LIVERPOOL Football Club announced on the 18th September that Philippe Coutinho would be out of action for around 6 weeks following a vicious challenge by Ashley Williams. The young Brazilian will have surgery to stabilise the acromioclavicular (AC) joint of his shoulder.
Losing our little Brazilian is, without a doubt, a problem, but not one that is insurmountable.
All Liverpool fans have been waiting to get Suarez reunited with Sturridge and Coutinho. With Moses scoring on a lively debut against Swansea, and the solid midfield foundation of Lucas and Gerrard, it looked like we’d be well set to try to maintain our position near the top of the table and challenge for the Champions League spots. The make up will now have to change.
Coutinho hasn’t started the season in top form. He’s done okay, having been played wide left, but it was only in the Swansea game when he was played centrally that he was regularly getting on the ball and probing. His natural ease on the ball, intelligent movement and insightful passing were key reasons why we maintained possession for longer stretches in the first half than the second.
We cannot ascribe our poor showing in the second half (primarily last half hour) against Swansea purely to Coutinho going off injured (we’ve been poor in the second halves against Man United and Aston Villa as well), but there’s little doubt it had a large impact as Aspas was unable to either get on the ball or hold onto it in the same fashion. All of a sudden Lucas and Gerrard suddenly seemed to lack options to pass to.
I was also disappointed that Brendan Rodgers made no comment about the unnecessary violence of the tackle that has sidelined one of our most important players. If it had been against a different team, and the culprit wasn’t Rodgers’ best buddy Ashley Williams, I have no doubt he would have said at least something. However unfortunately these things do happen in football and I am not advocating that Rodgers turn into a moaner like Mourinho or Ferguson (although if he gains their other managerial abilities I’d be quite pleased).
At the moment the brilliant Sturridge and loanee Victor Moses will start against Southampton. Jordan Henderson has done a solid, if unspectacular, job on the right side, and his willingness to press and cover lots of ground has helped the defensive side our game this season. One would think that despite a mediocre showing against Swansea in a difficult game, he will also start against Southampton. That leaves just the one position that is debatable in the forward positions, the position Coutinho filled, either on the left (where Moses will most likely now play) or centrally off Sturridge.
So far Aspas has been the go to man. But I think Iago is still very much adapting to the pressure of playing for a big club, the pace & the physicality of the Premier League, and settling into a new social and footballing culture. I’d leave him on the bench.
For me that leaves a couple of viable options:
1) We play Luis Alberto in the No.10 role. He’s comfortable playing in the midfield but also supporting the attack. He knows how to play in-between the lines and in his playing time so far has shown he can keep and rotate the ball. He’s also really high on confidence having scored a hattrick in front of the onlooking Rodgers while playing for the Under 21s recently. Obviously the pace and physicality of the Premier League is something he also needs to adapt to, but he’s had sub appearances and a start in the Carling Cup already and he’s gotten to know his team-mates over the course of pre-season. We’re playing at home against a midtable side and this may be a good opportunity to start him.
2) We play Jordan Henderson centrally and pick one of Sterling/Ibe/Alberto for the right side. Sterling is the most likely. Raheem hasn’t started in the Premier League yet, but has come on as a sub and he is itching to play. We know he can cause problems for opposition defences and although he hasn’t been able to impact the game coming on as a sub, he was a match winner on a number of occasions for us last season. He’d also be a good option.
It may well be that Rodgers gives Aspas another chance, and if he does then I hope he plays Iago wide right, where it will be easier for him to acclimatise. As David Tyrer wrote it’s far too early to castigate a new player after just 5 games, but now would be a good time to take the pressure off him.
Ultimately after the Southampton game, Rodgers will have a different decision to make. Where does he play the best player in the Premier League?
I’m for playing Suarez in the free role behind Sturridge against most Premier League opposition, and then possibly wide left with a midfielder more centrally (e.g. Henderson) when we face tougher opposition like Chelsea or Man City. Anyway, that’s a much longer discussion for another day,
At least having now lost one of our key playmakers in Coutinho, Rodgers has more options to choose from than he did last season.
You can catch more from me on my own blog: http://taintlessred.blogspot.co.uk/
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nice article, esp ……….(although if he gains their other abilities, i wld be quite pleased)
Thanks chukwuemeka.
If liverpool plays woman Aspas in the no 10 role surely they will loose this game cos i dont see Aspas getting the better of Wanyama and Schniederlin.Better if Gerrard plays there then lucas and Hendo CM roles.
Just seen the team and Aspas starts. I hope he plays wide right with Henderson central. Would have liked to see Sterling or Alberto start.
LFC has lost 5 points in 2 matches without Coutinho. Adequate squad depth is urgently required. Aspas and Alberto are proven flops.
Henderson, the 23 year old is, and will always be technically inept. He just runs about like a headless gazelle purposelessly.
In pre season games, Aspas did well playing alongside Suarez. Lets just see if he can regain his pre season form when Suarez returns.