Who deserves PFA Player of the year?

The nominations were released for PFA player of the year as we near the end of yet another Premier League season, here I look at who is most deserving of that prize.

6. Philippe Coutinho

The Liverpool man is sure to be delighted to get a nomination for such an award but in all reality a nomination is the best he can hope for. Its been a great season for the “Little Magician” who was Liverpool’s standout player of the year by a distance.

While its been a good season for him he has registered just 4 goal and 4 assists, these figures don't come near to some of the other attacking midfielders in the Premier League and for that reason he will have to be content with a nomination.

In the defence of the Brazilian he has not had much around him to assist and it has not been a good season for Liverpool as a team so to get a nomination is a real achievement. If he continues his form into next season who knows he could be a lead contender for the award but not this year.

5. Diego Costa

After his expensive move from Atletico in the summer Costa has been a real success and is fully deserving of his place on the list. With 19 goals this season he is the joint top scorer in the league.

His goals at the start of the season got the Chelsea train rolling towards the league title they are bang on track for. Having had such a great start to the season Costa will have expected to get his scoring figures into the high twenties but injuries have hampered that in the second half of the season.

This injured spell is ultimately what cost him a real chance of winning the Player of the Year but for his first campaign in England a nomination is nothing to be frowned upon.

4. David De Gea

Spanish keeper De Gea has been the star performer in an inconsistent Manchester United team this season and is a genuine contender to win the award.

With 10 clean sheets thus far its been a great season for the Spaniard who in the early parts of the season was United’s only source of optimism, his terrific performance against Liverpool at Old Trafford was a particular highlight.

Interest from Real Madrid is reportedly high in the shot stopper so if this is to be his last season, what a last season it has been.

3. Harry Kane

Kane is the only Englishman on the list after a remarkable rise to the top for Spurs. The joint top scorer in the Premier League on 19 goals Kane has led Spurs’ charge for the top four places, a charge that ultimately failed.

Kane was not as prolific in the first half of the season and because of this probably won't win the award, his second half of the season however really has been sensational and deserving of being considered for the award.

2. Alexis Sanchez

The second man brought in from La Liga last summer to make the list, Sanchez has been in great form for Arsenal and has been a key part in Arsenal’s recent run of form that has seen them surge into 2nd place.

Individually Sanchez has been marvellous, his goal against Liverpool recently was just one example of what he can offer and has offered for Wenger’s side this season. With 14 goals and 8 assists his stats have backed up his performances and put him well in contention for the prestigious award.

There was a spell where Sanchez went a bit quiet and thats why he is only 2nd in this list.

1. Eden Hazard

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has been the Premier League’s most consistent player this season and is the key reason why Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea are top of the league right now. The Belgian has scored 12 goals and registered 8 assists this season so far.

Hazard has been a thorn in the side of defences throughout the country, his illusive running style is a joy to watch and warrants the recognition of the PFA Player of the Year award this season.

Worryingly for Chelsea the last three winners of this award have left their clubs the summer after so should Hazard win it will be interesting to see if Europe’s top clubs come in for the Belgian international.

Liverpool simply not good enough

A 4-1 defeat to Arsenal effectively ended any hope Liverpool had of finishing in the top four putting them 7 points behind 4th placed Manchester City who also have a game in hand. Their great run of thirteen games unbeaten which saw them surge into contention for the Champions League places ended against Man United and the Arsenal defeat looks to be the final nail in the coffin.

The two games have shown that Brendan Rodgers’ side simply are not good enough to compete with their top four rivals. Upon looking at the team sheets before the Arsenal game there was a sense of inevitability that Arsenal would have too much for the Reds. Arsenal starting eleven contained Ozil, Sanchez and Cazorla, three top quality players. Compare that to the Liverpool side’s stars, Couthino, Sterling and Henderson, good players but not of the same quality.

Against Man United it was more of the same, Van Gaal’s side contained the likes of Rooney, Mata and Herrera, players a class above what Rodgers has at his disposal. It was always going to be a struggle without the class of Suarez but few predicted a struggle of this magnitude, of course the injuries to Sturridge and Gerrard’s decline have been factors in the poor season but the harsh reality is this Liverpool side does not have good enough players to compete at the top.

