Back Four Problems, and the Perils of Lallana at RWB

http://anfieldindex.com/13234/back-4-problems-perils-lallana-rwb.html

Firstly let me say this isn’t a Lallana or Rodgers-agenda article. This isn’t a character assassination on the Liverpool number 20. This is just a fan who can’t fathom as to why Brendan Rodgers keeps trying to use Adam Lallana as a wing-back. Is the Reds’ manager afraid of reverting to a back 4?

Many of you will ask how Rodgers giving Lallana 30 minutes at RWB relates to a back 4, but I have my reasons.

Liverpool have been spoilt for wing-backs this season with Brendan Rodgers using Jordon Ibe, Raheem Sterling, Alberto Moreno, Emre Can and Lazar Markovic to varying degrees of success. Of those mentioned they all seem to have one attribute in common; they’re all direct. The bluntness of these players is what makes them being played as a wing-back a thing of beauty. It’s as though they get the ball, look towards the goal and think ‘Stop me if you can’ before charging towards the oppositions goal like roadrunner. Alberto Moreno showed how direct he could be in the win earlier in the season against Spurs. Emre Can picks the ball up deep in his RCB position and tears through the opposition on a regular basis, often ending up in the final third.

Defences these days aren’t equipped for these players. Many are used to those that showboat, longer they take on the ball the easier it is to defend against, usually. Obviously this varies when you’re up against skilful yet pacey players but showboating isn’t necessary. Look at a certain mercurial Uruguayan who graced the Anfield turf last season, many a time his weapon of choice was a simple nutmeg. The beauty of it all was how simple it was, it left fans looking to the Gods in awe and had opponents on their knees praying for mercy (no pictures though during games, ey!)

The directness of the wing-backs deployed by Liverpool this season is what has made them as successful as they’ve been. Jordon Ibe destroyed Besiktas at Anfield by simply getting the ball near the half way line and running towards to their goal. Pace coupled with power and the Turks didn’t seem to know how to handle him.

Lazar Markovic against Sunderland had their left side on ice throughout the game and deservedly got a goal. His close control and burst of acceleration left them trailing in his wake. Both he and Ibe have been helped by the stellar performances of Alberto Moreno on the left side. The wing-back role is key to the current Liverpool system and helps towards potency.

Brendan Rodgers, in his innovative ways, has started to use Adam Lallana as a wing-back. In his short spell there against CIty he managed to put in a rash challenge and get booked but that didn’t put many people off and we got to see another glimpse of the floppy haired, whipsy bearded Englishman at RWB against Blackburn. This move, putting Lallana to RWB effectively nullified the right hand side of the Reds in this game.

Blackburn, who had been rigid and compact all game knew anything from the right was going to be a lofted cross into the area. Olsson did a good job at left-back for Blackburn and throughout the second half he made sure to keep Lallana on the outside, not enabling him to cut inside and knowing Lallana doesn’t have that burst of pace to leave him it was an easy task for the left-back.

Many times towards the end of the match you witness Lallana get wide and both Balotelli and Sturridge anticipated an early cross only for Lallana to fake it and pull it back onto his left side to then get back onto his right foot and cross it. The impetus of the attack had been lost with the first fake.

This is the sort of issue Liverpool could face if Lallana is played as a right wing-back for the foreseeable future, even if it’s just for 20 minute spells. If Liverpool are needing a goal then Lallana at RWB shouldn’t happen. Lallana as a RWB is one dimensional. Rodgers, as innovative as he is, is trying to stick a square peg into a round hole with this tweak. Not only this, but if the game plan was to get the ball into the box why wasn’t Rickie Lambert brought on? Likewise, why was Moreno a substitute, his delivery from outside has certainly caused problems for the opposition in some instances this season?

Injuries have played a massive part in this shuffle of players lately, there is no denying that, but you as a fan have to ask why certain formations are persisted with when the correct personnel aren’t available? Dare I say it, but in the second half against Blackburn reverting to a back 4 wouldn’t have been a bad litmus test to Rodgers’ ability to coach a defence? Yes injuries had played a part, but was it really needed to play Lallana and Sterling as wing-backs? Surely they can contribute more centrally? Couldn’t Liverpool have played Johnson at right-back, Moreno at left-back with Kolo and Lovren central? That would’ve allowed a little more fluidity in the midfield and meant the players on the pitch had the best opportunity to influence the game?

This is where the back 4 conundrum comes into play.

Liverpool in recent weeks have been finding it difficult to get a foothold of the midfield battles, many will say this is a ploy and 541 formation we’ve seen in some games is used purposely to invite teams onto us knowing we’re difficult to break down. You’re just inviting trouble though, as seen as Besiktas. Liverpool in the second half of that game were under pressure throughout and faced wave after wave of Besiktas attacks. There were options to bring in an extra body in midfield which didn’t happen until the 82nd minute. There were players available to go to a back 4 if you really wanted to. Instead we struggled by with Manquillo playing in an unnatural role.

