The point is, it's not just the forward line that's under performing - we spent big money across the team and the defence, midfield & forwards are all under performing.
I actually think that it is the forward line who are largely underperforming - it's exacerbating the short comings further back on the pitch.
Last season there were two main points in our play IMO.
1. We scored some sensational goals, tearing teams apart with movement and pace; not just running pace but ball movement. Players were running the instant we got the ball and the result was that we appeared to have tremendous pace. Barring Sturridge and Sterling we didn't have any truly rapid players. Suarez wasn't slow but he was by no means fast; same goes for Coutinho, Henderson or Allen. But the fact they ran like madmen the moment we got the ball made it seem that defenders were always chasing us.
2. Dominance in our own area. Ming was clearly unable to dominate his area the way rival keepers can. It made us look fragile, vulnerable and was a manner in which many teams thought they had a chance. Set pieces they used to swarm our box for that opportunity. Sometimes it came off but, when it didn't, they were in equal trouble themselves. We all said it last season - we lived on our nerves when teams went at us. It came off more often than not but we always looked vulnerable.
The biggest part of our success was movement. Suarez just moves all the time - he's a maniac and Daniel learned from him. Add to this the way Suarez clearly took Sterling under his wing and coached him in movement, constantly running to space. The result was that Coutinho, Gerrard and Henderson looked like magicians. Surez says the style of play we used was made for him. It certainly suited him but I think it was tailor made for Coutinho. With players in front of him constantly running for space he was in heaven. All three players kept racking up the assists and their apparent creativity took on mythical proportions.
With all this movement, opposing teams became very reactionary and looked to be chasing the ball all day long. I think we all commented on it last season - when the odd team did have the courage to press us at the back we looked stifled, edgy and searching for ideas. But there weren't many of them so, for the most part, our vulnerable back 5 were spared searing examinations.
This season the movement of Suarez has been replaced by Mario. The movement of Sturridge hasn't been replaced (that's on Rodgers). The movement of Sterling is still there but he's all alone. When Gerrard, Coutinho, Henderson, Lallana or Can get the ball there's very few options. They now have the option to hold onto it or give it to someone who's not really moving and so are forced to work a lot harder to create something. This makes us look laboured, unimaginative and short of creativity. Half the time they look behind them for the support and we start finding our vulnerable back 5 under a lot more pressure.
I agree with Jules that last season our CB's looked capable of bringing the ball out but they had, generally, more freedom to do so and more options available. Now it's harder and their decision making under pressure is being exposed.
I remember Viera explaining about a decade ago that a good striker made the midfield and defense look better than they were. This is exactly true of us now. Rodgers needs movement up front badly - Sturridge will be part of it but he's going to need more if we're going to be successful this season. I realize it's only half (or about 60%) of the game but I reckon the other 40% - our back line defending - is going to be much tougher to fix. Rodgers needs to get the front section sorted out first - he's done it before - and then he's going to need some real careful work and planning to resolve the back third.
