Danny Wilson and Sotirios Krygiakos are acceptable back-up options but nothing more. It would appear that on the surface the side are well stocked, but dig a little deeper and the options are somewhat threadbare.
Crucially, a lot still factors around the presence of Carragher. His ability to organise and co-ordinate the Liverpool back line is of paramount importance. It’s without him that I begin to question the options available.
Daniel Agger stated after the 3-3 draw with Valerenga, of which he scored 2 of them, that: “The amount of goals that we have conceded is not good enough. We need to show we can keep a clean sheet and we have got to defend better.” Pepe Reina echoed his sentiments by stating: “We have a lot of work ahead of us. We cannot afford to conceded so many goals. To let in three is not our identity.”
Fifteen goals in five pre-season games against the likes of Guandong, Malaysia XI, Hull, Galatasaray and Valerenga isn’t the best of pre-seasons, that much is certain. Perhaps too much has been made of the club’s defensive frailties so far – pre-season is often a time to gel new players and improve the squad’s base level of fitness, and while that may be happening, the lack of cohesion at the back is a cause for concern.
Good centre halves do not grow on trees, but with the club looking to shift towards a more attacking and attractive style of play, based on the evidence so far in pre-season, something appears to have been lost in terms of the overall balance of the side. Tougher tests await the club and while Dalglish is sure to have something up his sleeve, with plenty of time left in the transfer window, a move for a commanding centre back certainly makes sense both in the short and long-term. Gary Cahill is the latest name to be linked and he would certainly signal a step in the right direction.
To put it quite simply, the issue over the tightening up the side’s porous back line now has to be the club’s top priority for the remainder of the summer transfer window, otherwise a season marred by inconsistent results and defensive uncertainty awaits.
The article was written by James McManus for FootballFancast.com. Make sure to check out the latest news, blogs and podcasts at FFC – ed.
Follow us on twitter @live4Liverpool or like us on Facebook
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com
This week it is former Miss World and LFC fan Rosanna Davison!!
————–
CLICK ON THE IMAGE OR HERE TO GET TO THE GALLERY
I’d say get Cahill if we have the funds.
Good player and I’m sure some of our rivals would be jealous if we manage to get him in.
Its also. Clear to see we played without a recognised defensive midfielder in lucas in all of those games………
Whilst we are blessed with Right Backs, we need at least a Right Centre Back, a Left Centre Back and, as ever, at least one Left Back. Virtually a totally new defensive lineup. I would love to see us get Cahill or Dann, Sackho and Baines, but whoever KK has in his sights, at least bring in three new defenders FAST!
sign 3 defenders? with a left defender who can play in central defense in some occasions, we are more than utensils, you forget that we have players with great talent (Wilson and Kelly can take the place of central defender) just have to sign a player like Erik Pieters, who can play both the left and the center of the defense, (Sakho and Lovren, are also options)