15 Aug 2019 09:25:53
Slightly concerned with the defence so far this season. I'm sure Klopp will sort it soon but the space behind our back 4 was there for all to see last night, as has been all pre season.


1.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 09:58:37
We started the season the same way last year. And were lucky with quite a few of the results, until confidence started building up, and we rolled on.


2.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 10:11:28
Yeah, Drogie. I am concerned about it as well. There was a time last night where the defensive line was almost at the edge on the centre circle. And it seemed like the game was being played in a telephone booth. I don't know what the Ed's know about this or if this was a system change for this season BUT we are sitting ducks back there esp. with Hendo and Milner pushing up on the wings and the fullbacks all the way up as well. That leaves the CM wide open and Chelsea esp. with Kante had acres of space to work with, running at our defence at will cos Fab was literally alone whenever we lost the ball and got caught up field.


3.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 12:01:07
A definite pattern emerging from Liverpool’s opposition so far this season - hit us out wide. Diagonals, punts from keepers, concentrating on perceived full back weaknesses, hindering our full backs getting forward so much.
The PL never stays the same, coaches and analysts are so adept these days that one season’s revelation can become next season’s hazard.
I think our full backs are going to get a really rigorous test this season, probably need to be rotated too.


4.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 12:14:38
Fully agree, Juicer. Teams are taking advantage of our rampaging fullbacks out wide so the striker just peels back into the wide are vacated whenever we lose the ball and if the CB goes to engage out wide, the gap opens in the center for midfield runners to get thru. It's still early in the season and still got stuff to work on BUT it needs to be looked into. Pretty sure that Klopp is on the case, tho.


5.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 12:34:24
The defence wasn't protected at all. They were to deep, attackers to high which left Milner, Hendo and Fab with too much space to try and cover. The gaps where the issue.

Big difference this year, seems to be we are not playing as reserved and compact. We are much more attacking which brings its own problems of being too open. Add to the situation that the defence has lost Alison, which is having an effect on the whole team. Build up from the back, confidence to play a high line and security that the gk is always an option.


6.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 13:09:27
That’s it RedWolf.
One possible answer is to go to a back 3, say Gomez right, Matip central and Virgil left?
Opens up other possibilities to change midfield and up front too, and personnel - Bruno Fernandes incoming in January for instance 😀
But, yes, I think with the tactical battle.


7.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 14:24:06
I don’t see why changing too much is necessary, and certainly not to a back 3 which would disrupt all our patterns. Better to just ask the FBs to be a little more cautious and use a more attacking midfield setup to create the danger instead. Keita and/ or Ox would be options.


8.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 14:24:41
Juicer, how can we go back to something in this case a back 3, if we never played that system all season, last season? You will only compound the problem we already have at the back. Klopp only plays a back 3 due to injuries or player availability.

I can only remember Klopp playing a back 3 twice and that was once in 16/ 17 and once in 17/ 18. Nah, our boys just need to go back to the basics, pick a CB pair and run with it and make us a bit more compact once we lose the ball. These are the things we were doing last season that worked.

As for BF, he was never a thing cos now we are hearing that Utd were never in for him. Neither were Spurs. His people were just trying to put him in the shop window. Clearly, they had you fooled, lol.


9.) 15 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 15:44:23
Hi RedWolf. I didn’t say go back to a back 3, I suggested it as a possible counter measure?
Similar to Holland.
Agree about Klopp’s past reluctance on it too but we’ll see how the tactical battle plays out as the season progresses, is what I’d meant to add.
If Lovren went, all the remaining CBs (including Hoever and van den Berg) are mobile and the back 3 could be an option now and then.


10.) 16 Aug 2019
15 Aug 2019 16:11:30
Been saying this for weeks. We are playing a very high line so every is press higher up which is fine if the defence watch the runners from deep but we seem to be relaying on the ref to rule offside all the time.
I mite be picky here but VVD looks a bit to relaxed or lazy.