There is something wrong with our defence

[Mathewbet1]

Its plain we need a defensive coach, someone needs to act. Mignolet is inconsistent and is averaging one major flap a game now. Lovren looks low on confidence at the moment, if this is his level then we are fucked. Sakho to come back in , cant be any worse? Oh Brendon won't play him because  he passes weird, and looks like he got a mistake in him.

[Rotpeter]

Surprisingly not.

 

92-93 - 55 - 1.309 gpg

93-94 - 55 - 1.309 gpg

13-14 - 50 - 1.315 gpg

 

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.

92-93 and 93-94 were 42 game seasons.  When you do the math 13-14 is the worst. There you have it fact fans!

[Paco]

92-93 and 93-94 were 42 game seasons. When you do the math 13-14 is the worst. There you have it fact fans!

good work. what are you like at defending crosses?

[stringvest]

92-93 and 93-94 were 42 game seasons.  When you do the math 13-14 is the worst. There you have it fact fans!

 

That was precisely the point that Code tweeted at me to bring up on this thread.  But I wasn't going to.  Because it's boring.   

[Rotpeter]

That was precisely the point that Code tweeted at me to bring up on this thread.  But I wasn't going to.  Because it's boring.   

I seriously doubt it.  The code72 model could only do math to 2 significant figures and due to a problem with its wiring the answer was always Agger = ∞

[stringvest]

I'm afraid it's true.  Though I didn't check his working out.  I'm in self-imposed exile from twitter, so I find it a little annoying when I get DM'ed as I get notified via email.  

[ngogswilly]

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

 

This behaviour is embarrassing.

 

I'm going red as we speak.

Cheeeaaalll winstaann.

 

Seriously you and one or 2 others need to sort your panties out. He didn't say he thinks Rodgers should be sacked and most people arnt saying that at all. But anyone who says anything negative is getting jumped all over. Trust me the majority don't want him sacked. We want him to get us back on track by sorting obvious problems the same way others managers havnt. So that in the end we don't sack our manager and start another era of upheavel.

 

Comprende???

[stringvest]

Has anyone actually come out and said he should be sacked?  Genuine question. 

[ngogswilly]

Has anyone actually come out and said he should be sacked?  Genuine question.

 

Very very few. Vast majority arnt advocating anything like that from what I see

[ratcatcher]

Brendan Rodgers rules out bringing in defensive coach at Liverpool

• Liverpool manager believes more time in training is required
• Rodgers will continue to give Mario Balotelli a chance
• Manager gives Balotelli two months to prove his worth

• Paul Wilson
•  
• The Guardian, Friday 24 October 2014 22.30 BST

Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers, who has insisted there is no need for a specialist defensive coach at Anfield. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Brendan Rodgers has dismissed the possibility of bringing in a specialist defensive coach to try to help Liverpool stop leaking goals. While Mario Balotelli’s shortcomings as a striker and undiminished nose for controversy have dominated the headlines since Liverpool suffered their worst ever home defeat in Europe at the hands of Real Madrid, the underlying story in the present malaise is of a defence conceding too many goals too easily.

 

There was not much any defence could have done about the way James Rodríguez and Cristiano Ronaldo combined for a sublime opening goal on Wednesday, though Rodgers thought the next two were down to poor defending. Yet, even though many feared for Liverpool against Real after their inept display against Queens Park Rangers a few days earlier, the manager remains adamant there is no need to send for outside help.

“There is no chance of us bringing in a defensive coach,” Rodgers said. “We have conceded a large number of soft goals, there’s no argument about that, but I think it is just a lack of coaching time that is hurting us. We need to reinforce basic principles at defensive set pieces, but we know that already. We have to get better and we will be working on it.

“When I first came in I was asked whether I would bring someone in to help the strikers score goals. I didn’t, and we got goals anyway.

 

I think what we have this year is more games to carry, which takes a slight intensity out of us. We are in the big competitions now and there is an added expectancy on us, which there should be. We are Liverpool. When you concede the goals that we have been conceding there will always be questions asked of you. We need to answer those questions and I believe we can. In terms of bringing someone else in, we don’t need it.”

 

Rodgers is not claiming to know all the answers himself, however. In an almost Shankly-esque admission, he revealed that one night this week he was up at 4.30am, alone in his kitchen, contemplating possible adjustments to the team that might improve its balance. “It wasn’t that I couldn’t sleep, I was just thinking of ways that I could make us better and improve certain aspects of our play,” he said.

