Liverpool 2011/12

Sport
1

Starting a new thread here for thoughts and speculation and da.

As discussed on the 2010/11 thread, there’s no doubt that Dalglish deserves the job permanently now. He’s done incredibly well and is kinda gone back to the old Liverpool style of pass and move, playing homegrown talent and giving young lads a chance.

Going down through the squad, there’s obviously a few players required but a few have come out of nowhere and I’m delighted that Dalglish has given Spearing, Flanagan and Robinson a chance whereas Benitez and Houllier before him would rather sign Spanish and French journeymen or play players out of position than take a punt on youth. As Hansen famously said you win nothing with kids. He was wrong.

GK:
Reina - imperative we keep him and I think we will. Barca/Real don’t need him. He doesn’t seem to be on United’s radar and may be to loyal to go there. And Arsenal seem to have decided Szczesny is the future.

Fullbacks:
Credible options it seems with Johnson, Kelly, Flanagan and Robinson. Another left back required though and I’d welcome Jose Enrique.

Centrebacks:
I’d be inclined to use Carragher more sparingly but given Agger’s proneness to injury, signing a top class centre-half is desirable. Gary Cahill a credible option I’d have said; Phil Jones another. Martin Kelly is a centre half by trade so I’d be interested to see him in there and similarly we don’t really know if Danny Wilson is up to it yet.

Midfield:
Gerrard, Meireles, Lucas, Spearing. Hard to know what formation Liverpool are going to adopt and how Dalglish will keep people happy if he has the luxury of a fully fit squad. Personally I think Spearing has been excellent since coming in. He covers a hell of a lot of ground, is positionally sound and aware, tenacious in the tackle and uses the ball very, very well (and quick). Assuming Liverpool play a 4-4-2 to accommodate the Suarez and Carroll partnership, I could probably see Gerrard and Spearing in the middle with Meireles on the right. Meireles could tuck in to offer protection when Gerrard roams forward (and vice versa) which would also afford Johnson the space to bomb forward from right back. Which poses the question as to who should play wide on the left?

Wide men:
The above assumes you drop Kuyt, which is harsh, but I’d be inclined to start Meireles ahead of him as he’s a better footballer who has only slightly less energy than Kuyt. I don’t think Kuyt or Meireles would be effective on the left hand side, nor do I believe we currently have someone good enough. Joe Cole has been useless and I’d be happy enough if he left. Maxi despite his fine form isn’t good enough as far as I’m concerned. Don’t think we know Shelvey’s best position yet and for me the jury is still out. Ideally, I’d like a natural left sided winger to balance the narrow right - Mata an option to form a left sided partnership with Enrique?

Up front:
Carroll, Suarez, Kuyt, Pacheco (?). Carroll and Suarez were bought to partner each other and one can only assume that’s still the plan. Suarez’s form is so good that he’d get in any team in the world at the moment, in my opinion. We all know what Carroll offers. That strikeforce will scare the living shit out of opposition defenders and the potential fluidity of the attacking options of Gerrard, Meireles and Suarez (plus a left winger) is a very exciting prospect. There should be options for any Liverpool player on the ball and if they can keep up the movement and workrate they’ve exhibited recently I’d have high hopes for next season. Suarez is obviously class at running at defenders and his movement and ability to find space are top notch. If he can strike up an understanding with Carroll they could be devastating.

All the above suggests a 4-4-2 something like this:

---------------------------------Reina---------------------------------

Johnson------------Skrtel----------------Carra/XXX---------XXX

Meireles-----------Gerrard-------------Spearing-------------XXX

----------------------Suarez--------------Carroll-----------------------

Tactically, most of what I’ve said above focuses on Liverpool with the ball but if they keep up the workrate they’ve shown recently, they won’t be long without it. Meireles should offer Gerrard the protection to not have to play as an out and out midfielder and to be able to make things happen higher up the pitch.

To be cleared out: Konchesky, Aurelio, Insua, Jovanovic, Krygiakos, Ngog, Aquilani, Degen, El Zhar.

2

Liverpool consistently fail to convert players with Irish names into Irish internationals and it’s something that bothers me.

Kelly, Flanagan, Carragher, Conor Coady could all be Irish but they’re not. Long time since they brought through an Irish player actually.

On the team above - I still think there’s a danger that you start to play through Carroll too much. He’s a decent player but the potent strikeforce will start to look shit if people start hammering in long diagonals at him. Between Merieles and Gerrard there’s room to get in decent crosses, even from narrower positions, but a natural winger would certainly add balance on the left alright. Putting Kuyt on one wing and Meireles on the other would leave Liverpool trying to bully teams physically a bit maybe and the inclination might be to just play a bit more territory with Carroll and Kuyt winning their fair share of ball. Fine sometimes but should be planned against.

In summary your suggestions have merit Clarkey. How likely is Mata pricewise? Presume Valencia are still ruined financially so would be expected to sell. He may be a touch too advanced for what Liverpool want in a winger, but he’d be a decent alternative to Suarez if he was injured or to play in a 5 man midfield in certain games.

3

I haven’t given up on Richie Partridge yet.

4

Darren Potter is way more likely to make it.

5

Liverpool will give the milk cup a right good rattle next season.

6

He might make it as a physio alright.

