Yes, it was only a friendly. Yes, it was only our 'reserve' side and yes, the game meant a lot more to Chester than it did to us. We know that pre-season form means nothing, and that it's only fair to judge the players and management when the real stuff starts this weekend. However, for a Liverpool side which cost around £30m to assemble to go a full 90 minutes against a side from the Conference, without mustering so much as a single shot on target, is very worrying.
The players have been criticised a lot in the aftermath of this game, with a lack of effort being the main accusation levelled at them. If it were as simple as that I'd feel a lot happier about it, but from where I was stood I didn't see a lack of effort, just a lack of skill, movement and basic footballing ability. That is what worries me.
Players like Biscan and Berger showed no lack of effort, yet their performances were not what you would expect from international class footballers. They were not alone, as only youngster Stephen Warnock stood out amongst the mediocrity around him. Sadly for him, that probably means he'll be offloaded to make way for another average foreign squad player. Cynical? Damn right I am, and with good reason.
Forget the fact that Chester scored with their first attack of the game in the 85th minute. They deserved to win, simply because we didn't. Liverpool treated this as a reserve game, hence the absence from the bench of GH and Thommo. Hughie McAuley said after the game that we had three or four chances which we should have taken. Must have been watching a different game to the rest of us then Hughie, as I can't remember a single clear cut opportunity.
A few feeble off target shots, and an effort from substitute Neil Mellor which was blocked before it could trouble the keeper were all we had to offer. The difference between Liverpool and the other top sides can be summed up in one word - movement. We simply don't have any. It was evident on Sunday against Arsenal, and it was evident tonight against Chester. Different set of players, same set of faults. Do we work on passing and moving in training? Obviously not enough if this is anything to go by.
Players from the other top sides are never short of options when in possession. Our boys can't say the same. We usually see a few passes played across the back four, a couple into midfield before eventually someone - usually Steph - is forced to hit it long.
That's why we are often so unattractive to watch, and it is something which needs addressing this season if we are to improve on last years second place. Can we do that with the current set of players? I don't see why not, as there are plenty of good footballers. The tactics need to change though, and we need to cut out all this long ball crap.
The only time we played any decent pass and move football last season was when Litmanen was on the pitch. Jari demands the ball be played into feet, and he gets everybody else playing that way too. Sadly, Gerard does not see a place for Jari, or for that type of football it seems, and we may have to sit through another season of alehouse balls played up to Hesey. I hope not, but we shall see.
As for this game, Salif Diao made his first appearance since his £5m move from Sedan. The kindest word I can use to describe his display is 'rusty.' His passing was often poor, and his tackling reckless at times. Allowances have to made for the fact that I believe this was his first game since the world cup, and he needs time to settle. However, he does not look to be the type of player who will improve our midfield, and the best he can hope for is to be Hamann's understudy. Still, it's early days and it would be wrong to judge him until he's had a run of games and time to adapt to English football.
Tonight he lined up alongside Igor, in what has to be the biggest central midfield partnership to ever represent the club. It also has to be the least creative one. Igor is a player who I still believe has an awful lot of potential. He could be an awesome, powerhouse of a midfielder, but sadly I don't think that will ever happen at Anfield. He is no longer the confident young lad who purposefully strode onto Anfield as a substitute against Ipswich to make his debut.
He's a shadow of that player now, and looks scared whenever he gets the ball. Ever since playing out of position in the Worthy Cup final and having a 'mare, the Big Croatian has looked lost. He's like a rabbit caught between the headlights, and I'm really starting to think that the only way he can ever fulfill his immense potential is to get away and make a fresh start. He's not a bad player, but it's just not working out for him here and he should get out whilst there is still time to salvage his career.
He should be followed out of the exit door by a few others. Paddy Berger being an obvious candidate. It breaks my heart to say that, as Paddy has always been a big favourite of mine, but tonight it was really sad to see what has become of him. He tried, and don't let anyone tell you he didn't. He ran and ran, but that was all he did. Nothing he attempted came off, and it is really looking like the knee problems he's had have taken a heavy toll on him.
