18 Apr 2015

Aldo blasts: £12m Liverpool star's 'alarming' mistake is sabotaging Liverpool's season. Agree?

Is Alberto Moreno a good signing? The jury is still out on the Spanish full-back, who continues to polarise opinion amongst fans and pundits alike. In recent months, Moreno has cost Liverpool goals with his concentration/positional lapses, and Liverpool legend John Aldridge has urged Brendan Rodgers to focus on eradicating one particular (negative) aspect of the Spaniard's game.

In his column for the Liverpool Echo this week, Aldo described Moreno as a player with 'a lot to learn', and highlighted what he perceives to be an 'alarming habit'. He explained:

"I hope [Rodgers] is on to Moreno about allowing crosses to come into the penalty area. He defends with his hands behind his back in the penalty area.

"It puts him off balance, and he can't get close enough to stop the ball coming in. It cost us a goal against Arsenal, and we saw it against Newcastle"


This is an issue, but it's the least of Moreno's problems. At times, his positioning is poor, and although it's great to have attacking full-backs marauding forward, he's often caught out of position as a result, which leaves the Reds exposed at the back.

Moreno made costly mistake on his debut against Manchester City, and to date, his mistakes have cost Liverpool goals against (amongst others) Manchester United, Arsenal, and Newcastle.

Aldo has changed his tune somewhat over the course of the season. After the pre-Christmas Spurs game, he predicted:

"Moreno will be our best Left-back since the great Stevie Nicol"

At the time, I warned against getting carried away, and right now, Moreno isn't even the best left back since John Arne Riise, a player to whom he's often compared.

That said, for £12m, Moreno is (overall) a passable signing, and he'll hopefully improve next season.

For me, though, Jon Flanagan is better defensively at left-back (a position he played with minor distinction last season), and the sooner he's back to provide competition, the better.

Author:


9 comments:

  1. A good enough player, but not cut out to play wingback, He is a full back.

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  2. The author "warning against getting carried away" is a euphemism for that stereotypical Scouse "Calm down" :)

    Moreno has a lot to learn alright, bit it seems that our entire defence, and I'll venture our manager, seem a little unsure of all aspects of the wing back's roles and responsibilities.

    On another note...... Klopp for manager? BR has been great and I am a fan of his but Klopp is too good to pass up.

    John Giles thinks he would fit Liverpool perfectly, and Raphael Hogenstein thinks Liverpool are a potential good fit also.

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  3. the comment about the hand behind his back is a bit of non issue for me, what does he want him to do ? commit a handball ?


    he sure lack a bit of positionning awareness (doing a johnson and being nowhere to be found when the opposing team are on the counter) but his biggest problem seems to be his lack of aggressivity which has lead to crosses and quite often players getting a free runs in and get an easy shot on goal.


    Seems like the people who rate him are blinded by how offensive he is, and forget that as a fullback his primary role is to defend.

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  4. Moreno'sproblem is not his arms, it's not even his positional sense... It's his continual urge to turn his back on the ball when someone lines up a cross. It was this that cost the Bellerin goal, and cost goals/chances in other games... Sometimes, like against Bellerin, he turns his back beofre the ball has been struck.... Is he scared of getting hit by the ball...? I don't know... But this is his real issue.... But he's young, he has time on his side, if not the whining fans that love to pick holes in evey aspect of the club they claim to love... I'm neither an apologist, or a blind fan... I can see just like everyone.... But, footballers are human, and every single human is liable to errors....

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  5. Moreno isn't a defender. He's a winger. Johnson 2.0

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  6. Moreno looks to have all the tools to be a top player but like so many of our team, he's still a bit raw and has a bit to learn before bed the finished article

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  7. Not only his defensive errors, this days he doesn't seem to get forward enough. At the beginning of season he puts atleast 3-4 decent cross per game. Time to give flanno a shout

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  8. It's really true.


    Especially if BR persists on playing him as a wing back instead of a true full back.


    He's never going to develop into a better defender if he's not consistently playing a defensive position.


    I feel like he's caught in no man's land right now and it's stunting his growth as a player.

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