Dejected, disappointed and demolished, this was a scene from Liverpool side when West Ham ripped them apart amid claims that there was a team who spent 100million on signing last summer. If you take a layman view of this match, West Ham were the worthy contenders of 100million title as it was their players that up the tempo right from the 1st minute and they didn’t allow Liverpool to breathe easily, let alone settle down.
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By giving players like Agger and Kelly, Liverpool manager has unintentionally limited his options at the back.
Last season Liverpool were the King slayers, this season they seemed to go back to their status of a LORD who has spent more than anyone else, but who remains in his realm and apart from one or two areas, has nothing in his Sultanate. Having fixtures like Aston Villa, Southampton and West Ham in their early 5, everybody expected Liverpool to mount a title challenge, everybody but their own players who have let the club down miserably.
If one moment can describe a match, it should be a 20th minute substitution by the Liverpool manager indicating that his team selection gone wrong.
In his match report for Sky sports, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher held nothing back as the defender slammed the Liverpool defense. Mamodou Sakho who is now starting his 2nd full season at the Merseyside seemed to be a round peg in a corner hole. Having played so well for France during and after the World Cup in friendlies, Liverpool thought of more of the same from their 2nd ever highest paid defender, however the French defender looked like a traveler time and again when the ball made its way to him.
While Liverpool might not suffer from malnutrition this season, over eating can also become poison for teams, we have witnessed in past.
On the other hand Martin Skrtel back from injury, but not back from his scares and it seemed the injury took its toll from the Slovakian. Since the start of a day against a “new-looking” West Ham side that has no Carton Cole or Andy Carrol as the target man, seemed to surprise the red. While the 1st goal was a tailor made goal for West Ham best of their specialty, the night guards for Liverpool were stunned time and again as West Ham, maybe for the 1st time in this season, looked like a Liverpool at their very best.
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Above all that and the most worrying thing for Liverpool is that their main man Brendon Rodgers failed the match before even a ball was kicked. This was made aware of a 20th minute substitution of Sakho as the Spanish Manquillo made way. Unable to read what West Ham were to offer, Liverpool thought they would be lazy and calm as their manager, however the Hammers were fast and furious like their fans who have this match as the contender to be match of the season for them.
After conceding an early goal against Aston Villa, one would have thought Liverpool will be manning the wall this time around. However, the defense forgot to lock the gates as a result the night walkers captured and took their toll after dismantling everything that comes their way and during those fiery of attacks, they didn’t allowed even Gerrard to settle down.
When the West Ham keeper sat atop of Mario Balotelli and shouted with anger, that moment showed that the minnows are no longer of Liverpool’s. Having seen 2 Steven Gerrard penalties drown them last season, the un-assembled army of West Ham did what they typically not do best, scoring goals.
So winter has visited Merseyside with giant slayers and night walkers at its back, and if Liverpool want to avoid future mishaps they have to come out of their castle, because if they keep on playing like this, every Tom and harry will look to get something of the leaking barrel that is their squad.
Amir Bashir follow him on Twitter.
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