Liverpool’s season could, very conceivably, go either way right now. What’s for certain is that it’s an absolutely critical juncture in the career of Brendan Rodgers. After the excellent work that he did last season there is no way that his job will be under threat this term.
But, if the results don’t improve considerably over the next few months, his methods and expenditure will come under huge scrutiny come next May.
After the international break, Rodgers needs to show his true mettle – galvanise his team and hope that the new signings start to click.
He has been unlucky with injuries but his judgement is being increasingly called into question after tepid beginnings from the likes of Lovren, Markovic and Lallana.
The latter has recovered from injury and started to deliver in the last round of fixtures. But he needs to do it on a consistent basis. We always felt that his fee was on the high side but he needs a run in the team to see what he can really do.
We believe that Liverpool have suffered from a lack of width this season. With the unmentionable one gone The Reds don’t have the same capacity to scythe through teams from more central areas. So we would deploy Raheem Sterling out wide to cause chaos on the flanks once more.
And we also believe that Mario Balotelli will come good, given confidence and the right guidance. But he needs to play through the middle so Sturridge should play on the left of a front three, where Suarez regularly plied his trade last season.
Sturridge should be good enough to do this now. He has the quality to be Liverpool’s go-to man – to provide multiple assists as well as hitting the back of the net himself. But Balotelli is a classic number 9 and will benefit from the excellent service of Sterling and Sturridge. That front three can be really powerful.
At number ten there is an obvious tendency to select Coutinho (if Sterling plays on the flank). But we feel that Adam Lallana’s best position could be in the hole – he hasn’t got the blistering pace that we like to see from the wings – and from the number 10 position he can provide the measured ammmo for that quality attacking unit. We’d like to see Rodgers try him out there for a while anyway.
At the back we think that Manquillo still looks a bit raw so, with Flanagan still out, the fit again Glen Johnson should step in to add some composure and experience. Dejan Lovren looks a doubt, leaving Liverpool with only Toure and Skrtel fit in central defence.
A change could be as good as a rest for the Liverpool line up and we believe that this side could cause anyone damage.
Liverpool fans: a decent side?
