well if the man city game was midweek I could understand the selection but it isn't.
kenny was obviously scared of the aerial threat of stoke and adjusted his back line accordingly.
this is so painful.
stoke is a very organised side, everyone of their players knows their role and will defend like their lives depended on it.
when not in possession of the ball they will get bodies behind the ball in numbers making it very hard to break them down.
play needed to be lightning fast to buy the player in possession of the ball that extra yard of space and today we were misrable in possession of the ball. far too many touches, far too little movement. I don't think stoke will have an easier game all season. did their keeper have to make a save in 9 mins?
side to side, side to side. zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
there are give and goes but all of it in non dangerous areas. front to back players afraid to take players on in case they lose it and get the crowd on their back.
you have fullbacks that are carrying more threat than attacking players and attacking players who are more willing to pass it back than forwards. so predictable, so easy to defend against.
you also have a player (maxi) that does provide good movement and invention but can't get a sniff.
anyway,
1. kuyt
what ever mojo kuyt had has left him now and he is running around like a headless chicken, neither holding up the ball, getting behind the opposition players or providing a goal threat.
got himself into a great position and fluffed his lines. not a single goal this season and possibly not a single assist. we need to be moving him on in the summer and buying a player who has the ability to be more direct.
2. downing
actually does hae the pace and willingness to bring the ball forwards but once he gets there has no clue to do with the ball so will more often than not pass it back or square.
that said it was daft to bring offf downing rather than henderson when carroll came on.
wasn't downing bought to provide service for carroll?
3. adam
I think he should be taken off set piece duty know as his corners and free kicks are becoming less effective by the week. I will applaud the fact he at least tries to force the play and pull some a couple of excellent cross field balls.
4. henderson
tidy. that is the best way to describe him, tidy. doesn't take risks, doesn't gamble, doesn't try to force the play, just keeps the ball ticking over and rare gives the ball away when he passes. I do think he has 'something' about him but seemingly terrified to try anything.
5. carroll
I think he could be excellent in the right team with the right service but we don't play in the manner to capitalize on his strengths and don't give him the service he needs.
suarez has been out for a few games, kuyt doesn't have single goal and still carroll is left on the bench for a home game. no midweek game for resting the player can't be used as an excuse.
this season is threatning to end very early and not with a bang but with a whimper.
too many teams are going to anfield with the express purpose of getting a point and too many are succeeding. before we seemed toothless with regards to finishing chances, now it seems we are going to struggle to even create chances.
from to back we are terrifield of being caught out of position, when the ball eventually finds itself in the box there should be 4 or 5 players queuing up not 1 or 2, we are relying on indiidual brilliance to break down stubburn defences.
this is really tiring and seems like groundhouse day. we're just meandering alone with not guts to go for teams threats and claim all three points because we are terrified we may lose one point if we get caught on the counter attack. we really have the the mentality of a midtable side and midtable is exactly were we are going to finish. at least we only hae a couple of stars to lose and one of them commited his long term future.
