JAMIE CARRAGHER: Liverpool have been so poor this season... now they need to step up the intensity in the Merseyside derby
- Liverpool have endured a difficult start to the Premier League season
- Brendan Rodgers' side have lost three of their opening five matches
- Reds fans will be reminded of what happened in 2009 as Liverpool finished runners-up to Manchester United
- The loss of Xabi Alonso in 2009 had a huge impact on the Liverpool team
- Luis Suarez has been a huge loss and Mario Balotelli is yet to prove that he can take the Uruguayan's place
- Liverpool have spent £38million on Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho
- Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva struggle to play together
- Mauricio Pochettino is under pressure ahead of north London derby
Where
are the Liverpool of last season? It is a question that has been asked
of Brendan Rodgers almost every week since this campaign began.
Having
seen their team come within a whisker of winning the Barclays Premier
League, the anticipation supporters would have felt during the summer
has, after three defeats in five matches, started to be replaced by
apprehension. They feel like they have been here before.
In
some respects, they have. Given the changes that have taken place since
last May, it is impossible not to draw parallels with what happened in
2009, when Liverpool finished runners-up to Manchester United but failed
to take the final step.
Dejan Lovren (left) has failed to impress since signing for Liverpool from Southampton
Brendan Rodgers has struggled to get Liverpool playing the way they were last season
For
the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona this summer, you had the departure
of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid back then. No matter how brave a face you
try to put on the situation, you cannot under-estimate how damaging it
is to lose part of the spine of your team.
Suarez,
with his 31 goals, was clearly more vital to what Liverpool achieved
last season than Alonso was in 2008-09 but the perception around both
transfers is the same: you know you are losing a world-class talent and
the team no longer looks right.
Our
problem in 2009 was the fact Alonso’s replacement, Alberto Aquilani,
arrived injured and struggled to make an impact. This year Rodgers has
seen his band’s lead singer move on and, so far, it seems as if Suarez
has been replaced with backing singers.
Liverpool,
however, have spent more than £100million. With nine new faces
arriving, there will be a period of adjustment and we have heard how
they will need time to settle. I used to feel, though, that you could
gauge within a couple of months about whether a signing would be
successful.
Liverpool have suffered three defeats from their opening five Premier League games
The departures of Luis Suarez in the summer and Xabi Alonso in 2009 have had an impact on the team
The Uruguayan forward scored an astonishing 31 goals for Liverpool last season
Mamadou Sakho has failed to hit the ground running at Liverpool since joining from PSG last year
Fernando Torres (above) didn't need any time to settle into his career at Anfield
Think
about it: Sami Hyypia and Didi Hamann on to Alonso, Fernando Torres,
Javier Mascherano, Suarez and even Daniel Sturridge — they were all
doing the business almost as soon as they walked through the door. Those
who struggled in their first season very rarely turned it around in
their second year.
I
know it’s early days but, when you have spent £38m on defenders like
Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho, you don’t want to be hearing about
settling in. You want instant results but Liverpool are shipping goals.
Lovren
was brought in to add leadership at the back but Liverpool actually
look worse defensively than they did last season. Sakho doesn’t fill you
with confidence when you watch him and nor does the goalkeeper, Simon
Mignolet. They need to step it up urgently.
Rodgers
had the good fortune last season of injuries not making much impact on
his team but, with a bigger fixture list, he had to invest to bring in
numbers and quality. Of those who have come in only Alberto Moreno, the
young Spanish left back, has impressed me so far.
Reds striker Daniel Sturridge hit the ground running after his move from Chelsea
Mario Balotelli (left) has a tendency to walk around and must work harder to get into the box
Simon Mignolet (pictured) needs to step up and put in better performances for Liverpool
It
must be emphasised it is still early days but the one thing that I
associate with Rodgers’ Liverpool is absent: intensity. With and without
the ball, Liverpool wouldn’t let the opposition settle, blitzing them
with whirlwind starts. Everton, who cross Stanley Park on Saturday, felt
that force in January.
Suarez
set the tone, harrying and hassling. He defended from the front and is
the best in the world at creating that relentless energy that swamped
teams. If intensity is the word you associate with Rodgers’ Liverpool,
you would not use it to describe Mario Balotelli, Suarez’s replacement.
When
he played for Manchester City, I wasn’t a fan and what I’ve seen so far
hasn’t persuaded me to change my mind. He has a tendency to walk
around, which I don’t like to see. He has to bust a gut more often to
get in the box.
