This is a counter story to the previous article titled, "Five Mistakes,Brenden Rogers made in the MerseySide derby" . The earlier article was a listing of the wrongs. This article will try to bring out the positives from Liverpool view of the Merseyside derby.
1. Playing Joe Flannagan
Maybe the headline, should have been, "Not playing Sissoko". Joe Flannagan provides the width and the crosses that Sisoko does not. It was very brave of Rogers to play this youngster in a match of this magnitude, especially in his unnatural position. He must have tried it in training of course. Full credit to him.
2. Super-Sub Daniel Sturridge
It was an easy decision to leave Sturridge, who was recovering from an injury suffered in the mid-week friendly with Germany, on the bench for the Merseyside derby. Then again maybe not so easy, as he is an integral part of the SAS combination that has been terrorizing the premier league this season.
Either way, his impact on coming on, was immediate, scoring from an indirect free kick at the dying embers of the match.
3. The Final Surge from deep.
The frentic last 10 minutes of the game had everything expected from a derby: passion, desire and high drama. Liverpool having led for most of the game, were now trailing and needed an equalizer. Rogers had his boy throw everything but the kitchen sink at Everton to get it. Boy, the neutrals did not want the match to end. It was pulsating end to end stuff. The change in tactic from Rogers, earned the point. Prior to the Everton going forward, Liverpool were pressing with a high line, thereby exposing themselves to counteracts. Rogers deserves credit for shifting the game plan to providing early balls into the box from deep.
4. Match, Set Pieces.
Liverpool's proficiency in set pieces this season, cannot be over emphasized. A lot of their goals have come from dead balls situations and in the derby, all three liverpool goals, yep, you guessed it, were from such situations. That is due to great work on the training ground.
5. A Winning Mentality
This item is not a filler. Rogers has instilled a never say die in the liverpool team. Even in the Arsenal loss, it was evident from the way, they still kept searching for a equalizer. Many teams would have lost hope and given up. But not the Reds these days, the comeback is indicative of their desire this season.
Since the start of the new season, Liverpool seems to have got its groove back, figuratively speaking, oscillating between first and second position in the league. This is due to the managerial astuteness of Brendan Rogers coupled with his January signings of Daniel Sturridge and Coutinho, who have been bargains that have helped lead the charge for a champions league spot finish this season.
Fast forward to the Merseyside derby, which is usually one of the fiercely contested games in soccer history. It is renown for its high octane battles with its attendance sending offs. High drama, controversy are usually expected. But it is the job of the manager not to be caught up with all the emotion. Afterall all, it is he, who must keep a level head in order to make the necessary tactical decisions to influence the game in his side's favor. To be clear, I am not one to be casting aspersions on Brenden Roger, who is one of the best managers in the premier league and is miles ahead of me in the understanding of the game. Having said that, there are a few things that could have been done a bit better.
1. No foil for Lukaku
Lukaku is known for his physical play, and the strength that he brings in his game. But it was odd, that Sakho and Kolo Troure-two centre backs, who have provided a physical match for him, were left on the bench. That decision was responsible for Lukaku, ending up as man of the match, with two goals to his tally.
The game against Arsenal also showed the side of Rogers that is willing to let his opponents play as along his side does. That is counter productive, except one believes his sides attack is much sharper.
Juxtaposed with his win earlier in the season against arch-rivals, Manchester United, makes my point exactly. In that game, Liverpool were very well organized because they understood the threat, the Red Devils carry.
2. 12 minutes of chaos
A period of about 12 minutes in the second half, Everton had over three chances to level the score line. Rogers did not react on time, thereby allowed the inevitable equalizer. It got worse when Everton took the lead for the first time in the game, after Rogers made an attacking substitution, reliving Lucas from his defensive duties. One would have thought, that the manager should first address the waves of Evertonian attacks, by bringing in defensive reinforcements, before trying to extend the lead. Also, the practice of trying to out-score opponents should be discouraged rather the Reds, when they take the lead should be better at killing off games.
3. Big boys sometimes need a rest.
Great Players like Gerrard are indispensable to any team. But in the derby, it was obvious that he was still reeling from the mid-week friendly with Germany. He was caught in possession several times, his missed clearance gave Lukaku, the penalty like chance to level the scores to 2-2.
