Quantcast
View from the Kop

What is Liverpool’s Strongest Line-up and Formation?

|
Image for What is Liverpool’s Strongest Line-up and Formation?

With the new season nearly upon us – and pre-season just one game away from being over – we can only look toward the Sunderland game with optimism. It hasn’t been a great pre-season; certainly not after letting 15 goals in over the last 5 friendlies. Like I’ve mentioned in the past week though, I don’t believe results are the important part of the build up to a new season, what’s important is that the friendlies are used properly and that we start to see some kind of a shape develop; a preferred formation and line up decided upon. However, it seems that that hasn’t been able to happen yet, for whatever reason, we’ve yet to see a preferred line up or a solid, cohesive formation or style of play come to the fore. So for that reason, I’ve decided to look at a few alternatives for the up-coming season, both in terms of strongest line ups and the players best suited to certain formations.

Firstly: the most basic to look at is the traditional 4-4-2. By all intents and purposes it appears to be an incredibly rigid set up. All positions seem to be set in stone and everybody has a job to do. In my opinion, with the correct management and the right players a 4-4-2 can be just as fluid as any other. The problem we face with that though, is having the right players. I imagine our preferred line up for this formation to be: Reina, Insua (or Enrique), Agger, Skrtel, Kelly, Downing, Adam/Kuyt, Lucas, Gerrard/Meireles, Suarez and Carroll. For me, Carragher is not good enough to be considered a first-choice any more and anybody that believes he is is terribly uninformed so unless we sign another centre back before the season starts, Skrtel and Agger should be the preferred pairing. Also, for the sake of the nitpickers, I’m aware that Martin is likely to miss the first game; this is merely a hypothetical line up.

With all of that said, I just don’t believe we have the players to facilitate that formation yet. We have a plethora of midfielders and we’re slightly lacking across the back, so the 4-4-2 would not take advantage of our strengths, as somebody would be left out of midfield and we’d have a lesser player filling in at the back. For that reason, I believe we need something that takes total advantage of our strengths and as we’ve signed about 45 midfielders this summer, that would be a good place to start.

I would see the 3-5-2 as a most favourable option. Like I said, we’re slightly weak at the back and I believe it’s unlikely that we’ll bring in a new CB before the season starts. So having only 3 at the back would give us a solid springboard and allow us to have an extra man in midfield. At the back, I believe Agger, Skrtel and Kelly would be a good option as you have the strength and heading ability of Skrtel coupled with the pace and technical ability of Agger and Kelly. Into midfield and a line up of Downing, Adam, Lucas, Gerrard and Kuyt. Lucas would act as the anchor, with Adam and Gerrard playing just ahead of him (but with the instruction to drop back alternately and help out when necessary) and Downing and Kuyt wide on either side. We also have the possibility that Meireles and Aquilani will still be here too (here’s hoping), which means we can tailor our CM options to the opposition because in Adam, Lucas, Gerrard, Meireles and Aquilani, we have all eventualities covered. And that’s without even mentioning where Henderson is going to fit in so you can see that the wealth of midfield options gives Kenny a very nice headache indeed.

Continue Reading on Page 2 ...


Share this article

I'm a 32 year old Liverpool fan, living in the heart of the City Centre. I've supported the club since the day I was born and have been writing articles for L4L for over 3 years, writing close over 350 articles in that time. My favorite player of the past generation is Sami Hyypia.

I am the current editor for L4L, with my day job being in R&D for the NHS.

22 comments

  • bob says:

    Downing has not been signed to sit on the bench or be an impact player.He has been signed to supply Carroll at every opportunity.We have all been screaming out for width for moons now and when we eventually sign a proper winger your suggestion is not to start him. Bravo

    • David T says:

      You’ve clearly not read the article then bob, as Downing is included in every single line up. The associated image includes Insua wide left as an error.

      Actually read the article before commenting in future.

      • DanielLFC says:

        You say it’s an error but why would you put Downing as a wing back? He’s an attacking player :S

        • David Tyrer says:

          Well, the image was originally just meant as a hypothetical representation of what a 3-5-2 looks like but I’ve compeletely changed it now to look exactly as I meant it to. I’m sure this will please everybody! hahaha.

        • DanielLFC says:

          Ahh kks 🙂 a 3-2-3-2 formation 🙂 That’s a good attacking one actually 🙂 Can quickly change to a 3-5-2 or a 5-3-2 during the game 🙂
          Good article btw 😀

        • Marc_the_Red says:

          No matter the formation the real debate is whether we have the players to send 5 to attack or 6. No matter how you arrange the back and mid-field, that’s the real question. We now have the quality to play multiple formations, and have such a plethora of talent I think we will be very successful. BUT, that’s because I believe KK will send six to SEVEN forward at every opportunity. We now have width at the front. We have speed and youth along the back (assuming we add a top-tier CB before the window closes). The reason we’ll be successful is KK will ATTACK! I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 3-1-1-3-2! Flood the midfield, give Suarez tons of room to operate, and give Downing the flank to run the byline and supply ammunition. Lucas provides cover for the back 3 (if we do buy another CB, we’d have a back 3 choice of new boy, Agger, Kelly, Sktel, and Carragher, a VERY strong squad), Adam in front of him, with everyone else bombing forward. And since Adam can easily move forward with the play, as can Lucas on a counter, we can consistently flood the opposition half. ATTACK! YNWA!

