Should we bring in a defensive coach?...

Don't know how English football works but American football (NFL), they have a coach for not only offense and defense but also specific positions. Easier to compartmentalize tactics and hold accountable the folks that should be.

You can "compartmentalise" that game because it isn't a fluid game and can take up to 4hrs to finish. 

Maybe, just maybe, people will start giving Lucas, pre-injury, the credit he deserved.  His work covering cavalier fall backs and gaps in the middle was always undervalued amd it's a shame he can't do that job full time for us any more, due to some awful injuries.

Don't think he offers anything.

He usually plays alongside Gerrard, so with these two playing at the same time, there is absolutely no mobility and that leaves gaping holes everywhere. And in a game style where mobility and pressing is key, it's almost suicidal having these two play together.

Lucas of course was not naturally a holding midfielder, neither Allen or Gerrard, and the inconsistencies are there to see from all of them. Our only natural holding midfielder is actually Can - that's it. It's unbelievable when you think of it, and is one of the main defensive problems. Hopefully Can will provide a step up from everyone else in the same position.

What's more, another holding midfielder will have to come in. Jordan Rossiter perhaps? Fingers crossed he is phased into the squad. God knows he had a promising game against Middlesbrough, a lot of prospect there that could solve our holding midfield role along with Can.

Don't think he offers anything.

I think I was very clear in saying he couldn't do that job, full-time, now, I was very explicit in saying maybe he should get  the credit for the work he did do.  Next time I think I'll try crayon drawings. 

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Quote from Son Of A Gun on Today at 02:53:53 AM

Apologies, I missed the bit about 'pre-injury'. I have no doubt at all that Lucas was our star player prior to his injury, its just that he lost that bit of pace sadly.

I don't doubt his service to Liverpool though. Fingers crossed that Rossiter steps up to the role. He seems primed for the role.

You can "compartmentalise" that game because it isn't a fluid game and can take up to 4hrs to finish. 

I mean compartmentalize by task and yes while not as fluid, the speed of the game is arguably much faster and it helps to have specific coaching by position/role.

Do we need - Yes
Would Rodgers bring in a new defensive assistant - No
Continue to leak goals - Resounding Yes

We should get one in, if for no other reason than to TRY and fix it.

I actually think its a case of combination of a few things that has exasperated how bad we look;

Technical ability - Skrtel has never been a great CB and was only ever as good as his partner made him look. Lovren is young and needs time to come good, but the fact of the matter is at this moment in time he is awful.

Lack of a Commanding voice - Lovren was brought in to do this. He has lost his spine right now and is useless as an organiser right now.

Mental - We are just broken at the minute. 88mins of conceding nothing at QPR and boom 2 goals. Come off it that is down to sheer panic. Teams smell blood and we are very vulnerable. 3 clean sheets in a row, 270mins of cleansheets, 9 points and that blood is gone.

Systematic - Mixture of Zonal and Man Marking just doesnt seem to be working. Not a fan of zonal but we need to sort a system and stick with it. 3 lads went for the same ball for the 3rd goal - 3 and not one of them won it cause the 3 got in eachothers way. Thats horrific.

When you are rocked and down, teams (especially the lower teams) really turn up and look/play a lot better than they would against a poorer team. This is killing us. Last season, we snowballed teams in 10mins and they gave up. We can do that again. Just need to score early. Hurry up Daniel.

I wouldn't mind Tony Pulis coming into Melwood every week while he's unemployed. His Stoke team were beasts at set piece defending and attacking,

What if he refused though mate?

If the owners have faith in Brendan and his vision and philosophy then surely they are comfortable with who he puts in place in his backroom team to see that through.

I think if you accept Brendan as the boss then you take the whole package.

Hmm ok, well if that is the case then if I was FSG and Brendan gave an ultimatum like that then he would have to go, there is no room for inflexibility in any business, you have to adapt to situations and right now our defence is fu**ed and needs fixing. That means bringing in new coaches or a specialist coach. If Brendan has an ounce of self preservation then he'll be smart and do that otherwise he and all his friends/coaches will be getting their P45's and be asked to bugger off.

I wouldn't mind Tony Pulis coming into Melwood every week while he's unemployed. His Stoke team were beasts at set piece defending and attacking,

Will Tony want to listen to Brendan? Not in Football Manager let alone in reality.

I wouldn't mind Tony Pulis coming into Melwood every week while he's unemployed. His Stoke team were beasts at set piece defending and attacking,

Good grief.

Good grief.

He would certainly solve the selection problem we have with defenders though mate. Whichever defenders could launch the ball furthest would get the nod every week.

Good grief.

His remit would be to teach our defence how to defend set pieces - Stoke were very well organized defensively.

Obviously when we have the ball Pulis is not the man to coach a team what to do with it. 

