One of the bigger talking points from Irish football this week comes with Stephanie Roche’s goal making the shortlist for the FIFA Puskas Award. It’s got to be up there as one of the leading contenders for the prize hasn’t it?
One thing that worries me is its rivals, James’ goal v Uruguay and Van Persie’s header v Spain in the World Cup, have that glamour that comes with international football. I just hope that the razzmataz of the World Cup doesn’t overshadow Stephanie’s goal because, looking at all three goals, Roche’s is technically the best. If Messi had scored it then it’d win hands down so if there’s any fairness in the competition then Stephanie has to get it.
Another award shortlist that was announced over the past few days was the final three for the Ballon d’Or. Obviously Ronaldo and Messi have driven each other to break so many records in world football and I think it’d be fitting if Cristiano took it. For me, I’d have Cristiano over Messi any day because Barcelona have built their team around the way the Argentinian plays. It’s hard to look bad with Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets around you, all playing to your strengths.
With Cristiano, Real Madrid aren’t built around him. He plays a very structured position and he never fails to deliver, plus he’s done it in the Premier League and for Portugal. He’s also a fantastic ambassador for the sport so I think it’s only fitting, for what he’s done this year, for Ronaldo to win it.
I don’t see Neuer having a chance this year because it’s always going to be the forward players who get rewarded. I crossed the ball for Robbie Fowler for years and he took all the headlines. There’s people who carry bricks and there’s people who lay them and it’s always the layers who get the credit. It’s the glamour of the goals and goalscorers that make the headlines and they’ll always get the plaudits.
I’d love to a centre-half, or even a goalkeeper like Neuer, get it one day but that’s just not the way it works.
Speaking of goalkeepers, the struggles of Simon Mignoet have continued this week after an own goal from him opened the scoring for Leicester. I think the goalkeeper is the one place in the side which has no competition and that’s why Mignolet is struggling so much.
We’ve got Brad Jones but he’s not exactly one who would fill you with confidence. I would like to see another goalkeeper come in in January to keep Mignolet on his toes and hopefully that will help plug the leaking goals.
But overall, Liverpool seem to have steadied the ship in the past week. They’ve won two of their last three Premier League games and the draw in Ludogorets keeps us in the Champions League but I don’t know if it’s a turnaround in fortunes. There are no pictures on scorecards and their performances in the last three games weren’t particularly good in any of the three games.
But the desire, the determination, the honesty and the will to get the result has obviously improved since Crystal Palace which was a bitter experience for everyone to take – fans, players and staff. We all felt that was the turning point we needed to improve and I think Brendan’s managed to get a reaction from his players but we’re still not performing well in front of goal or defending as confidently as we’d like.
You’d have to say that Liverpool had hit rock bottom in the last two and a half months and they’ve taken their fair share of criticism. Added to that, Brendan Rodgers has faced some ridicule for some of the big decisions he’s made in terms of formation and personnel but he’s reacted and changed things around.
There’s a debate around Steven Gerrard’s appearance on the bench against Stoke on Saturday, whether he was rested or dropped. I personally believe he was rested. We have to realise that he is 34 and that three games in a week does take its toll so it was probably the right time to give a rest to such an important club player.
Sometimes a rest can do you good and he obviously came back with a point to prove and put on a performance against Leicester that was his best for some time. He was probably desperate to play against Stoke, what with it being the 16th anniversary of Steven’s debut, but the manager is there to make the big decisions and it obviously paid off.
In terms of the announcement of Steven’s new contract, I don’t think it’s a money issue or that the player is holding the club at ransom. I think it probably has more to do with Steven and Liverpool not seeing eye-to-eye on time scale. It’d be more likely that Liverpool have offered a one-year deal when the player is after two years. Obviously this is all rumour and speculation but I’d hope that Liverpool would back down and give Gerrard two years so that he can see out his career at Anfield, which I think is only right.
Another team change that Rodgers made in the last week was the decision to start Kolo Toure over Dejan Lovren for the games against Stoke and Leicester. With Lovren in the team, it just wasn’t working for Brendan. Liverpool were conceding far too many goals, particularly from set-pieces and the introduction of Toure seemed to give the defence more confidence. Lovren is one of the players who you’d point the finger at and say “it hasn’t worked for him,” but we’re only 14 games into the season so there’s still time for him.
Two of my former clubs meet on Saturday when Sunderland travel to Anfield and Liverpool will have to be wary against Poyet’s side, considering how much Liverpool have struggled at set-pieces this season.
I see Sunderland setting up with one up front, looking to hit Liverpool on the counter attack but it’s such a difficult match to predict.
It’s going to be an absolute grind for Liverpool over the festive period but I’d like to see a bit of consistency in terms of team selection from Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool play United next weekend which is a massive game in terms of confidence building. Getting a point from Old Trafford will do Brendan and his side the world of good.
But it’s the less glamourous ties that Liverpool will be looking at. We’ve got games against Swansea and Leicester in the next month which we’ll need to be getting full points from if we’re to claw our way back up the table.
We’ve also got Basel on Tuesday night. That’ll give the club and the fans a massive boost if Liverpool get through to the Champions League knockout stage and it looks like it’ll be another classic European night at Anfield.
