better player when the burden to score wasn\u2019t only on his shoulders and perhaps he\u2019ll look more like the player we\u2019ve signed if we can get him on to the pitch at the same time as Sturridge, Coutinho or Divock Origi. I\u2019m just not sure that I want Jurgen Klopp to take that chance any more.<\/p>\n<p>With the explosion of Firmino in recent games coupled with the return of Sturridge and Origi, Benteke is now our fourth choice striker &#8211; and that doesn\u2019t seem fair to anybody.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First Impressions And Disproving Assumption There have been far, far, far too many games recently in which the defeat has seemed inevitable. Too many matches when a loss or a draw have been frustrating not because they\u2019ve seemed undeserved, but because you could see it coming from a mile away. There have been more occasions than most would care to admit to when the revelation of the team sheet has resulted in a slight rolling of the eyes and a shrugging of the shoulders. When seeing Alberto Moreno\u2019s name in the left back slot or Simon Mignolet in goal has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=387"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":452,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387\/revisions\/452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}