One stood on the half-way line, gasping for breath, hands on knees, his face drawn from the exertion of his previous missed one-on-one. The other flailed emphatically at the suggestion of a phantom touch as the ball continuously refused to be tamed by his harsh touch, while the other was widely lamented as the poorest man on the pitch.
Joe Cole, David N’Gog and Christain Poulson bore the brunt of the Kop’s ire as a game that had seen the home side announced as sports betting favourites by far, should have been put to bed long before the Dutchman turned in a Raul Meireles corner in the 86th minute.
Dirk Kuyt rescued his side on a most poignant night for the man taking charge of Liverpool in Europe for the first time at Anfield.
The old ground rocked at the return of their manager, their hero, and he was rewarded with a performance likely to cause more sleepless nights than elation.
Ever since King Kenny returned, the feeling that all is well has been tempered by an undercurrent of concern. Dalglish has lifted the dark that surrounded Liverpool under Roy Hodgson as the cub who insist they belong in the big time flirt with the business end of the table for the first time this season.
To use a Formula 1 analogy, without a fast car, no matter how good a driver you are you won’t get to the front of the grid. Betting online punters are unlikely to back Liverpool unless they can address the problems that hold them back on nights like this.
The Kop will likely cut Cole more slack than the others, aware that he has the quality to turn games, but he will not be given much longer to prove he still possesses the gifts that marked him out as a star from a young age. Confidence is the name of the game in a Liverpool shirt, something which has evacuated his body, along with his first touch.
Midway through the second half he dribbled the ball with attacking intent only for a heavy touch to take the ball well out of his reach despite there being no immediate pressure – a sign all is not well. His burst through on goal in the final throes of the game showed where he is at fitness wise as he stood stationary while play passed him by.
Branded a luxury in a team with a relatively rigid style of play, he must gain fitness and form if he is to become a first team regular and free himself from the shackles that bought an abrupt end to his Chelsea career.
He only starts to make sense in a central position behind the striker where he isn’t restricted by defensive duties and bound by tactical responsibilities, but his opportunities are likely to be restricted given the arrival of two strikers during the January transfer window.
N’Gog and Poulson are fast becoming the poster boys of a bygone era, one where underachievement was the norm and a cocksure Liverpool team were a thing of the past. Questions remain of their ability, simply put. Poulsen has become a target for the pent up frustrations of Hodgson’s time in charge, and largely ineffectual in the midfield battle.
Big players don’t let the game fly past them, they force themselves into and make it their own; N’Gog is not that type of player.
His touch was poor last night and despite being a clinical finisher at times he was absent too often and corralled by the aggressive Thomas Repka. The arrival of Andy Carroll will likely curtail his Liverpool career sooner rather than later.
Of course there is quality in his team, and it is time Dirk Kuyt is recognised as a leader of Liverpool alongside Gerrard, but going into the final third of the season, his resources will be tested to the limit. There are no expectations for this season for Liverpool, but if Dalglish is to keep hold of the aura that has served him so well, he must address the deeper rooted problems at Liverpool.
The arrival of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll is a start, but there are more issues to be addressed if Liverpool are to succeed under Dalglish. He must start by turning average players in to good ones, and good ones into great ones.
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