West Ham 3, Liverpool 1: The big top is burning

There is a weathered tale about a 19th century Siberian circus that while traveling through Eastern Europe is brutally attacked by the people of an isolated, starving mountain village.  The circus performers were so shocked by the merciless gore of the rampage upon them, they stood and did nothing while being torn to shreds.  Clowns were sadistically murdered, trapeze artists tortured and mangled, and all the animals, except the elephants, were killed and eaten raw.  The elephants apparently got away, but were never seen from again.  Though the town in Siberia where the circus originated made inquiries and notified the proper officials in Moscow about their missing family members and citizens, nothing was ever done.  It was brushed under the rug because, ultimately, nobody cares about a dead clown.

That's what Liverpool were today, a bunch of dead clowns.  Almost from the get-go it was apparent the ref was going to be lenient when it came to physical play.  How many times does Liverpool have to lose before they realize the match official is going to call a match a certain way and it's best to play that way instead of our own style.  This is how it works, there is no precedent for how a match is called no matter how much verbal feces the EPL aficionados defecate in our ears.  Now, had Liverpool started playing like West Ham, tackling viciously, studs up or not, being overtly physical, and then were called for it, then we have an issue, but LFC players didn't wrangle, they fell to the ground in the fetal position and let the Hammers have their way.  Sure, Kouyate should have been sent off for his barbaric tackle on Moreno, but he wasn't and that's my point.  Break Winston Reid's leg with a stud up sliding tackle and if the ref does anything about it, then we have an argument for fairness.  Ultimately the fault would have fallen on the ref and the EPL's inability to produce a consistent, legitimate product.

The biggest issue I have with the match is Craig Pawson referring to his ear-piece for the Balotelli-Adrian incident.  Why isn't this happening more often?  And why isn't it happening when it should actually matter?  The Moreno-Kouyote incident in particular.  Again, if the Premier League wants to avoid situations of complicity, shouldn't they do this every time to avoid controversy?  Maybe I'm not just the average ignorant, blinded, and drunk Premier League fan.

Now, with that said, Liverpool played atrocious defense.  Who in Hades' name was marking Reid on the first goal?  From the looks of the replay, nobody, so it is the fault of Skrtel, Lovren, and Manquillo, who were closest to him at the beginning of the free kick.  Communication guys, come on, this is getting old.  I honestly think Lovren and Skrtel dislike one another for whatever Eastern European rubbish reason, but regardless, you aren't playing for your countries, you're not on the battlefield, and you play for the same team who is paying you and counting on you to perform to the best of your abilities.  Suck up your pride and do what is best for the club.

The second goal allowed was more dumb luck than anything.  Lovren laid off Sakho because Moreno was there, should the Spaniard have played him tighter?  Probably, but it was just one of those perfectly placed goals where not much could have stopped it. It reminded me of the goal by Konchesky in the 2006 FA Cup final.  I doubt Mignolet could have been better positioned either, if he was further back, Sakho would have probably tried to slam in closer to the near post.  It was a great goal by Sakho, get over it.

Borini is rubbish, he doesn't know when to pass and when to shoot and that was quite evident.  When he had the breakaway in the 54th minute with Moreno and Lallana lurking, but took the impossible angle shot, that was ridiculous.  Then he took the optimistic shot outside of the box in the 64th minute when he should have held the ball and see what developed since no West Ham players were close enough to dispossess him.  Adrian pulled in his leg there, by the way, so any studs up calls on that one are rubbish.  Then, finally, when Sterling tries to do a give-and-go in the 74th minute, he should have went for goal.  His style of play just doesn't work for us, put him on the reserves squad and let him die a slow play less death.

For once, Balotelli played well, he even got back on defence a couple of times which impressed me, but he has to take advantage of every scoring chance and his weak effort in the 59th minute was unacceptable.  He puts that three yards higher and it's a goal.  He's a special player, but has yet to play so for us.

I was a bit baffled by the no-call on Lallana right outside of the box in the 61st minute.  Why didn't Pawson refer to his ear-piece then?  If the Premier League doesn't want to be accused of complicity than don't put others in the situation to do so.  That was a clear foul by Song from behind and though I don't think it was penalty worthy, it still should have been called back for a free kick despite play-on due to possession.  I personally love Noble's applauding the ref for his non-call at the end of the 'play'.

