Liverpool Defence

[Pablo]

Done it myself.

After 8 games last season:
Scored 13, conceded 7, 17 points, in third place.

After 8 games this season:
Scored 13, conceded 12, 13 points, in fifth place.

[The_weatherman]

Done it myself.

After 8 games last season:
Scored 13, conceded 7, 17 points, in third place.

After 8 games this season:
Scored 13, conceded 12, 13 points, in fifth place.

Although we were a bit more stronger at the back in the first part weren't we? Anyway I agree with you all, better GK, better defenders, better defensive organization, better DM's and a better attack.


What are we good at though?

[BobTheCharmer]

It wouldn't be so bad if either of our centre backs looked like scoring from corners. Nothing this season. Skrtels goals papered over the cracks last year for me.

[Fierce]

Aren't our centre halves a bit thick? I mean, you can have the athletic and footballing ability, but a centre half, almost more than anywhere else on the pitch needs to be intelligent in order to read the game and defend accordingly. Skrtel for example strikes me as being thick as ****.

Hyppia - clever. Henchoz - thick as ****
Agger - clever. Skrtel - thick as ****

Lovren looks a bit thick to me too. Jury's out on Sakho. He looks mental but could still be highly intelligent with it

Uruguyan fella? Proper dense

[DannyMan2006]

I think Fierce is right, but so are many others on here. I think Lecter hit the nail on the head best, it's all over the place where we need to improve.

The Forward(s) haven't pressed enough. The midfield have pressed individually at times but not as a unit. The back four haven't played as a solid unit. The keeper has made some glaring errors. The team as a whole have made so many individual mistakes I couldn't count them for one game, never mind the lot.

The amount of misplaced simple passes has been infuriating. They don't pass and move with pace. Then on the attack we've took shots from ridiculous angles instead of passing to someone in more space. Balotelli obviously springs to mind, but I remember we were one goal away from West Ham and Borini shoots from a ridiculously acute angle when we had people free in the middle for a cut back.

In all honesty all I've seen against Liverpool is the same we did last season. Fly out the blocks and press the hell out of us, hope they get the goal to defend and then when they're knackered in the second half hang on for dear life in 2 solid banks of four with and a few looking to break. At least when we had the lead last season we kept attacking despite being knackered and ended up with 6-3 and 4-3 etc. fun to watch.

I've no doubt in my mind that as soon as Sturridge gets back teams won't be able to press so high and we'll look ten times better. But until then Raheem and the others need to get on their bikes like v QPR and provide a passing option for the midfielders. Depressing watching Coutinho get on the ball and have **** all to pass too other than Balotelli who drops deep and asks for a ball to feet so he can take a couple on and blast one from 25 yards. And repeat.

Mind if Balotelli actually waited in the box, made runs in behind etc he'd find he'd get the support. He reminds me of Gerrard back in the day, or Wayne Rooney. If no one gets the ball to their feet they drop deeper and deeper looking for the ball. They get frustrated easily. We need a Mickey Owen. He won't get a touch all game but he'll wait and wait for a chance and sniff around the box. Pace in behind, he'd make runs all day waiting for Gerrard to find him.

I just feel that when you buy a player for a system, you look at the ingredients and then purchase that type, whether they're the required quality or not, you just buy the best you can of that type. What you don't do is buy the best player you can, if he doesn't fit the system. Look at Barca when they signed Ibrahimovic. Great player. But he didn't work with that team. He was just not the type of player they needed, and they made him look average. And he made Barca function worse. He lasted a season and was on his way.

Will Balo last longer? Maybe. But he'll only ever look first class if he drops the ego and plays for the team. Ibrahimovic never conformed at Barca. He has to change his game. He has to stay on the last man and give us options.

[DannyMan2006]

Sorry about last post, was supposed to be about the defence but turned into a rant!

[Lecter]

Done it myself.

After 8 games last season:
Scored 13, conceded 7, 17 points, in third place.

After 8 games this season:
Scored 13, conceded 12, 13 points, in fifth place.

So our defence was poor last season and we spent £20m on a centrehalf, £12m on a leftback and £10m on a holding / box-to-box midfielder and have conceeded nearly double the amount of goals we did last season

On the face of it, it doesnt look like a good return on investment does it

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

So our defence was poor last season and we spent £20m on a centrehalf, £12m on a leftback and £10m on a holding / box-to-box midfielder and have conceeded nearly double the amount of goals we did last season

On the face of it, it doesnt look like a good return on investment does it

Give them time..... how much time?

[Lecter]

Give them time..... how much time?

I actually like Can & Moreno

Lovren we could wait from now till doomsday and we wont see an improvement

He doesnt even get the basics of defending right

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

I actually like Can & Moreno

Lovren we could wait from now till doomsday and we wont see an improvement

He doesnt even get the basics of defending right

I like them too, can definitely see promise.

Lovren was good at Southampton, it's not as if he was surrounded by amazing talent and was hiding. He did well for them, what happened?

[DannyMan2006]

So our defence was poor last season and we spent £20m on a centrehalf, £12m on a leftback and £10m on a holding / box-to-box midfielder and have conceeded nearly double the amount of goals we did last season

On the face of it, it doesnt look like a good return on investment does it

If we had Suarez & Sturridge up top I doubt we'd have conceded so many. In fact, if even Joe Allen had stayed fit I think we might have done better. The midfield 3 of Gerrard, Allen & Hendo really takes us forwards as they know when to press.

[Rich]

[G]

Papadopolous scored for Bayer tonight.

[Bender]

Our defence for Real's 3rd Goal......Ah yes that white thing shall we get it

[Lecter]

If we had Suarez & Sturridge up top I doubt we'd have conceded so many. In fact, if even Joe Allen had stayed fit I think we might have done better. The midfield 3 of Gerrard, Allen & Hendo really takes us forwards as they know when to press.

We are conceeding from set pieces and direct balls

I dont see how any of the above stops us conceeding set pieces and whilst better pressing can cut out some direct balls you still have to deal with them

Set pieces and balls knocked in to our box create absolute panic

We have problems all over the pitch at minute and whilst pressing etc might helpbit still doesnt get away from the need for the back four to do the basics properly