04 Jul 2015 12:18:13
How does everybody feel about the defence ?
All good teams are built from the back: Discuss.
04 Jul 2015 12:46:19
I believe this would be the best back four:
Clyne, Ilori, Sakho, Moreno
I'm not too keen on keeping Migs in goal, but I'm hoping he will up his game next season.
Red Rum
04 Jul 2015 13:16:41
I think it's fair to say Skrtel's struggled to find a partnership with either Lovren or Sakho - leaving you either trying to find another Agger type player to fit alongside him or (and I think this is the way to go) trying to find another CB partnership without him.
I'd personally start with Lovren/Sakho in the new season - this pair performed well against Tottenham if I remember correctly - and then try integrate Illori in cup games or as sub until he's built his confidence in the league (assuming Lovren/Sakho is working). I truly think he's got the potential to be a Varane type in the future and we need to give him a real shot.
Last of all I also think Clyne will help a lot at RB and Moreno hopefully matures in defence, but I think a critical piece of the puzzle is having a CDM to break down play and help cover the CB's if the FB's push forward. This is where Rogers gets it wrong in my opinion, favouring a playmaker over a defensive mid despite playing such clearly attacking FB's who like to bomb forward leaving the defence exposed.
With Hendo/Coutinho in midfield and Firmino/Llalana/Ibe/Sturridge upfront we can clearly afford a true CDM behind them and still score enough goals, in fact I think it will help as Hendo/Coutinho will have more confidence to make those runs to support the front 3.
04 Jul 2015 13:23:41
I'd say if fit, Flanagan should play on the left, Clyne on the right with two of Lovren, Sakho and Ilori in the center.
I actually really rate Lovren, i think he is a good player whose confidence was seriously hammered by a few thing: The price we paid, new teammates, Skrtel, no protection, no Lucas, a keeper who isn't giving out basic instructions, constant change of formation and position, to many new players in the back line and Rodgers labelling him the new leader of the defense.
Moreno i am not convinced about - can't see what he is offering going forward and he is certainly not convincing defensively. He do have time to learn though - but he really look like a player who need some quality coaching. I hope the new setup will help him realise his potential.
04 Jul 2015 13:48:15
I agree Moreno needs some coaching - think could be a great long term option but at the moment he's too one-footed, makes too many defensive errors and he doesn't seem to have the confidence to take on defenders when going forward. Unless he can get in behind with a one-two, he always plays it backwards when it comes out to him on the wide left.
On the other hand, he's pretty useful at crossing the ball and has plenty of pace to get in behind with a give and go, and he busts a gut to get back in defence unlike some others (even if he might be have caused the problem in the first place. )
04 Jul 2015 14:01:43
Like to see Stewart get some preseason game time at LB. If he is better defensively the use him for flat back four. Use Moreno as attacking fullback impact sub and if wing backs are the formation of choice.
04 Jul 2015 14:09:21
In my opinion the most important issue for our defence has to be a change of attitude and of course better coaching. We more or less have the same defenders with the exception of Clyne coming in. Is he enough to stop us conceding goals at an alarming rate? I would not have thought so. Therefore we have to improve who we have from Mingolet, the back 4 and whoever plays DM. It has to come down to the coaches and instilling some sort of confidence into them. Do i believe this can happen from what i have seen last season? No!
04 Jul 2015 14:18:04
I agree with Zimbo and the perfect CDM for the way we play is Lars Bender! He's superb at reading the game and dropping in to cover his FB. We don't need a quarterback just someone who can pass accurately to our playmakers like couts.
Ged
04 Jul 2015 14:29:37
All great points. I think a good defence depends on a good mix of all the things you all have mentioned. A good example is Southampton. They don't have better CB's than we do individually and their keeper isn't better than Mingo. The thing they do have is defensive system and attitude. System being, their CB's are well protected with a solid yet unflashy DM in Wanyama who covers every blade of grass in the defensive third which allows their fullbacks to flood forward at will. This made Clyne and Lovren very good. Put them in BR's system and as we have seen with Lovren, it will be suicide. BR is so obsessed with playing a Busquets type player at DM which is just stupid and brainless because LFC don't play in la Liga hence, that type of player won't work here due to being pressured on the ball every time unlike Busquets who never gets pressed by the opposition. All in all, we need a sound defensive system where the players have the right attitude to defend just like Cheksea defenders do.
04 Jul 2015 15:40:26
Firstly Migs Isn't even one of the top ten goalkeepers in the league. And Our defenders are at all at sea, don't know if it's down to being poor coaching or what but these are international players that can't defend a corner
04 Jul 2015 16:39:01
Clyne Lovren Sakho Flanagan
That would be my choice if Rodgers hadn't brought in Lovren to only play left side even though he is right footed. I think its a big season if we get a solid continuous back four in front of him without Skrtel in it dropping back, or Glen Johnson not even putting tackles in at right back it will be a big help. Would be nice to see Stewart and McLaughlin get a chance at left and right back although we have Wisdom and Enrique as back ups already, incase of injury to Clyne and Moreno, as well as long term injury of Flanagan
04 Jul 2015 16:55:33
Our defence needs a top class dm in front of it, and we already have that- for now anyway.
Where Lucas excels more than most dms is not his tackling (which is excellent).
Its more that he usually manages to find a very quick forward pass when he gets the ball, even under pressure.
Not your 40 yard hollywood balls, but he gets the pressure of our back line and gets opponents onto the back foot again by moving the ball their way with one or two touches, even if only 10 or 15 yards.
Without him we are often overrun in mf and always seemed to be under pressure.
I'm genuinely astonished that what seems so obvious to most people (and is borne out by our much higher loss rate without him) seems to go totally unnoticed by BR.
And I end up wondering just how good his football understanding really is.
04 Jul 2015 16:58:28
Bit harsh there dbol, apart from degea, Thibaut, cech, lloris, krul begovic I don't think anybody is better there in the prem.