Also, Coutinho should have been substituted instead of Lucas.
With three games to play next week, Rogers must rotate effectively, even if it means putting match winners on the bench.
4. Henderson on the right.
Henderson is a player that divides opinions. Just observe the reactions to Alex Ferguson's comment in his book, "Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography". He is a very hard working player but provides little in terms of creativity, so why continuously play him on the right when his high work rate is better suited for a more central role? In the derby, Glen Johnson, a left back, provided a much greater threat from the flank than the player in front of him in formation.
5. Frailty At Set Pieces
Liverpool has conceded more goals from set pieces than from normal play. This trend needs to be wooded on, if the aspiration of a fourth place finish is to be realized. Ironically, scoring from set pieces is the Reds' strength. Maybe, they could try what the Gunners did against in their match and defend much higher up the pitch when defending in direct free kicks.
Chess is a draw. Everyone must have heard that adage. Unfortunately it comes with a proviso- with accurate play from both sides. However, what constitutes accurate play is debatable. It could be a matter of style, based on chess heuristics gathered over years or adjudicated by one's favorite chess engine.
From the first move to the last, each pugilist must thrive to play the best possible move to achieve equality. Of course this is a near impossible task even for the strongest engine or grandmaster. Such is the complex nature of Chess. That there are an infinite number of possible moves, each leading to different paths.
For instance, Rybka, touted for playing human-like positional moves, was the strongest chess program a few years ago, but now, the Houdini, with a penchant for creating imbalances in positions, is on top of the chess engine ladder. Even if computers were to solve the game like it did checkers, the human element- the propensity to err, is always there to provide the final result.
From Paul Morphy,Fischer to Kasparov, great champions were trailblazers in re-defining how the game was played in their era. Paul Morphy showed his more "romantic" peers that there was another way. Also, Kasparov's dedication and work in the opening phase of the game, lead the way to a future were Grandmasters tried to out-prepare each other with chess engines and huge databases.
Magnus Carlsen, like his predecessors, is also redefining how the game will be played in his era. Rather than focusing on opening preparation, Carlen instead studies the part of the game that most chess players consider the least interesting - the end game.
This can only be good for the game. With Carlen proving that there was rich rewards lurking in that part of the game, Tournament Organizers,who in order to increase interest and viewership, had resorted to "coercive" measures to discourage short draws, would no longer need to try so hard to motivate chess players to fight to the bitter end.
The world championship match between Anand and Carlen started out by four draws. Two of whom were interesting played-out draws.
Anand cracked under pressure in game 5, as Carlsen turned on the screw in a seemingly innocuous position. A position where ordinarily, most grandmasters would have agreed on an early draw.
One would have assumed, it would be his relatively inexperience opponent that would be the first to break under the huge expectation of his pre-determined coronation by virtue of 69 point difference in elo ratings.
In game 6, we find Carlsen winning a theoretical drawn rook ending out of nothing. Of course, Anand, the world champion, was once again, an unwilling accomplice in the turn of events.
Carlsen himself has also been a victim of end game pitfalls as demonstrated by his loses to Ivanchuk in the Candidates and Wang Hao earlier in the year.
It just illustrates the point that audience wants to see these positions played out. Years of excuses that this or that position, opposite colored bishops, rook endings are drawn are no longer enough. They want it proved ! By best play of course.
Video of Game six of the World Championship match between Anand and Carlsen
The stage is set for the upcoming Fide Chess World Championship match between current champion, India's Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen - a Norwegian former chess prodigy and the highest ranked chess player in the world.
It promises to be an exciting match. A clash of different styles. Carlsen's youth and energy versus Anand's vast match experience. Surely chess fans could not have wished for a better tie. Magnus Carlsen, thetop ranked chess player for over three years, is seen as the heir apparent to Anand's crown. And for many, the match might be just a formality in the transfer of the Chess mantle to the younger generation which Carlsen represents.
Both players started their careers as attacking players while Anand has kept some of that style as time went on, Carlsen completely evolved to a solid player with a preference for the end game.
The importance of the match cannot be over-emphazise. A victory by Anand who cement his place in chess history. Were Carlsen to emerge victorious, it would spark a frenzy of sponsorships and big money that the sport clearly needs.
