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BR: We know where we need to improve

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Glen C

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BR: We know where we need to improve

9th May 2014 - Latest News

Regardless of how the final day of the 2013-14 season pans out on Sunday, Brendan Rodgers insists both he and Liverpool have plenty of work to do on the training pitch this summer.
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The Reds head into the weekend with a mathematical chance of winning the Barclays Premier League, should they beat Newcastle United at Anfield and Manchester City lose at home to West Ham United.
However, no matter how fate conspires, Rodgers admits he and his squad have much to mull over given Liverpool's defensive record of 49 goals conceded.
The boss told his pre-match press conference: "We know the areas that we need to improve. We've got 99 goals - it's fairly clear and simple we need to improve defensively away from home.
"In terms of conceding goals at home, we're in the top five ranked in the league with 17 goals conceded. But away from home, we've conceded 32. It's not even so much structure, it's concentration for me.
"Going to Old Trafford and not conceding, going to Tottenham and not conceding, and to Southampton, which is a difficult place, we didn't concede.
"But in other games, like the other night when we were 3-0 up, we've conceded three goals. Even in games I've looked at when we've won, we haven't defended well enough away from home.
"That will be the focus for us - continuing with the philosophy that has got us into this position, but tightening up in areas away from home. That will be key for us next season."


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Rodgers previews season finale

Liverpool were left to rue defensive errors on Monday night as they surrendered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Rodgers has since extensively analysed the game and believes a lack of concentration was to blame.
He said: "The game the other night was difficult. I've watched it three times since and I'm still in shock when I see us end up drawing the game 3-3. To have that much control and good concentration and organisation in the game, for it to slip with 12 minutes to go shouldn't happen. That was probably the biggest disappointment.
"If you can't keep your concentration long enough, you'll lose your place. It's as simple as that - you'll lose your place in the squad.
"We've played in big games this season and showed real solidity defensively - but we went away to Cardiff and yes, we scored six goals, but we conceded three; went away to Stoke, scored five and conceded three; Palace three; Hull three.
"Yes, there's an element of quality from the opponent, but I look at and analyse the game intensely and a big part of it is concentration - organisation, concentrating on your job.
"The game the other night, if it was 0-0 we wouldn't have conceded the first goal we did. But because it was 3-0, you can think the game is over - and you can't give people what they don't have. That's also important to understand.
"But our work is continual. We will really focus on that part of our game over the course of pre-season.
"Like I said when I came in, we had to improve our goals tally, so we went from 47 scored in a season to now 99 and whatever it finishes at the weekend - and we'll do the same with the defence."
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One aspect of Liverpool's game Rodgers feels requires little improvement is their ability to perform under pressure.
The manager feels they've demonstrated their capacity to play without nerves, despite being involved in the title race.
Rodgers said: "What I have had great pride in is how the players have actually dealt with the pressure. We've had it put on us for a few months now, 'Can we deal with the pressure?' - it's clear we can.
"Look at the level of our football that we've played, there have been no nerves in relation to that. Some of the unfortunate incidents we've had, like when Steven [Gerrard] slipped in the Chelsea game, that can happen to anyone.
"The level of our football shows we can cope with it, but the disappointment is there, of course.
"We won't dwell on it. You can't think about what might or could have happened, you can only really focus on what has happened and look forward to getting better and improving."
 
"In terms of conceding goals at home, we're in the top five ranked in the league with 17 goals conceded. But away from home, we've conceded 32. It's not even so much structure, it's concentration for me."

I mentioned exactly that in another thread earlier on, where we need to improve sticks out quite blatently.

Goals scored home - sorted.

Goals scored away - sorted.

Goals conceded home - fine, could be a little better if you are being picky.

Goals conceded away - Aids, really bad aids.


Also we could do with our goalkeeper not making half a dozen clangers next season and the outfield players cutting right down on them, its a joke how many goals we gift, not just this season either.
 
Well if he fixes our defence like he fixed our attack this season i'll be a VERY happy man. I'm glad they are going to focus on that and i especially like when he said "If you can't keep your concentration long enough, you'll lose your place. It's as simple as that - you'll lose your place in the squad." So that's Johnson screwed then.
 