Ultimately, I think are defence was suspect and Sterling has to realize he is the new 'man'.  He has to step up and be the replacement for Sturridge,  Unfortunately, he is only 19 and that has to suck for him.  He is our best player and probably the most talented player at his age in the world.  One goal was not enough and hopefully he'll realize that most fans, especially myself, would rather see him take 5 bad shots than make a useless pass.

Suspicious character seen leaving England training following Sturridge injury

There's been an alert issued for the individual who resembles this photo:

Officials are baffled who this person could be.  He has been labeled as 'legged and useless', but please heed all caution.  He is apparently unstable and thinks he's worth more than he actually is.  He has yet to be charged with any crime, but considered a dangerous individual except in front of goal.  If you see him, please alert local officials, but if you feel threatened, it is advised to produce a net of some sort which appears to 'freeze' him.

England officials are not confident of a conspiracy, but Rickie Lambert has been taken into questioning.  Once again, this individual has apparently learned to use all his assets, including his teeth from a certain former LFC player, and should be considered 'mouthed and dangerous'.  Take extra precaution if he appears with a female who is clearly out of his league.  Thank you for your cooperation.

'Special' accommodations & menu items of Giggsy and Gazzo's Hotel Football uncovered

The players who must prove their worth this season

Mignolet & Reina?
No one seems sure as to whether Rodgers will give Reina a chance to compete for the starting job this season or is just waiting for and/or weighing the best offer for the soon-to-be 32-year-old.  The Spanish International made the trip across the pond as part of the squad for the US tour, but so did Borini.  I think he should be able to stay and fight for the top spot, there's nothing more healthy than a little competition and after last year, Mignolet should know his spot is far from safe.

The 26-year-old Belgian was fifth worst in giving up 50 goals last season and his 93% cross claim percentage was 28th in the league.  The demeanor of Mignolet was what worried me most, he didn't seem too concerned with taking control on defence and a seeming lack of communication between him and his defenders cost us a few goals last year, possibly the league as well.  Personally, if he doesn't show the form that lead us to buy him for £9m from Sunderland last summer, I say start looking for his replacement.

Sakho
The more and more I looked into Sakho's performance last season, the more discouraged I became.  Whenever he was on the pitch, our defence was as fragile as a United fan's confidence, one remote slight and it would collapse.  The biggest piece of the puzzle is what the 24-year-old French centre back did to warrant a -0.52 goals on pitch difference, by far the worst among club regulars.  His statistical output otherwise was good to excellent (92.5% passing success rate), which leaves unquantifiable solutions such as positioning and communication.  No matter what, if he continues the path he is on, which may have been due to game-style adjustment, he shouldn't be in a Liverpool kit by the end of next summer.

Martin Kelly & Glen Johnson
Oh Martin Kelly, too many injuries, too little time, what could have been? And now the clock nears the stroke of your LFC career end.  It's too bad the freshly-turned 24-year-old has not been able to put together a decent amount of appearances since his first team debut in 2009.  He needs a huge season to justify him staying even though his contract is until summer 2017.  I've always thought he had the talent, maybe he simply lacks the physicality to survive English top flight football.

Despite reports of his imminent demise, Glen Johnson did the same things at the same rate he's been doing for the past four years or so.  He set a career high in successful pass percentage at 84.1%, he still posted a 1.11 chance created per 90, and was only dribbled past by 0.82 per 90, his career average is 0.73.  We'll probably never see the kind of season he had when he was 25, but it's a contract season for the soon-to-be 30-year-old, so we should him at his possible best.

Some other players come to mind, but the aforementioned are the most crucial.  If Jose Enrique returns to his form of the previous year and avoids injury, he'll be fine.  Joe Allen will probably stay as long as he wants to be a bit part of a much bigger picture, ditto for Lucas, though the Brazilian, if he is still around come September, will certainly see more pitch time than the Welshman.  It should be business as usual for all else.

The transfer terrorists and their sneaky, little dirty bombs

If you are like me, you are already tired of all the speculations and half-fabrications pertaining to potential transfers involving our beloved club.  The silly season is upon us and since my two pence is worth at least one-fiftieth quid, I figure I'll have a go at deciphering through this radioactive mess.  I don't claim to have an advantage of who we may bring in, but I can at least give my thoughts on who is 'surplus to the cause'.

