How Brendan’s Pre-Season Resolutions Are Starting To Come To Fruition

Whether it was due to the millions of pounds spent on recruits in the summer, or the fact that our deadly front man Daniel Sturridge was missing for nearly five months, Liverpool did not resume where they left off last season following the exit of the ever-iconic (and troublesome) Luis Suarez.

Queue the ‘Rodgers Out’ brigade which lasted approximately a month or so, before out of nowhere Liverpool re-discovered last season’s form and have impressed immensely ever since, diminishing the few anti-Rodgers ‘fans’ out there. What has evoked such a change in form? Which of Brendan’s numerous summer plans seem to be materialising slowly but surely? In this blog I will decipher a couple of them.

Jordan Henderson and His Goal Tally

Firstly, let us begin with Jordan Henderson as a whole and the astonishing season he is undergoing. Liverpool’s vice-captain has matured incredibly and is on leaps and bounds for the club at the moment. Here is a stat for you; Henderson has captained the reds 13 times this far, with the reds winning ten of them and drawing three. Yes, Jordan remains unbeaten as skipper, a feat that will impress our current captain whilst on the sidelines.

Prior to the commencement of the league season, Jordan himself had admitted just how pivotal it was to add goals to his game after a petty four last campaign. This time however, the Englishman has five to show for, with ten matches remaining to further improve his tally. It may not be a colossal improvement, however if Hendo does continue to build on his current form, goals will arrive, and plenty of them, I can assure you that.

Stop Shooting, Philippe!

Let us get one thing straight first and foremost; Philippe has endured an outstanding league campaign thus far. A couple of minor, yet essential tweaks to his game where required, one of these being his ‘shoot on sight’ tendency. It does not hurt to try your luck from outside the box every now and again, however the Brazilian was over-abusing that privilege, with most of these shots going wayward into the Kop.

The young magician seems to have listened to my prayers, and has since netted three wonder-goals in the space of a single month. His general ball play and execution in the final third has improved as well, with the large majority of shots that do not end up in the back of net, finding the target whilst forcing a save from the keeper. One, if not THE player of the season for the club thus far. (All this at the age of 22).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR0Rz7u7mP0

I’d Settle For a Scrappy 1-0!

Reds fans worldwide are extremely lucky to have survived the 2013-2014 league season. There was never a dull moment, from our thrilling 5-3 win at the Britannia, to our 6-3 showdown at Cardiff. We were scoring an abundance of goals, yes, (20 more than at this point last season, to be exact) however our defence was as leaky as a sieve, as we conceded more goals than seven other Premier League teams.

Whilst some would prefer those heart-racing thrillers, Rodgers instead pleaded for a more calm and serene approach, with clean sheets becoming of utmost importance to him. Now, Mignolet may not have had the best of starts to the season, but he is slowly improving and has accumulated ten clean sheets thus far, six of which have come in the last eight games. We may not be attacking with as much flair and prowess as the times of the SAS, however defensive stability is key for any title-winning team, something that eventually cost us the championship in 2014.

What do you guys prefer? A scrappy 1-0 win with a clean sheet, or a 5-4 thriller?

Brendan Rodgers may have dislodged some of his haters for the time being, however one thing remains certain; Liverpool NEED to secure that final 4th spot. (With a cheeky attempt at 3rd in the process. I am not being greedy, I swear). I am 110 % sure that if the reds maintain their current scintillating form, that it is more than obtainable.

If Brendan’s men WIN their remaining ten league fixtures, at least third place is GUARANTEED. A couple of tough encounters lie in between obviously enough, and I would love noting more than to see Steven Gerrard lift the FA Cup on his 35th birthday, thus hopefully it is 13 tough matches ahead.

Liverpool are on the up at the moment, which begs the question, “Why did we not start the season this way?” A summer resolution that Rodgers and his men failed to meet, unfortunately enough.