Barrett/Smith on current problems

[gkmacca]

Rory Smith, Tony Barrett

Published at 12:01AM, October 25 2014

 

As is the case for Liverpool so often this season, the default response is little more than a diversion. Just as the storm over Mario Balotelli’s shirt-swapping with Pepe served to distract from Real Madrid’s ruthless exposure of their flaws, so too the blistering, constant criticism of Brendan Rodgers’ defence may not address the real issue.

 

That Liverpool’s back line is vulnerable is not in question, of course, despite spending £43 million on new defenders this summer. They have a defensive record more fitting with the bottom six than the top, and things have got so bad that Rodgers was forced to dismiss this week the suggestion that he might bring in a specialist defensive coach to improve matters.

 

“No, no, no. No chance, no,” the Liverpool manager said. “I think it is just the lack of coaching time that is impacting. In terms of that, we don’t need it.”

 

To judge from an extensive investigation into Liverpool’s performances this season, it seems that the Northern Irishman may well be right, though perhaps not in the way he thinks. Much has been made this week of Rodgers’ ability or otherwise to coax the best from Balotelli. There is, though, a much more exacting test of his managerial ability at hand, and it is not solely to do with the defence.

 

The bare figures are damning. By pretty much any metric, Rodgers’ side’s defensive showing in their eight Barclays Premier League games ranges from deeply mediocre to outright poor. This will not come as a surprise.

 

They lead the league in facing what Opta, the data experts, refer to as “Big Chances”: those opportunities from which teams really should score. They have made fewer blocks than any other side and only an underperforming Everton and Chelsea, a team with a vastly different defensive style, intercept the ball less frequently.

 

Only Everton and Newcastle United have made more individual mistakes leading to attempts on goal. On average, Liverpool will gift their opponents a chance to score once a game. By contrast, Chelsea have not conceded a single goal that could be attributed to a mistake from any of José Mourinho’s players.

 

All of this, of course, appears to bolster the initial impression that Liverpool are fundamentally undermined by an ineffectual defence. Further examination, though, suggests that the issue is more complicated than that.

 

First: though there has been a steady deterioration in Liverpool’s defending in little more than two years of Rodgers’ reign — despite spending more than £63 million on new players — they are not significantly worse, statistically, than last season.

 

The difference in this campaign, of course, is that Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge are not around to bail them out. Liverpool’s defensive frailty is a longstanding flaw, and one that Rodgers must mend, but it has been highlighted only because of the collapse of their offensive output.

 

Then there is the nature of the goals they are conceding. Liverpool’s opponents have created 61 chances against them this season, 48 from central positions. Rodgers’s team are widely believed to be especially vulnerable to set-pieces and, thanks to Simon Mignolet’s leaden feet, the crossed ball, but that is not the case. They are too easily cut apart through the centre.

 

Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho must take some blame for that, but so too must the midfield and attack. Steven Gerrard, particularly, has seen his defensive contribution recede drastically this season — fewer tackles, interceptions and blocks — which, given his deep-lying role in Rodgers’ system, has left the back line hopelessly exposed.

 

The problems, though, start farther forward. Liverpool’s style morphed last season from the Barcelona-aping, death by passing used by Rodgers at Swansea to a more intense, counter-punching approach, inspired by Suárez but adopted from Borussia Dortmund.

 

Without the Uruguayan, Liverpool are neither: they are just a side who have a tendency to be careless with the ball. It is telling, for example, that only two sides in the Premier League are let down by their control of the ball more frequently — Crystal Palace and Arsenal — and that only three are dispossessed more frequently.

 

To illustrate: only two players at Manchester City lose possession because of poor touches at an average rate of more than once a game. Both, Sergio Agüero and Edin Dzeko, are strikers, who are liable to do so more frequently. Eleven Liverpool players, almost all of them midfielders, do so.

