Perhaps the biggest frustration for me with our team is our full backs. I'm not sure if its the players themselves or Rafa's use of them but by and large they offer very little going forward. Today was typical for me. In a game where we badly needed to stretch the game, our full backs offered little support.
Compare this to our title rivals, all of which have at least 1 really top notch attacking full back. Man Utd have Evra. Chelsea have Cole and Arsenal have Clichy. All 3 players are a constant attacking threat, providing real width in the final third. Arsenal in particular use both their full backs in the attacking third, because they like us, lack any real width in midfield.
Our wide players in midfield tend to like to come inside rather than go past on the outside. Benny and Babel are particulary keen to do this. This isn't a problem if the full back provides width but ours don't. Finnan was a great attacking full back with Fulahm but he hardly gets forward at all now. He's scored 1 goal for LFC in 201 appearences, yet in 350 appearences prior to joining us he scored 16.
On the left JAR is more attacking but even he offers little real width. His main attacking threat is from set pieces. He doesn't have the ability to beat his man on the outside.
I'm not sure if the players are solely to blame. I very much doubt Rafa encourages them to get forward but its essential when our midfield is so narrow.
2 of LFC's most important goals were scored by fullbacks. Alan Kennedy scored the winner to secure the European cup against Real Madrid from open play with about 10 minutes to go.
Against roma in a European Cup Final, it was another full back who scored our goal, again from open play. Phil Neal found himself unmarked on the 6 yard box to prod home the all important goal.
I don't believe either goal would be scored by todays team. No way would our left back be bursting forward at 0-0 in the last 10 minutes of a final. Equally no way would Finnan/Arbeloa find themselves on the six yard line from open play in the 1st 20 minutes or so of a final.
In short we need to use our full backs in a more attacking way if we are to turn some of our draws into all important 3 points. Today ours did little to help the cause. Imagine the other 'big 3' in the same boat, their full backs would have been continually bombing forward.
I suspect Rafa is reluctant to allow any defenders much scope to venture forward, he;s too cautious for that but maybe that our problem at the moment and why so many winnable games have ended in 1 point and not 3.
Compare this to our title rivals, all of which have at least 1 really top notch attacking full back. Man Utd have Evra. Chelsea have Cole and Arsenal have Clichy. All 3 players are a constant attacking threat, providing real width in the final third. Arsenal in particular use both their full backs in the attacking third, because they like us, lack any real width in midfield.
Our wide players in midfield tend to like to come inside rather than go past on the outside. Benny and Babel are particulary keen to do this. This isn't a problem if the full back provides width but ours don't. Finnan was a great attacking full back with Fulahm but he hardly gets forward at all now. He's scored 1 goal for LFC in 201 appearences, yet in 350 appearences prior to joining us he scored 16.
On the left JAR is more attacking but even he offers little real width. His main attacking threat is from set pieces. He doesn't have the ability to beat his man on the outside.
I'm not sure if the players are solely to blame. I very much doubt Rafa encourages them to get forward but its essential when our midfield is so narrow.
2 of LFC's most important goals were scored by fullbacks. Alan Kennedy scored the winner to secure the European cup against Real Madrid from open play with about 10 minutes to go.
Against roma in a European Cup Final, it was another full back who scored our goal, again from open play. Phil Neal found himself unmarked on the 6 yard box to prod home the all important goal.
I don't believe either goal would be scored by todays team. No way would our left back be bursting forward at 0-0 in the last 10 minutes of a final. Equally no way would Finnan/Arbeloa find themselves on the six yard line from open play in the 1st 20 minutes or so of a final.
In short we need to use our full backs in a more attacking way if we are to turn some of our draws into all important 3 points. Today ours did little to help the cause. Imagine the other 'big 3' in the same boat, their full backs would have been continually bombing forward.
I suspect Rafa is reluctant to allow any defenders much scope to venture forward, he;s too cautious for that but maybe that our problem at the moment and why so many winnable games have ended in 1 point and not 3.
but we need better fullbacks.
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