21 May 2012

Ex-Reds boss insists: 'Disappointing' LFC full-backs have failed. Agree?

I think most fans would agree that Liverpool's biggest problem this season has been scoring goals, and according to former Reds manager Roy Evans, the club's full-backs have not done enough over the last 10 months to help the team on that front.

Speaking to the Official Liverpool FC website last week, Evans - who recently labelled Luis Suarez's conversion rate as 'pretty average' - revealed his frustration over failure of the club's full-backs to chip in with goals and assists. He said:

"I've been disappointed with the full-backs. You can give me all the stats in the world about hitting the woodwork, but they haven't got forward quick enough, and when they've got into atacking positions, they haven't delivered a good enough final ball. They haven't made chances for other people, and they haven't scored goals".

I totally agree with Evans here, and as you can see from the league stats, he's absolutely right:

* Glen Johnson: 1 goal and no assists in 25 league appearances.

* Jose Enrique: No goals and 2 assists in 33 appearances (Last assist came against Everton in October 2011).

* Martin Kelly: No goals/assists in 12 appearances.

All three regularly get into good positions, but as Evans suggests, their final ball into the box has been atrocious all season. Additionally, when it comes to wasting possession, Enrique and Kelly give the ball away more than anyone else in the team apart from Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt.

Liverpool's strikers can legitimately be blamed for not scoring enough goals, but football is a team game, and the squad as a whole has failed miserably on the goals/assists front this season.

Hopefully, improving the finishing /crossing/set pieces/final ball of Liverpool's players will be one of the new manager's top priorities.

Jaimie Kanwar


52 comments:

  1. For all the £18m man's so-called attacking ability, I expected better, considerably better showings from him. Not just this season, throughout his time at the club.

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  2. Pretty sad we used to have goals spread over the team before but now the goals are expected to come from the strikers alone. A major sign of regression on our part as a club

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  3.  it comes down to those who are supposed to finish as well. shouldn't be relying on full back to score goals

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  4. What's the point of delivering the ball into the box when there are no LFC players inside it? Imagine the fullbacks sending the ball in but there are no strikers in sight...don't they get the blame also?

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  5. in the game Everton drew with Man Utd 4-4 I remember their right back whipping in two crosses for 2 goals think it was Hibbert.
    Also Baines gets loads of assists.
    Therefore is it the style of play that causes no assist from the fullbacks when other clubs have fullbacks coming down the line and crossing.Anyone got stats for the top fullbacks assists ie Cole, Baines and Walker to see how they compare.
    It doesnt help when your so called winger has no assists either.
    Years ago Liverpool had a fullback called Chris Lawler he would score at least 8 a season. Saw him in Tesco not long ago, still sprightly in his 70's one of Shankleys men.

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  6. I would suggest that the Liverpool team will look completely different to the side that finished this past season...no huge transfer spend as Fenway Sports will constrain the budget spends...end result...an ex Wigan manager with prob. 3 ex Wigan players for starters!!!!Don`t expect miracles in terms of a big name manager or players.Fenway`s plan will be a 5 year intial plan,with each season being a stepping stone for the following season.Just my thoughts,but EPL success will come eventually...at least a 2 season rebuild before we challenge top 4.  

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  7. Martin Kelly has scored 1 goal last season. An important one too. If we got no money, sell Johnson to real Madrid and promote Kelly to right back to raise funds for some midfielders. I.e an athletic strong central midfielder like kwado asamoah, Moussa sissoko for example. Spearing done well but is def a squad player. Don't rate Adam judging from last season. Too slow to react and gives away fouls on dangerous areas. Would love jordi alba from Valencia for left wing. Villarreal got relegated- get mussaccio in, especially of skrtel leaves.

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  8. Septimus_severus11:32 am, May 21, 2012

    The problem is not entirely the fullbacks.
    The issue is we don't have any decent central Mid fielders.
    Spearing no good enough,Shelvey improving but not the finished article.
    Adam not good enough,Henderson not good enough or not being played in the correct position.
    Lucas and Gerrard are the ONLY ones of any ability.

    Let look at the system Kenny tried to play with wingers.
    He wrongly in my view changed from a 4 2 3 1 to a 4 4 2, without having the players to do it.
    Downing, not good enough, Kuyt hard used,Maxi hardly used.
    Henderson played as winger.
    Bellamy being played as a winger when he's actually a striker.

    The problem was not the the fullbacks the problem like it or not was the system adopted by Kenny Dalglish and his stubborn refusal to change it when it wasn't working.

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  9.  I know it's off topic but what the hell is going on?! Everyone and there dog seems to be turning there nose up at our club, I haven't heard a thing about a new chief exec (?) or director of football (split into two new roles?). Who are meant to be appointed first so as not to undermine the new manager (what?!!). Now even AVB seems to be putting slight distance between himself and the club! Martinez seems to be the one who is really hungry to take up the challenge I say give him the chance, get him in ASAP so we can put plans in motion for the transfer window. If the so called big names at the club are underwhelmed with his appointment sell them! If anyone can shed light on what is meant to be happening, please do.