 

Then there is the fact that their frenzied pressing, such a potent attacking weapon last year, has all but broken down. According to a metric compiled by StatsBomb, using Opta data, Liverpool were the third most effective side at closing down their opponents last year; they have slipped to tenth this.

 

More tellingly, as StatsBomb’s Colin Trainor points out, last season, Liverpool pressed intensely when they were winning, losing and drawing, suggesting that Rodgers had set his team up to do just that regardless of the situation.

 

This season, they press just as much when they are losing, but far less when the result is in their favour. That hints partly at an identity crisis, that Liverpool are not quite sure what they are, and partly that the loss of Suárez has affected their defensive efforts quite starkly.

 

 

Rodgers’ team, put simply, give the ball away more and win it back less, which serves to make them more vulnerable to counterattacks.

 

They are being beaten at the game that they used to such devastating effect last season. Their defence may be weaker than others, but they are also forced to display that weakness more often.

 

Just as Balotelli’s poor form is a symptom of their failures, not the cause, so their defence’s shortcomings can be traced elsewhere. The problem is not an individual or a unit, it is systemic. Rodgers is right: a defensive coach is not the solution. This one is very much on the manager.

[Dr. J]

 

Rodgers is right: a defensive coach is not the solution. This one is very much on the manager.

 

 

Break out the fainting couches.

[Section_31]

Coaching is everything. Joe Corrigan ruined more careers than the credit crunch.

[ngogswilly]

It's a good article but they're pretty much saying what everyone knows. 

 

1. We have a lot of problems

 

2. The manager needs to do something about them

[Tony Moanero]

Getting paid to state the obvious.

[Jairzinho]

It's a good article but they're pretty much saying what everyone knows. 

 

1. We have a lot of problems

 

2. The manager needs to do something about them

 

It is also saying, as lots on here have, but not all, that it barely fucking matters who is playing at centre back in this side. Sakho has looked excellent for France (I didn't see much of him at PSG), Skrtel has been in defences here under Benitez and Dalglish that have conceded far fewer goals, Lovren looked good for Southampton (yes, he got much better protection from the midfield there, and this is kind of the point). They aren't bad footballers, and neither was Agger. They are/were playing in a setup that is absolutely guaranteed to concede lots of goals. 

[Ranxerox]

Pretty devastating, makes a lot of sense however. I'm sure Rodgers will sort it.

[Ranxerox]

Getting paid to state the obvious.

 

No getting paid to state the obvious (we're struggling) and then break down and explain why exactly.

[Rotpeter]

Getting paid to state the obvious.

And dig up jaffa cake fetishes and the like.

[Strontium]

In actual fact, it seems that that article does everything it can to avoid stating the obvious: that we need a better defensive midfielder than Steven Gerrard.

[ngogswilly]

It is also saying, as lots on here have, but not all, that it barely fucking matters who is playing at centre back in this side. Sakho has looked excellent for France (I didn't see much of him at PSG), Skrtel has been in defences here under Benitez and Dalglish that have conceded far fewer goals, Lovren looked good for Southampton (yes, he got much better protection from the midfield there, and this is kind of the point). They aren't bad footballers, and neither was Agger. They are/were playing in a setup that is absolutely guaranteed to concede lots of goals.

 

 

Yeah very true

[JohnnyH]

If we've discussed it here then you can be damn sure Rodgers and his coaches have discussed it too. I always find it funny when I see fans on twitter, or forums, and press people stating how a manager "needs to understand that there's a problem" etc. Of course they understand. There's a reason they've got to where they are in their careers. The big issue of course is whether or not Rodgers thinks he needs help to fix the issues.

 

One thing I really like about Rodgers is his confidence in himself. He firmly believes he is where he deserves to be. I think if you asked him privately if any manager in the league was better than him, he'd say no. That's a great thing as all the very best mangers are like that. But Rodgers hasn't made it yet. He's very close to it, but it's fine lines, and confidence could very easily turn into stubbornness when things are going wrong.

