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The Emirates will play host to one of the most high profile matches of English football when Arsenal take on Liverpool this Sunday. Having played some exciting contests in the recent past, Sunday promises another exciting game in prospect. But are Liverpool motivated enough to beat the only team that has a chance of preserving their record of 18 league titles?
TheHardTackle’s resident Arsenal author Sounak Mukherjee (SM) and resident Liverpool author Akarsh Sharma (AS) dish out some niceties before the big clash. Can you feel the love?
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SM: Liverpool must be on a high after the thumping they gave to fourth placed Manchester City a week back. Where exactly in the table is the manager and fans targeting at season end? Is a place in the Champions League a realistic objective?
AS: The thumping of Manchester City was pretty significant in terms of showing the world that Liverpool cannot be forgotten. It was an extremely confidence-boosting win and perhaps, an indicator of things to come next season.
However, I feel that is where the scope of the impact of that victory ends as far as Liverpool is concerned. I don’t think Europe is a possibility, although Andy Carroll still believes Champions League football next season is within reach. The target is still 5th place, but if one thinks logically, there is no points difference between fourth and fifth positions in the league. Thus, Liverpool might as well target fourth place.
SM: What exactly changed in the Liverpool side with the induction of King Kenny? Is it the personnel who made a difference or is it the mentality of the team that transformed things at Merseyside?
AS: The changes in personnel have been the root cause for a transformation in Liverpool this season. This, in turn, changed the mentality of players and people associated with the club. There was a clear lack of spirit and belief during Roy Hodgson’s reign. On top of that, throughout Roy’s reign, Kenny Dalglish was always like a manager-in-waiting and the legend had the backing of Liverpool supporters throughout the world.
Apart from the obvious stature, Kenny brought in a lot of enthusiasm with him that rubbed onto the players. He became a symbol that connected the successful part of the club’s history with the current. He also brought with him an open mind in terms of tactics, playing according to the strengths of the squad available to him. Our new strikeforce and more importantly, the manager’s willingness to play both in every match – whether it be home or away – has been a major reason of Liverpool’s recent success. Remember Rafa’s annoying rotation?
SM: Interestingly, the last one was won under the same manager. Which particular department, according to you, has the ‘once-mighty’ Liverpool lacked in the last 20 odd years when they have failed to win the English League?
AS: If you divide the team of 1990 in little successful aspects, we have had that over 20 years. We have just failed to have them all simultaneously. Let’s take a look at the last decade. Only recently, we have had a wonderful partnership up-front between Gerrard and Torres. However, this did not come at the same time when Liverpool possessed the amazing midfield trio of Macherano, Alonso and Gerrard to bull doze teams in midfield. And just before that came the solid defensive partnership of Hyypia and Henchoz.
The team of 1980’s had a wonderful mix of all aspects – Hansen’s defense, Rush’s goals, Whelan’s and McMahon’s dirtiness, Barnes’s brilliance and Kenny’s respected player-manager role among other things. Liverpool have definitely lacked one or more of these key aspects in every season.
SM: How big are the signings of Suarez and Carroll? Do you see one of them capable of giving Liverpool 20 odd goals in every season? Does the manager plan to stick with a solo striker or you think these two can be employed together?
AS: These two are major signings for the club, and perhaps, the last throw of the dice to keep hopes of Liverpool’s quick return to main stream European football. The two signings may not yield twenty goals individually next season, but if these two can stay fit and form a great partnership that yields around 35 goals next season, it will be a wonderful return.
The most positive aspect about these signings is their age. Both are comparatively young footballers, who have found their feet in England’s top tier and I expect both of them to deliver twenty goals a season in the league on achieving maturity. The manager will be playing these two together whenever they are available. Both of them are simply too good to be left on the bench and Kenny Dalglish has a simple approach of playing the best available team and even tinker with the tactics, if required.
SM: Finally, to make a team worthy of winning the title next season, pick your key men who need to pull up their socks and the areas in which investment needs to be done in the summer?
AS: Liverpool’s squad has too many mediocre players to be part of a title winning team. On top of that, due to their patchy form, too many of our wonderful talents are playing mediocre football. The key to Liverpool’s success will be the fitness of Gerrard to feed the new strike partnership, the strike partnership itself, along with the fitness and retention of Daniel Agger to provide solidity in the centre of defense. A couple of players who really need to pull up their socks are Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel, both of whom are mistake prone and inconsistent in defense.
