You could even say Gerrard could do better. As the designated DM, he is looking at that play happening and even when watching the pass get played into the Saints player, he can see Clyne making the run behind Lucas. If that was someone like Masch, he'd have spotted the danger and ran across into the space that Clyne was running into. Gerrard doesn't have that same defensive intelligence though.
Lucas turns his back on his man to watch the ball, he runs round him into the space to score. Can't put it on anyone else
Since there is no sound on that clip it's not obvious but I'd say the biggest factor was perhaps a lack of communication. IMO, Lovren should be shouting to say he's closing the man meaning Lucas should have gone with the man and/or Skrtel should have come across. Lovren stepping forward (rightly IMO) left a big hole which nobody filled. IMO, Lucas should be the one tracking but that's not how we play so can't blame him really. Perhaps you could say someone else such as Lucas should have been closing Tadic (?) meaning Lovren stays in position but I think that would be harsh. I think this is just a case of holding your hands up and saying well played Southampton.
You keep saying about this "that's not the way we play" when talking about following your players but I'm not sure this is a conscious thing. In that situation, I can't for the life of me believe Rodgers is telling our players to let the man run off you into that HUGE gap that's been created because you're a CM and you shouldn't be following your man... I agree there are certain situations, like a CB shouldn't follow his man miles out of position (Lovren's in that case isn't too bad) as it then leaves big gap, but midfielders should run with their marker or else you overload your centre backs with players.
It's actually Clyne. Skrtel has to step in where the threat is forming, rather than stand deep at crossroads as he often does before springing into action like a seal team 6 marine. Gerrard is there to help him, not vice-versa. As you said, he didn't meet Lovren halfway, backed off and allowed for a wide alley to open between them.
Pah.... This is silly, one wonders about ever playing a cb position. There is no way that goal is down to a thing Skertl did or did not do period
You watch our midfielders in the next half a dozen games, we never track players running past, they are always left to the defence to deal with. If its not the way we play then why the hell as Brod let them get away with it for two years? And yes, I agree that midfielders should track runners, especially when less than thirty yards from your own goal!
Clyne.. mine as a type I'm normally Skrtel's harshes critic and get pissed off when he backs off... but in this instance he doesn't back off. He stands his ground which in my opinion was fine. Lucas was the player at fault in this instance considering it was his man that scores. I don't think you can play the CB's when their RB scores a goal as you'd expect him to be stopped before he gets in that position. Skrtel annoys me when their players have the ball and he backs off, backs off until he his the 18 yard box and then stands still, at that point allowing the midfielder/forward to take a shot from 25 yards out.
None of our midfielders are good defensively? Gerrard is a DM who has no defensive bone in his body. Lucas is a DM who is out of form for the last 2 years. The other's aren't defensive. You telling me if that was Mash rather than Lucas he wouldn't have followed his man, instructions from Rodgers or not? Sometimes players need to use their intelligence on the field and make the correct decision ignoring what the manager tells them beforehand.
This is a sensible comment our midfield fell back rather than pressed and so we were defending really deep and sit lads could run off them That should be the end of that.... Cannot carry Gerrard and Lucas doing that
Mascherano would have got to the first player #machine Its not a case of being good or bad defensively. Brod as drilled the way we play into the players, they all adapted to closing down with the "ball back in seven seconds" approach, why would they not listen if he told them to track back? Having watched us setup for the last two years, I can see Brod loves his system approach when it comes to defending. He clearly doesn't like players being dragged out of position (not many managers do) so he tells them to hold their line. If one does get dragged then that's when holes appear. This happens all too often at the back without anyone from midfield covering. Had Mascherano been in there I don't think he would have tracked if told not to (which I believe). however, it is hard to say when he's not been part of a Brod team.
I'd not say form I'd say no legs for Lucas. If he moves to Italy he'll look good cos the game is as slow as him. The lad was ball watching, clear as day. He dismissed clyne from his mind as a full back and so let him go Got subbed says it all V man city if we play this pair we cannot win really, need more legs
But then that comes down to players using their own intelligence. Surely Lucas should make that split second decision and think "there is a huge gap as Lovren has been pulled wide that my player might run into, I'll fill it, just in case". If he then goes back and Clyne doesn't make that run in but instead holds outside the area, it's easier for Lucas to come back out again and close him down. Whether Rodgers tells them to or not, I think a proper defensive minded player in that position would use their own mind and make the split second decision about where the most danger is. Are they more likely to score inside or outside the box there?
Only if he knows so it comes back to my original point; communication. Did Lovren shout that he was closing the player so someone needed to drop in? If he did then it's Lucas and/or Skrtel to blame. If he didn't then you could blame Lovren for not talking, Brod for the tactics or praise Southampton for opening us up. I'm going with the latter as it all happens so quickly
Midfielders rarely do track a player's zigzags into the penalty area - they usually leave them to the CB to deal with at that point, as they steer their attention to smth else threatening not that deep. The CBs know this routine and are prepared for the switch. Skrtel wasn't ready for the switch and had allowed a big gap. A zone-defence manager like Benitez would have pinned the goal mainly on Skrtel for failing to claim the penalty zone.
I've watched that particular clip over and over again. You could argue that the blame belongs to a few individuals depending on your view of how a team should play. One thing that does stick out is it is a team defensive error and I don't think anyone would disagree that a few were not perfect in that play. As I said early on though, well played Southampton as it was a good bit of skill and they ripped us open