Maybe not a defensive coach per say srslfc but a coach who can help/lead Rodgers in the way of making the defense stronger. I think he does need help in this department. You can see in his interviews that he has more understanding and enthusiasm talking about going forward and playing the ball etc. When its about the defense he usually says they were 'poor goals' to concede, or individual mistakes but he doesn't really elaborate on 'why' the defense isn't working or 'how' he'll improve it. Where as he'll be able to analyse, and tell you all day long why the attack isn't working.I think some may have nailed it, in that he may have the wrong coaching team around him (for whatever reasons) be it, Mike Marsh (who I'm not sure about) or Colin Pascoe (same) neither can seem to plug the gap in our deficiency that is our defense.

I comepletely agree. Rodgers philosophy is about playing attacking and passing football, he seems lost when it comes to the defensive side of things.

I disagree that we need to buy new defenders, individually, they're very good defenders, but for some reason they're making errors and keep getting exposed. That Benzema goal yesterday...was nothing more than poor marking. Complete free header in the 6 yard box? Even my nan could have defended that, nothign to do with defensive abilities, just poor organisation I think. That's been a theme throughout the past 2 seasons (since Carra left incidentally).

So, option one, drag Carra back kicking and sceaming and give him one instruction...coach this defence in organisational skills.

Option 2, hire someone in the mould of Steve Clarke who would be a no2 to Rodgers and provide a balanced view for him in terms of defensive frailties in the team.

Option 3 - buy new defenders...not an option for me.

I wouldn't mind Tony Pulis coming into Melwood every week while he's unemployed. His Stoke team were beasts at set piece defending and attacking,

do you know that's not the worst idea I have heard in fact its a good call.Its probably too obvious.

Defence has been sh1te since steve clarke left.

Needs sorting 1 way or another, BR is not stupid he will get it sorted.

ps. in the meantime, maybe 3 at the back is an option, and drop Johnson for good.

When is flanno fit again?

32   30.03.2014   Tottenham Hotspur   home   W4-0
33   06.04.2014   West Ham United   away   W2-1   
34   13.04.2014   Manchester City   home   W3-2
35   20.04.2014   Norwich City   away   W3-2   
36   27.04.2014   Chelsea   home   L0-2   
37   05.05.2014   Crystal Palace   away   D3-3   
38   11.05.2014   Newcastle United   home   W2-1   
1   17.08.2014   Southampton   home   W2-1   
2   25.08.2014   Manchester City   away   L1-3   
3   31.08.2014   Tottenham Hotspur   away   W3-0   
4   13.09.2014   Aston Villa   home   L0-1   
5   20.09.2014   West Ham United   away   L1-3   
6   27.09.2014   Everton   home   D1-1
7   04.10.2014   West Bromwich Albion   home   W2-1   
8   19.10.2014   Queens Park Rangers   away   W3-2

15 games there.
2 clean sheets. Both against Spurs.

Throw in the Champions League:
16.09.2014   r1gb   Ludogorets Razgrad   home   W2-1   
01.10.2014   r1gb   Basel   away   L0-1   
22.10.2014   r1gb   Real Madrid   home   L0-3   

18 games and only able to keep a clean sheet against Spurs.
Look at it from April. 17 games. 1 clean sheet.

I cant believe that even with the players we have that the defence cannot keep clean sheets.
The evidence suggests we can't but we must start to if we have any aspirations of top 4 this season.

The only time I was happy with our defence over the last few seasons was with Carra and Agger at the back.
Both are gone. 50 million spent on Centre Backs, and we're worse.

Do we really need a defensive coach at the club? At what point do we stop making excuses and accept that the players themselves must accept responsibility for their own actions. Do you need a defensive coach to teach you how to attack a ball in the air? Do you need a defensive coach to tell you to mark the man nearest you? Do you need a defensive coach to show you how to clear your lines by hoofing the ball as far away from the goal as possible? All these mistakes we're making are not down to the lack of a defensive coach because they're mistakes the average kids playing footy in the park wouldn't make. Our issues in defence aren't a training problem, they're a mental one.

Ok ... our defence is our weakest link at the moment, no doubt about that. But, let's watch again carefully, where and how some of the goals we conceded in the last few games, a fair number of it came from Stevie's side. With upmost respect to Stevie but he's no DM, and I keep saying this time and again, BR has to wake up from his slumber and acknowledge that, or that he simpy refuses to acknowledge that? Players just waltzed pass him and he simply doesn't have the legs to counter that. Those goals conceded were of the same characteristics, bring the ball to the left wing, make a few short passes, cut-in and go pass Stevie, whoever behind Stevie will not re-act because they will not dare to interfere what Stevie is doing and the ball is goal bound.

It's the same, it's the same, don't believe me let's watch some of the goals we conceded.

It hurts me as much to say this, but is BR too blind not to see that. Please BR, own up and say that's the chink in our armor  and make swift changes on that. But sadly you did not buy a DM thinking Stevie, Lucas or Hendo would do a DM job but they're not born DM.

For short term fix, I'd push Stevie into an AM role and put Moreno as a DM defending the left flank with Enrique behind him.

I like the Pulis comments, defending is an art, so is organisation.

Get a grip people, it is about results.
BR hasn't got a F***ing clue about defending, our back passing suicide immediately followed by Mignolet passing to the opposition proves this.

Pulis working with BR - I can't see it happening in a million years though. Too many egos at our club.