TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 SPORTS Five ways Rodgers has revitalised Liverpool LONDON: Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Liverpool back to their roots, instituting a last year, but he has emerged as one of the has rewarded the Northern Irishman by starting berth with both hands. Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend took patient, possession-based game and urg- deadliest strikers in the country, scoring 34 producing the best season of his career, them to the top of the Premier League ing his players to play the ball out from the goals in his first 43 games for the club. scoring 29 league goals and developing a 5. TACTICAL FLEXIBILITY table, raising hopes of a first English title back even when they are put under pres- Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, superb understanding with Sturridge. He Rodgers learnt at the knee of Jose since 1990. sure. “Under some of the previous man- signed from Inter Milan for �8.5 million, signed a new contract in December and is Mourinho during his time as a youth Their title tilt has been masterminded agers, when things haven’t been going has also proved a shrewd acquisition, the overwhelming favourite to be voted coach at Chelsea and he is forging a repu- by manager Brendan Rodgers, who over- well, we’d tend to go more direct and get although of the six players who arrived last the Professional Footballers’ Association tation as a similarly resourceful tactician. saw a seventh-place finish last season in the ball forward more quickly,” captain year, only goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has Player of the Year. Liverpool have used a variety of different his first campaign since succeeding Kenny Steven Gerrard told FourFourTwo maga- been able to hold down a first-team place. playing systems this season, deploying a 3- Dalglish in July 2012. zine last year. “But Brendan wants us to 4. SQUAD ROTATION 4-1-2 formation during the autumn and Here, AFP Sports looks at some of the play from the back and improve our 3. BEST OUT OF SUAREZ Raheem Sterling disappeared from view alternating between a 4-3-3 and a 4-3-1-2 methods that the 41-year-old has used to angles so we pass with more incision and There was a time during the close sea- mid-way through last season after bursting in recent weeks. Speaking after the victory turn Anfield into a fortress once again: pace. He wants us to stick to Plan A.” son when the prospect of seeing Luis onto the scene, with Rodgers explaining over Spurs on Sunday, Rodgers said: “The Suarez in a Liverpool shirt again seemed a that he was worried about him getting last four games we played a diamond (4-3- 1. A NEW IDENTITY 2. SHREWD SIGNINGS distinctly remote possibility. Having been burnt out, and the 19-year-old winger’s 1-2); today it was 4-3-3. We have got flexi- Liverpool have long been associated Four consecutive seasons without banned for 10 matches after biting electric displays this term have vindicated bility and that is what we are trying to with pass-and-move football, but the club Champions League football have hit the Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, the the manager’s cautious approach. After a develop, and the players are comfortable lost their way during Dalglish’s second stint club in the pocket, but Rodgers has helped Uruguayan complained about his treat- rocky start to his Anfield career, former with that.” His commitment to fielding two as manager, typified by the club-record get around the problem by showing an ment by the British press and then Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson strikers has enabled Liverpool to plunder �35 million ($58.3 million, 42.4 million eye for a bargain in the transfer market. accused Liverpool of breaking their word has blossomed under Rodgers’s guidance, 88 league goals in 32 matches, while 33- euros) acquisition of target man Andy Daniel Sturridge cost only �12 million by denying him a move to Arsenal. while 21-year-old full-back Jon Flanagan year-old Gerrard has been a revelation in a Carroll in January 2011. Rodgers has taken when he signed from Chelsea in January Rodgers stood firm, however, and Suarez has grasped the opportunity to claim a new midfield holding role. —AFP Buffon heroics can’t save Juventus from rare loss ITALY: Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon’s heroics were not enough for Juventus as the Serie A leaders lost 2-0 at an inspired Napoli on Sunday, only their sec- ond league defeat of the season. Jose Callejon and substitute Dries Mertens, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, handed Juventus their first league defeat since Oct. 20 to give a glimmer of hope to chasing AS Roma. Second-placed