Match Experience
No doubt Anand has a massive advantage over Carlsen in terms of match experience.
That experience consists of victories over very strong players such as : Kramnik, Shirov, Topalov.
Match play against the same person is different from Tournament situation where one could focus one's energies in winning weaker players and drawing direct rivals.
A chink in Anand' armor has appeared lately; he seems to have become vulnerable to the younger generation creative and energetic play with recent loses to Nakamura,Wang Hao and a hoodoo with Levon Aronian.
Climate
The match is taking place in Anand's Indian home town of Chennai. No one is sure if there is any commensurate advantage to be got from playing at home.
Topalov lost his World Championship match to Anand on home soil.Earlier in the year, Carlen placed second in a tournament hosted in Norway. Unlike Soccer where vociferous fans can be an extra man providing that additional motivation, chess players are alone in the company of their opponents in quiet halls.
Ability to handle Pressure
The Candidates tournament showed that Carlsen was human after all. Who can blame him? He was touted as the clear favorite to coast to an easy victory and was even crowned in some circles based his impressive tournament results. The shock of meeting a Kramnik, playing his best chess in years, coupled with the trepid challenge of the bottom three of Radjabov,Ivanchuk and Grischuk, led to the high drama of the last round, where he could only crawl to the finish line when Kramnik was "kind" enough to reciprocate his loss to Peter Svidler.
Anand seems to cope with pressure better. The quick recovery to equalize in round 8, in his match with Gelfand in the World Championship in 2012 and the final round victory over Topalov in Bulgaria come as clear evidence that Anand is able to produce the goods at critical points in a match.
Head to Head
Anand holds a clear 6-3 advantage of his opponent. However majority of those victories came when Carlsen had not become a top 5 player. In the last 18 months, Carlsen has the edge over the World Champion and has been slowly closing the gap. +5 -0 =8 to Carlsen in all formats, with +1 -0 =3 to Carlsen in classical time control.
Preparation
Magnus Carlsen does not focus much on opening theory. He relies more on his ability to outplay his opponent in the middle and end game. Carlsen has described his style as a crocodile waiting patiently for his prey.
Anand like other grandmasters, is extremely well prepared in the openings and is hardly surprised in that part of the game.
Though Carlsen's vast opening repertoire gives him the element of surprise.
Also physical preparation and conditioning aids the mental prowess of a chess player. That is where Carlsen with youth holds a clear advantage over Anand.
Prediction
If Anand draws first blood, it would be interesting to see how Carlsen reacts. I fear that he might not recover in a short 12 game match. Carlsen would play his normal pragmatic chess and predictably justify his 69 point Elo rating over his opponent and secure victory.
The Nigeria Super Eagles overcame the Antelopes of Ethiopia in a very tough world cup qualifier match that potended to be a banana peel for the Super Eagles. The African Champions versus the Minnows of East Africa. A typical David vs Goliath story. It had upset written over it. Fortunately, they were able to rise to the occasion and secure a 1-2 victory over their Ethiopian counterparts.
After every encounter, there are usually lessons learnt- a sort of post-mortem to be conducted to find weaknesses to hide or strengthen, subtle nuances to explore and a general paragon for the larger community to imbibe.
7. Yekini Reborn?
Nigerians have been yearning for a replacement for the goals-father Rashidi Yekini. And now finally have found a reliable goal scorer in Emmanuel Emenike. He is just coming off a successful African Nations, where his goals were instrumental to Nigeria lifting the cup and at the same time, he ended up as the tournament's goalador. In the Feneberche forward, the Super Eagles not only have goal scorer, but a world class finisher.
6. Moses and Oduamadi are light-weight.
The inclusion of Moses and Oduamadi in the starting lineup indicated a very attacking side and signaled Keshi's intention to win the tie on Ethiopian Soil. Ultimately, the Super Eagles won the match so mission accompanied coach, one might say?
Not exactly. The tie could have easily have gone beyond Nigeria on the balance of play in the opening hour. The Antelopes outplayed their Nigerian opponents for long periods and had they buried the numerous chances that came their way, it could have been different blog post I would have been writing. The blame could be put on selection of the duo of Moses and Oduamadi.
