our defensive problems this year...

[Diego]

here me out...

i know that we haven't been creating enough chances and that our lack of goals is a big problem for us, i also know that we are 6th in the league in goals scored and if we want to win the league we need to do better. and i know that we a joint second with chelsea on fewest goals conceded 16 in 22 games, but with the mancs leading it with only 11. i also know that we are averaging 0.73 goals a game and last season we conceded 0.71 witch is hardly a difference, but we all know that this year we've been conceding bad goals, and we've not been grinding out close wins like we could in the past seasons, it used to be almost impossible for teams to come back from a liverpool lead, but lately we've been conceding week goals from crosses and set pieces witch is something we didn't do much of. if our defense
had been as stable as it has been over the last seasons and we would have held out more we wouldn't be in this mess we are in right now. we only need to look at our most recent games, havant, villa, middlesbrough, wigan, to see our problematic defensive issues. both attacking and defending are team duties, we attack as a team and defend as a team so i would never put the blame on the back for. but our defense is a big problem for us at the moment and has been for sometime, something witch has always been our strong point on witch we built on. it's something that i can't quite understand.

all in all i not saying nothing new, we all know that we both have to up our game in every sense, but our focus has been on our attacking problems and i feel that our defensive problems are just as urgent at the moment...

[Shaggy]

Been saying the same recently mate. It's a huge concern.

As I've already said - when a Rafa Benitez can't even get the defensive basics right, you know you're in serious trouble.

[lfc1394]

Rafa says we've been creating lots of chances, just not putting them away, hence turning wins into draws.

Does possession count as chances?

Guess so.

[rodo]

the defence is a big worry carra has been average this season which has seen the big hoof from early in his career return,riise has gone backwards,aurelio has done ok when called upon but injuries have again took its toll dunno whats happened to finnan,arbeloa was really consistent until lately and his last few games have been a nightmare only really sami has stood up to the test this season

[DannyMan2006]

The only thing I would say, is that with a solid defence you can build a team that is difficult to beat.

And whilst we are not getting beat at the moment, I feel that a continued failure to do the basics in defence will lead to a pretty quick exit from the Champions League at the hands of Inter, who despite what people seem to think are not that great a team.

The Italian league is very poor at the moment and I feel a confident LFC will have little trouble from disposing them, but we're a long way from that level at present.

Having said that, now that most of the unrest is dying down now I expect LFC to regain their confidence soon enough and put an end to all this nonsense of us being beaten by Inter or finishing lower than 4th.

[badpiggy]

the defence is a big worry carra has been average this season which has seen the big hoof from early in his career return,riise has gone backwards,aurelio has done ok when called upon but injuries have again took its toll dunno whats happened to finnan,arbeloa was really consistent until lately and his last few games have been a nightmare only really sami has stood up to the test this season

is that rib injury reason enough for carra's apparent downturm in form? arbeloa was becoming my favourite player and he seems to have stopped being so dependable. finnan doesn't seem to have the same verve and willingness/ability to get forward for overlaps and put in a cross(always thought this was an underrated part of his game) but he hasn't played much recently anyway.

what we're missing with agger is obvious - seems to totally have mastered the zonal marking thing very quickly. has a bit of pace, loadsa composure, can actually find a teammate with a pass, scores and i'd say he kicks lumps out of people and enjoys it. this equals ideal centre half

ironically sami seems to have had an excellent season despite the prophecies of his total demise being imminent. surely in a settled side a return to form of a hero like sami would lift the rest of the defense?

are we becoming obsessed with this holding midfielder position? it's all well and good when the holding midfielder can get hold of the ball and pass it to a teammate - of course this would just make him a standard central midfielder - but who does this for us? we don't really seem that interested in keeping possession or is it that we just don't have the players to do it? we're currentl up in a heap about the "need" to spend 17 million for a player who doesn't significantly contribute to possession other than denying it to the opposition. he plays totally differently for argentina the 5 or 6 times i've watched him play.

our problems run deep alright.

[DannyMan2006]

the defence is a big worry carra has been average this season which has seen the big hoof from early in his career return,riise has gone backwards,aurelio has done ok when called upon but injuries have again took its toll dunno whats happened to finnan,arbeloa was really consistent until lately and his last few games have been a nightmare only really sami has stood up to the test this season

Carra has not been average, but the backline has struggled with a complete lack of pace. Riise has, if anything, improved. The only reason people are moaning about him is that he is not belting in a 30 yarder which used to mask some of his frailties in defence.

Arbeloa has been poor lately 'cos he's been played out of position at left back. I agree Finnan is below his normally impecable standards, but an exteneded run with Alvaro injured will sort him out.

Sami has been as good as I'd expect from him. His complete lack of pace is the main reason the team as a whole is struggling, it is simply pathetic to watch his cynical fouls when he attempts to push up. He is not the sort of defender that a team needing to press requires. He's great if you want to with stand the Alamo, but go on the front foot with him and we suffer.

[DannyMan2006]

are we becoming obsessed with this holding midfielder position? it's all well and good when the holding midfielder can get hold of the ball and pass it to a teammate - of course this would just make him a standard central midfielder - but who does this for us? we don't really seem that interested in keeping possession or is it that we just don't have the players to do it? we're currentl up in a heap about the "need" to spend 17 million for a player who doesn't significantly contribute to possession other than denying it to the opposition. he plays totally differently for argentina the 5 or 6 times i've watched him play. our problems run deep alright.

This is true, but the reason for this is because they play different tactics and so he is asked to paly differently.

But then, Argentina have enough quality players for him to pass to who can work a bit of Magic. He's not afforded that luxury at Liverpool. The thing I would say with Mascher is that he needs to take mre responsibility when he has the ball and try to make things happen.

Too often Stevie is having to drop back because Mascher, Carra and Hyypia are incapable of getting it past the half way line, mainly in part to the deep line the centre backs are holding.