Allen and Sahin can negate Lucas' absence

When Lucas Leiva trudged disconsolately off the Anfield turf just 3 minutes into Liverpool's match against Manchester City, an audible air of concern was detectable from the home fans inside Anfield that was surely mirrored by the club's supporters watching around the globe. Lucas' absence from the side last season had an astoundingly detrimental effect on the side then managed by Kenny Dalglish and the notion of him again being injured seemingly presented the same problems that Dalglish ultimately failed to resolve last season to new manager Brendan Rodgers. Or so we thought.

Despite no signing of a like for like back up player for Lucas and the ever expanding dossier of evidence displaying Jay Spearing's inability to reach the levels required in that role, Liverpool managed the rest of the game against the Champions without a 'natural' defensive midfielder in an admirable manner. Step forward Joe Allen.

Lucas can't hind his despair at his latest injury setback 

When Brendan Rodgers splashed out £15m for the Welshman, it was assumed that he would occupy the 'second volante' position in Liverpool's new midfield trio. Essentially he would be the playmaker, slightly advanced of Lucas and behind Steven Gerrard. Lucas would be the player charged with more of the defensive responsibilities, thus allowing Allen to concentrate of getting on the ball and dictating Liverpool's play from a slightly more advanced position. It was in this particular role that he excelled for Swansea last season with Leon Britton doing his defensive work (playing the 'Lucas' role, if you like) and while Liverpool lost convincingly to West Brom on his league début for his new club, Allen produced an accomplished personal display in that position.

However, with Lucas likely to miss up to three months of the season with his thigh injury and Jay Spearing seemingly on his way out of the club, Allen will most likely now be required to be Liverpool's deepest and most overtly defensive central midfielder. Admittedly this isn't ideal, but against City, the little maestro's performance showed that he is capable of filing the void left by the unfortunate Brazilian.

Joe Allen tussles with Yaya Toure 

Aside from the outstanding retention of possession and smart, accurate passing on display from Allen last weekend, it was his interceptions, tackling and tenacity that eased the fears of losing Lucas to injury. Allen was imperious against the likes of Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri while positioned just in front of Liverpool's centre halves and never looked overawed at the complicated and slightly different role thrust upon him. For a player at a new club, in a new role in a game of that magnitude, he exuded maturity and tactical abilities that belied his tender years.

Allen's apparent versatility is looking likely to benefit Liverpool in Lucas' absence, but it is also offset with the astute loan capture of Nuri Sahin which also eases the headache that Lucas' injury has given Brendan Rodgers. Rather than having to compensate for the lack of a world class defensive midfielder with the introduction of a player of lesser quality like Jay Spearing (as Dalglish did), or trusting in the relatively unproven, inexperienced Jonjo Shelvey and Jordan Henderson, Rodgers now has the option to bring in an experienced and potentially world class player like Nuri Sahin into the side while readjusting the role of Allen slightly. Essentially, Allen can play where Lucas was meant to and Sahin can fill the gap that Allen's repositioning creates.

Nuri Sahin is an exciting prospect for Liverpool's fans

While a deep lying midfield duo of Sahin and Allen does not, on the face of it, offer quite the defensive solidity of that of Lucas and Allen in tandem, it does allow two of Liverpool's most technically gifted players to play alongside each other and help set the tempo for the side by dominating possession even more than with Lucas in the side. It is probably not the pairing that Brendan Rodgers would have preferred to have been able to select early in the season (especially with may difficult games on the immediate horizon), but the signings of Allen and Sahin now look even more inspired as it offers Liverpool greater flexibility and more options to deal with the unfortunate loss of Lucas. Rather than simply finding a less talented replacement for Lucas, Liverpool can now alter their tactical ethos slightly to incorporate a midfield trio with the outstanding technical qualities of Gerrard, Sahin and Allen. It may not be perfect and it may not click straight away but it is a mouth watering prospect that could ignite Liverpool's season.

If Allen had failed to re-assimilate himself impressively in the deeper role he was forced to undertake against City, then panic would now be sweeping the club and it's fan base. Instead, Allen's man of the match performance means that while he doesn't have the experience of Lucas at being the predominant holding player in midfield, Liverpool at least have a young man ready to step into the Brazilian's hitherto unfilled shoes and aid the midfield from the same position, albeit in a slightly different way.

