Saturday, February 02, 2008
We all thought that this season's Liverpool's squad in August was probably one of the better ones and could strongly challenge for the title, right up till at least April. Well, the Reds are now 17 points adrift of the leaders, essentially needing to win the rest of their games and hope Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal lose at least 6 games, which is never going to happen considering Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor at their respective clubs. So these Liverpool players, why have they disappointed? Simply, they lacked quality, except for a few, even then those few stars have let Liverpool down.
GoalkeepersJose Reina has been first choice for most of the campaign, with Charles Itandje his deputy and plays mostly in the English cups. Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar has definitely been better in terms of his command and composed goalkeeping, deputy Tomasz Kuszczak looks a better goalkeeper than Itandje. Chelsea's Petr Cech has probably been the best among the Top4's goalkeepers, and Carlo Cudicini isn't very bad either, and could easily walk into some Premier League team. Arsenal's Manuel Almunia has been Arsene Wenger's number one over the majority of this season, but he looks the worst of the Top4. Deputy Jens Lehmann, who cannot get a game, seems to be just on equal ability with Almunia currently.
Current Ratings: Cech 9, van der Sar 8.5,
Reina 8.0, Almunia 7.5, Lehmann 7.3, Kuszczak 7.3, Cudicini 7.3,
Itandje 6.8Central DefendersJamie Carragher has been the usual rock, but not quite as good as he was last season. Daniel Agger hasn't played much, so in terms of ability, he is still quite good. Sami Hyypia has filled in well for Agger, but his lacking of pace has sometimes cost Liverpool dear. New-signing Martin Skrtel has not looked impressive yet. Man Utd's Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic has been a defensive rock at the heart of the defence. Back-up center-backs like Gerard Pique currently looks quite decent. Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho has shown above his other defensive colleagues at Stamford Bridge, with John Terry still as good as ever. Alex looks like a good buy and have an eye for rampaging forward, whilst Tal Ben-Haim does not look very impressive. Arsenal's pacey duo of Kolo Toure and William Gallas has been very impressive in the center of defence. Phillipe Senderos has looked very lacking when deputizing.
Current Ratings: Vidic 9.5, Toure 9.4, Gallas 9.4, Ferdinand 9.3, Carvalho 9.3, Terry 9.0,
Carragher 8.8, Alex 7.9,
Hyypia 7.5, Agger 7.5, Ben-Haim 7.3, Pique 7.3, Senderos 7.2,
Skrtel 6.5Wide DefendersSteve Finnan, John Arne Riise and Fabio Aurelio haven't look impressive this season. Probably only Alvaro Arbeloa has done well consistently over the course of this season. Man Utd's Wes Brown has been deputizing for the ever-injured Gary Neville well, whilst Patrice Evra has been a revelation at left-back. John O'Shea looks alright whilst Neville's injury has stopped him from playing for quite a while. Chelsea's Juliano Belletti looks to have solved the Blues' right-back problems for the short-term, whilst Ashley Cole still looks impressive, with Wayne Bridge capable of filling in. Paulo Ferreira looks like their weakest link here. Arsenal's new-signing of Bakary Sagna has looked good at right-back, whilst Gael Clichy continue to excel at left, with Armand Traore impressing in the cup matches.
Current Ratings: Evra 9.0, Clichy 8.5, Cole 8.5, Sagna 8.0, Brown 7.9, Belletti 7.5,
Arbeloa 7.5, Bridge 7.3, O'Shea 7.3,
Finnan 7.0, Aurelio 7.0, Traore 6.7,
Riise 6.5, Ferreira 6.3, Neville 6.0
Central Midfielders
Steven Gerrard has had a generally good season so far, except for a few blips in form. Javier Mascherano has looked impressive, whilst Alonso has had a stop-start campaign. Lucas looks impressive during his few games played. Man Utd's Owen Hargreaves looks like a great signing, Michael Carrick has been having a decent season, whilst another new-signing, Andersen has impressed so far. Fringe player Darren Fletcher and the injured Paul Scholes have only played a few games, due to different reasons. Chelsea's Michael Essien has ever-impressed again, with Frank Lampard and Jon Obi Mikel the other regulars. Claude Makelele and Michael Ballack have in recent months gotten more and more starts, whilst Steve Sidwell looks to have been signed just as a substitute. Arsenal's Francesc Fabregas has been excellent, and Mathieu Flamini is the definite unsung hero. Abou Diaby and Gilberto Silva are the back-ups.
Current Ratings: Essien 9.5, Hargreaves 9.3, Fabregas 9.0,
Gerrard 8.9, Lampard 8.5,
Mascherano 8.3, Andersen 8.3, Flamini 8.3, Carrick 8.0, Mikel 7.5, Ballack 7.5,
Lucas 7.5, Alonso 7.3, Makelele 7.3, Diaby 7.3, Scholes 7.3, Sidwell 7.0, Gilberto 7.0, Fletcher 6.7
WingersYossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel looks good in their first season at Liverpool. Harry Kewell's season is quite decent whilst Jermaine Pennant has much to improve on following his injury. Man Utd's Cristiano Ronaldo has been a revelation again, currently the league's top scorer with 19 goals. New-signing Nani has not disappoint and Ryan Giggs' experience still vital for United. Park Ji-Sung's return of injury means he hasn't really played much. Chelsea's Florent Malouda, Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips have been almost equally in good form for the Blues. Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue looks good after moving upfield this season. Tomas Rosicky and Alex Hleb has improved from last season.
Current Ratings: Ronaldo 9.9, Malouda 8.7, Cole 8.5, Hleb 8.3, Wright-Phillips 8.0, Nani 8.0, Rosicky 8.0,
Benayoun 8.0, Giggs 7.9,
Babel 7.7, Eboue 7.5,
Kewell 7.3, Pennant 7.0, Park 6.5
ForwardsFernando Torres has been Liverpool's best striker, and one of the buys of the season. Andriy Voronin and Dirk Kuyt has massively disappointed, with Peter Crouch probably the next striker in line if he had more games. Man Utd's Wayne Rooney has scored many and assisted equally as much. Carlos Tevez also looks a good loan signing with his fair share of goals. Louis Saha looks one of the few disappointments of Man Utd's season. Chelsea's Didier Drogba has continued to score many goals, Andriy Shevchenko has tried to improve, whilst Claudio Pizzaro still looks quite
crappy. New-signing Nicolas Anelka looks like a force to be reckon with. Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor has scored more than he was expected to this season. Robin van Persie's injuries has stopped him from playing much. Eduardo da Silva, after a slow start, seem to be quite good.
Current Ratings: Drogba 8.9, Rooney 8.9,
Torres 8.7, Adebayor 8.7, Tevez 8.5, Anelka 8.3, van Persie 8.0, Eduardo 7.7, Shevchenko 7.5,
Crouch 7.5, Kuyt 7.3, Pizzaro 7.0, Saha 6.5,
Voronin 6
So the apparent lack of quality in the whole Liverpool squad, Rafa Benitez's continuous tinkering, changing weak players for even weaker ones in games he should not, the owner's mismanagement and lack of support and funding for the gaffer, including trying to appoint Jurgen Klinsmann, and finally quite lacking of luck... Has caused Liverpool's title race to end abruptly.
my thoughts at 1:49 pm