Burnley v Liverpool – Prematch Opinion
Tomorrow I’ll be a-kip on the sofa completely stuffed full of Turkey, silent apart from the odd fart and a grunt in the affirmative for (yet another) a mince pie or such like. Thus I’ll have a quick look at Liverpool’s Boxing Day visit to Turf Moor to take on Burnley.
After the convincing draw – yes an odd expression I know – at home to fellow under performers Arsenal at the weekend, all Reds fans will be expecting more of the same come Friday at 3.00pm. I’m not sure if Brendan Rodgers as maintained the same team and or tactics for two games running this season but, if there was ever a time for him to stick to a (potentially) winning formula, then this is it.
The team has two home matches after that. First against Swansea and then the opener for 2015 on New Years Day hosting Leicester City. Should Rodgers and his motley crew fail to get at LEAST six points from the possible nine, then I expect a P45 to be heading his way come the end of the season if not before, because if he can’t manage to beat these three, then he doesn’t deserve the job, regardless of last season.
The 343 formation deployed against Arsenal worked a treat and the intensity of the team was evident and welcome by all. The back three seems to work well with Kolo Touré, Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho. In respect of Touré and Sakho they are for me certain starters. Why? Simply because they’re better passers of the ball. In Skrtel and Lovren Liverpool have two similar players. Two who don’t know what to do with time on the ball but to simply hoof it near into oblivion via an opposition player. The latter of the two, whom we thought was a Rolls Royce of a defender but turned out to be a Reliant bloody Robin, has shown little or no ability to make simple but effective passes.
In Sakho and Touré, at least the side has central defenders capable of bringing the ball out of defence and into midfield. If you read the stats you’ll see Skrtel has a pass completion rate of 92% which I struggle to believe. It probably includes balls launched at 90 miles per hour x 90 meters high, hit the recipient and then goes out of play! Still, despite me not being his hugest fan I can’t deny Skrtel adds some steel and a goal threat that we saw on Sunday.
In Midfield Emre Can needs to be given a chance in place of Steven Gerrard. For me I think it’s too much to start the Captain in the vain hope that he’ll score a penalty, a free kick or a long range effort. Rodgers has to put more confidence in the squad that he has done of late. If Can isn’t going to get a start against a team that’s third from bottom then that’s saying something.
Am I mistaken or was Olivier Giroud’s second for Arsenal a direct result of possession lost from yet another of Gerrard’s failed Dodgywood passes that was nowhere near a red shirt. Other than that, I expect Jordan Henderson, Lucas Leiva and Lazar Marković to continue in support of a front line containing Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho.
If Liverpool continue where they left off last time out then we should be talking about an impressive victory. A high tempo pressing game and good defending should see the team get the points a performance similar to Sunday’s will deserve. A rubbish and lethargic performance from a changed team and changed tactics should see the side come away with nothing and Brendan Rodgers hanging onto his job by the skin of his teeth.
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