In recent seasons Liverpool FC’s Achilles heel seemed to be the lack of depth on the bench. When a player like Torres or Gerrard was out injured, which unfortunately was often the case, the Reds were in crisis. This summer’s transfer session was aimed to cure that deficit which always saw the Reds off the starting blocks with a handicap that teams like Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs did not have.
Whichever way you look at it today, and whichever the starting line-up, you know and you feel re-assured that whoever is called upon to replace a player, there is equal quality. The efforts made to cover each position with two quality players have paid off big-time. Let’s take a look at what we have on offer, and allow me to say it’s very impressive:
REINA/DONI
JOHNSON/KELLY/FLANAGAN
CARRA/COATES
AGGER/SKRTEL/WILSON
ENRIQUE/AURELIO/ROBINSON
LUCAS/ADAM/SPEARING
GERRARD/HENDERSON/SHELVEY
KUYT/HENDERSON
DOWNING/BELLAMY (BOTH CAN PLAY EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT WING)
BELLAMY/MAXI
SUAREZ/CARROLL
Don’t get all technical with me if I might have not placed a player according to your liking. The scope here was to visualize the potential we have on tap. The Reds now have the option and luxury of applying any playing module they wish or which is best suited to counter measure the opponents. We have quality players that can play 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with ease.
Let’s take a theoretical but practical situation. Say for a particular game Kenny Dalglish and Co have gone for a 4-3-3 set up with the following starting line-up: Reina, Johnson, Carra, Agger, Enrique, Lucas, Gerrard, Adam, Bellamy, Downing, Suarez. You’d have a bench looking something like this: Doni, Coates, Skrtel, Kelly, Henderson, Kuyt, Carroll. Notice the difference? Swap around any player to your liking and you still have a bench oozing with quality and talent. Well done FSG, well done Comolli, and a big well done to Kenny!