If you were to compare our results in the league with those of the teams above and around us you'd notice that: We have scored far fewer goals of consequence in the second halves of games. We have collected no wins after falling behind OR after getting drawn. We have conceded far more points from a winning position than them, second only to West Ham (courtesy of KKK) These facts tell us that when the opponent rises up we tend to get confused and lose composure as the game wears on. They tell us that in sticky situations there's a lack of belief in our ability to carry out our game-plan, a lack of confidence on the ball, of assuredness at the back, of confidence in pushing forward, a lack of reliable structure, of trust in ourselves and the system, and an overreliance on individual skill. How do we fight this boogieman? Is it psychological only, due to our players lacking experience in handling top 4 pressures? Is it due to our technical shortcomings, shortage of skillful and assured defensive or CM players? Or is it due to tactical shortcomings, where maybe Brendan is not assigning players a gameplan that is versatile enough, or tailored well enough to their individual skills? Though the answer lies a bit everywhere, I think that the latter point on the tactical aspect is most relevant and worth investigating at the moment, especially given that we can't do much about the former two until summer. I would like Brendan to practice more often a second gameplan whereby we do not rush and flick forward in risky passes, but build confidently from the back with the CBs, FBs and CMs holding the ball longer and taking it gradually further & further up whilst others press patiently, putting bodies around and clearing up the channels. Switching gears helps - it makes the next shift to high gear more impactful and it also messes up the opponent rhythm. The lower gear game-plan imparts the team a certain confidence and clarity on the ball, in addition to being defensively effective. Top teams know how to find this lower grinding gear, while we somehow don't. Is it necessary to conquer it or is our zappy style sufficient for success?
i would like to see brendan stop thinking allen will come on and unlock opo defenses, rather he took a chance on alberto and give him game time to prove himself, as sorry allen has shown me nothing. i see allen or moses coming off the bench i just think ffs. ibe and alberto should be coming on before those 2 for me as they are younger and will be hungrier and more up to prove a point. i know allen has his fans on here but i don't see what he offers to change the game, and **** me did i laugh when he said the other day that now gerrard is playing more defensive he could come on and be more attacked minded, he couldn't score in a ruddy brothel, like to see coutinho and henderson do that more, not allen. last thing, i always feel like now days if we are not on top of opo in first half and at least 2 goals clear by half time it is always an edgy game 2nd half, and you know they are not going to be as bad as first half and we end up losing silly points in games. we have some good players and play good football, trouble is if it doesn't work straight away we run out of ideas, also attitude needs to change, should be same level of performance and intensity if we are playing everton,utd or bottom of the league teams.
I personally think that it shows we don't have a plan B. We seem to go to bits when we are pressed high up the pitch, which happens a lot when we are 1 up away from home, like yesterday. Villa game was better, at least we got a point from going behind. We also have nobody on the bench who can change the game, another problem. Good post btw.
For me i think we don't have a consistent level of performance for 90 mins. a) no subs to come on. b) the likes of gerrard and coutinho don't do it for 90mins c) we can raise our game for a burst but i've not seen us really dominate a game for a long time period. 20 mins yes but I've seen us then just sit into a pattern of non dangerous football for most of it. I just feel that our plan is to score first and control. yesterday frankly the first 20 were terrible. we didn't much improve but got a goal and we never looked like adding any or getting even a shot. If we'd done that v hull we'd get bettered. we scraped a draw so there's not as much ire. For me that game was as bad if not worse than the hull game. In short we are fairly poor away from home.
I very much seemed a lack of concentration in key moments yesterday, I agree with most that we lack options off the bench that little bit of quality to come in when one of our starters isn't playing well. I agreed with the Allen sub in principal as we needed more energy in the middle and he did what he could but putting him on for Coutinho was not the right move. 2 subs were needed 1 was Allen for the reason I suggested I'd have taken Sterling off, the other was then Alberto to replace Coutinho so that we still had the link and the creative player on. I'm not saying Alberto is the answer but we bought him so give him a chance. Hendo Gerrard Allen --------Alberto------- --Suarez----Studge--
Sums it up for me. Players look clueless. Midfield goes missing, defence just wobbles as usual. All respect to WBA but we made them look good. I hate to say it but away from home, SAS is a luxury I don't think we can afford.....there, I've said it Even if we'd signed the Ukranian fella, we'd still be poor. Everyone knows it bar BR. We need some steel in the middle of the park ffs......we get Allen
OOooooooooohhhhhh we've got the best midfield in the world. We've got Luis Alberto, Jordan Hendo, aging Gerrard and ... er.... little Welsh Joe. I really fear the game at Arsenal. Yes our front 4 are dangerous on the break but I think Arsenal's midfield will tank us and our front 4 will see very little of the ball.
Yes, but what you've mentioned are probably symptoms, not causes. Gerrard, Coutinho, Hendo lose their edge tactically before they lose it mentally, before they lose it physically. Their inability to keep the ball amongst them, the CB, and fullbacks invites pressure.