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  10. Selling Johnson who is one of our only two footed players and the best fullback at the club would be madness. Kelly is not as good and is never fit enough. Enrique is looking more and more a poor player all brawn and no brain. His crossing and shooting are woeful when compared to Insua's at Sporting Lisbon despite cost 13 times as much.

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  11. Rafa hasn't turned his nose up!

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  12. What about the returning Lucas?  Assuming his fitness returns over the Summer then he has to be assured of his place as the strong central midfielder role.

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  13. When every player of any team fails, it is because of a failure of the manager, not players!

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  14. Frank De Boer latest to turn it down.
    I looked up actually what this John Henry guy actually does and this is what it said he is a Commodity Broker by trade.
    John Henrys corporation   make mechanical, non-discretionary trading decisions in response to systematic determinations of reversals in each market's direction, with the explicit intention of precluding not only human emotion, but also any subjective evaluation of such things as the so-called fundamentals, to trigger each decision to be long or short each market, or not.
    Wow what does that mean. All I know is he knows sweet FA about the game of soccer and the club is becoming a laughing stock since the Legend KD got the sack.
    Maybe Bill Kenwright should buy us out

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  15. our full backs can get forward to good effect. it's their defending that is the problem.

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  16. It's been as plain as day as I said on here a long time ago, sell Jhonson you will get a good price, we have a better full back in Martin Kelly plus back up for Kelly with Flannagan - it's too ruddy simple for our lot.

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  17. We need Rafa! To tell each and every player how he expects them to play, where they should be and what they should be doing!

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  18. Might I also give an incredibly unconventional answer to our Owners seach for a Manager. If they asked Managers to apply We would not have the embarrassment of being turned down, we would get no negative press, We would get only people who wanted the job - its too ruddy simple for our lot - My advice on my beloved LFC would be 100% free for the asking.

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  19. so what will alll these other teams be doing when Liverpool are rebuilding at 2 per season standing still, the top 4 clubs are almost guaranteed now, Utd City Arsenal and usually Chelsea who fell by the way side by employing a crap manager AVB now linked to Liverpool

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  20. yes just like he did in his final season and at Inter Milan

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  21. Not just fullbacks whole team has been a failure this season. Apart from centre back pairing of Skrtel-Agger, i thought everybody had a poor season.

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  22. Sylvain Distin wont sign a new contract he got a superb assist for Suarez in the semi

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  23. Think this is a little bit harsh on our full backs. Enrique, Johnson and even Downing have put excellent crosses in this season only for our toothless strikers to somehow miss. One recently against Chelsea from Johnson when he put a great ball in for Carroll, which the striker then sliced into the kop with the goal at his mercy. If we had a clinical finisher in the squad I'm sure that Johnson, Enrique, Downing, Henderson and Adams stats would make much better reading. Whoever the new manager will be, his first priority must be a goalscorer.

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  24. I think it's a bit harsh to be pointing the finger at the full backs. Granted, they weren't great over the season but they're the least of our problems. I think it's pointless JK to put goal stats in for full backs the same way it is to mention tackling stats for strikers, it's not their job.

    Enrique as we all know started well but tailed off badly, while for me, Johnson has had a handful of good games since he's been at Anfield. As someone said above, the problem for us is that central midfield is very poor. Charlie Adam is not cut out for a team that's got top 4 aspirations, neither is Spearing. Lucas has improved a lot and is a key player for us and Gerrard can still influence the game when he wants.

    I think Pepe Reina needs to buck his ideas up as well. Every season he makes at least 5 or 6 howlers and yet never gets any criticism.

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  25. Although those Manager knock backs were totally avoidable, it might be well to mention that all those press stories about tom dick and harry turning the job down - They actually only turned the chance of an interview down LFC should make that clear but I'm not working for LFC but I would advise them for free.

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  26. Absolutely agree. Can't really see what everyone's problem is with Johnson. Kelly is good but so injury prone, whilst Flanaghan did well to start with but recently whenever I've seen him he's looked poor, culminating in that terrible performance at Blackburn. I know it's all doom and gloom at the minute but I honestly believe we're not that many players off challenging again. Get rid of Kuyt, Aerelio, Maxi, Cole and a few other fringe players. Bring in a striker, a right winger and maybe another midfielder and we won't be far off. Give Shelvey, Sterling and Robinson more game time and i'm positive the likes of Carroll, Downing and Henderson will all improve with a season under there belts. Finally, I think it's vital that we appoint the new manager soon, whoever it may be he has to be given time to assess the squad and a bit of money to spend.