Would any current Liverpool players make it into their rivals starting teams, Couthino maybe on his day would creep into starting place but would Chelsea pick him over Oscar? or would Arsenal pick him over Ozil? both are unlikely. Jordan Henderson has been one of Liverpool’s star men this term, he is a good consistent player but he wouldn't be considered a top top player. Sturridge is probably the one player who would get into most teams but his injury prone nature means he doesn't get to show his class all that often.

Rodgers’ transfer dealings in the recent past haven't been good, its hard to say any of his summer signings have been an overriding success. Can has been good but not great while Markovic, Lallana and Moreno have been inconsistent in their performances. If Liverpool want to compete at the top of the Premier League they must add quality to their team instead of taking risks on unknown players who show some potential.

Liverpool are currently missing a star player or two, last year we saw with Suarez how the team was built around him and how effective that was. Just look at Chelsea who play around Hazard or Rooney for United who is the centre of most of their plays. Currently in the squad there is no player good enough to warrant the team being centred around them and thats where Liverpool are lacking.

It may have seemed that Rodgers had turned things around after a disastrous start to the season but the past two weeks have shown that Liverpool just don't have the players to compete with their rivals.

Is Sterling worth over 100k a week?

It has been headline news  when it comes to Raheem Sterling and his refusal to sign the contract Liverpool have offered him, believed to be £90,000 a week, instead Sterling wants almost double that, but is the 20 year old worth that kind of money?

There is very few 20 year olds in world football that warrant earning over £100,000 a week and there is some serious doubts as to whether Sterling is one of them. Sterling has been good this season but you wouldnt go as far as saying he has had a great season, in the Premier League he has 6 goals and 7 assists, a good return but nothing special, form that doesn't exactly warrant a huge contract like the one he is seeking.

Recently his form has dipped, with Sturridge getting back to full fitness his role as a striker looks to be over and he is now back to playing as an attacking midfielder or wing back as we saw on Sunday against United when he was particularly poor. Sterling has not scored since mid February when he netted against Southampton. The ongoing contract saga may be affecting his game and with it set to drag on it will only hinder him. His attitude recently has looked wrong and hasn't gone down well with the fans, at times he looks disinterested and it won't be long until the Anfield faithful completely turn on him if he keeps this poor form up.

Rodgers has previously labelled Sterling as the best young player in Europe and that is sure to be a negotiating method to get more money but is that statement true? Technically Sterling is a strong player but at times his end product lets him down and his poor crossing is never good for a winger. In a tight match when you need someone to step up you would rarely look to Sterling to turn the tide. There is no doubting he is a very good player but you almost feel he could turn out to be another Aaron Lennon, and in terms of saying he is the best young player in Europe, he isn't in the same bracket as Paul Pogba or Mario Gotze. You could even argue he's not the best young player in England with Harry Kane making a good claim for that title with his recent form.

Should Sterling continue to play hardball over this contract Liverpool may well have to consider letting him leave, there would be no shortage of clubs ready to take him but at this point in his career and based on his recent performances he just doesn't seem worth the money he feels he deserves.

How will Gerrard be remembered?

It really has been head in hands for Gerrard in the last year.

Mike Tyson was one of the very best boxers of his generation holding the record for the youngest fighter to win WBA, WBC and IBF titles but when most people think of him that's not what comes to mind, instead his career as a boxer is memorable because he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear off, a much darker moment in his career. Steven Gerrard hasn't gone as far as biting anyones ear off but after so many bad moments in his last year and a half as a Liverpool player, is that what most people are going to remember him for?

Steven Gerrard is arguably the greatest ever Liverpool player, he has achieved so much throughout his career but his high profile mistakes recently may tarnish his lasting legacy. The reality is people remember the last thing you do, for example Zidane, one of the worlds finest ever footballers but because of a rash headbutt he is remembered as the man who cost his country the World Cup because of a moment of madness and Gerrard could be heading down this route.

Effectively in the past year Gerrard lost Liverpool the league title with that famous slip, he ended England’s World Cup hopes with his mistimed header leading to Suarez’s goal for Uruguay and his stamp on Sunday leading to a defeat at the hands of Manchester United may well have cost them a place in the top4 and next years Champions League, a goal they looked like achieving before Sundays defeat. It really has been a horrible year for the 34-year-old, maybe even a career defining one.

