The defence remains the biggest hurdle to Liverpool’s title fortunes.
Picture Supplied by Action Images – Jurgen Klopp
In a attacking sense Liverpool are a well oiled machine with plenty of options in the starting 11 and more waiting in reserve.
The defence is a somewhat different proposition as they are yet to keep a clean sheet in the league this season and have conceded the most goals of any of the top 10 clubs. A strong defence is the cornerstone of a title-winning side and it clearly remains a work in progress at the Reds.
It’s time to cast a analytical eye on their performance so far this season.
Goalkeepers: Simon Mignolet / Loris Karius
Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet in action with Leicester City’s Robert Huth
This position has been a weakness for the club since Pepe Reina departed. The difference between Simon Mignolet’s good and bad performances are vast. He is a very good shot stopper, but remains very poor when it comes to dealing with crosses and his inability to command his area causes a sense of edginess to spread through the rest of the defence. He was dropped for the clash against Hull with summer signing Loris Karius making his League debut.
While he was untested in that game, it is fair to say the performance of Karius against Swansea was not convincing especially in the first 30 minutes where he was hesitant to come off his line on a number of occasions. However, it seems that the German has won the trust of manager Jurgen Klopp for the time being, but he needs to make this position his own as you can’t keep swapping around goalkeepers every couple of games and expect to be a successful side.
Grade: 5/10
Right-Back – Nathaniel Clyne
Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne in action
The most stable position in the defence. Clyne has been a very impressive performer since his move from Southampton in the Summer of 2015. While he doesn’t mind going forward, Clyne is very tactically aware and rarely caught out of position. He is also yet to pick up a booking this season which further highlights his defensive discipline.
Grade 8/10
Central Defence – Joel Matip / Dejan Lovren / Lucas Leiva / Ragnar Klavan
Leicester City’s Ahmed Musa in action with Liverpool’s Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson
The central defence for Liverpool has been somewhat unsettled this season due to the preseason injury of Matip, Lovren being in and out of the side through injury and illness and Mamadou Sahko being virtually blacklisted by Klopp.
Klavan came to the club as a virtual unknown, but has done his job when called upon, most noticeably against Arsenal. Leiva is a emergency option and should not be any more than that, with his uncertainty in the position highlighted by a terrible mistake against Leicester. Lovren has certainly improved since his first season at the club, but is not the finished article and is still prone to the odd howler.
Matip is the clear standout of the quartet and has class and composure written all over him, whether it be his defensive positioning or with the ball at his feet. Matip’s performance against Diego Costa was one of the best Individual games by a Liverpool defender in the past few years due to his ability to contain and control the Spaniard and it may be a early call, but he has the makings of Sami Hyppia Mk 2.
Grade 7/10
Left Back – Alberto Moreno / James Milner
Liverpool’s James Milner clears
Along with the goalkeeping position, left-back has the most question marks hanging over it. Alberto Moreno started in the position this season, but a horrendous showing against Arsenal saw him drop to the bench and the versatile James Milner has filled the role since. While not being his preferred position, the ever professional Milner has done a admirable job as a stopgap. However, it is likely to be seen as a position of weakness by the opposition and therefore will be reassessed by Klopp on a continued basis.
Grade 6/10
So as you can see there is plenty of improvement to be done with the defensive set-up, but the good thing is there is enough time to fix any flaws, and Jurgen Klopp has shown that he is not afraid to make the tough decisions on underperforming players.
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