Note: Sorry guys, but I have a lot of homework for this week and 2 exams that I really need to study for. As a result, I’ll only really be outlining Liverpool’s defensive and attacking tactics, and not really focusing on West Brom. However, you’ll see below that Liverpool really caused their own problems rather than West Brom doing anything special.

Lineups

Liverpool remained unchanged from their encounter with Everton, while West Brom showcased 5 swaps. Anelka and Morrison were unavailable due to injury, whereas Lugano, Reid, and Anichebe were dropped from the previous match with Aston Villa, which they lost 4-3. Here are how the two sides started the game:



Liverpool: Stagnant Movement off the Ball Leads to Overextension in Positioning

Brendan Rodgers’ side were on the ball for 50% of the match time. Although this was more possession than 39% in they had in Merseyside Derby, it was slightly less than the 55% they averaged against the Baggies in the previous fixture. Unlike the October match at Anfield, Liverpool lacked possession that was positive. While the counter-attacking setup that Rodgers used against Everton worked wonders last game, some of its flaws were exposed in this one. Against Everton, Suarez would drop back into the center of the pitch to pick up outlet balls from the midfield, as well as pinged balls from Gerrard and the back line. After doing so, he would quickly have support in triangles, in the form of Sturridge, the outside backs, and the midfield (minus Gerrard). This style of play also relied on clinical touches, lethal finishing, and strong runs off the ball.

Very few of this occurred on Sunday. The transition from defending to attack was slower than usual. It also appeared like there was a lack of understanding between the SAS pairing. Usually only 1 of the 2 would make a forward run while the other hovered closer to the center when the midfield had possession. Against West Brom, however, there were moments where Sturridge and Suarez made their forward runs at the same time. This left gaps in the field where Liverpool really needed players to be (outlined in the red circles). The red dotted lines and arrows indicate combination play that didn’t occur as frequently as was needed to in order to see the game out. With the few attempts Liverpool did get on goal, finishing was lacking as both Sturridge and Suarez missed one on one opportunities against a very strong display from Ben Foster.

The lack of movement from Suarez/Sturridge also meant that Henderson and Coutinho were forced further down the pitch in order to challenge at goal. Gerrard technically did a good job in staying between the split pair of center backs as he was meant to. However, Henderson and Coutinho’s forward runs meant that there was a large gap opened up between the two young midfielders and the skipper. This was exploited by West Brom when they were on the ball. Although earlier in the game, Henderson and Coutinho did well to track back quickly enough to cut off many passing lanes, it was more and more exposed as the match went on. After the Baggies scored off a dreadful error from Kolo Toure, the pressure really piled on Liverpool.

While some may criticize Henderson or Coutinho for how far up they pushed, there wasn’t a whole lot they could have done. They effectively had three options; to pass the ball backwards, try and force a pass forward, or push up. The second option would have been the poorest one, which they thankfully did not opt for a lot of the time. The most mature response would be the first one, but that required a degree of awareness in play and team cohesion that simply didn’t appear to be on the cards for the day. With the skillset they had, pushing forward wasn’t entirely a poor decision. It negatively affected Liveprool only in the context that that option required the DM to push up along with them. This brings us to the crux of the issue that many LFC fans have dreaded to hear.

Gerrard’s Role

Gerrard was hesitant to push up for the beginning of the match, as he was more than likely aware of the fact he simply didn’t have the legs for that sort of back and forth play. The gap Coutinho and Henderson created didn’t really affect play that much at first, as Gerrard was solid in open-field tackles to win possession back. However, after West Brom equalized, the captain began moving farther and farther up in a seemingly panicked attempt to regain the lead. Thankfully, West Brom lacked the pace on the counter to really capitalize on the gaps left behind here too. A better side could have made this game ugly.

Looking back at the match, and assuming Allen was healthy, Gerrard should not have been starting. The type of free-flowing and positive football Liverpool played in December was in large part due to the Henderson-Allen partnership in the midfield. The youthful players have the legs to both press at opponents and to move back and forth on the pitch. A midfield trio of Allen-Henderson-Coutinho is what is strongest for Liverpool if they are to play attacking and offensively dominant football as per Rodgers’ philosophy.

Gerrard offers a solid foundation in the midfield and defense when the game dictates such a style is needed. Games against teams such as Everton and Barca/Munich in next year’s CL would be fantastic for him to play in, as these are all teams that present organized attacking threats, which are hard to disrupt, even with the pressing of Allen and Henderson. Here, the captain would have a massive role in holding down the fort and be the rock in a counter-attacking style. But in games against opponents where pressing and free-flowing movement is needed, such as Arsenal, United, and most of the lower half of the table, Allen or some other DM signing should take precedence. Gerrard has been a loyal servant for the club, but for the good of his career and LFC, a squad rotation role would be an ideal position.

This wouldn’t be the end of the world or his career as many people seem to think. Look at what Frank Lampard, Ryan Giggs, and Puyol had become for their teams. I would argue that their careers had actually been extended, and that they were given more of an opportunity to enhance their legacies with the squad rotation role. I think that this is what Brendan Rodgers should move toward, but if he has the same idea or initiative remains to be seen.