There’s obviously been a lot of discussion already about how our team might look next season. With less than two months until our opening game against Stoke City those discussions are beginning to hot up.
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With three new signings already in the bag and more likely to come, we’ve challenged our writers to choose their ideal starting XI’s for our 2015-16 campaign.
You can see their choices and their explanations in the list below. Disagree? Tell us your team in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
Jordan Chamberlain:
4-3-3, for me. Brendan Rodgers needs to settle on a formation, and you feel this is the one he’s always favoured, although he’s impressively mixed it up with the diamond and the wing-back in the past. But I don’t think we’re signing a world-class striker to facilitate the diamond, and the wing-back formation eventually looked stale.
Adam Bogdan isn’t replacing Simon Mignolet, but it looks like Nathaniel Clyne is arriving to replace the departing Glen Johnson. Nice upgrade.
I think Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren should be competing to play alongside Mamadou Sakho – who is easily our best centre-back. Tiago Ilori should stay as 4th choice, ahead of Kolo Toure in the pecking order.
Alberto Moreno deserves one more season at left-back to prove himself, although it’d be great to see Jon Flanagan get back in contention when he’s fit. Lucas Digne? Meh.
Let’s give Emre Can, who is terrifically talented and the best of our 2014 summer signings, a key spot as the anchorman. He can spray passes from here, drive forward, and has all the attributes required to make it his own. Lucas can back him up effectively from the bench. Either side, a marauding Jordan Henderson (or James Milner) can provide the side legs and energy, while I’d love to see Miralem Pjanic arrive from Roma. He can slice open defences, take set-pieces and link defence to attack. He purrs in possession, and we’ve missed someone of that ilk since Xabi Alonso.
In the front three, I’ve given up on Raheem Sterling. He doesn’t want to be here anymore, so why bother worrying about it? Coutinho is a better player anyway and should be given the ball at every opportunity. A fit Adam Lallana can support him excellently, with Jordon Ibe and a hopefully improved Lazar Markovic backing up. Again, Milner provides another option on either flank.
Up top, I’m praying Daniel Sturridge can get fit and stay fit. Working under the assumption that he’ll never be available, which I’d never want to do, this team would look a lot different.
Fourth place. Just!
Biscan’s Boots:
I honestly think we would have got top four if Sturridge had stayed fit and we’d played him alongside Mario Balotelli all term. The first time Brendan Rodgers did so, we schooled Spurs 3-0 at White Hart Lane, but then injury struck Sturridge and it all went downhill.
Mignolet starts in goal for me, while two new fullbacks – Clyne and Digne – will provide width, energy and enthusiasm. Dejan Lovren is better than he proved last season, and Mamadou Sakho scares me a little even though his passing statistics suggest otherwise.
Lucas is a brilliant defensive midfielder in a diamond, and with Henderson and Milner either side of him, we’ll have a harder working midfield than anyone in the country. Coutinho will shine in the pivotal no.10 role, while the powerful Christian Benteke, who will surely sign as the new striker, will act as a foil for Daniel Sturridge. Please say he just stays fit…
If Sterling stays, he plays at the tip of the diamond, and Coutinho drops deeper. This is the same formation and style we played against Arsenal during the 5-1 Anfield pumping in January 2014.
Glen Harrington:
We have to remember that the transfer budget this year is not that massive. We’ve already brought in three new players on the cheap – so credit to Brendan Rodgers for that – while a couple of sales will hopefully fund the rest of our business.
I’ve got Nathaniel Clyne coming into an otherwise predictable back-line. Sakho gets the nod over Lovren for me at this stage – he has huge potential and this has to be the season he shows it – while I’ve also kept faith with Moreno at left-back.
In midfield I’ve gone for Joe Allen, who has impressed me in a Wales shirt this month, along with Henderson and Milner. That should give our side an impressive hub of energy, while they all posses the passing abilities to make us tick.
I’ve gone for Sterling – who we don’t HAVE to sell – alongside Coutinho and my other new signing, Roberto Firmino up top. Yes, rumours suggest he’s close to Manchester United, but while he’s still available, I’ll maintain hope!
He’s the sort of player we need – someone who will sit on the shoulder of the last defender but stay involved with the game. He suits our style and he’s ready to move on this summer. Let’s make it happen, FSG.
Tom Simmons:
Last season was simply not good enough and sweeping changes need to be made to this side.
I’m still not convinced by Simon Mignolet, so let’s give Bogdan a chance to show us what he can do. He was excellent against us in the FA Cup last season and he’s proved that he deserves the opportunity. The same point rings true for Tiago Ilori, who has done more with Portugal this week than Sakho and Lovren did for us combined last season. Needless to say, I’ve got Nathaniel Clyne and Lucas Digne – both reported targets – completing a new look back-line.
Emre Can should then be allowed to move into midfield. He was our one of our best players last season and he wasn’t even playing in the right position. He should complement both James Milner and Jordan Henderson well.
I’ve ditched he who shall not be named for an improving Adam Lallana, who is already on something of a last chance, with the England man playing alongside Philippe Coutinho. Alexandre Lacazette, yes I know that’s hopeful, starts up front. If we really want to excite our fans and scare our opponents we need someone of his calibre. Whatever it takes, he need to come in.
Red or Dead:
I’ve gone with a 3-4-3 formation on this one. The passing style that Brendan Rodgers has tried to promote over the last three years has become stale and predictable, so we need a plan B. This, I hope, offers multiple forms of attack as proved by our festive form last term.
Though the middle, I’ve got quality in Milner, Henderson and, ahead of them, Coutinho and Lallana, who between them should be able to run any midfield. Then I’ve gone for the pace of Sterling – should he stay – and Ibe out wide. They should cause full-backs no end of problems and offer our Brazilian magician the room to work inside.
I’ve topped off our attack with Christian Benteke – I mean, c’mon, who else are we going to get?! I think this is a good thing. If Sterling and Ibe can get down the line and get their crosses in, then the big man will score. He can also hold the ball up nicely for Coutinho, who will be playing just off him in that predatory number ten role.
I’ll finish with a quick word on the defence – I think the Lovren, Skrtel, Sakho trio has potential – and should be given a chance. Then we’ve got an improving Tiago Ilori and Kolo Toure in reserve.