Liverpool FC -Full Back Positions An Achilles Heel For Brendan Rodgers

We take a look at one area where Liverpool FC have been struggling for quite some time now- The Full back positions.

Liverpool have always had talented full backs throughout their history with the likes of Chris Lawler, in the 60`s and 70`s, and Phil Neal, who played a pivotal role in their fourth European Cup win against Roma and was arguably the best full back to have worn the shirt. Alan Kennedy was one of those players who revolutionized the role of a full back with his attacking qualities and a goal scoring knack during difficult situations.Ai?? Steve Nicol was versatility personified (how Liverpool fans would wish he`d still be playing today), as he played in every position in the back line. Rob Jones was another defensive stalwart in the 90`s where Liverpool struggled, and more recently, the likes of Markus Babbel, Steve Finnan, Jon Arne Riise and Alvaro Arbeloa have done very well in the full back positions.

The importance of a modern day full back

The main objective of a fullback is to take up a position wide in their defensive line aiming to prevent opposition players from putting the ball into the penalty area as well as tracking the runs of players from wide positions.Ai?? As a secondary role, they are also required to support team attacks out wide; this can be in terms of overlapping the winger or actually providing the width for their team if they play a narrow formation.Ai?? In the olden days, the main job of the fullbacks in a team was to provide defensive stability whereas in the modern era, more and more teams have fullbacks who act as an outlet to their team’s attacks from wide positions.

Most of the teams nowadays (apart from ai???physical teamsai??i?? like Crystal Palace or Stoke City) instill that attacking belief into their full backs and expect them to bomb up and down the flanks to infiltrate the opposition’s defence. The role of a full back changes with respect to the formation and most importantly, the qualities of the full back. Manchester City is a strong example of this case as they can be constantly seen switching between Aleksander Kolarov and Gael Clichy on the left when they set up an attacking formation or defensive formation respectively. Therefore it is imperative for a modern day football side to have quality full backs who have offensive and defensive attributes, if they are to do well.

Left Back position: A constant worry for Liverpool

Ai??It is kind of ironic that, for a team which considered the left back position as a ai???problem-areaai??i?? because there were a variety of options in the Paisley era (Paisley was spoilt for choice with Joey Jones, Tommy Smith and Alan Hansen vying for the left back spot), is struggling now with no alternatives whatsoever. Sure, Jose Enrique has done well since he arrived from Tyne side but his absence has made Liverpool weak on the left hand side and lack the cutting edge on the attacking front. In fact, Liverpool hasnai??i??t had quality left backs ever since Riise left for Roma. Fabio Aurelio was pretty good at that position, but he spent most of his time on the treatment table. Emiliano Insua was thrust into the first team too soon; he eventually blew his confidence. The signings of Paul Konchesky and Andrea Dossena were a complete disaster. Jack Robinson burst into the scene with some impressive performances for the reserve team, but he too fell down the pecking order and is currently on loan in the championship. Ai??Jose Enrique has done well till now and his injury has left a huge void on the left hand side for the Reds.

Jose_Enrique — The Reds have struggled without Jose ‘El Toro’ Enrique

Aly Cissokho was signed as a cover for Enrique and he has been mediocre, to say the least. The games against Villa and Stoke severely exposed his vulnerability at left back. He is neither adept at defending nor can he take onAi??players, and he does not have the quality and intelligence to make runs up and down the flank. He prefers to stay deep and most of his passes are either square or to the central defenders.Ai?? Steven Gerrard playing as the only defensive midfielder in the first half against Villa and in the game against Stoke City only worsened the situation as Cissokho was not able to get back and defend when Liverpool lost possession of the ball. Cissokho is not the kind of full back Liverpool need at the moment and his limitations have meant that Liverpool are pretty narrow upfront and the likes of Gerrard, Henderson and Coutinho are finding it very tough to keep possession of the ball with the opposition closing them down all the time. This ultimately affects the strikers as they do not get proper service from midfield, which was exactly the case in the disappointing draw against Aston Villa.

Jon Flanagan was thrust into the left back role in the derby and the youngster hasnai??i??t looked back ever since that performance. For a player who has been playing on the right hand side his whole life, Flanagan came through unscathed and slipped in ai???like a gloveai??i?? in that position. Only a handful of right footed players are comfortable playing on the left and Flanagan has the potential to cement his position at left back if he continues to develop. The game against Tottenham was his best for the Reds so far and he ticked all the boxes for a left full back in the game. He showed good pace, bombed up and down the flanks and was not shy of making tackles. Flanagan will come back straight to the first team after recovering from his injury and with Brad Smith knocking on the doors of the first team, Flanagan will be keen to establish himself as a regular starter until Jose Enrique returns.

Glen Johnson: Has he taken his place for granted at right back?

Newcastle v Liverpool - Johnson's return big boost for Liverpool — Glen Johnson- out of sorts at the moment.

Glen Johnson, England`s ai???first choiceai??i?? right back has not been doing well in recent times and one would say he doesnai??i??t deserve to start for Liverpool, let alone for England. The former Chelsea man`s attitude has been lethargic, his passes have been over hit, his control has deserted him and his general game play is a shadow of his former self. Johnson probably needs some ai???hair-dryer treatmentai??i?? to get back to his best and Liverpool fans would love to see the ai???old Glen Johnsonai??i?? back, the player who lit up the premiership with his performances for Pompey. Ai??The lack of competition for places at right back mayAi??have affected Johnson`s attitude as well. Rodgers has been hesitant to give Martin Kelly a chance at right back and with Ilori going off to Granada on loan; Ryan McLaughlin is the best bet, at the moment, to give Johnson a run for his money at right back. The academy starlet has been very impressive this season and it is only a matter before he turns out for the first team. Liverpool generally performs well if Johnson is at his best and it isnai??i??t a surprise that Liverpool have struggled in recent times due to his poor form.

Rodgers has to address the problems at the full back areas if the Reds are serious about their top four credentials. An alarming statistic is that Liverpool has kept only two clean sheets in its last ten games and it is vital for them to shut out the opposition and win ugly when needed, as Suarez and co might have a bad day at the office.

Tags: Brendan Rodgers Liverpool FC

Liverpool FC – Full Back Positions An Achilles Heel For Brendan Rodgers

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