been away, not in body but in mind. Frustrated at team selection and the obvious lack of manager player relations. Now The King is back and hope and passion is restored. Though if RAFA had come back the same would be true!
After two games, too soon to gauge an opinion on what Kenny will do, we finally have a full week of training and a chance for Kenny to talk to the team, see the players and for us fans to see his influence. This was evident today when Mieriles was played forward in midfield. I have thought all season he is wasted on the right as have many of you, but when he has played central without an attacking role he seemed unsure. Now his job is to get forward and he did a wonderful job today linking the midfield and attack. My only concern was he went absent in the second half, maybe this was team anxiety but more likely he ran himself to stop, I shall concede it was a bit of both. Not sure about replacing him with Jonjo but glad that switch was made, Pacheco would have been a more welcome sight, but I feel Kenny is holding back the next batch of kids and now going with Jay and Jonjo.
What happens when Gerrard is back, well for me I would like to see him replace Jay or Lucas. I would choose Lucas as he still seems negative and weak at time, works hard as does Jay but is not good enough or strong enough to control the central area. Jay as well can be weak but has good vision when on the ball and is more direct in mind. If I had to choose I would leave Lucas out for couple of games and give Jay the chance to control the area between defence and midfield.
Now we concede two goals at the start of the second half, was this because we lost Agger and therefore a bit of disorganisation was the result. We know Kenny wants Agger in his backline, but surely if he is ill it is better to have continuity throughout the match. I would not blame it all on the back four though, but several times I noticed huge gaps where the midfield duo of Lucas and Spearing had committed forward when the situation did not call for it. Everton came through the middle drew our guys in narrow then sent it wide, you could see there was not two rows of red for them to play around. I think that is our main problem the lack organisation between the back four and midfield. When we won the ball in our box, why were our boys standing waiting for the ball? Move out to receive the ball away from danger, or to increase numbers further up the pitch when the ball is cleared from the box, stop mucking around with it in the box, get it out, all of you get out and look for the attack!
In all the performance was whole lot better, more possession, more chances and a defence that is slowly gaining confidence. I would not like to see any more change to the starting line up, apart from Gerrard in for Lucas, leave Raul as the link to Torres and keep the kids for the second half, Jonjo, pacheco and maybe Ince on the bench, Skrtle as I would rather Kyri starting alongside Agger.
YNWA and the King is back!