Central Failings

http://thetravellingkop.com/1918/writers-columns/view-from-the-kop-central-failings/

Liverpool surrendered their top place position on Saturday with a poor performance against Southampton at Anfield. Brendan Rodgers and the educated Liverpool fans certainly did not underestimate the fast improving Southampton, however they also wouldn’t have expected such a poor and sloppy display from the Liverpool squad.

Fans and pundits lambasted Rodgers’ decision to deploy four centrebacks in his defence with Mamadou Sakho at left back and Kolo Toure at the right. In Rodgers’ defence, he did state that Jose Enrique was carrying a knee injury and Martin Kelly is not quite up to full fitness.

While the resulting lack of width and support from the full backs contributed to our lacklustre performance, my more concerning observation was the performance of our central midfield.

Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva have been ever present fixtures under Rodgers since his appointment. Lucas’ role is that of a defensive midfielder or ‘controller’ whereas Gerrard has adapted his game to play closer to Lucas as a deep-lying playmaker.

In parts of the games this season, Lucas and Gerrard have sat in front of the back four and offered great protection. This was shown particularly against Aston Villa and Manchester United when defending our one goal advantage.

However, it has also been apparent that both players have been unable to consistently offer the necessary protection while supporting the forward players in our opening five games.

Gerrard and Lucas have yet to support the attacking players with any great conviction and link the defence and attack. Both players also looked visibly tired towards the end of games, possibly down to Gerrard’s age and heroics of previous seasons and Lucas’ previous injuries. This meant our second half showings have been far poorer than our first half performances, a point raised in my column last week.

As a result, Rodgers has been playing Jordan Henderson to assist Gerrard and Lucas with his ever present running and tactical discipline. However, Henderson should be allowed to play his natural game and not simply be on the pitch to make up for the deficiencies of Gerrard and Lucas.

Henderson is a player who can create and score goals. However, he is currently asked to play in an attacking role whilst expected to track back at every opportunity to assist the central midfield pairing. It is important that Rodgers does not hamper his game and abilities which is more suited to a central midfield role.

Central midfield is an area of the pitch that is hugely important. Arguably, Arsenal re-signing Mathieu Flamini was just as important as the marquee signing of Mezut Ozil. It is no coincidence that Arsenal’s great form has been in conjunction with Flamini’s excellent performances as a defensive midfielder. He allows attacking players like Ozil and Aaron Ramsey to have creative freedom while also possessesing the ability to support the attacks when needed.

I should also point out that Iago Aspas playing as a number 10 did not help Gerrard and Lucas on Saturday. His performance was so poor that Rodgers had to bring him off at half time. If Phillipe Coutinho had played in that role – as he did in the first half against Swansea – he would have offered far better support for our central midfield pair with his sublime ball possession and passing.

Rodgers supplemented his squad with excellent cover in the centre back positions and he also has several attacking players to choose from when fully fit. However, Rodgers has shown blind faith in Gerrard and Lucas which could hurt Liverpool’s chances of a strong season. Neither player has offered the energy or dynamism that is required in such a key area of the pitch. Cover and competition was needed in those crucial positions but it hasn’t come.

Having a strong base at the midfield would allow Rodgers to play a fearsome attacking foursome of Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suarez, Coutinho and Victor Moses. However, without a strong supportive midfield base, Rodgers simply has to continue to play Jordan Henderson at the expense of one of those four in order to support Gerrard and Lucas.

For the record, I personally think both Gerrard and Lucas are extremely good players but it is apparent to many Liverpool fans that they simply need help – whether that is competition for places or a rest. It will be interesting to see whether Rodgers identifies this as a problem area in January or continues to show faith in our current central midfield partnership.

 

Good article, not sure I agree though I'm seeing Gerrard and Lucas playing well and controlling the midfield well and I expect them to get better as the season goes on. The games where we haven't done so well have (imo) been down to a lack of concentration and Rodgers inability to change the formation to suit the change in play.

 

I agree there has been a problem linking midfield to attack but have Lucas and Gerrard really failed to "protect the defenders"? We've only conceded 4 goals in 6 games and the only one that came directly through the middle was Michu's. The 3 others have been from defensive errors.

Where I think we've been weakest over the last few games has been on the flanks and not holding the ball up. What people don't seem to understand about our game is that it relies on closing the opposition down quickly AND THEN keeping hold of the ball. It's all too easy to blame the midfield but not even the fittest, strongest players can do it constantly for 90 minutes if every time they win it it just gets lost straight away by the strikers and they have to do it all again.

Our biggest culprits in the last two games have been Aspas (at the weekend) and Sturridge last night. Them losing the ball constantly puts untold strain on those who have to then win it back.