 

You don't get to have two bad seasons anymore. He needs to change the habits of two seasons and get us defending better. He's shown he can attack, but it's themdef ding now he needs to fix.

 

I thought when Suarez left we'd be less gung-ho and so would be tighter at the back. One half of that had happened, but our defence seems even worse.

[ZonkoVille77]

In actual fact, it seems that that article does everything it can to avoid stating the obvious: that we need a better defensive midfielder than Steven Gerrard.

Yup. Playing Gerrard in that position is the problem. Change that and we're already improved. Whether it be lucas, can or Allen doing it I'm not sure - but it can't be Gerrard.

[Kevin D]

Thread title should have "excellent read" in there.

[Bobby Hundreds]

In actual fact, it seems that that article does everything it can to avoid stating the obvious: that we need a better defensive midfielder than Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard needs resting. I Remember many times gerrard was out and henderson seemed like a different player and stood up, I'm not saying he is capable of replacing gerrad but we need to start putting together some games without our captain. I love the guy but I think his lack of legs combined with his mental will to want to drag the team to 3 points is doing us no favors as a unit. His career isn't over he can still be a huge assets for us, he just shouldn't be guaranteed first name on the team sheet every single game. It's not to blame gerrard for recent performances either, their are numerous areas that need addressing but even last season you can look at most game reports or match threads and see people stating we are so weak through the middle teams cut through us like a knife through butter. I find it astounding that the issue is still an issue after all this time. Rodgers needs to evaluate the sides weakness better and address them or he's making a rod for his own back.

[Bobby Hundreds]

If we've discussed it here then you can be damn sure Rodgers and his coaches have discussed it too. I always find it funny when I see fans on twitter, or forums, and press people stating how a manager "needs to understand that there's a problem" etc. Of course they understand. There's a reason they've got to where they are in their careers. The big issue of course is whether or not Rodgers thinks he needs help to fix the issues.

One thing I really like about Rodgers is his confidence in himself. He firmly believes he is where he deserves to be. I think if you asked him privately if any manager in the league was better than him, he'd say no. That's a great thing as all the very best mangers are like that. But Rodgers hasn't made it yet. He's very close to it, but it's fine lines, and confidence could very easily turn into stubbornness when things are going wrong.

You don't get to have two bad seasons anymore. He needs to change the habits of two seasons and get us defending better. He's shown he can attack, but it's themdef ding now he needs to fix.

I thought when Suarez left we'd be less gung-ho and so would be tighter at the back. One half of that had happened, but our defence seems even worse.

What's the point of managing if you understand a problem but don't address it. Knowledge with out application is just trivia. At some point the talk has to give way to meaningful action. I think rodgers will address it, I think for the long term he needs to address it before strurridge is back and prove we are not completely one dimensional in our play.

[RoboRiise]

“No, no, no. No chance, no,” the Liverpool manager said. “I think it is just the lack of coaching time that is impacting."

 

My only question would be 'why was our defence a bag of bollocks last season as well then?"  Coaching time is no use if you aren't coaching the right things.

 

I like Brendan, really I do, and I like his focus on the attacking side of the game but at this level it increasingly starts to look less like a strategy and more like naivety.

 

It takes an extraordinary side like Barca's (for example) to just turn up and play the top sides in Europe off the park and we are not that team.  Having ambitions to reach that point is a good thing but in the interim a little more pragmatism; not turning into a defensively-minded team just an improvement in basic organisation, would be hugely beneficial.

 

We would have won the title last season with just a tiny bit more of a clue at the back.  On the one hand, yes we did hugely over-achieve compared to what I expected, but to have gone so close only to fuck it up was soul-destroying.

[dennis tooth]

Gerrard is not the problem, his position is and has been since Rodgers has been here he has not allowed him to flourish in any attacking position, he has never been a holder Gerrard is too creative and needs putting in an attacking mid position in his last years to get the best out of him.

Ala Lampard, and we got away his Gerrard last season, hes wasted where he is, he makes his pass an disappears, hes the best striker of the ball at the club get him in and arond the box.

