KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum What's wrong with the defence?

What do you think the problem is....no smart as answers like "letting in too many goals"

Are the defenders not good enough?
Are the defenders good not but not properly organized/not enough experience and leadership?
How much of the issue does Mignolet own?
Is it more due how the whole team is set up?

Am asking because we need to know the issue before we can fix it. If the players are good enough but we need more experience/leadership/organization....then we need to go for Williams type player instead of Caulker...as an example.

There's not much wrong with it if you ask me.

The reason why we let in 3 at palace was because the fullbacks were told to attack to get goals. It was the reason why we left many gapping holes behind. Even when we conceded 2, there was no change in the system and we wanted to score more. I wasn't surprised we let in the 3rd as it was coming.

If anything, I thought BR should have sent on agger and played 5 across to protect the 1 goal lead when the tide turned. We didn't and the rest was history.

The first goal we let in was due to Johnson not standing firm facing the ball. Instead he tried to avoid the ball by turning the back to it. He then managed to steer the ball into our net instead.

That is an example of a defender not equipped to play for a club with any higher ambitions.

The golden rule of defending is: Never ever turn your back to the ball. Keep your eye on the attacking player and if demanded, try to stop the ball with your own body.

Had Johnson not chickened out there, we might not have conceded the first goal at all.

And since Johnson was in a position to defend there, he was clearly not too high up the pitch for the whole game.

I don't think we have the defenders needed that can play Rodgers system, we need players comfortable on the ball in tight space, that are mobile and have pace. But the problem also stems from the same problems in midfield, that's why Henderson is perfect for Rodgers system because he works so hard at getting the ball back.

Rodgers has said many time that we defend as a team and defending starts from the front. I believe when he has built his own squad of players this problem will solve it's self.

The worry for me is that we're never linked with defenders. Last season we were linked with Ashley Williams and at the time I wasn't impressed but thinking about it, he probably would have done well. Seems more vocal than what we have.

I think it's more due to how the whole team is set up and probably not having the right players for such a set up. I see posts here about the Palace game, it not about one game, we are the 8th best team in terms of defensive record. Very difficult to win the league with such a record as it is one of a mid table team.

Agree Vish.

We probably need some new reinforcements in the defence line to be able to progress within BR's "system" that he so often is talking about.

But I just mentioned the Crystal Palace game because it was easy to remember the incident with Johnson from the top of my head.

There are numerous other equal incidents from this and earlier seasons, not only from Johnson but from other players as well.

When we had Steve Clarke as a defence coach, I think we were better drilled at coping with for example defensive set pieces.

If BR wants to set us up mainly to score many goals, then at least try and work out plan A and B for defensive set pieces and we'll concede less.

We need a dhaddy center back that can control the back 4

Plus a quality DM

They let too many goals in the net

I think that our defenders are fine - all players are prone to the odd mistake. Skrtel blows hot and cold but if we replace him we lose his goal threat. A new defensive coach should help and maybe just tweak how we play out from defense.

In the last few months we have been more inclined to hoof/clear the ball rather than play it forward. This has been particularly true of Mignolet. The result of this is that we lose possession and I think this is an area that could definitely be improved.

Also, are 100% confident in Mignolet like we were with Reina in his Rafa years? A better No2 might help because he certainly isn;t getting any pressure or competition for his place from brad jones! Maybe Reina and Mignolet should be fighting it out for the No1 shirt - both are of similar ability and the pressure should cause each of them to up their game...?