''Tis the Season to be Jolly???

So I haven't blogged since the season started. That has been two-fold.Some of my friends who are Reds think I have been too negative and also we don't really have that difficult a start so wanted to see where were once we had played some of the better teams.

We started really well with 3 1-0 wins although lived dangerously against Stoke having to rely on a late pen save from Mignolet. Villa was similar in that we dominated the 1st half and had to suffer a barrage from Benteke late on, again Mignolet to the rescue. The 1-0 win over ManUre was comfortable.

Then we had Swansea and Jon-Jo did come back to haunt us. Scoring one and assisting in 3 goals, thankfully 2 of them were poorly played passes. He deservedly got Man of the Match. I still think he will outscore and outperform Henderson and Allen put together.I understand that the player wanted 1st team football. what I still don't understand is why we didn't loan him for the season to Swansea. I still think that was a poor decision. He was the natural replacement for Geriatric Gerrard. Now we have to buy a new one with all the talk with about young Will Hughes being on our shopping list. again I question our transfer policy which seems to be more miss than hit.

On that front we saw a change in formation for the next few games with us going to a Back 5 with 3 centrebacks to accommodate the £18million Sakho and on loan Cissoko! Bizarrely we used 4 Centrebacks against Southampton due to injury and obviously the height issue. Unfortunately it didn't work. As usual a large powerful team with a high pressing game seems to be enough to beat us. See Chelski and Hull defeats this season for the same thing. Seems to be we have no answer or indeed the players to adapt to this sort of opponent.

Suarez returned at the end of September and Manager again changed things to accommodate the new S&S. Thankfully this worked for the most part until Sturridge got injured and since then Suarez has been irresistible. Even donning the Captains armband for a couple of games while Gerrard was injured and Agger out of favour.while our scoring form is impressive and indeed is only being matched and bettered by Man City.

So we reach the halfway point in the league and we are 4th and only 5 points off the top. This has been down to a few factors:
1) we are generally dispatching the rubbish. IE not dropping points to the lesser teams.
2) Lack of consistency from the other teams near the top (Arsenal aside).

that 2nd point is qualified as Chelski and City are starting to build up a head of steam as shown in their wins over us. I don't think we can complain too much as losing away to the 2 richest clubs in the land by the odd goal is not a disgrace. Chelski thoroughly outplayed us in all aspects of the game and their bench vs ours showed us the difference between us. The City game we were unlucky and considering they have put bucket loads past some of the other big clubs this season not the end of the world.

Would we have taken this situation at the start of the season, absolutely. Pre-verbial hand being bitten off vigourously!

We have many positives;
1) Consistency - We have lost only 8 League games this calendar year and 4 of those are away to the 'traditional Top4 'over the last 4 seasons.We have amassed 72 points in the calender year, clearly sufficient for a Top 4 place.
2) Suarez - He seems to be over his petulant spoilt child behaviour. Yet another contract signed, I am still not convinced he will stay beyond the summer even if we do secure a top 4 finish.
3) Coutinho,Sterling & Henderson - Coutinho has continued where he left off and I still prefer out wide coming in. when he plays centrally he gets picked up by one of the holding players from the other team.Sterling seems to have matured and is starting to play like we know he can.As for Henderson, well I have been one of his heaviest critics but in the last month or so he has really stepped up.
4) Anfield - It is starting to become a fortress again and considering we have played almost everyone in the top half away from home this is going to be key to where we finish.
5) Skrtel - Out of favour and heading out the door, he is now 1st on the team sheet at the back.

As always there are some negative points:
1) Defensive Frailty - we constantly tinkered with the Back 4 or  all season. Some of this enforced through injury. Some I dont really understand. Clearly spending £1millon a Centreback means he has to play.I am not overly convinced so far by Sakho. he does look like a clumsier version of Djimi Traore.... if thats possible! I still think Skrtel and Agger are our best centreback pairing although Toure has been outstanding when he has played. If anything he has helped Skrtel.
2) Leftback - Our 'problem' position again. Still not really fixed since Riise left. Enrique looks like the answer, but is injury prone and if you listen to Jamie Carragher doesn't really listen on the pitch. Flanagan has been an able substitute but has now got injured. Cissokho is even more awkward than Sakho so hopefully we will terminate his loan and send him back to Spain.
3) Depth - Our bench against Chelski summed it up. While they had Torres and Matta we has a couple of unblooded teenagers.
4) Stevie G - He is clearly getting past his sell-by date. The  Arsenal game proved that.The game passed him by. He lost about 6 or 7 tackles with Tomas Rosicky of all people. Other than his wide free-kicks and the odd corner not sure he is contributing like he used to or should be able to. It makes the Shelvey departure more galling as he could easily takeover. We will now have to buy someone to take that role. How much is that going to cost???
6) Transfer policy - I include our loan policy. I really don't understand why we loaned out Assaidi and brought Moses in from Chelski. Sure Moses maybe has more pace and experience. Assaidi has never been given a chance. At Stoke he seems to be coming on but surely he could be doing that with us? Rather than us developing a Chelski talent. I do find some of Rodgers signing and decisions odd. Assaidi is contributing more to Stoke than Moses is to us.....FACT. Cissokho is not a Premier League player and isnt better than Enrique,Flanno or Agger at Left back....

I don't expect us to being doing much business in this window. maybe Wisdom going on loan with a '1st dibs' on Will Hughes. We only have the Cup and 18 league games left. We could always recall some of our loanee's if needed.

Lets hope we can continue to perform in the 2nd half of the season and with Sturridge coming back soon hopefully the S&S can resume their destruction of the Premier League defences.

YNWA