The Defence

[Squiggles]

What's the plan then?

Coates isn't good enough. Skrtel has been in poor form all year and seems pissed off at the club. Carraghers retiring. And Agger, who looks the most likely to stay, can't be relied upon.

It's a right mess, so how do we get out of it?

Logic suggests we should sell Coates and allow Wisdom to compete for the CB positions.

Does Skrtel deserve another season to sort himself out? Will he give us one? I think we should keep faith with him. His form was outstanding last year and I'd hate to see him replicating that for someone else - but it's a big call from Rodgers.

As is the question are Enrique and Johnson good enough?

The one certainty here is a replacement needed for Jamie Carragher. Who should it be?

 

[nealmac]

Wisdom will replace Carra as CB. I can't see us buying a new one. I don't know why, but I have visions of us having a shit summer ttransfer window. Again.

 

[Hansern]

Agger has played 40 games this season and it looks like his new fitness programme is working.

Skrtel and Coates will be sold.

Promote Wisdom/Kelly as CB nr 4

Buy Alderweireld to replace Carra

Buy Wanyama who can play both Dm and DC. Competition for both Lucas and can play as a defender.

Wanyama, Alderweireld, Agger and Wisdom/Kelly

 

[King Binny]

Guess its something we already know but still, when Rodgers signed Matt Mills from Doncaster for Reading:

"He fits the mould really well for where we're trying to go as a club in the next couple of years."

Rodgers continued: "He's the type of centre-half I like.

"First and foremost I like them to defend, but I like centre-halves that can be with a ball. He's a player that doesn't get rid of the ball, he passes it and he is that type I like."

Steven Caulker at 20 yrs old and Ryan Bertrand at 19, were signed on loan and given regular starting berths at Swansea and Reading respectively by Rodgers. If he thinks the likes of Wisdom, who has just turned 20, is capable of stepping up, I'm sure he will involved him gradually.

Wonder how much truth there is in the signing/interest of Alex Pearce. If true, then him and Wisdom could feel Coates and Skrtel's place and the money generated from the sales of the duo can be invested into a quality CB.

 

[Hansern]

Alderweireld and Wanyama are at least targets, thank God

 

[SummerOnions]

Alderweireld and Wanyama are at least targets, thank God

Where Lennon goes could decide where Wanyama ends up i reckon

 

[Jerry Laser]

Starting to get worried that Brendan is the new Keegan..... screw defence.... we will just try to score more than you.

 

[RolandG]

What's the plan then?

Coates isn't good enough. Skrtel has been in poor form all year and seems pissed off at the club. Carraghers retiring. And Agger, who looks the most likely to stay, can't be relied upon.

Why exactly is it that Agger can't be relied upon?

He had a pretty decent season and sometimes played through the pain barrier.

 

[Mors]

I hope captain diet pills isn't our new starting 11 CB. We need a new commanding long term solution in there. And as for LB/RB, aslong as there's proper competition for those spots, I think what we've got will be alright.

 

[Buddha]

Starting to get worried that Brendan is the new Keegan..... screw defence.... we will just try to score more than you.

Yep, 2 months to go until the transfer window closes and I'm panicking too.

Actually, I'm not.

 

[FreshRed]

A year ago if I was told that Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique would be our starting defense with a championship-winning back-up (Toure) and young, exciting prospects coming through (McLaughlin,Kelly,Wisdom,Robinson), I would have been very satisfied.

The Agger/Skrtel combination did not work well last year, but it has before and I am not convinced that it cannot. With the team having a better understanding of how our offense works, maybe more focus in training can be put into the defense.

I know this is pretty optimistic, but I am also worried about too many changes all over the field disrupting the progress we made in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Whirly]

A year ago if I was told that Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique would be our starting defense with a championship-winning back-up (Toure) and young, exciting prospects coming through (McLaughlin,Kelly,Wisdom,Robinson), I would have been very satisfied.

The Agger/Skrtel combination did not work well last year, but it has before and I am not convinced that it cannot. With the team having a better understanding of how our offense works, maybe more focus in training can be put into the defense.

I know this is pretty optimistic, but I am also worried about too many changes all over the field disrupting the progress we made in the 2nd half of the season.

Good players slot in and make it work quickly. Look at Sturridge and Coutinho: there was no serious bedding in period before they showed their talent.

 

[juniormember]

Good players slot in and make it work quickly. Look at Sturridge and Coutinho: there was no serious bedding in period before they showed their talent.

