IN THIS MONTHS ‘LONG VIEW’ – Neil Atkinson is joined by Mold Alexandra manager and TAW regular Sean Rogers and his colleague and first team coach, Steve Ando.
In a tight 40 minutes, the trio look at the last few games in which Liverpool’s form has tailed off, or was the previous run of good form a case of a temporary injection of adrenaline brought about by mythical ‘new manager effect’.
Where to results against Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton a case of ‘Dead Cat Bounce’ or is the current malaise merely a temporary blip to be expected of a side adjusting to life under a new manager?
On the agenda, the lads pore over:
Liverpool’s forward passes, especially from midfield.
– Noticeable that both the accuracy and number of forward passes is lowest against Man City.
– Tackles and especially interceptions is sky high in comparison.
– These interception figures need talking about.
– Number of forward passes high against West Brom in comparison.
– Being able to do this very important for us.
– Feel we are comfortable when giving it away so to speak.
– Recoveries interesting elsewhere but not as prominent in difference…
Ball recoveries home and away and where on the pitch they are.
– Palace and Swansea lack of numbers in middle of the pitch.
– Do other teams already have a plan already to deal with Klopp’s football.
– Is it something we need to look at? Is plan B a myth?
Our attempts and numbers on goal.
– How we noticeably got into the box more against West Brom for attempts.
– Whether, in the comparative tale of the tape on West Brom we were unlucky not to win?
– And yet not so in the struggles against Watford and Newcastle.
– Do we lack cool heads under pressure.
Great show, great debut by Steve.
Love it when you all are “studied up” and in serious analysis mode.
Two related questions:
Why have opposition managers and teams chosen not to try to attack us through the middle? Is it perhaps because our much-maligned central midfielders have actually performed well?
Why have they found it to the comparative advantage to attacks through the flanks and with longer balls?
Is it the players on the flanks, or is it just the sheer dearth of options there, especially at fullback, which have made us more vulnerable there?
Merry (Happy) Xmas!
I’m a little perplexed at this comment. The hypothesis doesn’t stand up, for me. I can’t remember how games have panned out but I’m only interested in the business end.
A Sunday league manager could work on the premise that Moreno can’t defend and Clyne is a potential target because of how high up the pitch he gets. The fact that we have centre halves who can’t defend crosses must make it worthy of consideration to opposition managers. Like I said though, I’m interested in the business end of things and one things for sure, we’re not conceding goals from down the flanks as a result of our full backs.
A look at where we are conceding makes a mockery of your assertion that our much maligned centre halves have done ok. They haven’t. They’ve been a joke. I’ve been on a mission in the past 2 or 3 years to get my mates to agree that Skrtel is a liability. It’s become a bit of a battle front between us all. I’ve been reinvigorated on it this week and taken on a line Neil used ‘always at the scene of the crime’.
If the opposition has a plan and it doesn’t yield goals then it’s not worthy of debate. We have to look at the moments that lead to goals. I’m sure this won’t interest you but I post it in the assumption there’s at least one other weirdo like me that is interested in this sort of thing.
It’s my take on the goals conceded this season. I hold a view (conveniently, for my hypothesis, haha) that at a set piece the centre halves are the ones who need to dominate proceedings.
West Ham
1) Regardless of anything that’s gone before, when a centre half has a free header in the box and heads it 2 yards to an opposition player to score it’s his fault. Skrtel.
2) Another centre half fuck it. Out on the flank but it’s a Lovren error and nothing else.
**As I’ll show, our goals against don’t come from attacking the full backs either cutting in or crossing it but there is something we see time and time again in counter attacks. It’s the play, on our left, where they cut in from the touchline from just inside their half and go diagonally direct for goal. It usually means them having a 1 on 1 with Skrtel because they’ve almost got behind the midfield.
3) He’s got to the edge of the box with Skrtel to beat and beaten him yet again.
Utd
1) Set piece. No organisation. No one picked up Blind.
2) Pen
3) Piss take. A schoolboy humiliated Skrtel 5 times running at him.
Norwich
Corner. Mignolet slapped the cross 2 yards onto the Norwich players chest.
Villa
1) This came from the flank but it was clearly a Can error. He switched off and gave a free header.
2) One of the only good goals scored against us this season. Great header though I wonder if Sakho should have done better.
Everton
Simple clearance. Can has time and space but inexplicably boots it at Skrtel and Rom picks up the loose ball. Another error.
Southampton
Long balled pumped in from a set piece. Absolutely standard ball from there when pumping it in. In a team of small players I’m blaming both centre halves for being nowhere near it when pumped in.
Chelsea
Bit like Villa’s first. Moreno switching off this time.
Palace
1) They’ve come through the middle. Can error then the shot has gone under / through Skrtel’s legs.
2) Another fiasco from a corner. How is Scott Dan allowed a free header there?
City
Clyne didn’t really want it there on 43 mins but then Skrtel didn’t clear and gave it to them. That said, when Aguero got it and ran at our defence he still had 3 men and the keeper to beat.
Newcastle
1) Again, Newcastle had possession in the box but the 2 of them fumbling around with it still had Skrtel and Lovren to beat. Poor defending by both.
2) No complaints. Another counter. Made sense to send Skrtel up the field.
West Brom
1) Corner, Mignolet error with his slap / punch.
2) Good header from corner but the men at the scene where Lovren primarily but Skrtel to a degree. Our centre halves cannot win those headers ever.
Watford
1) Keeper error from corner
2) Through the middle, Skrtel far too weak. Poor keeping but should never have got to be in a position to shoot.
3) Walked through the middle.
My point is simple. Our full backs can’t be blamed for our defending and opposition managers cannot take credit for the goals they’ve scored. With a decent keeper and Skrtel and Lovren replaced we’d be top of the league. Please, let’s not give any credit whatsoever to our centre halves. Apologies, but your comment stunk to me as changing the narrative. Goals change games and we’ve been like Santa all season. Mignolet, Skrtel and Can are the culprits, Lovren a bit too but the list ends there. Suppose we could add Bogdan for Watford and Gomez for the Utd pen but I think that’s harsh. As fans, it’s important we stay focused and put pressure on the club through internet sites. We want a keeper and some centre halves. Until then we can’t be a serious player in this league.