22 Nov 2016 13:07:41
My two cents on defensive errors and lack of clean sheets for us this season.

Maybe the best way to look at is not the clean sheet but the points dropped due to avoidable defensive mistakes.

I would say at burnly the two goals may have been avoidable while the goal and spurs was not that great defending either. So being over critical we can say 1+2 points dropped due to defensive mistakes.

However goal difference will make an impact in the end as well.

I think the title in 13/ 14 was not lost in the defeat to chelsea it was cause we conceded so many stupid goals in our wins that our good was lower than city while goals scored were 102 for us 103 for city

Subsequently we went on to try and score 7-8 at palace and ended up drawing. So basically the bad defending through out that season cost us the title.

So in short we need a better partner for Matip. Maybe gomez will be the answer.

1.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 13:27:39
Yes but that season we were winning 3-2 at West Brom, 5-3 at Stoke etc. We were literally awful defensively and relied on outscoring teams.

We are not solid at the back but we are far from terrible. In 12 games we have only conceded more than once on 3 occassions. Arsenal where we won anyway, Palace where we won anyway, and Burnley which was largely down to Mignolet being incapable of basic saves.

Aside from that, yes we keep throwing away clean sheets, but we are not actually shipping an abhorrent amount of goals. We are smashing teams 4-1, 5-1, 6-1 etc. In 13/ 14 those would've been more like 4-3, 5-3 and 6-3!

The defence is actually much better. People just want to have their cake and eat it. Just have a look at Milners average position this weekend gone. We actually almost played a front 4 because he was further forward than Coutinho and mane. Clyne was also closer to Mane than he was to Matip. We play a system which is aiming to score goals and win games in an entertaining manner. Despite this gung-ho approach we still have the joint second best good in the league. Would you rather be like Spurs? Playing so many holding midfielders to cover you full backs, that you draw 6 games in 12 due to a lack of goals, and end up in 5th?

You don't consistently score 3+ goals playing a flat back 4 or lots of defensive midfielders unless you have a player like Ronaldo, Messi or Suarez. We don't. Our goals rely on flooding the box and lots of very good players linking up well. We don't have a 30 goal a season player.

I say stick to the way we are playing and just enjoy it. I'd rather win 6-1 than 5-0 anyway. Clean sheets don't matter. Firstly it comes down to GD. Then it goes to goals scored. So 6-1 is undeniably a better result than 5-0. Fact. Might not be as perfect, but it is worth more in a title race.

2.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 13:18:39
Someone actually understand the importance of GOAL DIFFERENCE. Liverpool needed 10 goals margin against Palace to overtake City's good three years ago. You are right.

3.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 13:37:12
See facts are facts 2 clean sheets in 12 games is not ideal.

Talking about goals conceded that didn't affect matter to the points collected:

1. Leicster (could have been avoided)
2. Hull (could have been avoided)
3. Palace (both could be avoided)
4. Watford (Could have been avoided)

So that's 4 clean sheets and -5 on goal difference.

You want to be ahead on good cause it matters in the end. and the ability to always concede will mean that the defense as a unit will play with lessor confidence.

It has gotten much better to when we had skertl but still improvements needed and i'm sure Klopp will iron things out.

But no one other than Matip at the moment gives me confidence in out cb available.

{Ed002's Note - If Liverpool had won every game this season by three goals to nil they would be well placed at the top of the table.}

4.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 14:54:56
MK Scouser, that is the most spot on post.

5.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 16:43:42
Pakred, MK is spot on. I posted in an earlier thread about how the Clean Sheet hysteria is nothing but that, hysteria and myth. We lead the PL in least shots conceded, chances conceded, least shots conceded and possession. We are much better at set pieces as we don`t even conceded them that much and when we do, they are dealt with. The opposition is too busy trying to stop us to fashion out enough chances to score. This is what our system does as in, defending by attacking. These are the hidden numbers that the two clean sheets do not show you. MK made the point that Spurs have the best defence in the PL yet can`t score more than one goal if Kane doesn`t play. They play 7 defensive players out of 11 so of course you will have a good defence. Same with Chelsea who play a defensive 3-4-3 formation with potentially 7 defensive players when they have the ball and 8/ 9 defensive players when they don`t. I don`t want us playing that way just to show we can get clean sheets hence, stifling our attacking talent. Also, our good is 2 goals less than Chelsea`s while we`ve scored 5 more goals than them (two of which beat them at the Bridge) . The point here is that we are much more innovative in our defending that does may not amount to plenty of clean sheets (don`t get me wrong, I want them more than the next guy) BUT reflects a different way of limiting the opponent to scraps as they are too busy worrying bout what we will do to them rather than what they can do to us. The fake fixation on this Clean Sheet nonsense is just that, nonsense.

6.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 17:09:53
another quality post HR, I admired and agreed with the one you posted last night, from my own point of view I don't look at our defence and cringe, and I am old enough to remember a time we had a truly cringe worthy back 4, the thing to remember with these pundits is they change like the weather, atm they are fawning over Chelsea who I expected to challenge for the title btw, the minute they start conceding again they will be telling us conte has got it wrong, the only thing karius had to do last match was to stay awake, not bad for a goalkeeper behind such a "weak" defence.

7.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 17:49:58
ED02, is it auto correct or do you keep changing goal difference to good, for a laugh? I can't believe almost everyone is missing it.

{Ed002's Note - I haven't changed anything.}

8.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 22:23:05
I really feel like the chairman of the Hamilton appreciation society at the moment but again bang on mate. Give me exciting attacking football any day rather than a clean sheet first and hope for a goal. Spurs have the best defence in the league but have only scored in open play in one of their last 8 games in all competitions. I know who I'd rather watch.

9.) 22 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016 21:26:44
I blame Sparky.

10.) 23 Nov 2016
23 Nov 2016 00:36:11
Spot on, KK and Pips for the compliments. I enjoy reading yours as well. I just feel inspired right now and when I did he research of the "hidden numbers" within the stats to see that this pathetic idea that our defence is weak just because we have 2 measly clean sheets was nothing but a media myth, a con they wanna use to beat us and Klopp with because well, he's making them uncomfortable as they seem uncomfortable with our progress. Klopp is showing that you can be defensively sound while at the same time, playing a fluid and expansive system that leads to our record of 40 goals in all competitions this season, best in the PL and conceding only 15, best in the PL, something I have not seen before in my years of watching football. Keep the posts coming, boys!

11.) 23 Nov 2016
23 Nov 2016 01:04:40
Not much to add apart from spot on Hamilton mate I share your views and you make more sense then I do getting them across haha! - niceone mate always enjoy reading your opinions!

12.) 23 Nov 2016
23 Nov 2016 01:38:17
Where do you get your stats from Hamilton? And Liverpool have only scored 3 goals more than Chelsea btw.

13.) 23 Nov 2016
23 Nov 2016 17:42:05
You are correct, Fuser. I may have said that we scored 5 more than Chelsea but that was an error on my part.

14.) 23 Nov 2016
23 Nov 2016 17:42:54
Thank you, LFC16. I ready yours as well and they are always well-thought out.