LIVERPOOL will kick off the season under Brendan Rodgers away at West Brom, but before any football is played, Rodgers will have to sort out his best XI and the formation to suit ‘Tiki-Taka’. Rodgers’ ‘Tiki Taka’ style of play will no doubt make Liverpool a much more entertaining team to watch, and will probably see the Reds move from the 4-4-2 to a more fluid formation like a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.
Personally, I think that the 4-2-3-1 formation is the way forward for Liverpool Football Club.
While fans (including me) have gotten excited about new boss Brendan Rodgers’ attack-minded ‘tiki-taka’ approach, he has told Liverpoolfc.tv that, “It doesn’t matter if it’s Tiki-Taka football or possession football – the supporters and all of us want winning football. That’s what the philosophy will be about.”
Those words can only be great words to hear from the young manager. Rodgers has a big task on hand, and making Anfield the fortress it once was is a necessity. The 4-2-3-1 can be the way out in achieving that. The Reds drew too many games at home last season and need to rectify their home form.
Before anyone start jumping on the bandwagon and arguing that 4-2-3-1 is a defensive strategy and cannot be used to turn home draws into wins, I would like to say that it depends on the coach. The Netherlands or Germany never play defensive, but they still use the 4-2-3-1 for yielding success and it has worked wonders for them. I believe that Rodgers is the perfect coach to employ the 4-2-3-1. It is just that he will need time to adjust to it and he has the assurance from the owners that he will be given time to turn things around.
Liverpool haven’t added any names to the team list apart from the returning Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani. It will be interesting to see who joins Liverpool during the summer transfer window. However before that happens, let’s take a look at the starting line-up with 4-2-3-1 formation using current players at Rodgers’ disposal.
Pepe REINA (GK) – Jose (Pepe) Reina may not get any games for Spain, but he is a quality goalkeeper that has served Liverpool well over the years. The 29-year-old has the sort of experience that Rodgers will need as he settles into life as Liverpool manager. There’s not much to say here. Simply put, Reina is one of the best keepers in the league and Liverpool’s no. 1 by a country mile. An obvious choice for anyone.
Glen JOHNSON (RB) – Great performances late in the season and particularly for England at Euro 2012 have cemented Johnson’s place as my no. 1 choice at right back. Glen Johnson would not be everyone’s choice to go to Euro 2012 with England, but he proved to be one of the better players in the England team. The pace that he has going forward will be a real asset to Liverpool next season.
JOSE ENRIQUE (LB) – I’m sure most Liverpool fans would agree that the decision to sign Enrique from Newcastle United last summer was a very good move. Jose will continue to do a solid job both from an attacking and a defensive mode in the 2012-13 season. Though Enrique endured a poor end to the season, his first year with the team must be considered a success. Strong, quick and determined, Enrique is the best choice – and the only experienced choice – for the left-back job.
Daniel AGGER (CB) – Danish international defender Daniel Agger has proven to be a solid Premier League defender, and at 27, he has experience without being too old. A great season in Premier League and even better performance at Euro 2012 campaign guarantees that it would hardly be a surprise to see Agger be a key part of Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side.
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Martin SKRTEL (CB) – Martin Skrtel is another 27-year-old that Rodgers will want to make full use of in his Liverpool side. He has an imposing frame that makes him strong in the air and should form a very strong partnership with Agger. It is said that strong defense is key to many successful teams.
LUCAS Leiva (CDM) – Lucas Leiva defied all critics from the media and fans alike and has emerged as one of Liverpool’s best midfielders. Coming back from a season-long injury, expect Lucas to be fired up and to start from opening day. His determination and bulldog attitude will be key in providing cover for the defence and in starting attacks.
Steven GERRARD (CDM) – Steven Gerrard is getting on, but his performances for club and country leave nothing to be desired. He stood out for England and will continue to do so for Liverpool, spraying passes around and making late darts into the area. He had a great tournament for England at Euro 2012, where he was deployed as holding central midfielder. Playing as a deep lying midfielder allows him to control games without too much pressure to attack.
Stewart DOWNING (RW) – Until Liverpool sign a creative midfielder, I think Downing will continue to occupy this spot. Last season was nothing less than a disappointment for Downing, failing to get a goal or an assist in the league. However, it’s a new season under a new manager and Downing has the pace to be a great winger as he has shown in the past. Signing a new creative midfielder would help Liverpool, however it seems certain that Brendan Rodgers would want to get the best out of this £20 million signing before he does that.
MAXI Rodriguez (LW) – The Argentine player may not be in Liverpool’s starting line-up every week if Rodgers adds to the squad in this area. But he will still be a very important player for Liverpool and could play plenty of Premier League football. Dirk Kuyt’s departure also increases his chances of playing. He has a knack of getting those crucial goals and has hardly disappointed when he got his chances.