You sense with Gerrard that he is almost trying too hard to end his career on a massive high and that it is leading to these catastrophic blunders, at 1-0 down on Sunday Gerrard was introduced and he no doubt thought this could one of his big moments, it was probably the last time he will ever face his fiercest rivals and he wanted to make it special. Instead he was so fired up for the game that he couldn't control his emotions and ultimately saw red after 38 seconds for his stamp, an unforgivable offence.

Gerrard’s career to this point has been full of moments of magic, take the goal against Olympiakos for example or the Champions League final in Istanbul but his chances of ending it on a high are slipping away with a potential FA cup final the only real opportunity for one more fairytale for Gerrard as a Liverpool player.

In the eyes of Liverpool fans he will always be a legend and rightfully so, he is one of the best midfielders ever to grace the Premier League and deserves credit. However with such high profile mistakes the rest of the country and even world may well remember Gerrard as the man who cost Liverpool the League title.

Man City dragged into top 4 battle

Retaining the Premier League title has been the aim for Manchester City since the season began but after Saturday’s loss to Burnley at Turf Moor the Premier League crown looks out of reach and they are now very much embroiled in the top4 battle.

City currently occupy 2nd place on 58 points, 6 behind Chelsea who have a game in hand, realistically the gap will probably be 9 points, maybe just too much of a gap to claw back especially in City’s current form. Behind City both Arsenal and United have managed to creep up on their rivals, Arsenal sit just one point behind the Champions and City’s fierce rivals lie another point back in 4th place. Liverpool, should they beat Swansea, will be a further two points back from United, just four away from the 2nd place they claimed last season.

With only 9 games to go momentum is key, this time last season City were on a run that ultimately led them to lifting the title, this time however they have no momentum and with the three teams behind them in flying form dropping out of the top 4 really is a possibility. Arsenal, despite their European embarrassment, are on a great domestic run. Since losing to Spurs in early February they have won seven games on the bounce. Manchester United have been inconsistent but their 3-0 win over Spurs on Sunday and the performance that went with it will fill the squad with every confidence they can keep on winning. Liverpool are the form team of 2015 and have gathered massive momentum, since losing to Manchester United in December Brendan Rodgers’ side have gone 12 games unbeaten, a run that has propelled them into this top 4 race.

Champions League commitments could also be a big disadvantage for City, their midweek clash with Barcelona will take a lot out of them and should they make it through to the next round, which does seem unlikely, they could be the only of the four challenging for a Champions League place still in Europe with Arsenal looking like their exit is imminent against Monaco. A loss could be be the best thing for City in terms of their domestic form although it could see the end of Manuel Pellegrini’s spell as manager.

Man City must begin to find their form in the near future or missing out on the top 4 will become more and more of a possibility. It is almost unthinkable that Yaya Toure and Aguero could be absent from next years Champions League but as their Manchester rivals found out last year the top 4 is not a given.

Liverpool the form side in top4 race

Brendan Rodgers’ sides 2-1 victory against defending champions Manchester City pushed the Merseysiders into 5th place, the highest they’ve been since October and they now lie just 2 points away from Manchester United who are 4th and with all the momentum Liverpool now look the team to beat in the race for Champions League places.

Fantastic strikes by Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho were enough for Liverpool to see off the challenge of Manuel Pellegrini's side and take all three points at Anfield in similar style to the fixture last year. Many expected a tired Liverpool to show up after their poor European performance on Thursday and the quick turnaround but Brendan Rodgers’ side were fantastic from start to finish heaping the pressure on their top4 rivals.

The win means Liverpool have not lost a game since December when they were considerably outdone at Old Trafford by 3 goals to nil but since then they have been unstoppable. A change in style from Rodgers has sured up the defence and completely rejuvinated his sides season, something he as a manager deserves a lot of credit for. From the last available 30 points Liverpool have picked up 26 and are the form team in the Premier League.Their last three games have been victories against Southampton, Spurs and now Man City, massive statements of the standard the team is playing at.

