There is something wrong with our defence

[Moo]

The defence needs protection from midfield. The defence needs to stop making so many stupid, basic errors. Johnson can fuck off. Skrtel can follow him, too. Mignolet either needs to sort his shit out or take his brilliant saves and shit everything else elsewhere. What doesn't need to happen is us to change the way the back four operates, just how they react to situations - individual not structural. The vast majority of the goals we concede fall into that category. If they had 2008 Alonso and Mascherano in from of them, they'd look a lot less shaky. Get a midfield set-up that understands how to defend, get Sakho in the back four, get somebody who can actually organise a defence in there next to him, and then we'll be much better. That's without even thinking about tactical changes or this fucking annoying 'get a defence coach' thing that seems to have caught on like wildfire.

Are you really saying that NO improvement can be made at all to the current defence either tactically or structurally? If so you're wrong. For example, what has the lack of a Mascherano or Alonso got to do with the complete inability to defend a corner?

[TheDrowningMan]

Nothing a good defensive coach wouldnt fix. He, like other good managers, doesnt have to be an expert in all coaching aspects. Oh and our shitness in defence goes back through a number of managers not just rodgers.

I've said that so many times here - we need a good defensive coach to organise & suggest tactical adjustments for the benefit of that area of the team. It wouldn't be a sign of weakness on BR's part, quite the opposite. I just think it needs to be implemented over his head if he's not willing to suggest such a hire.

[Moo]

I've said that so many times here - we need a good defensive coach to organise & suggest tactical adjustments for the benefit of that area of the team. It wouldn't be a sign of weakness on BR's part, quite the opposite. I just think it needs to be implemented over his head if he's not willing to suggest such a hire.

If it needs implementing over his head then may as well just sack him. If he can't see the glaringly obvious then questions have to be asked, but he needs and should be given time.

[TheDrowningMan]

If it needs implementing over his head then may as well just sack him. If he can't see the glaringly obvious then questions have to be asked, but he needs and should be given time.

I think it's something that needs to be considered soon for his own sake. There shouldn't be ludicrous goals like having your job depend on whether you or not you win the league or CL, but after the past summer's spending, I think it's a foregone conclusion that there will be a new manager next season if we drop out of the top four.

[bossy]

There is something wrong with our defence. And our midfield. And our attack.

[SammyAftershave]

There is something wrong with our defence. And our midfield. And our attack.

 

Goalie?

[SammyAftershave]

Took it back.

[bossy]

Goalie?

We have one? I joke of course. But we need a better goalie too.

[stringvest]

Are you really saying that NO improvement can be made at all to the current defence either tactically or structurally? If so you're wrong. For example, what has the lack of a Mascherano or Alonso got to do with the complete inability to defend a corner?

 

Which bit of that response did you read, if any?  

[Moo]

Which bit of that response did you read, if any?

All of it. And the impression I got was that, in the writer's opinion, all our defensive problems are personnel or midfield related, which suggested that the current crop of defenders could not be improved tactically at all, perhaps not even at set pieces. The writer seemed to suggest that the only way of making any improvement defensively is to change at least 5 players in defence and midfield, which surprised me, which is why I wanted to clarify. Why do you ask?

[stringvest]

Because I think that while he said that a lot of the errors were due to individual mistakes he also suggested we needed organisation on the pitch - that would suggest that he feels tactics and structure need enforcing. I happen to think that tactics do need challenging, because while I can usually see the approach the back 5 have adopted, it's clear that it doesn't always suit the personnel, and it is clearly not discouraging them from making schoolboy errors.

 

There is work that needs to be done, but those lads have to take some personal responsibility and cut out the individual errors that's making them all look worse than they are

[The Golden Eel]

Is this defence at the minute arguably the worst we've had since, well, ever maybe?

[Pureblood]

The amount of goals and type of goals we concede are alarming.  

[Paco]

listening to the 5 live daily football podcast there. all about balotelli as expected but there was a bit about our defence. ben smith was on saying he understands we do very little defensive work in training. its all ball retention and attacking play. not that either of those are particularly good at the minute.

[Paco]

Is this defence at the minute arguably the worst we've had since, well, ever maybe?

was last season the most goals we d conceded in premier league history?

[skend04]

listening to the 5 live daily football podcast there. all about balotelli as expected but there was a bit about our defence. ben smith was on saying he understands we do very little defensive work in training. its all ball retention and attacking play. not that either of those are particularly good at the minute.

Pretty much borne out on matchdays.

[The Golden Eel]

was last season the most goals we d conceded in premier league history?

 

Surprisingly not.

 

92-93 - 55

93-94 - 55

13-14 - 50

 

But this season, we've conceded 1.5 league goals a game so far.  So, if it were to continue at the same rate based on a very crude calculation, we'd be looking at 57. 

[VladimirIlyich]

Surprisingly not.

 

92-93 - 55

93-94 - 55

13-14 - 50

 

But this season, we've conceded 1.5 league goals a game so far. So, if it were to continue at the same rate based on a very crude calculation, we'd be looking at 57.

The glory days of Souness was it?

[andrew78]

He could be gone after Xmas at this rate ,we are fucking terrible and the money that has been spent and we are in reverse is unbelievable, if we are not near 4 th they could hit the panic button in January.They are business men and will not want to miss out on that cash cow of champion s league

[Tyler Durden]

I can't see them sacking him; it will cost them a bomb and last year has bought him some credit. If that's true about a lack of defensive drilling in training them he wants his head screwing off, I don't buy into people harping on about 'individual errors' either, it's been getting excused for over 2 years despite wholesale changes to the defence in that time.

[lebron]

Is this defence at the minute arguably the worst we've had since, well, ever maybe?

 

Another one that wasn't around during the Tanner/Piechnik/Dicks era?

[Section_31]

Our individual defenders are nowhere near as bad as the Evans era, but the organisation or lack thereof is every bit as bad.

[Kevin D]

I can't see them sacking him; it will cost them a bomb and last year has bought him some credit. If that's true about a lack of defensive drilling in training them he wants his head screwing off, I don't buy into people harping on about 'individual errors' either, it's been getting excused for over 2 years despite wholesale changes to the defence in that time.

I'm inclined to let him see out his contract, but I'd be surprised if he managed to keep his job without Champions League football.

[Major Tom]

I can't see them sacking him; it will cost them a bomb and last year has bought him some credit. If that's true about a lack of defensive drilling in training them he wants his head screwing off, I don't buy into people harping on about 'individual errors' either, it's been getting excused for over 2 years despite wholesale changes to the defence in that time.

 

Just fuck off. We're 8 games into a season.

 

This behaviour is embarrassing.

 

I'm going red as we speak.

[xerxes]

Our individual defenders are nowhere near as bad as the Evans era, but the organisation or lack thereof is every bit as bad.

It's a big task for Brendan, reinventing our defensive unit.

 

He has endorsed Johnson's attacking ways at the expense of defensive solidity. Gerrard's midfield influence is declining, putting extra pressure on those behind him. Agger and Carragher, although they had quite different qualities and drawbacks,no longer stalk the training ground. Skrtel tends to be as good, or bad, as those around him.

 

Brendan finds himself in a tricky position. Strong influential defenders are at a premium, ask Man U and Arsenal. Buy lesser mortals and there is no-one to show them the way on the pitch.

 

Logic says that the loss of one man, Suarez, has had a far greater psychological than practical impact on our pattern of play, goals excepted. Ironically this offers Brendan a chance to reshape things either by re-imposing his original style, or implementing a new one. Whether he can do this will determine his ongoing position.