Our full backs

[an tha]

Our full backs on both sides need major upgrades this summer IMO

 

Clyne is a reasonable capable defender but if we are going to persist with asking our full backs to provide so much of our attacking width then he is not the answer for my money - his attacking contribution is abysmal, and it isn't just sometimes it is most of/nearly all the time.

 

He would be ok as back up - although that might hamper TAA who I think could have a big future. I actually wouldn't be that bothered if Clyne was sold and we upgraded and had TAA as back up.

 

Other side is arguably even worse - Milner tries hard and works hard and is a model pro....but he is not a left back and we need an upgrade and more pace there. He has done alright playing there but he is a big reason our attacks are so slow and why teams find it easy to get set against us when we attack down his flank - and he has no recovery pace when teams hoof it out down his side after we lose it.

 

Moreno obviously needs jibbing as well because he is shite - which leaves us possibly needing new back up at LB as well.

 

Milner is worth keeping in the squad of course for his versatility and his nous especially with 4 fronts next year - there will be plenty of chances for him to play in Cup games/when we need cover etc and he can of course cover a few positions.

 

So we arguably need 2 new full backs in the summer and those full backs need pace and power - and if we are going to continue asking them to provide so much of our attacking width then they need to have good end product in the final third.

 

Thoughts?

[Soleilrouge]

Two new fulbacks and a proper striker required as a matter of urgency

 

Both Milner and Clyne add nothing offensively ina system designed for attacking fullbacks

 

Dont know where Klopps head is at

[Paco]

Milner only on the pitch for his penalty taking!

 

He did put in a good cross for grujic at the end.

 

Clyne looks lost in the final third.

[Cardie]

There are very few fullbacks available where you don't have to sacrifice at least some of your criteria.

 

The ones good at attacking tend to suffer in defending and vice versa (or are ok at both but not great), throw pace and power into the mix and you're expectations may be slightly excessive.

 

They exist but they're not usually available for long and already with the biggest clubs.

 

 

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[Thoth]

Didn't realise we had any

[Jairzinho]

Mignolet

Clyne Matip Notarsed Milner

Lallana Can

Origi Coutinho Wijnaldum

Firmino

 

Origi isn't intelligent enough to play centrally but he is reasonably quick, and I did see him whip in a great low cross a couple of weeks ago. This team also allows Coutinho and Firmino to play centrally where they are far more dangerous. Wijnaldum used to play out wide, and is capable of beating players. He's also been invisible in far too many games centrally. This team gives a bit of width. Obviously neither wide player is ideal, and we still don't have a left footer, but it looks like it might be better than a front three all of which look slightly uncomfortable with where they are playing, and that in turn is making the link up play shite. And slow. Slow and shite.

 

The alternative is playing Moreno, and no-one wants to see that. Other than West Ham and Middlesbrough.

 

As well as Lucas has been playing, he really shouldn't be necessary in our remaining two games. 

[Cardie]

Fan of the europa cup?

 

Not sure a base of Lallana and Can would do much for the defence and would probably end up overcrowding an already packed middle third given they both likenl to push further forward.

[Paco]

There are very few fullbacks available where you don't have to sacrifice at least some of your criteria.

 

The ones good at attacking tend to suffer in defending and vice versa (or are ok at both but not great), throw pace and power into the mix and you're expectations may be slightly excessive.

 

They exist but they're not usually available for long and already with the biggest clubs.

 

 

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With our never ending aversion to defending we should just sign a couple of good crossers and carry on trying to score 150 goals a season without caring how many we concede.

[Jairzinho]

Fan of the europa cup?

 

Not sure a base of Lallana and Can would do much for the defence and would probably end up overcrowding an already packed middle third given they both likenl to push further forward.

 

Not arsed about the defence, we need to score some goals.

 

Flattered by your edit though.

[Cardie]

With our never ending aversion to defending we should just sign a couple of good crossers and carry on trying to score 150 goals a season without caring how many we concede.

Might need someone to get on the end of the crosses.

 

Given the job of the fullbacks seems to be occupying the opposing fullback and stretching the backline to make space for the front three then the threat of an attack rather than firing in cross after cross would probably suffice and is why we don't tend to have much luck.

 

It's why we're so succesful with Mane as it drags two players out of position to cover him.

 

How that translates to what we need in a fullback, other than pace, I'm not sure but we'd have more success with how arsenal used to employ wide players (espcially against us) getting to the byline and pulling it back for players like Lallana and Wijnaldum making late runs into the box.

 

Arsenal used to do it with Overmars rather than a fullback but the effect is the same.

[Lee909]

Pace and Width

 

 

Teams have shown all year they are willing to come to Anfield and do everything to kill the game. At home i would in all honestly go full Blitzkrieg on them. We may loose goals doing it but whats new.

 

As has been said new fullbacks needed. Though i think TAA could be the man for RB and we seem interested in Sessegnon at LB. Go something like

 

-------------Mingolet

 

TAA-Lovre--Matip--LB/Sessegnon

 

--------------Can/Hendo

-------Lallana---------Coutinho

 

Mane-----------Str---------------LW

 

A proper all round goalscorer and left winger. Let Coutinho and Lallana play in midfield.

 

I'd rather have a true Kante/Mascherano type in the holding role.

 

 

Stretch the field with marauding fullbacks and have 2 inside forwards in Mane and another and let Lallana and Coutinho pull the strings snd make runs from the midfield. We may loose the odd game going for it but id rather win one and loose one than draw two.

[Captain]

All year? They've been doing it for decades!

 

It won't change either, the majority of PL teams are happy with a draw at Anfield.

[Cardie]

Whats the long term position going to be for Trent Alexander Arnold ( he needs to change his name, it's too long and doesn't naturally shorten to anything acceptable) presumably fullback is more for development rather than where the club see him progressing?