 

I am not going to accept Rodgers' excuse for playing Toure at right back and not Kelly. No player gets match fit on the bench and if you're naming a player on the bench, he's got to be fit enough to play a full game in case there's an injury during the warm-up / first minute. And the critical part the full backs play in the system to provide width and penetration means that to play 4 centre halfs is going to badly hamper this system.

It becomes doubly critical to have this penetration and creativity from out wide when the main central creative influence is out of the side. My understanding when he was signed was that Luis Alberto could play all across the front line, as false 9, second striker, winger and attacking midfielder.

Given his performance against the Sunderland U21's getting a hattrick, I can't see why, if you're going to employ 4 centre backs, Coutinho's spot wasn't given to Alberto? Coutinho was 20 when he arrived here and went straight into the squad. Rodgers likened Alberto to Coutinho when we signed him, so why make that comparison when you clearly demonstrate you don't actually believe this on the first opportunity you get...

 

They may not have failed the defence in terms of goals conceded but they have failed the team but not getting a grip of the game and controlling it.

Yesterday, I thought they played pretty well and dominated the game. I want to see more of that. Gerrard played some great long balls out to the wings to Enrique who wasted it a few times (agrees with your assessment of our ability on the wings). Hopefully Cissokho can be a better outlet, and perhaps have Moses/Johnson on the right.

However, any sign of pressure and Lucas/Gerrard struggle. In fact, the game yesterday was possibly the only game where we actually controlled and dominated for a large majority of the 90 minutes.

 

I hear what you saying but Coutinho and Alberto are two completely different players - not in terms of style and positions etc but more in terms of their background and experience.

Coutinho came through the ranks in Brazil and was touted as one of their brightest youngsters - in a country like Brazil, that is a huge 'honour' and a lot of pressure, limelight and expectiation on his shoulders. In addition, he has experience at Inter and Espanyol so he's a more established player than Alberto and is more mentally prepared to play for LFC first team.

Alberto needs to be eased in my opinion - most of his playing time has come in the Segunda Ligue so he's very inexperienced compared to Coutinho.

However, Alberto is probably the most natural replacement for Coutinho and I would like to see him get more game time.

At the moment, I sense that Rodgers is trying to fit square pegs in round holes - Toure at RB, Aspas as the number 10 etc.

 

Fully accept that Alberto is not the finished article. Don't expect him to carry the team like Coutinho does in terms of creativity or displace Coutinho when the latter is fit. But it WAS Rodgers who made the comparison between the two. And Alberto's current form should see him get some game time before Coutinho returns to fitness.

It was always the mantra - play the players in form and in position...

 

Again I have to say I don't think they struggle at any sign of pressure. However I reiterate that I believe there isn't a midfield in the world who won't struggle if their strikers can't give them some respite. The way Rodgers wants us to play is a possession game. It relies on almost everything going through the middle two (deeper players) at some point during an attack. It's bloody tough enough work as it is so for me it's up to the players around them to take on a bit more responsibility.

I genuinely think so far this season it's the middle 3 who have been our strongest unit. Although I have to wonder if there's any way we can get Gerrard to slip on an England kit while he's taking corners

 

Its ok but you need to look at it like this;

first there is too big a gap between midfield and attack without coutinho.... to much ground to make up.

Second gerrard is popping out of the line not to attack but to close down and he simply runs up stops and doesn't get back. this is just plain bad play without the ball.

third the defensive line weeds to go higher to allow for closing the gap in point 1. We need to attack and defend as a unit...

BUt... reality check. lucas is not the player he was. its time to call that. he was spent after 50mins and got burned totally. looked poor. We need to acknowledge that first... gerrard looks fitter. its just what he does is swtich off defensively.

 

As much as I've been a supporter of Gerrard, even when others made claims for him to be dropped, I think the article has a point. Whilst his passing is, imo, second to none in the league, he needs both Lucas and Henderson next to him to carry to legwork and defensive duties. That weakens our attacking potential and means we can't really have a creative, goalscoring midfielder in there. Henderson should be that player, but he has to keep getting back to support the defense.

Lucas is still very good and I thought played really well against United. What I like most, is that he is very adept at picking out forward passes to players who drop into the hole looking for the ball. Probing passes. I do think he's lost something physically. He's not the battler he was and he doesn't maintain the energy for 90minutes. Compared to Hendo who will run and run all game. At 50/60 mins, we should be replacing Gerrard or Lucas with fresh players to make an impact or change the game. We don't have that depth in midfield. Allen is **** (and injured) and Alberto doesn't get game time.