The left back has been a major issue and must be addressed in the summer to avoid playing our best right back as a left back and our most reliable centre-back as our right back! Liverpool are very thin in this department with Aurelio being the only natural choice. Although Insua is out on loan, he is unlikely to cement his place in the Liverpool first team.
Liverpool desperately need to splash cash on wingers. If one goes around every club above Liverpool in the league table, each one of them has proper, exciting wingers in their squad capable of being in the first team. With Carroll’s heading power, this should be top priority in the summer.
Another issue to be dealt with is the centre of midfield. After the departures of Alonso, Mascherano and the inevitable departure of Aquilani, the central midfield has relied heavily on Gerrard’s presence and another well renowned name is required in centre of midfield to form a formidable title challenge.
Now, the gooner does some answering.
AS: The obvious question, really. How much more of this trophy-less brand of football are you actually willing to tolerate? Has ‘wonderful football’ become an excuse and a saving grace for the lack of success it brings with it?
SM: As long as this football makes me want to watch them week-in and week-out, leaving behind everything else in my life, I am willing to tolerate it! We have created a ‘brand’ which football clubs thrive for and get sick and tired of it only because they don’t have anything to show for. The financial football model we have created in this club is so close to perfect that UEFA ‘benchmarks’ us in discussions related to ‘Ideal Football Club’. As far as success is concerned, it is not only about silverware, it is about where you stand as a football club in this World Economy.
AS: Choose and justify – An Arsenal team playing like Stoke and winning a domestic double OR an Arsenal team playing the current brand of beautiful football and lifting no trophies?
SM: If you pick any random Gooner on this planet and ask this question, each one would laugh at your face. If lifting trophies was everything, how do you think a Middlesborough or a Liverpool fan survive? Liverpool haven’t won the league since 1989-90, so it must be monumentally depressing for fans to go to Anfield every day and support their team, yet they do! At least, we have made ‘beautiful football’ synonymous to the football played by Arsenal, at Arsenal!
AS: Is this “Brand Arsenal” or “Brand Wenger”? When Wenger leaves Arsenal, do you think Arsenal will be able to continue with their style of football? Briefly assess the impact of his departure at some point in the future.
SM: It is very important that we find the right man for this job; a person who would understand the ‘philosophy’ with which the club is running, respect that and build his team on that. The impact of his departure would be huge. Arsene just doesn’t co-ordinate moves of eleven players on the pitch like many ‘coaches’ do, he almost hits the ignition of the club’s engine every morning and drives the club, channelizes the right energy towards the players, fans, board staff et al. He has created superstars, he has achieved ‘Invincibility’, and he has created a ‘brand’. I would suggest the names of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry to take this club ahead after Arsene.
AS: What is your mindset before a home fixture against Liverpool? Do you feel Liverpool are tough opponents? Is there a distinct lack of hatred between the two sets of supporters as compared to other permutations of the old “big four”?
SM: We haven’t lost to Liverpool in our last 10 meetings at home. We don’t consider them as a threat since they were never title challengers to Arsene. They have always been moderate with their ambitions though the fans won’t agree with that. In any case, we cannot be complacent, they are in a rich vein of form, and we need to collect crucial three points from this encounter.
AS: Fabregas might leave after the end of this season if Arsenal does not win the league. If he does, would you support his decision to do so? Can any player justify rejecting an offer from Barcelona, today? Give me one reason why Cesc should stay at Arsenal and not join Barcelona.
SM: Ok, let me make this clear once and for all – Cesc is not going anywhere! The only club that can afford Cesc right now is Arsenal Football Club because they already have him. Barcelona can cry out about DNA and other such balderdash, they know quite well that they can’t buy him from us. It’ll be left to Cesc if he wants to leave and whenever he wants to leave. As far as that one reason is concerned, Cesc is the club captain and talisman here, and is loved and revered by millions of Gooners world-wide. He won’t have that kind of reverence in the Camp Nou.
Game on!
Follow the authors on http://twitter.com/sounak and http://twitter.com/Akarsh_LFC
