More sense from Tomkins. Granted he always sees the silver lining and sometimes relies very heavily on stats but makes some excellent points here....
Tomkins;
At least in terms of results. It's fair to say that the Reds are performing markedly better in away games than this time two years ago, but the results, if anything, are currently worse.
While I remain convinced that this season is going to be more open than ever –– look at how many points Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have dropped, both away and, more pertinently, at home –– it's also clear that without a drastic improvement in the Reds' away results, no push for the title will be possible.
Let's be frank: the Reds' most recent fixture, Bolton away, is never easy. It's a pig of a game, for all the top teams. Sam Allardyce has always pointed out how Bolton profit against the big teams if they've had midweek Champions League games.
Whilst Rafa was hoping for even-handed officiating in what is usually a physical fixture, it was neither fair (Faye should have been sent off) nor, in the case of the linesman, was it even clear-sighted. The first goal changes a game, and this was a howler. Rotation seemed to take the blame for the defeat, but what has that got to do with such a key first half decision?
The start to the season has thrown up pretty much all of the trickiest away games. Sheffield United are an average team, but one playing their first game in the Premiership like a cup final. Everton were buoyant and fresh when the Reds went there, and able to use their extra energy to great effect, even if the game could have finished 4-3 to the Reds.
The performance at Chelsea was actually the best at that venue since Benítez arrived, with more chances created in that one match than in all the recent visits. Chelsea, at home, only had one meaningful effort, and it was a screamer out of nothing. Three of the four away games have been against the early-season form sides who sit in the top five.
I don't want to blame officials, as that's not the sole reason Liverpool are mid-table. But it's one reason. Since the legitimate penalty on the opening day of the season, the Reds have been denied a number of clear calls. Nearly all of these have been at 0-0, or 1-0 down. Meanwhile, crucial goals conceded at Everton and Bolton have been down to poor refereeing.
Then there's the endless succession of strikes against the bar and post. It's now 12 times this season – I can't remember a season like it. The woodwork does not move to stop a shot, so I dislike the phrase "denied by the woodwork", but when your aim is out by inches you can consider it hard luck, especially if the keeper is totally beaten. Bellamy's effort against Spurs aside, where hitting the post seemed harder than scoring (all strikers have been there, mind) these have pretty much all been excellent efforts at goal.
Most strikers are aiming just inside the post, as the first thing you have to do is look to take the keeper out of the equation; it's not about simply hitting the target, as that can often mean giving the keeper easy shooting practice. Again, these ultra-narrow misses have been at key stages of games.
To my mind there's no denying that the fixture list has been cruel, but the aim now has to be to make the most of the remaining away fixtures; if it's been cruel to start with then, barring any miraculous transformations at other clubs in the meantime (Watford sign Ronaldinho and Kaka), the rest should be fairly kind.
Once Old Trafford is out of the way, there will be 14 games away from Anfield, and while plenty won't be easy, only Arsenal will be considered extremely tricky. And even the Arsenal game (which may actually be easier now they're on a bigger pitch, that suits wingers more than their favoured narrow formation) comes before mid-November.
If you look at Manchester United, they've yet to play their away derby, and they've had their one 'big four' match at home (which they also lost). Like Chelsea, they've also played one more home game than Liverpool, and therefore one less away.
And the three league games at Anfield – all of which have been won – haven't exactly been of the cakewalk variety. West Ham arrived brimming with confidence and full of skill and ambition, before their behind-the-scenes uncertainty undermined the good work of the last two years. Newcastle and Spurs are traditionally in toughest six-to-eight fixtures, albeit ones the Reds tend to win.
Liverpool's away form doesn't need to be better than last year if the home form continues to show an improvement; and so far so good on that score. While the home form has been good since Benítez arrived, there is still scope for improvement, especially against the top few sides.
But if the away form continues to yield such poor rewards for all the corners, shots on goal and possession, and the opposition continue to score from their only chances, then there will undoubtedly be problems.
It's too early to panic. If there's one thing Rafa Benítez has done consistently since he arrived it's solve problems. Inevitably new problems will arise as the blend is altered; that's football. You don't evolve without setbacks (ask any Duck-Billed Platypus or Emu). Problems can't be solved overnight with the wave of a magic wand.
The World Cup hangover, after two gruelling 60+ game seasons, and the incessant international breaks, hasn't helped. It's too simplistic to just blame rotation.
The manager's track record over the last five years has been superb, and it's all been achieved with rotation. The calls for him to abandon one of his key philosophies make no sense to me; it's like asking Xabi Alonso to play like Vinnie Jones. I might not personally agree with every team selection, but then I don't know the ins and outs of the complex decision making process behind it. With hindsight, even Rafa might have made different selections.
What I do know is that Benítez rotated on the way to winning two Spanish titles in three years. He actually selected a 'weaker' team to tie up his second league title, using what looked a stronger team in the Uefa Cup. Which Valencia also won. He rotated heavily between the league and the Champions League in 2005; and it led to knocking out Juventus and Chelsea, and remarkable glory in Istanbul. And he rotated last season, on the way to 82 points, and approaching 70% of all league games won. With the FA Cup thrown in to boot.
Three bad results this season, and apparently that all counts for nothing.