Lucas Leiva
I'm really on the fence about Lucas.  As much as I think we should keep him, part of me thinks the Lucas of three seasons ago is gone and he shan't return.  His injuries have become too frequent and though his passing and ball-handling skills have improved, he appears slower than ever and that's saying a lot considering pace was never one of his strengths.  At least now, with the addition of Can, we won't have to rely on him as much.

Daniel Agger
Absolutely not, losing Agger would be a greater loss than losing Suarez.  He was our best centre back last year and unless Sakho proves his worth early on next season, Agger should be around for a few more years.

Iago Aspas
Here's an interesting stat concerning Aspas... oh wait, there are no interesting stats concerning him.  Give'em a ticket and say bon voyage.

Fabio Borini
Even without the addition of Rickie Lambert, Borini should be shipped out.  In 2692 Premiership minutes, playing for Sunderland, Liverpool, and Chelsea, he has scored 8 goals, 3 of which are penalties, and assisted on 3 more.  For a comparison, he scored 9 goals in 1680 minutes for Roma in Serie A.  He doesn't have the pace nor the technical ability to make up for the lack of pace to make it in the Prem.  I say sell him to Sunderland or use him as bait to get a versatile defender like Federico Fazio.

Ousama Assaidi
Assaidi had a decent spell at Stoke last season, but not enough to really consider keeping him.  His ccp90 of 1.53, shooting accuracy of 45%, shot % of 20%, and a TTI90 of 8.6 are all respectable numbers, but he'll be 26 in August.  If he was 23, I'd say keep him around for another season, but it's time to cut ties and try to get back at least some of what we paid for him.

Jack Robinson
Robinson's loan spell at Blackpool probably did more for his character development than it did for his skills. Blackpool started the season in decent form, sitting on 31 points 17 matches into the season, than the ship ran aground.  They lost 20 of their remaining 29 matches, even bringing in Barry Ferguson as the manager did little to help their slide.  Was Robinson integral to their fall? Not really.  Despite picking up 3 red cards, 2 of which were in their first 17 matches, Robinson's output was respectable:

npgp90	0	pass%	71.7	gap90	1.44	intp90	2.27
gcp90	0.1	bp%	37.3	gsp90	0.83	clrp90	5.3
ccp90	0.77	sacc%	8.3	gop90	-0.61	bsp90	0.35
ap90	0.1	shot%	0	tgop90	-0.61	adwp90	1.4
ccv	12.5	TTI90	11.7	tp90	1.95	adwon%	57.1
				tack %	51.3

Ferguson even deployed Robinson at left mid for 4 matches with mixed results.  Being only 20, I expect him to be loaned out again and hopefully show more promise than last season.

As for Suso, Wisdom, Kelly, Coady, Yesil, and Ibe, unless they vehemently demand to leave, we should hold on to them.  The first three can contribute now, while the latter three probably need seasoning at a Championship side to improve their game.

Why Rodgers should buy Bertrand

To get sacked and go on holiday.  I have little doubt that buying the Chelsea left back for his estimated valuation of £7m would be on par with buying Aspas for £7.5m or Borini for £10.4m.  Here are last season's stats for Bertrand, who spent the majority on loan at Villa, our Jon Flanagan, and the guy we should sign on a free from Heracles of the Eredivisie, Australian Jason Davidson.

	Bertrand	Flanagan	Davidson
age	25*	21	22
app(subs)	17	23	30
mins	1449	1890	2669
goals	0	1	2
assist	0	1	3
chances	4	13	32
npgp90	0	0.05	0.06
gcp90	0	0.1	0.17
ccp90	0.25	0.62	1.08
pass%	76.4	83.7	76.5
bp%	38.4	42.6	31.4
sacc%	50	42.9	38.5
shot%	0	14.3	15.4
tp90	1.9	3.8	1.7
tack %	60.5	45.7	51.2
intp90	0.9	1.9	2.2
clrp90	2.1	3.6	5.2
dribpp90	0.4	1.9	0.9
bsp90	0.4	0.2	0.5
TTI90	10.2	9.2	7.6

Bertrand pales in comparison to Flanagan and Davidson, in fact, other than his tackle success percentage, he's quite unimpressive.  More damning is that before joining Villa they had 23 points from their first 20 matches, but in the 16 of the remaining 18 matches that Bertrand played, they garnered only 12 points and won the fixture against Chelsea which could not feature him. 