Not taking anything from them, these are great players especially Moses who the Ethiopia paid closer attention to, after his brace ended their AFCON adventure earlier in the year.
The rule of the thumb in away encounters is to slow down the pace of the game and do anything to take away the wind from the sails from your hosts.
The game changed when more physical players in Nosa and Ideye were brought in for the duo.
5. Goal Line Technology: Where art thou?
It took Frank Lampard's none goal at the 2010 World cup to convince Fifa and its affilates that goal line technology is sorely needed to help the match officials in their duties.
The fast pace of the game accompanied by its very high stakes have conspired to make referees jobs' an impossible one. As in other sports such as NBA, NFL or Tennis, who have adopted video technology such as Hawk-Eye to resolve disputes, is essential to ensure the credibility the sport. And most importantly, determine that the right Winner won! Removing the human element, many have argued will rob soccer off its charm or slow down the game. That element is one, match-fixers exploit. Its removal can only good for the enterprise. The margins between teams nowadays is so small that minute details really matter to decide who is the victor. A champion must be undisputed for the good of the game. Only video technology can ensure this.
A more reasonable argument to the goal line technology debate, is that such a decision will have to be globally applicable and less endowed regions of the world might not be able to afford it. Thus not meet up with the standard. Well, lets get started then.
4. Mikel's Best Position
At Chelsea, he is a defensive midfielder, covering the back four and hardly venturing forward. Known for the sideway passes, and close ball control. In the Green-White-Green of Nigeria, he surges forward, makes runs and seeks to open opponents' defenses. What a contrast of playing styles for different teams. Even at that, those two extreme positions are not Mikel's best positions.
Mikel is more of a Riquelme-type player. He is not one to be shackled with the sole responsibility of protecting the defensive quartet. Nosa and Onazi are much more accustomed to that. He is best at delivering telling balls from deep in the midfield to racing forwards. I reckon he should play as just one of the central midfielders. Not the anchor of the defense nor the maestro orchestrating the attack.
3. The Difference between Big and Small Teams.
What is the different between "small" team juxtaposed with a more experience team. Skills? More stamina? Perhaps, it is better finishing? Well, they all count. In my opinion, the major difference between teams of varying strengths or even a very closely matched battle amongst peers is, a wait for it, Conversion of Set Pieces.
Think about it, free kicks and corner kicks are opportunities to take an unchallenged goal attempt at your opponent's posts . Little wonder, teams that have mastered the art of converting dead ball situations always succeed in tournaments. The German machine, Brazilian teams comes to bear. Whenever they are backed into a corner, a successful set piece conversion comes to save their blushes.
In this match, Nigeria were so wasteful with dead balls thus invited endless pressure on themselves. The Super Eagles had a lot free-kicks but they all amounted to nothing. This is one area, Nigeria needs to really work on, in order to take their game to the next level.
2. Ideye is more Robin than Batman
It seems Ideye Brown's best position is behind the main striker. That is where he really shines when he is played in that position. He struggled in the Confederations Cup were he was played as a the top striker. Maybe it is a coincidence. Either way, Ideye seems to have developed a good understanding with Emmenike, which will only help his cause for more playing time in the Super Eagles starting eleven.
1. No more Minnows
There are no more minnows in African Football. Think about it, board room maneuvers robbed Cape d'verde, Libya off a place in the final playoffs. This is very good for the continent.
Player Ratings
Vincent Enyeama - Had a good game, bar the dodgy goal that he was conceded. 2.5/5
Azubuike Egwueke - Contributed to the defensive responsibilities. 2.5/5
Ambrose -The Celtic defender was his usual solid self but the attacking part of his wing back play was absent. 3/5
Godfrey Oboabona - Easily how best defender. The no nonsense defender showed his temperament of the field. 3.5/5
Uwa Echiejile-Debuted well in right back but once again did not offer anything going forward. 2.5/5
John Obi Mikel -Came alive in the second half after Nosa came in to share in defensive duties, thereby freeing him to dictate the play. 3/5
Ogenyi Onazi - The combative midfielder put it his usual shift in blood and tears. 2.5
Victor Moses- Picked out by the opposition as the star man, Moses could not escape the special attention, the Ethiopians put on him. Faded out of the match as it wore on. 1.5/5.
