To start off this blog and it’s first article, let’s have a quickie. Here are my 7 Quick Fixes that Brendan Rodgers and the Liverpool squad can do to possibly get a better team until January’s transfer window comes along.
1. Pick Goalkeepers Based on FORM, not CLASS.
Yes, it’s sad but it’s the truth – Pepe Reina is not the same keeper from Benitez’s days. He very well may spike in form again, but at least not for now. So far this season, his form can be described in one word: Clumsy.
A bit harsh, but again, it’s the truth. While he did pull off some amazing saves (like the point blank header from the game against Udinese), he also did let go some awful goals (such as the second Norwich goal).
Am I the only one over the years, fears every corner that comes against us because I’m not fully certain nor confident that Reina can save it? Probably, probably.
No matter how good Pepe was, he isn’t our best keeper now. Brad Jones took over for the past few games and performed to expectations so far. Until Pepe performs well in training, BR should continue fielding Brad Jones to be the man between the sticks.
2. Shore Up The Defence.
While we have (arguably) the best defensive centre-halves in the league, boasting two strong defenders in the forms of Agger and Skrtel, we’re still conceding goals that should and could be defended better.
Barring the fact that we’re unlucky to not have Martin Kelly and Jon Flanagan due to injury, we still have sufficient players to play match day after match day. There’s still 4 centre-halves (5 if you include Wisdom), Glen Johnson as our only true right back and 2 left backs. The problem is the inability to clear our lines.
Game after game, we get the 1-0 lead and we’re struggling to defend. We were lucky to get clean sheets against Reading and Anzhi, the defence was absent when Everton scored 2 goals to equalise during the Merseyside derby and the 3-1 defeat to Swansea is self-explanatory.
3. Stop With the Back-Passes.
We’ve seen what back passes has done this season. Skrtel’s really ridiculous back pass caused us to get a mere point against Manchester City while Stoke almost capitalised on another back pass that could’ve made us fall to another defeat.
Passing back the ball should only be done when absolutely necessary, like a last resort. Puts the goalkeeper under unnecessary pressure, it’s risky, and it’s unproductive.
Martin Skrtel is the main culprit here, no doubt. Famous for his back passing when he has options passing forward. Try telling me a game when he doesn’t turn around after receiving a pass.
4. Don’t FULLY Rely On Wisdom at Right-Back.
While many are impressed with Andre Wisdom, I for one isn’t fully impressed, yet. He’s strong, he’s a bit of a thinking-player, but no where capable of holding down the right back spot on his own.
Defensively, he’a been consistent and at most, decent. My problem with him being at the full back spots is that he’s not good on the ball enough to start an attack from the back if needed, and as with most young players, he’s inexperienced.
Against Anzhi, he’s been indecisive at times after receiving the ball on the right, and doesn’t find passes that bring the play forward. Often times, he passes back to the centre-halves. Don’t even get me started on his performance against Everton that led to his early substitution.
His ball distribution and ability on the ball isn’t ideal, I would say, to play as a full back. Defensively, yeah sure, he’ll be alright, but not going forward.
Should we continue playing him there? Until Glen comes back, I don’t see any choice other than an ageing Jamie Carragher or Henderson being wasted at right-back rather than his most effective position in midfield.
I repeat, he is decent at right back, but not great.
5. Change Up The Formation.
For now, we’re playing a simple 4-3-3, while good because of the simplicity of it, also brings a few negatives. In a 4-3-3, there will be a lone striker, and often times no one to back up and support him apart from the two wingers.
Also in a 4-3-3, it prompts the need for two midfielders to hold back a bit while one more should push forward. Often times, there will be a lack of connection between midfield and attack.
I’d much prefer it if we played 4-1-4-1, where Joe Allen will play in front of the defence to stop attacks and to distribute the ball. This allows an extra layer in the midfield to link the defence to the midfield, to the attack a little easier.
6. Let the Youth Step Up.
If there’s something we’ve learn since Brendan took over, it’s that he doesn’t hesitate in bringing in the youth players into the first team. We’ve seen Sebastian Coates, Andre Wisdom, Jack Robinson, Suso, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Pacheco and Samed Yesil all getting a run out be it in the league games, or in cup competitions.
We’re having a striker crisis with Luis Suarez being our only recognised striker after Fabio Borini picked up an injury. However, I don’t believe that there are no solutions for it until January.
We have Daniel Pacheco, Samed Yesil and Adam Morgan all playing in the under-21 squad, but now they have to be included into the first team, even if it means being an unused substitute.
The argument here would be that they aren’t ‘recognised strikers’, but it’s better than nothing. Who knows? Playing them might actually let them show their potential, like how Federico Macheda stepped up for Manchester United seasons ago, for example.
Jack Robinson and Sebastian Coates should also be given more game time in the defence. Both of them had great outings in the Europa League, probably on-par with Andre Wisdom’s introduction to the side.
7. Shoot!
The problem with the passing game is that there is so much emphasis on passing the ball around and retaining possession that players forget to shoot!
How many times in recent seasons have we dominated possession, camped in the oppositions’ third but still drew the game?
It’s simple really, the more chances you created, the more shots you’ll be able to take, the higher the chances of scoring a goal. And I’m not talking about Suarez alone, but the team as a whole should start shooting more.
There’s absolutely no point building up play without getting at least a shot on goal at the end of it. As the saying goes, you don’t shoot, you don’t score.
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