I listened to the game on the radio, so my 'youropiniondoesn'tcount' rating is through the ceiling here. I know that, you know that, so skip this.
I don't know what it was, but I was slightly nervous about this game. And I can't put my finger on it to the extent that it would be worth sharing with anybody. Hull, Norwich, West Ham, then some 'big' games had alot to do with it tho. I'm always nervous, so is this hindsight coming to the fore? No, there was something else. I was in the 1-0 shit win mode well before I heard Sturridge was out, and to be fair, I'm nearly always in that mode. Give me 38 shit wins and I'd be fine. Sometimes, during the last quarter of a century now, we've found ourselves in a certain position, where we've got games ahead that we should be taking maximum points from, to give us a bit of Bisto going into more troublesome, difficult games - and if you come through those relatively unscathed, you can look to press on on whatever target we find ourselves in, but we fall at the first hurdle - the one we were supposed to jog over. Am sure every fan of any club has the same thing, and then they go on and beat a team that's been blitzing everyone. Which we can do of course, but still, do we do this more than others?
So Sturridge is out, and the teamsheets get posted up. OK, Flanaghan on the left... but Toure and Skrtel? And is this a 433? With Suarez as the lone striker? I've never liked Suarez as the lone striker, even when he was scoring goals, and Rodgers solved the problem with teaming him up with Sturridge as a two. It solved other problems too - it allowed Coutinho to operate to his best, and it gave this awkward midfield of ours a reason to exist. So I was thinking and hoping that we'd team up Sterling or Moses with Suarez, with maybe Sterling and Moses switching a bit in a 4312 type thing, but it had the whiff off 433. As another thread is currently discussing., we don't have a 433 in us, and Suarez isn't a lone striker. I was listening to the game and hearing the commentary and it may have well been Dirk Kuyt alone up front. If you have a lone striker, then just make sure he's occupying the central defenders and them only. Don't go wandering off and fighting battles that others should be doing. Suarez isn't a lone striker... he needs a buddy - someone to play off.
But... OK.. go with 433 see what happens... you've got Coutinho on the bench, and Aspas. Why was Aspas on the bench if he didn't get onto the pitch? Didn't understand that. He could play in his proper position finally, and in a recognisable shape could be found again.
I thought Skrtel would have been taken off at half time for Agger - a left foot, a player, and then Aspas to come on later- go back to the shape that gets the best out of Suarez, and the team. I also wondered why Johnson wasn't switched with Flanaghan - just to try and work out something. Young player on the left, more comfortable on the right, experienced player on the right, done OK on the left. Just toc hange it a bit. We had Coutinho AND Alberto on at the same time... that was odd. But, even with 20 minutes remaining... listening on a radio - we weren't going to rescue anything.
Instead of heading into the middle game on Sunday, we're into it now, and we've a massive challenge on our hands. Iago Aspas... this is what you've waited for.... enjoy yourself. Just enjoy the opportunity and don't think too much. Just go out there and bloody enjoy it.