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Suarez has been replaced by 4 new signings
Are a number of novices equivalent to a maestro? That is a relevant question now looking at Liverpool football club’s position. After the departure of the controversial superstar Luis Suarez, the cub’s officials should be in a frenzy as to how to cope up with such a predicament.
One person who is looking calm, composed and optimistic about the team’s preparations for the new season is the manager Brendan Rodgers. It is unclear as to what his plans are for the team now that his Golden Boot winning striker has left. As only days are left for the commencement of the new season, the pressure is really on the officials of the club. Now, it is looking more and more likely that he will try to strengthen the goal-creating options rather than buy a ‘marquee’ striker. How that will affect the team is a question to ponder.
With the new summer signings of Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Lazar Markovic, it is looking like the manager is trying to bolster his goal creating options. This would mean that strikers Daniel Sturridge and the new boy Rickie Lambert would have to bear most of the goal scoring responsibilities.
Liverpool in a transition phase
Another consequence is that the whole team would have to be reshaped as the team that finished 2nd in the Barclays Premier League last year was mostly built around Luis Suarez to get the best out of him. Though Daniel Sturridge has shown the clinical finisher in him last season, this kind of responsibility could be a daunting task. This would need a lot of chances to be created for him to finish. That could be the reason for this spree of signings who are more specialized in creating goals than scoring.
One can argue that changing tactics would adversely affect the team in the short term as teams generally take a considerable amount to adapt to a new style. This does look like a solid argument, but considering the time Brendan Rodgers took to turn a fragile Liverpool to a dominant force they once were, it doesn’t look like the time factor would perturb him or his plans for this transition phase at Liverpool.
How the existing players fit in
The good old 4-3-3 with skipper Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana/Philippe Coutinho being the midfield trio and Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Lazar Markovic as the front three should work in Rodgers’ favour. This formation also gives him the chance to rotate between Coutinho and Lallana, and Gerrard and Can in the midfield.
At this ripe age, giving Gerrard a part time role would be more beneficiary to the team as he can give his best when he is playing. Occasional chances for young Suso could also prove to be helpful. This also allows flexibility in the attacking line with Lambert and youngster Jordon Ibe on the bench.
Though this formation looks promising, a lot has to be done defensively. For instance, the full-back situation at the club is far from satisfactory. With an inconsistent Glen Johnson and recently recovered Jose Enrique, the young Jon Flanagan seems to be the only one good enough to start. Will Rodgers stick to this plan or will he buy a ‘marquee’ striker? What will he do to bolster the defense? One has to wait and watch as a dramatic transfer window is coming to a close soon with the kickoff of the new season in the horizon.
