Sakho and Lucas Set to ‘Galvanize’

With just ten games remaining and sitting in 2nd place after an unbeaten run that stretches from the start of January, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it just can’t get any better for Liverpool. The lack of signings in January left Liverpool’s already small squad even weaker so it’s a miracle that the club is sitting in 2nd with a game in hand over leaders Chelsea, who are 7 points clear with a visit to Anfield still awaiting them.

Those new signings may well be on there way though as, on Friday evening, both Mamadou Sakho and Lucas Leiva took part in the U21’s victory over West Ham, with both impressing in what turned out to be a relatively comfortable win.

With Martin Skrtel and Dan Agger looking like being the first-choice CB partnership for the remainder of the season, the return of Sakho might not seem as pressing as Lucas but with TToure having What can only be described as a couple of ‘mares recently, his return to the squad will give the Reds some much needed cover at the back going into the final run-in.

Given that the big French defender can also cover at left-back, he provides a different option to either of the full-backs that are currently able to play in that position. His size, strength in the air and ability on the ball means he provides his manager an option to play three at the back, in closing out tough games, that perhaps Rodgers would be reluctant to try with just Kolo available. Regardless of how he’s used, having him back fit again will give the squad a timely injection of defensive quality and ensure that neither Skrtel or Agger allow their collective form to dip.

On the other hand, the injury to Lucas couldn’t have come at a worse time for the club, as initially goals were shipped left and right following his injury. Eventually though, manager Rodgers adapted his tactics in Lucas’s absence and – barring the odd blip – goals shipped stopped being such a huge issue.

With Liverpool’s innate ability to outscore the opposition this season, goals against was only ever going to prove a hurdle rather than an insurmountable obstacle but make no mistake, Lucas will provide Liverpool with an extra dimension; he will become that practically insurmountable obstacle in front of Liverpool’s back line when the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea come to town. If Rodgers uses Lucas correctly, he could well prove to be the masterstroke that introducing Didi Hamann was at half-time in Istanbul.

Given the current form of the Liverpool side, many would choose not to throw Lucas straight back in to the mix. And given that the next match for the Reds is away at Old Trafford, I would probably agree. There is no point in trying to fix something that isn’t (entirely) broken and with United likely to be more up for a game against Liverpool, the pace of the game may well pass him by after such a lengthy period on the side lines.

Go back a few months and we all firmly believed that any challenge for the top-4, never mind a challenge for the Premier League, would require new signings and that we’d need back-up in both attack and defense. At present, I think even Barcelona and Real Madrid would loom at our front 4 with envy, but by the time we arrive at Old Trafford on Sunday morning, we could well have two ‘new’ defensive signings in the squad to bolster our push for a first league title in over 20 years.