England are now hanging by a thread in reaching the knock-out stages of the World Cup after a Luis Suarez inspired 2-1 defeat against Uruguay.
And the world has reacted via Twitter to the loss, as many were really hoping that this ‘Young and Brave’ squad can surprise and progress from a tough group.
England will now pray that Balotelli and co defeat BOTH Costa Rica and Uruguay for them to have any chance of progressing in the competition.
If the above scenario was to occur, England, Uruguay, and Costa Rica will all be tied on 3 points. Therefore the table will come down to goal difference, which England currently lie bottom with on -2.
Thus the Three Lions will need to win their last game by a rather large goal margin, or hope that Italy beat their opponents convincingly.
Here are the best Twitter reactions from last night’s encounter.
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According to the Independent, Liverpool are eyeing a move for Monaco striker Radamel Falcao.
The Colombian assassin, who boasts a career return of 200 goals in 302 appearances, only joined the French big-spenders last summer. But rumours since have insisted that the 28-year-old is disillusioned with the overall quality of Ligue 1 and Monaco’s attendances, which often come in at under 10k.
No doubt, Falcao would be a sensational signing for the Anfield outfit, who are still yet to find a direct replacement for now-Barcelona star Luis Suarez.
With that in mind, here’s FIVE ways the former River Plate and Atletico Madrid front-man would change the Reds for the better.
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GOALS
Of course, the obvious advantage to signing Radamel Falcao is that he’s undisputedly one of the most proficient strikers in Europe.
Above all else, the Colombia international is a sensational finisher, and that divine ability has seen him net a ridiculous amount of goals at his prior three clubs:
Even for Monaco, despite suffering a multitude of injury problems last season, the 28 year-old has bagged 12 in 20 across all competitions.
Here’s a look at what Falcao does best – making the onion bag ripple with goalscoring delight:
//www.youtube.com/embed/OO6hG9xsVow?rel=0
Variety
Football – AS Monaco v Tottenham Hotspur – Pre Season Friendly – Stade Louis II, Monaco – 13/14 – 3/8/13Radamel Falcao – AS Monaco Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Jed Leicester
And the beauty of Radamel Falcao’s goal getting is that he doesn’t need one consistent supply line – rather, the South American is capable of putting away a variety of chances.
Take a look at these statistics from his last season with Atletico Madrid for example:
As you can see, he’s comfortable with both feet, even gets a few headed goals and far from the goal-hanging Gary Lineker incarnate he’s often made out to be, can finish from long-range too.
Don’t believe me? How about this strike against Valencia:
//www.youtube.com/embed/DgJ2F3eFQWU?rel=0
Or this tidy effort against Dusseldorf:
//www.youtube.com/embed/FNF4xuFnzqQ?rel=0
A Marquee signing
Ever since Brendan Rodgers took the Anfield gig in summer 2012, Liverpool have eternally struggled to land a marquee signing.
Last summer, the Reds targeted Willian, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Bernard and Diego Costa to name a few, but all rejected a Mersey move, either joining other clubs or opting to stay put.
And although Liverpool have splashed out over £100million on new signings this summer, they still lack that premium purchase to make a statement of their intent in the transfer market.
Well, Radamel Falcao would remedy that in abundance. Not only did Monaco pay a ridiculous €60million for his services just over a year ago, but he’s also being targeted by Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester City to name a few.
And of course, the beauty of making one marquee signing is that others are soon likely to follow. Arsenal for example, would unlikely have signed Alexis Sanchez this summer without acquiring Mesut Ozil in 2013.
Falcao is a target who really could put Liverpool back on the transfer map.
The star-studded fear factor
Following on from the need for a marquee signing, it goes without saying that in the absence of now-Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, Liverpool are lacking that fear factor – the kind of player who has opposition defences trembling from the open whistle.
Well, Radamel Falcao’s Merseyside arrival would address that in abundance. Not least due to a career return 200 goals in 303 appearances, but furthermore through the 28 year-old’s ability to pull of the sublime.
