Totally agree with that. We need to be a much more cynical (dirtier) team than we often are. I think Sakho having two shakier games is down to the opposition as much as anything. A lot of teams we played before the last two games weren't pressing anywhere near as hard. It's tough for all our centre backs not being able to launch it but I guess they have to adjust to it. Sakho can play a decent ball but that's tough to do first time, every time (which you have to when pressed high up). The simple fact is though that they all look better in the current set-up including the keeper too. I still think they are all capable of the occasional **** up but it just seems like we have more cover on the occasions they do mess up.
It presents a problem for Sakho now though. Other teams will have seen it and will do the same thing.
Agreed but it doesn't only present a problem though. It also offers us opportunities. With the three centre backs we have cover and passing options, so as long as Sakho can keep the ball moving quickly it'll actually be a good thing. The problem with his game at the moment is he likes time to get his head up and pick a pass (no problem with that) but at the pace of a derby game for instance you just can't do that very often. I think as long as we keep a settled back line then with time it becomes second nature to be able to lay it off quickly as you know where your men will be all the time. BR loves it when teams press as it opens up spaces for us elsewhere...the issue of course is that to play as much counter attacking as we do then you have to be ultra solid at the back and at the moment we are still prone to lapses.
We conceded a soft goal against Crystal Palace. Would be too harsh to blame Simon Mignolet, he actually redeemed himself later..
Skrtel makes a poor header, and everyone was slow to react to the second ball. Migs did well with the initial shot.
The save was very good, the rebound was unlucky. Skrtel's header was poor but maybe Can should have been dealing with it first. (It wasn't Can's best game but Palace were set up to specifically exploit the weakness of our formation in the wide areas) Main point is the team didn't give a **** and just dominated the game.
If anything, Can should have been tracking the runner. Skrtel's header was poor but he was being put under a lot of pressure (by which i mean pushed) too. Migs save was reactionary, not a lot else he could have done IMO. I wouldn't actually blame any of our players for it TBH, it was just one of those things.
Brilliant - and Migs has been brilliant as well. However, today merely highlights that the improvements to the defence are down to personnel and not structure. Hopefully Sakho isn;t out for too long.
That's not strictly true, it's a combination of the two things IMO. I agree the change in personnel made us much shakier at the back today but that doesn't mean the system isn't part of the reason we've played better. Sakho, Lovren and Skrtel (and our fullbacks) all look better as part of the current system and as good as Can has been I'm not sure he'd work as one of two centre backs either. Add to that that with 3 centre backs Minger has more cover where he needs it too. I never thought I'd say this but at the moment I dread us going back to a back four.
I thought the team looked like it only had two days to prepare for sure..... lets not forget that fact. Sahko was out and so rodgers decided quite wiely a straight swap with loven on the left was not a good idea... have to give him credit for not lumping for johnson but putting lovern at RCB and moving Can. Can did ok but struggled over there manfully. It look 15/20 mins for them to get any sort of tight line working and it was can not lovern that was all over the shop. Lets give credit that they tightened up after a lucky break or two. I would agree with billy that if we played 4 at the back can would not be one of the two cbs. that much is quite clear If lfc have few days to prepare i am sure the back 3 would improve... Lets also not forget that markovic struggled on the left too... clyne hurt him too. Finally I don't fear a back 4 or back 3. its about getting the best out of what we have and right now this puts 4 in the centre so actually we are not outnumbered there.
Sorry, I wrote the wrong thing - definitely moving to a back 3 has helped, along with using a DM (Lucas). My gripe was more toward Rodgers bigging himself up saying he doesn't need a defensive coach. There is no evidence that coaching has improved us - it's more the personnel used and adding another centre back in.
But that's not what I'm saying - I'm saying that the good results are due to playing better players i.e. Sakho and Can (albeit forced to!), sticking an extra defender in defence, and playing a DM. I mean, credit to Rodgers for doing this. But that's not an example of coaching. Big difference.
My opinion is that Mignolet deserves most of the credit for the improved defending. In terms of dicipline I don't see too much difference in the way we defend from the early part of the season, although BR deserves some credit for adding a 3rd CB to allow skrtel to employ his high risk style of defending with the knowledge that sakho or Can will cover him. But mignolets instinctive decision making has often saved us over the last two months
