Tuesday, 23rd September, 2014



Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has presided over a defence which is worse this season than last season, that is the view of former Manchester United first team coach Phil Neville.

Rodgers' men put up a strong challenge for the Premier League title last term, but fell short, conceding 50 goals, more than any other side in the top five, as they finished second behind Manchester City.



The Reds have reshuffled their backline over the summer, bringing in Dejan Lovren from Southampton and full-backs Alberto Moreno and Javier Manquillo from Sevilla and Atletico Madrid respectively, while Daniel Agger has been offloaded.

But Neville feels Liverpool's defence is even worse this season than it was last term, with eight goals already conceded in five league games, the Reds having lost three of those clashes, the latest being a 3-1 defeat at West Ham.

 


"I think defensively Liverpool look worse this season than they did last season. It was probably the defence which cost them the league title in the end last season", Neville told BBC Radio 5 live.

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While Neville believes there is some credence to the view that Liverpool have added young players to their defence who need time to settle, he also feels opposing teams have worked out how to stop Steven Gerrard playing from his defensive midfield role.

"These young players need time to develop, but you also need, particularly when you go to West Ham, experience against them. They gave bad goals away.

"I think the problem that Liverpool have got at the moment, particularly with Steven Gerrard dropping into that back three, teams have worked that out.

"Against Aston Villa last week [Gabriel] Agbonlahor just sat on Gerrard all game, they didn't let Steven Gerrard dictate the pace of the game, and that's what he did last season, particularly from Christmas onwards. On Saturday, Stewart Downing did it for West Ham."

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