Take this goal for instance that went on to win the 2012 Puskas award – completely unstoppable:
//www.youtube.com/embed/uW28asAEA6o?rel=0
That kind of sensational strike would inject fear into the hearts of any defence. Falcao is a striker the opposition have to specifically prepare for, which is an enormous tactical advantage for Liverpool.
Here’s a look at the Colombia international’s ten best ever goals:
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//www.youtube.com/embed/YDfjYoW4Bvk?rel=0
He’s not Luis Suarez
The worst thing Liverpool could do this summer is buy a striker that draws too many parallels with Luis Suarez. Simply put, the Uruguayan is irreplaceable, a once-in-a-generation kind of player, and trying to replace him in a like-for-like manner would be an enormous waste of time and money.
Signing long-labelled Luis Suarez incarnate Luis Muriel for example, who has often been linked with an Anfield switch, would be an atrocious idea.
But Radamel Falcao on the other hand, although similar to the now-Barcelona star in some mannerisms, such as their sublime finishing and coolness inside the box, is a polar opposite in many respects.
For example, it’s well known that the Colombian doesn’t contribute too much outside the box, especially when you compare him to the former Anfield favourite:
But in my opinion, that can only be a good thing – there will be less pressure on Falcao to assist in open play, allowing new signings such as Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic to take the creative mantle. Likewise, he won’t be expected to control games in the final third as Suarez often did, but is still capable of impacting them to a similar level.
Rather conveniently, here’s a video comparing Suarez and Falcao:
For better or for worse, MK Dons are here to stay. The circumstances which led to the creation of the Buckinghamshire-based club in 2004 are controversial and well-documented. The relocation of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes 11 years ago, eventually leading to a complete rebranding of the club under its current name, was a universally unpopular decision which prompted a large section of Wimbledon supporters to form their own ‘phoenix’ club, and which rendered ‘Franchise FC’ – as the fledgling Dons were pejoratively known by supporters of many clubs – one of the most loathed football clubs in English football, an apparently soulless embodiment of the greed and exploitation which dominates the modern game.
However, the reality is that MK Dons, for all their haters, detractors and enemies, are one of the best-run clubs in English football. Chairman Pete Winkelman may be known for being brash and antagonistic at times; his claims in a question and answer session with FourFourTwo magazine in November 2004 that his side were “the real child of Wimbledon” and that the founders of AFC Wimbledon had betrayed their club were unnecessary and unwise at a time when tensions were understandably still high. Nevertheless, under his guidance the Dons have established 16 disability football teams and have given first-team debuts to an impressive 12 academy graduates; their ticket prices for children are among the most affordable in the football league; whilst in the past year 11 players have been selected to represent their countries at youth level. The painful truth is that while Wimbledon FC’s demise was brought about by financial mismanagement, the club that replaced them in the football league is run in a responsible and stable manner.
Despite its status as a ‘new’ club, longevity is not alien to the Dons – in fact, it is a philosophy which the club has embraced. Winkelman remains the club’s first and only chairman, while manager Karl Robinson is one of the longest reigning current managers in the football league, having been in charge since May 2010. Indeed, the club has an admirable, if somewhat recent, reputation of hiring young, unproven managers and giving them an early taste in management – as well as Robinson, Roberto Di Matteo’s first job was at Stadium mk, while Paul Ince was also in charge in the early stages of his own coaching career. This dual recognition of the importance of time and the potential of youth with regard to the managerial setup at MK Dons is something to be lauded.
The watershed moment came in last month’s sensational League Cup drubbing of Manchester United. As the Dons put on an excellent display against Louis van Gaal’s men – scoring four goals without reply – social media, television studios and radio shows were awash with praise for the team from Milton Keynes for having the temerity to relentlessly attack and dominate supposedly superior opponents. Although football loves an underdog victory, a triumph of David over Goliath – especially when the monstrous brute in question happens to be wearing a red shirt emblazoned with horned, trident-wielding devil – the newfound respect shown towards the Dons was in purely footballing terms.
