Brendan Rodgers

[RichC]

The mistakes on the most part seem to be switching off, as Fred says I think that's very hard to coach out of them in fact all 3 goals we saw players switch off Lovren, Moreno, Henderson and Mignolet.

[Rich]

He's clearly not a defensively minded coach. His formations mean that there's significant pressure on our defence to perform at an optimal level. Not only does he want his fullbacks to attack like wingers but he doesn't want to employ a dedicated defensive midfielder or two. It's a blitz tactic designed to out gun the opposition, worked a treat last season too. The fact is you don't attack as well as we do if your midfield is geared up to protect the defence, unless you've got a Messi-type player in his pomp.

Brendan just needs to hold his nerve, stick with the same 5 defenders for as long as possible to see if they can form a cohesive unit and reduce the number of individual mistakes.

[G]

Well if it's just down to concentration as it was last season it's pretty poor that we may well have bought two new players with the same issues.

[Chris]

The problem is personnel, well one person rather and it's not Brendan Rodgers. We did look excellent defensively at one point under Rodgers and guess who was out of the team at the time? Martin Skrtel and our defensive record of conceding well over a goal a game suddenly dropped to .76 a game over 17 games which is brilliant.

Get rid of him and we'll improve, so it's Brendan's fault in that respect for sure. A left centre back wasn't really needed this summer so hopefully Lovren can switch to the right.

[dom9]

Last season Rodgers said the mistakes the defence made where things you couldn't coach out of them, he just needed better players. Today I see a quote from him saying you can spend all the money you want but you can't guarantee anything. A worrying statement. Is defensive coaching a weak point of his and is he too stubborn to employ someone who can do it?

We have a new defence this season. It will take time for them to gel and play as the manager wants them to.

It's too early to make a judgement either way imo.

[G]

He's clearly not a defensively minded coach. His formations mean that there's significant pressure on our defence to perform at an optimal level. Not only does he want his fullbacks to attack like wingers but he doesn't want to employ a dedicated defensive midfielder or two. It's a blitz tactic designed to out gun the opposition, worked a treat last season too. The fact is you don't attack as well as we do if your midfield is geared up to protect the defence, unless you've got a Messi-type player in his pomp.

Brendan just needs to hold his nerve, stick with the same 5 defenders for as long as possible to see if they can form a cohesive unit and reduce the number of individual mistakes.

City scored more than us and conceded less. It is possible to attack with verve and swagger while keeping things tight enough at the back to succeed. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive. Fair do's they have more money but their defenders didn't cost a bomb.

[RichC]

They also had a better and deeper squad than us last season, unfortunately we've been handed some tough opening games which doesn't give us the chance to bed players in properly.

I think we'll see a much improved defensive performance this season overall with less goals being out past us the flip side will be whether we can score near to what we did last season.

[RedRum]

The problem is personnel, well one person rather and it's not Brendan Rodgers. We did look excellent defensively at one point under Rodgers and guess who was out of the team at the time? Martin Skrtel and our defensive record of conceding well over a goal a game suddenly dropped to .76 a game over 17 games which is brilliant.

Get rid of him and we'll improve, so it's Brendan's fault in that respect for sure. A left centre back wasn't really needed this summer so hopefully Lovren can switch to the right.

Wasn't aware of those stats. Quite surprising. How long was Skrtel out of the team in this period?

[G]

They also had a better and deeper squad than us last season, unfortunately we've been handed some tough opening games which doesn't give us the chance to bed players in properly.

I think we'll see a much improved defensive performance this season overall with less goals being out past us the flip side will be whether we can score near to what we did last season.

Hopefully. I think less goals scored is a guarantee but not due to set up changes to tighten the back but due to losing Suarez, not just his own goals but the goals his movement and creativity made for others. If things don't improve at the back there has to come time when we have to look at it and ask what's the constant between last season and now and it isn't Lovren and Moreno.

[RichC]

Well for me of the back four Johnson has had his chances and with Manquillo coming in and Flannagan coming back at some point I think we'll see his chances limited with us the other one is Skrtel his defending is too high risk for me, looks great when he gets it right but the times he doesn't we're often left horribly exposed at the back and he's always come across as someone that needs to be told where to position himself.

[Alex]

This defence needs a good long run of games together. Chopping and changing wont do any favours.

Why he doesnt play Sakho is beyond me at the moment though. Sakho and Lovren are a pretty low risk pairing if you ask me. I dont buy all this stuff about them both being same footed.

[Chazza]

This defence needs a good long run of games together. Chopping and changing wont do any favours.

Why he doesnt play Sakho is beyond me at the moment though. Sakho and Lovren are a pretty low risk pairing if you ask me. I dont buy all this stuff about them both being same footed.

They are not same footed, Lovren is right footed but plays on the left.

Having said that we won't know if it is a problem if they are never put on the pitch together.

[I, Ravel Morrison]

He's clearly not a defensively minded coach. His formations mean that there's significant pressure on our defence to perform at an optimal level. Not only does he want his fullbacks to attack like wingers but he doesn't want to employ a dedicated defensive midfielder or two. It's a blitz tactic designed to out gun the opposition, worked a treat last season too. The fact is you don't attack as well as we do if your midfield is geared up to protect the defence, unless you've got a Messi-type player in his pomp.

Brendan just needs to hold his nerve, stick with the same 5 defenders for as long as possible to see if they can form a cohesive unit and reduce the number of individual mistakes.

I feel we need to go back to the diamond to get the goals, and the wins, going. Never mind if we concede a few here and there as long as there's a settled back four getting used to one another during the period.

[Rowan]

The problem is personnel, well one person rather and it's not Brendan Rodgers. We did look excellent defensively at one point under Rodgers and guess who was out of the team at the time? Martin Skrtel and our defensive record of conceding well over a goal a game suddenly dropped to .76 a game over 17 games which is brilliant.

Get rid of him and we'll improve, so it's Brendan's fault in that respect for sure. A left centre back wasn't really needed this summer so hopefully Lovren can switch to the right.

I agree. Positionally he's just not good enough. To many lapses, letting runners go, stepping out and not realising the danger behind him. A constant liability. The odd crunching slidey tackle (usually having let his man go walkies) doesn't hide that. He's alright but not a top, top, top centre half which is what we need.

That said having Johnson on that side probably doesn't help him

[G]

Who's at fault? Carra and Neville pointed out that Johnson and Skrtel dropped back while Lovren and Moreno stepped up. This left us with a horrible line which was exposed. The goals came from the left but was it because the two boys stepped up or because the other two dropped back and played them onside.