This week, 5Times’ podcast featured Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy as host, joined by Roy Evans and John Aldridge. The trio focussed on the upcoming game against Norwich, highlighting their key players.
With Alan Kennedy taking the hosting reins from an absent Jason McAteer, the Reds legend talked to ex-manager Roy Evans and former striker John Aldridge in the aftermath of the Manchester City win, with focus on the coming game against Norwich City taking precedent.
His guests were quick to play down any heightened expectation from the Anfield faithful, with Evans putting pressure on the club ahead of a potentially underestimated away fixture this Sunday: “It’s not over yet, there’s nothing to celebrate yet…They’re all clichés, but they’re all true, and Norwich is never an easy fixture.”
Aldridge went on to agree with Evans, alluding to one particular fixture in the past wherein which Norwich bore no sentiment for the Reds: “We’ll never forget Norwich coming to spoil our party on the last game of the standing Kop.”
As with every fixture in this final run of four, the legends clearly agree with manager Brendan Rodgers’ style of taking games one at a time, and Evans posited that “We’ve got to go there with the same intensity as Sunday [against Manchester City].”
Kennedy posed the question on everyone’s lips leading up to this fixture, as the absence of Jordan Henderson through suspension, and the likely omission of Daniel Sturridge through injury, will lead the Liverpool line up to change significantly: “Who’s there, or thereabouts, coming in?”
Brendan Rodgers could look to Lucas Leiva against Norwich City. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Evans pointed out two midfield players which Rodgers could turn to compensate for these losses: “We’ve got Joe Allen, we’ve got Lucas.”
Moving towards the attacking areas Aldridge said: “Luis [Suarez] will play up front…I’d be tempted to put Sterling behind him personally. Coutinho has played well on the left hand side, and you can balance things up with the other players in and around them.”
This suggests that the pair believe Rodgers will return to the midfield diamond employed in games such as the recent 3-0 victory over Southampton, and this seems a sensible option as Aldridge says: “We don’t want the balance of the team [to change].”
Kennedy interjected in agreement that “It’s the momentum keeping going, that’s the key to it. I love the way they’re playing football.”
With the absence of 20-goal striker Sturridge, the pressure will be on Suarez and his surrounding midfielders to provide goals at Carrow Road.
Listen to the podcast here:
Thankfully, as the legends attested, the Reds are now coming into their own in terms of goalscoring from other areas of the pitch, with Aldridge suggesting: “[Against City] the front two had a quiet game, by their standards, and we got three goals from other parts of the pitch, which I’m sure Brendan will be delighted with…We should have more goals from other positions and that was brilliant.”
Evans lauded one defender in particular for his goalscoring exploits this season: “[It’s been] a great tally by Martin Skrtel.”
Naturally, the trio highlighted Liverpool’s attack as key going into this fixture, with Roy Evans stating: “Our strength is in our attacking side.”
Kennedy concurred with the ex-manager, keenly pointing out that Raheem Sterling has been integral in Liverpool’s shift into this attacking might: “I’ve never seen us move as quickly forward as Sterling who, in that diamond role, gets forward so much.”
Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring the first goal against Manchester City with team-mate Luis Suarez during the Premier League match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The former defender added that: “Playing football like that is the best I’ve seen for a long time.”
Aldridge agreed with the pair: “[For a defender] the worst thing you want in front of you is pace, and Coutinho does it with balance and skill, Sterling does it with balance and pace, and the two lads up front make it a nightmare for a defender.”
As evidenced in the season’s previous encounter with Norwich City, their defence is at its weakest when coping with pacey players, and this is something that the trio have clearly identified for Rodgers to focus on in his pre-game work.
Do you agree with the 5Times cast of legends? Will Joe Allen and Lucas return to the Liverpool side against Norwich? Let us know in the comments below.
petikan dari Liverpool FC, This is Anfield, Teamtalk
About the Author
0 comments: