THE only surprising thing about Liverpool conceding comical goals is that people are still surprised.
The manager can bang on all he wants about defending as a team and opportunities to defend situations before they hit the back four but sometimes bad defending is exactly that, and when Liverpool repeat the same mistakes over and over, and it’s the same culprits week in, week out, when does the finger get pointed at the manager who picks them week in, week out?
Liverpool had an entire summer to right the wrongs in defence and in goal and that they haven’t been addressed is negligent.
To think that Simon Mignolet could retain the form of the last three months of last season despite three seasons’ of evidence that he clearly isn’t good enough was fanciful to say the least.
All that is good about this Liverpool side, and there is plenty, is constantly undermined by the shambles that is the defence, you could have the most well-drilled unit in European football but it counts for fuck all when you are ruing individual mistakes week in, week out.
Imagine playing in this Liverpool side knowing that you’ve more than likely got to score at least three goals to have a chance of victory? Imagine the pressure that puts on the forwards? At what point does that start to have a negative effect I’d love to know if fingers are pointed behind closed doors, but given how passive these players can be on the pitch you wonder whether the reaction is anything more than a shrug of the shoulders.
Compare the amount goals Liverpool concede as a result of great football versus the the self inflicted, very few of the goals The Reds concede are due to how they set up or good football from the opposition.
The lack of conviction and leadership in Liverpool’s defending is unforgivable, they’ve got a goalkeeper who is more concerned with not getting hurt than he is with keeping the ball out of the net, they’ve got one (arguably) decent centre half at the club and their best performing defender so far this season was held up as a joke figure before this summer.
The point at which Liverpool’s cowardice at the back can be excused has now long passed and the excuses worn thin, and that it hasn’t been addressed needs to be put at whoever is responsible for recruitment at the club — whether it be Jürgen Klopp or wonderboy and his spreadsheet.
For all the bravery in attack and tub thumping from the manager, there are too many at the club who don’t have the backbone to play for Liverpool Football Club.
Liverpool’s spineless defence needs a total overhaul, no excuses and no bullshit about lack of options.
Assuming they’ve downloaded the latest Football Manager database update, January cannot come quick enough.
Recent Posts:
[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
It’s one thing keeping a clean sheet against mourinho and Maribor, quite another thing against a team that actually tries to score against you.
And if Neil still thinks Lloris is shite he might want to watch his last 3 games
He’s spent 12m on 3 defenders since joining and the only one to get a look in cost nothing. To pretend that this hasn’t been an issue since he took over is more than a little concerning. We’ll do well to finish top 6. Teams know they can nullify that attack by parking the bus while at the same time they ‘re likely to get at least 1 good chance going long against us. We have taken a few large steps backwards this season.
Klopp has had two years and the defence is appalling. It’s down to him. All hugs, grins and no substance. Good at losing finals. Spineless.
Glad this article came out early. For me this is the nadir. We’re in a bad place.
Klopp has the look of a man who realises what his defence is. He’s been too loyal to them. I hope Lovren wasn’t injured and came off for tactical reasons. His performance defies description. He needs to not play next game, same with Matip. I simply don’t even care who plays instead. Gomez can be one. Maybe Can alongside him. Does it even matter?
All the dominos came tumbling down today. Our record against top 6 sides is gone. Can’t bank on that anymore. Klopp has just said “they’re desire was obviously bigger than ours.” Right well if that’s the case then whoever he suspects of lacking desire today needs the Sakho treatment.
Clyne, Lallana and Mane will improve the situation but the season in regards to what we wanted it to be is over.
As for January. Sign three centre-backs. Seriously. Make van Dijk one of them but get two more. Neville said it right when he said Klopp’s centre-backs will “always kill him”.
I hated today because I wasn’t even raging when they scored. It’s going to keep happening.
Lovren wasn’t injured. Klopp confirmed it.
He was just so shite even Klopp couldn’t ignore it any longer.
Agree with all of your comment. This bollocks has gone too far now.
Comical defending killed us. No defensive back up on the bench either! Players looked ponderous and Wembly looked like massive pitch, which we couldn’t adjust to.
Said it before but if no signings are made in January then it’s borderline negligence.
The massive pitch myth! It’s 1m wider and 4 longer than anfield.
Interesting this article was triggered after playing Spurs, a team with probably the best assembled defence in the league. We are miles behind them on the pitch, starting with the back 5. The only hope is that the hauling off of lovren was an indicator that the camel’s back is well and truly broken.
Also Rob Gutmann should feel incredibly smug and justified today, despite the result. The goalkeeper debate is over. Frankly for anyone with two working eyes it never really began. Night and day between the two.
“The only hope is that the hauling off of lovren was an indicator that the camel’s back is well and truly broken.”
This is the key point. We cannot take this anymore.
Two full years in charge, that is four transfer windows, and our long-standing defensive issues are still as bad as ever. Klopp has no idea how to solve the problem and will keep rotating the same failed players time after time with the same calamitous result. Got three average keepers, he rotates them, they aren’t good enough. Lovren hasn’t been good enough for several years but Is still there. Matip is borderline but came as a free transfer so he is value for money. Klavan isn’t good enough, Moreno is still not good enough, Henderson will NEVER be a defensive midfielder, Milner is too slow, Wijnaldum is normally invisible, Can is ‘iffy’ and we just don’t have a goal threat down the middle. Lukaku, Kane, Aguero and Jesus can score thirty in a season . . . Firmino will need to up his game to get double figures.
The tragedy is that van Dijk will sign for Arsenal as he now knows he won’t be getting European football if he comes to Anfield, Can will be off, Coutinho won’t stay if there is no European football next year and, on current form, there most certainly won’t be.
As he has no idea whatsoever about defensive play I want Klopp out to be replaced by Gerrard and Alonso, the dream ticket. Is Klopp worth £250,000 per week? No. This season is now dead and it is his refusal to spend on a TOP keeper, two centre backs, a defensive midfielder and a TOP striker that has caused the damage.
Gerrard/Alonso? FFS wise up.
I think Matip is a perfectly decent centre half. Problem is he needs a leader next to him, because his backbone doesn’t match his skills. Instead he has Lovren, who is a liability even when he isn’t off his tits on painkillers. I think Klopp is a great manager and he’s perfect for Liverpool, but at this point in the season I’m becoming worried that his unfathomable blindspot in the summer transfers might end up not only costing us the season but also a manager who could genuinely do great things here if given the time and money.
I just can’t get my head around how a manager with such a record managed to mishandle summer recruitment – playing high risk on VVD is fine in my book, but no additional CB, and no DM upgrade to replace the departing Lucas? I guess the real worry is Klopp is becoming the new Wenger – all ideology and no practical nous. Hopefully he’ll survive until next summer and show that isn’t the case.
Even if we were to sign VVD in the summer we should have also signed another centreback.
Klavan just isn’t good enough either so if the VVD deal failed as it did we’d still have brought in additions to defence.
Agreed with most of your comments, but I think Klopp’s main problem isn’t ideology; it’s loyalty. He’s backed his players to a hilt and they’ve let him down absolutely miserably. He can be practical – the last 2/3 months of last season proved that. The issue now is being practical and ruthless enough to drop certain players indefinitely, tweak the system somewhat to cope better defensively and drive home the message it’s no longer business as usual.
Andy, last week it was Klopp moaning about the parked bus. This week an expansive, open Spurs team who have much more quality than Maribor, carved us open with the same type of approach.
Today’s game to me indicates that maybe it isn’t the team, defense or attack, but maybe Klopp needs to adapt to the team for once. The game has exposed the following for me:
1. Lovren playing through a cocktail of pain killers as he said in his interview, but nobody is fucking listening, including Klopp, I think does have side effects on your judgement at work.
2. Klopp seems convinced we don’t need a proper striker. Firmino is not Aubameyang and forget Dortmund now. Those were diamonds in the rough against a one horse race league, and Bayern blinked in between.
3. Players out of position again and we are not a balanced team. Henderson is not a DM. He never will be at the levels Klopp needs him to be and lead the team at the same time under high pressured situations. Hendo is spurning his chance to develop up front which is where he thrived in the past. I feel bad for him and the Ox as I still have no idea what he is doing at Liverpool.
4. The team as a whole could have done the job, but tactics needs to change to adapt to the team’s level. They are not the level of Barca or RM. Running fast does not qualify either as Moreno and Joe Gomez also run fast like Salah and Mane.
If Jurgen wants this to happen like he succeeded with Dortmund in the EPL you have to buy the finished article for the spine and then some, but also have to adapt your approach to some degree. You cannot convert every player into a superstar. Imagine how good Coutinho would become in the company of Messi and Suarez who would immediately raise his game?
5. Arsenal and Maribor results flattered to deceive at best. Problem lies with Klopp thinking too highly of this team, and must dial down his expectations and approach.
6. Mane, Adam Lallana and Clyne are missed but so were Spurs other important players, so I don’t think them being in it would have a massive difference if everyone was fit on both sides. Spurs and Poch are miles ahead of Klopp and LFC now. They are showing it on the pitch.
7. Lastly I would fire John Atcherburg. That guy’s garbage on the evidence of all our goalkeepers since he has come in. I am still waiting for anyone, including TAW, who can tell me what exactly he has done for Liverpool goalkeepers?
Next up the mighty Huddersfield who beat United’s parked bus. There wasn’t much of a response since City beating us, and now another top 6’er has done us in.
I’m not expecting too much now, just damage control until January to maybe get a proper striker more than that all-saving defender like VVD, because we are top-heavy and might as well go for it.
Some painful truths in that. Klopp’s job is difficult in terms of what he says in public. He knows we need a centre-back but is now suffering from the two-pronged folly of refusing to look at other targets and showing too much faith in Dejan Lovren.
I am at a low ebb (football wise, let’s not be silly) tonight. I’ve rarely felt so bereft watching us. Spurs are what we should be in reality, but instead we’re made of paper mache.
Clyne, Lallana and Mane will shore us up this season, but expectations-wise we’re done for another season. I will admit to not having faith in this team to compete on a consistent basis. Keita will make a big difference in the summer but we need a defensive overhaul. Three new centre-backs with Matip one of the two back-ups.
It’s got to be a case now of van Dijk and a partner.
Hi Dan, I understand how you feel mate. I’ve saved a bit of emotion as I switched off after I saw the team sheet.
Yes VVD or two CBs and striker for me. Just not anyone, but open the wallet and spend on the quality players who can help our players look good for once and not have to start from 0.
With hindsight I should have done the same Sash.
I switched off when Alli scored the third but realistically once Son scored their second it was done.
Agree on the transfers – January has to involve someone substantive. We’ve done great with Salah so we know it can be done.
Jamie Carragher summed it up , Klopp persists with Rodgers defensive failures. He’s had 4 transfer windows to sort out the shambles and failed totally.As someone above pointed out, we need 3 class central defenders , and need to clear out Lovren, along with several others , even at a loss.
Unless Klopp addresses this , our season will become even more of a disaster.Klopp must see that he misplaced his faith in these incompetent players .Keita will help solve issues but the defence needs a complete rebuild , starting with a world class keeper.
We have dead time now until January, Gomez has been played at full back and let nobody down , give him a go next to Matip and we will know if he can mature into being a good CB. Lovren will never be good enough and should warm a bench until we can off load him. Same with the goal keepers make a decision on Klarius and Ward and bench Migs till he can be offloaded.Jurgen you can make some decisions now, to avoid making them is an error which can only rest at your feet.
Someone mentioned sacking Achterberg?Quite right,it’s unbelievable that this fraud has kept his job all of these years when we haven’t had a decent keeper.Im not saying it’s all down to him,but he certainly hasn’t improved any of them.Ward would have been better off going out on loan again as he’d learn more that way.I feel for his future if he gets thrown in to play behind that back four.
This day has been coming since Not bombing out Mignolet
Some dickhead at the club told the world VVD had decided on Liverpool prior to agreeing a fee with the club that employs him first.
Not having another couple of CB’s up your sleeves in case of above.
Not bombing out Mignolet
Is Pepe Reina still playing in goal for Napoli ?
Why was he replaced by #Not bombing out Mignolet
Who would be better in goal for LFC
Karius
Ward
World Cup and everything else winning goalie Pepe Reina
I said after Newcastle that the clock had started to tick for Klopp and his staff. It’s now a little bit closer.
My hope is that this performance leads to Jurgen grasping a nettle he has hitherto ignored. Personnel is the easier thing, but process must also be addressed. Playing a high line is ok at times, but must not be our default. Somehow we’ve gone from being able to beat the top 6 to looking horribly exposed (Man U excepted).
These results can’t be shrugged off as just another bad day at the office so let’s just beat Huddersfield and forget it. We have to find a middle way.
I remain a believer, but this shit has to stop and stop now.
Quite right Andy, unfortunately. I think the penny’s dropped today though. We’ve got a good run up to Xmas. Hopefully fix it in January and get our season back on track.
Surely there has to be money spent in Jan, surely?
We cannot afford not to get top 4.
It will cause massive problems.
Rodgers defence was poor and consisted of Migs, Lovren and Moreno. 2 years later and they’re still all playing. How can that be?!!
We’ve invested £16mil on our problematic defence and keeper situations and neither of the players that money was spent on starts games regularly. Not that £16mil is anywhere near enough.
I just don’t understand how this is a massive black spot for Klopp.
Lovren is clearly playing hurt. He has to play hurt because Klavan is his back-up. The goals today came down to him, Migs and the inexplicable positioning of the other outfield players at the free kick, without which Matip’s poor header wouldn’t have been anything. These things are on Klopp, although let’s be fair and say that not many were calling for Mig to go in summer. The CB situation is truly inexplicable.
The goals have nothing to do with Henderson at DM or Firmino up front. We were tidy enough in the rest of the pitch so let’s not go mental about the whole squad or FSG or whoever else just because our defence is SO FUCKING SHITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
Fuckin right Can bottles a challenge second half epitomises our team. Klopp the world is watching honeymoon over
Ward is the only one not to have a showreel of fuck ups in our first team. I’d give him a go. Looks sound when I have seen him.
As for the CB’s not sure why everyone thinks VVD is the answer. We have already bought Soton’s best CB and look how that is working out. Westham are hardly ripping up trees buying Fonte. And now the next off the production line….
But we do need change. Lovern isnt good enough and neither is Matip who looks and plays like a shit Phil Babb without the enjoyment of sliding nuts first into the post. Which is funnily enough, what I feel like doing whenever I see them play.
£50m for De Gea? Yes please.
VVD is touted because he’s a much better upgrade to the CB’s we have AND displays leadership at the back. If you watched carefully the Spurs match you’d have noticed no one was talking whenever we conceded or messed up defensively. Matip is good, but lacks the backbone – another quality CB with authority besides him can get the best out of him.
Jurgen Klopp needs to restructure Liverpool’s defence or quit the job.
Tough words Andy- I hope and expect Klopp to deliver and act upon the same. Time to get bloody serious and shock us. We hold our faith in him because we buy into his vision. But when the players play like they’re in a dream instead of a battle- then it’s time to sort heads out, drop and replace and do it quick.
I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt that VVD is the needed step up from getting another compromise Keane or Maguire- who’re little different from what we have. But the gamble meanwhile needs attackers compensating defensive shortfalls with multiple goals against all comers. That’s not happening. Only one midfielder playing not great, another hit and miss and a third totally short back and sides on 5 touches as per usual.
Up front- opposition know what we’re doing to the point where goalies await the Coutinhi cut in and across for his trademark shot that Lloris delightedly saves at stretch for the cameras.
Firmino isn’t feared by defenders, if he ever was.
Upshot- it’s tough shit till Lallana and Mane return. Get the bloody chances converters and win 3-2, 4-3 …
Gomez to partner Matip. Milner take RB till Clyne comes back properly and Moreno/prayers LB till Robertson (re-) appears(?!?)
Time for Grujic or Woodburn (please) to step up and knock at least one midfielder to the bench.
Oh- and Ward to do a Huddersfield job for us. No more waiting on Migs and Karius to prove us wrong. They won’t. Bench and company for a Lovren not allowed back with painkillers and has regrown a pair of balls.
YNWA, Peter
I like Klopp, mainly because he is not Rodgers. He is good for the club and I want him to stay until Rafa comes back. But he has a real job in his hands now. CL football looks unlikely next season, at this stage. And if we have a great run to January, the danger will
be that the City and Spurs fiascos were just blips and the pressure for recruiting will be off.
Lovren.
When we bought Lovren, my niece’s husband – a Southampton fan – said ‘You’ve bought the wrong player. He is not what you think he is. You think he’s a Carra? You’ll soon find out. He’s not!’
I thought it was sour grapes.
We don’t simply need a CB: we need a CB like Carragher or John Terry, a mouthy stirrer, who gees his team up. Gomez looks to be a future CB fixture, but he’s not a ‘leader’. Whether he will become one is moot.
The team plays thrilling football, but you just know that if we lose possession we have a 50/50 chance of conceding a goal. A. Once fed corner or free kick within 30 metres of our goal has been nail-biting territory for 5 years now. With an erratic keeper behind you, even Lovren’s inept attempted clearances can be excused.
Finally, the best CB in the club was banished for a season, played his heart out for the lower grades, begged to be forgiven and sold last transfer window. Does anybody know what Sakho actually did that was so. Seriously wrong?
Couple of typos. Sorry. I meant ‘concede a corner’ not ‘once fed’, and the last two words were not meant to be a separate sentence.