Luis SUAREZ (CAM) – Suarez, for all his antics, remains one of Liverpool’s best players. He provides flair and unpredictability and should be given the ball more often than not in dangerous areas. By playing him in the CAM spot, he can link up with everyone and become the hub of the team. He had his problems while leading the attacking line last season but with Carroll in front of him, he can create more problems to the opposition defense than what he did last season.
Andy CARROLL (ST) – We all know that Andy Carroll didn’t have the best of seasons with Liverpool last year, and he can probably consider himself lucky to have made England’s Euro 2012 squad. But he put in some decent performances for England. The 2012-13 season will give him an opportunity to start again with a clean slate and prove he is still a quality Premier League striker.
Thanks a lot for reading. You can also find me on Twitter @LEONGUI7E
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Don’t think many would argue with that. But wouldn’t you swap Downing and Maxi over? I would.
totally agree with you on that
Doubtful to play two wingers on wrong side . Usually one plays his natural side and the other plays as an inside forward cutting infield I.e Suarez as an inside forward from the left a right winger as normal
Tell that to Barcalona
I would pick suso in cam and Suarez in place of Carroll, sterling lw and maxi rw
Although you could do as long as both full backs bomb forward to supply the width. If we do play 4-2-3-1 and Carroll does start, Suarez would be lethal off the left side, nutmeg going all in his path! We could try downing on the right, hopefully he comes good this season. Get a new def cdm in and play gerrard behind Carroll- assuming we don’t buy anyone
I guess that has width from fullbacks with wide attackers cutting in. No arguments there then, although I’d go with Stirling over Maxi.
G
PS We REALLY need to replace Downing.
You’ve answer your own question… sterling plays LM – Downing replaced !
I forgot aqualani ! Try him behind Carroll and gerrard deeper. Who knows- am optimistic anyhow of the new season!
What he said^^
Downing has never been good enough during his career to play for a top 4 team. His productivity rate has always been average, and last season is was outright awful. As long as he wastes one of our 4 attacking slots we have no chance of finishing in the top 6.
I would replace Downing with Aquilani in a 4 3 3, and play Suarez and Maxi in the two wide attacking positions.
However much I agree with Downing going, I have disagree and say he was Villa’s and middlesboroughs player of the year… year after year. Competing with the likes of Young at Villa and back in the day Viduka at Borough… He should be good enough, but he is a left midfielder, not right then to cut in!
We have brought players in the past for what they have done at their previous club. Example, Kuyt… golden boot, 30 odd goals a season playing up front. We buy him and put him right midfield!?
A stodgy selection and no different from last year. If that is so why did they bother with a new manager as the same old players will give the same ol’ results. I believe Suso ,Coates and Sterling will play a major part in the season.
i think the chelsea case will give you a good explanation. Roberto turned around the fortunes for the blues compared to AVB. You may call it luck, but tactics do matter; CHANGE OF MANAGER
What about sterling he looked promising during the end of last season and would add that bit of skill Liverpoolneed
If I’d take the 4-2-3-1 you suggested I would replace the last 4 of your selection.
I would have Aquillani in the middle, with Suarez on the left and Maxi on the right, with Carrol up front, with the possibility of freshning things up with Cole, Jonjo, Sterling, Henderson and Suso.
I think I could switch many players around and have a strong team as well(as we can move Agger to LB, Carra can play CB or RB, Kelly can play CB or RB, Gerrard as CAM or RW, Cole as CAM or LW, Suarez as LW or ST, Maxi and Downing as RW or LW, and Henderson as CAM or RW, and Suso and Sterling can join in the attacking side of things).
Reading this post along with the comments has really brightened up my expectations for next season. I agree on the most part, except for Downing, I’d rather risk Sterling’s inexperience and get some flair and creativity.
Even without potential signings such as Ramirez or Sturridge there is still Kelly, Coates, Suso and Bellamy at BRs disposal.
Laugh at it taking to 10th comment to mention Henderson and no-one at all mentioning Adam!
I would prefer Lucas to partner with Aqua..Suarez-Gerrard-Maxi..
I think Rodgers will play with 4-3-3 more than anything. but with not too many changes too that squad:
Reina
Johnson Agger Skrtel Enrique
Gerrard Lucas Aqualani
Suarez. Bellamy
Carroll.
there are alot of players that can fit this play on the bench like Henderson Cole Coates Kelly Sterling Suso.
we should look at bringing in a back up cdm, winger ( preferably gaston ramirez) and a back up striker/ new striker. if were only looking at a back up striker, it’s a big risk but young Adam Morgan shows alot of potential, but i doubt he is ready yet.