If Nuri Sahin can integrate himself into Liverpool's system in the way fans hope, then Lucas' absence may not be as devastating as first feared. Allen and Sahin is a risky pairing in central midfield, but it is also a combination that cannot fail to evoke some excitement. Both players have wonderful technique and are famed for their passing styles. While Allen is busy and generally keeps play ticking over with short, simple passes, Sahin is capable of supplying much needed imagination to the team. He has an extraordinary passing range and will hopefully excel with a player like Steven Gerrard to constantly feed the ball to. If Allen can consistently replicate his performance against City with a fit and firing Sahin alongside him, then Liverpool may find themselves with a new midfield partnership that could be the envy of the Premier League.

Luis Suarez +/-

Opposites attract and for Luis Suarez's negatives, Liverpool must find a positive.

As Liverpool fans reran the horrifying opening day defeat to West Brom in their minds, they could be forgiven for silently cursing their wasteful centre forward who missed at least 3 very presentable opportunities against the Baggies. I submit, however, that this is no new phenomena and Luis Suarez will forever be the kind of player who will miss chances that his talents demand he should take. It has been evident for 18 months at Anfield and was even on show during the Olympics for Uruguay. For all his qualities and his Eredivisie exploits with Ajax, the little number 7 is no clinical finisher. Perhaps it is a problem that can only be rectified indirectly.

Rather than lamenting Suarez's near misses and shanked sitters, Liverpool should be focused on finding a solution to the profligacy of their star player from another source. Suarez will have games where he will gobble up three wonderful goals from relatively difficult chances (i.e. Norwich away last season) but then follow it up with a string of misses in the following games that lead to Liverpool firing blanks. And there is the main obstacle that Liverpool must overcome. If Suarez isn't scoring, who is?

Opening day anguish for Suarez at West Brom

For a long time Liverpool have been bailed out by clinical front men who, regardless of how they were playing in a match, would more often than not stick the ball in the net given half a chance. From Torres to Owen to Fowler to Rush to Aldridge, Liverpool have always had someone in their team that guaranteed goals no matter how peripheral they were during a game. Luis Suarez is the antithesis of this. He guarantees sparkling performances week in week out (did anyone think, finishing apart, that he performed anything less than brilliantly at West Brom last Saturday?) but he does not guarantee goals. His finishing is as unpredictable as his bamboozling twists and turns.

However, Liverpool's lack of goals is not all his fault. Suarez is what he is. He's a magician, a conjurer, a creator who people rejoice in watching and he needs a sidekick to take the weight of Liverpool's goal scoring duties from his shoulders. Perhaps a slight reshuffling of the front line would help. Maybe Fabio Borini playing centrally with Suarez filling one of the wide attacking berths would provide more for Liverpool in terms of goals. Borini is a player who does finish chances as we have seen at Roma, but he is also a player whose work rate, knowledge of Rodgers' system and game intelligence are perhaps better utilized from one of the wide forward positions that Rodgers' has placed him in thus far. If that is the case then Liverpool must find another regular source of goals, and quick.

Stewart Downing started in the other forward position alongside Borini and Suarez at the Hawthorns, but is anyone expecting more than five league goals out of him this year? It simply isn't enough for a wide attacker to contribute when the man leading the line is unreliable in terms of his finishing. Oussama Assaidi will hopefully add some much needed firepower to Liverpool this season, but that is again a huge gamble on a young player who must first find his feet in the Premier League before becoming a first team regular. Whichever way you dress it up, Liverpool don't look like a team that are going to be significantly more clinical than they were last year when they recorded just 47 league goals. It is a concern that seeing otherwise good performances being undone by wretched finishing could again be an all too common occurrence this season.

Dejected: Suarez laments another missed opportunity 

Just imagine for a moment, if you can without being sick in your mouth, that Fernando Torres had stayed at Liverpool and was currently playing alongside Suarez. Presuming that they could have dovetailed as effectively as their talents suggest they would have, how many goals do you think the Spaniard would have scored? I'll venture a guess at significantly more than the 11 that Andy Carroll has scored in his 57 Liverpool appearances thus far. The space that Suarez creates for his strike partners is immense. He is forever pulling defenders out of position and gliding past them, but too often he won't have a partner waiting to profit from his beguiling movement or the composure to finish his excellent build up play himself. Torres would have benefited hugely but alas, he is long gone from Merseyside. Liverpool need a new goalscorer. If they had a 'fox in the box' (not Franny Jeffers, mind), they would be an infinitely more frightening attacking proposition.

