Liverpool Defence

[calvoboy]

Manquillo - Skrtel - Sahko - Moreno

Would be my first choice back four based on what we have, but yknow, Rodgers doesn't like Sahko and I'm thinking Johnson will stay in the team.

We're lucky Moreno looks good, we've got 1 out the 4 sorted.

Johnson - Lovren - Sakho - Moreno

Would be mine. Manquillo looks a great prospect but a little bit raw at the moment. Skrtel is a liability. We've paid big money for Lovren and Sakho so we should back them and give them a run to try and prove they are what we paid for (our long term centre-half pairing for that money, surely?).

I know people say Lovren can't play on the right, but for ****s sakes he's an international defender that cost twenty million quid, and he's right footed, he should be able to learn pretty quickly - it's not like we're asking him to play left wing. And Sakho has all the physical attributes to solve our weakness at set-pieces and vulnerability to long balls, even if he is a bit rash at the moment (understatement of the year, I know).

I agree with the arguments put forward here that overall our defensive frailties are partly systemic - and am perfectly happy personally to trade a bit of solidity to be the attacking force that we can be - it's great to watch and spanking the "lesser" teams is the only way I think we can compete with the money of City and Chelsea. It doesn't explain the individual errors at the moment though, Enrique and Skrtel in particular made some right cock-ups today that were just sheer ****e defending, nothing to do with tactics or systems.

[danperkins]

Probably not since the days of Rafael benitez. I'm not including Hodgson because his whole team was a defensive shield and that's no way to play.

[Maxiedge]

I do genuinely believe that the more is made of it in the media and alike, the worse the spiral gets as you end up believing and falling into the negative hype.

Our defenders are better than what they are showing but if they're going into games believing that they are a 'dodgy defence', then their game becomes tense and anxious. So much of defending comes from composure, a clear mind and self-belief.

[Lecter]

And it's not just the defence. The whole team is playing slow and deliberate. They allow teams to press us high. We need to up the tempo and get back to pressing as a team. That's not here this season and the defence is under too much pressure. Only the best defensive units will cope with such pressure, and no one will claim we are that.

We have not pressed as effectively this season as last, part of that is down to Suarez leaving but part is down to the lack of effectiveness from some of the players. Henderson in this regards has been a huge disappointment this season in terms of pressing, whether that is due to lack of form, tiredness from World Cup or the change in system that has him playing slightly deeper I dont know but there is a noticeable difference

Pressing not only allows you to win the ball high up the pitch and have quick transitions into attack it also enables you to play a higher defensive line (offside trap)

However to effectively play an offside trap you have to be organised and disciplined so I dont see that happening with Lovren in the side

Defensively we are terrible and its basics like, staying goalside, attacking a ball, not being too much space between the centrehalves etc..

When we defend set pieces its hard to tell whether we are man marking or zonal because, we dont stay goalside of players, we dont cover the space and we dont attack the ball well

This is amateur level stuff, its not complicated

[danperkins]

Pressing & high intensity pressing will be absolutely crucial vs Madrid. Let them have the ball in midfield and they'll destroy us.

[meffin]

Brad Smith has been recalled from loan...

http://talksport.com/football/liverpool-recall-smith-swindon-town-loan-spell-141020119729

[G]

Enrique getting bombed out?

[Big-Red-Ed]

Here's hoping.

[meffin]

Enrique getting bombed out?

Brendog clearly doesn't trust him

edit: my 5000th post

[Exiled_red]

I can't imagine we would bring him back from a season long loan this early unless either he wasn't playing there and we thought it was harming his development, or someone ahead of him in the peaking order here has got injured. Hopefully it isn't the latter.

[Rich]

Can't be any worse than Enrique.

[The_weatherman]

Hopefully Moreno is OK.

[danperkins]

Can't be any worse than Enrique.

[Daffy Duck]

We have recalled Brad Smith from his loan, apparently Swindon didn't want to let him go because he was decent there...

[meffin]

Cheers Bender