Let's be candid here, we all knew this season was going to have it's ups and downs. Next season to but hopefully not on the scale we've seen this year and hopefully with a side that will go further in all domestic cup comps and the league.
As a team (not talking of individual players here, other posters can broaden talk in discussion of individuals needed etc), Rodgers needs IMO to address two core issues that have hampered us this season.
Consistency Arguably the harder task for a manager to rectify because our inconsistency has most of the time come down to individual errors and lapses in concentration. A theory of why inconsistency could have surfaced may lead us into the talk of balance and the lack of cover our defense have been given with a three man midfield, and an open game plan. Something recent Liverpool defenses haven't been accustomed to. However, it certainly has been the case never the less that numerous individual errors have cost us a myriad of points. How a manager rectifys these isn't so easy IMO, yes, he can drop a defender every now and again on a frequent basis. Skertel in, Skertel out, Enrique in, Enrique out but this IMO is detrimental to the understanding and cohesiveness that defenses need to become miserly. This is not to say I don't appreciate the efforts Carragher has done but I don't know if it's right to drop a player/defender after a clanger - will Rodgers drop Carra after his back pass to HulK
. Never the less consistency needs not only to be found fundamentally throughout the defense but all over the pitch. Killing teams off etc etc. This may look the easier of the consistencys to resolve now with the signing of Sturridge, in form Suarez and Coutinhio. The Achilles is the defense and we need to go into next season with this as one of two key priorities to sort out in the summer and beyond.Balance Big problem IMO. One that I think lends itself to our consistency issue. The Rodgers side (All IMHOOC) looks heavily geared towards an attack type game plan, which is exciting! However, I think there is a flip side to this, and that is that it often leaves our defense overexposed with many gaps in midfield. It also is attributed to the style of players Rodgers likes to use/buy, the 'more' flairy type. Where Rafa would buy a workhorse in Kuyt, Rodgers would opt for a typical Brazillian in Coutinhio (generally speaking). Rafa's type of players would do an effective job in midfield and defense, perhaps more so than in their primary position like Kuyt
. With Rodgers it's the other way round and this is why we look geared up in an attack minded formation - although Downing is fast becoming our 'worker' up and down the flanks and to be fair he, I believe, recently has helped (in his own way) to balance this top heavy outfit out.I still think the center of midfield is an issue. Personally, and depending on how long Gerrard can last, I'd look for a beast in the DM position, one who's athletic, powerful and has a bit of game intelligence, either to help Lucas or Gerrard. Lucas for me has almost reverted to type, although he did have a good game against Zenit, I don't think he's able to hold the fort on his own and he needs assistance if not a replacement - preferably the former. Rodgers IMO hasn't got this down pat and I didn't see enough of his Swansea team to be able to tell whether he has the vision to address this (that's even if he thinks it is an issue!). We look like a side who says, you score 2 and we'll score 3 to beat you. Rather than a team who is able to completely shut teams out for 90 mins and do the biz up the other end.
I reckon they're our TEAM issues which could be aided by possible signings and what not. I don't watch any other footie so I don't know who is out there that could reasonably help us out. But fundamentally Rodgers should/could still work on these issues with the players he's got.
What say you?
). They never employed an attacking philosiphy but rather counter-attacked. same for the Arsenal team that went undefeated.
