Stop dreaming of 4th - for now

Liverpool loaned out Andy Carroll on the last day of the transfer window and never got anyone to replace him. Today the Reds lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal having no backup striker at the bench. 

There are so many things that has been said since last Friday but even if LFC did get a striker, will it change today's result? I doubt it will. 

We are in out 3rd league game under Brendan Rodgers. New manager, almost new squad (having selling and loaning out players) and the addition of Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Borini in the starting line-up I would say overall it is still a new setup as BR are trying to implement new ideas.

A lost is still a lost. It is still a bad result. What we need to realize and remember we are a young team with a young manager. We need to look at the game closely including the personnel that was involved. Who would dare to say that under Kenny Dalglish or Roy Hodgson things would have been different? 

I think when we are condemning Liverpool so much we are actually underestimating Arsenal. We as Liverpool fans never want to learn that we are not good enough. It has been like this since a Spaniard named Rafa Benitez left the club.

Liverpool FC had something that called stability and continuity in terms of team, personnel and style of play. We were unfortunate to have owners with no money and knowledge about football at that time.

We had world class players, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, Macherano, Arbeloa, Dirk Kuyt and many more. But we never had good managers. (This is after Benitez's tenure). Yes King Kenny came back but he only managed to 'stir a rocking ship' back into its course.

After a 'good' performance against Man City most of the fans are starting to talk about Liverpool finishing 4th. I'd say we would be lucky if we can finish 5th this season. With a 'brand new' football that BR is taking into the squad, we definitely need time. 

Fans are saying it's bad that we did not buy any striker. If Liverpool's 'tiki-taka' style are perfect, we do not need a striker do we? After all, the Spaniards won the European Cup hardly playing with any strikers. 

Clearly we need players, new players. But what kind of players do we really need? 

Almost anyone can play football. That's what we have in the squad now. But we need a football player with the 'football brain' and that 'little' quality in them. Players like Xabi Alonso, where he can pick any players that made a good run and just 'pass' the ball with ease. 

Players with better quality and football brain can implement BR's ideas faster. In the modern game it's not about who can dribble better or who can shoot harder or who can curl a free kick better. It's all about understanding the game. It's all about keeping the ball at your feet and moves it around. It's all about positioning. You might not be a good tackler but if your position is spot on it will be hard for any opponent to get past by you. 

Liverpool had the better possession for tonight's game but Arsenal won. Their tactics were spot on! They knew Liverpool would be pressing hard. They played the 'wait and see' game. They defended well. Making sure Liverpool does not have any clear path to the goal. 

Their chance came to a Steven Gerrard's error. A miss pass and they counter attacked. Distributing the ball well and Podolski hit the ball hard across Pepe Reina's box and into the back of the net. That's 'quality' in Arsenal. Defended and switched into offensive mode once Liverpool surrendered possession and goal! 

Liverpool continued their game plan. Press and pass. It looked as if Arsenal took controlled during the 2nd half but not for long until Liverpool was pressing them inside their own half.

Their 2nd goal which was scored by Cazorla, was due to the inexperienced of Jonjo Shelvey. Don't get me wrong. He played very well after coming in as a sub. But he is still a young player. Still learning and mistakes were bound to happen. He should have followed Cazorla. He stopped giving pressure when Cazorla pass the ball to Podolski. It was Podolski's return pass to Cazorla that he ran inside the box and had a shot towards the goal. Pepe and Skrtel could have done better in that situation but it all could have been avoided if Shelvey had not stopped his run. 

Arsenal had not got much chance against us but when they did they took it. That's the quality that they have. That was 2 goals that could have been avoided. But we are in the curb of learning and improving. We better tell ourselves Liverpool is no longer the 'giants'. We have been a 'mediocre' football team for 3 or 4 years now. Give BR another 3 to 4 years before we can start to dream of finishing in the top 4 again. 

Like I said, forget about City. No point playing good against City and falter in the next. Sunderland is next. Lets keep on supporting Liverpool!!