Yet Another Pre-season Without Reason

I think this is the 3rd time I have used this past heading and after it every season has been worse than the last.

My initial euphoria about Rodgers' apointment has been tempered by some realism. Nothing to do with Rodgers so much as the lack of transfers and also we seem to be making the same pre-season mistakes as teh last God knows how many years. 

We tend to view pre-season with total suspicion, arrange far too few games and them wonder why it takes us til late September/October to wake up. We always get a tough start as far as playing the bigger teams in the League go. Yet we only ever seems to have 3 or 4 pre-season games. While our rivals generally get through 6 to 8 games.

I fully appreciate the need to 'expand the brand' and go to the States. The MLS clubs are great and have accomodated several Premier League clubs in the middle of their season. But surely then we should be taking our better players?  Chelsea and Spurs did. Arsenal,Man City and the Scum have on their respective tours of Asia. Even Newcastle have played 4 or 5 matches already.

We seem to go on these tours with Academy/Reserves and fringe players. Which obviously gives them great experience and get them matchfit but what is the point when the reserve season is generally sporadic and not well organised and fringe players are just that ? Surely the point of pre-season is to get the 1st Team sharp for the Premier League season????

Only Skrtel played in all 3 games that you would consider a 1st team player. Shocking. City have had Toure, Agureo, Tevez, Kompany, Zabaleta and Kolorov all playing regularly on their tour. 

Our Euro contingent were given extra time off which is fair enough. Other than Stevie G, Johnson and Agger did the others actually play? Downing never got near the pitch in all 4 of England's games. Henderson and Carroll got a cameo or 2. So how can these guys need a rest or extra time off??? Suarez is coming back tomorrow after the Olympics and played in WC/Copa America qualifiers at the end of last season, where is his time off?

Reina not at all bearing in mind he doesnt actually play for Spain and had a desperate season surely he needs a proper pre-season? 

Enrique was his usual dependable self and looked really good when playing with Pacheco down the left in both games they played together. Yet against Spurs neither played and only Enrique played against FC Gomel on Thursday night.

Joe Cole and Aquilani did themselves no favours with lack lustre performances and has seen the latter go today to Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee, hopefully Cole will follow. He only lasted 22 minutes on Thursday, if its an injury lets hope its not too serious that we cant get rid of him. £90,000 a week for a clown who dribbles in circles and can't play wide or centrally in a passing team.

On the plus side Shelvey looks to be coming along nicely, he played centrally, out wide and in deeper continuity role Rodgers favours and looked good in all 3. At Least Roy did something decent by signing Jonjo!

Great to see Lucas back, never thought I would type that and have certainly had to eat humble pie over this one .He has turnout to be a very important part of our team and how we play. Otherwise Sterling looks very dangerous and we will surely use him sparingly as Spurs defenders tried to kick him to death  but couldnt cope with him and Ecclestone and that surely bodes well.

Charlie Adam was another disappointment on tour. Yet again his set pieces are shocking. Still can't get a corner or freekcik past the 1st man. I wonder if he even bothers to practice these anymore. Another that will struggle to play regularly under Rodgers.  

So onto FC Gomel and I thought Roy Hodgson was back. Quite a negative team and negative bench. No striker on bench, 3 defenders and Lucas. Clearly the object was not to lose but we certainly didnt dominate the game. Gomel had more possesion and 17 shots to 7 tells its own story. Still I suppose a result is a result and Stuart Downing boosted his huge goalscoring tally to 3 to add to his ones against Oldham and Stoke! Appreciate we are using this as pre-season prep but surely them take it semi seriously.

Appreciate we are trying to bed in a new way of playing but Liverpool should always dominate possesion, so from that point of view its isn't that radical a change. From the US tour our issue still seems to be decision making in the last 3rd. We really need to sort that out. Its not acceptable that we we dont understand how to play football in the opposition final 3rd. Suarez, Bellamy and Stevie G are the only ones who seem to have clue.

The Gomel performance appears to have been so poor that LFC TV have moved it twice in the scheduling and its on tomorrow lunchtime.

Transfer blog to follow.

YNWA