Paddy is looking for a move back to Germany, and will go if a suitable offer comes in. If it doesn't, he's set to sign a one year extension to remain here. On this form he doesn't have a sniff of getting his place back. It was really sad to see a once great player (which for me he was) struggling to impose himself against a team of non-leaguers.
Smicer was the same. Some lovely touches and turns, but no end product, and overall a disappointing evening for Vladi. He is never as impressive on the right as he is when he plays on the left, but right midfield is his best chance of forcing his way into the side. He'll need to do a lot better than this if that is going to happen.
With Baros alone up front, and Diao and Biscan protecting the defence, the creative burden rested with Paddy, Vladi and Bruno, who were all playing off Baros. It was a 4-2-3-1 formation, but it never worked at all. Cheyrou looked ace against Lazio, but tonight he just strolled about and didn't look interested. He was called up to the French squad today, so maybe he felt this was beneath him? I don't know, but his contribution was minimal, let's put it that way.
Carra and Babbel are exempt from criticism, as they're still feeling their way back from injury, and I wouldn't criticise Milan Baros because he received no service at all, and ran himself ragged chasing hopeful balls into the channels. The lad has looked really good so far in pre-season, and is unrecognisable from the little porker who I saw chug his way through half a dozen reserve games last season. He's worked hard on his fitness, got in shape, and looks good. Unfortunately he didn't get a decent pass all night, and was eventually replaced by Mellor.
Defensively, the reds were largely untroubled, mainly due to the excellent covering and reading of the game of young Warnock. Playing in an unfamiliar centre back role, his passing was crisp and incise, and he made some crucial tackles and interceptions. Giving him the star man award was probably the easiest decision I'll have to make all season.
Chester hardly even ventured out of their own half, yet still had the best chance of the opening 45 minutes, when their centre forward hit a shot just over from around 12 yards. That was that until they scored late on, but they could have increased that shortly afterwards, which would really have rubbed salt into the wounds.
It was not a pleasant experience seeing us lose to a conference side, but it was worth the trip just to be able to stand up and watch a game. I haven't stood on a terrace in years, and it was a strange experience. The atmosphere in the away end was pretty good for a friendly, and there were some highly amusing impromptu songs, including "Allez Allez, Allez, Allez, David Moyes is gay" amongst others.
Sadly, there were also a lot of Shipman songs. If it were Evertonians or Mancs singing such songs, I'd be the first to condemn them, so it's only right that I do the same here. If anyone reading this was singing these sick songs, stop it, because you're giving the rest of us a bad name. Some bellend even tried to start a Munich song, although this was booed down before it got a chance to get going. Quite what the difference is between that and a Shipman song I don't know. Why was one classed as funny by many, but the other unacceptable? Beats me.
Thankfully, all the Shipman stuff stopped about 20 minutes into the game, and some of the other songs were quality, including brilliant renditions of Liverbird and Fields of Anfield Road. There were also plenty of funny comments yelled out, the pick of the bunch being "We love you Igor" when the big lad came back to defend a corner. Had everyone in stitches that did.
It was lucky that the fans could provide their own entertainment, as the players seemed incapable of providing any. The introduction of youngsters Mellor, Welsh, Partridge, Sjolund and Otsemobor made a slight difference, and Otsemobor headed over twice when wel positioned from set pieces, but ultimately Chester deserved the win.
As disheartening as this game was, it was impossible not to laugh when the Chester fans piped up with "Are you Wrexham in disguise?" The sad truth is that Wrexham would have put up a much better performance than we did.
Team: Chris Kirkland (Pegguy Arphexad); Markus Babbel (Jon Otsemobor), Jamie Carragher, Stephen Warnock, Gregory Vignal; Vladimir Smicer (Richie Partridge), Igor Biscan (Daniel Sjolund), Salif Diao (John Welsh), Bruno Cheyrou (Bernard Diomede), Patrik Berger; Milan Baros (Neil Mellor):
