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3. Mentality – Wins instead of draws
Brendan Rodgers celebrating with Luis Suarez
Liverpool’s ‘lightbulb moment’ probably wasn’t at Old Trafford or White Hart Lane, but came at Anfield against Stoke on the opening day. Daniel Sturridge scored the first goal of the PL season to put the hosts ahead. As Mark Hughes’ side piled forwards in search of an equalizer, Liverpool doggedly held onto the lead. Then in the 89th minute Daniel Agger handled the ball in the Liverpool penalty area and the referee promptly pointed to the spot. As the Kop exhaled in collective resignation, Kolo Toure, who had impressed on his Liverpool debut, memorably dropped to the ground and beat the grass in frustration. This was the old mentality – lead, brain freeze, drop points.
But just then another Liverpool debutant stepped up to save the day. As Jonathan Walters hit the penalty to his left, Simon Mignolet guessed correctly and then cleared the follow-up shot. The atmosphere changed completely. As the entire team ran towards Mignolet and swamped him, in the manner of a World Cup-winning goal scorer, the crowd went berserk.
Winners are characterized by a knack of getting results without outplaying their opponents. As epiphanies go, this one appears unremarkable: Mignolet’s save alone didn’t deliver a win, Sturridge’s goal did. But by bloody-mindedly forcing a win out of a potential draw, the goalkeeper had set the tone for the team’s season. Liverpool have since won from a draw position on 4 occasions. That’s 8 extra points, the difference between them and Everton, who are one place shy of the Champions League spots.
4. Tactical flexibility
Liverpool started the season with a 4-3-3 formation, switched to an unusual (for the Prem) 3-5-2 and have since employed a 4-5-1 and two different versions of the 4-4-2 – flat banks of four and the midfield diamond, and won regularly with each formation. This degree of tactical flexibility is unique to the Merseysiders among European teams this season. Even Bayern Munich, with highly versatile players like Javi Martinez and Philip Lahm, have largely stuck to the 4-2-3-1. That players like Jon Flanagan, Raheem Sterling, Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson – none of whom were demonstrating title-challenging caliber at the start of the season – have adapted so well to each change is a nod to the thoroughness with which Rodgers has prepared his players.
On several occasions he’s drawn flak for overthinking games, but his formations have always maximized the strengths of Suarez or Sturridge, while allowing Gerrard to dominate in a role he seemed least suited for, and demanding energy rather than creativity of Henderson. All these players have prospered, and ‘hard man’ Martin Skrtel has actually outdone Barcelona target Agger in pass completion statistics.
This requires skilled coaching and highly sensitive man-management. Usually these changes have been forced on Rodgers due to adversity (injuries, suspensions or a sharp drop in individual form), but he has responded to each setback with immaculate ease.
