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Can he fix it?

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leftpeg

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I'd like to see Can given a go alongside Skrtel. He's played there before, he's strong, good in the air and comfortable on the ball. What do we have to lose? Can he really be a worse option right now than either Lovren or Sakho?
 
Was about to give the same answer Ryan gave, but we might have differing opinions as to why.
Can shouldn't play as a CB because from what I've seen he isn't that good positionally and tactically.
Don't get me wrong, he's a dynamic work horse, but it'll basically be like playing Henderson in defence.
It wouldn't solve anything.
IMO Rodgers can start rectifying his mistakes by playing Lucas. He might not be the difference between winning and losing but we look a hell of a lot more organised in midfield when he's playing.
Even Rafa who preferred Josemi and for no reason put Finnan on the bench, noticed his mistake early on.
Feels like Rodgers is forcing it. I imagine him sitting at his desk looking at the formation and the players and telling himself "this shit should work on paper, why isn't it?"
 
I think the fact that we haven't had a stable looking cb (Skrtel has been the best of a bad lot) in the last 18 months, shows the problem is far greater than the players choosen.

Playing a DM isn't going to change that.

I'd play Kolo if you are going to make a change.
 
Every single thread, "Lucas is the key to Liverpool's ability to be make us a better defensive unit" ... We get it - he's a world class DM ...

I thought Rafa only switched to Finnan b/c of injury?
 
The Henderson comparison is ridiculous. He's never played centre half, Can did for Leverkuson and has at Under 21s international level. It didn't work out too badly when Carragher was switched to centre half.
 
The Henderson comparison is ridiculous. He's never played centre half, Can did for Leverkuson and has at Under 21s international level. It didn't work out too badly when Carragher was switched to centre half.

Please don't bring Carra into a discussion with Modo ...
 


Do you think Rodgers would feel able to make such a call? I don't. It'd basically be admitting that 3 CBs and 50M quid later, he'd rather play a 20 year old kid that isn't a CB by trade.

It'd put massive pressure on him and the club as a whole, damage the confidence of Lovren and Sakho even further and potentially fuck up Can's confidence too if it doesn't go well (which given the state of the team right now is the most likely outcome)... I don't see any upsides to this at all.
 
The Henderson comparison is ridiculous. He's never played centre half, Can did for Leverkuson and has at Under 21s international level. It didn't work out too badly when Carragher was switched to centre half.

I thought Carra always was a defender but got played in midfield because of competition or something.
Anyway, all I know is that Can is where he is because of his performances in midfield.
 
I thought Carra always was a defender but got played in midfield because of competition or something.
Anyway, all I know is that Can is where he is because of his performances in midfield.

I think he started at midfield but could play anywhere ... Basically was played everywhere until RAFA found his best position and he and Sami became a wonderful partnership.
 
No amount of self-confidence will turn Sakho into a quality defender...he's an accident waiting to happen in every game.

With the quality of our central defending in the last 18 months I really don't see what we have to lose. We've 'risked' playing Sterling in different roles despite his tender years so why not do the same with Can?
 
Can should get a run as the defensive midfield player in a 3 man midfield, Chelseas midfield will over run us on the basis of the shite we turned out on Saturday. Lovren needs to be dropped, when is Sahko fit again?
 
I really don't see what we have to lose. We've 'risked' playing Sterling in different roles despite his tender years so why not do the same with Can?


Really? I thought I illustrated the downsides reasonably well. I guess not!

It's a massive risk for a small return in the short-term. Rodgers can't be seen to be giving up on Lovren a mere couple months into his Liverpool career, which is what dropping him in favour of someone like Can will pretty much be signalling. Can is a long-term midfield prospect and we should treat him as such. Lovren represents a 20M investment and we should treat him as such, even if it does mean more short-term pain.

I don't like the way we've handled Sterling this season but that's a topic for another thread. Regardless, I don't think it's comparable. We're not really alienating anyone when playing Sterling in different positions, it doesn't really raise too many eyebrows and he's already proven himself to a large degree so hopefully his confidence isn't going to take too much of a battering.
 
I accept your arguments Keni but i think there's a reasonable chance Can will make a better centre half than Lovren so I think it's an option worth looking at. I know it's not why we bought Can but we can't go on shipping goals as we are...something fairly radical has to change.
 
