That’s the fourth time in a row Liverpool have conceded in the last 5 minutes of a game.
There’s a problem here. Terribly unlucky? Switching off? Neither.
Last season against Everton at Anfield what was the score going into the last 5 minutes? Were Liverpool just lucky that they didn’t concede a late goal? Were they completely switched on in the latter stages of the match? No.
They were 4-0 up and Everton, frankly, didn’t care about scoring. Liverpool were passing it around at the back, having a jolly time. Everton didn’t believe they could turn around a 4 goal difference in 5 minutes, because that’s almost impossible. But just the 1 goal? Now that’s a different story.
But that same story happened against Ludogorets and against Middlesborough. Both times, Liverpool were ahead by just one. Did Arsenal score a late goal when they were 5-1 down? What about Spurs for the past three meetings? How about Norwich at Anfield? Fulham? West Brom? West Ham? United away? No.
All of them had given up. What difference is a goal in injury time going to make?
So how come Liverpool weren’t winning by an unassailable margin against Everton, Ludogorets and Middlesborough? Liverpool simply aren’t scoring enough goals. 24 shots and 1 goal is pathetic. 8 shots on target and 1 goal against a Tim Howard who’s been far from secretary of defence is appalling. We put 4 past Tottenham with 5 shots on target last March. Of course not having either ‘S’ to help bed in Ballotelli doesn’t help (cheers, Roy). But it’s not only that we aren’t being clinical enough.
I’m all for closing out a game once it’s won but 1-0 from 65mins onwards against your most bitter rivals is far from won. The last thing I want to see is Sterling and Moreno passing it back and forth, back and forth, back and forth like this will somehow discourage the Everton players from wanting to score. In fact, surely it does the opposite. Wasting time on 70 minutes yet still attacking later on is literally keeping the opposition in the game just that little longer, giving them that little extra belief that not all is lost.
One of the things Roberto Martinez must’ve been thinking was probably “Just don’t concede. As long as it stays 1-0, we’re still in this game.” So why would Liverpool grant him that?
Of course there’s always the chance that you might get caught on the break but against a team as desperate as Everton do the players or Brendan not believe that they can’t get another goal to kill the game off? Surely they’re confident enough to know they can easily get 3 or 4 here if they keep on going, keep on attacking. But no. They wasted time, sat back and then Phil Jagielka pops up with a worldy to end all worldies.
Wasn’t that the philosophy last season? Hit them hard, fast and don’t give them a break until it’s too late and then Liverpool are coasting to another 3-0 victory. What happened? It’s not just today, it’s against Middlesborough, it’s against Ludogorets as well. Are Liverpool too scared to attack?
Liverpool deserved to win 1-0 today, no doubt about it. But the Liverpool of last season would’ve wiped the floor with the Everton of this.
What happened to no more backward steps?
There’s a problem here. Terribly unlucky? Switching off? Neither.
Last season against Everton at Anfield what was the score going into the last 5 minutes? Were Liverpool just lucky that they didn’t concede a late goal? Were they completely switched on in the latter stages of the match? No.
They were 4-0 up and Everton, frankly, didn’t care about scoring. Liverpool were passing it around at the back, having a jolly time. Everton didn’t believe they could turn around a 4 goal difference in 5 minutes, because that’s almost impossible. But just the 1 goal? Now that’s a different story.
But that same story happened against Ludogorets and against Middlesborough. Both times, Liverpool were ahead by just one. Did Arsenal score a late goal when they were 5-1 down? What about Spurs for the past three meetings? How about Norwich at Anfield? Fulham? West Brom? West Ham? United away? No.
All of them had given up. What difference is a goal in injury time going to make?
So how come Liverpool weren’t winning by an unassailable margin against Everton, Ludogorets and Middlesborough? Liverpool simply aren’t scoring enough goals. 24 shots and 1 goal is pathetic. 8 shots on target and 1 goal against a Tim Howard who’s been far from secretary of defence is appalling. We put 4 past Tottenham with 5 shots on target last March. Of course not having either ‘S’ to help bed in Ballotelli doesn’t help (cheers, Roy). But it’s not only that we aren’t being clinical enough.
I’m all for closing out a game once it’s won but 1-0 from 65mins onwards against your most bitter rivals is far from won. The last thing I want to see is Sterling and Moreno passing it back and forth, back and forth, back and forth like this will somehow discourage the Everton players from wanting to score. In fact, surely it does the opposite. Wasting time on 70 minutes yet still attacking later on is literally keeping the opposition in the game just that little longer, giving them that little extra belief that not all is lost.
One of the things Roberto Martinez must’ve been thinking was probably “Just don’t concede. As long as it stays 1-0, we’re still in this game.” So why would Liverpool grant him that?
Of course there’s always the chance that you might get caught on the break but against a team as desperate as Everton do the players or Brendan not believe that they can’t get another goal to kill the game off? Surely they’re confident enough to know they can easily get 3 or 4 here if they keep on going, keep on attacking. But no. They wasted time, sat back and then Phil Jagielka pops up with a worldy to end all worldies.
Wasn’t that the philosophy last season? Hit them hard, fast and don’t give them a break until it’s too late and then Liverpool are coasting to another 3-0 victory. What happened? It’s not just today, it’s against Middlesborough, it’s against Ludogorets as well. Are Liverpool too scared to attack?
Liverpool deserved to win 1-0 today, no doubt about it. But the Liverpool of last season would’ve wiped the floor with the Everton of this.
What happened to no more backward steps?