Boss on defence, Dejan and Emre's position
Brendan Rodgers is keen to keep a settled defence after Liverpool chalked up a deserved clean sheet to help start the season with a victory at Stoke City.
The Reds were effective in shutting out the confident Potters at the Britannia Stadium en route to a 1-0 result courtesy of a Philippe Coutinho winner.
With summer signings Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez flanking Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel in a back four, Rodgers’ side were resolute.
And the manager wants to see those standards maintained so that the defensive foundations are laid for his team to then flourish at the other end.
He said: “Having players that are going to be able to play consistently for you is key in any team, and especially in a back five. That’s vital.
“I thought the back four and goalkeeper were excellent last week at Stoke with their organisation as a group and a unit.
“Nathaniel Clyne coming in is a top defender and very rarely gets beaten, is super quick and his covering position for a young player is outstanding.
“There was one moment where the ball is on the far side and he’s got a player outside him but he recognises and smells danger quickly, jumps inside and makes the header away. For a lot of teams, that’s a goal against you.
“We’ve got players that want to defend first and foremost, which is key in keeping clean sheets. Then from that they have the platform to play. That back four last week, I thought, were exceptional.”
On Lovren’s display specifically, Rodgers added: “He was very, very good last week. I think it’s confidence.
“I felt and I think I said it last year that in his second season he will be a better player here. It’s such a huge move to come to a club like this and it’s only when they’re in that they realise and recognise the expectations that are here.
“It was about trying to find that balance early on in pre-season. We have got excellent players here in [Mamadou] Sakho and Kolo [Toure], the central defenders, but centre-halves will tell you it’s about finding that comfort with a partner and that partnership. I thought the two centre-halves were very good last week.
“Dejan is aggressive, he’s good in the air, his reading of the game was good and his passing was simple but effective. I think he’s gained confidence over the pre-season and hopefully that will be maintained.”
When the Northern Irishman switched to a back three last season, the versatile Emre Can was regularly fielded in defence.
The German’s class allowed for a comfortable transition and the signing from Bayer Leverkusen made promising strides in his debut year.
For this campaign, though, Rodgers expects Can to be used in a more traditional midfield role – the position he expressed as his preference upon joining the club.
“He can play and operate in any one of the three positions [in a midfield three],” the boss assessed.
“When I met Emre, and having seen him play in a whole raft of positions, his great attribute is that he’s a footballer and understands the game. Whatever role he’s asked to play, he has this in-built brain for football that allows him to adjust and adapt.
“When I met him, I asked his preferred position, where he sees himself playing – and that was as a controlling midfield player. That’s where I’ve always felt he’ll be an outstanding talent for us.
“He can play in a back three, against Newcastle he played as one of the two centre-halves when we played a back four and was comfortable.
“But I think his passing range, strength and power is best in midfield. Once again he’s finding his fitness and working his way to fitness, then that’s where you’ll see him best.”