There has been a lot of talk this season about our team. Our super goal record and poor defense. We have all discussed signings we'd like a questioned why Rodgers has not done what we want with transfers (going for attackers or DM and FB's). But I am pretty sure Rodgers is just full filling a detailed long term plan. What it looks like to me is Rodgers is building from the front back. He is building his attack before building his defense and looking at our goal record, it is coming along well. Most managers and pundits favour building from the back, which is why it feels so dodgy. Most managers focus on building a solid defense and a good spine. Rafa did this and did this well. Reina, Agger, Alonso, Sissoko, Skrtel, Aurelio. We regularly had the best defensive record in league under Benitez. We kept plenty of clean sheets and dominated possession against most teams. But! We really lacked goals. Scoring chances were poor and wasted. I remember often dominating games but finishing with a goalless draw. As a result we drew a lot of games. With Rodgers approach we may be conceding a lot of goals, but we are scoring more ad getting results in most games, even if the performances are ugly. Goals win football matches. I expect Rodgers to again look at attackers first in the summer. Konoplyanka and possible another winger. After this I expect full backs as they are a big part of attack as well as defense. I trust this approach.
I'd agree with that. BR seems to favour the idea of having a solid attack over anything else. Whilst you mention Rafa Benitez's side having a great defence yet drawing games, it did cost us the league title in 08/09. Only lost twice during the season but it was the amount of draws that did it for us. Only time will tell which method is the more affective I guess.
Well Rodgers couldnt complete neglect the defense. But Toure came to replace Carragher, Ilori is one for the future and Cissokho was a bit of a panic loan, probably because of Enriques fitness record.
I expect new full backs and midfielders in the summer. It's just a massive shame we couldn't bring in a couple of players in January because since last January, we've brought in at least 2 good players in both windows since who came straight into the first team: January 13 - Sturridge and Coutinho Summer 13 - Sakho and Mignolet Another 2 players in last month, then another 2 this summer and we would really see a 'Rodgers' team.
Interesting theory. Could be that he originally didn't think he needed to do as much at the back as he had to do at the front and middle. We've alaways been relatively good defensively in recent times but didn't put enough of the "smaller" teams away to be consistently challenging for CL each year. And that takes goals. So he's concentrated on getting goals. Attacking wise he's had mixed results, there's a Sturridge and Coutinho for Borini, Aspas and Assaidi. (Two of which are starting to show value elsewhere, they're just not good enough to equal SAS and therefore not going to 'change the game' by replacing them from the bench (who is good enough to do that and willing to spend most of their time on the bench?. I think this says more about how far ahead SAS are compared to our development curve in general than how poor the other 3 are. Others will just call them rubbish. It's almost 50/50 though so normal transfer succes rate, especially in that price band. Midfield he's struggled with, both in getting success out of what we have but also in finding players better than what we have on the cheap. Don't think it's possible without paying and even then difficult without the lure of the CL. Think the summer will be important there. But lack of goals aside and occasionally gaping holes it's helped get us to fourth as they've supplied SAS. I think if your theories true he's been undercut somewhat with form and injuries at the back. In his head at the start of the year he's thought, add keeper and good powerful centre back and have a wee bit of time to back up or make competitive the FB positions:......... except they've both been missing in their own way all season. As has the preferred CB partnership. Ok at the back turned quickly into confused and disjointed at the back. Unlucky in my mind. At DM he had, even after injury, statistically one of the leagues better DM's. Again on our budget he took the risk of relying on him thinking he had temp cover but not against long term injury. We'll see if his solution to his first choice being stunted by repetitive injuries, works by end of season and if not, I assume he'll add to the shopping list: It's up to Gerrard to make it work. I think everyone was shown (including Gerrard himself, he doesn't have the legs for midfield proper anymore, he isn't going to displace Coutinho, Sturridge or Suarez so DM is his last chance at regular starting football. I think the challenge will do him good. It's been a long time since he got up in the morning and had to prove himself to others. Could reignite him and if it doesn't, well I'll not complain after what he's given to us. But I'll not be sentimental either. So, yeah, he does seem to have thought goals first and work back. Maybe he thinks defence will sort itself out once we get over this large spate of injuries there....
Good point DF - we were extremely poor in front of goal in Kenny's last season (one of the lowest scorers in the league at that time).
He works on the attack last summer and Jan, then the defence this summer, I've no doubt that next summer we'll be working on the midfield
He's really only brought one first teamer for the defence. Certainly see a new CB and a new RB coming in the summer. One of Agger/Skrtel will be sold in my view so depends whether he gives Ilori a chance or wants another to replace. Not sure if Toure signed a 1 year or 2 year contract when he joined? If 1 year I can see him leaving as well.
1 keeper (Migs) 0 RB 3 CBs (Toure, Sakho, Ilori) 1 LB (Cissokho) 4 CMs (Allen, Sahin, Alberto, Coutinho) 2 Wide players (Assaidi, Moses) 3 forwards (Aspas, Borini, Sturridge) So, he's made fourteen signings but 3 were loans so he's bought a team's worth. Of that team, three have since been sent out on loan. That leaves eight players; Migs, Toure, Sakho, Allen, Alberto, Coutinho, Aspas and Sturridge. So, 37.5% of his perm signings for the immediate first team (debatable) have been defensive ones whereas 20% have been forwards (or 37.5% if you include Coutinho). As I said, I understand where you are coming from but...
When he originally bought Allen he touted him in the Coutinho role G....that changed afterwards but......
And as he's never used wingers in the United sense of the word but as part of a top 3 would Assaidi and Moses not count too? (Except when Moses was used in CM lol)
Fair point (bar Assaidi). I don't disagree that he's focused more on attack. I just don't agree that he neglected the defence. Five attackers would make it a 4:1:3 (50% v 12.5% v 37.5%)
No neither do I, as I said I think he thought he was more stable there, buying back up and ones for the future rather than first teamers....
Think my comment backs up what's happened... did forwards last season (Borini, Assaidi, Coutinho, Sturridge) then did defence this season. Next season will be midfield
Well he had to mind, plus if a player like Sakho is available and wants to come, we can't turn that down. This works for Barca, their defence is good but always liable of a goal, but having the attack they do, they can afford that.
