For me, the fundamental problem we need to sort out is our inability to defend. And to do it an a way that doesn't just reduce to our midfield dropping back on top of our defence and us playing the turgid, negative stuff that we tried a few weeks ago.
All the evidence is that Brendan's coaching team don't know how to organise a defence, and he's ruled out bringing in a defensive coach.
So what can he do?
I've been pondering this for a bit, and the only thing that I can come up with is ... a sweeper system.
Its not my personal ideal system, but it might be the best chance Brendan has of getting a functioning defence, plus a pressing midfield.
The key to it is just that its the easiest defensive system to organise. You give each CB a specific man marking job, meaning that they basically have minimal decisions to make, and don't need to think much about about what each other are doing, they just mark their man, and then you have the sweeper ( Stevie being the obvious candidate) who sits behind them making the decisions.
The full backs can push up into midfield, giving you numbers in there to press the ball.
Its a system that has its weaknesses. Principally that the CBs can get pulled all over the pitch by the guys they are marking. And in todays game, where teams often only have 1 striker, in can be hard to say who the 2nd CB should be marking.
( Bearing these 2 points in mind playing eg Can as the 2nd CB might make sense, as he can obviously wander into midfield quite happily).
Like I say, it wouldn't be my ideal choice of system, its kind of crude tactically, but I think Brendan might end up needing something along those lines at the back.
A decent version of it, with the players we currently have available, would be -
Sterling
Coutinho
Lallana
Lucas Hendo
Moreno Sakho Can Manquillo
Gerrard
Mignolet
(Alternatively play a different CB for Can, and put the latter in midfield instead of Lucas, for a bit more pace in there.)
Logged