How to fix us

[Norbs]

Great thread

[cream]

Like anybody on here knows how to 'fix us'. ****ing lol.

[Bender]

Bring back Suarez and make him Player Manager

[cream]

Bring back Rafa. Or Kenny

[Maxiedge]

Such a lack of confidence in the whole side. We just can't win any 50/50s. If we're put under any pressure we always lose the ball. Can never seem to get out of a tricky or tight situation with a bit of skill and composure.

I would drop the players who lack confidence as it rubs off on the whole side. We seem to do well for a while and then we'll give the ball away tepidly and you sense that the opposition can then smell blood.

The players I feel at the moment do this are Johnson, Henderson (as shown by his lame attempt at a dive and penalty), Lovren and Markovic.

I would drop them for now, try something different and bring them back in gradually.

I would add Mignolet to that list if we had a replacement ffs

[BobTheCharmer]

Against Madrid could we set up as follows;

Mignolet

Gerrard
Manq. Sktrel. Lovren. Johnson

Lucas. Henderson

Sterling Lallana

Borini

So basically Gerrard playing as a sweeper. Let's bring back an old classic. Johnson is so much better on the left. Borini up front purely for his work rate.

I think Gerrard could be good in that role, would give him more protection and time on the ball. Plus he's a better header of the ball than either the other two. Madrid wouldn't expect it.

[Phoenix07]

A Christmas tree possibility, similar to the alleged idea Benitez had when he wanted to sign both Barry and Keane:

Mignolet

Manquillo---Skrtel---Sakho---Moreno

Henderson----Allen-----Can

Sterling-----Coutinho

Sturridge

[Maxiedge]

Also something else I've noticed is teams like to slow down games against us, once the temp goes out of our play, we become very generic. I've really noticed how opponents take their time with everything they do. Chelsea ended our run last season doing it and I think other teams have adopted the same formula.

It's upto us to inject more urgency and pace into the game.

[RedRum]

A Christmas tree possibility, similar to the alleged idea Benitez had when he wanted to sign both Barry and Keane:

Mignolet

Manquillo---Skrtel---Sakho---Moreno

Henderson----Allen-----Can

Sterling-----Coutinho

Sturridge

Really like the look of that.

[Jaymo]

I'd like to see

------------------Mignolet----------------
Manquillo----Skrtel----Sakho----Moreno
------------------Gerrard-----------------
--------Henderson------Allen------------
-----------------Coutinho-----------------
----------Balotelli------Borini------------

Drop Sterling, not because hes playing bad, just take him out the firing line for a bit. It worked at the beginning of last season he came back much better.

Play a narrow diamond, using the full backs to give us width when we have possession and Gerrard dropping in to make a back 3.

Borini, I think deserves a go. He was good midweek and looked lively when he came on at this weekend. As soon as Sturridge is match fit, then Borini will be replaced, unless of course Borini is playing better than Mario.

I think Sakho is back this week, and Lovren really hasn't been playing well. Too rash, too eager to prove himself, trying to win balls by nipping in front of the attacker.

[vonk]

Honestly don't think any of the players we have are bad players. Even Lovren was quality last season. Skrtel was our main centre half. At this point in time he remains the right manager in my book, but it all squarely lands at Brendan's feet.

Allen has been very poor recently, and Henderson, usually mr. reliable, stunk the place out on Saturday. Even Sterling was poor. They look like players who don't know what they are supposed to be doing, and so have resorted to play it safe. If I see Lovren, Skrtel, Johnson, Mignolet, Gerrard, Allen and Henderson passing the ball around sideways in our own half with no urgency again I will smash my tv. I can only thing that it's designed to pull players out, but other teams are just sitting back and as a result we are running down a clock that's not on our side. Our buildup play has become slow and ponderous. Gerrard is the only one I'd trust to pass the ball out of the back, Lovren and Skrtel clearly demonstrating they can't do it. But then what is the role of Allen and Henderson? I certainly had no idea what they were supposed to be doing this weekend. Coutinho is being made look average by the fact that he has zero options ahead of him, last season he had Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling ahead making intelligent runs, pulling defences out of position. My point is that in the right system, these players gain confidence and thrive. I don't know what that system is, but it's clearly not what we are doing right now.

[Darkon]

It's a though question. I think we are doing the right thing right now and focusing on getting the defence working. The rest of the team won't work untill we stand together defensively and work like a unit. The last 4 games have shown we are on track with that. A Moreno mistake against Newcastle is hard to account for, if not for that I doubt they would have scored a goal. Attack is secondary concern right now, we can't outscore teams like last year, so we need to get solid at the back. One major need IMO is to get rid of Skrtel ASAP, nobody can form a decent partnership with him. I would even go so far as to say that he is only in the team on the merit of the goals he scored last season. Headless defender that neither Carra, Agger, Sakho or Lovren so far managed to from something decent with.

Second phase is to build up a bit more going forward. I think we need to start utilizing the width of the pitch more now. We don't have the strikers to play the narrow game right now (well Sturridge, but he is to injured) and teams have read our game with Coutinho and Sterling moving through the center a lot. We now have a striker that can win arial battles in Mario and even in Lambert as well. We should use that more, and especially because we have some good forward going fullbacks and some pace and skill in Sterling, Coutinho, Lallana, Borini (to some extent),Markovic and perhaps even Sterling... Let's open up the play more and keep teams from just standing narrow and closing down Gerrard as the only 2 things they need concentrating on.

I think a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 employed like Atletico Madrid could work for us.

As it looks now:

Mignolet

Manquillo---Lovren---Sakho---Moreno

Gerrard

Henderson---Can

Sterling--------------- Coutinho

Balotelli

When Sturridge is fit, or alternatively with Borini or Markovic/sterling employed as a shadow striker.

Mignolet

Manquillo---Lovren---Sakho---Moreno

Sterling---Gerrard---Henderson---Coutinho

Balotelli---Borini

There is a lot of substituability in the team for that formation both in midfield and attack, and a lot of workrate in style of Atletico (Balotelli might be the weak link there).

In essence we need to change our habit a bit and open up play by being wider, and hopefully utilize we have some bigger and stronger strikers this season.

[Fierce]

Start by dropping the undroppable
Gerrard out Lucas in , Lovren out Sakho in.(I'd even be happy to try Kolo for Skrtel as well)
Then Johnson out anyone in and two up top in a diamond.

If we're as dog**** after 3 games then **** knows

You think Lucas would do a better job than Gerrard?

Otherwise I agree:

Manquillo - Skrtel - Sakho - Moreno
----------------Gerrard ------
--Henderson ------------ Lallana / Coutinho
--------------- Sterling
-------- Borini --------- Balotelli

We've tried solidifying the team and it is blatantly not working, we aren't strong enough defensively to invite pressure like we have been doing; so let's go on the offensive somewhat. If teams are having to defend against us (they don't currently) then they (hopefully) can't threaten us so much

[The Birdman]

Put simply if Rodgers picks the right players in their correct positions within the right system for that match we'll do loads better.

He isn't so we aren't and we won't until he does.

[BigChief]

Put simply if Rodgers picks the right players in their correct positions within the right system for that match we'll do loads better.

He isn't so we aren't and we won't until he does.

Agreed, we can expect more pain.

But aren't we going through this pain for long term gain? He has a (new?) formation/system in mind and he wants his players to get used to it now, while the damage is limited.

But yes, going back to your original point I agree we will struggle.