Roma cut Juve’s lead to 11 points after a controversial 2-0 win at lowly Sassuolo where play was delayed for five minutes as the referee changed his mind over a penalty decision. Juventus have 81 points from 31 games and seven left to play while Roma have 70 and Napoli, in the Champions League playoff spot, are on 64. PORTUGAL: Porto’s forward Ricardo Quaresma (right) vies with Nacional’s They are followed by Fiorentina (52) and Inter defender Joao Aurelio during the Portuguese League football match. —AFP Milan (48) who visit Udinese late yesterday. Although Juventus still have a huge lead, there were enough signs of fatigue in their performance Porto suffer shock defeat to give encouragement to Roma who have a game in hand. PORTUGAL: Porto forward Ricardo were awarded a penalty for a foul on “Until it becomes mathematically impossible, Quaresma missed a penalty, was booked for Quaresma but the forward struck his effort we have to keep looking forward,” said Roma diving and ended the match arguing with against the post. coach Rudi Garcia. Controversy erupted in the opponents as the titleholders suffered a Martinez had a goal disallowed for push- 36th minute of Roma’s game when Italy World shock 2-1 defeat at Nacional in the ing before Quaresma had an appeal for Cup referee Nicola Rizzoli initially awarded Portuguese league on Sunday. another penalty turned down in stoppage Sassuolo a penalty for a foul by Mehdi Benatia on A furious Quaresma had to be restrained time and this time was booked for diving. Nicola Sansone but then gave Roma a drop ball ITALY: Juventus’s Montenegrin forward Mirko Vucinic (center) fights for the ball with by his team mates and club officials as he The defeat left Porto in third place with after five minutes of protests. Napoli’s Italian forward Lorenzo Insigne (left) and Napoli’s Spanish defender Raul went to remonstrate with Nacional players 49 points, 15 adrift of leaders Benfica who Roma were 1-0 ahead through Mattia Destro’s Albiol during the Italian Serie A football match. —AFP following the final whistle. He was appar- won 1-0 at Braga to claim their eighth suc- 10th goal of the season at the time and a late goal ently unhappy with some of the Nacional cessive league win. by Brazilian Michel Bastos secured the win. gave Lazio the lead but Parma hit back through Insigne’s cross past Buffon in the 28th minute. tackling. An early goal from Brazilian forward Sampdoria coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was sent off Jonathan Biabiany and a bizarre Michael Ciani Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo failed to hit The Madeira-based hosts went ahead in Lima was enough for the Eagles and not as his side drew 0-0 at home to Fiorentina but said own goal. the target with his usually dependable free kicks the 19th minute when Daniel Candeias, even a late penalty miss by their striker he did not mind as he would be suspended when Ciani made a complete hash of an attempt to and even sent one crossfield pass straight to the who was raised at Porto and did not cele- Rodrigo could spoil their day in a game of they play Lazio next week. control the ball and sent it between Lazio goal- opposition in a weary-looking first-half display. brate his goal, chested the ball down and few chances. “The last time I won at Lazio, with Catania, I was keeper Federico Marchetti’s legs. The visitors improved after halftime but, just as fired home from the edge of the area. “Braga didn’t have a single scoring also suspended,” said the Serb. “I’m one of the few At the San Paolo, Napoli piled into Juventus they were threatening an equaliser, Napoli broke Colombia forward Jackson Martinez lev- chance, nor did they create any real danger, coaches who stand up for referees and I didn’t from the start and only 36-year-old goalkeeper clear and Mertens fired an angled shot past Buffon elled for Porto at the start of the second half but it’s also true that we didn’t have many offend anyone.” Buffon kept them at bay as he made a point blank with nine minutes left. only for Venezuelan Mario Rondon to put chances,” said Benfica coach Jorge Jesus. Lazio, again playing in a half-empty Stadio save from Callejon and brilliantly turned Marek “We have too often lacked the determination the hosts back in front within two minutes Benfica stayed seven points clear of Olimpico as fans continued to boycott the team in Hamsik’s effort over the bar. and intensity we showed this season,” said Benitez. after being set up by Candeias. Porto Sporting who beat Vitoria Guimaraes 1-0 on protest at president Claudio Lotito, beat Parma 3-2 Hamsik also had a goal disallowed but Rafael “We’ve played plenty of games at a very high level should have equalised again when they Saturday.