Liverpool FC Forum

Totally agree with the last 3 posters.
Our midfield is superslow with Lucas and Gerrard.
Then playing a 4-3-3 with GJ as rb is a recipe for disaster.

I beginning to think that no matter who we bought, we would still be a shambles, the guys we have don't turn into Sunday league players overnight so there is something drastically wrong with the coaching or tactics. WTF are our coaching staff doing to sort out the defence, what is BR doing, just keeps swapping players around, changing formations. There has got to be more to it than form, we really need a good experienced defensive coach that can come in and sort out what is wrong. Can't see it happening though, the manager seems to think slagging players off to the media and dropping them is answer. You don't see him slagging off Allen or Hendo though.

Liverpool FC news: Twelve defenders may face Anfield exit in overhaul

Brendan Rodgers' search for a reliable back four could spell bad news for 10 outfield players and his two senior goalkeepers

By  Chris Bascombe

22 Dec 2014

Liverpool's defensive uncertainty extends off the pitch as well as on it as 10 of Brendan Rodgers' back line and both his senior keepers are unsure of their Anfield future.

Three established members of Rodgers' back four – Kolo Touré, Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan – will be free agents this summer, enabling them to leave on a Bosman transfer unless the club offers new deals. The same applies to Brad Jones, who is currently the preferred choice in goal ahead of Simon Mignolet.

The Belgian goalkeeper must fear his spell on Merseyside will be brief having lost his place and with his club actively searching for another first-choice number one.

Martin Skrtel has been a regular starter under Rodgers but he has only 18 months left on his current deal and there has been no approach to extend his terms yet.

Mamadou Sakho and Jose Enrique are also far from certain to avoid the next squad cull. They only tend to feature in the event of injury and suspension and would both be sold if the right offer was forthcoming next summer.

Defenders Sebastian Coates, Andre Wisdom and Tiago Ilori are currently on loan elsewhere, waiting to see if they have any long-term future at Anfield, while Javier Manquillo moved to Anfield on a two-year loan from Atletico Madrid.

With Liverpool continuing to be undermined by their defenders, it is highly likely there will be another turnaround of personnel as Rodgers seeks a more reliable back four.

Liverpool defenders/keepers with uncertain future:
Out of contract, summer 2015: Kolo Touré, Glen Johnson, Jon Flanagan, Brad Jones (g)

Out of contract, summer 2016: Martin Skrtel

Failing to impress: Simon Mignolet (g), Mamadou Sakho, Jose Enrique

Out on loan: Sebastian Coates (Sunderland), Andre Wisdom (West Brom), Tiago Ilori (Bordeaux)

On loan at Anfield: Javier Manquillo

Boocity » Sat Dec 20, 2014 5:54 pm wrote:I beginning to think that no matter who we bought, we would still be a shambles, the guys we have don't turn into Sunday league players overnight so there is something drastically wrong with the coaching or tactics. WTF are our coaching staff doing to sort out the defence, what is BR doing, just keeps swapping players around, changing formations. There has got to be more to it than form, we really need a good experienced defensive coach that can come in and sort out what is wrong. Can't see it happening though, the manager seems to think slagging players off to the media and dropping them is answer. You don't see him slagging off Allen or Hendo though.

Seb Coates looked like Vidic for sunderland against Newcastle. Coates.....can you believe it ?

Its so obvious....we can have buy the best defenders from Germany and Italy ......... and they will still look like Traore under Rodgers. Its something LFC fans have to live with as long as he is the Head Coach.

Hopefully not for long....

Interesting stat, Liverpool is the only Premier League team with 0 defensive errors in 2015. Incidentally, neither Lovren nor Johnson have played for us in 2015, while Gerrard has only played further forward, and Lucas has played in all of these games.

damjan193 » Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:18 pm wrote:Interesting stat, Liverpool is the only Premier League team with 0 defensive errors in 2015. Incidentally, neither Lovren nor Johnson have played for us in 2015, while Gerrard has only played further forward, and Lucas has played in all of these games.

In tonight's Echo they also said that this is the first time we have kept a clean sheet in 3 consecutive away games since Benitez's heyday back in 2008. That's 7 years ago now!

The defense is definitely on the right path to finally turn a corner, they were all outstanding today once again, especially considering the opposition. Bar the atypical mistake by Can for the pen and the 30 yard shot by their LB that ended in row Z they didn't have another shot, Mignolet was never threatened.

With the introduction of Can and Sakho and Lucas in front of them, pushing Gerrard further forward, getting rid of Johnson and Lovren and with implementing the 3-4-3 formation, we're finally on the right path to create a decent defense. Maybe still too early to say that but it's been a few games now and it looks promising.

damjan193 » Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:19 pm wrote:The defense is definitely on the right path to finally turn a corner, they were all outstanding today once again, especially considering the opposition. Bar the atypical mistake by Can for the pen and the 30 yard shot by their LB that ended in row Z they didn't have another shot at goal, Mignolet was never threatened.

With the introduction of Can and Sakho and Lucas in front of them, pushing Gerrard further forward, getting rid of Johnson and Lovren and with implementing the 3-4-3 formation, we're finally on the right path to create a decent defense.

