Going through in such a manner might be the best outcome we could have hoped for in terms of the big picture. If we’d won 3-0 it may have only served to postpone the inevitable and buy Rodgers a little more time. This result and performance has surely hurt his hopes of convincing anybody that he’s turning this rig around, but at least we didn’t have to get knocked out for the damage to be done.
This was a league two side. LEAGUE FUCKING TWO. We scored one goal in 120 minutes of football against them. It’s not just a bad day at the office, this is a malaise that’s been going on for months. We don’t score more than one against anyone these days, and it doesn’t matter how shite they are. Bordeaux let in six in their last game for fucks sake.
If the Norwich performance was like a baby taking it’s first step unassisted, then this was the baby tripping over one of its toys and smacking his little head on the coffee table.
I wasn’t even surprised, I said on the podcast this was going to be a struggle because it always is when we face lower league opposition. Rodgers’ record against these sides since he came here is appalling, even when he fields his first choice line up (or something close to it).
Why is that? I’d say it’s because all of those sides play the same way. They pack the defence, play one up front and hope to frustrate us and nick something on the break or from a set-piece. It’s not like they’re doing anything extraordinary, it’s what lesser sides have been doing since the dawn of time. Every other Premier League club has to deal with it too, but Rodgers has never got to grips with it and it’s beginning to look like he never will.
We had all the possession, we had a line up full of vastly superior players, and we should be hammering teams like Carlisle. Yet we never do, it’s always a huge struggle and the one common denominator is Rodgers. He doesn’t know how to break down an organised, packed defence even after over three years practice.
This was utterly soul destroying. I felt after 10 minutes that the players had been instructed to adopt a shoot on sight policy. Any time they got within 25 yards they were letting shots fly and it continued all night. Pass pass pass in front of the defence, then someone had a bit of an opening so just let rip. It was all pretty desperate.
Firmino going off quite early didn’t help but it’s no excuse as Origi is a full international and, I’ll say this again as it’s quite relevant, Carlisle play in LEAGUE FUCKING TWO.
Ings was lively and picked up where he left off on Sunday by getting on the scoresheet again. Good movement and a decent header. Nice cross by Lallana too.
You know what really bothers me these days? If we concede first we’re screwed because we aren’t good enough to come back. But if we score first were screwed because we get sloppy and throw it away. Either way we’re screwed.
Carlisle’s goal was awful from our point of view. One pass wiped out our whole midfield, but we’re playing with a back three so should still be ok. Except Skrtel left it to Lovren, Lovren was leaving it to Skrtel and both of them just sort of ran away from the ball. When Lovren eventually closed down the lad with the Roman Centurion’s helmet on (seriously, just what the fuck was that all about) it was too late and he rolled it in to the player Skrtel was meant to be tracking and he beat Bogdan at the near post.
The debutant keeper could have done better but I just don’t know what Skrtel and Lovren were doing. Carlisle had given us a bit of a scare a few minutes earlier too when they got in behind us, but aside from those two attacks they did nothing. Why? Because they lack quality and play in LEAGUE FUCKING TWO, that’s why.
If they had posed any real threat on the counter we’d have lost this game. I can’t help but think about what’s going to happen on Saturday when we come up against the road runner, Gaby Agbonlahor. It could get very ugly, because the crowd is ready to just fucking explode into rage now.
There were some who booed after 90 minutes, there were more who booed at half time in extra time, and yet more still booed at full time. Winning a penalty shoot out doesn’t change any of that, but at least it means we’re in the next round.
Of course we got Bournemouth and we needed an offside goal to beat them the other week, so they’ll fancy their chances of beating us, and why wouldn’t they? I’m pretty sure any side we face at the moment expects to get something from the game, it’s fucking depressing.
When it went to pens I honestly didn’t even care what the outcome was. I didn’t cheer any of our pens or any of Bogdan’s saves, I was just too disillusioned. The only thing we learned from this game was that we should keep one sub back any time a game goes to extra time because I’d want to bring Bogdan on for any shoot out we might be involved in.
He went the right way for every pen. Saved three, should have saved a fourth and the fifth was right in the top corner and no keeper on earth would have got to it. This time last year Mignolet conceded 14 or 15 pens and didn’t save any.
Our pens weren’t great either. Milner and Ings scored because the keeper dived the other way, whereas Lallana and Coutinho weren’t so lucky as the keeper guessed right. Can’s pen was boss though, the cocky bastard.
The players seemed too embarrassed to celebrate, which is something at least I suppose. Bogdan enjoyed his moment and I’m sure none of us begrudge him that, the ovation he got from the Kop at the end was well earned. Same with Ings, who has quickly become a crowd favourite already.
I’m not even going to bother talking about individual performances though. Ings was probably the only one to do himself justice and even he wasn’t particularly outstanding. It’s not about the players anymore though is it? For so many good players to continually be producing under par displays only ever points to one thing: the manager.
I reckon the owners know exactly what needs to be done but they’re holding off on doing it because of how they’re going to look when they do it. We’ve got good enough players that we could still have a decent season if they act sooner rather than later. I’m not holding my breath though.
Team: Bogdan; Can, Skrtel, Lovren; Clyne (Ibe), Milner, Allen (Coutinho), Moreno; Lallana; Firmino (Origi), Ings:
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