Before Liverpool had taken to the field on Sunday, Man United had already won their game beating Sunderland at home 2-0 to keep themselves in the top4, United have been inconsistent as of late and Van Gaal’s side will be very worried about Liverpool lurking up behind them especially with a trip to Anfield still to come in the near future. Van Gaal’s minimum expectation is to gain a top4 place and the pressure may begin to tell if the aim begins to fall from his reach.

Arsenal took to the field after Liverpool as they played host to the blue Merseysiders Everton on the back of one of their worst ever Champions League defeats in their history, a 3-1 home loss against French side Monaco. The Gunners responded in style however seeing off Everton with relative ease by 2 goals to nil and concealing their place in 3rd, momentarily at least.

Spurs did not play due to their Capital One Cup final while other Chamions League challengers Southampton were beaten. At the moment it looks like a three way battle for the final two Champions League spots with Spurs maybe making it a four way battle if they can keep up with the pace.It looks to be in Liverpool’s hands and should they keep up their current run of form you would expect them to secure a 3rd place finish and maybe even catch Man City in 2nd.

Arsenal and Manchester United are both struggling for consistency and look set to battle against each other for that fourth and final Champions League spot.

Standard of Premier League in question

In light of recent results in the Champions League questions are beginning to be raised as to whether the Premier League is vastly overrated and if English sides are drifting further and further away from Europe’s elite.

Arsenal’s 3-1 home defeat to Monaco was up there with the most embarrassing Arsenal performances ever in Europe in a game they were overwhelming favourites going into. Arsenal were outplayed by a Monaco side that is not exactly setting the world alight domestically and were missing some key players on the night. The 3-1 victory was much deserved and was it not for a moment of magic from Oxlade Chamberlain, Arsenal would have come away from the match with nothing.

Similarly only 24 hours earlier Manchester City lost out to Barcelona in the Etihad by 2 goals to 1 as they once again showed their inability to perform in the Champions League. City were second best for the whole night and after going down to ten men they were lucky to only concede two, an uncharacteristic miss from the spot by Lionel Messi and his failure to convert the rebound give City a glimmer of hope going into the second leg but with Liverpool being the only English side to ever win at the Nou Camp the odds are stacked against them.

Both sides had gone into their respective games with such high hopes, Arsenal appeared to get the ideal draw but capitulated on the night while City saw the Barca tie as a chance to redeem themselves and show they could be a force in Europe but they once again disappointed. League leaders Chelsea also disappointed in their tie a week prior getting a lucky 1-1 draw in Paris after being second best throughout.

Liverpool had already been a major disappointment in the group stages failing to qualify from the easiest group they could've asked for. The recent television deals see the Premier League generating record amounts of money but in terms of quality it doesn't seem to translate. Its fair to say that none of the top English teams at the moment are in the same bracket as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

The likes of The Emirates and The Etihad are not stadiums that clubs across Europe fear visiting these days. Arsenal have become a soft touch when it comes to the knockout phases losing out in the round of 16 on the last four occasions. Man City who have only made it to the Round of 16 once losing out last year to the same opponents Barcelona just can't seem to get it right in Europe.

Chelsea continue to be the only real challengers for the Champions League amongst the Premier League sides but still have to adopt a defensive approach when it comes to playing the big guns as they are aware they can't go toe to toe with them on the attacking front. English sides failing to perform in Europe has been a growing trend in recent years and based on the performances we have witnessed in the last week the trend is set to continue.

Penalty Drama

Last nights penalty episode involving Mario Balotelli has caused a lot of controversy and split the opinion of many but was Balotelli right to take the penalty off Jordan Henderson?

Mario Balotelli has had 29 career penalties and missed just 2, he has a reputation of being a clinical finisher and most fans would have been far more confident with Balotelli stepping up to take the penalty over Sturridge or Henderson. Sturridge has taken just 3 penalties in his career scoring 2 but he is far from an experienced penalty taker similarly Henderson has had 1 career penalty and missed it.