No amount of self-confidence will turn Sakho into a quality defender...he's an accident waiting to happen in every game.

I simply don't agree with this at all. HIs performances for France, in the WC too of all places, have shown us that this guy has what it takes. He has shown signs at Liverpool too.
Some on here don't like him because he isn't the most elegant of players, but he is effective as his passing stats demonstrate. He is also young for a top CB but with coaching and confidence in him he could be very good for us. Rodgers seems torn, he can't make his mind up but has to give Lovren a berth now because he was one of his top Summer targets. It will be interesting, when Sakho gets back to full fitness, to see if Rodgers continues to keep him on the bench or rests Lovren / Skrtel instead.
 
I accept your arguments Keni but i think there's a reasonable chance Can will make a better centre half than Lovren so I think it's an option worth looking at. I know it's not why we bought Can but we can't go on shipping goals as we are...something fairly radical has to change.

This is never going to happen for the reasons Keni gave. I doubt BR will even have dreamt of this as an option never mind given it any reasonable thought !
 
Sounds like Biscan all over again - that didn't do us any good and ruined a players career.

I don't think Lucas is the answer in general and certainly not against Madrid but I think he'd do well against Chelsea.
 
Sounds like Biscan all over again - that didn't do us any good and ruined a players career.

I don't think Lucas is the answer in general and certainly not against Madrid but I think he'd do well against Chelsea.
Biscan's career was ruined because he wasn't very good. He hadn't played centre half before where Can has...in the Bundesliga. Apart from that, yes it's exactly like Biscan.
 
This is never going to happen for the reasons Keni gave. I doubt BR will even have dreamt of this as an option never mind given it any reasonable thought !
Rodgers on Can:

"He is a multi-functional player that can play in any of those three midfield positions. And he played at centre-half at Bayer Leverkusen and played in the Champions League at left-back, so he's a footballer who will do very well for us."
 
Can's naivety and lack of experience is evident in midfield, I dread to think how evident it would be at centre back. He's too young and inexperienced, and he wouldn't suit a premier league centre back in my opinion.
 
Guys I'm not saying this is a preferred option of the reason we bought Can. I'm just saying our first choice CB pairing is being horribly exposed in every game so we either carry on with that or try something different. What are the alternatives . Sakho? Three CBs?
 
The biggest problem is the person behind and the person in front of our centre backs in my opinion.
 
Do you think Rodgers would feel able to make such a call? I don't. It'd basically be admitting that 3 CBs and 50M quid later, he'd rather play a 20 year old kid that isn't a CB by trade.

It'd put massive pressure on him and the club as a whole, damage the confidence of Lovren and Sakho even further and potentially fuck up Can's confidence too if it doesn't go well (which given the state of the team right now is the most likely outcome)... I don't see any upsides to this at all.

It also falls in line with Brendan's bogus assessment of the situation up to this point - that the problem lies with individuals. The problem is systemic, and no amount of chopping and changing the back line is going to improve it at this point. If anything, he needs to show more faith in his defenders and play the same four for a while. It's weird - Rodgers is forever protecting his lacklustre attacking players, but seems to think his defenders should have unshakable confidence and immunity to criticism. Rodgers basically loves attacking and hates defending and that seems to bear out in his management style and the treatment of his players.

Put Manquillo, Skrtel, Lovren, and Moreno there and play them for 10 games straight, irrespective of individual errors.
 
Yes, I think at least for the short term he really needs to concentrate on stability in terms of personnel as well as tactics for the defence. Choose a unit, train them with Mignolet obsessively until they all really understand each other and then build on that.
 
After Lovren's horror show on Saturday you simply have to push him back out there and tell him to put things right. He's come to Anfield as a supposed commanding top-class centre back and he needs to show some backbone.

If he's not up to it, then we'll find out and move on. If he makes of this difficult spell some valuable learning/experience and comes through it over the coming weeks it'll be the foundation of a solid Anfield career.

This is a real opportunity for him to prove (to himself maybe) what he's made of.
 
Emre Can has played 209 minutes of football for us so far yet is the answer to replacing Gerrard and also now the solution to the defence. No pressure then.
 
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