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Let’s get physical

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Merseyside derbyWHILST it was far from the most physical Merseyside derby you’re ever going to see, the game on Sunday against Everton highlighted again just how much we need to buy a bit of grit and grunt both in midfield and at centre-half.

The individual reason is Marouane Fellaini, who dropped back into midfield in a free role as well as pushing up front on the rare occasions Everton actually looked to attack in open play during the game.

The big Belgian is a handful and he was able to shrug off the attentions in both defence and midfield all too easily. We’ll rarely deal with players of that talent on a weekly basis but the physique of most players in this league is akin to him as opposed to the Joe Allens of the world. Everton’s tactic was a simple one, but it was very hard to deal with – aim for Fellaini’s chest or head.

We actually dealt well with their other tactical masterstroke, which was set-pieces. Apart from the “disallowed goal” (for it to be disallowed, the ref would have had to have blown his whistle after the ball hit the net, not a decade before, like in this instance) we actually handled their aerial and physical superiority very well; certainly better than we have done in recent weeks.

But every time Fellaini dropped deep, I was concerned something might come from it. He either held the ball up using his chest, or flicked the ball on, often totally unopposed. I am pretty confident that we’re going to sign a dominant centre-half in the summer, but I think our midfield would massively benefit from a unit.
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Obviously a unit that can play football, that’s the most important thing when you adopt the approach to the game that we do, but someone that can mix it up with the likes of Fellaini, can shrug them off the ball, can really get amongst a more physical team – because that was where Everton caused issues to us.

The likes of Anichibe are a handful for most teams (in terms of size and strength, not danger. Anichibe is good at what he does but is one dimensional) but particularly to us.

I am sure it’s an issue we’re looking to address this summer but we need a few more physical specimens in our team, just so long as they can play a bit of football.

Scouting department, it’s over to you.
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I'm a fully trained journalist who shunned a career in the profession due to my disillusionment with the tabloid press, instead hoping to become a professional author. I've written for The Liverpool Way for 7 years and am a regular on the forum using the name Agt Provocateur.

A passionate member of supporter group Kop Faithful, I've been a season ticket holder of 8 years and a regular match goer since 1995.

When not criticising diminishing refereeing standards in football, I can be found at Langtree Park, the home of St Helens Rugby League Club being highly critical of non existent standards of refereeing in Rugby League. I'm is also a massive Lancashire and England cricket fan.

14 comments

  • Lionel messedup says:

    liverpool have to step up next season and get tough on the pitch. We’re too soft at the moment.

  • liverbaby says:

    Rodgers doesn’t do physical . Expect more 5 foot puny wimps in the summer

  • irw says:

    …Liverpool fans must realise that it is not the manager’s fault…they didn’t hire themselves for the job…they were hired by liverpool…and it’s not really the players fault either cause they didn’t buy themselves into playing for Liverpool…they were bought by Liverpool…the thing is they are already there and they all deserve a fair chance…even aissadi and carroll…the reality is the problem lies with the owners…it’s always been that way…when rafa got us close to the title he needed to sell before buying…do you see Manchester city doing the same now that they lost the title…yes, they will sell but only to get rid of players they think they don’t need to buy even better ones…for Liverpool we have to sell our assets to buy players that we think may be better but runs the risk of being worse…and it’s the same now…can we seriously compete when the likes of Chelsea, Man City and even Man Utd will just go out and splash the cash…we buy younger players-cheaper and hungrier with points to prove like sturridge and coutinho who were not successes at their previous clubs for whatever reasons…but if we continue in this vein will they actually wait for it all to come together when they themselves do come good or will they leave if someone bigger comes along for them?…just think if countinho becomes an incredible success and Liverpool still are not challenging after 3 years…and man city comes along…anyone sure he would stay?…we need to invest in a core of young and great players…the cavanis, falcaos, eriksens of this world…and unless we do…not even pep guardiola can help…

    • Tommy says:

      Not the players fault ?

      Not the managers fault ?

      That is the dumbest comment I have ever seen on any forum

      Everything you said is total rubbish

      • irw says:

        rubbish?…think…if Rodgers can sign falcao, oscar, hazard, eriksen, messi…you really think he won’t?…and just think…we can only afford to sign players like sturridge and even then we had to haggle so much…do you think there is any coach in the world that can turn sturridge into a cavani?…get real man…

        • irw says:

          oh ya…almost forgot…i heard brendan Rodgers wasn’t appointed by the Liverpool OWNERS…he just turned up one day…and started to take training…no one noticed until now…when suddenly people realise that liverpool ain’t doing too great…

    • stevieG says:

      the first 4 sentences are rubbish – but the rest is all true

  • stevieG says:

    Wee brendan likes his little wimps to play tippy-tappy . Get used to this rubbish

  • Jack says:

    Emmmmm! So called Liverpool ‘supporters’ calling everyone at the club names. Interesting.

