It’s a position that managers all over the world dream of being in – having more players and options than you know what to do with. That’s certainly the case for Brendan Rodgers this year, whose squad is stronger in terms of depth than it has been for many a year.
However, it’s a blessing than also become a curse, with players becoming increasingly frustrated at their lack of opportunities and a handful of big money signings left on the mere outskirts of the match-day squad.
Ultimately, that proved to be the case for us on Sunday against Stoke City, with a handful of players missing out. With Joe Allen and Daniel Sturridge – currently both out through injury – also to come back into the fold, there’s going to be plenty of selection issues keeping our boss up at night.
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In the list below, we discuss the pros and cons of keeping the eight first-team players not involved at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday and discuss whether we should be keeping or selling them.
Joe Allen
Keep: The Welshman still has a lot more to offer than he’s so far shown in a Liverpool shirt. People forget that he’s only 25 years old and, for the type of player he is, should still be approaching his peak years. His performances on the international stage, particularly against Belgium back in June, are a better demonstration of his abilities.
Sell: He’s had plenty of chances to prove his worth – playing 95 times for us in total – and it’s only natural that after three years of primarily underwhelming performances that people would be questioning his long-term future. With Henderson, Milner and Can all ahead of him in the pecking order, holding on to him is far from a priority.
Decision: Keep – there’s more to come from him. He deserves another year to prove that.
Mario Balotelli
Keep: There’s a decent footballer in there. His goal record prior to joining Liverpool was good. He scored 17 goals in all competitions as City won the title in 2012, while he hit a career-best 18 for AC Milan last year. His chances last season were heavily restricted, mostly due to injury, and we rarely saw him play alongside a strike partner.
Sell: You only have to read the piece put out by The Independent this week to realise just how much baggage this guy comes with. He’s 25 now and is showing absolutely no signs of maturing. With so many players now ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s impossible to see him ever forcing his way back into a Brendan Rodgers side.
Decision: Sell – Whatever talent he has isn’t worth the heavy price it comes at to keep him happy.
Fabio Borini
Keep: Speaking of out of favour strikers, it’s hard to think of all that much to put in this column. Unfortunately, the Italian simply isn’t good enough to play for Liverpool right now. You have to respect him for staying and fighting for his place last summer, but ultimately his efforts didn’t achieve a great deal.
Sell: The statistics tell you everything with this one. His meagre effort of three goals in three years and 38 appearances at the club simply isn’t good enough. His loan spell at Sunderland was relatively productive – ten goals in 40 games – but he did nothing to suggest that he’d ever have a long term future on Merseyside.
Decision: Sell – Doesn’t have the quality to be a regular contributor.
Jose Enrique
Keep: Liverpool are rather short on full-backs. Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno are the two natural options, while young Joe Gomez has proved himself more than capable of covering on either side. We’ve still got Jon Flanagan to come back from injury as well, but there’s no harm to keep more experience around for another year.
Sell: He’s barely played for two years after a succession of injury problems and keeping him around is only going to take up valuable resources – particularly in terms of wages – that could be utilised elsewhere. With Gomez more than matching Moreno at left-back and either Toure or Can capable of covering on the right, he’s not needed.
Decision: Sell – We’ve got enough options without keeping him around.
Lucas Leiva
Keep: He’s one of the most experienced members of the dressing-room and it would be a shame to lose such a popular presence. He can always be counted on to turn in a performance when needed and he’s the only natural holding midfield player that we have at our disposal. Unless a replacement is there, it was be strange to let him go.
Sell: He plays in a position that is unlikely to be utilised on a regular basis this season. When Rodgers played with the 4-2-3-1 formation against Stoke, Henderson and Milner were the central pairing. When we changed to 4-3-3, Can came in and allowed Henderson to roam further forward. With Allen also due back, Lucas isn’t really needed.
Decision: Keep – He’s worth keeping for the odd game and to help some of the younger players develop.
Lazar Markovic
Keep: Still a tremendously talented player. He’s only 21 and has already won league titles in two different competitions and helped Benfica reach the Europa League final. He deserves a chance to show what he can do through the middle, rather than being pushed out wide or playing as a makeshift wing-back.
Sell: He hasn’t taken to English football at all well, sadly, and considering the number of players ahead of him in the pecking order it’s nearly impossible to see how he’s going to get regular game-time. The signing of Roberto Firmino and the emergence of Jordon Ibe may well prove to the final straws for his Liverpool career.
Decision: Sell – If we’re not going to play him then it’d be better to sell now when there’s a decent re-sale value.
Mamadou Sakho
Keep: A player who we haven’t seen the best of thus far, mostly due to the injury problems that have plagued the first two years of his career at Anfield. It’s well worth remembering that this was one of the finest young defenders on the planet only a couple of years ago and it should be a long time yet before we’re talking about him leaving.
Sell: If Skrtel and Lovren are the partnership moving forward then you can understand why the Frenchman might want to leave. You shouldn’t read much into his absence against Stoke, which came just days after the birth of his second child, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens if he’s still in this position of uncertainty come January.
Decision: Keep – An important member of the squad who deserves to be first-choice.
Daniel Sturridge
Keep: He should prove to be the perfect partner for Benteke, looking to feed of the knock-downs while also dropping back and linking up with the midfield. His ability to also play out wide could come in handy as the season progresses, considering our lack of natural width up top. If he can stay fit, it could be something special.
Sell: His injury problems have become increasingly frustrating. He’s likely to be one of our highest earners and, as such, should really be guaranteeing us more than seven Premier League starts. He’s a top player with bags of quality but if this summer’s hip operation fails to solve any problems then some serious questions will be asked.
Decision: Keep – Has plenty to offer if he can stay fit, regardless of Benteke’s form up front.
