Liverpool hopes on a wing and a prayer
CL "shareLiverpool will collect Û30.6m Liverpool reap reward for success Tuesday, 14 June 2005 UEFA is to distribute...
Aug 16 2005
By Mark Lawrenson, Daily Post
MIDDLESBROUGH away has been one of the more difficult visits on Liverpool's fixture list recently, especially last season when they put in a 'nothing' performance.
This time around they dominated with an excellent performance and deserved to win 2-0 or 3-0 at least. Rafael Benitez's preferred system worked almost to perfection and Steven Gerrard had maybe seven chances that on another day would have gone in.
As good as it was though, I think they should have had three points, not one.
Just look at Chelsea - they could easily have lost at Wigan, but they managed to win. Just look at Arsenal. Newcastle held them out for most of the match, but they manage to find a way to take all the points.
One area where I feel they still have the edge is in width, which is where Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise or Stephen Warnock must stand up and be counted more than they have done to date.
Benitez's system - 4-2-3-1 can mean a lot of the play comes down the middle at times, which is probably why he is so keen for a right-sided midfielder.
At Chelsea they have Damien Duff, Arjen Robben, Shaun Wright Phillips and Joe Cole. Manchester United have Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Park Ji Sung. Arsenal have Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires, with Ashley Cole and Lauren planting on from fullback.
SAF TELLS ASBO KID TO NO 1937The Bolt) : cacked this f***in treat out! only when the poor unpleasant woman was under the influence of Rohip! - SCREAMINGWITCH! step inside, walk this way...you and me babe hey...
If the likes of Bolo Zenden and Luis Garcia tuck in for Liverpool, Finnan and Riise or Warnock have to get past them, but it is a skill Liverpool have yet to master to its full effect.
That is still the subtle difference between those clubs and Liverpool, and over the Premiership season that will add up to a few points at least.
Still, given that away from Anfield was his team's Achilles heel last season, I am sure I was not the only person to see the improvement Benitez has made.
There was a confidence around much of Liverpool's play that was partially a follow up to the Champions League victory and partially something more.
What was it? I think it was the understanding they have built up in pre-season which shone through in their movement and appitite for the game.
And then there was Gerrard. In that role off the front player - secure in the knowledge he has Xabi Alonso and Momo Sissoko minding the shop - he is virtually unstoppable at times.
A lot of his success comes from the positions where he starts his runs. He is running off the back of midfield players at centre-backs and full-backs who are trying to jockey him, whereas he is going flat out.
That commits defenders - just ask Ugo Ehiogu, who could not keep up with Gerrard and brought him down for the sending-off.
That is where he is most effective, although given that Benitez will not play 4-2-3-1 all the time, he may have to settle for a more conventional midfield role in other games.
I think one of those will be against Sunderland in the next match, who looked like they would struggle after defeat against Charlton's 10 men.
Djibril Cisse should come back into the starting line-up for that game, which I am looking forward to.
He could be a real star this season, given what I have seen of him so far.
Mark Lawrenson was talking to NEIL MACDONALD