More importantly Balotelli put the ball in the back of the net and won the game for Brendan Rodgers’ side. The event has brought up more questions about the importance of team instructions with the Mirallas incident for Everton already this season being a moment of great controversy. Captain Steven Gerrard who was on punditry duty for ITV accused the Italian of showing “disrespect” to Jordan Henderson but seemed to ignore the fact Balotelli won the game for his side, an important win for Liverpool in their quest for European glory.

The twitter reaction was very supportive of the controversial Italian with many questioning Gerrard’s decision to publicly accuse the big Italian of going against team orders;

If Balotelli's on the pitch and its him or Henderson on a penalty to save your life? Who you gonna let take it? #nobrainer
— Joseph Barton (@Joey7Barton) February 20, 2015

When you get a penalty in the last five minutes of a crucial European game, your best penalty taker should have the duty. That's Balotelli
— Shane (@Blame_Suarez) February 20, 2015

Was disappointed with they way Gerrard hung Balotelli out to dry after the match last night. Should have just played it down.
— Karl (@Karlton81) February 20, 2015

Mario Balotelli was absolutely magnificent tonight. On the penalty? Arsed about pecking order, go with your best man, it was clearly him.
— Andy Heaton (@Andrew_Heaton) February 20, 2015

Sturridge has missed a couple of penalties for us, hasn't he? Once Gerrard isn't playing and Balotelli is on the pitch, Balotelli takes it.
— Nate Guildea (@NateGuildea) February 19, 2015

Others however were fully supportive of Gerrard’s decision and felt Balotelli was in the wrong;

Gerrard's right in what he said about balotelli. At least he said it
— Kid Curry (Kieran) (@Chana9MUFC) February 20, 2015

Gerrard was having a go at Balotelli and he's right.
— Greg Welby LFC (@gregwelby) February 19, 2015

For future reference Henderson may want to look at this video as Javier Zanetti shows how to stop Balotelli from taking a penalty at Inter Milan;

Balotelli is not “back”

Back to what? Every time an out of form striker comes back with a goal or a good performance all the calls come about them being back to their best. Look at Fernando Torres, how many times was he “back” to his best at Chelsea and he never lived up to it. Mario Balotelli is a different kettle of fish, going back to his old self is the last thing he needs to do if he is going to stay in this Liverpool side. Sure in his old form at Milan and City at times saw him score some goals but he also displayed laziness and a lack of commitment to his side. Last nights performance may not be a case of him getting back to where he was but more so beginning as he means to go on.

Replacing Daniel Sturridge in the 74th minute, Balotelli came onto the pitch to a subdued atmosphere with the Anfield crowd no longer excited by the prospect of the big Italian. The twenty minute appearance that followed contained everything that Brendan Rodgers has been looking for in the 24 year old since his arrival. The performance was probably the best we have seen from him since becoming a Liverpool player. From his first involvement he attempted to be a key figure in the game, there was no sign of him shying away from possession, every high ball in the oppositions half he competed for and he even chased every lost cause adding a rabona pass to keep the ball in play at one stage.

His hard work paid off just under ten minutes into his run out when Adam Lallana sent a low ball across the six yard box for Balotelli to tap home, and he duly obliged. The stadium erupted with celebration, everyone but the goalscorer himself were wild in celebration, it was his first Premier League goal for Liverpool but it still didn't warrant a smile from the former Milan man. His contribution was not finished their, as we neared the end of injury time and Spurs passed the ball probingly at the back waiting for their men to get into the box, Balotelli was sprinting towards them trying to close them down, to the disbelief of many spectators Mario Balotelli was putting in a shift for the team so has he finally turned a corner in his career?

The goal itself may be worth the £16 million Liverpool forked out in the summer for Balotelli’s services as it puts them right into the top4 race and gives them huge momentum going forward. Brendan Rodgers is sure to be absolutely delighted with Balotelli who he has excluded from the squad so often as he did not offer the work rate needed in his setup but last night he encapsulated everything that he needs to become a top player at Anfield.

Confidence is massive for a centre forward and the confidence Balotelli should gain from the Spurs game could drive him on to big things in the coming months, not only the goal but the applause he received as he chased down the defenders and goalkeeper must make it seem worthwhile for him to keep on going and perform like that every time he is given a chance by the manager. His finishing quality is not in doubt but seeing him at the edge of the six yard box as we did last night has not been frequent enough and is the main reason for his lack of goals. Anfield was far too used to Balotelli coming deep to get the ball and then proceeding to either lose it or take a wild shot from thirty plus yards out. If he begins to adopt a position closer to goal naturally the goals will come.