Just don't do it Rodgers.  I read somewhere that the argument was how Rodgers has 'righted' Sturridge and could do the same for Bertrand.  That's a bunch of crock, when Sturridge is allowed to play in his natural position up front, as he did on loan at Bolton, he's highly productive, it has little to do with Rodgers 'righting' anything.  BR should be getting Davidson's rep on the phone as soon as possible before he finalizes his deal with Fulham.  That Felix Magath, he's never won anything.

How Liverpool & Suarez can benefit from his ban

Instead of looking on the punishment FIFA dished out Suarez as a huge dark cloud that will doom our season, let's look at some possible positives.  First and foremost, Suarez needs some time off.  Despite his two goals in the England match, he was dreadful, and he was even more useless against Italy.  In fact, since his hat-trick against Cardiff on March 22nd, he scored 3 goals and had 1 assist in our final 8 league matches.  In the previous 25 matches, he had 28 goals and 12 assists, he is clearly burnt out and an extended rest will do him wonders.

His absence allows others to get more playing time, specifically Emre Can, probably Rickie Lambert, and possibly Samed Yeşil & Jerome Sinclair.  Though I believe Rodgers brought Can in to eventually be our first choice DM, he can play box-to-box just as effectively.  I for one can't wait to see how he, Gerrard, Hendo, and Lucas are played and interact. I also think Yeşil and Sinclair deserve decent chances to show us what they can offer, probably just in cup ties though.  What I don't wish is for Borini to get more pitch time.

Everybody stay calm, we still have Sturridge, Sterling, Coutinho, and hopefully, Suso.  The latter might now benefit the most from Suarez' absence and I hope this convinces Rodgers to let him stay and play.  What worries me about Sturridge is that he will get burnt out as well, but if BR knows what's best for him, he'll let our number 15 stay home from all the off-season promotional tours and rest up until the season starts.  If we truly added Sanchez then we'll have even less issue with player wear.  If we add Shaqiri, we won't miss a beat.

Finally, we are now no longer one of the favorites to win the league, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  Pressure's off, no one thinks we have a chance, much like last season.  If we can come out and be competitive until Suarez' return, we'll be in great position to win the league.  I have a feeling if Suarez is still around, he's gonna come out on fire and give everyone else a rest as he wins a few fixtures by himself.  He's done it before.

Rickie Lambert makes Fabio Borini 'surplus to the cause'

With the addition of Rickie Lambert, Borini's days appear to have become numbered.  Who scored? probably sums it up best.  According to them:

Why not just stamp 'useless' on his forehead and send him packing.  Oh, that's right, we paid  £10.5m for him.  That's not a typo, £10.5m!  Borini is 23 so the 'he's still young' argument is invalid, his 'potential' will need to come to fruition very soon, like next season for whomever he plays for, or he'll fall under the David Bentley category.  If we need a fourth striker, I'd rather see the younger Luis Alberto or Samed Yeşil get a chance.  Unfortunately, we'll be lucky to get half of what was invested in Fabio.

A stat comparison with Rickie Lambert is even more daunting:

	Borini	Lambert
Apps (sub)	25 (7)	31 (6)
goals	7	13
assists	2	10
chances created	26	53
cc per	0.8	1.4
pass %	76.6	69.7
key passes	0.8	1.5
back pass %	52.9	41.4
shots pg	2.1	2.8
shot %	14	16
dispossessed pg	1.5	1.6
turnover pg	1.3	1.4

The significant stats here are assists, chances created, and key passes.  Lambert will most likely see the pitch with either Sturridge or Suarez as the front man, so he'll be most likely asked to be more of a set-up man than a finisher/poacher.  Borini's stats indicate that he lacks the ability to be a consistent second striker and poaching is seemingly the only skill he possesses.

One stat that I think should be more significant though rarely draws any attention is 'back pass %'.  Not to insult anyone's intelligence, but these are passes that go towards one goal and not towards the opposition's.  52.9% is very high and it completely invalidates Borini's superior pass % since it's much easier to pass back than to progress forward.  This probably why Lambert has five times the assists and twice as many chances created.  I'd rather have a player who tries to create goal chances and fails, then one that just gives up and passes the ball back to do it all over again.  It's not as if Lambert was turning the ball over significantly than Borini.