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Brendan Rodgers has hailed the training ground work of Liverpool FC to improve their defence which has seen the club keep three clean sheet in their opening three games as they prepare to host West Ham four days after they drew 0-0 with Arsenal FC.
Liverpool FC turned in a disciplined defensive display to hold off a rampaging Arsenal FC on Monday night. The 0-0 draw at the Emirates was their third clean sheet after leaking goals left, right, and centre over the last two seasons.
Rodgers hails defensive work on training ground
Hailing the training ground work that has gone in to improve the defence, Rodgers was quoted saying by Liverpoolfc.com in pre-match press conference:
“We’ve put in extra work and extra focus on [defending], we’re doing extra sessions in every aspect of our defending.”
“Both in terms of in the game from static positions, moving positions, and our set-pieces as well.”
“We’re putting in an awful lot of work into that organisation. I think it’s one of the things I picked up on last season, we brought in a lot of new players into a system [and] we felt they were coming in with a profile [and] could maybe settle into it quickly.”
“But the learning aspect from that was that we needed to do more on [the defensive] front this season and that’s something we’ve done.”
“The coaches have been outstanding in their support of that and the players are just making sure they’re clear in terms of their role and responsibility, first and foremost without the ball, and then with the ball.”
Defensive organization has not compromised attack: Rodgers
Rejecting claims that the defensive solidity has comprised attack, Rodgers was quoted saying by Liverpool official website:
“If you look at how I’ve always worked over the course of my career, the defensive element, the pressing organisation, is critical to that,” he added.
“People will always associate with the football and the fluency and the flow, but that doesn’t come unless you have possession of the ball, and the possession of the ball comes from getting the ball back.”
“There are certain games, tactically, where you’ll set up slightly differently, like we did at Arsenal.”
“The plan was to attack and dominate the space in the game and I think we did that fairly well.”
“It doesn’t compromise [the attacking play] at all, I’m happy with the evolution of the team this early but with more to come from it. It bodes well for this season.”
Liverpool will be hoping that the new found defensive solidity continues against West Ham, but, with more fluidity in attack complimenting it.