Liverpool's 2013-14 campaign was undoubtedly an incredible one. Their side, led by young manager Brendan Rodgers and pioneered by the ever-impressive Luis Suarez, exceeded everyone's expectations as they so narrowly missed out on a first Premier League title. But, for all it's triumphs and glories, it certainly had it's lows. As it has been made well-known since - it was a season plagued by defensive errors and individual mistakes at the back. Errors and mistakes that, unfortunately, led to their lack of silverware. So, the target in summer transfer window, with 2014-15 season in mind, was simple - strengthen the defence.
Regardless of the loss of Luis Suarez, which would certainly prove a huge loss in the final third, the defence had to be shored up if the club were to progress - because they could not afford to concede so many without Suarez' impact and his goals. The summer transfer window was a golden opportunity for the Reds' to build upon their successful league campaign, something they hadn't done under Rafael Benitez back in 2009. After the deadline closed on midnight of August 31st, that's exactly what Rodgers looked to have done, or so in theory. Daniel Agger made way after being unhappy with a lack of playing time, moving back to his childhood side IF Brondby in Denmark, whilst Dejan Lovren, who had an impressive season at Southampton, came into the side at the cost of £20 million. Whilst there was some unrest about Agger's departure because of his loyal service to the club, Lovren's arrival was generally well met after such a good season on the South Coast. Meanwhilst, on the flanks - Alberto Moreno and Javier Manquillo were recruited to upgrade the full-back positions and replace the lack of fluidity between attack and defence from the back last season and both were welcomed with open arms after the Reds persisted with an out-of-position Jon Flanagan and the frustrating Glen Johnson as their first-choice full-backs last season. In the end, it was only those three signings that the club brought in - but at the total cost of £32 million (and a loan) - the signings were seen by most, as ample enough to quell their defensive decline.
Yet, the club arrives into the half-way point of the 2014-15 season, having regressed, rather than progressed. Things have slowed down all over the pitch. Their midfield has lost it's functionality, and the attack has become almost clueless. The defence, most importantly, has shown little signs of improvement. In contrast to last season, without a clinical forward partnership to mask the errors at the back - defensive discrepancies have become even more glaring. Now, it's getting to the point where this season could fast become a write-off unless solutions are found.
After such an inconsistent start, there's certainly a vast number of question marks that rightly remain over the club's defence. Crucial quandaries exist over the defensive system, the central defensive partnership, the quality of the individuals themselves and whether the signings were right or not - and so on, and so forth. Regardless of all of these, the simple matter of fact is that the defence are as inconsistent and erratic as it was 12 months ago, and their back-four have been largely to blame for the disappointing results that have followed - even though there has been a larger combination of factors in the current campaign. Despite some impressive individual performances and some glimpses of a stronger back four on the odd occasion, the Reds have struggled to identify a consistent defensive line-up - with centre-back a position that Brendan Rodgers has had difficulty in finding a solid pairing for.
£20 million summer signing Dejan Lovren seems to be Rodgers' favourite choice, having started in the majority of the games but his form has meant he has been demoted to the bench in recent weeks. The Croatian was singled out for his supposed Jamie Carragher-esque leadership qualities, something which Liverpool have hugely lacked, but Lovren appears to be far from the man they spent huge money to bring in. The Croatian has shirked away from the chance to solve their problems, in fact making their defensive frailties even worse with basic error after basic error making him almost impossible to persist with. Such form has prompted doubts over the 25-year-old's credibility, and rightly so. Was his form at Southampton reflective off his talent? Or did he benefit from the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama patrolling ahead of the defence, just as Rodgers benefited from having two world-class strikers last season. In addition, central problems have not been helped by the likes of Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho continue to split opinion, both capable of their strong performances and their weak ones. In fact, the club's best defender this season is Kolo Toure, which speaks a lot for how well they invested in the summer. The experienced Ivorian has brought tranquility to the defence, but is hardly the figure to rely on given his age and the errors he committed last season.
The problem doesn't just stop centrally, in fact even the young Spanish full-backs have failed to bring much reliability to the flanks and the defensive dilemma is as widespread as ever. Despite full-back signings, the back-four on a whole is still plagued with issues.
Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno were meant to bring a balance on each side, being able to both attack and defend, but that simply hasn't happened. The two Spaniards have certainly contributed some solid performances, but neither have been stable enough to secure a starting spot. Moreno's tendency to get caught out of position high up the pitch has cost his side goals, as have a number of high-profile hash clearances, whilst 19-year-old Manquillo has been the opposite. He adds some more stability at the back, but has been so far inconsistent, doesn't seem to have the frame to play against some of the tougher sides and is rarely able to make much of an impact going forward - similarly to Jon Flanagan, the club's first-choice out-of-position left-back last season, who has spent this season so far on the sidelines. Instead, Glen Johnson miraculously manages to find himself starting despite continually poor performances, and even the increasingly unreliable Jose Enrique has found himself starting a few important games.
