Brendan Rodgers has ruled out the possibility of bringing in a defensive coach, despite the fact Liverpool have managed just one clean sheet all season.
The Reds have conceded a number of soft goals this season, with set pieces continuing to prove a real problem.
But Rodgers says there is ‘no chance’ of him hiring extra staff to help deal with the problem.
“There is no chance of us bringing in a defensive coach,” Rodgers said. “We have conceded a large number of soft goals, there’s no argument about that, but I think it is just a lack of coaching time that is hurting us.
“We need to reinforce basic principles at defensive set pieces, but we know that already. We have to get better and we will be working on it.
“When I first came in I was asked whether I would bring someone in to help the strikers score goals. I didn’t, and we got goals anyway. I think what we have this year is more games to carry, which takes a slight intensity out of us.
“We are in the big competitions now and there is an added expectancy on us, which there should be. We are Liverpool. When you concede the goals that we have been conceding there will always be questions asked of you. We need to answer those questions and I believe we can. In terms of bringing someone else in, we don’t need it.”
Ahead of today’s clash with Hull City, Rodgers revealed he found himself awake at 4.30am alone in his kitchen this week, thinking of ways to improve aspects of his team.
“It wasn’t that I couldn’t sleep, I was just thinking of ways that I could make us better and improve certain aspects of our play,” he said.
“Balance is the most important thing in football, and we are looking to get a better balance in the team but with limited coaching time. I have a hunger to improve the group and make us better and sometimes it is quite hard to think of anything else. I have every confidence that we will improve. Unfortunately it might not be quite as fast as we want.
“Perspective is the key word this season, and perhaps an unfortunate one. For some people results this season will be a wee bit frustrating given where we ended last season. But it is the nature of where we are. We have jumped into a new level of competition.”
Rodgers finds himself under growing pressure to leave Mario Balotelli out of the starting line up following a string of below par performances. But the Northern Irishman had words of backing for the Italian striker.
“We brought in the player to give him a chance, and we will give him a chance,” Rodgers said. “He hasn’t yet scored the goals we would like but I have to work with the players that we have and Mario is one of them. He is working hard to try to fit into the Liverpool team ethos.”
