An Alarming Lack of Creative Width

Posted on 14. Dec, 2010 by Michael Thot in Blog

Versatility in the modern style of football is a necessity. Tactical changes happen at a blink of an eye, and matches frequently require players to make sharp improvisations. It is creativity and flexibility that can sometimes separate a mid-table club with a title challenger.

Since the start of the Roy Hodgson reign, Liverpool’s wingers have started to play in more central roles. Kuyt and Rodriguez both tended to drift into the center during the Newcastle match in particular. While this may call for criticism of Liverpool’s lack of wide play, this provided an extra amount of attacking options up front. Kuyt was the only Liverpool player to get onto the score sheet, and Maxi found himself some solid opportunities in front of goal.

No doubt a benefit at times to Liverpool’s attack in the final third, narrow wingers also remove an element of fluidity. Clearly, the theory is that narrow wingers provide easy balls forward for central midfielders and also play killer balls forward to the strikers. This worked quite well during the Aston Villa match, where Lucas and Meireles both connected well with Kuyt and Maxi as they slid into central positions.

However, this strategy ultimately failed against Tottenham and Newcastle. Both of these teams employed wingers that could play with pace down the wing and into the center. Joey Barton and Aaron Lennon both equalized in these games by making runs down the wing and into the area. Konchesky failed to handle the brunt of the defensive the work himself, and has not shown the degree of prowess we need for a wide ball player and defender. In both matches, our wide players provided options in the middle, but could not make an impact out wide as well. Johnson and Konchesky both provide width when playing as wingbacks, but neither handle the dual roles of support and defending in a satisfactory manner.

A key element for most wingers in the modern game is versatility. While Kuyt and Maxi have managed to find themselves making solid contributions in more central roles, the ability to oscillate between wide play and a more narrow style would certainly aid attacking movement. Gareth Bale and Nani are both prime examples of wingers with this level of capability. Both have made huge contributions for their clubs by being able to carry the ball up the wings with the ability to cross and distribute from width or carry the ball into a central position. Nearly every team in the title challenge has wingers with similar capabilities. Whether it is Nani, Bale, Arshavin or Toure, the versatile wide player appears to be instrumental to the success of the Premier League’s top flight clubs.

By adopting a more rigid style of play with Hodgson, the general hope was that a greater degree of structure would yield greater results. This, however, has not been the case. Instead, we have been shifting between comfortable home victories and baffling gaffes during our away matches. The rigid, narrow formation that Hodgson is clearly fond of is becoming predictable and inconsistent. At this point in time, Liverpool needs to find some way to surprise our opponents and bring some level of creativity to the pitch. Our tactics have been stagnate and consistent only in the sense that we disappoint on the road nearly every time.

Fixing this issue would definitely require some degree of alteration to Liverpool’s starting eleven.

Ryan Babel’s ability to cut in from the wing or carry to the byline for crossing is apparent. Babel has been the most creative and exciting Liverpool player to be featured in many of the recent games, and it is high time that we made use of his capabilities. Ryan has the confidence to run at defenders and beat them. After beating defenders he is quite capable of distributing to our strikers or finishing the attack himself. The combination of confidence and creativity is exactly what we need on the wing, and currently Babel is one of the few players that can provide that.

Joe Cole was brought in to fix the lack of versatility, but due to injury and a lack of improvement, he can hardly be considered Liverpool’s saving grace any longer. Whether he will find his form in the coming games or not, it would certainly aid our prospects in the Premiership if Liverpool bring in a player or two that can make an instant impact on our width.

With the January transfer window approaching, this would also provide an opportunity to bring in some creativity for our width. Niko Kranjcar has found himself on the transfer list, a player that has been in great form for his international side by providing great skill and innovation in the wing. Charles N’Zogbia has also expressed interest in leaving Wigan for a team of high repute. N’Zogbia is simply the most exciting player in his squad, and has clearly shown that he is capable of great things in the middle of the pitch and out wide.

Kranjcar is clearly out of favor at Hotspurs, after losing out to the undeniable talented Bale. He has put in four goals during Euro 2012 qualifying, and has been the largest contributor to Croatia’s fantastic recent form. Already linked to Liverpool, the possibility of this transfer is highly likely, and could go through quite smoothly if Liverpool does pursue him. Kranjcar himself has expressed interest in what Anfield can offer him, and this enthusiasm would no doubt aid his efforts should he arrive in Merseyside.

N’Zogbia has long been considered one of the best young talents in the lower teams of the Premier League. His future at Wigan is extremely limited, and his interest in larger clubs has been expressed numerous times. Creativity is a strong suit for the Frenchman, as he has clearly shown his ability to play down the flank or cut in to provide precise passing. N’Zogbia’s work rate, technique, and promise are all apparent, and he will be a large benefit to whatever club he joins.

Versatility and creativity are frequently the difference between a disappointing campaign and a title challenge or European qualification. Our wide play is merely one aspect that needs to be improved, but it is certainly one of the more pressing issues. If we are to stray from our limited, narrow and rigid play anytime soon, some important changes must be made.