Where is it going wrong at Liverpool?

Kenny Dalglish in despair

After only taking eight points from eleven games in the Premier League since the turn of the year, where is it all going wrong? If you you purely look at the statistics, it is difficult to tell. First things first, we haven't scored anywhere near enough goals. Luis Suarez has consistently played well, exceptionally so at times, but has not scored enough goals; a conversion rate of 7.7% is well below par for a player of Suarez's calibre. Carroll is starting to play better and better all the time, but needs to start hitting the back of the net on a regular basis. And our most consistent striker Craig Bellamy is at the wrong end of his career to be playing twice a week. In minutes per goal, Bellamy is nearly twice as effective as Suarez.

All round, scoring less than one in ten shots at goal is not even close to being anywhere near acceptable enough for Liverpool Football Club. 1.2 goals per game is never going to win too many games in the Premier League, particularly when your defence starts to falter. Until the last few weeks we have had one of the best defensive records in the Premier League, but with mistakes creeping in at the back, our frailties around the rest of the pitch have been highlighted. I was also surprised to read that Liverpool have only scored two goals from set pieces all season. Set piece goals are your bread and butter, so if you factor that in with poor stats from open play. Dalglish suggested fatigue was a factor in yesterdays defeat to Wigan, but if that is the case then the squad is not big enough. 


Aside of the lack of goals, individual mistakes have started to happen at the back. Against Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday Jordan Henderson, Martin Skrtel and Jose Enrique were at fault for the goals in my opinion. Henderson and Skrtel should have done more to stop QPR winning the ball in the air in our penalty area, and the last goal with Enrique was just one of those mistakes that happens every now and again. Skrtel is not normally one for giving less than 100% (to our cost on the odd occasion) so that was out of character. And Henderson has never really settled. For me, he is not and never will be a right midfielder so some below par performances can be forgiven. I think he may have been bought as a long-term replacement for Steven Gerrard, but these are incredibly big boots to fill and he will need to step his all-round game up if he is to get anywhere close. 

Albeit there are things that are not quite right at the moment, there are many positives for Liverpool. We have got one trophy in the cabinet already, and we are in the semi-final of the greatest domestic cup competition in the world. We have some fantastic young players that have forced their way in to the team this season, and a few more that are waiting in the wings. Jay Spearing continues to prove that you don't have to be six foot tall to be a success in the Premier League, and Martin Kelly has performed exceptionally at right full-back when called upon. As good as he has been at full-back, I think Kelly is an ideal long term successor to Jamie Carragher. He has all the attributes as far as I can see. We also have Jon Flanagan, Raheem Sterling, Jonjo Shelvey, Sebastien Coates and Jack Robinson who have made positive cameos here and there. 

We might not be where all Reds fans want us to be, but is it all that bad? No. Is Kenny Dalglish the right man for the job? Yes. People forget that before Mr Henry and his Fenway Group took charge of the club we were hours away from RBS calling in a rather large debt that would have sent us in to administration. We also had a squad that was thin on the ground to say the least, so without doubt things are heading in the right direction. Despite early season optimism we were never really going to win the Premier League this year with bringing in so many new players, but at least we have won a trophy with the potential of another, and hopefully this will create the hunger in the squad to make bigger strides in the league next year. 

Time will tell......

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