The problems are here, there and everywhere for Brendan Rodgers and his Liverpool side, but they start at the back. The Reds only looked to be moving towards consistency when that was addressed and a defensive system was adpoted, but the plan seemed to fall apart when Rodgers didn't know what to do with his side then full of flaws going forward.
Two and a half years after his arrival, the defence has very rarely ever looked stable. So, is it something that Rodgers can sort? Or is it actually something the manager has brought on himself with his poor decision-making and his seeming inability to build a solid defence?
In what was his 93rd Barclays Premier League in charge, Rodgers' Liverpool side conceded two goals to Arsenal - two poorly defended, easily avoidable goals at that. Those two came after they had conceded a further three goals at the hands of Manchester United the weekend prior, meaning their total tally of goals conceded in the league under his tenure to a staggering 117, or in other a damning 1.25 goals per game. That then, essentially means that in order to secure a win, Liverpool have to score two goals a game - something which just isn't happening anymore.
Furthermore, the 3-0 loss meant that under Rodgers' - they have two-or-more goals away from home more times than any other side in the league. It doesn't end there either. In a total of 142 games in all competitions under Rodgers, they have conceded 171 goals. A whopping 55 of those 142 games, they have conceded two or more goals. That's 39% of games where Liverpool have conceded more than two a game. Whereas last season, it didn't necessarily matter because his side had the forward firepower to counter-act their dismal defence, it is now becoming the very problem that is nailing the final nails in Rodgers' Anfield coffin.
Just seven months ago, the Northern Irishman almost led them to their first Premier League title - and now he is increasingly more likely to become the next manager in the league to be sacked. How the tables turn, and the stats suggest that it is an inherent problem that Rodgers has never truly worked out how to fix, throughout his managerial career.
Despite the 41-year-old's pleadings that Liverpool's defensive woes are not a systematic issue, poor defending under Rodgers seems to stretch back to when he was at the helm at Watford. Under Rodgers, the Hornets played 32 games, conceding 48 goals in the process. In 15 (47%) of those games his team conceded two or more goals. Therefore in almost half of his games that season, Rodgers' side conceded at least two goals. He still managed a relatively successful time at Watford for his first job, given that he avoided relegation after a dramatic upturn in fortunes towards the second-half of the season - but that was a sign of things to come.
Afterwards, he made the move to Reading - where he enjoyed significantly less "success", eventually leaving by mutual consent. In charge of the Royals for just 23 games, the club conceded 36 goals in the same space of time. 40% of these goals came in games where they conceded at least twice or more. A slight improvement when compared to his previous job, but still a huge figure considering one in every three games, Reading fans would have to look their goalkeeper pick the ball out of the net two, three or maybe even four or more times.
Just six months after joining the Royals, he left - but he somehow managed to secure the job at Swansea City in 2010. South Wales would be where the Northern Irishman came to make his name, enjoying plenty of memories with the Swans. But, it's difficult not to suggest that he was aided by the foundations laid by Roberto Martinez and Paulo Sousa before him. Rodgers took substantial credit for the wonderful style-of-play that saw the Welsh side establish themselves as a strong mid-table Premier League side, but he was certainly helped by his predecessors, who had already began to imprint such styles upon the players that Rodgers inherited. Nevertheless, the wonderful style-of-play saw them promoted. With Ashley Williams pivotal in the heart of defence, Rodgers' Swansea conceded 42 goals in 46 games in the Championship. In 13 (28%) of these games, they conceded twice or more. This figure is clearly less than in previous years and could suggest that despite playing out from the back, conceding 1.34 goals per game, Rodgers' defence was of a solid standard, especially considering champions Queens Park Rangers were the only team to boast a lower figure in the top six come the end of May.
But after showing so much promise, the defence regressed once they were promoted to the Premier League - a season that proved to be his final one at the Liberty Stadium. In 2011-12, Swansea conceded 51 goals in 38 games played. Again, in 15 (40%) of these games they conceded two or more goals. On a whole, his time in charge of Swansea - he oversaw 96 games in which 118 goals conceded - an average record 1.22 goals per game. That's not the worst record in the world, but the occasions on which they conceded more than one goal were all too often.
It is only since making the move to Liverpool in the summer of 2012, that the defensive issues of a side under Rodgers have been exposed to the masses, due to the sheer scale of the club - but it seems to be a problem that Rodgers is struggling to come to grips with. In his first season on Merseyside, which was rightly ruled a season of transition, his side conceded 68 goals in 58 games in all competitions. As has by now become a running theme, in 24 of these games (40%) they conceded two or more goals. The scarcely believable campaign of 2013-14, where the Reds finished inches from a title, was no different. 50 games played, 57 goals conceded. In 18 of the 50 games in all competitions (36%), two goals or more hit the back of the Reds' net. The current season 2014-15, is not exempt. So far, Rodgers' side have played 34 games, in which they conceded 46 goals in total. In 13 of these games (38%), two or more goals have been conceded.
