A quick question: What use is having a Ferrari if you live in an area where the speed limit is 30mph?
Answer? Not a lot.
Similarly, what use is having width if the crosses lack pace, cunning and menace?
Answer? Again, not a lot. At least you look good in a Ferrari.
Liverpool fans should not be too quick to judge Saturday's 0-0 draw with Stoke. It wasn't a good performance, but for once there was a clear gameplan in effect, which was only undermined by a chronic lack of quality crosses.
Liverpool can look upon Saturday’s dour goalless draw with Stoke in two ways.
It can either be the day their title limitations were shown up, the day they dropped two crazy points, the day teams realised that Anfield at 3pm on a Saturday is still not a fortress.
OR, they can make sure they look back on Saturday’s failure to score as the day they learnt a potentially title-winning lesson.
Liverpool dropped eight ridiculous points at home last season. Two to Birmingham, two to Tottenham, and likewise to Aston Villa and Wigan.
The reason given back then for The Reds’ failures? A lack of width.
Benitez has responded. Now Liverpool have players to provide width. They have Albert Riera, they have Dirk Kuyt, they have the raiding figures of Andrea Dossena and Alvaro Arbeloa, and they have a Ryan Babel who is capable of hitting the byline (as he did to such effect against Standard Liege).
A combination of four of these names enjoyed endless possession against Stoke, yet they produced just one cross of significance in 90 minutes of football – when Fernando Torres should have buried Arbeloa’s assist.
Kuyt and Dossena were the main culprits, sending in countless ‘floaters’, the type of which just begged to be cleared by Stoke’s towering defenders.
It’s what I like to call the Jermaine Pennant syndrome. So often capable of hitting the byline, Pennant flatters to deceive with his timid floaters that mean the striker has to employ every feasible neck muscle in order to score.
Benitez’s application of extra width actually worked (although the scoreline doesn’t show it). With the game stretched Gerrard found far more room in the centre of the field, and The Reds probed the flanks at will.
Now needs to come the execution. Riera needs to dance down the left, Babel needs to fly down the right, and Liverpool need to play with the kind of pace that will have defences rocking on their heels (not something that Kuyt often inspires).
Last week’s win against Manchester United set the wheels of a title challenge in motion, but the Red Ferrari will have to change gears if Liverpool are to win the race come May.
