Has Brendan Rodgers got it wrong?

So, the transfer gossip according to The Mirror is that Brendan Rodgers is looking to Mohamed Salah and Will Hughes to get Liverpool's Champions League push back on track. Following discussions with the clubs owners, this is the apparent strategy they feel will take the team forward. But is he not simply looking at the wrong end of the team? Or is it that his defensive reinforcements have just not been good enough?  

Salah and Hughes are good players. The former, may well improve the squad in terms of firepower, but as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Only Manchester City have scored more than Liverpool so far this season and the next best two are Chelsea and Arsenal who are both ten behind with 43 each. However, conversely, Liverpool have conceded the most goals of all the current 'top six' after two more against Aston Villa on Saturday. 

One has to ask the question: Surely it's the defence that needs strengthening if anything? The Liverpool squad is probably the weakest of those in the leading pack. The attack, perhaps could be strengthened but surely the priority has to be the defence which has been absolutely poos beyond doubt this season. If it hadn't been for Suarez earning a (somewhat dubious to say the least) penalty on Saturday, Rodgers' men would be in fifth position with that sinking feeling. 

I'm sure some will be saying "Well we have competition in defence now..." With the summer signings Kolo Tourè,  Mamadou Sakho and Aly Cissokho. My response to that would be that only Tourè out of the three has really been much use. I'd even go so far as to say the other two have been below what is expected from a team looking to win or challenge for the Premiership. 

All told, the simple fact is that Rodgers has added to the defence in the summer, and those he bought haven't done themselves justice. It's about time young Martim Kelly and Jon Flanagan were given a good run in the side to show what they can do. The youngsters have proved they can cope and I think their development would be best served by getting more first team experience. 

On the current showing, Liverpool will do well to make the Europa League. Everton and Tottenham seem to have the wind in their sails right now and it's time the defence either shape up or ship out. 

Follow me on Twitter @Mrbengreen

Nothing will do for me...

LFC needs a bit of bite in defence!

I was sitting in the airport last night and thinking about a chat I had earlier in the day with my colleague, a fellow Liverpool supporter. "I'm hoping for a good win against the Villans this weekend, mate...!" I said with the confidence of a man who's team is in the hunt at the top of the league. "Well..." He replies with caution, "There are no easy games these days my friend, and everybody can beat everybody...".

Now as cliche'd as that may sound, the lad has a point and it got me thinking. Aston Villa have only won one of their last five matches, and they've shipped six goals in that time scoring only three. Liverpool on the other hand have scored 11 in as many matches. However, it's at the other end wherein lies the problem. Liverpool have actually shipped seven goals during that time. 

My colleague went on... "Mignolet's having a mare at the moment too". But, this is something I don't entirely agree with. The Red's defensive back four have been, frankly hopeless this season in my opinion. The column marked 'A' in the table shows Brendan Rodger's men have conceded more goals than any other team in the top ten, with the exception of Hull which, with all due respect, is nothing whatsoever to be happy about. 

Thus for me, it's not actually just down to Mignolet. More is the case that his defence is terribly wobbly and offers him and the goal very little protection if any at all on occasion. I can't pin it down to any particular player either. All of them have been poor this season. Martin Skrtel seems to want to change shirts with the opposition at every set piece - regardless of which end of the pitch - and Mamadou Sakho, although accurate in his passing, has about much positional sense as the spinning kid in a game of Blind Man's Bluff. Not to mention Daniel Agger's infatuation with the treatment table.

Rodgers is due to meet the club's owner John W. Henry and Chairman Tom Werner this weekend and despite all the talk of signing Pedro Rodriguez and Mohamed Salah et al, the acquisition of one or two solid defenders has to be penciled into the agenda as the main topic. At the moment, Liverpool cannot be considered serious title contenders until the leaky defence is shored up. This is without question. An integral part of any successful team is a watertight defence and LFC does not have that at this time. 

So as the title of this says, nothing will do for me. Nothing as in come this evening, I want to see a big fat zero for the away team's goal count. It's about time we saw the defence stand up, be counted and become an equal unit to the midfield and attack in terms of reliability and being more clinical. Nothing more, nothing less. And on the subject of nothing, nothing but a win will suffice.

Follow me on Twitter @Mrbengreen