[lfc-news] Mark Lawrenson column - Post

Liverpool Daily Post, 1 Mar 2005
Dearth of class was as key as lack of luck
By Mark Lawrenson, Daily Post

IN THE build-up to the Carling Cup final I talked about luck, and how
Liverpool's was changing for the better. It turns out that in football,
as in life, you make your own luck, and that was something that
Liverpool failed to do.

Being 1-0 up thanks to a fantastic goal, the stage is set to go on and
kill off the game. If you can't do that then plan B is to keep the ball
and prevent the opposition from building up any momentum.

The fact Liverpool couldn't do either showed the basic flaw in their
make-up, which is a lack of class in several players and positions.

As far as the second goal went, Dietmar Hamann had a good chance and
Steven Gerrard was unlucky with his miss. Keeping the ball was another
matter altogether, with possession being surrendered much too easily
throughout the match.

I know as a footballer that if you can make the opposition work to get
the ball, they will struggle to break you down. It is a fact that you
feel more tired when you are running back towards your own goal than
when you are going forward to score one.

While Chelsea's cutting edge was dulled by the excellent defensive work
of Jerzy Dudek, Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia, Steve Finnan and Djimi
Traore, ahead of them the creative players just couldn't hold onto the
ball for long enough, or do enough with it to force Chelsea back.

That in turn meant that Fernando Morientes - although dangerous when he
had the ball - was a peripheral figure as a lone striker, and also freed
Chelsea's defenders to come forward.

In those situations where attack follows attack, it is inevitable that
something will go against you and the dam will burst. So it was for
Gerrard's own goal.

Looking at the game now, Chelsea obviously have a stronger squad than
Liverpool, but Rafa Benitez will have seen again just where he needs to
strengthen.

However one area he does not need to look at is the left side of the
team, which is very strong at the moment. Traore particularly has
impressed me after his Burnley howler. Instead of retreating into the
reserves, the defender has turned in some excellent displays, playing to
his strengths of solid tackling and good recovery.

He could still stand to improve his distribution, but that apart he has
been forceful at left-back.

That has meant John Arne Riise is free to bomb on from left midfield,
where he gives the team real impetus and always looks capable of getting
you a goal, as we saw on Sunday. He has really flourished under Benitez
and has been back to his best.

The manager will need a few more players to play up to their reputations
in the next few weeks if they are to catch Everton, starting against
Newcastle.

Graeme Souness appears to have turned it around up in the North East and
the trip is a tough one by anyone's standards. It is up to the Spaniard
to pick up his players and explain they were beaten by probably the best
team in the country, and it is still in their hands to bounce back.

However with just 11 games left and Everton eight points ahead,
Liverpool need to have a five or six-game unbeaten run to put pressure
on the Blues, or else they will hold onto fourth at a canter.

Everyone is talking about the derby game, but that could almost be
irrelevant if Liverpool do not start closing the gap soon.

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Help save the life of a child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's
'Thanks & Giving.'
http://us.click.yahoo.com/6iY7fA/5WnJAA/Y3ZIAA/2_TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Unsubscribe: lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://www.lfc-list.org.uk/
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lfc-news/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/