Play as we did against Everton - sit back and counter. We're not going to outpass Arsenal, especially with our midfield. ---------------------- Going back to the OP - I think it's quite simple, we don't have the personnel. We have two full backs (Enrique and Johnson) who despite having the physical attributes to succeed, are simply not intelligent on the ball or clever enough with their positioning. Bar Sakho, we have centre backs who cannot defend against physical players. However, they do not have any protection in front of them. Put it simply, everyone behind SAS and Coutinho (with the exception of Sakho, Mignolet and Henderson who isn't playing in the same team as Gerrard) can be upgraded.
Playing Gerrard, Allen, and Hendo gives us defensive hustle in the center, but with Sterling hauled off, less of an attacking outlet. Furthermore, although those three could retrieve a ball, they still wouldn't be able to steady it and pass it calmly between them. Hendo is the weaker link in that regard I suppose, and I'd put Allen to replace him rather than Sterling. I'd keep Sterling as he can carry out defensive and offensive tasks well, akin to Chelsea's Willian, however he needs take it easy some times and look for the pass before putting the blinders on and running the whole flank. We just need more combinations. You can't just go for the knockout blow all the time.
It's also a matter of tactics and what they rehearse on the training pitch. We had only 50% possession against WBA for f**k sake and their personnel isn't better is it... Similarly we were dominated in the middle by Hull away (similar sh*te) and So'ton at home, who are young cocky uns but not worldbeaters.
Rodgers said that he wanted more courageous players - players who wanted the ball, could keep it and basically not sh*t themselves when a defender comes near them. And Sterling is the only one who could hold his head high yesterday. Attacked with purpose and intent - agree that his final ball is lacking but so was SAS's. Our whole play in the final 3rd was the worst I've seen this season.
We haven't controlled a game for 90 mins this season. Our midfield is the weakest area IMO and it's the weakest it's ever been, and a lot of people know who I feel is detrimental to our style (I won't go into that now!). Rodgers needs at least 2 new midfielders - a better DM and a box to box midfielder. More physical presence, more mobility and just basically more quality.
I would say yes... but i'd add a caveat that gerrard went about his business as a holding player fairly ok too... I mean he can't be both attacking and holding. I have to say flanagan was piss poor in terms of doing much, never went forward, never passed forward when a back pass was there. cissohko was more positive. Henderson was all over the place but did nothing and coutinho was poor too. suarez looked out of sorts. his form has now dipped off a huge hugh and i think he's below even regular level IMO.
There was little final third play yesterday, Jimmy. We couldn't get it there much except through Sterling's isolated runs. I saw Suarez drop deep to ask for the ball and do his one-twos in the hope of sparking a fast break, but you can't rely on fast breaks all the time, especially against attentive and patient defences. I understand why Suarez drops deep to ask for the ball - it is as if he's telling the midfield "I'm coming down to you, now you come further up", sorta like a dog at the park approaching you with a ball in his mouth... But there was little that came up in the form of attacking wave, as Gerrard was pinned back, Hendo was cherrishing his without-the-ball duties, and Coutinho was left to invent a vertical pass without proper buildup.
Gerrard - he gotta do more leading from out the back. He was very cautious and didn't put a foot wrong defensively. At what cost though? In Henderson, you don't have a box-to-box midfielder who cherishes taking up more ball-playing duties. Suarez - I disagree. I saw him breathing hard towards the end and he was left isolated on the left in the second half. He's still unquestionable at the moment. He is our drive, we just need that lower gear for uphill battles.
This is why Coutinho is so crucial to our team, even when he's out of form. He links the midfield and defence. And even in his worst form, he will still create a number of chances. And whilst I agree we struggled to even make it to the final 3rd - when we did get that, our passing was sloppy. I think WBA had more touches in the final 3rd and at a better accuracy. We only had 6 shots all game. Our attack has been carrying us all season - if that fails, then we;re seriously screwed.
I agree regarding Coutinho's importance. But the defence-attack link is not only manned by him, it is also the fullbacks' role down the flanks and Henderson's down the middle. Hendo and Coutinho must find a clearer wavelength between them and Hendo must take the box to box responsability together with the "ball to foot" responsability. Also, the separation of Gerrard from Coutinho, our two players with a vision, hampers us. Brendan must find a way to help that combination and that means have Gerrard play a bit higher and Coutinho a bit deeper. Re our attack: I have great faith in it. It won't let us down. It is organizing patient play what we suck at! For that you need good scaffolding, a well-rehearsed ball-possession system entrusted by defenders and midfielders.
It doesn't look good but when we have Played Lucas Allen Hendo the combination worked and they matched Man City and played well in other games, I put that down to Allen and Hendo putting the work in so more a good combination than 3 great individuals.
As much as I hate not seeing a real wide outlet forward (Sterling), if that means greater strength, chemistry and ball possession in the middle, I'd agree with it as our plan B. It also has the benefit of giving Coutinho more protection. Gerrard however has to get forward more - he was more pegged back yesterday than I have ever seen Lucas be.