7

Well I think the instruction would obviously have to be not to play too directly through Carroll. There’s enough football in that side to not need to resort to that and Carroll offers more than just a head I think. We should be as likely to play through the middle on the deck as getting the ball wide and whipping it into the box. Suarez and Carroll provide a very good blend imo and Carroll doesn’t need to be the focal point of every attack.

8

I’m looking forward to seeing more of Raheem Sterling as well. If he doesn’t head off on a loan spell im sure he’ll see some Carling cup action and the odd place on the bench. I fear we could be stuck with Joseph Cole unless he takes a pay cut to join some other crowd. A bit of good man management could get him back in gear though, although I dont believe he was ever that good. Poulsen is another for the road, has done nothing since his arrival. Kelly will be back in his centre back roll i’d imagine. He is useful cover at full back when needed all the same. Pacheco may fit nicely into this new style of football Kenny has them playing and I’ve no doubt he’ll provide good back up to the main strikers.

9

Yes and that’s my point. I think there’s an increased chance of lumping it long to Carroll if Kuyt is one of the wingers because you won’t be getting quality crosses in anyway. Also he’s physical and fit so he’d chase flick-ons into the corner all day and it might prove moderately successful. Play a more cultured midfield and you have a better chance of getting the balance right.

10

I suggested Kuyt as third striker rather than winger though. I’ve Meireles on the right as there’s more football in him. I would point out that Kuyt does have impressive enough stats though, playing primarily on the right side for the last few season (EPL stats).

2011 - 31 games/13 goals/7 assists
2010 - 37 games/9 goals/3 assists
2009 - 38 games/12 goals/8 assists

11

I think the starting point for any potential Liverpool team is the make up of the current one, which is playing so well.

From my reading of the match last night, Liverpool played the following system:

--------------------Reina---------------------
Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Flanagan
-------------------- Lucas -------------------
----------Meireles-------Spearing---------
Kuyt-------------------------------------Maxi
--------------------Suarez---------------------

There are a few things I like about this system. Firstly I think it incorpates Mereilles in his best position. He is not a one in an two man midfield and he is not a wide player. The same could be written about Stevie G.

Secondly, I like the one man up front, particulalrly when the one man is mobile. Suarez had loads of room to make runs into last night and destroyed Hangeland and Hughes. Such as system lends itself to incisive passing football as the long ball to the target man isn’t on. In instances like this, it is essential that midfielders and other forwards make up the support. Maxi had a lot of joy last night in this regard and Kuyt got in some excellent positions. Meireles is also excellent at getting forward.

I am reluctant to put Carroll into that team. I think the nature of his strengths come from balls into the box and knock downs. He is very good at it but I think that is too predictable for defences. He could play the one man up front role of course but I am not sure if he is mobile enough for that, at least not as mobile as Suarez. The other option is to play two up top, in a kind of Quinn and Philips or Berbatov and Keane type partnership which, given Carroll’s aerial potency would certainly be a tremendous Plan B.

Of that team above, I would replace Spearing (who is flying confidence wise but I am not sure about) with Gerrard. I think a new centre half is required, another holding midfielder and a left back. Of course you are asking yourself if the likes of Maxi, Kuyt and Meireles can maintain recent form for the entire season which is questionable at best.

12

Didn’t pay 35m for Carroll to sit on the bench though.

13

I didn’t pay it.

14

Aware of that.

15

Also, I think modern day football is more about options. Settled first teams are rare now so to say that Carroll would be sitting on the bench constantly is wrong. There may be some matches where a Carroll Suarez partnership would be ideal.

16

Oh - I should say that I’d love to see Liverpool buy Cheik Tiote for the holding midfield position. I think he is class. A tremendous bit of business by Chris Hughton to get him for so little.

17

Gerrard on Suarez… It goes to show how good Luis Suarez was. Usually, if you score a hat-trick, you deserve to win man of the match. But Luis Suarez’s movement, touches, awareness, vision and the way he took his goal was sensational. He’s a midfielder’s dream. As soon as you look up, he’s making great movement and gives you an option all the time. What impresses me even more about him is when he hasn’t got the ball - his tenacity to win it back and attitude. In the 92nd minute, he was trying to get his second goal and still closing defenders down. He was just an absolute joy to watch.

I didnt catch him on Sky last night but by all accounts he was buzzing, and why not. I think he has needed a break, mentally and physically and performances like last nights, from both team and Suarez, will take a lot of pressure off Stevie. Bar a couple of Seasons when Torres was in form, the club have always looked to Stevie to turn things around and dig out a result. Lets hope the rest and and the burden of pressure being lifted somewhat sees the old Gerrard back. Himself and Suarez could be lethal.

18

Indeed. I know what you said. I was agreeing with it.

19

Yep.

20

Interesting discussion here. A lot of people naturally ask me about Luis Suarez because I’ve obviously seen him play club football in the flesh before he joined Liverpool. He’s played in Ajax’s 4-3-3 for years - both centrally and on either flank. So if/when Liverpool want/need to adopt a 1 upfront formation, as mentioned by Farmer, then Suarez is more than capable of playing wide (in a 4-5-1 / 4-3-3) or withdrawn behind Carroll (in a 4-4-1-1). He’s got the intelligence, touch, movement etc to cause damage from any of those positions and I don’t think Carroll would be isolated as the main striker given the the pace and movement of Suarez. So basically just making the point that if Liverpool go with one out and out striker then it doesn’t necessarily mean Carroll will have to be benched.