Ahmed Musa - Was a constant headache in the second half. Missed a glorious chance. 3/5
Emenike - Man of the Match . Took the game by scruff of its neck and brought Nigeria level out of nothing. And scored a smash and grab winning penalty. 4/5.
Nnamdi Oduamadi - His anononmity is only rivalled by his wastefulness in front of goal. Missed a glorious chance in the first half. Lucky to have remained on the pitch for an hour 1/5
Substitutions
N. Igiebor - changed the match in my opinion. The Hard tackling defensive foil, freed Mikel to do what he does best.
Anno Domini, the latin phrase that refers to the "Year of the Lord" is used as reference point in the Gregorian Calendar to illustrate a time period using the birth of Christ as a focal point. Anno Fergie might as well be used to refer to "the period of Sir Alex Ferguson", a colossal figure who "reigned" as the undisputed Knight of the English premier league for 27 years. As Manager of the Manchester United a.k.a The Red Devils, he saw to the dethronement of eternal rivals, The Reds, Liverpool FC , from their perch on top of English football and a haul of 38 trophies.
It was not always an all conquering performance. He had to endure four barren years before an F.A cup victory in 1990 saved him from the sack. Those were the days, when Managers were given time to build teams. Also, he had battles with Arsenal's Wenger and was almost put in his place by the enigmatic "Special One".
Unfortunately, these are the shoes, the new Manager David Moyes hopes to fill when Sir Alex, as he is fondly called, decided to retire at the end of 2012/2013 season. Questions were asked if the former Manager of Everton, a club with modest ambitions, could handle the high pressure and lofty expectations that comes with being the Manager of the third richest club in the world?
Hitherto, Moyes has never won a single trophy. The excuse handed out, is that it was an achievement, just to take a club with such a small budget to be within the reach of winning.
Fast Forward to the start of the 2013/2014 season. After five matches played, Manchester United led by Moyes had lost to Liverpool, its fiercest rivals, drawn with Chelsea in a drab 0-0 match and got humiliated 4-1 by their city neighbors, ManCity.
It seems, it is all unravelling for Moyes. Well, to be fair no. You see, his predecessor also suffered humiliating losses to Mancity, most notable, the "Why always me?" Balotelli's inspired 6-1 drubbing at Old Trafford, of all places. And Manchester United were usually slow starters, who end up finishing strong towards the end of season. As some of his critics point out, Man United was one of the richest clubs in the world throughout his reign, yet could only manage to win two European titles.
Another point that might be contributing to the hysteria is that, unlike in previous seasons, were there was just one main rival to the crown, this season, one can sense a genuine challenge from six clubs, making the stakes much higher. Fans believe that any slip could be fatal to title chances. Hence, more pressure on Moyes.
As it is during the year of our Lord, so it is in the time of Fergie. The shroud of Sir Alex is hovering around Old Trafford, providing extra scrutiny for Moyes. Most pertinent question asked at every turn is, "What will Ferguson do"?
The answer to that is, "That is irrelevant". In my earlier post, I opined that this was inevitable. Controversially, if I might add, that the statue of Ferguson on the ManU bench "guaranteed" 15 points on the league table. Moyes is yet to gain such clout but while he is at it, he might consider bringing creative midfielders and replacing the aging legs of Rio Ferdinand.
How Moyes handles the pressure, will determine the duration of his tenure as Manchester United Manager. He has accomplished much with a smaller team like Everton, taking them to Champions League and an F.A cup final. Now he is in a different challenge. He is expected to win and not just participate.
ManU faithfuls could help cushion the effect of the poor start to the season, if only they will heed to the advice of Sir Alex, who so eloquently put it, "Your job is now to stand behind our new Manager".
A maiden Premier League goal from John Obi Mikel goal helped seal a 2-0 victory for Chelsea over hardworking Fulham.
Oscar broke the deadlock just after half-time with a three-yard tap-in after a goalmouth scramble, while Mikel's landmark goal came with a fine volley six minutes from time.
This victory will hel lessen the pressure on Morinho after seeing his team go three matches without a win.