 

“Balance is the most important thing in football, and we are looking to get a better balance in the team but with limited coaching time. I have a hunger to improve the group and make us better and sometimes it is quite hard to think of anything else. I have every confidence that we will improve. Unfortunately it might not be quite as fast as we want.

 

“Perspective is the key word this season, and perhaps an unfortunate one. For some people results this season will be a wee bit frustrating given where we ended last season. But it is the nature of where we are. We have jumped into a new level of competition.”

With Daniel Sturridge still to come back, Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League and far from out of contention in Europe, where they are one of three teams in their Champions League group with three points.

 

The situation could be a lot worse, though Rodgers is aware Hull have the potential to cause an upset at Anfield this afternoon. He is also aware there is a growing clamour to leave the underperforming Balotelli out, which he might do, even if alternative striking options are limited and his instinct is to give the player the opportunity to answer his critics with a goal.

“We brought in the player to give him a chance, and we will give him a chance,” Rodgers said. “He hasn’t yet scored the goals we would like but I have to work with the players that we have and Mario is one of them. He is working hard to try to fit into the Liverpool team ethos.”

[Pureblood]

4:30am kitchen tactics.  We've all been there. 

[Rotpeter]

Has anyone actually come out and said he should be sacked?  Genuine question. 

Self-appointed moral guardians rarely notice such subtleties.  Probably all the foaming, fuming, steaming and what not.

[VladimirIlyich]

4:30am kitchen tactics. We've all been there.

They usually involve alcohol,and tits.

[ratcatcher]

Before people garner enough apoplexy to say outright on a forum that the manager should be sacked, they normally start from a position of saying they;

 

• never wanted the current manager in situ
• the current manager wasnt their first, second or third choice
• dont think the current manager has the experience to manage the club
• frequently suggest a certain previous manager who would do a better job
• is a 'novice' in european football management

You get the drift.

[Russ Atmosphere]

• wasting the club's money on mediocre purchases.

[Mathewbet1]

Think Rogers might be shooting himself in the foot there, why not try a defensive coach for 6 months surly can't get any worse? It's been a problem since he arrived. A pride thing?

[Ginny]

Other defenses in the league are better then outa with less quality individuals in them. Rodgers must be able to see that it's a very % of players to system ratio. For a defensive coach to be even mentioned on the mainstream media says to me that behind the scenes something is being changed. Have faith. We'll come good this season. I'm not worried.

[Paco]

city look shit at the back too in fairness.

[Section_31]

To be fair I'd never expect a manager to say he was bringing in a defensive coach even if he was as it'd be undermining.

[Fugitive]

I had the radio city on in the car earlier and I think it was Ian St John talking about set pieces. He said if they conceded a goal from one in a game, the reserve team would be brought in to training on the Monday and the 1st team would be forced to defend 100 corners against them. He said they all hated, it especially in bad weather, but it worked.

 

Loved that.

 

Also, I see that Carragher has today said if he was offered a coaching role with us, he wouldn't be able to turn it down. Get him in.

[Fugitive]

Ilori has looked good when I've watched him for Bordeaux this season and so has Wisdom. I think they may have had a chance of getting game time if they had stayed this season.

 

Giving Steve Clarke a call would not be the worst idea right now.

[Ranxerox]

Rodgers won't willing allow anyone in, he's made that clear. We are a long way off from the owners imposing one on him even if they were so inclined. Its a non-starter.

[Ranxerox]

Ilori has looked good when I've watched him for Bordeaux this season and so has Wisdom. I think they may have had a chance of getting game time if they had stayed this season.

 

Giving Steve Clarke a call would not be the worst idea right now.

 

I'd rather us bite the bullet and bring back Origi.

[ZonkoVille77]

I'd rather us bite the bullet and bring back Origi.

Back? He's never played for us yet. And when he does, and doesn't make an immediate impact, there'll be calls for him to be sold.

[an tha]

I had the radio city on in the car earlier and I think it was Ian St John talking about set pieces. He said if they conceded a goal from one in a game, the reserve team would be brought in to training on the Monday and the 1st team would be forced to defend 100 corners against them. He said they all hated, it especially in bad weather, but it worked.

 

Loved that.

 

Also, I see that Carragher has today said if he was offered a coaching role with us, he wouldn't be able to turn it down. Get him in.

Just having Carra around our defenders in training would improve them, they would learn about leadership, organisation and commitment - as well as being fucking slaughtered for fucking up.

 

It's a no brainer to me and we should do it.