Good OP. There are a number of issues I think, none of them insurmountable but when added together we've got a lot to do. Firstly, we don't have anywhere near enough players in the team who score enough goals for their position. We're very good at Liverpool at lauding our players (which is a good thing) be they youngsters coming through or established "stars" from the first team. The simple fact of the matter is however, we are way short of where we need to be in terms of goal threat when teams sit back against us.
If you look at our first choice eleven, neither of our full backs score, one of our centre halves never scores and the other one only occasionally, our holding midfielder never scores and the fella who plays alongside him does so very rarely. Throw in the goalkeeper, and that's seven out of our first choice eleven who in 38 league games would be very lucky to amass five goals between them (infact five is about where they'd be I guess). That leaves a fairly heavy burden on the other four, and of the three in behind the striker Lallana very rarely scores either, Firmino has done rarely so far and we end up with a situation where we are running out of options a bit. Throw in that despite our undoubted better organization at the back we are always likely to let one in, and it's not hard to see why we don't win so many when teams sit back and concentrate on not conceding chances.
The solution? Well as always in football, the cause and effect of one action impacts on another. Attack slightly better and teams will reason that in order to leave with anything they'll likely need to score, which will lead to them "going for it" a bit more. Defend slightly better and with more authority, and teams will reason they need to "go for it" a bit more in order to get that goal. Then the games open up a bit more and we become IMHO a little more dangerous going forward, when we can play "off the cuff" a bit and with more pace.
From a going forward point of view, I've been going on for a while now that we are way under utilising Alberto Moreno and his blistering pace. I'd be looking to get him running directly at the opponents goal as opposed to up and down the line, particularly when the ball is on the right. Lets see if he can't slip him in with a little diagonal, there's no defender in this league who will be able to catch him if the ball is right. My other alteration is that other than Lucas, I'd be telling ALL of our midfielders and supporting strikers to gamble on getting into the box more. Not just getting in there and standing in the either, but aiming to "arrive" at pace at the same time the ball gets there. I don't feel we gamble enough either with just getting it into the box into dangerous channels OR in terms of committing ourselves to get into them in anticipation. I guess that's another cause and effect, get in there and the players crossing might be more inclined to put it there, and vice versa.
All in all though we're going about it the right way. Don't concede then you only need one bit of luck/good play to win it. New signings? Well a box to box midfielder who scores heavily, a la Aaron Ramsey, Kevin Du Broyne etc would be handy. Henderson may be able to do it now he's had the shackles of keeping possession at all costs removed but time will tell. I've always had a feeling Ramirez from Chelsea would excel in such a role, and I confess to like everyone else being hugely impressed by Marez at Leicester, there's something special about him.
Logged