Thanks for correcting - but it still applies. Fans are expecting improvements without actually upgrading the players. Replacing sh*t for sh*t won't work. We'll have to wait and see if Ilori is given other opportunities to impress.
That's not my point, Jimmy and you know it. When Skrtel was playing he was being blamed for everything. When we had a better defensive game the first time he was out you asked was it just coincidence. I said we have to wait and see. We have, and it was. I agree we need better. I just don't like to see one man have to shoulder the blame for everyone.
I don't think you can really ignore the set piece defending. Its a bit like saying the attack has improved if you ignore the lack of goals. Personally I think we focus too much on the back 4 and GK, there is also a lack of concentration/awareness in the side at from midfield, that doesn't help our defence. Lucas lost Rooney for the goal, he also lost Naismith for one of Norwich's goals. If people are going to switch off in midfield and not track runners then the defence are going to struggle even if they were a world class back 4.
Thier first was very similar to the goal that was analysed by goals on Sunday from another game set piece goal. If you look at it our guys outside the 6 yard box basically run about like 6 year olds in a play ground and if the guys on the edge of box simply held ground those guys on edge of box would not have it drop for an easy pass/shot. Issues: 1. Free headers from not marking up. 2. Not alive to short corners. 3. Not winning second ball. 4. Poor clearances. 5. Not marking up on edge of box cos you get drawn into box cos you don't trust others to clear it. Strong decisive play 9/10 times yields results. It's not one set piece one goal. It's just in 90mins we cant clear them all and will cough up a chance. And when we do the second zone has lots of free men to snaffle up chances.
So now it's all Toure's fault I do wonder just how much worse the others have to play before some on here admit it
Just saying Toure is a worse defender, so saying oh look our defence is no better without Skrtel isn't a fair judgement when you've put in a player that is past the normal retirement age for most men!
Our defence actually improved when it was Lovren and Sakho. Plus, the worst defender yesterday was Moreno by far, he was the one out of position for nearly all the triangles down our left (watch MOTD for more info, they got it spot on)
Collective responsibility, a back 4 should work together. Individuals make mistakes all over the pitch, if the team work as a whole and work for each other then those mistakes get mopped up and games get won.
NO. exactly the same ****e if not worst....people in football never seem to learn. been screaming for klopp to put men on the post for months, why hasn't he done something about this?
Moreno had a poor game but to be fair, he had zero support. Constantly out numbered. Midfield were atrocious.
Moreno sprinting across making himself out of position gave the midfielders an excuse to be lazy. A defender should be looking to hold shape and they should be telling the midfielders to do the chasing.
Midfielders should be covering. Can, Lucas and Henderson were all ball watching. More discipline needed.
They were, but Moreno was making it easy for them to do so. Not complaining too much about Moreno because his work rate and desire is superb but it was to the detriment of the team. It didn't happen on the other side despite it being the same midfielders!
It all come down to the team not working for each other, not covering and helping each other. I can see how this could happen at the moment as they are all getting used to a new system and their concentration is on the technical aspects of where they should be. This should improve with undertsanding and then they can start backing each other.
To be fair, they targeted that left side. All in all, shoddy defensive performance. As Lucas said earlier, it's not just the defence who are culpable - GK and mid offered nothing. Same with corners - the defenders will get the blame but there are others in the box who don't help. Too much ball watching and lack of concentration.
Ignoring corners, has our defense improved? This sounds too much like desperation at finding the glass half full This is like asking: "Ignoring that huge ugly carbuncle on my face, am I good looking"? Set pieces defending is such a key function of defending that removing it from any assessment makes a mockery of the assessment itself. Would anyone ask " Apart from not scoring goals, is our attack any good?" Our defence has clearly got worse. Whether it is some self fulfilling prophecy or not we'll never know. And when the opposition start to focus on it and our perceived weakness at set pieces, we need to improve or we'll just keep conceding. The Stoke match will give us a clue. They will need to attack and they need to score. I honestly cannot see us cocking it up from this favourable position but the defence will need hanging if we do not make it to the Wembley.