MK Dons will never be fully viewed as a legitimate football club by some supporters, particularly in the eyes of AFC Wimbledon fans who still feel that its place in the league at the expense of the ‘real’ Dons is a case of a monumental miscarriage of footballing justice. Presently, however, the good very much outweighs the bad at Milton Keynes. The tireless work it has done over the past ten years to promote inclusivity in the area cannot be scoffed at, and it continues to boast healthy attendances – last season’s average of 8,611 was the fifth-highest in League One. Time heals all wounds, as the saying goes, and although the wounds caused by the birth of MK Dons run especially deep, there are signs that ‘Franchise FC’ are finally being accepted into the footballing community.
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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has blasted his players despite being top of the league undefeated this season, Mirror reports.
The Portuguese manager was far from happy with the Blues’ performance in their 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers at home, in which his side were in second gear for much of the clash.
And 1-0 up at half-time, Mourinho vent out his frustrations.
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“At half-time he was frustrated and told us so,’’ revealed Willian. “He was not happy and told us we hadn’t played well and had to do better.
“It was dangerous for us, to be only 1-0 up. So we had to improve. And he was right because even then QPR came on to the pitch for the second half and scored their goal to get level.
Chelsea did get a winner via an Eden Hazard penalty, but Mourinho remained unhappy although admitting it had been a strange week.
“We have to be more consistent and play better,” he said. “Yes, the week was very strange. You play Manchester United on the Sunday, on the Monday you travel.
“Some of the players had two days off. Some of the others had to go to Shrewsbury immediately. Some of them in Shrewsbury played 90 minutes. Some had a free day the next day but it was a working day for the others.
‘’So it was a very strange week to work and be focused. We tried, but the individual performances weren’t there and neither was the collective performance. Do QPR have some responsibility for that? I think they do. You have to give credit to a team that comes and is so well organised from a defensive point of view like they were.
“In the end we deserved to win. The result could’ve been more. It’s important to win when you don’t play so well.”
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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was delighted with his side’s performance in their 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Wednesday, sending them into the semi-final against Chelsea, Mirror reports.
Rodgers has been under a considerable amount of pressure in regards to the Reds’ poor form, but after the victory is looking forward to ending the Blues’ pursuit of a possible Quadruple.
WANT MORE? >> Liverpool Transfer News | Latest Transfer News
“Our main objective was to get through tonight and, whoever we drew in the semi-finals, it was always going to be a difficult game.
“It’s over two legs and we will relish the opportunity. But I thought it was a brilliant performance here – we controlled the game, we kept pressing and we created many chances.”
“I can certainly see signs that we are getting back to where we were. There is a long way to go but this was a tough game, coming to a side top of the Championship.
“They are going well and for us to come and dominate like we did and score the goals that we did was very pleasing.”
Raheem Sterling was the star man in Liverpool’s win over Bournemouth, bagging a brace with his first goal brilliantly executed after 52 passes.
“We work very hard on our passing and movement,” Rodgers added. “It has taken us a long time to find our rhythm this season, but what has never stopped is the players’ work-rate.
“It doesn’t matter to me whether our first goal came from one pass or 52 – the game required us to show patience, character and quality, and our first goal was a wonderful example of all three.
“The kid, for some reason, seems to be getting a lot of stick off a lot of people for something. His contract situation is absolutely nothing to do with him and his representatives are working with the club.
“He is, as you can see, happy and enjoying his football. At Old Trafford he was unfortunate not to score and in that role he plays you think of Alexis Sanchez when he plays for Arsenal.
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“He is not an out-and-out striker but his speed in front of the back four and behind them causes problems and you’ve seen that with him here, he can get it, turn and go at defenders. He has been like that all season and been a real catalyst for us.”
When Louis van Gaal first presented Radamel Falcao as a Manchester United player at the beginning of the season, most within the footballing community expected the Red Devils to up their game from last year, and produce a successful campaign that saw the club return to their former glories.
Whilst such an achievement is still very much possible for van Gaal this season, Manchester United are just nowhere near as formidable, exciting and as mentally strong as they were under Sir Alex Ferguson.
This summer’s ‘Galacticos’ inspired signings have hardly made the impact many would have expected, with Radamel Falcao taking the lion’s share of complaints among the new faces at Old Trafford this season. Since the Colombian has failed to make any meaningful impact at his new club, does Falcao have a future at United, or is it only a matter of time before he is shipped out?