Naturally with Spurs being the visitors to Anfield last night thoughts wandered back to the early September fixture in which Liverpool saw off Spurs by 3 goals to nil at White Hart Lane, up front that day for Liverpool was the strike partnership of Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli and the two performed brilliantly together, Balotelli could have had at least 2 goals that day. Unfortunately with Sturridge’s injury woes that partnership never had a chance to flourish but with both men fit and firing at the moment it may be the time to try it out again. It would require a change in formation and as they say you should never change a winning formula but at some stage you would expect and hope Rodgers will try the partnership and who knows maybe they could become one of the best strike partnerships in the Premier League, all Liverpool fans will be hoping so anyway.

photo credit: Balotelli e quei soldi spesi ogni settimana per la cresta via photopin (license)

photo credit: Napoli, Canovi: ''Gli azzurri evitino Balotelli e prendano un regista...'' via photopin (license)

3 talking points from this weekends Premier League action

Are Chelsea too far ahead to be caught

A 2-1 win at Villa Park, a ground that has in the past proven to be a bogey place for Mourinho’s Chelsea sides was enough for the league leaders to move seven points clear of Manchester City who needed a last minute goal from James Milner to only snatch a draw against Hull City at the Etihad.

With Manchester City struggling to hit the net and undoubtedly low on confidence it will be a massive task for them if they're to turn things around. Chelsea don't drop many points and with fourteen games to go it looks unlikely that they will slip up enough to let Manchester City back into the race.

Only a week ago a Manchester City win against Chelsea would have brought the gap to two points but after drawing that game and their very poor draw against Hull the gap is seven. It has been a massive week in the title race and possibly even a defining one.

The top4 race is really hotting up

After some more big results this weekend it is looking like a five way battle for the 3rd and 4th places in this season's Premier League. Southampton are still refusing to to do as predicted and fall away, a late goal from Mane was enough for them to see off QPR and cement their place in 3rd, with twenty four games gone they now must be considered genuine contenders for the coveted Champions League places.

A Harry Kane inspired Spurs came from a goal down to beat North London rivals Arsenal. The win was a clear statement from Pochettino and his side that they are intent on getting back into the Champions League and few would write them off with Harry Kane in the form of his life.

Liverpool and Manchester United were only able to draw their respective games but Manchester United are still sitting in 4th while Liverpool are in 7th and look to be facing an uphill battle if they are to bridge the five point gap to United.

Relegation looking very likely for these sides.

After both losing again this weekend, Leicester and manager-less QPR look almost destined for the drop. A 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace sees Leicester stay bottom on just seventeen points and with conflicting reports on the future of manager Nigel Pearson, Leicester look to have run out of ideas and its hard to see them turning their wretched form around especially with their next four games being against Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea and Manchester City.

QPR were also subject to a 1-0 home defeat at the weekend when Southampton came to visit Loftus Road, it took a last minute goal to beat them, a goal that is sure to hurt the players. In 19th place on nineteen points, QPR are still only two points off safety but with the departure of manager Harry Redknapp and their terrible form they currently look like never winning a match. The next few games are important and unless they gain some points against Hull and Sunderland who they play in the next week they could find themselves in serious trouble.

Coutinho can be world class

Philippe Coutinho’s stunning added time goal saw Liverpool see off Bolton and move on into the fifth round of the FA Cup, rounding off a good week for the little Brazilian who recently sealed a new long term contract at Anfield and was the creator of two goals in Liverpool’s win over West Ham last weekend.

Coutinho’s wonderful goal was just another taste of what could be if the “little magician” as he is known by the Anfield faithful can find consistency in his game and more importantly keep on improving on his finishing. In his relatively short career Coutinho's one problem to the disappointment of his manager and teammates has been his finishing, he has scored 10 goals in his 81 Liverpool appearances, a figure he will be hoping to improve in the years his new contract has guaranteed him.