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  27. Even Skrtel started to look dodgy when Agger wasn't playing (though in his defence, not his to strike up a CB partnership instantaneously)

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  28. I wrote to Kenny pre season saying 3 things regarding getting the best out of Andy Carroll two for Him to do himself and one for the team to do - He has hardly ever done the most obvious one "as soon as Suarez gets the ball get into a goal scoring position, i have actually seen Him go backward away from a goal scoring position, too simple ? number two dont stand pushing in the penalty all the time, run off the man, away from the goal if need be, too simple, it took nearly the whole season to do it, number three dont let defenders lamp get out ball skiers to Andy let Him take it on His chest, this only took two thirds of the season to happen regularly. ALL TRUE. does this sound concieted why ? it's all simple common sense. I believe it cost Kenny His job and thats an awful shame.

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  29. I would like to see stats on the other premiership full backs before making a judgement. What I can say is that your attitude as a "supporter" is very far from what i'm familiar with as most of your articles are rather critical with very little positive or "supportive" threads.
    Care to answer or is it preferable that I should not visit the site? Perhaps your just a WUM?

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  30. I think Kenny only received your letter in the last 2 thirds of the season. Answer your phone Instanbul, it could be FSG

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  31. Can you start a forum Jamie?, rafa for manager with instanbulwin backing him up for free. Imagine that?

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  32. we should have bought Aly Cissokho over Enrique, although I do think Enrique is a decent player.

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  33. how about John Barnes or Jan Wobbly Mobley as they have enough so say about stuff

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  34. would even have Seamus Coleman over him

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  35. WHY NOT MIKE,  Riise, Finnan, arbeloa, did

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  36. ANKIT.  No its Not

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  37. Well Said Septimus, You can come again. keep up the good work and we may extend your contract.

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  38. NO NO NO THEY DID NOT ZULU, and that's the whole point to to this debate' DERRR, WHAT was i saying earlier about being alert ?

    Did you not read the Headline article of Roy Evans and JK's comments at the top of this page Zulu, 

    Because if you did then we will be taking measurements from you for a special little jacket ( do you know area of Rainhill in Merseyside by any chance ).

    If However on the other hand it was a oversight and you had not read the Headline story and that this is your genuine opinion (and god help us if it is) then you are entitled like everyone else to it, but you must understand that you will come in for a lot of flack as it very clearly demonstrates a lack of Football knowledge  I'm sorry if this upsets you, but it's the truth.

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  39. Are you taking the piss

    We the fans, LFC, and virtually the whole world knows they only turned  an interview down and not the JOB, derrr, and you have the cheek to say LFC should make it clearer.........why so people like you with learning difficulties can understand

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  40. Right Istanbulwin, A special Jacket awaits you, what is your chest Measurement please

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  41. Billy, your going to have to have a word with that Istanbul fella I think he's stopped taking his medication

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  42. Christ you may be right, Ive just thought on, seriously, there is a vacancy at LFC for a Director of Communications, do you think Istanbulwin has the necessary experience, or even worse he may not be interested in an interview, and turn the JOB down.

    Do you think we should tap him up first Chist, you know just to save us any embarrassment and if so who shall we get to speak to him first, you, me, Billy, ? or do you think we should use the Agent who tapped Margy Clark up at Chelsea,

    Oh god ( sorry to use your dad's name in vain Christ) I've forgotten his name, I think he is a friend of Istanbullwin,...are yes it has come to me now..his name is Zulu,...or there is an American Agent called Chibuzo, now he is very very deceitful man who would suit this tapping up pallaver to a T.

    Come back to me Christ ASAP and can you say a few prayers ( as I know your good at it ) to help us pull this off, 20 Our fathers and 15 Hail Mary's should be enough shouldn't it ?.

    PS, can we also keep this under our hat for now Christ because  Istanbulwin was right all those manager Knock backs were totally unavoidable, mums the word on this.

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  43. Lets say it easy, Roy Evans should have said these things [which in fact are not correct as we had the 3rd best defence in the league] when KD was in charge and not when he is out, its these so-called legends that make stupid remarks about who to pick, who is to blame for KD's demise, stop listening to them for a change, they are as useless as ever.  None of them said anything when KD was messing up his tactics, because they were scared to say anything.  Now they are saying lots of things about the selection of the new manager, blimey everyone who played for LFC is now an expert.

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  44. Hendo improving? He never takes part in a game, never does much except model the LFC kit and there you go blaming Flanno, who was castigated by KD, for what?

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  45. He normally does not relate to the topics

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  46. I just love it, really love it

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  47. I think he wrote to Jimmy Saville not Kenny

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  48. yes he needs to be taking valium poor guy

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  49. So because I've got a different opinion to you I've got a lack of football knowledge. Wow, how ignorant are you. I write my comments on here as my opinion but im not so far up my own arse to think that my opinion is the only one that counts. The headline says LFC full backs have failed, agree? No I don't agree.

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  50. Oh yeah, Arbeloa and Finnan were prolific wasn't they.

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  51. still scored goals though, you still sore

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