Although he is only on loan from French outfit AS Monaco, Radamel Falcao’s reported wages and high profile status make him a player who was really meant to do the business for van Gaal. We all know what this former Atletico striker is capable of – he is quick on the turn, proficient at linking up play with the rest of his teammates, and has the ability to rise like a salmon in the air.
The United no. 9 is also famed for his goal-scoring capabilities and dangerous nature in the opposition’s third, both at club level and with the Colombian national side. Only through injury did Falcao miss out on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where if he were present alongside James Rodriguez, Colombia really could have gone a lot further in the competition.
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Goal-scoring is not something that has come easy to the United hit-man this season however. Only three league goals recorded for the Red Devils this campaign is simply not good enough for a player as good as Falcao. Yes – injuries have certainly had their role to play in slowing down the progress of Manchester United’s latest star, but as he is playing alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Angel Di Maria and Juan Mata, Falcao really has failed to live up to initial expectation.
That said, Louis van Gaal would be mad to let the Colombian go this early into his United career. Now that the prized striker has had his adequate settling-in period in the Premier League, 2015 should spark the turning point in which Radamel Falcao really gets going. His form may have completely left him right now, but we all know that class is permanent, and Falcao’s class is simply undeniable even at this stage in his career.
There may be sensational talk of Gareth Bale quitting Madrid to come and play at Old Trafford, but seeing as these stories mostly circulate without any real foundation, United fans will likely have to approach this January transfer window with a degree of caution. They already have world renowned stars within their ranks, and even if they aren’t quite doing the business for van Gaal at the moment, it is simply only a matter of time before the likes of Radamel Falcao find their feet in the Premier League.
Seeing as both Chelsea and Manchester City have made steady progress in securing the league title in the first half of the season however, a period of months in which Manchester United have been anything but steady, perhaps Falcao’s chance to be a hero at Old Trafford may have already passed him by.
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If enough faith and trust is placed in the Colombian however, the footballing world will soon forget about Radamel Falcao’s brief dry spell in front of goal.
Harry Redknapp has had an extensive managerial career spanning 32 years, though his recent departure from Queens Park Rangers for medical reasons has left many asking whether it is now over.
Redknapp has years of experience, from starting at Bournemouth to West Ham, Southampton, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur then finally QPR though the 67-year old may have reached the end.
A cash-rich job in Dubai – less stressful than the rigours of the Premier League – has been recently rumoured to be a new opportunity for Redknapp and this certainly appears suited to his situation. Recent years have suggested this is a tiring man who is rapidly nearing the end of his career.
Redknapp’s spell at Queens Park Rangers can only be considered a failure overall, starting with the inability to keep the R’s in the Premier League after taking over in November 2012.
Though this was understandable as Redknapp inherited a mess of overpaid players faltering in the table with a discernible lack of team cohesion. However he must take responsibility for what followed.
In the Championship Redknapp led Rangers to promotion but in the most unconvincing fashion possible. In the Play-Off Final they were outclassed by an excellent Derby County side until a late Bobby Zamora strike secured an undeserving victory.
Considering that Rangers had a wage bill greater than La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, and a squad rife with Premier League experience, automatic promotion should have been a minimum expectation. They finished accumulatively 35 points behind fellow promoted sides Leicester City and Burnley, both holding far smaller budgets, particularly the Clarets.
A squad including Charlie Austin, Joey Barton, Richard Dunne, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Rob Green, Jermaine Jenas, Niko Kranjcar, Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Bobby Zamora should not have needed the Play-Offs. Naturally the fact they did leads to questions over Redknapp and his managerial abilities.
Rangers said this season they would avoid making the same mistakes of their last Premier League stint but this has not appeared to happen.
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Summer signings Steven Caulker, Leroy Fer, Rio Ferdinand, Mauricio Isla, Sandro and Eduardo Vargas have largely failed despite huge investment.
The idea that Redknapp left due to not gaining the January transfer window backing that he wanted certainly has plenty of legs – resigning at 5:30am just after it shut is naturally suspicious.