Suarez hit the ground running at Liverpool and played a key role during his time at Anfield
Lucas (left) and Steven Gerrard do not play at their best when they are in the same side
Liverpool were beaten 3-1 at Upton Park in their last Premier League outing
Another
issue troubling Rodgers is that Liverpool haven’t been creating chances
with the same frequency either. Teams have targeted Steven Gerrard to
stop him launching attacks from deep, with Gabby Agbonlahor and Stewart
Downing stifling him in the defeats by Aston Villa and West Ham.
When
Suarez, Sturridge and Raheem Sterling were at their devastating best
last season, it suited Gerrard to sit deep and pull the strings but with
Suarez gone and Sturridge injured, who is there to score and create?
There
has been a lot of talk about his form in the holding-midfield role. If
he continues to be targeted is there an option for him to play further
forward and give teams something different to think about?
Gerrard is at his best when he is able to sit deep in midfield, but has been exposed this season
Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho (centre) has struggled for form so far this season
No
other midfielder in the squad has the ability to score from outside the
box or create like the captain. Of the others who can create, Philippe
Coutinho is struggling for form and Adam Lallana has only just returned
from injury.
One
thing that is certain is Gerrard and Lucas struggle to play together.
Lucas should come in for the games when Stevie is rested.
Gerrard
is used to such scrutiny but maybe some of the others have not
experienced the criticism that has come their way this week. Yet if
Liverpool do not improve in the next two games against Everton and Basle
in the Champions League, they won’t know what has hit them.
Do
not mistake how important a win in the Mersey derby would be for
Liverpool. This could be exactly what the team needs as a springboard.
With Everton chasing a first win at Anfield since 1999, there could be
no better time for last season’s Liverpool to reappear.
Liverpool were beaten 3-1 by Premier League champions Manchester City in August
Koeman is piling pressure on Pochettino
It's a big weekend for a number of managers, not least Mauricio Pochettino, who takes Tottenham into the north London derby.
If
Tottenham were to lose at the Emirates Stadium today following last
week’s disappointing performance against West Bromwich, Pochettino would
be considered to have had a poor start to his reign at White Hart Lane.
In
contrast, Southampton — the side he left behind — have been going from
strength to strength and it will not have gone unnoticed by him that
Ronald Koeman, his replacement, delivered a win at Arsenal in the
Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
Mauricio Pochettino would be considered to have had a poor start should Spurs lose at Arsenal
Southampton’s
flying start will have heaped a little bit of pressure on Pochettino,
as they look as if they are improving without him. David Moyes faced
this problem 12 months ago, when Manchester United struggled and Roberto
Martinez, his replacement, began to improve Everton.
I
am a big fan of Pochettino and I thought his work at Southampton was
excellent. His teams were aggressive, well organised — he reminded me at
times of how Rafa Benitez used to set up Liverpool — but he has gone to
a club where expectations are greater and results are demanded.
Tottenham’s
ambition is to make it back into the Champions League and while it will
be difficult to get into the top four, Pochettino will be expected to
oversee a better challenge for those places. There could be no better
place to launch his reign than the Emirates.
Ronald Koeman is doing a good job at Southampton and saw his side beat Arsenal in midweek
Emmanuel Adebayor (left) and Erik Lamela look frustrated as Spurs lose at home to West Brom
This week I'm looking forward to...
Seeing Jamie Vardy build on last week’s heroics.
Watching
Vardy’s jet-heeled performance against Manchester United from the
safety of a TV studio made me feel relieved to be retired!
He
was bursting with energy and enthusiasm and tormented United’s
defenders, stealing the show in a remarkable game. To see Vardy thriving
on the big stage set a great example to young footballers of how they
should never give up on their dream.
Jamie Vardy had a day to remember as he helped Leicester beat Manchester United last weekend
Vardy
deserves great credit for forcing his way through the ranks, from
non-league Stocksbridge Park Steels to Leicester via Fleetwood and
Halifax Town, and he will remember the day he took United apart for the
rest of his life.
The
thing about the Premier League, though, is that it does not allow you a
moment to sit back and think you’ve cracked it. You constantly face new
challenges and you cannot dwell on what has gone before.
So,
to take his game forward, Vardy must produce in lesser matches, such as
today’s clash with Crystal Palace. If he can do that consistently, he
will ensure his name stays in the headlines. He has certainly given
himself a fantastic base to build from.
Vardy has battled his way up from non-League football all the way up to the top flight with Leicester
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