If you’re prepared to let Lallana play RWB for 20/30 minutes, why not play a back 4 for that time and get certain players used to that system once again?

 

Interesting article

The back 3 is working fine as far as I can see. Totally agree about lallana as a RWB, he was frustrating that game. We bossed the midfield against City so I don't see it being an issue other than injuries. A johnson in his prime would be good for this role (not now obviously!!) and we're constantly linked to Danny Alves (who's too old now surely!?) wonder if flanno will get a run out before the end of the season at RWB....although I have no idea if he'll suit that role, he certainly hasn't got the pace of Ibe. I like our formation, it works with the right personnel in it......if we switched to a back four now, I'd chew my fingernails off in every game!!

 

Yeah, **** that!

In regards to the rest of the article, I agree that Lallana is the least suited of our attackers to playing the wing back role.

The back 4 issue has to be resolved, we need to be able to switch back to that formation without our center backs having a heat attck and the only way to do this is to take advantage when we are winning comfortably and play the formation.

 

Totally agree but now is not the time to try it!

I still believe that it's not the back 4 per se.....it's the rest of the team and tactics that totally exposes them. Rodgers, from day one really, has never really had a good team balance from day one.....until now.

 

for me you have to give the bloke a chance... a couple of wonrg decisions doesn't mean he cannot.

For me..... three things occur here

1. Lallana with the very best will hasn't got the pace for further forward he's not got ibe or stelrings pace has he... therefore deeper in this not quite wing back but right midfielder role... sure i can see he might do something

2. Who plays behind lallana.... is it can, is it a less mobile toure or lovern

3. finally will lallana stay put. there is zero point playing this role if you wande roff into the middle like you think you are still playing right forward role


in short.. i'd give him a go here cos frankly 25million bench warmer is where he is at if a full team is fit and playing...

coutinho sterling sturridge should be if all perfrm out go to first line.... add ibe and markovic to that... well lallana has to be flexible to get his game.

 

What's the deal with Manquillo? Looks a good player to me, young available for a decent transfer fee. Rodgers all of a sudden has dropped him.

 

I heard he may be homesick.

I would stick Ibe at RWB and try Manquillo at RCB - he's a proper defender and could compliment two ball playing defenders like Can and Sakho, and he's decent on the ball himself.

I think he;s a very talented young player - would be a shame if we don't sign him permanently, but he'll be a success when he goes back to At Madrid.

 

I like what I've seen and agree that the RCB role would suit him, he's a big lad. Johnson has done well when played in that role which was a shock but he's gone soon so why not put Manquillo in.

 

Playing Johnson is criminal IMO - he has no future at the club and he shows no effort. Can was having a right go at him at the weekend.

 

Missed that, about time someone had a go at him.

 

Going back to the original thread - as the article highlights, I think Rodgers recognises that Lallana is not that good offensively and there's no room for, so he's doing his best to try and accommodate him.

 

I just struggle with this. Lallana, employed in the right position will be fine. He knew what he was buying in the summer, same with Lovren.....if they were Rodgers buys and he's finding it hard to accomodate them then I doubt he'll have a great deal to spend or much more to say on major acquisitions in the future - Just stick to coaching Brendan, there's a good chap!

 

just cos rodgers knew what is was buying doesn't mean they were ever good enough but if they show versitility and carve out a new role they might make the leap form average winger to top 4 full back... bit ****ing late in a career mind

we must just say hey rodgers bought lallana to replace coutinho cos coutinho was inconcistent so now he's on a long contract and our best player again... lallan is a square peg. it was always a bad buy...

 

I know, this is the way I see his signing.

We need a striker so we buy one and send him on loan.
We need a Center back that is a communicator, someone with experience, we buy a head the ball!
We need full backs so we buy some and put them on the bench, wingers in there is the way forward.
We buy a talented center midfielder, we play him as center back.

And at this point that all works.

 

Rodgers has always had a poor eye for a player.

Lallana simply was not better than Sterling or Coutinho, but would be good as a squad player. To spend £25m on a squad player (even though that wasnt Rodgers's intention) is criminal.

Let the committee buy the players. It's working.

 

I don't like Lallana at RWB and I don't think he's versatile enough to play any other position that he was bought for, which is fine if we are going to play him in that position for when Sterling or Couthino are out (for whatever reason).

I don't think he's fit enough or strong enough for the rwb role, wing back is a very physically demanding role and that just isn't Lallana.
However at the same time I wouldn't want to see Sterling being sacrificed for Lallana and being shoved to the rwb either. I would continue with Ibe and Markovic for now and Lallana would have to drop down to the bench.

 

very sensible... its a question of will he stay in position and will he over a couple of weeks get the positioning right and less rashness... physicality sure, you can see markovic has been affected by that too... but someones got to stand out there while ibe is out.

 

Am not even sure that BR knows how though!

 

It's alright lads, the time is almost here...