With Carroll still kicking his heels on the touchline so far this season and the likes of Adam, Cole and Spearing seemingly only taking up space in the bloated midfield portion of the squad, perhaps Brendan Rodgers would be best served by moving these fringe players on (admittedly at a huge loss in Carroll's case) and bringing in a proper foil for his best player to work off. Luis Suarez is a number 7, not a number 9. He's a Peter Beardsley in need of a John Aldridge to work off.

Who knows, with someone else taking the goal scoring burden off his shoulders, maybe Suarez would loosen up a bit and finish a few more of the chances that he gets. Finding an out and out goalscorer could even unlock more potential from Suarez. Just nobody mention Michael Owen. He's a negative force too far.

Sterling show brings Cole into focus

Following Raheem Sterling's fantastic goal for Liverpool in their friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen, Brendan Rodgers offered his thoughts:

"I like wingers to play with width, and by the time the ball got to Jose Enrique, he (Sterling) was in a great position. His movement off the ball was very impressive - he's made a great run and the rest was that imagination and creativity that I love when he cut inside and scored with a wonderful finish. He's shown over pre-season that from a young guy who just worries about himself, he now worries about the team and the responsibility within the team."

Raheem Sterling celebrates his first goal for Liverpool

While this may be taken at face value as a glowing endorsement of a talented youngster at Anfield, it was also a clear indication of why a vastly experienced, highly paid former England international must leave Liverpool as soon as possible. Step forward Joe Cole.

Rodgers' assertions with regards to Sterling in his post match comments should have rang like a deafening alarm siren in the mind of Cole. Essentially, Rodgers outlined exactly what he wants from his wide forwards (realistically the only position Cole would be able to play in for Liverpool) and his description was in stark contrast to what Joe Cole of 2012 can offer.

Where Cole likes to come in off the flank and play centrally, Rodger's “likes wingers to play with width”. Where Cole comes alive with the ball at his feet as is, shall we say, economical in his off the ball movements, Rodgers requires perpetual motion. Where Cole is often indulgent and lacking in work rate (and crucially, fitness) Rodgers demands “responsibility within the team.".

There is little doubt that Cole still has something to offer in his career but there is less doubt still that he can no longer regularly function in the Premier League for a team with Champions League aspirations. Despite a mildly successful season playing on loan for Lille in the more ponderous Ligue 1 last term, no one at Anfield was licking their lips with anticipation at seeing Joe Cole reborn this summer. His pre-season outings we're typical of his time at the club. He flitted in and out of games, looked tired, had the odd moment of technical brilliance and then got injured. He is simply too far gone to be considered anything more than a squad player for Liverpool these days.

A familiar sight 

Aside from the fact that his style of play is not suited to Rodgers' ideal of how his forward players should operate while his team are in possession, the main problem with Cole is his inability to work when his team don't have the ball. Since his arrival on Merseyside, the most common feature of his play hasn't been his tricks, close control or passing. It has been his propensity to drop his hands to his knees and gasp for air whenever the ball goes out of play regardless of how old the game is. His lack of physical fitness is alarming and Rodgers charges his players to consistently pressure their opponents. It is just another example of how ill suited Cole is to the new manager's plans.

In a summer when the far more productive talents of Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez have been released by Liverpool, it is surely just a matter of time until Cole follows them out of the Shankly Gates. The playmaker still offers the imagination and technical ability that he always has and, perhaps in the right side, could yet be an effective player. Indeed, it is not too hard to imagine him flourishing at a club with lower aspirations that Liverpool. While he remains at Anfield though, he is draining Liverpool's coffers to the tune of over £100,00 per week (hello Mr. Purslow) but also losing precious time in what remains of his career. It is time for him and his club to accept that things just haven't worked out the way they wanted and agree to write off their adventure together as a failure.

Joe Cole remains an exceptionally gifted footballer but unless he finds pastures new as soon as possible he will likely be warming the substitutes bench and find himself behind the likes of Raheem Sterling in the pecking order at Anfield. If that situation is allowed to come to fruition then he will not be able to demonstrate his considerable talents any more and that would be a shame for all of us who have taken great delight in his skills over the years. Most importantly though, for a man who loves his football as obviously as Cole does, it would be a shame for him.

