Will Brendan Rodgers give these players a proper chance…?
Fans will debate which players should be in the side at length, and rightly so, considering the average levels of display currently being seen during matches.
Here’s five players we reckon should be given a consistent run of games, as we look to turn around an ailing season.
1) Emre Can
The Emre Can situation puzzles us. Brendan Rodgers clearly rates the German powerhouse highly, having shown a keenness to use him throughout October, often at the expense of more experienced players. Game by game he was improving, until delivering his standout performance in a red shirt at home to Chelsea on November 8th – where he scored a goal and battled bravely against Nemanja Matic. Since then though, he hasn’t been given a start, and has only played 16 minutes in total. His physicality and tenacity would add steel to our midfield, and his ability to run with the ball and drive through the middle would give us another attacking component.
2) Mamadou Sakho
Sakho is fit again, having missed nearly the entire season with an injury. Many fans see the 24-year-old as a liability, but this is more because of his ungainly style than anything else. In fact, his passes nearly always find a teammate (over 90% success rate in 2013/14), and he’s exceptional in the air, too. Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren have been given plenty of chances, and unfortunately, failed to take them. Sakho is a natural defender, and although he’s less elegant than Lovren, he’s what our back-four badly needs right now.
3) Alberto Moreno
What is it with the continual rotation of the left-back position…? Jose Enrique, Glen Johnson and Moreno himself have all played there in recent weeks, but it’s the young Spaniard who’s impressed us most. Occasionally he finds out himself defensively out of position, but because of his energy, pace and drive up the left flank, he offers the side an added offensive thrust. Barring injury, he should surely be an automatic starter at left-back.
4) Adam Lallana
Lallana’s probably been the most effective of the summer buys so far, but he continually finds himself in and out of the team, regardless of how well he’s played the week previous. Even against United, his first-half performance was positive, but he was dragged off at half-time. The Englishman is suffering from a broken rib, but when he’s fully up to speed, he’s shown this term that he should be an automatic starter… Lallana provides darting runs, clever movement and vision, and gives the ball away less than Coutinho. He cost £26m, so he needs to be given a more important role.
5) Kolo Toure
Toure has been playing a lot recently, but by including him in this list; we’re saying that he should be the first defender on the team-sheet. This term, he’s barely put a foot wrong, and has far exceeded the performance levels of his teammates. This deserves to be recognised with a starting spot at either centre-back or right-back. The Ivorian made some hefty mistakes in 2013/14, but he should only be judged on the consistently good displays he’s delivering. Toure played superbly the Bernabeu against Real Madrid, but was out of the side for the next game. Until Lovren and Skrtel prove they’re up to it – the 33-year-old will be crucial to us.
