Liverpool FC – The case for the defence

Daniel Agger (L) and Glen Johnson in training (Getty Images)

Even though our season will most likely be no more than 44 games long that strength in depth is vital. Players will go in and out of form and as we have seen, players pick up injuries and usually it’s not just one at a time. Personally, I am not one for changing central defensive pairings unless it’s down to an injury or a dramatic loss of form, so Sakho could find his first team opportunities limited for a while, unless Rodgers plays him alongside Daniel Agger.

I’m not a fan of two left-footed defenders playing together, but there are instances when it has worked and given time then perhaps that will be Rodgers’ first choice pairing.

There is another way to fit them both in – we could move to a 3-5-2 formation once everyone is fit and the magician Luis Suarez returns. A back three of Toure, Agger and Sakho with Cissokho and Johnson as wing-backs certainly would give us good balance both in defence and attack. We could also consider playing Jordan Henderson as a right wing-back rather than Johnson, that would give us the option of being flexible with the tactics during the game and moving to a flat back-four and leaving Henderson to supplement the midfield area.

Rodgers likes the formation, he played it while at Swansea on numerous occasions and playing out from the back is certainly easier with a back-three.

Only time will tell of course. What these signings have also done is guarantee Liverpool’s back-four is in good hands for at least the next 5-7 years, dependent on form. Sakho is 23, Ilori is 20, Kelly and Wisdom are 23 and 20 respectively. If they all carry on developing as they have so far then Liverpool fans have lots of clean sheets to look forward to in the future.

I do have some cause for concern though, and that is the way we seem to either keep clean sheets or let in at least 2 goals a game.

We have done that already twice this season, at home to Notts County in the League Cup and away at Swansea. You may say I am nit-picking, but if you look at the games we conceded in last season you will see the trend continuing. In 15 of the games we conceded in last season the opposition scored twice or more.

That sort of statistic is worrying, it puts added pressure on the forward players, it also shows that conceding can cause chaos within the team and that defending becomes difficult for the team in general.

We can improve on that of course, we have a better goalkeeper and the team has been drilled very well in pre-season. We don’t look as flimsy when defending crosses and set pieces. We are dropping deeper when we are in front in games, so we are not so wide open on the counter-attack. That could change if we find ourselves chasing a match, only time will tell.

Right now though Rodgers and his new defence can take great confidence from the start we have had and all Liverpool fans should be counting on more clean sheets as the season unfolds.