Liverpool’s 2012-13 English Premier League campaign got off to worrisome start as West Bromwich Albion ran the team off the field in a 3-0 rout at the Hawthorns.
The first half was an evenly contested affair, with new Reds’ boss Brendan Rodgers showing that his team could indeed keep the ball on the ground and play the possession-oriented tactics his boys at Swansea City executed so well last season. This part of plan turned out to be successful, with Liverpool keeping the ball for 61 percent of the match.
But the first sign of trouble came just before the halftime whistle, when Zoltan Gera’s wonderful volley screamed past Pepe Reina into the top corner of the net. West Brom took momentum into the locker room, and the Reds were never able to regain control.
In the 58th minute, Daniel Agger was sent off for bringing down Shane Long from behind after the Sunderland striker was through on goal. There was not an alarming amount of contact on the play, but Long was certainly in a threatening position. A red card seemed awfully harsh for the challenge.
Long was unable to extend the Baggies’ lead due to a dreadful effort from the penalty spot. The miss offered Liverpool an opportunity to seize some momentum, tighten up at the back and hope to catch the West Brom defense off-guard to tie the match. This did not happen and Agger’s absence would prove fatal for the Reds.
Sloppy play from Martin Skrtel allowed Long to dispossess the Liverpool center half in his own penalty area in the 63rd minute. The Irish striker then went to ground courtesy of Skrtel’s desperately outstretched leg, and referee Phil Dowd awarded West Brom another penalty. This time, Peter Odemwingie was called upon and he clinically converted the opportunity.
If Liverpool hopes to be a top team in this year’s Premiership, it must prove that it can show resiliency when the match takes a turn against them. There will be games when the strikers miss a frustrating amount of chances, and this will certainly not be the last time this season where Liverpool have a controversial call go against them. That is the nature of Premier League football.
These are the moments when discipline at the back and intelligent play from the midfielders is of paramount importance.
But in this match, Liverpool simply folded.
Luck continued to favor West Brom in the 77th, as Youssuf Mulumbu’s shot was deflected directly to Liam Ridgewell, who chipped the ball onto Romelu Lukaku’s head for the deathblow.
A certain amount of good fortune played in to the Baggies’ victory, but this does not make the Reds’ defeat any less disappointing. The team failed to finish quality opportunities and was unable to respond to a situation where the ball was not bouncing their way.
Going forward, Liverpool can certainly improve its play. There were positive signs from the match, as the team dominated possession and created many opportunities.
But the worries for this side include sharpness in the attacking third, and focus from the defenders.
This is a terrible way for Rodgers to start his career as the Liverpool manager, and if he is unable to turn the team’s form around quickly, it will be another long season for the Reds.
