28 Mar 2017 09:02:41
All this talk about a LW, i understand we could do with 1 more attacking player if people leave etc. But we are top scorers in the hardest league in the world, why are we not talking about signing defenders, it's obvious how bad we need a marquee centre back. When milners been your most consistent defender you know when summer comes that has to be priority to sort out. I was just wondering if the Ed's had any idea if we are working on defensive targets?

{Ed002's Note - I have explained the situation - read the posts. Listen to the Sharkopod.}

1.) 28 Mar 2017
28 Mar 2017 13:57:59
I get that we are top scorers but I have said this before and I will say it again; our goal tally is skewed.

We have drawn 0-0 with United, 0-0 with Southampton, lost 2-0 to Burnley, lost 2-0 to Hull, Drawn 1-1 with Spurs (Milner penalty), 1-1 with United (Milner penalty) and 1-1 City (Milner penalty) . That is 7 out of 29 league games (or basically a quarter) just off the top of my head that we have failed to score from open play. Can we really afford to draw a blank in that many games? We won't always be able to count on a Ref giving us a decision.

Not to mention games in the cup against Plymouth, Wolves, Southampton (both legs) etc where we never looked a serious threat.

Top scorers in the league means nothing when you skew the truth by scoring 6 against Watford at home, 5 against Hull at home, 4 against a dejected Leicester at home, 4 against Palace under Pardew, 4 against Arsenal with three of their usual defenders missing, 3 at Middlesborough, 3 at Bournemouth etc.

Too many times we have won by scoring big and then turned up the next week and not had a single clear cut chance. I love Coutinho, Firmino and Mane but we really do need a different option up top. Anybody who thinks otherwise is clearly in denial.

2.) 28 Mar 2017
28 Mar 2017 14:54:39
Why do you have to score from open play?
Penalties are a valid form of scoring.
It's basically 4 games out of 29 where we have drawn a blank and we drew two of the games.

For fairness I think you should also talk about our number of clean sheets in the league. It is also 7, so ask yourself 'can we really afford to concede in over 75% of our league games? '
I think it's clear where our real weakness is.
You talk about being in denial 😆.

3.) 28 Mar 2017
28 Mar 2017 18:03:57
Ron I would definitely not argue that we have a far more glaring issue at the back. I think we need a new left back, if Arnold isn't ready a new right, and if Karius is not going to play a new keeper. Even after that you could make a very strong case for us needing a better centre back as well.

I am not denying, nor have I have denied that we need to improve the defence; primarily left back. I am merely pointing out that we have struggled to score in more than just a few cup games in January as some would have you believe.

I didn't even include games against Everton (0-1 win), Chelsea (1-1 draw), Leicester (3-1 loss), City (1-0 win) where despite us scoring a goal that wasn't a penalty and getting some good results we still struggled to put the ball in the net. Even the recent 2-1 win against Burnley was rather fortunate as our front 3 struggled so much that we needed 2 goals from midfield.

Penalty goals are as legitimate as any other goal; to coin a phrase, "they all count"! However there will be games where we should have had a penalty (such as the league cup game against the Saints or the recent 1-1 at City) and the referee will get it wrong. All teams should endeavour to be good enough to win even on days where decisions go against you. Scoring a penalty because Paul Pogba has a brain fart and thinks he is playing volleyball will not happen that often so you have to do enough to win from open play and take penalties as a bonus.

4.) 28 Mar 2017
28 Mar 2017 19:18:28
I'm not arguing we have a problem breaking teams down, it's the most frustrating thing to watch us faff about in the centre circle with the ball waiting for the opponents to get organised.

That's a issue with the midfield, they hold onto the ball far too long.
We're not realistically going to sign 7-8 new first team players so I think if we focus on the defence we will be more productive as a team.

5.) 29 Mar 2017
28 Mar 2017 23:58:09
I'm not sure it is the midfield myself. I think Can, Henderson and Gini are all capable of playing an early pass. It is just very difficult to play someone in when Coutinho and Firmino are both, more often than not, coming short for the ball. Coutinho needs to be deeper so he can play that killer pass in behind for Mane and a similar player on our left side. Or at least that is my opinion of the situation.

6.) 29 Mar 2017
29 Mar 2017 07:20:45
I'm not sure it is chances either. I seem to remember even the low scoring games the number of chances or half chances created was big. The issue to me anyway is there isn't someone who will consistently put away chances, hence such a wide spread of scorers. Do need to be able to create against the defensive teams but also need someone to be consistently in the right place, consistently finishing and consistently fit. Getting all 3 seems to be struggle. Creative ability doesn't seem to be the challenge so much.

{Ed001's Note - and we are scoring plenty. It is not goal scoring we lack. Why do so few of you get this? Goals win games, but defences win titles. Until we have a decent defence it will not matter how many we score.}

7.) 29 Mar 2017
29 Mar 2017 13:56:42
Ed001 I don't disagree, I'm of same view as MK, defence is priority but number of goals is a bit misleading. Considering the games that will cost LFC the title improving the defence would turn many of the losses into draws, which isn't a negative at all. But it isn't the sole difference between 1st and not 1st this season. The chances were there to have turned them into wins. I'm not even arguing need more players just needs some consistency from one of the forwards across a season which hasn't been there to date at same time as defence improving.

{Ed001's Note - losses into draws and draws into wins sounds like the difference between winning the league and not to me. Sorry but you are quoting extremely misleading stats with no context to argue about someone else's extremely misleading stats with no context. The whole lot is crap because it takes no account of any outside issues, such as pressure. Some of the losses could have been turned into wins with a better defence, such as the 2-0 to Burnley, who gained heart due to having a lead to defend. If we didn't concede sloppy goals, would they have defended quite to the same level? Hard to be sure, but I think anyone who watched it could see that their players played out of their skin and that their goals scored was a big factor in giving them a lift to aid that performance level. You are talking what ifs and maybes, then complaining about others doing the same, in essence. Fixing the defence should be the only thing we worry about this summer. Misleading is what you are doing with the missed chances stats, as that will improve when forwards and midfielders have more confidence, which stems from the defence.}

8.) 30 Mar 2017
29 Mar 2017 21:35:39
Ed001 all true and yep what ifs go all ways as you say. If anything I'm taking the need to improve defence as just a given. Can see teams fancy having a go at Liverpool's defence.