It doesn’t take much research to know that Liverpool have been grossly disappointing this Premier League season. Just six months earlier, the Merseysiders were sitting on the top of the league table. On display was their high pressure and deadly duo of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez, bagging in upwards of three goals every game. The high-tempo play was reminiscent of Europe’s top clubs.
Now, with 2015 on the horizon, this Liverpool team sits just inside the top ten of the league, but barely. A team that easily outscored the best is struggling to manage more than two chances a match this season. The strike force of Fabio Borini, Rickie Lambert, and Mario Balotelli have managed just four goals between them. As a team, Liverpool are more than twenty goals short of last season’s total at this time in the season.
Defensively, Liverpool have looked weak. Dejan Lovren has still not settled into life at Liverpool, and there is no indication that he will just yet. Arguably, Liverpool’s best defender has been Kolo Toure, and that speaks volumes of the quality of play at the back.
Jordan Henderson has looked a shadow of his highly energized self this season, while Steven Gerrard’s experimental holding midfield role has proven fruitless. As more pressure has been placed on his holding midfield role since the team’s attack has been fruitless, Gerrard has looked rather lost. Joe Allen, well, when does Joe Allen really matter? The midfield’s instability has made the team’s defence look even weaker.
Recent form has been a typical representation of the Reds’ season so far. With 11 points out of a possible 18, they have dropped valuable points. However, with the draw against Arsenal, there seems to be a change of fortunes coming Liverpool’s way. Only time will tell if this squad uses that result against the Gunners as a springboard for future success.
Brendan Rodgers’ position has been much scrutinized, with the LMA manager of the year going from hero to villain in less than a year. In his defence, criticism is unfair, as he has lost two premium goalscorers in Suarez and Sturridge (the latter through injury). He has had to familiarize an entirely new strike force with the signings of Lazar Markovic, Lambert, and Balotelli, as well as the return of Fabio Borini, and defence with the new additions of Lovren, Alberto Moreno, and Javier Manquillo. However, he has been rather stubborn with his team selection, ignoring the likes of Fabio Borini, who has been encouraging when given time. Brendan Rodgers can also be blamed for not signing adequate cover for an injury-prone Daniel Sturridge, or a top replacement for Luis Suarez.
The signings that Liverpool did bring in have been disputed to say the least. Among the top of the list, the addition of Mario Balotelli has been well-documented as a failure due to his lack of goals. While he has not been good enough, the English media has also made a good display of sensationalism in their reports of the Italian striker. He has had no help in his quest for goals, and too much is expected of him.
The £20m signing of Lazar Markovic has also been regarded as a failure, but the 20-year old has been getting better as the season has wore on. The world has not seen the best of Markovic yet, but the talented Serb has time on his side to get acclimated to the physicality of the English game.
Adam Lallana has been satisafactory for Liverpool in his performances, providing silky smooth footwork and creativity in the final third. Moreno and Manquillo have both been inconsistent, as expected from 20-year old defenders in a new country, but have shown flashes of pure brilliance. Dejan Lovren has so far been an abject failure. For Liverpool fans, this is the only player they need to be very worried about. Divock Origi has been performing at a high level for Lille in France, but he is not expected to arrive at Anfield until next season. Emre Can has brilliant when given time on the pitch, making him possibly the lone star out of Liverpool’s summer signings.
Liverpool have reverted to a 3-4-3 system recently that has shown to be effective, with Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Can at the back, and Lucas, Henderson or Gerrard in the centre of midfield, with Moreno and Manquillo on the wings, and a front three of Lallana, Coutinho or Markovic and Sterling. Brendan Rodgers’s experiment with Sterling as the central striker seems to have paid dividends, with the 20-year old being the prime attacking threat.
With the return of Sturridge in the new year, and the already improving performances of the team, Liverpool could threaten to nail a Champions League qualifying position. With the teams competing for fourth place being rather inconsistent as well, Liverpool definitely have a chance. If Brendan Rodgers can sign a top class holding midfielder, and a quality striker with movement abilities, there is no reason his team cannot make the Champions League places for the second year in a row.
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