Improved performance last night from Liverpool (albeit I was only half-watching) but still nothing to get me worried yet. More controlled then recent weeks, but that explosive high tempo play of last season is looking more and more like a brief run of good form not to be repeated. There was nothing along those lines here.
With no Sterling and Sturridge, they're a mid-table team in attack. Borini was decent on the night, but hardly looked like a Champions League quality striker. Lambert was anonymous, Markovich is looking like a waste of money. Balotelli has a long way to go yet and even at his peak (if he's ever had one) doesn't look like a player to carry an otherwise under-performing team.
It was a shame Swansea couldn't take them to extra time, but otherwise I'm glad they got through. I don't see them winning the cup, and wouldn't care if they did. So the extra game they have to play suits us fine, its just more congestion for them to deal with. It comes midweek with games against us and Arsenal either side of it. Apart from the international break they now have 2 games a week til the new year. For a team that's looking tired and, more importantly, one whose squad players are not delivering, additional games is just a burden. I just hope they draw a decent team so they have to field a strongish team again.