Liverpool FC: 5 Things the Reds Must Do to Get Past SC Braga in Europa League
Liverpool came back from Portugal last week with a 1-0 deficit after the first leg in the round of 16 Europa League tie against Sporting Braga. Brazilian Alan scored a first-half penalty for the home side, but it was a pretty closed affair from then on.
Kenny Dalglish said the Reds were fortunate to only be down a goal after their first-half performance, and that may be true given that Manchester City has two goals to make up.
It was the Reds' first loss in the Europa League all season long, and they now have, not quite a mountain, but a hill to climb to advance to the final eight in the competition.
Braga come to Anfield Thursday night, and it's a big game because a trophy to finish out King Kenny's return to Liverpool would really put Liverpool back on track.
The bad news for the Reds is Steven Gerrard won't be available and neither will Luis Suarez. However, Dirk Kuyt and Andy Carroll both went very close to nabbing an away goal in Portugal, so they should be more fired up in front of the home crowd.
It won't be easy, but one goal is not a big deficit to make up, especially given a week-long break and how strong the Reds have been at home this season.
That being said, here are five things Liverpool must do to keep their Europa League campaign going.
1. Give Andy Carroll the Start and Go at Them from the First Whistle
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Andy Carroll, Liverpool's record signing, playing as No. 29, came on for the second half in Portugal and had a shot deflected wide. With a week of rest and some more valuable playing time under his belt, he should be ready for his first start in Red on Thursday.
With him up front to start, the Reds can really get going right from the beginning which will really get the crowd going.
European nights are famous at Anfield, and while this isn't the type of European football Reds fans are used to watching, they'll go wild for just about anything Kenny Dalglish throws at them.
If King Kenny throws Carroll at them and pushes his players forward in the opening 20 minutes, they should definitely be able to get an early goal and make the crowd go crazy. Braga players won't know what to do if Anfield is as loud as it can be.
Especially given that Luis Suarez is ineligible and Steven Gerrard is out injured, the Reds will need a big target like Carroll up front. Waiting until the second half isn't going to cut it.
Last year at this stage, Liverpool had a 1-0 deficit coming into the home tie against French side Lille, and Rafa Benitez sent his team out guns blazing. They got a goal in the opening 10 minutes, and the game and the tie were theirs from then on.
2. Give Jay Spearing and Dani Pacheco a Shot; Enough with Joe Cole Already
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Jay Spearing is a 22-year-old Scouser who made his Liverpool debut on a European night. He came on as a substitute when Liverpool was up 3-0 over Real Madrid at Anfield in 2009. With Steven Gerrard out rehabbing from groin surgery, Spearing is the best option to play with Lucas Leiva in midfield.
Christian Poulsen plays the same game as Lucas, and two holding midfielders when you're down a goal doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Either Spearing or Lucas can hold down the midfield and sit in front of the defenders while the other pushes forward to supply passes for the strikers and gets into the penalty box.
Dani Pacheco is another youngster who's put in good minutes on European nights and can play as a winger or just behind the striker.
Joe Cole, like Christian Poulsen, doesn't have a place in the side. Pacheco is quicker and a better passer on the wing than Cole, and Raul Meireles has the central role behind the striker locked down.
Cole and Poulsen started in Portugal, because Kenny Dalglish wanted to avoid giving away a goal—that doesn't matter now.
Enough with Cole already, he's not helping us and Liverpool can't afford to carry dead weight anywhere, especially on the field.
If you've read any of my stories before, you know this isn't the first time I've ranted about Cole. But if Kenny would just stop feeding his ego, we'd all be a lot happier.
3. Put out an Attacking Formation
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So, if the title of this slide is about an attacking formation, why does the picture have three central defenders in it?
Because that's where it starts.
The three-man back line allows for the fullbacks to act more like wingers and push forward more, which is even more important now that Andy Carroll is in the lineup. He's a big guy to aim for in the box, and it's tough for anyone to beat him to a header.
The problem with this is both Martin Kelly and Fabio Aurelio are out injured at the moment. A way to fix this is to put Glen Johnson in as the right fullback/winger and have Daniel Agger on the left with Soto Kyrgiakos, Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher as the three central defenders.
Johnson is good getting forward, and, of the four central defenders, Agger has the best shot and is the best at going forward. Agger also has plenty of experience playing as a left back.
In front of the defense can be either a 3-2 or 4-1 with the same players.
Lucas Leiva and Jay Spearing to hold down the midfield, Raul Meireles sitting behind Dirk Kuyt and Andy Carroll up front. Carroll can play well with Kuyt beside him or just behind him.
Agger and Johnson can typically get forward beyond Lucas to put crosses into the box where Carroll and Kuyt, at the least, should be waiting.
The Reds don't need to score a ton, and once they get one, Braga will start to close down. The best way to win this tie is to score early and put Braga under pressure.
But this lineup may be a little too risky for Kenny Dalglish, so with that in mind...
4. A Typical 4-Man Back Line Can Get the Job Done Too
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Without Martin Kelly and Fabio Aurelio, Kenny Dalglish may not want to go with the three-man back line. OK, four can get it done, too.
Glen Johnson on the right, Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel in the center and Daniel Agger on the left should be enough to keep Braga out. This also can allow Johnson and Agger to be able to get forward often.
Lucas Leiva and Jay Spearing are the best two to sit in front of them, close down the Braga midfield and prevent fast breaks while getting the ball back to their forwards quickly.
Dirk Kuyt, Raul Meireles and Dani Pacheco, in my opinion, are the best three to go behind Andy Carroll.
Maxi Rodriguez has been disappointing this season (something else I've said a bunch of times), and I think this is the time for Pacheco to shine. The Manchester United game was too big of an occasion, but this isn't.
The Reds may be down a goal, but Pacheco has played in big moments and doesn't let it get to him. He can also get to the ball anywhere on the pitch quicker than anyone and will support Carroll almost as well as Luis Suarez would.
This is an attacking formation just like the last one, and that's what the Reds need most.
Score early, and the game will fall into your hands.
5. Use Your Heads and Try to Stay Focused
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Sotirios Kyrgiakos had a momentary lapse in focus last week in Portugal, made a clumsy challenge, gave away a penalty, and the Reds came home with a 1-0 deficit.
Kenny Dalglish said his team was lucky it was only down one goal due to their overall lack of conviction in the first half.
So, for the return leg, just stay focused.
First off, the lack of focus may have had something to do with the lineup. Christian Poulsen and Joe Cole showed us that Kenny wanted to avoid giving up a goal seeing as he was missing his captain Steven Gerrard and new striker Andy Carroll wasn't fit enough to start.
We shouldn't have that problem at Anfield.
Even if Carroll isn't fit to start, Poulsen and Cole still shouldn't be in the lineup. Dirk Kuyt can play in the central striker's role and Dani Pacheco can play on the wing.
Given that it's the second leg and everything is riding on it, the players should be more concerned with the outcome. Look for stand-in captain Jamie Carragher to be barking instructions all night long no matter what the score is.
Even with a one-goal deficit, the Reds have everything going for them in this match. They should have more players fit and raring to go, such as Carroll and Daniel Agger, and they have the Anfield crowd behind them.
As long as they play with conviction and Kenny sends them out firing from the first whistle, the Reds should have no problems advancing to the next round of the Europa League and keeping their trophy dreams alive for the season.