 

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[magicrat]

Our full backs are not wingers is the only lesson we really need to learn. Both can defend ok if they are not completely fucked by running up and down the pitch or caught on the half way line

 

Clyne and Milner would both be fine as wing backs , even Moreno.  Lets buy a good CH , go three at the back and maybe even use Milner as a DM.  Moreno needs replacing so a LB/WB is essential whatever we do

[3 Stacks]

If it was up to me, I'd move Milner to right back and buy a first choice left back. Can't stand watching Clyne fuck up every attack with his donkey touch. 

[magicrat]

If it was up to me, I'd move Milner to right back and buy a first choice left back. Can't stand watching Clyne fuck up every attack with his donkey touch. 

 

Very few full backs are shit hot attacking players as well. Jesus we spent years moaning about Johnson running into defenders and coughing up the ball are now going to start over gain. Clyne is a good full back. It doesn't say Robben on the tin

[3 Stacks]

Very few full backs are shit hot attacking players as well. Jesus we spent years moaning about Johnson running into defenders and coughing up the ball are now going to start over gain. Clyne is a good full back. It doesn't say Robben on the tin

 

Clyne's an average, mid-table fullback. I'm not saying we need Dani Alves, I'm saying we could easily do better, and I think the solution already exists within the squad (although, we would then have to buy a left back). 

[Wicket]

Whats the long term position going to be for Trent Alexander Arnold ( he needs to change his name, it's too long and doesn't naturally shorten to anything acceptable) presumably fullback is more for development rather than where the club see him progressing?

 

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I believe that the long term plan for TAA might be midfield because it's his natural position but he's being bedded into the squad and getting game experience at full back, I recall Gerrard being played at full back a couple of times by Houllier for development reasons (and he was fucking brilliant at it), plus centre mid isn't the easiest place for a young player to learn his trade - especially given the pressures nowadays to be making an immediate impact.

 

I'm of the belief that the RB spot is definitely up for grabs though and think that TAA could well take that place from Clyne, who to be honest has gotten progressively worse as the season has gone on. I'm not of the opinion he should be binned as I think Clyne's a solid defensive player but his lack of attacking prowess has been shown up regularly since the turn of the year when we've really needed a full back who provides at least a partial threat, which on what I've seen TAA does provide as well as being fairly solid defensively.

[G Richards]

It all depends on what system Klopp is going to play next season. If we have a Chelsea-like switch to a back three, then we need fullbacks who are better going forward. Oxlade Chamberlain did that very well for Arsenal yesterday against the Mancs - pace, strength, could beat a man and also whip in a great ball. If we are interested in him it makes most sense to me as a wing back, then sell Clyne and TAA can be the back up.

 

On the left side in that system I'd be tempted to go for Sessegnon as I think he is going to be a very big player. It's probably too soon for him now though, so I might persist with Milner for his experience, even though it is flawed.

 

If we are not going to change system then I'd leave right back alone and we still need a left back and I'd go for the same player, Sessegnon.

[Paco]

Milner could end up right back. His crossing and overlapping from that side would be a lot better.

 

Attacking full backs is only one problem we have against teams who set out to frustrate us. We get to the 18 and move the ball across the width of the pitch, side to side, side to side. Once yesterday I can recall us getting a full back in behind and another time sturridge actually had the audacity to take someone on and got into a goal scoring position. The rest of the time it's side to side. While we're going side to side why not stop in the middle and try a quick one two or feed someone with their back to goal to try and roll the defender at their back or he can lay it back for a shot.

 

We don't try enough different things. There's no imagination.

[LFC 6 Times]

I agree on the point about Milner, makes us so narrow but I genuinely think Clyne is a very good player, he's up and down the flank all game, the lack of goals in the last 2 months is not down to him. He looked great when we were in scintillating form pre Christmas. Blaming him is absolutely ridiculous to my mind. The marginal gains of an attacking fullback are truly little , much like the bollix of playing out from the back under pressure.

[Bjornebye]

Once Flanagan comes back we wont need anyone. Ever again. 

[Manny]

They both looked fine earlier in the season but it's an area we have fuck all depth in. They both look knackered now, both physically (not getting up and down the pitch quite as smoothly) and mentally (the decision making in the final third is a bit messy). As they're also guaranteed starters every game, there's limited scope for throwing a tactical surprise so they've been well and truly sussed out by managers who know for a fact who'll be playing and how they'll be playing. There may also be some complacency kicking in as they're both utterly safe, although they both seem like good pros so maybe that's just looking for a problem that's not there.

 

Either way though, I wouldn't look to bin either of them off next season, but we desperately need cover and alternatives. Clyne's athleticism is a plus and he's one of the best defensive full backs there is (height aside) when he's on form, but he's struggling at the moment with no real alternative, and teams know how to shut him and his side down now. Milner's ability to play midfield and his history in the centre makes him an interesting option in terms of moving inside, but it's become our only way of playing because he plays every game.

 

On Milner's side, we need someone who can fly up and down the wing and get outside a right footer at the front - basically Moreno but with some form of connected brain cells. On Clyne's side we need someone who's a bit better in possession - maybe at the slight cost of defensive ability. That might be Trent and I'd be happy to see him come in for a few games, but Klopp seems to be playing it ultra-safe in the crawl to the CL finish, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Josef Svejk]

Clyne is garbage for the price. Decent defensively but clueless and cowardly in attack.

 

Milner is our very own Kevin Kilbane. A likeable trier with limited ability.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Should be called Declyne because that is what has happened to him, he us a jigsaw of gargantuan proportions. Milner is doing a job, at best. We have no decent fullbacks only the kid looks good going forward. Moreno is a Spanish Rodney from Only Fools, but not funny unless you support the opposition.