He shouldnt be straining to get back to tackle their best attackers, the problem is Rodgers doesnt beleive the DM position exists as a role in and of itself, he refuses to accept this needs a Hamaan type. Oh and Lambert should be getting a lot more game time.

[The Guest]

I know it's going to look a bit cringe on here but how the fuck do these clowns get paid to pump out the utter useless drivel they do. They are poor writers with absolutely nothing interesting to say.

 

When you compare that to the genuinely funny and insightful things Usher writes on here it defies belief that these jokes are getting money for this tripe.

[xerxes]

If we've discussed it here then you can be damn sure Rodgers and his coaches have discussed it too. I always find it funny when I see fans on twitter, or forums, and press people stating how a manager "needs to understand that there's a problem" etc. Of course they understand. There's a reason they've got to where they are in their careers. The big issue of course is whether or not Rodgers thinks he needs help to fix the issues.

 

One thing I really like about Rodgers is his confidence in himself. He firmly believes he is where he deserves to be. I think if you asked him privately if any manager in the league was better than him, he'd say no. That's a great thing as all the very best mangers are like that. But Rodgers hasn't made it yet. He's very close to it, but it's fine lines, and confidence could very easily turn into stubbornness when things are going wrong.

 

You don't get to have two bad seasons anymore. He needs to change the habits of two seasons and get us defending better. He's shown he can attack, but it's themdef ding now he needs to fix.

 

I thought when Suarez left we'd be less gung-ho and so would be tighter at the back. One half of that had happened, but our defence seems even worse.

It is a mistake to believe that managers see things the same way as everyone else. Their perilously short shelf life means that they inevitably have the next game, not the next season, firmly in their sights.

 

One of the paradoxes of football management, and leadership more generally, is the need for an obsessive myopia. If you don’t believe you are right no-one else will. But sometimes the single-mindedness which brings success can also send you down the wrong track – see Moyes at Man U. Brendan has that confidence in spades, I agree.

 

I disagree that he is very close to having made it. His achievement in securing second last season with one of the worlds’ top goal scorers is already being counter-balanced by his judgement in the transfer market. Maybe he will win things, maybe he won’t.

 

If you only have a hammer, you can only ever hit nails. What Brendan has achieved to date is significant. But now, with Suarez gone, Gerrard and Johnson declining, a raft of new signings to assimilate, and a significantly stronger Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal to deal with, will he adapt to the different challenges that represents? We will see.

 

Moyes showed how a good PL manager can be exposed at the very top, Brendan now has to face that scrutiny.

[Nightcat]

I scratch my balls thinking what have I learned by reading this article.

 

I struggle... hmmm.... what have I learned.... hmmmm.... fuck all?

[VladimirIlyich]

Gerrard is not the problem, his position is and has been since Rodgers has been here he has not allowed him to flourish in any attacking position, he has never been a holder Gerrard is too creative and needs putting in an attacking mid position in his last years to get the best out of him.

Ala Lampard, and we got away his Gerrard last season, hes wasted where he is, he makes his pass an disappears, hes the best striker of the ball at the club get him in and arond the box.

He shouldnt be straining to get back to tackle their best attackers, the problem is Rodgers doesnt beleive the DM position exists as a role in and of itself, he refuses to accept this needs a Hamaan type. Oh and Lambert should be getting a lot more game time.

Cracking post Dennis.

Honourably mention to SD too.

I do despair at people talking up Joe Allen for a DM role though. He's as weak as Fosters.

Would have liked us to sign Diame and said so last season before he ended up at Hull.

[scudger99]

I scratch my balls thinking what have I learned by reading this article.

 

I struggle... hmmm.... what have I learned.... hmmmm.... fuck all?

That you've got no balls to scratch ?

[Denny Crane]

[Dr. J]

 

 

Wow, just fucking wow. But we don't need a coach for the defence, mind.