LIVERPOOL TITLE PUSH BUILDS NEXT SEASON

LIVERPOOL TITLE PUSH BUILDS NEXT SEASON

D. Ray Morton, 2nd March 2014.

It was billed as the kind of game that would stop Liverpool's title momentum but yesterday at St. Mary's, The Reds brushed aside Southampton in a thoroughly professional performance which keeps them very much in the title chase with ten games left to play. Though Chelsea go four points clear thanks to their win against Fulham and Manchester City can draw level on points granted they win their two games in hand, should Liverpool keep picking up wins, this could be their year. Regardless of whether Chelsea and City slip, or if Arsenal manage to rediscover their form, when Liverpool's season finishes, they have an awesome platform for next year. It is highly unlikely that they would now finish outside a Champions League qualification spot.

The opening quarter of an hour was actually rather sloppy, with both teams giving away possession in an attempt to figure each other out. Luis Suarez gave Liverpool the lead thanks to some dogged harrying of Southampton's defence which lead to a mistake by Jose Fonte to which the Uruguayan punished with an accurate first-time finish. A good way to start his 100th Premier League appearance.

 

Southampton did not roll over however and they managed to get hold of the ball and create chances. Adam Lallana especially impressed as he managed to trouble Liverpool's back four by turning up in different positions and testing them with his mazy dribbling skills. Had Rickie Lambert's finishing on the day been better, The Saints could have drawn level before the interval.

Lallana should be going to Brazil with the England squad come the summer. Lambert looked far off that standard. Indeed, Lallana hit the woodwork on 32 minutes where Southampton began to dominate possession as Brendan Rodgers' side sat off the home team. Jay Rodriguez came close just before half-time but was denied by a good save from Simon Mignolet.

Liverpool switched things up in the second half and brought on Raheem Sterling for Philippe Coutinho early after the restart. Within eighty seconds, the diminutive winger had found himself on the scoresheet. Suarez worked the ball down the right a provided a cross as Sterling got into the perfect position to slot home unmarked inside the Southampton penalty area.

From there, the away side managed to kill the game off by defending well and pressing Southampton who had 60% of the ball but were not able to do much with it. It was a demonstration of devastating counter attacking play, very different from Rodgers' Swansea who insisted on possession over incisiveness. The away fans were the only ones singing and Suarez helped complete the victory by winning a penalty in injury time. Steven Gerrard duly dispatched it to give the visitors a 3-0 win.

So a solid win for a team in form. With ten games remaining, it's not unthinkable for Liverpool to pinch the title but realistically, the optimism should be geared towards next season. Champions League football and the likelihood that Luis Suarez will stay should attract better players to the club and Rodgers will be able to invest in badly-needed defenders and a few more specialists to fill up his squad.

Southampton 0-3 Liverpool (Suarez 16, Sterling 58, Gerrard 90+ pen)

Player ratings:

Southampton: Boruc (6); Chambers (6), Lovren (5), Fonte (4.5), Shaw (6); Schneiderlin (6), Cork (6); Davis (5.5), Lallana (7), Rodriguez (6.5); Lambert (5). Subs: Gaston (5), Wanyama (5.5), Gallagher (5).

Liverpool: Mignolet (6.5); Flanagan (6.5), Skrtel (6.5), Agger (6.5), Johnson (6.5); Gerrard (7), Henderson (6.5), Allen (6.5); Coutinho (6.5); Sturridge (6.5), Suarez* (9) Subs: Sterling (7.5), Aspas (-).

* = man of the match

MATA SIGNING MORE A DECOY THAN A COUP

David Moyes has often repeated the need for the Premier League champions to rebuild this year despite inheriting a squad that very easily cruised to the title last season. Juan Mata represents the first part of that rebuilding process, their only other prior signing of note being Marouane Fellaini who could easily be crowned the worst transfer of the season by the time all is said and done.

Talented, but will he ever gain the legendary status of a Keane or Scholes?

Mata represents a marriage of convenience to United. Clearly not rated by Jose Mourinho, his quick transfer to Manchester is something we might see a lot more of in years to come. Super-rich clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City will build strong squads full of quality players with different sets of attributes in order to give themselves the variety and rotation potential needed to challenge on all fronts. Occasionally, a player like Mata will slip through the cracks. Clearly talented but perhaps not talented enough to be deemed unsellable by Mourinho, United have acquired an intelligent attacking midfielder who can play in a variety of positions but not exactly the positions they need strengthening in right now.

The major problems remain in the heart of defence with veterans Nemaja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand declining rapidly whilst the trio of Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Phil Jones still carry big question marks with them. Left-back is another problem area with Patrice Evra's downturn and the central midfield conundrum still exists years after United should have signed a world class enforcer or pass-master to ease their fans' yearnings for the likes of a new Roy Keane or a Paul Scholes.

What might be of higher concern for United fans is their style of play this season. It is easy to pick apart personnel when the team is not playing well in general but good morale and confidence can make typically useful players seem even more functional and effective. A player like Michael Carrick can appear mediocre when the team is struggling but last season, many United fans argued that he was their unsung hero. Alex Ferguson had this huge motivational aura thanks to decades of collecting trophies. Moyes does not have this aura about him so any success he might have will be built on patience and assembling better players. Whether he can offer anything tactically is a big if. Moyes' teams at Everton could be threatening at times but they often had an agricultural feel about them and may have been seeking away draws, an attitude which just won't do at a club as huge and as ambitious as Manchester United. There is a lot of work to be done but Moyes has a lot of time to get this right. Regardless of where they finish this season, expect the red-haired Scot to be in the dug-out at the beginning of the 2014/15 campaign. If they get off to a bad start, only then can the #MoyesOut brigade expect to get what they want.

D. Ray Morton, 30 Jan 2014