I don't even think it was a pen, this time last year Eto'o body checked Suarez in a similar fashion at Stamford Bridge and the ref waved play on. Besides Hazard is the biggest diver in the league and was looking for it.
I agree with your general point though mate, I thought we defended superbly all game and to reduce a team as good as them to a couple of speculative efforts was a magnificent effort.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Wed Jan 21, 2015 1:29 am wrote:

damjan193 » Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:19 pm wrote:The defense is definitely on the right path to finally turn a corner, they were all outstanding today once again, especially considering the opposition. Bar the atypical mistake by Can for the pen and the 30 yard shot by their LB that ended in row Z they didn't have another shot at goal, Mignolet was never threatened.

With the introduction of Can and Sakho and Lucas in front of them, pushing Gerrard further forward, getting rid of Johnson and Lovren and with implementing the 3-4-3 formation, we're finally on the right path to create a decent defense.

I don't even think it was a pen, this time last year Eto'o body checked Suarez in a similar fashion at Stamford Bridge and the ref waved play on. Besides Hazard is the biggest diver in the league and was looking for it.
I agree with your general point though mate, I thought we defended superbly all game and to reduce a team as good as them to a couple of speculative efforts was a magnificent effort.

Can't wait for Sturridge to come back to finally see some balance between defense and attack, something that we were lacking last season. There's hope for us yet if we can keep this up.

damjan193 » Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:35 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Wed Jan 21, 2015 1:29 am wrote:

damjan193 » Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:19 pm wrote:The defense is definitely on the right path to finally turn a corner, they were all outstanding today once again, especially considering the opposition. Bar the atypical mistake by Can for the pen and the 30 yard shot by their LB that ended in row Z they didn't have another shot at goal, Mignolet was never threatened.

With the introduction of Can and Sakho and Lucas in front of them, pushing Gerrard further forward, getting rid of Johnson and Lovren and with implementing the 3-4-3 formation, we're finally on the right path to create a decent defense.

I don't even think it was a pen, this time last year Eto'o body checked Suarez in a similar fashion at Stamford Bridge and the ref waved play on. Besides Hazard is the biggest diver in the league and was looking for it.
I agree with your general point though mate, I thought we defended superbly all game and to reduce a team as good as them to a couple of speculative efforts was a magnificent effort.

Can't wait for Sturridge to come back to finally see some balance between defense and attack, something that we were lacking last season. There's hope for us yet if we can keep this up.

Yeah, I don't want to get too carried away as it's early days yet but In Skrtel, Can and Sakho we may have just stumbled across a good defence and if we add a good defence to an attack consisting of players like Sturridge, Coutinho, Sterling, Lallana and Markovic we really could be a force to be reckoned with.

Six clean sheets away from home in a row, equalling a club record. Quite an achievement.

Can hasn't been at his best recently but Skrtel and Sakho have been immense. If you ever want an idea of how clueless pundits and commentator are just listen to their opinions of Sakho before or during a game. Absolutely clueless.

stmichael » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:33 am wrote:Six clean sheets away from home in a row, equalling a club record. Quite an achievement.

Can hasn't been at his best recently but Skrtel and Sakho have been immense. If you ever want an idea of how clueless pundits and commentator are just listen to their opinions of Sakho before or during a game. Absolutely clueless.

Heard the commentator constantly slagging off sakho... I was like WTF...

maguskwt » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:48 am wrote:

stmichael » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:33 am wrote:Six clean sheets away from home in a row, equalling a club record. Quite an achievement.

Can hasn't been at his best recently but Skrtel and Sakho have been immense. If you ever want an idea of how clueless pundits and commentator are just listen to their opinions of Sakho before or during a game. Absolutely clueless.

Heard the commentator constantly slagging off sakho... I was like WTF...

Yeah they are always doing that, because every now and then he can get caught dawdling on the ball and then look cumbersome trying to shield it they mistakenly think he can't trap a bag of cement. Sakho though is probably the best ball playing CB in the prem, most CB's just shift the ball on to the nearest player in order to get shut of it but Sakho is always looking for a penetrative through ball, that's why he can sometimes get caught in possession, he doesn't just get rid of it he has a look to see what's on.
Sakho has been nothing short of magnificent since we went to a back 3.

Sakho is just goofy. When you're goofy on the ball, people think you're clumsy or mistake-prone. But the fact that we continue to not get scored on, even when we're being outplayed, big credit must go to him.

maguskwt » Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:48 pm wrote:

stmichael » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:33 am wrote:Six clean sheets away from home in a row, equalling a club record. Quite an achievement.

Can hasn't been at his best recently but Skrtel and Sakho have been immense. If you ever want an idea of how clueless pundits and commentator are just listen to their opinions of Sakho before or during a game. Absolutely clueless.

Heard the commentator constantly slagging off sakho... I was like WTF...

Same reason forum members on here have been slagging him. They judge him by the way he walks and controls the ball, which admittedly looks clumsy and goofy but he's actually always in control and always manages to find a pass. He has his moments sure but the end result of his actions is usually positive.