Mignolet?

[kalasoma]

Decent fullbacks = less jittery centre backs. I was never Enrique's biggest fan, but we've definitely missed him. 

 

I haven't gone through the next 10 matches, but I'm confident we'll see some sort of pattern emerging that basically points to consistency in the defensive positions being the solution. Perhaps if we had that from the start, we might have seen more consecutive wins. I'm not excluding Mignolet as an important factor in all this, as he should be communicating with his entire back line. The key will probably looking at the remaining matches this season and trying to get something like a semblance of consistency with Johnson and Flanagan as first choice FBs. I don't think Enrique will be back for the rest of the season, but that might unsettle the entire defence even more. Hard to say at the moment.

[kalasoma]

I would take back some of Reina's better qualities, like his distribution, his command of the penalty area, and his communication. But otherwise, I'd stick with Mignolet.

[Jairzinho]

Still John Achterberg from Tranmere.  I think he joined when Rafa was still around?  Could be wrong of course.

 

Thanks. Wasn't sure if he was still here. Thought there were some murmurings that he was going to get binned last year.

[Killjoy]

The loss of Enrique to injury, and Johnson to shiteness should not be underestimated.

 

Add in Sakho's injury and its a cocktail of disaster.

 

I'm not at all surprised we've really struggled. But struggling i can digest, comical individual error's i cannot.

 

Mignolet clearly has no confidence in his defence, and simply - who can blame him. Reina in his prime knew he had steady, reliable defenders in front of him, and as such could come off his line and perfect his distribution and command of the area. Mignolet looks like a rabbit in the headlights due to the calamity infront of him. Improving the defence, improves the goalkeeper.

 

Or the other way around.

[Pureblood]

It's easy to say he'll improve with better defenders in front of him but i'm not convinced. Mignolet's decision making and general play contribute towards the uncertainty in defence. For example, against west brom he put Toure in trouble by rolling the ball out to him as he was being closed down. It was a bad decision and contributed towards us dropping points that day.

[Major Tom]

Toure had enough time but not enough composure to deal with that. It was by no means a hospital pass.

[Pureblood]

I disagree. He could have dealt with it better but should never have been put in that position. He was being closed down by not one but two brom players.

[The Golden Eel]

I disagree. He could have dealt with it better but should never have been put in that position. He was being closed down by not one but two brom players.

He wasn't even under immediate pressure, it was just a stupid pass when he didn't even look up.  Nothing to do with Mignolet.

[TheHowieLama]

Gerrard will continue his move backwards and be in goal towards the end of next season anyway. World Class.

[Guest LFD]

8 changes in 10

Never lost a match in which Enrique started.

 

That's because Enrique is boss!

 

I think Mignolet is a good shot stopper, not a great one.  His distribution is OK, but I don't really have an issue with that.  He needs to control his six yard box, at the very least and come off his line more to help the centre backs.

 

He's made some important saves and some costly mistakes.  Overall he has been OK, but he has to improve those weaker areas of his game.

[jamespp]

Pepe Reina usually got all his clean sheet records between 06 & 10 generally not even doing anything and the defence being great, in Dalglish full season it was pretty much every opposition shot = goal, I'd love to see Pepe Reina with this defence, actually no I wouldn't

[Pureblood]

He wasn't even under immediate pressure, it was just a stupid pass when he didn't even look up.  Nothing to do with Mignolet.

 

He didn't have time to look up.  He had to get rid but chose the wrong option.  He shouldn't have been given the ball under pressure in the first place.

[JermainePennant]

He wasn't even under immediate pressure, it was just a stupid pass when he didn't even look up.  Nothing to do with Mignolet.

Rodgers said after the game the ball should never have been given to toure in that situation.

 

Why when we are one nil up with ten mins to go is mig throwing the ball out as soon as he receives it especially when the player hes throwing to is close to an opposition player and is definitely going to get closed down.

 

He should have hoofed it like he does 90% of the time or waited a few seconds for players to get forward and in position.

 

I blame him as much as kolo for that one and lets not forget he cost us both games against city and Chelsea which were 6 pointers.

[TheHowieLama]

Ruddy took a yellow card in a similar situation yesterday.

[The Golden Eel]

He didn't have time to look up.  He had to get rid but chose the wrong option.  He shouldn't have been given the ball under pressure in the first place.