Comolli costs costing Carroll

It is often said that money talks in football and Liverpool's new manager and current number 9 are surely all too aware of this. Brendan Rodgers has seemingly been forced into taking a decision on Andy Carroll's future before even seeing him in action as Liverpool manager. Through no fault of either manager of player, the striker's location for the coming season appears to be being dictated primarily by his £35m transfer fee and current market value rather than his talent or his new manager's opinion of him as a footballer. This situation is of Damien Comolli's making. His negotiating of the deal to bring Carroll to Liverpool 18 months ago means that time, patience and assessment of the player are not options currently available to Liverpool's new manager. Comolli's poor dealings during his time at Liverpool continue to have far reaching consequences and the people suffering from his mistakes (particularly Brendan Rodgers and Andy Carroll) are now in undesirable positions as a result of the Frenchman's poor performance in the transfer market.

Comolli and Carroll in happier times

Rodgers has talked about assessing his squad since the moment he took charge at Anfield, but the media speculation surrounding Carroll (and fuelled off the record by the club) over the past month suggests that the big number 9 was not included in this approach. Carroll's impressive end to the season and subsequent performances at Euro 2012 have seen his market value increase after a hitherto dismal time since January 2011. The problem is that his value, while improved recently, is still so far short of the incredible amount that Liverpool paid for his services that a sale this summer would still bring with it an eye watering financial hit on a player whose best days surely lie ahead of him. Rodgers was faced with the task of deciding whether to sell the striker while his value is relatively high now or gamble on keeping him and hoping he improves even further. He seems to have chosen the first option.

The problem isn't that Carroll is a bad player or that Rodgers has hastily decided that he wouldn't like the chance to try and integrate Carroll into his team. The problem is that Damien Comolli overpaid on Carroll to such an irresponsible level that recouping any decent amount of money on the player now has to be considered. Indeed, if Andy Carroll had been acquired for 'just' £18m, his future at Liverpool would probably be assured right now. Rodgers would be assessing him during pre season as is his wont and would more than likely give the Geordie target man opportunities over the coming season to prove his worth. It is obvious that significant talent lies within Carroll and it would be churlish to suggest that Rodgers wouldn't relish the opportunity of extracting and enhancing that talent. The problem is that Carroll's potential integration into the new managers system would likely require time and it is not guaranteed to be successful. If Carroll stays he may not be a regular starter under Rodgers and therein lies the main reason for his impending exit. How do you keep a £35m player at the club if he isn't a guaranteed starter?

With every poor performance or game spent on the bench, Carroll's value would only decrease and by this time next year, should Carroll fail to impress under his new manager, then the £15m-£20m being muted for his possible transfer right now will probably be double any offer Liverpool would receive after a season of under performance. Instead of being able to asses Carroll and try and utilise him as he sees fit, Rodgers must always consider the player's value as a primary factor. It all comes back to that £35m price tag. It is a sad situation that a young forward on a seemingly upward curve in his career may not be given the chance to prove himself at Anfield and it is all down to the irresponsible fee negotiated by Damien Comolli when he was at Liverpool.

Carroll may not be wearing red for much longer but who is to blame?

If further proof of Comolli's dealing being a significant factor in the future of Carroll is needed we only need to look to another of Comolli's expensive English signings. Stewart Downing showed far less promise last season than Carroll did but his future at Liverpool is under little scrutiny at this moment, not because of his ability to be an effective player for the club, but because any fee Liverpool would receive for his services this summer would be negligible given his age and form. Indeed, if Carroll hadn't demonstrated such an obvious improvement at the back end of the 2011/12 season his future at Liverpool would likely be as secure as Downing's as his value would also be so low that selling him wouldn't be worthwhile. It is ironic that Liverpool have to seriously consider selling a young striker in hot form rather than an out of sorts, ageing winger primarily because of the prices paid by Comolli and their current market value.

If and when Carroll moves on from Merseyside this summer he should feel a sense of injustice and disgruntlement, not towards the manager who will have moved him on, but to the man who brought him to Liverpool for such a ridiculously inflated fee. Damien Comolli has a lot to answer for. The money that he wasted during his time at Liverpool continues to talk loudly.