        • Marc_the_Red says:

          Sorry, forgot to add that if you’ll notice I left out buying a new LB, we just don’t need it if we do things right. Also, my 3-1-1-3-2 easily converts itself into a defensive formation to block counter-attacks. If you have the back 3+Lucas in a defensive line of 2 already, then if you have Adam in front of him, always ready to drop back, then if the opposition breaks we have 5 back with 2 outstanding tacklers in the middle. I have thought about this a long time too, and I really think that provides a strong, positive line-up. If you want to call it 3-2-3-2 ok, but I think the way I envisioned this is spot on.

  • Graeme says:

    Three at the back went out of fashion at the end of the 90s.

  • DanielLFC says:

    Very good formation the 3-5-2 for away games as it is more defensive as shown at Chelsea away last season, but I would prefer Aurelio rather than Insua as he said he is strengthening his hamstrings. If this works out I would be very happy as he is a top class player. Then home games a more 4-3-3 would be better:
    Reina
    Johnson-Carra-Agger-Aurelio
    Gerrard-Lucas-Aquilani
    Downing-Carroll-Suarez

    I think you’ll find that Carra will beat Kelly or Skrtel to a first team place this season but next season he will be a lesser figure.

    The thing is we can play many formations, we can go narrow or we can go wide.. We can play with the Chelsea diamond and have Kuyt and Suarez upfront… We are lucky to have that 🙂

  • Snorri says:

    You say we’re weak at the back (which I agree) and therefore should use more of our “45” midfielders instead. So naturally you design a system that should fit more midfielders into it – yet you want to use 5 defenders in Johnson, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger and Insua.
    Doesn’t make any sense to me…

  • Steve says:

    This is my line-up 4-4-2.
    ……………..Reina……………..
    ….G.johnson….agger….carragher….insua….
    Downing….Aquilani….Adam…kuyt………..
    ……….carroll…..suarez……..

  • redand says:

    I think with the players we have bought, the formation will change quite a lot this season. We certainly have enought players to vary between 352/442/451/433/4132 quite easily.

    The strongest XI I would choose is 4-1-3-2 with following players:
    GK: Reina

    LB:Aurelio(when fit, Johnson when not), CB: Agger, CB: Skrtel, RB: Johnson(Kelly when Aurelio not fit)

    DCM: Lucas

    LM/LW: Downing, CM: Adam, RM/RW: Gerrard

    CF:Suarez, CF: Carroll

  • gossipi says:

    reina:
    johnson-carra-agger/squirtel-aurelio/new
    kuyt-gerrard\/-lucas/aquaman/\-downing
    suarez/\-carrol\/

    i bet your mums fat tits that its best default formation

  • Balfy says:

    There is no way Adam and downing are not going to play large parts this season. Henderson will feature a lot too, but probably as a sub.
    My preferred formation
    Reina
    Kelly carra agger hopefully Enrique
    Lucas Adam
    Downing gerrard Suarez
    Carrol
    Subs Kuyt (back up striker)
    Doni
    Aurelio
    Skrtel
    Henderson

  • WC says:

    Reina
    Kelly Carragher Cahill Enrique
    Gerrard Lucas Adam
    Downing Carroll Suarez

    I would like to see Gary Cahill but I don’t know if that will happen, if not then Ryan Shawcross or Scott Dann would be ideal signings and if not then Agger

  • burt says:

    @Gossipi

    Well funny!

  • man says:

    i like to add santana from borussia dotmund

    good in tackle..trick…defending and passer..
    he is english style…

    ………………reina………………
    kelly…..santana…..skertel…..enrique
    ………………lucas………………
    johnson…..gerrard….aqilani….downing
    ……….kyut/caroll…..suarez………

  • Dee says:

    I think its a nice one considering the caliber of player we have but my problem is can adam pair lucas, knowing that he hardly track back to help.

  • I also behind the 3-2-3-2 or 3-5-2 formation to win but they have to be rapid-fast in action and perfectionist YNWA

  • Oscar says:

    Carragher has not lost it, and I’m not ‘terribly misinformed’. He was our best defender last season, our best in pre-season and vice-captain of the club. For me next season will probably be the last Carragher can expect to play as first choice CB. Just because he is aging you shouldn’t rule him out, look at Giggs and Drogba for examples of older players still at the top of their games. With age has come amazing tactical awareness for Carragher and his maturity and wisdom will be needed in the side if we want to bring in Kelly, Flannagan or Robinson into the side. Secondly we only played 3-5-2 last season because of a lack of natural wide players and a glut of good CBs; however, I do agree that our adaptability will be a strength this season. The signs all point to our ideal line up being 4-2-3-1 as we have played it, at some point, in all of our pre-season games. This formation can easily evolve in game to 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1 or 4-3-3.
    Ideally our starting XI would be (at the moment):
    Reina
    Kelly-Carragher-Agger-Johnson
    Lucas-Adam
    Suarez-Gerrard-Downing
    Carroll

    But the starting line up against Sunderland will look like this I think:
    Reina
    Kelly-Carragher-Agger-Johnson
    Lucas-Adam
    Kuyt-Henderson-Downing
    Carroll

    (Although I would play Aqualani in Henderson’s position, but for obvious reasons Henderson will get preferance.)

  • 'D' says:

    im not a charlie adam fan, and would prefer to see gerrard sitting a little deeper and have henderson in the starting 11, and we would also need another quality center half for cover and depth.
    Y.N.W.A.

Comments are closed.