killerp » Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:34 am wrote:Santa » Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:16 am wrote:DEFENCE, DEFENCE, DEFENCE...and don't tell me to stay calm because this is just early July, judging by all the players that we are getting in (Lovren aside but I can see another Moreno situation happening all over again where we walk away from our main target for small valuation difference but willing to sell our biggest asset at a big discount?) already. I would hoped that we are linked with another one or two more defensive players seeing that was our biggest weakness last season.
Micah Richards & Alderweireld have been mentioned and I sure as hell would not pay 20+ million for Lovren, Mats Hummels maybe!
Having so much money to spend and not addressing our defence would be a crime.
I think one of the big elephants in the room that we will have to address this season is Gerrards role. Yes our defence shipped in 50 goals but no team defends with just 4 players, defending is done as a team and IMO at times last season our midfield went AWOL and left our back 4 badly exposed.
Until we start defending as a unit you can bring anyone you like in IMO but it won't make that much difference.
As we saw in the World Cup Gerrard just doesn't have the awareness or the positional sense of a natural DM, he is too keen to retreat to the edge of our area which in turn just invites pressure onto us. The best DM's engage the opposition high up the pitch, if you look at a highlight reel of Lucas when he was at his pre injury best most of his interceptions and tackles took place 10 yards either side of the halfway line, not on the edge of our area.
All Gerrards best work as a DM happens in our box, and it's usually in the form of blocking shots or cutting out crosses at the near post, he almost plays as an auxiliary CB not a DM.
It's very rare that you see him anticipating and intercepting a pass or nicking the ball off someone's toe in the middle of the park.