After Thoughts on: The Red of Liverpool

It was going to be a similar set up to the way we played against Tottenham, our midfielders would sit deep, so in affect we play a 5-2-1-2 when we set up to go defensive away from home. What that means is we have a midfield who look to close and chase their attackers, while we have a solid back line. The forward players are on their own until they are in the final third.

The formation works that much we do know. Last season it beat Liverpool and Arsenal, it came close to beating if not drawing against Chelsea, while this season it beat Tottenham. So when we apply ourselves to playing defensively and looking to hit teams quick on the break it works.

The problem at the weekend was we didn't apply ourselves for the full 90 minutes. Come that second half we weren't getting at Liverpool enough, we looked like we couldn't be bothered any more and didn't want to play on. You would think after the first goal, especially it being our fault, we would spring into life.

Keep the ball knock it about a bit and make Liverpool come and us and slowly but surely start to open them up. The current Liverpool team needs the ball to play, they aren't great defensively in the midfield they haven't mastered the art of pressuring teams. We should have worked on that and force the ball through the midfield.

Maybe that went out the window though when Ben Watson came off. Surely coming on David Jones must have known who he was marking and what he was meant to be going forward, yet he didn't seem able to repeat the same performance as Watson.

It was one of those performances when you just can't put your finger on what was wrong. You know you played below your best, and you know you should have one better, but you wonder what you can change. The answer is that really you don't change anything.

We worked hard, we try more and we up the effort. In terms of what went wrong it was the small things, a missed place pass here and there. That let Liverpool in, so now we straighten them out, we close the back doors and work on being a stronger unit.

The game to come this weekend will be a really tough. Reading will be out to get another three points. We have to dig deep, and we let our passing do the work. That is the way we are playing football so lets pass the football and lets keep the ball.

Against West Ham we had loads of shots and we got the win. Against Tottenham we held tight and we played brilliantly defensively and we got the win. Against West Bromwich Albion we may have lost, but we passed the ball fantastically.

We need to get the mix of those three games right. Yes we need to pass the ball, but we need to hit teams on the counter and have shots, while still keeping our rearguard strong.

Is it a lot to ask? Yes it most likely is, but these lads are professionals, and we showed we could do it last season.