The root cause of this narrative is because between 2010/11 and 2016/17, Liverpool conceded a total of 317 goals, having conceded only 183 in Rafa Benitez’s 6 season reign. However, there was a clear improvement last season as the Reds conceded 38 goals and kept 17 clean sheets in the process. Only Manchester United and Manchester City kept more clean sheets with 19 and 18 respectively.
In the 4 games against Manchester City and Tottenham, Liverpool conceded 14 goals, this is clearly not good enough, however the freak 5-0 defeat to Manchester City was a by-product of the Sadio Mane sending off and the main contributor to the total. Additionally, Liverpool conceded 5 in their two away matches against Watford, and Leicester City, so 19 of the 38 conceded were in 6 games. These stats do not look good in isolation, however in the context of the season it allows us to acknowledge that in 32 games Liverpool only conceded 19 goals, which is extremely positive going forward for the defence.
It wouldn’t be right to talk about the defence without mentioning the signing of Virgil van Dijk in January, and the instant impact he had on the side. In the 16 Premier League games since van Dijk’s arrival, Liverpool have conceded 10 goals, and have not conceded a league goal at Anfield since the 4-1 victory over West Ham in February. Even prior to the West Ham game, Liverpool’s home defence had been improving, having only conceded 7 in 11, with 3 of those goals coming against Manchester City. The seeds of the defensive revolution at Liverpool had been laid before van Dijk had put on the Red shirt.
We must also look at the impact of Andy Robertson on the defence. Having only cemented his place in the side following Alberto Moreno’s injury against Spartak Moscow in December, he has made himself one of the first names on the team sheet.
The Scotsman had to bide his time to break into the first team and took advantage of the opportunity and hasn’t looked back since. His Champions League debut came in the 5-0 away win over Porto in February, and he stepped up to the task as though he was been playing at that level all his career. With Robertson in the side, Liverpool have conceded just 18 goals in 24 league games, and since van Dijk’s league debut, only 8 in 14.
After the disastrous performance by Loris Karius in the Champions League Final, Jurgen Klopp needed to react. He broke the world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper and signed Brazil number 1 Alisson from Roma. A clear sign of intent, and the desire to finally silence his critics that say he ignores the defence as he only believes in out scoring the opponent.
Alisson was able to show his class against Crystal Palace on Monday night after a great save from a Luka Milivojevic freekick. His distribution was impeccable, and his coolness when under pressure is a breath of fresh air for a team whose fans get agitated when a goalkeeper keeps the ball for longer than two seconds. Alisson could be the final piece to Liverpool’s defensive jigsaw.
The emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back, has boosted the supporters as a scouser is finally back in the side following the departure of Steven Gerrard in 2015. Alexander-Arnold has stepped up and was even called up to England for the World Cup. Of course, he made mistakes last season, mainly against Manchester United, which resulted in 2 goals for Marcus Rashford, but he has trained hard and put in one of the greatest defensive performances in recent years against Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League Quarter-final when he dominated his battle against PFA Young Player of the Year, Leroy Sane, and he was also up to the task in the second leg at the Etihad.
Having three top quality centre backs to play alongside van Dijk is also a major bonus for Jurgen Klopp. Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip will interchange throughout the season to fill the position next to Virgil van Dijk. The trio have had injury problems even since their respective arrivals at the club, and it is impossible for Klopp to rely on any of them to complete a full season. Dejan Lovren appears to be the player that was originally signed from Southampton in 2014 since the arrival of Virgil van Dijk.
If things had gone differently, Lovren could have be a Champions League, and World Cup winner in the space of two months, he is clearly one of the best defenders in the world, and his quality will be invaluable over the next season as Liverpool challenge for the title.
Joe Gomez has impressed in his two games at centre-back this season, he appears to be relishing the opportunity of playing alongside van Dijk, and he can learn a lot from him whilst doing so. However, Gomez has shown a persistent weakness over his Liverpool career when the ball is played over his head, he must improve this as it cost Liverpool 3 goals last season.
Ultimately, the media won’t stop their narrative because it is an easy story to sell to their audience. However, a simple look at the statistics and facts will show that the narrative must come to an end, especially after Virgil van Dijk’s colossus performance against Crystal Palace on Monday, when his clearance in stoppage time lead to Liverpool sealing a 2-0 victory. The media will continue until Liverpool win a trophy under Klopp, and to silence their critics, they must do this to show that they are the real deal, and not just the nearly men that they’ve been for almost a decade.
Goals Conceded
2004/05- 41 (7 clean sheets)
2005/06- 25 (22 clean sheets)
2006/07- 27 (20 clean sheets)
2007/08- 28 (18 clean sheets)
2008/09- 27 (20 clean sheets)
2009/10- 35 (17 clean sheets)
2010/11- 44 (14 clean sheets)
2011/12- 40 (12 clean sheets)
2012/13 – 43 (16 clean sheets)
2013/14- 50 (10 clean sheets)
2014/15- 48 (14 clean sheets)
2015/16- 50 (11 clean sheets)
2016/17- 42 (12 clean sheets)
2017/18- 38 (17 clean sheets)
Goals conceded under management of Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish, Brendan Rodgers, and Jurgen Klopp.
Article by Tom Johnson @TomJohnson05
