SHOCK TACTICS

Supporting Liverpool these days seems to be an increasingly baffling experience.
When the selections seem obvious, when the formation that best suits the players we have at our disposal appears straightforward, something completely different happens.
Most Reds fans were looking quizically towards Rafa all Sunday afternoon.
It's generally accepted that Liverpool's toothless displays in the attacking third is generally down to a lack of width and a complete lack of balls delivered into the box.
Yet, here we have Ryan Babel fit, back from the Olympics, and creator of the one moment of quality that brought a goal against Standard Liege getting a dead arse on the bench.
But worry not, we have the pace, tricky dribbling and crossing ability of Lucas teasing Villa down the left wing.
That was the first baffling decision of the day. True to form, the Brazilian produced nothing of note that should warrant his inclusion in the side.

Onto Robbie Keane, I was getting increasingly getting mixed up identifying the squat forms of Keane and Mascherano as they both seemed to be operating in the same sort of areas.
The centre forward and the central midfielder.
Keane must be perplexed. It didn't exactly help that when a great chance fell his way, his quick off the mark pace all but disappeared and he seemed more concerned about Reo Coker walloping him with a challenge than pushing the ball on, seeing the whites of Friedel's eyes and slotting past him.
The worrying injury to Torres was an ideal opportunity for Rafa to pair his new £20m centre forward and his £10m centre forward (that's Kuyt in case we've forgotten) who was stationed on the right wing, and get them playing in tandem in positions they are accustomed to.
The answer? Nope. Let's keep those square pegs in round holes and throw this untried, raw, teenage boy onto the pitch and maintain our unfamiliar shape.
Baffling. It was if Rafa was determined to prove that the system he started out with could, must, should work. Well, it didn't.
Ngog tried hard but he shouldn't have been exposed to a high-profile game like that.

It's not often that I find myself nodding my head in agreement at the Sky pundits, but everything Hoddle and Redknapp said on Sunday was pretty much spot on.
Particularly about Alonso. With Gerrard out, this was time for the Spaniard to emerge from Stevie's shadow, get further up the park, and to start hurting teams in the last third.
It's safe to say he didn't fancy that too much, And while he had a lot of touches of the ball, they were ineffectual sideways or backward shuffles that Barry & Co had no problem repelling all day.
It's this kind of display from Alonso that has left many Reds giving up the ghost with him.
Mascherano had a tenacious game, but he's not picked to create. In a way, I could understand Kuyt's selection as his workrate at one of the toughest away grounds to visit probably just about warranted his inclusion.
Lucas instead of Babel was inexplicable. Increasingly, it's getting harder and harder to justify the Brazilian's place in the squad, never mind the side.
Another frustration was the non-emergence of El-Zhar, the one bright spark to come off the bench in most of our games this season.
Benayoun and not the in-form Moroccan, who is full of confidence? Very strange.

The sooner Riera gets on a Red shirt the better and let's pray to the Lord Mighty On High that he has some kind of decent ability, has pace and can cross a ball.
At the back, Skrtel and Carragher were both commendable and they only thing we can take from the game, apart from a point, is that we were tough to break down and tough to beat.
Surpringly Arbeloa was fairly solid (he tends to thrive in these cagey affairs), but the display of Dossena was another major cause for concern.
Either we've bought a duffer, or Rafa is telling him to check his runs down the left-hand side. But where is the raiding full back cum winger we thought we'd purchased?
This man was supposed to be comfortable reaching the byline and slinging high quality balls over. He treated the ball like a hot potato. Every time it was at his feet, he knocked it back. Knocked it back. Almost sent me to sleep.
He reminds me a bit of Julian Dicks which is not a good thing.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who will say that a point away at Villa is a good result all told. And they may well take points of Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal at Villa Park this season.
But it's the lack of belief, positivity and willingness to accept a point from this Liverpool side which is most galling.
Play like this and we won't be getting much from Man Utd at Anfield or Marseille away.