13 Apr 2017 08:02:42
So, as we enter into the final run in of the season, I can't help but feel we should be better placed than we are. Yes we are in the CL places which is great but we still have some tricky fixtures ahead.
If any of you get to watch the games live, you really do see how woefully poor we are at the back we are at times. I sit behind the goal 22 rows up so get a different view to the TV camera's.
Whilst we invested quite heavily in the team this summer, it still bemuses me as to the lack of quality investment at the back. Whilst Matip has been ok, we went cheap and opted for Klavan and moved Milner to LB ( not saying he hasn't played well there ) where as I feel we really should have tried to sign a real quality CB.
Whilst we might get into the CL, as it stands, with our current back 4 and strategy / attitude towards the defence, we will not win the Premier League and have zilch chance of progressing the latter stages of the Champions League.
I was fortunate and grew up watching our great teams of the 80's, solid at the back, ruthless going forward.
So come on Klopp and your team of scouts
and analysts, let's get this defence and keeper situation sorted, we are not that far away!
13 Apr 2017 09:35:21
I agree. a great defence set up wins you trophies ( except if you're Barcelona) .
13 Apr 2017 10:10:37
Nicky those 'tricky' fixtures are only tricky because we've been below par against 'lesser teams'. on paper it's the easiest run in and before our disastrous results against the bottom 4 we would have loved that run in!
I don't think we heavily invested the summer at all? Mane was the only one in that was a significant fee- the rest were below 5 mil which doesn't get you much these days. I think this summer where some decent investment will come now klopp has had a year and a half with the squad. Some improved dramatically, some haven't improved at all.
Hopefully we limit that to just a few key positions but go after first team quality players ( not to just thicken the squad)
13 Apr 2017 10:11:45
Spot on nicky
The goals we concede are goals which you see scored in sunday league games, its not like the opposition even have to work hard to get the goal.
Like you said priority this summer is sorting out the defence and maybe adding a similar player to mane to play on left.
13 Apr 2017 10:26:48
Sorry I forgot about wini, still want 'heavy' comparative to most top teams in the league.
13 Apr 2017 11:05:34
Swish mate, if you read my post you'll see I said "quite" heavily". Ball park figure before any fees etc would be around £65m which is a fair amount, especially when you take salairoes into account.
The reality is that Klopp has had three transfer windows to address the defence situation and it's not been done, we are no different to under Rodgers when it comes to defending! That's what cost is the title a couple of seasons ago and why we are 12 points from Chelsea.
There are 14 "lesser" teams in the league which makes up 70% of our fixtures. This has been going on since before Christmas and into 2017,.
Whilst there maybe significant funds made avalible to Klopp ( I don't know ) these critical positions need to be addressed.
13 Apr 2017 11:09:55
Maybe the heavy investment is waiting for CL football? Plus, we keep getting told that Liverpool has no cash and heavy debt?
13 Apr 2017 11:22:58
It's not just personell IMO. It's the way we play
Klopp's teams have never had a tight defence.
What we need is a leader/ organiser at the back and a top class keeper.
If we cut out goals from set pieces or the second ball from set pieces we will be a lot better. That doesn't require Franco Baresi, it requires better organisation and better training.
13 Apr 2017 11:34:58
Agree Nicky on the positions. Defence and keeper would be first things on the shipping list. , I'm just saying compared to most team we're up against it's not a big amount. The two that make up most of it were a success: 'mane and wini. By lesser teams I mean basically bottom half but as I said at the beginning of the season we would have rejoiced at that! Certainly wouldn't want to be man utd chasing top 4 having to play chelsea, city, Arsenal and Spurs I think. Hopefully the stoke game was a mental change for us and we can put those games to bed like we should be!
13 Apr 2017 14:33:24
Ron, Klopp won the Bundesliga with the best defence (34 conceded) in '11/ 12 season so what you say is not totally valid regarding the way we play.
Nicky, your post make some valid points. We are where we are cos that is what we deserve. We have not shown the right approach to these games cos we simply are not willing to work as hard as we do in the bigger games, to get a result. It is a mindset issue and not a personel issue as such cos we have won 18 games this season and only 6 of them came vs the top 6. The others came from beating lesser teams so let's just chill out with the "unable to beat lesser teams" narrative.
Same with the defence, the goals we concede are comical. This is due to an inconsistent lineup in defence, lack of communication and complete complacency in critical defensive situations a la set pieces. 95% of the goals we have conceded this season can be attributed to an individual error or a collection of individual errors. That is not systems-related. It is related to individuals not being focused and showing grit. This is why we look clueless and do not attack second or third balls. We are NOT switched on for the full length of defensive sequences. We seem to relax as soon as the first ball is dealt with.
We can change players till the cows come home. If they lack the mental toughness, steel and focus, the issue will keep happening.
13 Apr 2017 15:36:04
Good post but I don't know how much of a better position we could realistically hope to be in? We are 3rd having played everyone in the top 7 home and away, with only 6 games to go against (with all due respect) teams we should be beating comfortably.
Before the season I'd have taken 4th place. Now we have a chance to maybe push on and finish in the top 2!
13 Apr 2017 16:51:59
Spot on, MK. We are where we are cos we deserve it.
15 Apr 2017 07:38:19
Funny thing is you can go back before Klopp into previos regimes and see that beating the bottom teams has been the problem for years. Getting something against the top sides has been happening but the title winners are getting more against the bottom sides than we are.