With squad players now best team to play would be:
in 4 2 3 1 formation
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Lucas Gerrard
Bellamy Aquilani Maxi
Suarez
But hopefully owners will give B Rodgers a £90-£105M Transfer War chest to bring in 8 players,
These 8 players:
1: B Matuidi Of PSG should be brought for £8-£12M to cover and compete with LUCAS. DM
2: A Cissokho Of Lyon should be brought for £3-£8M to cover and compete with Enrique. LB
3: S Kjaer Of Wolfsburg should be brought for £8-£11M to cover and compete with Agger,Coates and Skrtel. CB
4: Coutinho Of Inter Milan, Diego Of Wolfsborg, G Ramirez Of Bologna Or I Munian Of A Bilbao, One of these players should be brought for £8-£17M to cover and compete with Aquilani and Shelvey. AM
5: A lennon Of Tottenham Or T Walcott Of Arsenal, One of these two speed demons should be brought for £10-£14M to play on right wing. RW
6: C Nzogbia Of A Villa, A Johnson Of Man City Or D Capel Of Sporting Clube De Portugal, one of these players should be brought for £8-£14M to cover and compete with Downing. LW
7: M Susaeta Of A Bilbao should be brought for £5-£8M to compete for right wing position. RW
8: G Rossi Of Villareal, S Jovetic Of Fiorentina Or G Agbonglahor Of A Villa. One of these strikers should be brought for £9-£17M to compete with Bellamy, Carroll and Suarez at club. FD
And with these 8 players at club we could have two good quality class sides to compete in the 4 competitions club are involved within during season:
1st side: 4 3 3 Formation:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Lucas Gerrard
Aquilani
Walcott/Lennon Suarez/Rossi Johnson/Nzogbia
2nd side: 4 4 2 Formation:
Jones
Kelly Coates Kjaer Cissokho
Susaeta Matuidi Henderson Downing
Bellamy Carroll
We are talking about a transfer budget around 35M£
And those 8 players are really average, I think we should not take any of them.
Lloris
Jonson subotick ager alaba
Wilsher gerrad ramires
Matias suarez flacao suarez
Reina
jonhson skrtel agger enrique
lucas gerrard
maxi aquilani suarez
carrol
I hope BR reads this site…
Nearly everyone on here wants Aqualani in the team… Someone needs to come clean on what the deal is with him? Does he or does he not want to play for LFC?
If he does then he is good enough to be starting every week. Anyone that argues this, please explain why he can start week in week out for the likes of Juventus and AC Milan in back to back seasons and have the best pre-season tour I’ve ever seen a Liverpool player have in between.
Cash in on Downing while we can and bring Sterling through the ranks from the outset.
My team;
Reina
Johnson / skrtel / agger / Enrique
Lucus / Gerard
Sterling / aquilani / Suarez
Carrol
so many people putting Gerrard in that DM position. it wouldn’t work. Gerrard is one for bombing forward, but not one for getting back and defending. and neither is Aqualani. that’s why the 4-3-3 will be used by BR letting Lucas cover defence, Aqualani there to put a pass out, and Gerrard to roam freely.
compare that to the tika taka used at Barcelona, and you see it copy the midfield of busquets-Lucas, xavi-Aqualani, iniesta-Gerrard.
I don’t feel sterling is quote ready for first team just yet, but I feel his use in cup matches and Europa league will help build him as a player. therefore a replacement should be brought in to play with suarez and Carroll upfront. Adam Johnson, Pedro, Gaston Ramirez type players would fit nicely there. and if we got Sturridge to compete with Carroll up front I would be very happy.
if we buy someone in though that mean Sterling will spend the next few years as a it part player and he is better than that… Owen, Rooney, Wiltshire, Walcott they were all 17/18 when they broke in the first team and even went to world cups!
Being keen is sometimes better than experience!
I think we need 4 new players, a new left back to replace Aurelio, and 3 attacking players.
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Lucas Gerrard
Pedro Ramirez Suarez
Jovetic.
I would love these 3 signing and my back up left back would be maybe Cissokho. Sell Downing, Adam, Spearing and Brad Jones. Could it happen?
Guys i know we’re all hoping and being optimistic and everything but from the past 2 seasons, changing managers in anfield does not mean immediate success. Plus most of the players we have will still remain in the squad so the mentality might still be intact as well. Ive just watched the re-run of the liverpool match against roy’s w.brom which was played anfield and my god were we terrible. And the players who played that same match is included in the same first eleven in this article excluding bellamy and hendo. So yeah. But im still hoping we get better and start of the season the same fashion we did in the 08/09 season.
YNWA
Agree with original post except Johnson for Downing and Kelly at RB