  • k says:

    jack there is a deference between fan and troll.

    a fan will try and disprove someone’s opioion that is different to theirs by using facts and stats.

    a troll will counter your aguement by calling you a fool and bashing the players, management and owners, if someone else thinks you are right then they will say you are posting under a different name.

    sad really

    • fotheringham says:

      Your a troll K . And im sorry to be insulting , but you are astonishingly clueless about football

      • k says:

        ha. sorry just spotted this. its obvious your just a kid. look it is easy to be bitter and moan about, but how can you ever have a go at a bitter blue if you are twice as bitter.
        grow up act like a man stop crying and support your team.

  • bob says:

    rodgers has no idea how to mould a team…he thinks it’s possible to win with a group of munchskins .it’s not .rodgers must go

  • Denis D says:

    The problem is we do not have enough attacking class within squad to put fear in our opponents and we have had a pathetically weak squad for the last five seasons.

    Just being more physical and just getting physical players in is not the answer, we need more physical players with ability, class and quality at the club.

    This is why we have been for five seasons competing for a top 6-11 position with Everton, Stoke, Newcastle and Fulham.

    We have not competed for the top 4 position since 2008. And until some serious investment is given to Rodgers to invest in the playing staff( £100-£130M) over this summer and Transfer window. Then the clubs with alot better squads already( Both Manchester Clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham) will all be strengthening in summer also.

    So a huge overhaul is needed:

    This summer Rodgers needs to ship out these 7 players along with the great loyal retiring servant Carragher . 1: GK: B Jones 2: RB: Flanagan
    3: CB: Coates 4: CB: Wilson 5: DM: Spearing 6:FD: Borini 7: FD: Pacheco

    Those 7 players are simply average and not of Liverpool class and Quality and need to be moved on as soon as possible.

    And A Carroll(23) should be recalled to side and given a fair chance to shine at club, he could be our plan B in attack as Plan A does not always work as we have found out this season against the likes of Stoke, West Brom, Reading, Southampton and Everton. Carrolls physical and Aerial threat against the more physical sides in the league would be an asset we could use to our advantage.

    Then hopefully our club come to some agreement with Ooredo Qatari communications as soon as possible and then club would get a huge injection of cash brought into club.

    Then B Rodgers should bring in 11 players between this summer and the January Transfer window to get club back amongst the elite sides in Europe: To Change Squad DEPTH:

    Six Defensive players: To strengthen back line within Squad: Cost : £28-£48M

    1: GK: A MCcarthy(23) Of Reading for £2-£6M to compete with Pepe

    2: CB: M Richards(25) Of Man City for £8-£15M to compete with Skrtel (Physical)

    3: CB: A Williams (28) Of Swansea for £7-£10M to compete with Agger (Physical)

    4: CB: A Pearce(24) Of reading on free transfer to compete with every centre back. (Physical)

    5: LB: S Umtiti(19) Of Lyon for £5-£8M to compete with Enrique

    6: DM: E Capoue(24) Of Toulouse for £6-£9M to compete with Lucas. (Physical)

    Five Attacking players: To Strengthen attack within squad: Cost : £36-£50M

    7: RW/ RWF: J Montero(23) Of Monarcas Morelia Of Mexico for £5-£7M to compete with Assaidi and Sterling.

    8: LW / LWF: D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal/ Sporting Lisbon for £5-£8M to compete with Downing.

    9: CM: J D Guzman(25) Of Villareal for £4-£6M to compete with Allen, Gerrard and Henderson. (Physical)

    10: AM: Isco(20) Of Malaga for £16-£20M to compete with Coutinho, Shelvey and Suso .

    11: FD: L Remy(26) Of QPR for £6-£9M to compete with Carroll, Sturridge and Suarez. so club can have 4 good class quality strikers at club.

    Those 7 players out and 11 players in would change whole dimension of squad and get club back amongst the elite, there would be at least two class quality player competing for every position at club and then every player will be kept on their toes and performing to a high standard all through season.
    No ones position would be safe and that is what the Great Liverpools in the 80?s had and were like.

    And the Squad would have good class quality competition and depth all over squad:

    This is how squad would look with those 7 players shipped out and the 11 players shipped in:

    GKS: Mccarthy and Reina RBS: Johnson, Kelly, Wisdom
    CBS: Agger, Pearce, Richards, Skrtel and Williams LBS: Enrique and Umtiti
    DMS: Capoue and Lucas CMS: Allen, De Guzman, Gerrard and Henderson
    AMS: Coutinho, Isco, Shelvey and Suso RWS/ RWFS: Assaidi, Montero and Sterling
    LWS / LWFS: Capel and Downing FDS: Carroll, Remy, Sturridge and Suarez.

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