What Will Be Liverpool's Strongest Defence in the 2015/16 Season?
With the 2015/16 season almost upon us, there remain some key questions over how Liverpool will line up in the new campaign—and primary among them is the Reds' defensive set-up.
Brendan Rodgers has signed two defenders this summer—Nathaniel Clyne from Southampton and Joe Gomez from Charlton Athletic—but questions over existing players are more difficult to answer.
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Liverpool have never been defensively solid under Rodgers, conceding on average over 48 goals per season. Over those three seasons, other than Liverpool in 2013/14, only one side has conceded more than 40 goals and finished inside the top four.
For Liverpool to achieve a top-four finish in 2015/16, they must improve their defensive record. Either that or hope for a repeat of the goalscoring fetes of 2013/14, when their porous defence was masked by the incredible 101 goals scored—winning high-scoring games courtesy of the exploits of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge up front.
The truth is, Rodgers has never seemed able to set up his side to look defensively capable, no matter the personnel or opposition.
In his three years in charge, the Liverpool manager has signed a player for every position bar one—a defensive midfielder, another part of the conundrum.
Sakho vs. Lovren
Liverpool, bafflingly, spent £38 million in 12 months on two separate players who play in the exact same position; Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren.
Sakho arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 for £18 million, heralded by Rodgers as the future of the club's defence. "We had a chance to protect the club for maybe the next 10 years and that is what we have done," said the Northern Irishman, per the Guardian.
Sakho may divide opinion, a point we'll come to later, but to go out and spend a pretty staggering £20 million on Lovren the following summer did more than raise a few eyebrows.
Some imagined, perhaps, that Lovren would be switched to play on the right of the two centre-backs, with Rodgers finally moving on the one constant in Liverpool's constantly fragile defence, Martin Skrtel.
Alas, Skrtel has become one of the first names on Rodgers' teamsheet and, instead, the two expensive signings have struggled to find form and consistency alongside the Slovakian.
Who gets the nod out of Sakho and Lovren alongside Skrtel is arguably the biggest decision facing Rodgers ahead of Sunday's opener vs. Stoke City—and, for that matter, the season as a whole.
The manager has mentioned the need to find consistency at the heart of defence this season, but he also says he hasn't decided just who. He told the Liverpool Echo last weekend:
"It's not something I've totally decided upon yet.
I'll sit down with the staff and we'll look at it next week.
The key is getting consistency in that area of the field.
Your two centre-halves are critical. They are the tactical decision-makers in the game. That balance is important for us this season.
We had too many defensive changes last year and that's not something that I like.
Hopefully this season we'll be more consistent as a back four.
"
Given the defensive issues that are so apparent, it's a pretty staggering omission from the Liverpool manager that a week before the new season and after seven pre-season games, he still hasn't decided who his favoured centre-backs are.
Worryingly, it's Lovren who has been given the nod alongside Skrtel in the majority of pre-season games, starting together vs. HJK Helsinki in what was almost the Reds' strongest XI.
Quite how Lovren is being given the nod is puzzling, to say the least. Who can forget the image of Rodgers, hands over his eyes in the background, as Lovren is outmuscled by Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie in the final home game of last season.
Lovren vs. Sakho is the big talking point among supporters too, with a pretty unanimous 93 percent favouring the Frenchman over the Croat, according to a poll on This Is Anfield.
The debate was covered by Squawka's Omar Hamouda, who comments on the myth that Sakho is clumsy in possession:
"It is still one of the Premier League’s most bizarrely purported myths that Sakho is clumsy in possession, but his incisive and different variations of passing outlines just why Liverpool supporters are big admirers of the France international.
The colossal defender is one of few centre-backs in the Premier League willing to take a chance and who always looks to pass forward rather than take the easy option sideways – the latter a trait Lovren is often guilty of.
"
Hamouda describes Rodgers favouring Lovren over Sakho as "baffling" and a "strange decision."
As baffling and as strange as it is, it appears Rodgers is going to give his £20 million man a reprieve. Sakho will be left looking for another opportunity.
Moreno vs. Gomez
With Clyne assured of the starting berth on the right side of defence, it's at left-back where the other major question arises. Again, this is despite spending £12 million on Alberto Moreno just 12 months ago.
The Spaniard had a difficult first season in England, starting well with that impressive goal against Tottenham Hotspur but struggling for form, consistency or defensive stability. Perhaps he wasn't helped by being paired alongside the confidence-shot Lovren for much of the campaign.
Moreno is clearly a good player, a player who at age 23 looks like he could benefit from being coached on exactly how to defend. The goal scored by Arsenal's Hector Bellerin in the 4-1 defeat of Liverpool in March remains some of the worst defending you will ever see in the top flight, with Moreno showing the full-back inside and inviting the opportunity to shoot.
Perhaps then the appointments of new first-team coaching staff can help there. Experienced Sean O'Driscoll has arrived as assistant manager to replace Colin Pascoe, and former Red Gary McAllister replaces Mike Marsh as first-team coach. Both men are far more experienced than their predecessors and should help with Liverpool's defensive issues.
Moreno could also benefit from coaching time with first-team-development coach Pepijn Lijnders. His role is to improve players on an individual basis.
But for the opening fixture at Stoke, it looks like Moreno will miss out and instead Gomez will take his place. The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe explains:
"England Under-19 defender Gomez has impressed during the warm-up games as a left back and it is expected he will keep his place for the visit to the Britannia Stadium. If so, it will be at the expense of Spaniard Alberto Moreno, whose defensive vulnerabilities were exposed during his club’s horror show against the same opponents last May. Moreno was replaced at half-time in the 6-1 defeat on the final day of last season - a result Liverpool are looking to avenge.
"
Whether the 18-year-old can impress on his Premier League debut and keep his place remains to be seen, but he's certainly looked strong in pre-season.
"If I do start then I’m confident in my ability and I’ll do my best to help the team," Gomez told the Liverpool Echo.
"I wouldn't have any issues (with playing him)," commented Rodgers. "You've seen from my time here that irrespective of the age of a player, it's about the quality and personality."
Back Four
Whether it is their strongest defence is open to much debate, but it appears Rodgers will enter 2015/16 with his back four consisting of Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren and Gomez.
What most observers and supporters would imagine being the Reds' strongest defence is Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho and Moreno. That's a back four that may emerge with time, depending how Lovren in particular performs in the opening fixtures.
In either instance, the defence would benefit from having a combative, dedicated holding midfielder in front of them—and that's something that may not happen if Rodgers goes for a midfield three of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Philippe Coutinho.
Emre Can may eventually be the player to provide some protection for the back four, especially the two centre-backs, with full-backs playing high up the pitch while in possession, but the German isn't match-fit for the start of the season.
Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen are other options for Rodgers in such a position, but adding one of those means removing one of Henderson, Milner or Coutinho, unless Coutinho is moved into the front three at the expense of another attacking player.
Can a centre-back pairing of Skrtel and Lovren, without a defensive midfielder in front of them, concede fewer than 40 goals across the season? That's the key question here, and the answer appears to be an unequivocal "No" based on the evidence available.
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