The two goals shipped early in the second half in the Merseyside Derby yesterday took our league goals conceded tally up to 31 for the season already. This is four more than the entirety of 2008/09 season and only 4 behind the team that finished 7th last campaign. Another interesting fact is that we have conceded eight goals in our last four games while we only conceded 10 in 18 matches between January and May last season. Has our defensive line really changed that much? Here are my five reasons for our defensive demise.
No Established Centre Back Partnership – An important part of keeping it tight at the back relies on keeping the same personnel in the same positions so every knows what to expect from each other. This season has seen both Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish utilise a number of centre back defensive partnerships. We started the season with Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher, we then had combinations of either Soto with Carra or Skrtel with Soto before Jamie’s injury left us with Skrtel and Kyrgiakos only fit. Needless to say this partnership was only going to end in tears as both players are neither fast nor have any ability on the ball. It led to both the team playing deeper and deeper, (as evidenced on Match of the Day 2 yesterday after Kyrgiakos replaced Agger) as well as a lack of ball being played out from the back.
The Form of Kyrgiakos – The Big Greek was on tremendous form last season, and he was a bargain buy by Rafa at a time when we needed an aerial presence at the back to replace the great Sami Hyypia. He also started this season pretty well, scoring his fair share of goals from corners as well as defending his own penalty area. He was however abject in Roy Hodgson’s last game in charge against Blackburn Rovers and was substituted at half time, and he was partly at fault for the second Everton goal yesterday when he was pulled out of position allowing Jermaine Beckford to get in behind with only Raul Meireles for company to stop him scoring. There was no coincidence that our defending became decidedly dodgier and our team started to play deeper once Soto came on for the ill Agger at half time.
Continue Reading on Page 2 . . .
Its live fantasy football! Become part of Liverpool v Wolves and play Picklive for FREE. A Free Trial for every reader here
This week it is Liverpool fan Caroline Wozniacki!
————–
CLICK ON THE IMAGE OR HERE TO GET TO THE GALLERY
–
macherano replacement is a must..like to see cattermole playing alongside raul in midfield with gerrard and torres up front…
Form of Soto? Are you sure? More like the form or lack of it from Martin Skrtel he has been shocking the last 5 Games making mistake after mistake!! And they have all lead to goals! Surprise surprise he was at fault for the First goal again and also at fault when fellaini headed across goal which nearly led to a goal.. He was brushed off the ball far too easily after Anichebes knock down..Against blackburn he was turned inside out by hoilet the list goes on and on.. How many chances does he need.. He gives away needless freekicks in Aaround the area becoz he goes through the back of the defender time an time again. He needs to be droppe as soon as!
Agreed. He goes to ground way too often and gets too touch tight to players. Gives away freekicks like confetti. Got wrong side of Beckford yesterday and inexplicably tried to clear using his right foot while falling away from the ball.
main reason is abscence of carragher!!
More like the main reason is the absence of Hyppia. No coincidence that the defence looks just as much as in disarray as during the Spice Boys era as soon as he is taken out again. Skrtel is a liability but Carragher really isnt too much of a step up…
Agree totally about Hyppia – He’s still miles better
than anyone we have now
Let me get this straight – Lucas hasn’t replaced Alonso as the playmaker from deep, nor has he replaced Masch as our ballwinner but apparantly he has been such a great presence in midfield since he stepped up full time 18 months ago (just as our demise started coincidentally…)
So what role exactly is it that he is supposed to be fulfilling for the club so effectively?? All answers really are welcome!
Jay I think we all know by now that you don’t like Lucas. What would your midfield be (that’s if we’ve got any players good enough)
I’ve said it many times that Lucas would be in my team this season, but I dont make out like he’s a superstar as many others are doing. He’s elevated hiis performers to ‘adequate’ but that’s about all, the plaudits are way over the top.
So how about answering my question then anyway – he doesnt do the Alonso playmaking role, he doesnt do the Masch ballwinning role and he doesnt do the Gerrard box-to-box role either, so what is so great about him that deserves all this constant praise???
I agree with your first paragraph to a degree, but not at all with your second. What r u on about?! He does all of that! He wins balls, he distributes, he intercepts passes, and at times he gets into attacking positions, as much as you can expect of a DM playing in this season’s defensive formation (up till the King’s arrival). Above all what impresses me about Lucas is how well he reads the game, he seems to know where every player is, and knows where opposition will pass before they do. He tries so hard, has incredible energy, always on the move, but his main disadvantage is his lack of pace. If he had Masch’s pace he would be incredible IMO.
No mention of dropping zonal marking?! Reina reached quickest no of clean sheets using it!! Now every set play has me panicking going man for man.
Glad you mentioned this. Media were quick enough to critisise zonal marking – but no mention of how our defence after 6 years now have to go back to man marking
I believe the problem with our defence is down to a change of formation for the last 6 yrs we have been marking zonel now we are marking man for man and we are being found out if you have a look at the first goal no one new who was marking who that is how distain got a free header at the back post there was complete confusion no one taking comand of the situation this is were pepe reina should be organising them but were still in the zonel marking thinking mode this has happened all season and until kenny and his staff address the situation we will keep on shipping in goals we need to either return to the zone marking or coach them in man for man marking . As for lucas we have a palyer now who can take his place in jay speering he has all that lucas has and a bit more his passing is far better and he does not give free kicks away around the box .
