Squad Depth

[dww]

I think the biggest issue is that whilst we have cover at fullback we have no one who comes in and has proved to be able to do even half the job Johnson does for the shape of the team overall.

The injury list does look worrying but we have no idea what the training is like or how it is impacting players. Some of the players listed have had long standing injury worries (Kelly, Sturridge, Agger and Allen).

[PTP]

I agree with Darkon.

Although I'd very much like another goal threat from the bench ... a Hernandez or a Defoe* for example. Perhaps my want for a striker will ease when Suarez when returns.

* Not particularly those players as I don't rate Defoe, but that kinda option.

agree with this.


I am also hoping that Suarez coming back in will have a knock on effect

at times, we've had sturridge as the only threat on the pitch and he's looked ****ed - that takes pressure of the opposition defence, they push forward and cut off coutinho, their midfield pushes forward, and ultimately our midfield is overrun and and our defence is under pressure

Hopefully a fit Suarez/Sturridge combination will ensure the opposition defence is under pressure, even if it's just a bit of mental pressure in their heads as they are constantly aware they can't go to far due to Suarez/Sturridge presence, in turn this then gives more space to coutinho/moses - as a result their midfield comes back to help out, and that allows our midfield/defence to push forward and press higher.

[PTP]

I think the biggest issue is that whilst we have cover at fullback we have no one who comes in and has proved to be able to do even half the job Johnson does for the shape of the team overall.

The injury list does look worrying but we have no idea what the training is like or how it is impacting players. Some of the players listed have had long standing injury worries (Kelly, Sturridge, Agger and Allen).

one thing i noticed against swansea which caused us real problems was their full backs

they pushed so high up the pitch it was unreal - both virtually playing as wingbacks/wingers

it gave swansea width and an outlet all the time - this meant our midfield was getting stretched, so our 'wide' attacking two where dropping back, leaving sturridge isolated.

it's a bit of a worry for me, something i mentioned in another thread, they had us figured out pretty easily and came at us with confidence - It's great that we have a 'philosophy' we want to stick with, but if it's not working or we don't have the right players available for it too work, we need to be able to do something different.

[PTP]

i forgot to add re swansea full backs

i realise this also what rodgers wants - Johnson is great at it, Enrique blows hot and cold, some times does it well, sometimes terrible, but when both are on the pitch and fit, they usually do a good job

I also think/hope that Cissokho was going to be able to give us a good option at left back to do the same role - then he goes and gets crocked

unfortunatley wisdom and kelly aren't great at that part, i don't think they are terrible at it, they're not like carragher who couldn't go past the half way line , but they aren't exactly Dani Alves either

[Arn]

I wonder why the squad trained so hard this summer considering that we will play less games than we usually do?

If it was one summer the squad should have trained less then it was this summer because we don't play in the CL or the EL.

[RedReet]

I think the biggest issue is that whilst we have cover at fullback we have no one who comes in and has proved to be able to do even half the job Johnson does for the shape of the team overall.The injury list does look worrying but we have no idea what the training is like or how it is impacting players.

Some of the players listed have had long standing injury worries (Kelly, Sturridge, Agger and Allen).

Was gonna make a similar point, plus it remains to be seen if Allen can provide adequate cover for Lucas. Those are the two areas I would worry about most.

The injuries I think is mainly down to bad luck as the likes of Coutinho and Johnson were impact injuries and Agger's was just bizarre.

[I, Ravel Morrison]

I think the biggest issue is that whilst we have cover at fullback we have no one who comes in and has proved to be able to do even half the job Johnson does for the shape of the team overall.

The injury list does look worrying but we have no idea what the training is like or how it is impacting players. Some of the players listed have had long standing injury worries (Kelly, Sturridge, Agger and Allen).

A rightback should be a priority in Jan given our fullbacks are integral to the width in our game. All the more so given Johnson's age and contract that's running down.

[PTP]

I wonder why the squad trained so hard this summer considering that we will play less games than we usually do?

If it was one summer the squad should have trained less then it was this summer because we don't play in the CL or the EL.

is this Arnish

so you are suggesting, we've trained too hard, causing us to burn out early in a season when we have less games

but if we had more games(such as Champions league), then we should train even harder in pre season

[Arn]

is this Arnish

so you are suggesting, we've trained too hard, causing us to burn out early in a season when we have less games

but if we had more games(such as Champions league), then we should train even harder harder in pre season

Train less during the summer and do the extra training during the season instead when other teams play in the CL/EL.

If you play in the CL/EL then you must do that extra training in the summer because you have no time to do it during the season.

[dww]

Do we have any evidence that we did train harder or even differently than usual/previously?

[Arn]

Do we have any evidence that we did train harder or even differently than usual/previously?

Gerrard said that we did trained harder.

"It's been one of the toughest pre-seasons I've been through so far,

Considering that Rafa is famous for his extremly hard pre-season training schedules then this summer must been very brutal.

[wiw]

+ is there any point questioning the methods of fitness professionals, not least because we know **** all about our training methods?

[dww]

Gerrard said that we did trained harder.



Considering that Rafa is famous for his extremly hard pre-season training schedules then this summer must been very brutal.

Do you have the full quote / a link? That could concievably be interpreted as him getting older making it harder.

[dww]

+ is there any point questioning the methods of fitness professionals, not least because we know **** all about our training methods?

Almost certainly not. But it won't stop (at least) some.

[Arn]

+ is there any point questioning the methods of fitness professionals, not least because we know **** all about our training methods?

We really don't know that much about tactics and systems but we argue about that a lot.

They are fitness professionals but they still get things wrong sometimes.