Well if he fixes our defence like he fixed our attack this season i'll be a VERY happy man. I'm glad they are going to focus on that and i especially like when he said "If you can't keep your concentration long enough, you'll lose your place. It's as simple as that - you'll lose your place in the squad." So that's Johnson screwed then.

If he does fix the defence and we keep scoring like we do then there will be no stopping us, if we went back and looked at every goal conceded in the league this season it would be around a third of them that are down purely to individual mistakes, thats a real worry as you can't really do anything about that as a coach, hes probably alluding to those mistakes by mentioning the concentration instead of being blunt about it.
 
I did think he was talking about Johnson there, especially as he was in some way culpable for all 3 goals and did, in fact, exhibit lack of concentration in that game.
 
I did think he was talking about Johnson there, especially as he was in some way culpable for all 3 goals and did, in fact, exhibit lack of concentration in that game.
Which of course had nothing at all to do with Rodgers himself clearly having instructed both FBs to push on. If he'd not wanted that then he was stood right there on the touch line and could have given alternative instructions. However, even after Palace goals 1&2 he stood there with a rather fatalist demeanour. He was just as culpable, more so in fact, than the players.
 
Have to agree with that. He's more than repaid the owners' decision to appoint him, but he too has lessons to learn.
 
Which of course had nothing at all to do with Rodgers himself clearly having instructed both FBs to push on. If he'd not wanted that then he was stood right there on the touch line and could have given alternative instructions. However, even after Palace goals 1&2 he stood there with a rather fatalist demeanour. He was just as culpable, more so in fact, than the players.

Perhaps, but Johnson's positioning, especially for the 3rd goal was a joke. The lack of closing down for the first. It's just laziness.

Rodgers was probably getting at the fact that Johnson seems to have little problem getting up for the big games.or when Real Madrid are being linked. I reckon he got strips torn off him after the match by Rodgers which prompted the twitter outburst. He then backtracked by trying to suggest it was online critics he was getting at.

Anyway, we know we need to upgrade our fullbacks.
 
Yep, Stevie's slip was a result of not concentrating when he was receiving the ball.

Gerrard got ahead of himself rather than not concentrating. You could see he'd already trapped the ball in his head and was thinking about making the pass. He was focused on the play.

That's totally different to not getting into position - the tactical discipline which is the detail that wins and loses matches. Players that can't / don't have that will only get so far.
 
Have to agree with that. He's more than repaid the owners' decision to appoint him, but he too has lessons to learn.
At least he has admitted there is a problem, something he wasn't doing before. He's going to put it right.
 
Which of course had nothing at all to do with Rodgers himself clearly having instructed both FBs to push on. If he'd not wanted that then he was stood right there on the touch line and could have given alternative instructions. However, even after Palace goals 1&2 he stood there with a rather fatalist demeanour. He was just as culpable, more so in fact, than the players.

While I do place blame on Rodgers too for Monday night (the Sterling sub too), I'd be more inclined to take your stance fully if Flanno had been abused in the same way Johnson was ... however, it just wans't the case.
 
Gerrard got ahead of himself rather than not concentrating. You could see he'd already trapped the ball in his head and was thinking about making the pass. He was focused on the play.

That's totally different to not getting into position - the tactical discipline which is the detail that wins and loses matches. Players that can't / don't have that will only get so far.
I would say that's not concentrating on the moment at hand myself; yes, in his mind he'd already trapped the ball but if he'd concentrated on trapping the ball then the game could've been different.

Anyway, fundamentally small mistakes across the team. Particularly, in the RB position but our CBs and midfield has made them as well. Needs sorting and Rodgers is on the job.
 
At least he has admitted there is a problem, something he wasn't doing before. He's going to put it right.

He actually took responsibility for Chelsea's second goal too. Admitted that we conceded that goal because he instructed the defenders to push up to get the equalizer, which left us wide open at the back for the cheap goal.
 
He actually took responsibility for Chelsea's second goal too. Admitted that we conceded that goal because he instructed the defenders to push up to get the equalizer, which left us wide open at the back for the cheap goal.

That's not something he can fix though, pushing everyone up was the sensible thing to do cos at that stage losing 1-0 or 2-0 is kinda academic.

*I reserve the right to delete this post if we win 12-0 today & West Ham hold City to a draw*
 
Id quite like to see Lallana and Griezmann announced before the world cup starts now.
 
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