A 10-game stay in the Liverpool starting line-up has not come as a surprise to Raheem Sterling. Since returning to Brendan Rodgers' XI on the opening day of December 2013, the 19-year-old has produced an electric run of form, punctuated by three goals. Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez may have grabbed most of the headlines after the 5-3 victory at Stoke City last weekend, but Sterling equally caught the eye of Kopites. His ability to dribble at searing pace, a new-found sense of adventure in the penalty area and his unlikely strength in the challenge combined in a display of much promise. Although the Reds' No.31 kicked off the campaign among the substitutes, he always retained confidence that the opportunity to impress would present itself. "I'm really enjoying having a run in the team; anyone playing for the club would love to have a run in the team," Sterling told Liverpoolfc.com. "I've been given a chance, the manager has put faith in me and played me week in, week out so far. Hopefully I can produce on the pitch and carry on. "I knew within myself that there would be a point in the season when I would get a chance. I just had to be ready. "In training I was working hard to hopefully get a chance; the chance came and hopefully I can repay the manager by either scoring or assisting. "Last season I looked at my game and I wasn't making the box enough. This season, all three of my goals have come within the box. "I just need to keep making the box and the chances will come. Hopefully I'll get some more goals and add to my stats." In the past seven weeks, Sterling has been the subject of praise from his captain, Steven Gerrard, defender Kolo Toure, first-team coach Mike Marsh, and the boss himself. So, how has Rodgers been assisting the wide-man's development? "He has just said to carry on working hard for the team," the England international commented. "As long as the team is winning, we're all happy. "It's a situation where we need to build from what we have already done and try to achieve our goal at the end of the season." The youngster's noticeable desire to attack the opposition box has played a significant role in Sterling notching three times in his last 10 fixtures. He explained: "I'm just working hard and trying to do the best that I can. I feel really confident now and feel as if I'm getting into my zone. "Hopefully I've got more to come. Confidence is the most important thing for my game; if I'm not confident, I don't do the stuff I normally would do - I just do the safe or simple option. "But now, getting into my zone with the senior players encouraging you to do what they know you can do, it's a really good moment for me and the team. "This season, if you come into the dressing room before the game and after the game - and around the training ground - you can see the difference that has been made by the team bonding. It has been really good." http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/153248-sterling-i-knew-i-would-get-a-chance
probably but in reality coutinho needs a little rest so I hope we see the two swap over the next 3 games so coutinho is ready to lay passes on and work hard v everton.
Brod likes to play SaS so its unlikely we'll play 433. Two up top means no wide players or three CBs. I think (hope) the latter as been forgotten which means a 4312 system. Sterling can't play in the hole.
We'll see. neither player is a no 9 striker as they go all over so I would expect henderson to try to go right and coutinho to go left. I still expect and hope coutinho is given a rest here and in the FA cup.
I think the villa game coulad see a 4-4-2 at some point but the other question is sturridge's stamina so he could be the one to come off... coutinho needs a rest though. 4-1-3-2 is just 4-4-2 in another name yeah? 4-3-3 with coutinho behind the front two sounds about right
With the fluidity of all of our attacking players I see no reason why Raheem, Studge and Suarez can't all play up top. Suarez and Studge have a tendency to attack from out wide anyway, I remember hearing an interview with Suarez where he claimed that Rodgers gives very minimal instructions to the front 3, he basically just tells them to do their thing. Coutinho needs a rest big time. He doesn't seem to be enjoying himself at the moment and seems to be shooting out of frustration every every minutes. He needs to work more for the team and create chances for his team mates like he did when he arrived.
Coutinho came off against Stoke and we had Sterling, Suarez & Sturridge up front. Sturridge was the main focal point, Sterling from the right and Suarez was on the left but seemed to have license to roam around and play a free role. Don't see why we can't use that formation with those 3 going forward.
Be adventurous, use the 4-2-4 formation of old that Bayern used to be famous for. Not that it is really much different to a 4-4-2 mind you.
How we started the season imo. Aspas (replace with Suarez) & Sturridge up top with Coutinho & Henderson out wide with Gerrard & Lucas in the midfield.
.......Minny Mouse...... ....Dagger.....Sack'O... J.....................Enrique .... Hendo . Stevo........ ....,............................... Stir... ............. Cooties .... ...Bite.... Studge..... Deadly... although Gerrard may not have the legs anymore. Two Hendo's would have the athleticism to pull off a 4-2-4. /assuming all fit. Note... not saying this what we should do... just incorporating Raheem into a feasible starting 11 with SAS.
Probably Coutinho in behind the striker and Sturridge on the wing would make more sense? Suarez could go on the wing but we'd be mental to move the league's top scorer about when he's in such good form.
Agger isn't good, I'm really not sure why people rate him so highly when his only strength is a tendency to run with the ball. His passing is barely any different to the other CBs, it goes forward to the nearest midfielder. Toure and Sakho would be better and much more solid defensively which is what we need. Given how deep Gerrard or Lucas drop lately, passing ability in a CB isn't needed anyway. Johnson is absolutely dire, Flanno needs to play there when he's fit (assuming he continues in the same form pre injury). I'd be tempted to play Lucas and Hendo in a formation like that, rather than Gerrard, but horses for courses and all that.
---------------Mignolet----------------- -Johnson---Agger----Sakho---Enrique- -----|-----------Lucas----^--------|---- -----v----Hendo------Gerrard-----v---- -------------v---Coutinho-------------- ---------Sturridge---v---Suarez-------- With Gerrard playing a more defensive role lately and BR indicating he will make that his spot soon, we need Hendo to run forward to assist in attacking play. He can also help Johnson out on the right if needed. Gerrard will drop back as play unfolds and defend, while picking long passes. Lucas drops further than Gerrard and covers attackers/slows down counter attacks. He then passes to Gerrard who can then pass to Hendo to run further forward, Coutinho to find a through ball, or a sideways ball to Enrique for width. Suarez will drop back to help Jose in his plays and then run with the ball. In this system the fullbacks provide width and are more of wingbacks. This means Agger and Sakho run towards the sides that are left exposed while Lucas drops back into a CB role to protect the real CBs. Gerrard helps until the fullbacks are back in position. Then we get the ball and the system resets. Agger brings calmness to the defence. He has problems with marking on set pieces but I feel that other than that, he's well positioned. You never see him running like crazy to recover the ball from the opponent that he lost. Skrtel does this too often for my liking. Skrts makes attractive last gasp tackles because he has put himself in the situation where he has to. Agger doesn't do that as much. He needs to fix his set piece work though, I agree. This system also needs a ball playing CB. Skrtel boots it out too much. He's an able deputy but Agger is my choice. Sterling and Aspas and Borini and Allen can all fight for spots when the first team gets injured or tired. Sterling will need a rest again. Dont need him burning out like last season. His development will continue for a long time and while he has done remarkably well recently, he won't die on the bench making occasional starts and being subsitituted often. Not at his age.
I think its all too easy to forget just how young Sterling is. People have been (Rightly) ranting about Januzaj this season while Sterling has just been expected to perform while they'd have been in the same year as each other at school. Sterling has played in 1 less league game than Januzaj yet he's scored more goals! I think this season we'll see Sterling quietly become a consistently fantastic performer while Januzaj will continue to get ranted about by the press (even if he is one of the biggest divers in premier league history) and I think this is unjust. I hope I'm wrong as Sterling deserves every bit of credit he gets.
It also doesn't help that Sterling's has been in and around the first team for two seasons previous to this too.
