The arrival of Fabio Borini is certainly a much needed one, as he provides depth, along with quality to this Liverpool FC side, but just how much will he change the shape of this Liverpool side?

The 4-3-3, Borini Out Wide

If Andy Carroll is to be utilized over the course of the 2012/13 season, Liverpool will try to experiment with (although without Luis Suarez) over the course of their pre-season tour in North America. Borini can cut inside and take those shots, and can also drift into the box in Maxi Rodriguez-esque fashion and try to finish off moves from the other flank.

Luis Suarez can naturally play both out wide or out in front, so I reckon that this might be a viable option at the start of the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League campaign.

A More Experimental 4-3-3

I have always played with the thought that Glen Johnson can be a really good right winger. He always seems to be the one who comes up with decent chances, and is also capable of making those crosses into the box. To draw a comparison, Dani Alves has often been used as a right winger for Barcelona too, and we could deploy Johnson in similar fashion.

Kelly will interchange positions with Johnson at times, ensuring defensive stability coupled with an attacking threat. Borini is renowned for good finishing, so I won’t be surprised if Rodgers eventually decides to flog Andy Carroll and go with Borini as his central striker. Alberto Aquilani’s agent has also declared that he is staying (although I believe this was the case last season as well) and can be a good playmaker in front of the two shields in Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva.

4-3-3, Luis Up Top

My third option would be having Luis Suarez up top, playing the exact role as Lionel Messi does for Barcelona, this being the ‘False 9′ role. Suarez has really good movement in and around the box, and his aerial ability is far greater than that of Lionel Messi as well, so this might be a good option as well.

Suarez is good with the dribble, much like his fellow South American, and although his finishing often leaves Liverpool FC fans in frustration, I believe that with some effort, he can succeed in this role for Liverpool next season.

Conclusion

I understand that with two of my formations containing Glen Johnson as a winger may not be the smart moves when put into practice, but the genuine lack of a out-and-out winger shows. After Dirk Kuyt and Rodriguez’s departure, the Reds only have Stewart Downing as a proper winger (and even I wouldn’t pick him).

Raheem Sterling should definitely be given a chance over the next few months, as I strongly believe that he can turn into a very solid player for Liverpool. So what’s your favourite XI from the players that Liverpool have at the moment?

Published with permission from Two Liverpool Fans.