Redknapp is known for his deadline day antics, most notably the brilliant Van Der Vaart signing from Real Madrid when at Spurs, but cut a frustrated figure as, understandably, Tony Fernandes refused to put more funds in.
No signings were made despite Redknapp apparently spending all day at the training ground. However, given the strength of their current squad in domestic and international experience who can blame Fernandes for saying work ‘with what you’ve got.’ This continued despite the income of £5m from selling Jordan Mutch to Crystal Palace, not trusting Redknapp to spend the money wisely.
Redknapp has no excuses for the dire situation in which he left the club, 19th in the Premier League and outclassed 3-0 at home against League One opposition Sheffield United in the FA Cup. Under the 67-year-old they lost 11 consecutive away games, a Premier League record.
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The wage bill and investment is one most managers surrounding QPR in the table could only dream of and Redknapp should take responsibility for his failure – QPR club are in an even worse situation than when took over more than two years back.
The 67 year-old now faces an uphill challenge in recovering from this failure, regaining his health and showing that his managerial style can work once again.
Though his achievement with Spurs in the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League season will always be fondly remembered, Redknapp has been largely unsuccessful since. His recent record, and frustrated public demeanour suggests the managerial career might be over.
A return to a less stressful coaching or advisory role might well be the future for the 67 year-old.
Louis van Gaal is a complex character. The Dutchman is considered to be one of the best managers to have every worked at the highest level, with a proven record in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands justifying just that and illustrating why Manchester United turned to him in their summer of need.
There have been stories – exposing himself in the Bayern Munich dressing room – that have done the rounds, but now MUTV have given us a glance behind the headlines to see the real LVG, and there are some excellent quotes and snippets to pick up from it.
From being a “flexible” lover to just what he demands from his players, it’s all here:
He’s a love machine…
“(I am very flexible) my wife knows this!” *shudders* Too much information, Louis.
Midfield tortoise…
“I was a slow player so I had to think very quickly,
“That’s why I developed a tactical level that suits me now as a trainer coach.”
Bad driver…
“It’s like somebody coming to England like Louis van Gaal who has to drive with the steering at the other side,
“You have to learn that. I could have forced many accidents but I was fortunate I didn’t do that. I was lucky but it was always going better so I don’t have to warn people in my neighbourhood!”
Yes, Louis… it’s just like that!
The road theme continues…
“He has a road map in front of you and he tells you which direction he wants you to go.” The words of Ronald de Boer.
Witness the fitness
https://vine.co/v/OQAx6EhFH0X/embed/simple
RVP: “To play for him you have to be really fit. What he asks from players is not what other coaches ask from other players.” No chance of signing Charlie Adam then!
He’s a playaaaaaaaa
“With men sometimes he is fighting but with ladies Louis van Gaal is playing the violin.” A friend from his time at Bayern Munich spills the beans.
https://vine.co/v/M5bIAvwQK1d/embed/simple
The door to his office is always open…
“He always says if you ever want to speak to him about anything you can” Said Wayne Rooney. “His door is always open. He’s 100 per cent serious (about that). You can speak to him about things other than football and he’s a really nice guy.”
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Party animal
“We had a party in the town (following a title victory). He is a party monster – it was the Louis van Gaal show.” A colleague during his time at Bayern.
As it looks more certain that Burnley will be relegated next season, many of their key players have started to look for other clubs.
The Clarets’ right-back Kieran Trippier has been linked with Stoke and Southampton already this season, but it seems Liverpool are also now interested in joining in the fight for him.
The 24-year-old is likely to remain in the top flight after enjoying an excellent season for the Northern club and the Reds are confident of landing Trippier on the cheap, as they are keen to strengthen their defensive options over the summer. This is despite the Englishman only being one year into a three-year contract at Turf Moor.
Boss Brendan Rodgers has reportedly been linked with the Burnley defender, alongside fellow target Danny Ings. Current right-back Glen Johnson hasn’t agreed a new contract yet as they are in talks about his earnings, so Rodgers is keen to identify other options as soon as possible.
