Liverpool’s 2012/2013 EPL story so far
Five matches down and Liverpool has not won a single game this season – lost three and drawn two. They find themselves struggling in the 18th place, in the dreaded relegation zone. Liverpool has scored 4 goals and conceded 10. Can it get any worse for Liverpool? This has been Liverpool’s worst start in over 100 years. Football pundits were aware of the challenges that Liverpool were exposed to in the first five games of the season. They faced teams like West Brom, Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester City and Sunderland. For a team, which was just learning the nuances of Brendan Rodgers style of football – their opponents latched onto the opportunity of defeating the new Liverpool team.
Apart from the Arsenal fixture (Liverpool deservedly lost) , Liverpool have found themselves in great shape to win the other four games, but it was their finishing in the final third, which made things worse for Liverpool. Though Dalglish has been replaced by Brendan Rodgers, the back room staff underwent some changes, some new players were brought in while some old guards were sold, but the story of Liverpool remains the same – goals are hard to come by. They are in such a crisis that the Liverpool team would not mind buying goals at the price of a platinum if it was sold in the market. Anfield is calling out for an out and out striker, who could be used along side Suarez, Borini and pose a potent force in the EPL. Many players did the rounds in the papers as well as the press conferences, but none of the strikers could strike a deal with the reds, only to disappoint Brendan Rodgers.
But the Liverpool players under Brendan Rodgers have been an unlucky bunch, and the standings in the table do not do any justice to their game. When Liverpool played their crucial matches against Manchester United and Manchester City, Liverpool was the better of the two sides. They dominated ball possession for the entire length of the game. Against City, it was the defensive lapses that gave City the chance to score and level the game. Against United, it was Mark Halsey who became the talking point with his controversial decisions – one red card and a penalty. Against Sunderland and West Brom as well, they deserved to win the game.
What the score line and the standings fail to suggest is the quality of football that has been played by Liverpool. Fans across the world are intrigued about the way Liverpool are adopting to the new Brendan Rodgers style of football. They are playing higher up the pitch and are closing their opponents down very fast. This style of theirs has been a treat to the human eye.
Things are not that bad as many Liverpool fans suggest. It is time for them to wake up to reality and know where they stand. They lack the depth of the teams such as both the Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea etc and have to fire with whatever ammunition they have with them. They lack the financial resources of richer clubs. So, it is with the talent that is available to them that they have to cope with until January, when there is a serious need to buy some more players in the market.
Brendan Rodgers has the youth players by his side such as Suso, Sterling, Morgan, just to name a few. Rodgers is not shy of testing these players in big games. Sterling made his full fledged debut against City, whereas Suso came in as a second half player against Manchester United. Both of them impressed fans, co-players, former players and most importantly their manager. For Rodgers, age is not a factor to play in the EPL.
There are some positives that one can pick from here-on. Liverpool cannot stoop lower than this. There can only be an upward climb hence forth. The team is slowly but surely gaining confidence under Brendan Rodgers. Players are giving it their all and have not lost hope of finishing higher in the table. The league has just started. Liverpool are yet to play 2970 minutes of regular football in the remaining 34 matches. All is not lost for Liverpool.