Liverpool's foundation must remain

When an architect is designing construction plans for a new project, his or her starting point will invariably be the foundations. They must be sturdy and reliable otherwise what lies on top will ultimately tumble to the ground. The same principle applies to Brendan Rodgers' imminent construction of a new Liverpool.


For all the talk of tiki-taka and fluid attacking football, perhaps the most crucial aspect for Liverpool this season is the base of the team and, in particular, it's centre half pairing. The centre of Liverpool's defence is not an area of the squad that carries sufficient depth at this moment. Say what you want about Jamie Carragher's experience or Sebastian Coates' raw potential, as we speak, Liverpool have two just two ready made central defenders of the required quality to move the club forward. To use one of Brendan Rodgers' favourite phrases: Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel are fundamental.

Foundations: Skrtel & Agger are something for LFC to build on

A Liverpool starting eleven containing Agger and Skrtel on a regular basis is what everyone, particularly the new manager, is surely hoping for this coming season. Unfortunately, there are currently some lingering doubts about how often the pair will be together in Liverpool's team next season, if at all. Both player's reputations have never been higher, as illustrated by reported interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City recently. After years of Agger seemingly flying under the radar of other top clubs due to injury problems and Skrtel's inability to maintain his best form on a consistent basis, Liverpool now must face the problems that arise with having two in form Premier League defenders in their prime years (both are aged 27). Other clubs with greater finances and more potential of immediate, tangible success are now apparently casting envious glances towards two of the Reds' most important players. It is no surprise.


Skrtel is coming off his best season by far at Anfield. He was undoubtedly one of the outstanding defenders in the Premier League last term and was deservedly voted Liverpool's player of the season. Meanwhile, Agger impressed a wide audience with his performances at Euro 2012 for Denmark and perhaps more significantly, made 27 league appearances last term, his level best total during an injury plagued 6 years at the club. Skrtel's new found consistency dispelled the previous widely held assertion that he isn't reliable enough to play week in week out for a team with trophy aspirations while Agger's relatively high number of appearances will have eased fears about his previously terrible fitness record. The pair now look accomplished, reliable, proven top level players and it is Liverpool's job as a club to retain their services in the face of interest from others.

Which brings us neatly on to the pressing matter of contracts. Both players current deals expire in 2014 and offers need to be made soon by Liverpool if they are to secure the futures of their outstanding defensive duo. The club cannot afford to let negotiations drag on for too long and the ideal scenario would be both players signing new, improved, long term contracts in the coming weeks. Agger has talked of his desire for opening negotiations and Skrtel's agent has made noises in the press about an improved deal which is encouraging for the club and it's fans. Brendan Rodgers has today himself made positive noises regarding the situation of both clubs and hopefully this will be ironed out soon enough, but if deals are not struck in relatively short time frame then clubs like City and Madrid will likely be upping their current levels of interest. 

Brendan Rodgers has many obstacles to negotiate

The importance of retaining the services of Agger and Skrtel really cannot be overstated in a footballing sense for Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool badly need to keep both players on the pitch next season with sustained regularity. Agger's technical ability, calmness and poise on the ball will be of paramount importance when it comes to the team implementing Rodgers' methods successfully. It is debatable whether there is a more technically assured centre half in Europe than the Dane and his quality will be a priceless commodity to Liverpool if they are to adopt, as expected, a more possession based approach to games. Rodgers' likes his teams to play out from the back and in Agger, he currently holds a perfect player to do this. If he does indeed remain at Anfield for the forthcoming campaign, Rodgers' medical staff will also be charged with keeping him fit and building on the progress that he made last season in this area. A fully fit Agger playing the vast majority of games is a luxury Liverpool haven't had since he signed back in 2006 and this becoming a reality is more vital now than ever before.


Skrtel's emergence as a ultra reliable, dominant centre half last season was one of the few bright sports for Liverpool as he finally matured into an indispensable member of the team. The worrying propensity to concede unnecessary free kicks was all but eradicated, his aerial presence in both boxes was improved and he became a leader on the pitch. That he compliments Agger's more cultured approach is another bonus. When they are paired together Liverpool are an infinitely better team and it is of imperative that this remains the case next season. 


The aforementioned transfer speculation, injury doubts and unresolved contract situations means that there are currently several obstacles lying in the club's way regarding Agger and Skrtel but if the new manager, his staff and his superiors can overcome them, then Brendan Rodgers will have his foundation to build Liverpool's future on. Exactly what an architect needs.