The Liverpool Echo made a very good point following Friday’s 1-1 draw with Malaysia XI – with Daniel Sturridge injured, there is no clear frontrunner to partner Chrisitian Benteke against Stoke City on opening day.
As it stands, Brendan Rodgers is most likely to go with a 4-3-3 formation, with two of Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Jordon Ibe playing wide of our central striker.
However, with the Northern Irishman having also experimented with a 4-4-2 diamond formation over the course of our pre-season tour in the Far East, it’s worth considering who would be in line to get the nod to play alongside our giant Belgian.
Divock Origi, Danny Ings and Rickie Lambert have shared the responsibilities during the last four games, but after scoring just a couple of goals between them, there is no obvious candidate at this stage.
SEE MORE:
Liverpool’s pre-season player ratings – Lallana and Gomez top of the class on Far East tour
Rodgers press conference: Malaysia, Benteke signing, possible team vs Stoke
Time to stop: Discussing why Liverpool should stick with seven summer signings
So, with this in mind, here’s a look at all the strikers currently on our books and a run-down of their likely pecking order at the start of the new season…
8) Jerome Sinclair
The teenager got a couple of chances towards the end of the season, making his Premier League debut during the draw with Chelsea. However, his future was plunged into uncertainty when he was left out of our pre-season tour squad, despite the presence of a handful of other academy players and our lack of forwards on the trip. He also sent this tweet, implying that he could be on his way out this summer…
Still, no news yet. He’s been with the Under-21s and could well continue with them over the next twelve months.
7) Fabio Borini
The Italian decided to stay and fight for his place last season. However, he scored just one Premier League goal and struggled for opportunities, despite our problems up front. Brendan Rodgers would surely sell, if the opportunity arose, and several teams have reportedly expressed an interest (via Daily Mail). However, with the former Chelsea man having proved difficult to shift thus far, maybe we’ll be stuck with him for another year.
6) Rickie Lambert
Lambert was chosen ahead of Borini to go on the tour and make up the numbers. He started the first game, against the Thai All-Stars, and also appeared as a substitute against Brisbane Roar before an injury brought his tour to an end. He’s been heavily linked with a move to West Brom (via the Mail), but nothing has come of their apparent interest thus far. His attitude has always been good and he might be handed a few minutes if he stays.
5) Mario Balotelli
Considering his likely price tag, wage demands and well-detailed attitude problems, the Italian will surely prove more difficult to shift than Lambert or Borini. However, you could be forgiven for thinking that injury problems have caused us not to see the best of him in a Liverpool shirt thus far. We all know that he has got ability, so if someone were to be given a chance during an injury crisis, we’d rather see Mario than the rest of last year’s crop.
4) Divock Origi
The Belgian looked good during his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt – causing plenty of problems and finding the net against the Thai All-Stars. However, his standards have already dropped off during the course of pre-season. Against the Malaysia XI on Friday, he was fairly disappointing at the head of our attack – he was isolated and failed to get involved with the game as much as he should. He was wasteful in possession and in front of goal.
3) Danny Ings
Origi’s struggles mean that Ings should be ahead of him as things stand. He also needs to work on his finishing, having only managed the one goal during the tour, but his work-rate and movement cannot be questioned. You get the feeling that the youngster is not too far away from being a very decent Premier League striker, so let’s hope that he can continue the progress that he’s already shown and start sticking away those chances very soon.
2) Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge’s injury problems have meant that he simply cannot be relied upon as our first choice striker. However, he should remain an important member of our squad, playing both instead of and alongside Benteke when the situation demands. He’s proved in the past that he’s capable of playing out wide, while he’s also worked well alongside a partner in attack – someone to drag defenders away and allow him the space and time to do his best.
1) Christian Benteke
You don’t spent such a huge amount on a player and then leave him on the bench… it simply doesn’t happen. The giant Belgian has enjoyed an excellent success rate whilst leading the line for Aston Villa and there is little to indicate that he won’t be able to do the same for Liverpool. There are question marks over whether his style will coincide with our own, but isn’t there always for any new player? Let’s hope that he can hit the ground running.