1. Martin Skrtel
2. Martin Skrtel
3. Martin Skrtel
4. Martin Skrtel
5. Glen Johnson
Rafa used to get slated for using zonal marking, although it would appear that we have players suited to zonal marking, more so than man to man marking. Although partnerships are important, in the zonal system, everyone knows the job and area they are supposed to mark. I think the comparisons that have been done show zonal marking to be superior.
The players are used to zonal marking. I would change the system back as soon as possible.
i think glen can play on the left if you use fabio out there with him. in a similar fashion as when riise, fabio, warnock and kewell were on the left side of our team. if you have at least one left sided player who can defend while having someone who can go forward you can overlap. rafa was a tactical genius in the way that he worked this as he did the same on the right with finnan at rb. it was almost as if we were only playing with 3 at the back at times and we used to be able to run at teams. YNWA
it was the press who have a downer on liverpool fc that said under rafa zonel marking didnt work that we concede goals well we finished second in the league using this system so it was working rafa brought in center halfs who had played this system with there former clubs and have not been able to retain there form playing man for man marking that is why i have said in my last post they need coaching in that area its like driving a car for five years and then being told to jump in to a HGV wagon and trying to drive that .
Ok 1 for you zonal marking lovers out there zonal marking or man marking is for set pieces when was the last time we conceded a goal from a set piece? our problem this season is open play not set pieces we’ve gone from having the best open play record to one of the worst. 2 the article is spot on but only really needs three points, no defensive cover from midfield, terrible defensive performances from the full backs (except kelly), and the slowest centre backs in the league! only agger has any pace and footballing skill and he is rusty as the titanic because he is always injured!
Skrtel. Shocking. Simple as.
Except Martin Kelly our entire defense exceptneeds to be replaced , they are artrocious , no vision , undecided, panicking ,nervous and no leadership, i am also concern of Reina he has been jittery this season and does not command his defence together with hesistant in going for high balls from set pieces.
King Kenny and Steve Clarke has a lot of work to do.
Which clown suggested that we defended poorly under the zonal marking system? With that system, we had one of the most solid defences in the league and Reina won the golden glove for a few seasons! Clowns!
I largely agree with the article and I think we need a defence reshuffle in the summer and I’d be happy to see Skrtel, Soto, Konchesky, Aurelio, Degen and Insua out.
Carragher gives 200% every match but he’s past it and with him in the team, we’re forced to play deep. Soto has been poor of late, he’s too slow and gets caught out of position, needs to be shipped out in the summer. Skrtel is solid at the back but his form has been quite poor but I’d stick with him for now. Agger is our best defender by far and we badly need him at the back. Johnson cannot defend but he’s too good a player to be dropped so perhaps Dalglish should play him further up. Konchesky, the sooner he goes the better, enough said.
The absence of a defensive midfielder is also a large problem that needs to be adressed quickly. Mascherano is a midfield destroyer who protects the back four perfectly but since his departure we’ve had no one to replace him with Poulsen failing to step up to the task. Lucas is not the sort of player who can do the job either. A quality midfield destroyer is needed and maybe someone like Annan, Toulalan, Cattermole or Sissoko would do.
January is not the time to make big changes but during the summer, a reshuffle is needed to shake up the defence. A quality centre back needs to be brought in, imo I’d like to see Mertesacker or Cahill come in. A midfield destroyer is needed as I mentioned earlier and a left back is also needed, I would go for either Coentrao or Taiwo.
For now, Dalglish needs to organise the defence and start with Kelly at right back, Skrtel and Agger in the middle and Aurelio on the left. Johnson needs to play further up field and to cover for the injury prone Agger and Aurelio, Wilson and Mavinga should be drafted in. Daniel Ayala should also be given a chance in the team considering he did well last year and was also successful at Hull. My team would be:
Reina
Kelly Skrtel Agger Aurelio
Johnson Lucas Meireles Babel
Gerrard
Torres
Bench: Gulacsi, Wilson, Cole, Maxi, Kuyt, Jovanovic, Pacheco.
KD and SC have a lot of work to do and whoever becomes manager needs to reshuffle the ENTIRE team not only the defence. The following list of players need to be shipped out: Jones, Darby, Degen, Soto, Skrtel, Insua, Aurelio, Konchesky, Insua, Poulsen, Spearing, Jovanovic, Irwin and Ngog. Aquilani, Kuyt and El Zhar can also leave for the right prices. A HUGE transformation of the team is needed and youngsters at the club should be given more of a chance. The following list of players should be promoted to the first team: Gulacsi, Ayala, Wilson, Mavinga, Shelvey, Pacheco, Eccleston and Suso.
To a coupleofpoints did you not watch the derby sunday I do believe that distain scored from a dead ball positon a corner kick . and it is not for dead ball kicks its about picking up a player that enters your zone . man marking is when the manager tells you designated players to mark ie the first center half picks up there center forward the right back picks up there left winger I can see you have never kicked a ball in your life fella .