Liverpool FC: The Two Faces of King Kenny's Team

Insipid, boring, flat, brutal, heartless, lacking. 

These were some of the terms used to describe Liverpool’s performances under Roy Hodgson last season. 

Inspiring, entertaining, pass and move, invigorating, heart, bravery, energetic.

These are some of the terms to describe Liverpool in the second half of that season under Kenny Dalglish.

What happened? In last week's match against Arsenal, Liverpool were as good as they were second half of last season. Unfortunately, it’s been too few and far between.

I think King Kenny has got it massively wrong with some of the transfers. Charlie Adam at times looks a pub player. Andy Carroll never gets game time and when he does, he never seems to get the service he thrives on.

Luis Suarez has lost his bite unless it’s to turn round and berate his team mates. Jordan Henderson will get better but can he reach that potential in such an under achieving squad of players?

The buck always stops with the manager, and Dalglish has been afforded plenty of time to get things playing his way. So under King Kenny, what have we achieved in terms of playing? 

We have looked a good defensive unit but in doing that, we have lacked a cutting edge in the final third. Interestingly, West Brom under Roy Hodgson have scored more than Liverpool’s. This does a great disservice to Dalglish to bring Roy into it but the facts don’t lie.

Why did we spend so much money on changing the squad when the second half of last season was so successful? 

Mentality

That’s the problem, the mentality of the players brought in has not been good enough. Everyone proclaimed, once a few of the players got a bit of silverware, they would kick on and challenge for fourth place.

Now, we stand without a hope of fourth, barring a miracle of even greater proportioning than Istanbul. 

Tactics

The 4-4-2 is not working. The 4-4-2 relies on partnerships working throughout the center. The Agger and Skrtel partnership has flourished; they understand each other and play to each other's strengths. This is the only partnership that is working.

Adam and Gerrard are poor together, neither know what is expected of each other. The forward line of Carrol and Suarez has been poor, and that is me being generous. 

Heart

There seems to be no urgency from the team. Any player can raise their game for the big occasions but for the supposed smaller games, Liverpool players show no urgency and heart, which has resulted in too many draws.

I just watched Liverpool lose another game and lose further ground on the top four clubs. I want the readers to vote on what they think needs to be done.