TOMKINS: WHAT CONCLUSIONS TO DRAW?
Paul Tomkins 22 December 2008

It's getting very hard to judge a lot of Liverpool's games lately. The football Gods are giving with one hand, taking back with the other.
A microcosm of the season as a whole, the game in north London was a mixture of hugely encouraging signs and a few continued nagging doubts. Liverpool have clearly progressed this season, but only, it seems, to realistic levels. There hasn't been a super-human leap, but then again, we've seen very little of the team that the manager would like to put out, in order to make conclusive judgements. ‘Draw' is the operative word this week, with another comeback to earn a point, and with the legendary Real Madrid pulled out of the hat. These are exciting times. (If you don't feel that way, check that you have a pulse.) A point at the Emirates, having been the far better side in all senses for 60 minutes and fallen a goal behind against the run of play, is something to celebrate, particularly with the Gunners having saved their best for the big teams. And yet the last 30 minutes were largely frustrating, as the Reds failed to make the extra man count. So yet again there's a tinge of disappointment. It's a shame that the sending off worked against Liverpool in a lot of ways; the crowd became far more belligerent and hostile (backing their side with fervour, rather than the unhelpful silence or barracking that would otherwise have ensued), and Arsenal, fuelled with a sense of injustice and nothing to lose, went for it. The game became scrappy and Liverpool lost their momentum, as the pressure was shifted back onto the grey shirts. Up to that point, Liverpool were embarrassing the hosts, who couldn't get near the ball. What Arsenal did lose, however, was a player who could have helped get them a goal out of nothing. So for all their huffing and puffing with ten men, they never really worried the Liverpool goal. The positives for Liverpool were manifest. It was the Reds' best display away at Arsenal for many a year, and yet another comeback; Robbie Keane scored a marvellous goal; teenage left-back Emiliano Insua was superb at both ends of the pitch; and another youngster, Lucas, put in a fine display of quick harassing and clever passing, not to mention one of the game's best efforts on goal. From the bench, yet another of the younger players, Nabil El Zhar, almost won the game with a header won against the odds, and showed terrific determination in everything he did. And the impressive Daniel Agger, who only last week turned 24, was millimetres from reprising his West Ham wonder-goal. Behind the Dane, Pepe Reina was barely troubled all afternoon. Even up to last season, Liverpool had failed to look the part away from home against the big sides. It was noted as a big flaw. That has not been the case this season. The Reds tended to start those games fairly well, but fall away badly after going a goal behind. Now they can go to places like The Emirates and Stamford Bridge and look the better side. It's nearly a decade since the Reds out-passed teams like Arsenal and Chelsea on their own patch in league encounters. (Last season's draw at Arsenal was in truth more of a reserve match.) Snatch-and-grab raids were performed by Houllier's Reds, and in the early years of Benítez's reign little more could be asked for than to try and continue that trend. Now the football is much better in the big arenas. But a run of Anfield draws, against teams with less pedigree, inevitably meant that three points at the Emirates would have provided ample recompense for those dropped at home. It's obvious but true: the Reds need to get back to winning ways soon. It's unclear whether or not Liverpool are stuttering because they are top and under more pressure, or simply having a difficult run of form that all teams experience – when wins are hard to come by, and performances are inconsistent. The pressure is clearly not helping, and has to be got used to, but nor is the absence of key players, most notably Fernando Torres. Other teams miss key players, but he offers something extra that cannot be replaced. As Arsene Wenger rightly said before the match, you can get by without your best players in the short-term, but in the long term they will be missed. It's not just Torres' talent, but his pace, which Liverpool don't necessarily have in lots of areas. Steven Gerrard is the only other regular from the front six who has real acceleration. (Mascherano has a good turn of pace, but is obviously more of a defensive player.) Equally, none of Liverpool's full-backs has the kind of blistering pace that enables them to overlap with real menace. They are more footballing full-backs than athletes. One player who does offer genuine pace is Ryan Babel, but his playing time has been limited by the arrival of Albert Riera, who gives the team balance and width, but who tends to beat players with a piece of skill rather than a quick pair of heels. Kuyt's ability to create and score goals from the right, as well as great defensive cover when tracking back – and just his all-round commitment – makes it hard to displace him on that flank without losing something important. Up front, Keane is lively and clever in his movement, but not electric. And that's why the decisions can get tricky. El Zhar and David Ngog both have a real turn of speed, but both are still quite raw, although the former has surprised me with his progress this season. Daniel Pacheco is another very quick player, who is also blessed with bags of skill, but at 17 he's still got some way to go. In time, he could well add another dimension to the Reds' attack, but obviously not right now. And so just where to play Babel is a big dilemma. Some may argue that he's not had enough starts, while others will counter that his form hasn't been the best, which leads to a ‘chicken and egg' debate. He's a player I love to see in the team, but I also understand the tactical reasons why he hasn't featured as much lately. And with the Reds top of both the Premiership and their European group, those who haven't featured as much as they would like have had few opportunities to suggest they could have done better. Also, Babel's favoured position is the one from which Steven Gerrard has been banging in the goals. Drop the captain back into midfield, and you have to omit either Mascherano or Alonso, and much of the success this season has been built on that particular platform. So the system and the personnel have largely worked this season, without being perfect. Add Torres, and you can see a really top side emerging. What you don't expect a manager to do is abandon his principles at the first run of less-than-perfect results, but of course, it's up to Rafa and his coaching staff to get things back on track. The first aim of the season had to be that of being well positioned in the Premiership at Christmas, and in the last 16 in Europe. Those boxes can be ticked. The next goal has to be perform well against the mighty Real Madrid, at a time when still in contention for the league title. When you draw a massive name, the European Cup almost becomes a bonus, and I prefer it like that; I'd prefer the big nights at Anfield with the crowd hyped up than the occasions when the atmosphere is more sedate. In return, the fear and respect the Spanish champions will experience when facing the Reds is the most clear indication of how far Liverpool have come in recent seasons. A handful of years ago we'd have laughed ourselves silly at suggestions that the Reds might be favourites to go through in such an encounter. And an extra element of that respect will be because Liverpool have led the Premiership in recent weeks. If Chelsea do leapfrog the Reds on Merseyside tonight, it's worth remembering how well positioned Benítez's boys are. If we'd got to this point after a sluggish start, there'd be euphoria at being in contention. This way around, it's obviously less enjoyable. But a couple of good wins, particularly with Aston Villa versus Arsenal and Manchester United versus Chelsea on the horizon, and it could yet unfold the Reds' way. And on that note, I'd like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a 'Premiership' New Year.