Liverpool are days away from signing Christian Benteke from Aston Villa for £32.5m, reports the Guardian, and for that kind of money, you can expect the centre-forward to lead our line come open day versus Stoke City.
The Britannia is of course the scene of the humiliation we suffered in our final game of last season, and you can be sure Brendan Rodgers and his new look coaching lineup will be doing everything they can to banish the memories of that humbling afternoon.
Here’s how we think Liverpool might line up with the imminent forward signing in an attempt to do so…
GK) Simon Mignolet
Mignolet will be the no.1 going into the new season, but will have new Hungarian no.2 Adam Bogdan backing him up from the bench. He’ll really be hoping he isn’t nearly as busy as the last time he played at the Britannia.
DR) Nathaniel Clyne
Emre Can started at right-back on the final day of last season, but Clyne’s been signed for £12.5m as the long-term option for this position, and after a full pre-season, he’s practically a certainty for the spot come August.
DL) Alberto Moreno
With Jon Flanagan a long-term doubt, Moreno is the only natural option for the left-back spot, providing we don’t sign another top player here, which seems unlikely.
DC) Martin Skrtel
Skrtel’s signed a new contract, and has been the first defender on Rodgers’ team-sheet for the past two full seasons.
DC) Mamadou Sakho
A fit Sakho is a better centre-back than Dejan Lovren, and arguably better than Skrtel, too. When healthy in 2014/15 he was excellent, and the Frenchman deserves a starting role if he gets through pre-season unharmed.
DMC) Lucas
There’s three options for the anchorman role: Lucas, Joe Allen and Emre Can. Welshman Allen was hauled off versus Stoke after 45 minutes a few months back, and we need someone more steely and disciplined in this role away from home. Many fans want to see Emre Can in central midfield, but we predict the boss to choose the safer, if less exciting option – Lucas. The Brazilian is compact, and can provide a defensive platform from which Henderson and Milner can then bomb on.
MC) Jordan Henderson
The skipper is arguably the first name on the team-sheet. Henderson will lead the side out against Stoke this time instead of Steven Gerrard, who was of course so let down by his team-mates at the end of May. Henderson’s character and determination is such that he’ll be absolutely desperate to make amends.
MC) James Milner
Milner is expected to take on a central midfield role with Liverpool rather than patrol the flanks as he had to with City. This means that along with Henderson, he can dovetail the holding midfielder and act as a box-to-box player – maximising his all-round defensive, offensive and physical attributes.
AMLC) Coutinho
The most exciting area of this team is in attacking midfield, where our best player from 2014/15 Coutinho should link up with new £29m international compatriot Roberto Firmino. Both can dribble, pass, create and score, although there’ll be few harder away places to prove as much than Stoke.
AMRC) Roberto Firmino
Although Benteke is set to become the more expensive of the two, Firmino is the most exciting Liverpool summer signing. His arrival from Hoffenheim was met with enormous praise from all those associated to Anfield, such have been his inspiring performances in the Bundesliga during the past two seasons. He isn’t a winger though, so expect him to drift infield often, and even partner Benteke centrally at points, enabling Coutinho to play a genuine no.10 role at the tip of a midfield diamond behind the pair.
FC) Christian Benteke
Benteke’s the most powerful striker in the Premier League, and barring the formalities, he’s ours. Our full-backs will look to hit him with crosses, but hopefully he can prove he’s got the movement and pace to feed off more a more intricate supply line provided by Coutinho and Firmino.