On average then, barring the season that the Ulsterman earned promotion with Swansea, a side managed by Brendan Rodgers can expect to concede two or more goals in at least 40% of their games. At the current rate, having conceded 43 goals and then 50 goals across an entire season, his side are currently on course to concede 50 and achieve a negative goal difference. If that trend continues throughout the season, it would leave them with just 50 points come the end of the season - a figure lower than any of the Reds' final season points totals in the last 12 seasons. Kenny Dalglish's 2011-12 side could only manage 52, prompting the Liverpool legend's sacking by Fenway Sports Group whilst points totals that were lower than 63 have seen managers sacked on three of five occasions - Roy Hodgson (2010-11), Rafael Benitez (2009-10) and Gerard Houllier (2003-04). Only Brendan Rodgers (61 points - 2012-13) and Rafael Benitez (58 points - 2004-05) avoided the chop, and for obvious reasons - it was the Ulsterman's first season in charge in 2012-13 and Benitez led the Reds to a fifth European Cup the same year that he managed such a poor points total. After 16 games into the season, all the managers that were eventually sacked sat on 22 points - one more than Rodgers currently has at the minute, with just 21 in what is their worst points total 16 games into a season since 1964-65. It doesn't really bode well, despite the claims that FSG still support the manager. After breaking so many records in all the right ways last season, this time he seems set on breaking all the wrong ones.
As it stands, Liverpool have let in 22 goals in 16 games - 1.37 goals per game - and since claiming "coaching defending is easy" on the 27th of April 2014, his side have conceded in 38 goals in 27 games (1.40 per game) in all competitions, keeping only four clean sheets - two of which were in 0-0 draws. That brings to the fore another criticial issue that is leading to his seemingly inevitable demise, Rodgers' comments seem to be increasingly out of touch.
It is increasingly noticable on the road, and it has been so under all of Rodgers' sides. With three wins and seven defeats in 11 matches away from home in 2014-15, their form away from Anfield has been mediocre at best. 46 away league games in total have brought just 10 clean sheets in return, a pretty damning stat given his side's desire to reach the Champions League. In just nine of those 46 games, they have conceded only one goal and in 27 they have conceded two or more. 27 of 43 games. That's 62% of their away games under Rodgers. In contrast, so called "smaller clubs" such as Sunderland, Aston Villa, West Brom and Newcastle United - all of whom have largely been in mid-table or lower since Rodgers came to Liverpool - have only conceded two or more in 24 or 22 games. Only Newcastle have kept less clean sheets on the road since August 2012 - with eight, but Alan Pardew's side's goal difference was -67 goals worse than the Reds last season.
With the numbers crunched and the stats analysed, it only serves more to demonstrate the point that Rodgers has little defensive nous. He never has and as it stands currently, he may never have any. Despite being a student of Jose Mourinho, who can perfectly set his side up to defend or attack and frustrated the Reds by employing the approach of the former at Anfield last season, Rodgers has and always will be a forward-thinking coach. Whilst that certainly has it's merits, it is something that could prove to cost him at Liverpool.
Things look to be improving having adopted the 5-3-2 formation, something which sees Liverpool more fluent and natural in possession and going forward, but the basic defensive errors are still there. Martin Skrtel failing to beat Mathieu Debuchy to a header inside his own box, failing to even jump, said it all - just as the failures of the Slovakian and Brad Jones to prevent Olivier Giroud scoring Arsenal's next goal in the second-half. It seems for all intents and purposes that Liverpool will never really see any defensive improvement, particularly if Rodgers decides to persist with the likes of Lovren, Johnson and even Steven Gerrard in the defensive midfield role, all of whom create their own problems.
But then, if it is the individuals to blame - Rodgers must then also be to blame for picking those at fault. Unfortunately for the Northern Irishman it's a vicious circle, and one he will struggle to get himself out of. The cure, can only be to reignite the exhilarating attacking displays of the unforgettable 2013-14 campaign, and in that - help relieve some of the pressure on him, but as it becomes more and more difficult to consistently gain positive results, the pressure grows.
Week-by-week, Liverpool seem to display even more humiliating defensive displays - whether they are truly down to Rodgers' coaching himself, or the merits of the individuals he decides to use are difficult to decipher, but there is one thing that's quite easy to see. If issues aren't sorted soon, the post-mortem examination into what went wrong for the Northern Irishman after his tenure comes to an end isn't going to be too difficult to conduct.