This general would help Liverpool boss midfield once again

This season’s fine Premier League start from Southampton has finally made the nation stand up and take notice of the hard work that Mauricio Pochettino and his players have undergone since his arrival. The Argentine’s controversial appointment prompted the sceptics to write his chances off almost instantly following his sacking from Espanyol, who were bottom of La Liga at the time, but he has gone about transforming the Hampshire club into one of the most impressive outfits in the English top flight this term.

One of the first things the South American changed was how the entire squad squeeze the opposition, starting right from the front and having the wingers tuck inside to help the central midfielders. The tweak has seen Southampton concede just four goals all season – the least in the league – and even one of those was a freak 100-yard hoof by Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

There has been one man at the heart of Pochettino’s dreams, and that’s French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.

The 23-year-old arrived at St Mary’s back in 2008 while the club were embarking on their lower league journey and was pointed out as a star straight away, but it wasn’t until Nigel Adkins guided the club to the top flight that spectators sat up and took notice of the former Strasbourg man.

The increased space on the pitch allowed him to dictate play with ease and last season he was far and away the club’s most impressive player. His 1439 Squawka Performance Score was almost double that of second-placed Steven Davis, and given his performances, should Liverpool consider signing him?

While Steven Gerrard has accrued a higher Performance Score than any of his team-mates this season, some Reds fans have questioned their skipper’s performances of late and are calling for a reshuffle from Brendan Rodgers.

Schneiderlin is a technically brilliant player who is also a real asset going forward. Not only did he score five goals and create 29 opportunities last season, but he has matched Gerrard’s pass completion rate this time around (86%).

The way Rodgers sets his team out with the attacking diamond at the top allowsLucas Leiva and Gerrard to relieve themselves of any attacking duties, although Gerrard is the link between the two units.

Schneiderlin does not contribute as much defensively as Lucas does, nor does he burst forward with purpose like Gerrard can, but he injects composure into the midfield in a very similar way as Michael Carrick does at Manchester United.

He has proved himself both tactically and positionally yet again this season, completing 32/42 of his tackles and averaging four defensive actions per game, but that could be a result of the way Southampton are operating and the confidence that he currently holds. Although Liverpool would be lucky to have the 23-year-old in their midfield, there will be plenty warning the midfielder that if things aren’t broke then he shouldn’t try fix them, and perhaps he should stay put in Southampton.