GUEST COLUMN : DAVID FAIRCLOUGH
FAIRCLOUGH ON GOALS, NEWCASTLE AND SPURS
David Fairclough 19 September 2006
Goals win games and the Reds are having a problem turning
possession and created opportunities into real returns. After three
games on the road perhaps they'll find the Anfield nets more
receptive to friendly fire.
Liverpool's inability to get off to a flying start in the
Premiership is a self-inflicted handicap they can ill afford, but
they get the chance to turn things around with two home games this
week. After just four points from a possible twelve, there's a
sense of frustration surrounding the Reds but the help of the
twelfth man will play a vital role over the next few days.
It's hard to remember when we've had such a feeling of optimism
about a Premiership season as the one Reds fans felt on the way to
Bramall Lane for the first game of the season. We shouldn't allow
that to disappear, not yet.
The mixed fortunes of the so-called big four at the start of this
Premiership campaign has led to the thought that this is set to be
one of the more open races for the big prize, but consistency - as
always - will determine the eventual winners. That's something the
Reds managed last year but not until after another slow
start.
One thing that won't change is Rafa's philosophy of doing things -
he remains convinced the best way of getting results over a long
season is to make use of his whole squad. The same methods at
Valencia, protecting the fitness of the players through out along
season, were significant in bringing about success over the Spanish
powerhouses of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
But the fear that exists here is the thought of giving up too much
ground to our main rivals and at the moment we are guilty of making
things hard for ourselves by dropping points early on.
Having spent all my years at Anfield at a time when the first team
squad was usually around 16-17 players, changes in the line up
weren't frequent but the Reds now have probably the largest of
squads in the Premiership. Despite the size of squad, the one area
which keeps coming under the spotlight more than any other is the
job of putting the ball in the net but the Reds current lack of
goals doesn't yet represent a crisis.
Perhaps losing two key games and spurning a number of good chances
in the process have highlighted the concern but there will be no
let up in addressing the issue. One thing which is crucial when the
big teams come up against each other is that chances are at a
premium and you have to make them count. Chelsea had one clear
opportunity against the Reds and the ball ended up in the back of
the net. Over at Old Trafford on Sunday, though Arsenal missed an
early penalty, they were clinical with the only other chance they
created to take the points.
The Reds, in recent seasons, have managed to outplay their major
opponents but we still lack the same deadly attitude. Last year the
spotlight fell on Peter Crouch but once he scored his first goal,
he was off and running and I have to believe the same will happen
with Dirk Kuyt.
I'm sure, unless football these days has changed dramatically, all
the Liverpool strikers will be putting in extra time in front of
goal on the training ground at the moment. All forwards will go
through a drought of sorts at some time or another but the best way
to get that feeling back of putting the ball in the net is at
Melwood. I remember having spells without scoring a goal but the
advice I received was just concentrate on one thing and even if
that was only in a 5-aside game on the training ground, 'remember
scoring goals is a habit'.
Much of the training at Liverpool in my day was based around small
sided games and we didn't do a lot of shooting practice. Sometimes
though, particularly before European games, we did the simplest of
practices. The coaches would pack the penalty box with six or seven
players in front of the goal with just a goalkeeper and then would
cross balls for us to put in - it doesn't come much easier.
On another occasion, desperate for some shooting practice, I
decided to go back to the training ground in the afternoon for some
extra training with one or two of the other young lads without
permission from the coaching staff. Though it wasn't encouraged, we
thought nobody would find out as we had the co-operation of the
groundsman. The training went well until we tried carrying the
portable goal back to its original location. As someone dropped it,
the post rebounded into my face and I had to go to Broadgreen
Hospital to have six stitches in a head wound. The next morning I
got a right telling off from Ronnie Moran and the boss. Despite the
cut I was still able to make the weekend game with Norwich City and
the extra training paid off as I scored my first senior hat trick
in 5-3 win.
With the emphasis this week surely on how to start taking advantage
of the amount of possession the Reds are currently having in games,
I fully expect to see the Reds start to turn their luck
around.
Both the Reds opponents this week are clubs eager to break the
domination of the top teams. Both are great traditional clubs with
big support and neither are guilty of not investing in trying to
achieve that breakthrough. Both are having a testing time at the
moment and both will pose the Reds different problems.
We've enjoyed some great victories over the Geordies in recent
times - none more so than the two memorable 4-3 wins in 1996 and
1997. The Magpies can't boast a line up of the same quality these
days but will still provide a stiff test on the back of good away
win at the weekend.
If a lack of goals is currently our main concern, then we have
something in common with Spurs, who also haven't scored in their
last three games. After looking like a club who were investing for
a rich future, with the sale of Michael Carrick they currently
don't look to have replaced his range of passing (though they could
hardly have refused the fee offered by Manchester United). The
Londoners provided us with one of stiffest tests at Anfield last
season and I can't see it being much different this time
around.
Despite two bad losses over the last week, I'm sure the need and
importance of a good result tomorrow night will be obvious to
everyone and it's a time for remembering the optimism of a month
ago.