This is what we do all the time.  Pass the ball from the keeper to the defenders.  I don't like it myself because we don't look comfortable doing it a lot of the time.  I maintain that Toure wasn't under as much pressure as you're making out though.  Anyone got a video?

[Killjoy]

Pepe Reina usually got all his clean sheet records between 06 & 10 generally not even doing anything and the defence being great, in Dalglish full season it was pretty much every opposition shot = goal, I'd love to see Pepe Reina with this defence, actually no I wouldn't

 

We had the 4th best defensive record in Dalglish full season and we kept a fair deal of clean sheets.

[magicrat]

We had the 4th best defensive record in Dalglish full season and we kept a fair deal of clean sheets.

Oh was that when we had Andy Carroll banging them in at the other end.

[Turkish Delight]

I know he's young and I hope he improves but he reminds me a lot of David James.  I had this opinion of him before he arrived and what I've seen since only strengthens it.

 

He's an excellent shot stopper who doesn't command his area very well, is prone to simple mistakes and is poor with the ball at his feet.  Hopefully he'll improve on some of these in time but right now he isn't a top class keeper.  On the bright side, at least he looks like he cares and doesn't have a stupid grin on his face when he does make mistakes.

 

I think the time was right to replace Pepe but I'm a long way off being convinced that we replaced him with the right player.

[magicrat]

I know he's young and I hope he improves but he reminds me a lot of David James.  I had this opinion of him before he arrived and what I've seen since only strengthens it.

 

He's an excellent shot stopper who doesn't command his area very well, is prone to simple mistakes and is poor with the ball at his feet.  Hopefully he'll improve on some of these in time but right now he isn't a top class keeper.  On the bright side, at least he looks like he cares and doesn't have a stupid grin on his face when he does make mistakes.

 

I think the time was right to replace Pepe but I'm a long way off being convinced that we replaced him with the right player.

 

Mig was probably the best we could have got at the time. Begovic was one most people wanted and I would have been happier with him.

We had no choice to change keepers given Reina was trying to engineer a move to Barca and seemed to think not really giving a shit and letting the roundy thing into the netty thing on a regular basis was the best way to do it.

[Killjoy]

Oh was that when we had Andy Carroll banging them in at the other end.

 

No it wasnt, when was that?

[Pureblood]

This is what we do all the time. Pass the ball from the keeper to the defenders. I don't like it myself because we don't look comfortable doing it a lot of the time. I maintain that Toure wasn't under as much pressure as you're making out though. Anyone got a video?

Watch it again on YouTube, mate. There's two brom players onto him straight away and he doesn't have any time to look up. He shouldn't have been given the ball.

[billypilgrimnz]

Why when we are one nil up with ten mins to go is mig throwing the ball out as soon as he receives it especially when the player hes throwing to is close to an opposition player and is definitely going to get closed down.

 

Why? Because it is a tactical directive. We ALWAYS try to pass it out from the back, no matter what the game situation, no matter whether the opposition is pressing the hell out of us, no matter whether we have CBs with grace under pressure or not.

 

But apparently, nothing is ever tactically wrong, it is always just an individual mistake.I'm a Rodgers fan, but he is completely full of shit on that one.

[magicrat]

No it wasnt, when was that?

Sarcasm not a winner with you obviously

 

My point , badly made ,was as were doing fuck all up front having the 4th best defense is a bit irrevelant

[RobbieOR]

 

I keep hearing he's a shot stopper but that's the very basic of a goalkeeper.  He doesn't do ANYTHING well other than that, his catching is fucking terrible and his decision making borderlines retarded at times (the weird punch at 1-0 up Vs Arsenal).

 

The biggest worry for me, is he just doesn't command his area at all.  I don't rate him at all, what's the situation with Reina?  I still fucking love that man and he's improved since going to Napoli.

 

 

You're calling shot stopping the very basic of a goalkeeper and that's fine even if I dont agree with it but how can you say that and call for man who wasnt doing that?

[RobbieOR]

It's easy to say he'll improve with better defenders in front of him but i'm not convinced. Mignolet's decision making and general play contribute towards the uncertainty in defence. For example, against west brom he put Toure in trouble by rolling the ball out to him as he was being closed down. It was a bad decision and contributed towards us dropping points that day.

 

He's been told to play that way.