What FreshRed is saying that it's not going to be a case of slotting a couple of players into the team, as was the case with the two mentioned. The way things are going the majority of the side could be changed, especially if we're bringing in another centre back and Suarez is off.
If we're getting a DM that's Lucas out as well.
It could take a while for players to be able to work together, which could cost us lots of points like at the start of last season.

 

[Whirly]

What FreshRed is saying that it's not going to be a case of slotting a couple of players into the team, as was the case with the two mentioned. The way things are going the majority of the side could be changed, especially if we're bringing in another centre back and Suarez is off.
If we're getting a DM that's Lucas out as well.
It could take a while for players to be able to work together, which could cost us lots of points like at the start of last season.

The reason we lost points early last season was the lack of attacking depth, Suarez being the only real attacker we had. Gerrard was struggling terribly to play his position, Downing was still completely useless, etc. There's no reason to believe that there will be some extended bedding in period for new signings now, regardless of how many we make, because we are doing our business early and often. New players will get a full preseason with their teammates how it's looking.

Unless there is some sort of a feud between teammates, I can't see this being an issue.

 

[Squiggles]

Why exactly is it that Agger can't be relied upon?

He had a pretty decent season and sometimes played through the pain barrier.

Because he's a gust of wind away from a shattered spine.

 

[juniormember]

The reason we lost points early last season was the lack of attacking depth, Suarez being the only real attacker we had. Gerrard was struggling terribly to play his position, Downing was still completely useless, etc. There's no reason to believe that there will be some extended bedding in period for new signings now, regardless of how many we make, because we are doing our business early and often. New players will get a full preseason with their teammates how it's looking.

Unless there is some sort of a feud between teammates, I can't see this being an issue.

Not sure about that.. The team really seemed to struggle switching tactics and mentality/way of playing the Rodgers way for the first few months.
We looked disjointed both at defending and attacking. Suarez seriously saved us in the first half of the season by creating chances from absolutely nothing and getting us the goals.

Once we were used to it in the second half of the season, two players playing furthest forward came in, did great, and we had a very decent few months.

Now with potentially so many players coming in, it could be back to square one again. The one thing in our favour, hopefully, is that the scouting team really did their job and these new players are different fundamentally to the players that were already here at the start of last season and can work to Rodger's tactics much better from the off.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Because he's a gust of wind away from a shattered spine.

I'm really interested to see if the medical team's excellent record last season in helping Johnson, Gerrard and Agger to each play 35 or 36 league games last season is a one-off. That was the first time either of Johnson or Agger had played over 28 league games for us, while Gerrard's appearances equaled his career best from way back in 2006/2007.

I'm hopeful that they'll have the same success in nursing Kelly's back and hamstring injuries.

 

[Whirly]

Not sure about that.. The team really seemed to struggle switching tactics and mentality/way of playing the Rodgers way for the first few months.
We looked disjointed both at defending and attacking. Suarez seriously saved us in the first half of the season by creating chances from absolutely nothing and getting us the goals.

Once we were used to it in the second half of the season, two players playing furthest forward came in, did great, and we had a very decent few months.

Now with potentially so many players coming in, it could be back to square one again. The one thing in our favour, hopefully, is that the scouting team really did their job and these new players are different fundamentally to the players that were already here at the start of last season and can work to Rodger's tactics much better from the off.

Alternatively, we had no depth attacking in the first few months limiting our scoring, and our midfield was shot to pieces because our only DMid was hurt. It's not that the team struggled to switch tactics, it was that Gerrard struggled to switch tactics, that's a point that needs to be made. For the first few months of the season, he was a liability, which is not something you expect our of a player of his caliber.The backline wasn't that bad to start the season, but the keeping was horrendous. Skrtel fell to pieces quickly, but I don't think we can attribute that to a change in system: a less athletic and flexible player in Carragher was able to slot in with ease and play the ball on the ground.

Our success in the second half was about 75% Coutinho and Sturridge catalyzing the attack, and 25% growth, which is what I would expect. Players like Henderson and Gerrard were able to control the midfield better with experience, but the goals and the attacking threat came from new signings, not just settling into a system.

Unless Gerrard decides to derp off again for a few months or Aspas tries to murder somebody, I can't see there being such a dramatic bedding in period. Development plays a huge role, but individual players let us down on far more occasions than the team breaking down as a whole.

 

[Modo]

It's gonna be Kelly.