Source: Liverpool_Echo
JOHN ALDRIDGE: Winning is all that matters for Liverpool FC at the moment
DURING the days when I was playing, Wimbledon used to get some ferocious criticism for the direct style they favoured.[LNB]Games were never pretty but at least you knew what was in store and you would try to find a way of coping with it. Last Sunday, though, I watched a team play possible the most amount of long balls I have ever seen.[LNB]It was ridiculous how many set plays Blackburn launched into Liverpool's penalty area and it was only when a subtle switch was made that saw Fernando Torres put pressure on Paul Robinson that we could deal with it.[LNB]When David Ngog came on, however, he stopped doing the kind of closing down that Torres had been doing and that was why we were left to deal with an onslaught in the final minutes.[LNB]Happily, we came out on top and that, in the grand scheme of things, was all that mattered.[LNB]I don't expect the Reds to have to contest another war of attrition on Monday night, as Wigan Athletic are a side that like to play football, but with the DW Stadium just having a new pitch laid, I'm not sure it will suit our passing.[LNB]If that is the case, it's imperative we get the ball up the field as quickly as possible to Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun to put as much pressure as we possibly can on a Wigan side that is threatened by relegation.[LNB]To qualify for the Champions League, Liverpool are going to have to win on the road as well as at home and we simply haven't been successful as much as we should have been away from Anfield.[LNB]Fortunately, we have a good chance to rectify that and it would be a real fillip if Liverpool can win at Wigan and see off Portsmouth, as it would make a massive difference going into the Manchester United game.[LNB]But before we think about the trip to Old Trafford, we need a big result in another part of Greater Manchester - fingers crossed we'll get it.