Two player of the month awards at Liverpool this season are an indication of just how highly Liverpool fans rate Coutinho. He has scored 4 goals in the Premier League this campaign and assisted 4, creating a total of 24 chances, should Liverpool have been playing with Daniel Sturridge up-front that assist figure may well be a lot higher but for the rest of the season we could see the two January 2013 signings link up again as they have done so well since their simultaneous arrivals.

Assists are the one thing that Coutinho has not been questioned about in his time at Liverpool, as Sky Sports discussed earlier this week, Coutinho has 16 assists in the Premier League since January 2013, only Santi Cazorla, Eden Hazard and Wayne Rooney have more. His eye for a pass is incredible and his ability to execute that pass is also beyond question.

Brendan Rodgers is clearly a big fan of the attacking midfielder making him an integral part of the starting side. He has the ability to change games as he showed against QPR in Loftus Road earlier this season coming on and turning the game on its head helping Liverpool to win 3-2 in a frantic few final minutes. Despite his criticism in regards his goal scoring, Coutinho has arguably been responsible for Liverpool’s most memorable goal in recent times, snatching the winner against Manchester City in April as Liverpool pushed for the title, a push that ultimately failed.

After his recent form, the man who cost only £8 million from Inter Milan is sure to be full of confidence and gunning to repay his manager for the new contract, in his current form Coutinho is almost unplayable, his close control and skills make him a real threat to defences. He is still only 22-years-old and in the coming years has every chance of becoming one of the best players in the Premier League but his immediate concern will be helping Liverpool get into the top4 places starting this Saturday in the Merseyside Derby.

Stats courtesy of: http://www.liverpoolfc.com/team/player-stats/49794/Coutinho

Positives in defeat for Liverpool

Liverpool saw their Capital One Cup ambitions end last night in Stamford Bridge as they lost out 2-1 on aggregate after extra time thanks to a Branislav Ivanovic header in the 94^th minute.

As disappointing as the defeat will be for Brendan Rodgers and his squad their was plenty of positives to take from both legs that will give encouragement to them in the coming months as they hope to claim a top4 spot and attempt to win a trophy in either the FA Cup or the Europa League or maybe even both.

The performance of the defence in both legs is one sign of the work that is being done on the training ground to resolve the clubs long running defensive woes. League leaders Chelsea were only able to score from a penalty in the first leg and were kept goalless for ninety minutes at Stamford Bridge, a big achievement for any side. Of course it didn’t take long in extra time for Chelsea to catch Rodgers’ side out from a set-piece although that could be put down to tiredness and poor marking by Mario Balotelli who we would not expect to be given much defensive duties in the future. In reality they have come a long way in the past two months defensively and no longer look as nervous at the back.

A large factor in this improvement at the back must go down to the resurgence of Belgian keeper Simon Mignolet. After an atrocious start to the season and after being dropped for back up keeper Brad Jones his return to the starting eleven has been a lot smoother than what was expected. His performance last night was excellent, unfortunately he could not keep a clean sheet but he could do little about the goal and should be happy with his performance. He seems to have a new air of confidence about him and looks a lot more assured since his return.

Despite being on the wrong end of the result, over the two legs Liverpool were arguably the better team, in the first leg they were fantastic and if not for the great performance of Thibaut Courtois and the absence of a clinical finisher they could have had the tie wrapped up before they even got to Stamford Bridge. The away performance was not as dominant as the first but Liverpool gave as good as they got and if Daniel Sturridge was fit and firing they may well have won the game but it was not to be.

The two performances were a small reminder of the Liverpool side we saw last season, the quick attacking play and high pressure on the opposition is back and they once again look a threat to the top teams in the Premier League. Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson have developed a great partnership in the middle while Couthino and Sterling have been in great form going forward. Couthino in particular is becoming a real menace to opposition defences and seems to have found the eye for a pass that we are so used to seeing from the little Brazilian.

The biggest positive for Liverpool starting this weekend is the return of main man Daniel Sturridge, goals are the main thing missing in this Liverpool side and the return of Sturridge could potentially bring Rodgers’ side to the next level. There are many positives to take out of these games but unless Rodgers can build on them Liverpool’s season will inevitable end in disappointment.

photo credit: kevinzim via photopin cc