Joe Allen has been here since 2012 and bar a single goal a week ago has not provided any return for money. Part of our problems stem from the fact that we put up with mediocrity like that. The Stewart Downing effect. A frustratingly below average player puts together a month of "not as terrible" football and we tell ourselves maybe he is good enough now. He's not and never will be.
There are a few in this squad I'd retain. Ings, Sturridge, Origi. Firmino, Henderson, Coutinho, Markovic and Can. Sakho, Moreno, Clyne, Gomez.
The rest I see as upgradable. The ones above have potential but they need to start working to fulfill it.
I think one of our issues is playing a single striker system. 4-2-3-1 is the most popular formation in Europe now, but its essentially a defensive one. Two holding midfielders, 4 defenders, leaves a pair of wingers and a CAM as sole support for the striker. The striker is isolated and expected to track back to pick up the ball and run with it at 10 defenders.
Many theories lately point to Suarez dragging our 2013/14 squad to second, surrounded by ****. But I contend that in that system, we played our best football with excellent results. That system was the 4-4-2 diamond. The issue with it is that it lacks width - the fullbacks have to act as wingers. With fullbacks like Johnson or Enrique or Flanagan (who I rate) there is an issue with the attack not having the support due to their pace. But today we possess two excellent fullbacks in Moreno and Clyne. Pacey and while not 100% Dani Alves, they'd do a better job than the ones we had.
We then need a single pivot or defensive midfielder. Lucas has looked good when playing there alone. He is not as good when in a pair there - as his space to run is limited, and he hesitates to tackle when he knows he should have backup. But alone he has had good results and usually is solid. At a push, if our CBs need more cover than that, Can can play there. Ahead of him there are two CM spots. Henderson should be one of them. I'm a big admirer of his and I don't subscribe to MITO's donkey description of him. He's not been his best this season, and that is doubly worse because of his captaincy, but he's been injured and out of the squad. He's still fairly young and he does have quality. He needs to be surrounded by quality as well though. I think next to him would be perfect for Coutinho or in the future, Grujic. Coutinho does well from deep when he has players ahead and behind. He usually struggles when he bursts forward and no one is within twenty feet of him, and he has no one to pass to.
In the ten role we can put Firmino. If he fails to replicate his Arsenal game then Coutinho can take back that spot. Markovic also played incredibly well at the 10 role in Portugal.
This leaves two strikers. I'm not sure what the best path to success is for them. Fit, Sturridge is one. His partner either needs to complement him by being a big knockdown, aerial Benteke type, or a skillful strike partner like Ings. Hell, I'm the last Liverpool supporter to not think that Balotelli was all that bad. He could do as well. I think Balotelli was the most isolated LFC striker I had ever seen. His support was non existent. He got more support from fans in the terraces holding him back than he did from Lallana. With a partner he played pretty well. However he isn't a lone striker and if we are going to persist with one solitary figure up top we shouldn't bother with him.
Overall I think this an important window for us. Sign someone now for us to stabilise the ship, compete in cups, and for them get used to the team. Without the pressure of a full season, a player can use the second half of the league to get acclimatised to the Prem. I'm sick of seeing Lallana and Allen. I'm sick of hearing the mentality of "Shane Long would improve us". That's the mentality that got us where we are today. Klopp's reputation means we can dare to dream. We can try to sign the Sanchez's and Lacazette's and Griezmann's of the world. Forget Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic. Forget Allen and Lambert and Lallana.
Why must the two be mutually exclusive?
