The dynamics of a Liverpool team with Coutinho

FORGETTING Arsenal (bad day at the office), the wonderful start Liverpool have made to the Premier League season could have been even better, with Brendan Rodgers and many of his players acknowledging that the Reds have yet to hit their peak, although they looked well on their way to it, judging by the wonderful performance against West Brom.

However, the points tally could have been 100% prior to the Emirates.

If we didn’t start the game against Southampton with four central defenders, we may have won the match. St James Park is a tough place to go to, but with the Magpies having 10 men for a long period of the game, Liverpool will be disappointed to only leave with a point. Finally, if a certain Ashley Williams hadn’t injured Coutinho, the momentum probably wouldn’t have changed and we would have held on to three points.

It can be argued that we were fortunate in other games, for example on the opening day of the season where Simon Mignolet denied Stoke a point at Anfield by saving a last-minute penalty. Furthermore, there was no Suarez or Coutinho against the Saints, so even if the defence was chosen more effectively (one of the factors for the 3-5-2 system, along with fitting in Suarez and Sturridge), Liverpool were not certainties to win.

Nevertheless, we should be able to survive the loss of one or two key players for one or two games, just not long term. And thankfully Coutinho is fit again after his injury against Swansea.

Despite the little Brazilian’s absence, Liverpool had been going very well of late, with the 3-5-2 partnership allowing Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge to be at their destructive best, scoring goals at will. Furthermore, the system benefits the likes of Glen Johnson, Aly Cissokho and Jose Enrique who all like to rampage down the flanks, knowing their defensive responsibilities have been reduced with three centre-halves behind them, currently Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure.

Finally, there is an excellent balance in midfield, with Lucas Leiva patrolling in front of the defence, allowing Steven Gerrard to venture slightly further forward and begin attacks, particularly with his brilliant range of passing.

On the other hand, it can be argued that Jordan Henderson is the biggest beneficiary from Rodgers’s new system. Henderson has been improving season by season and despite a little quip from Fergie (who carries on rattling cages and saying things that he should just keep to himself, as well as statements which are just wrong, i.e. Gerrard and Henderson), he has been one of the highlights this season so far.
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His energy and commitment are seemingly unlimited and his technical skills are vastly improving. For example his passing was very good against West Brom, even the ones that didn’t come off shows the confidence he now has compared to a year ago. He has become an important member of this Liverpool team, helping to keep it ticking over nicely by supplying the likes of Gerrard, Suarez and Sturridge.

Coutinho will come back into the side though, that’s a certainty. He may have a couple of games coming off the bench, but eventually he will force his way back into the starting XI. Consequently, this raises the question – what should the team look like with the Brazilian’s return?

Even though the 3-5-2 has been working very well, if Coutinho came into that system in would mean Henderson would have to be sacrificed and unless he has a sharp dip in form, I believe that is totally unfair. Instead, the system itself should be changed back to a four man defence, with the formation being something like a 4-3-1-2.

This may cause problems for the truckload of centre-backs Liverpool have at their disposal, but Tiago Ilori needs to go out on loan in January anyway and Sebastian Coates is injured. That would leave Daniel Agger, Sakho, Skrtel and Toure to choose from. Toure surely would be 4th choice, and there would need to be rotation between the other three, unless two perform at an exceptional level and Rodgers is prepared to accept the others unhappiness and potential transfer at the end of the season.

Johnson and Enrique/Cissokho would still be able to rampage down the flanks and their fitness and pace would allow them to still get back into defensive positions quickly. Moreover, they are all good enough defenders to accept more defensive responsibility if Liverpool moved back to a four man defence.

The midfield three would remain the same and they would all have similar roles to the ones they currently perform in the 3-5-2 system. Perhaps Henderson would drop deeper, alongside Lucas with Gerrard further forward, almost more in a 4-2-2-2 formation. Coutinho would then sit in front of the trio and behind SAS, dropping back if needs be to bulk up the midfield or going further forward to link up with Sturridge and Suarez. Coutinho’s passing, as well as Gerrard’s, would give SAS more excuses to run down the channels and turn defenders one way and the other, knowing that most of the time their runs will be found by Coutinho and Gerrard.

Concerns may develop over the defence, but with Henderson and Lucas providing cover, playmakers in the form of Coutinho and Gerrard and two certain strikers in the form of their lives, Liverpool’s first team has plenty of ammunition to go for a top four finish.

Coutinho’s return will only boost that.

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