15 Jan 2018 08:40:39
Ed01, when we went up 4-1 it always seemed as though we may concede another goal as we tended to sit back and let Man City play.

Numerous times this season we have threw away big leads and lost points. The pundits touched on it last night saying we do not seem to be able to soak up pressure.

What do you see as the best way to rectify this? Do we buy a defensive midfielder? Will Van Dijk solve it? Or is it just a case where we need to keep attacking for 90 minutes to push back the other team into their own halves?

{Ed001's Note - it is more a case of telling the midfield to keep going. They stopped chasing back and we conceded. I can't remember the goal off the top of my head, I think it was their 3rd, but watch Ox stand just a couple of yards away and decide to take a breather rather than track back. He was the closest central midfielder but did nothing. That is the issue. Our midfield is fine when bursting onto the ball, pressing it high, but they are lacking when it comes to chasing back.

That is not a dig at Ox, who had a fine game, it is an illustration of my point. The midfield has to track runners. If that means having a dedicated defensive midfielder to do so, then we need to go that way. I would hope that more work is done in training on tracking runners and the videos of the many, many times our central midfielders failed to do so are shown on repeat to them to drive the point home!}

1.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 08:48:44
Ed it didn't help with having Milner come on and run around like a headless chicken.

{Ed001's Note - I know mate, it really does make me nervous when he is in midfield.}

2.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 08:55:42
Great assessment ed, I think a strong defensive midfielder like Obiang or Ndidi would help a lot though as well.

{Ed001's Note - agreed having someone in who thinks about breaking up play first would be a plus. I just don't see Klopp seeing it that way!}

3.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 08:59:24
I think with the team we are building, the high quality of players coming in, Milner will surely be on his way out in the summer? I like his professionalism but he is just nowhere near good enough for Liverpool.

4.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 09:11:13
Milner on for Can ruined the entire midfield setup. Milner was supposed to sit deep and stop players running past him. Instead he lunged forwards at De Bruyne and Sane leaving a gaping hole behind him. Exactly the reason why he was and never will be a central midfielder coz he does not have the brains nor the skillset to play there.

5.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 09:33:17
To me we had some tactical naievity in the middle of the park at the end there. Even if we had makelele there, he'd be by himself cos the other 2 CMs or off out and about. Just a slight switch for me and adjust thr midfield system so their starting po.