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Last year, Liverpool were accused of becoming the new Southampton after signing a number of players from Saint Mary’s, but many fans are hoping they don’t become the new Burnley after they have been linked with no fewer than four of the bottom club’s players.
Rodgers believes he has seen potential in Trippier, and he has been one of the shining lights for a club that has struggled in the highest tier of English football.
Despite Burnley being at the bottom of the League, Trippier’s stats are quite impressive. He has four assists this season and has been shown no red cards and only two yellows for the campaign. This is remarkable when you consider just how many attacks the Claret’s defensive has come under this season.
The club has let in 56 goals since August in the Premier League, but Trippier’s key passes has helped his team attack as well as showing excellent defending skills. One of Trippier’s key assets is his ability to be able to pass long balls with pinpoint precision. In Burnley’s recent game against West Ham he cut off 11 crosses and made eight clearances, which has started to become the ‘norm’ for the Burnley defender.
But if Johnson refuses to sign a new contract with Liverpool then Trippier is not neccessarily the right signing for the club. He has shown talent and a potential to grow as a player, but he is not ready to go on and play week in, week out at that level of football.
As a defender who is there to develop then he would be a great signing. Rodgers could really get the best out of the Englishman who started his career at Manchester City, but he still has a lot to learn and a long way to go before he is playing constant football for a club so far up the League as Liverpool.
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Rodgers needs to sort out his current but while Trippier is one for the future, he isn’t ready to compete at the level Liverpool want to reach.
Every major Premier League club has their bogey team – a side of inferior quality that inexplicably, always seems to get the better of them.
Chelsea’s least favourite hunting ground is the north-east, claiming just one point from their travels to Newcastle and Sunderland this season, Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers continually plagued Manchester United during the Sir Alex Ferguson era, and Swansea City have beaten Arsenal four times out of a possible eight since their Premier League ascension in 2011 – including a double this season.
Liverpool’s bogey team is unquestionably Crystal Palace – the perennial party-poopers pouring liquid brown on their shiny red parades. They’ve claimed seven points from their last four Premier League clashes with the Mersey outfit and developed a particular knack for ruining Liverpool’s big occasions.
Last season, the Eagles’ dramatic three-goal comeback effectively ended Liverpool’s hopes of claiming the Premier League title (poignantly, 15 years after the Hillsborough disaster) and last weekend, they ran riot to record a 3-1 victory in Steven Gerrard’s final ever appearance at Anfield. Whenever the weight of history and sentiment appears to be firmly on Liverpool’s side, Palace emerge from the shadows to bluntly remind us that it’s not.
Part of the beauty of football is that it often defies logic, seemingly driven by emotive fairytales rather than talent or physics. But there must be some reason behind Liverpool’s eternal struggles against Palace… mustn’t there?
ALAN PARDEW AND TONY PULIS VS BRENDAN RODGERS
Managers seem to take the stick for everything that happens in the Premier League nowadays so where better to start than a head-to-head of Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis vs Brendan Rodgers? Rather interestingly, throughout his tenures with Swansea City and Liverpool, the Ulsterman has a rather tepid track record against both.
Since first arriving in the Premier League with the Welsh outfit in summer 2011, Rodgers has only beaten Pulis once – his second encounter with the 57 year-old whilst in charge of Stoke City. Overall, Pulis has claimed two wins and three draws against Rodgers, giving him nine points in comparison to the Anfield gaffer’s six, including a recent 2-2 at the Hawthorns.
Against Pardew, he fares a little better, twice beating Newcastle as Liverpool boss – including a six-nil thrashing at the end of the 2012/13 campaign. But he never got the better of the 53 year-old whilst donning the dugout at Swansea, losing once and drawing once to the former Magpies gaffer.
Including the recent defeat to Palace, Pardew boasts twelve points to Rodgers’ nine, also beating him with Newcastle back in November. But one has to consider Pulis’ underlying influence once again; after all, Pardew has made very few changes to the side he inherited from the now-West Brom boss that recorded the emphatic 3-3 against Liverpool at the end of last term.
