Brendan Rodgers Must Prove It Is 'Not Hard to Coach Defence' at Liverpool

Liverpool stopped their run of defeats but failed to take victory in the Champions League on Wednesday night, drawing 2-2 away to Ludogorets as they just about ensured their hopes of progression to the knockout stages went to the last round of matches.

Failing in the Premier League to match last season's exertions and needing a long overdue win in Europe to reach the last 16, manager Brendan Rodgers is feeling the heat after a run of just three wins in 14 games in all competitions.

One of the team's biggest problems is the lack of organisation, reliability and quality in the back line, meaning Brendan Rodgers is finding another of his sound bites from last year coming back to bite him somewhat: his claim, per The Telegraph, that it was "not difficult to coach to play defensive" after a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea ended their title hopes.

"It’s not difficult to coach to just get 10 players right on your 18-yard box and it is difficult to break through, but they defended well."

If it's not hard to get players to do that, it's about time Rodgers showed as such to stop the rot at Anfield and save Liverpool's season.

Set Pieces

Defending hasn't been Liverpool's strong point for...well, for far too long to recall.

Last season it was an issue which could be overlooked at times because the Reds scored so many, but those times have seemingly departed for now, so solidity isn't just a luxury, but a necessity this term—a necessity which isn't being delivered.

At its very basic level, the side should be expected to repel set pieces—yet it remains a bane of Liverpool's life in the top flight. West Ham United and Aston Villa are just two of those to have benefited from such lax defending, both on the first and second ball, which is the most infuriating thing.

"

Al 9' #AstonVilla sorprende con una serie de rebotes. Gol de #Agbonlahor para el 1-0 sobre el #Liverpool https://t.co/kSXt2n29pS

— Gerardo Martínez G. (@germargom) September 13, 2014"

If the initial ball into the box isn't won, there can be no excuse for not reaching the second ball, yet it's a common theme in Simon Mignolet's penalty area.

"

Al minuto 1:37, así cayó el pepinazo de Reid para #WestHamUnited vs #Liverpool: https://t.co/ISCIxy5uOw (vía @FootballVlNES )

— La Bestia (@labestiafutbol) September 20, 2014"

And what about the horrendous goal conceded to Chelsea at Anfield, where no less than five defenders get caught the wrong side of the ball, leaving three rival attackers unmarked to score...at the second or third attempt? It's unforgivable.

"

La revancha de #Cahill el defensa empató el partido #Liverpool 1 #Chelsea 1 https://t.co/7lMwHUGP34

— Gerardo Martínez G. (@germargom) November 8, 2014"

And yet, here we are in November, and no lessons have been learned whatsoever. This came three minutes from time in the Champions League against Ludogorets, denying victory on account of the same old mistakes and failings.

"

It was another bad day at the office for Liverpool tonight: http://t.co/lmmujtWtYQ https://t.co/38eA86iOJ4

— TheScore.ie (@thescore_ie) November 27, 2014"

Individual Defensive Errors

Set pieces, OK. Something to work on. What about in open play? Where does coaching defending throughout the team improve players' decisions and concentration during the regular passage of game time?

Might it be in how to track the man you're supposed to be marking?

"

Defending: making mistakes and learning from them. #ignoreyourman https://t.co/tP7oDVpPsK

— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) October 20, 2014"

Perhaps just staying in position or clearing the ball?

"

GOAL! Perez scores for Newcastle! #liverpool #newcastle #epl https://t.co/hzlgE61wMs

— Abdelrahman Samra (@SamraFCB) November 1, 2014"

"

Jovetic goal vs Liverpool https://t.co/1uBV6tEVlE

— manchester is Blue (@manchesterisB) August 25, 2014"

How about in helping defenders not get totally outclassed by relegation-battling opponents?

"

Lovren starting tonight for Liverpool.. https://t.co/ztblPE5X5S

— ♛ (@DareToWilsh) November 26, 2014"

Being able to track runners into the box from deep?

"

Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne with an unstoppable play and finish #southampton #liverpool #bpl https://t.co/ojMo2fMfdb

— BestVineDeportes (@bestVineDeporte) August 20, 2014"

Concentration? Judgement? Consistency?

"

Pass of the season so far from Simon Mignolet! https://t.co/zd3cKxybqr

— Oddschanger (@Oddschanger) November 9, 2014"

"

GOOOOOOL DEL Ludogorets vs Liverpool (1-0) https://t.co/G4JHJEZ9I8

— fichajes futbol (@fichajes_cf) November 26, 2014"

Or perhaps it's something as simple as trying to get players focused on doing their jobs to the extent that they look as though they actually care one iota about what is going on in the match, whether in possession... 

"

No matter what happens, this will always be my favourite Glen Johnson moment. Never change Glen. https://t.co/V0oWjFyd4i

— Sanj (@Trequartista92) November 26, 2014"

Or out of it?

"

Glen Johnson put as much as effort in there as I would on a Monday morning. £120,000 a week for that. https://t.co/iKeVqeKTJ4

— Anfield Leak (@AnfieldLeak) November 24, 2014"

Is coaching defending easy enough to prevent any one of these things happening week after week, game after game? It's horrendous, it's amateurish and it's almost every player at one point or another.

Organisation and Responsibility

Everyone has heard the "leadership" quotes and, quite frankly, it's not fair at this point to level blame at just Dejan Lovren when it's quite clear that Liverpool's inability to defend any kind of situation is a team—indeed a club—problem.

Wednesday's game against Ludogorets didn't have Lovren in the teamsheet; there was still a set piece goal conceded and an individual error, the bog-standard two-for-you that the Reds have been handing out almost without fail this season.

It has been seven games since the last clean sheet (0-0 at home to Hull City, October) and 16 since the last clean sheet in a victory (3-0 at Tottenham Hotspur, August).

Even not taking individual errors into account, the team has no shape off the ball, nobody organising the layout of defenders and midfielders after the ball is lost, no feeling of solidity and no concept of shutting down a game right now.

Everything is a panic, everything is last-ditch.

The number of times Liverpool players simply run back toward their own goal and hope somebody gets something in the way is remarkable, rather than having a cohesive structure in which players know their role and see them team up to protect spaces. It's just backs to the wall, facing the wrong way more often than not, unbalanced and ineffective.

"

jovetic, sets himself up for a goal. #manchestercity #bpl #liverpool one of the best goals of bpl upto now https://t.co/wDjZNJPP7c

— The Football Guy (@ThreeFiveTum) August 31, 2014"

"

Here's #Costa's match winner for #Chelsea - FT: Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea. https://t.co/cithP0Coqs via @Football_SL

— Baljit Rihal (@BaljitRihal) November 8, 2014"

"

The only goal from Madrid-Liverpool. #Benzema #LFC #HalaMadrid http://t.co/dImTuZhUcg

— The Fantasy Football (@TheFantasyFB) November 5, 2014"

Far from being challenging at the top, Liverpool are now heading into a busy December simply fighting to get back into the top half. There is tremendous quality in some areas of the squad, but with confidence and self-belief so depleted right now, free-flowing football is out of the question.

That can come once a semblance of solidity is regained. But before Liverpool start to go out to win games with swagger and success again, they must first stop losing them. And that will only come when the defence improves...markedly.

If coaching to play defensively isn't difficult, it's high time Rodgers and his team started showing an aptitude for it, rather than ineptitude.

Follow @karlmatchett