Yet, there’s a very important anomaly. At the start of the campaign, amid a run of six defeats in their first twelve Premier League fixtures, Palace thumped Liverpool 3-1 under the direction of Neil Warnock – one of just three wins for the Eagles until Pardew took over in January. So what other factors could be involved?
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
Palace lost to Liverpool during their first encounter last season, albeit at that time under Ian Holloway, so one has to consider whether their two victories over the Reds this year are subconsciously linked to that notorious 3-3 at Selhurst Park.
After all, the Eagles sucker-punched the Reds at the height of their momentum as they honed in on the English crown, even going three goals behind until an incredible final ten minutes in which Damien Delaney found a header and Dwight Gayle recorded a brace. Before that triple-salvo, Liverpool were attacking relentlessly in an effort to close their goal difference deficit on Manchester City. They were in full control, so being brought down to earth in such a short space of time must’ve had a significant psychological impact.
Although Liverpool’s squad and starting Xi have both changed somewhat this season, that experience must still lay deep in the memories of certain players – particularly the likes of Simon Mignolet, Martin Skrtel, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho, who all featured on Saturday.
One can argue it should leave them seeking revenge or alternatively fearful of another embarrassment; but you get the same result of an imbalanced mindset either way. Rather tellingly, summer additions Emre Can, Alberto Moreno, Dejan Lovren and goalscorer Adam Lallana were the stronger performers in the 3-1 defeat last weekend.
STYLE OF PLAY
Personally, however, I view style of play as arguably the biggest influence. Crystal Palace and Liverpool are like chalk and cheese; the former, seemingly thriving on having as little of the ball as possible – and when they do, being as direct with it as possible – the latter, a team that like to retain possession and score well-worked goals. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool rank fifth for possession in the Premier League at 55.7%, whereas the south Londoners are rock bottom with just 40.3%. During last weekend’s defeat, the share was 59.8% to 40.2%.
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And this isn’t just the case against Crystal Palace. During Liverpool’s three Premier League campaigns under Rodgers, they’ve lost to Aston Villa, Hull City, Palace and West Brom twice each – four sides who all play a similar style of direct, organised, counter-attacking football and tend to revolve around the same segment of the Premier League table. The only sides they’ve lost equally or more frequently to in that same time period are Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.
What this says about Liverpool is open to interpretation. In regards to Palace and particularly last weekend, there wasn’t nearly enough protection down the flanks to nullify the relentless threats of Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha, which is no surprise considering Liverpool deployed wing-backs that were more part of the midfield than the defence in Alberto Moreno and Jordan Ibe. Even before Rodgers ushered in the era of 3-4-2-1, the likes of Glen Johnson, Aly Cissokho and John Flanagan were never the most conservative of full-backs.
But there’s a little more to it than that. Liverpool’s weaknesses at set pieces have been widely documented this season, and Crystal Palace boast the joint-most goals from dead ball situations of any Premier League outfit at 18 – alongside the recurring theme of West Brom. Likewise, one could argue they lack the tenacity off the ball of the Premier League’s rank and file; or perhaps most importantly, the quality going forward to consistently break down teams who sit deep. Rather tellingly, Hull City and Southampton were the only non-top-four sides Liverpool lost to last season whilst their front three of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez, two of which have been absent this season, were in full swing.
SO HOW CAN LIVERPOOL STOP THE ROT?
The Reds’ weaknesses and the Eagles’ strengths are pretty much institutionalised at this point; no matter how much work is done on the training field, they’re almost intentionally designed to purposely juxtapose each other. The catch 22 that keeps getting Liverpool, however, is the more they play their natural game, the more they accommodate Palace’s defensive and direct mantra.
Could they create a specific game-plan to stop another Palace victory next season? Perhaps – Brendan Rodgers is a shrewder tactician than many give him credit for. But whether the Liverpool gaffer is willing to compromise his entire philosophical beliefs for just one game – especially considering there will undoubtedly be more pivotal fixtures on Liverpool’s calendar next term – remains to be seen. In my opinion, due to the manner in which their respective styles are almost ‘in their DNA’, to paraphrase David Moyes, Palace’s bogey team status over the Merseysiders could continue for some time.