{"id":421,"date":"2016-03-31T17:02:09","date_gmt":"2016-03-31T17:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=421"},"modified":"2016-07-13T11:22:13","modified_gmt":"2016-07-13T11:22:13","slug":"liverpool-football-club-looking-at-the-forward-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/liverpool-football-club-looking-at-the-forward-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool Football Club: Looking At The Forward Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the final part of a three part series, I\u2019m going to have a look at Liverpool\u2019s forward line and see what options are open to J\u00fcrgen Klopp as we head into the summer. For the purposes of ease I\u2019m only going to talk about players that are officially on the club\u2019s books, regardless of how excited we might all be getting about the chance of Mario Gotze arriving at Anfield in the summer.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also not going to bother with any youth players. Aside from the fact that Jerome Sinclair is as good as gone from the club, the reality is that Klopp is hardly going to abandon movement in the transfer market this summer because a player at the Academy has scored a couple of goals for the Under-21s.<\/p>\n

The Main Man<\/h2>\n

Daniel Sturridge<\/h3>\n

For some Liverpool fans the question over whether or not Daniel Sturridge is at Anfield next season is a no-brainer. He\u2019s a bonafide world-class striker; a man who knows who to stick the ball into the back of the net no matter what\u2019s going on and how long he\u2019s been out of the starting line-up. At a time when Liverpool desperately need to score more goals, getting rid of a proven goalscorer seems like folly in the extreme.<\/p>\n

Yet to others the argument isn\u2019t so clear cut. Sturridge\u2019s injury issues are well documented, but they\u2019re also seriously worrying. Yes he\u2019s a world-class striker when he\u2019s fit, but how often he\u2019s fit is a genuinely troubling question. There was a moment this season when the balanced tipped and Sturridge had missed more Liverpool games through injury than he\u2019d played. Whilst the balance has been restored of late it\u2019s a close-run thing and it won\u2019t take much for the scale to tip back into the negative in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Another question that needs to be considered as far as Sturridge is concerned is whether or not he fits into Klopp\u2019s system. Despite his desire to be the main man at Anfield it\u2019s difficult to argue with the idea that he\u2019s at his best when he\u2019s playing in a two up top, but the manager tends to prefer one striker with a busy, interchangeable midfield behind him. Is this something the England striker can adapt to well enough to make it a viable option?<\/p>\n

\"AGIF

AGIF \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

On top of that there can be no denying that the former Chelsea hitman doesn\u2019t like to press and close down anywhere near as much as a Klopp striker needs to. The geggenpressing style that the German is famous for starts at the front, with Divock Origi showing when he\u2019s started exactly what is expected of a striker in a Klopp system. Sturridge has many talents, but he\u2019s never been one to constantly run, harass and bother opposition defenders. He\u2019s more of a play on the shoulder or drop deep and collect type forward. They\u2019re not to be sniffed at, of course, but if it\u2019s not what Klopp wants then what can be done?<\/p>\n

A lot of Sturridge\u2019s future will almost certainly depend on how big any potential offer for him is. On the one hand Klopp may want to keep hold of him for another year in order to see how well he can adapt to Liverpool\u2019s new way of playing, but on the other a \u00a345 million offer from the likes of PSG could be enough to persuade the German to get rid of his talisman whilst he\u2019s still fit. Sadly we\u2019re not a club that can afford to indulge a luxury player and a Daniel Sturridge that spends half of his time on the treatment table is exactly that.<\/p>\n

The Belgians<\/h2>\n

Christian Benteke<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s be honest, there isn\u2019t an awful lot Tim Sherwood\u2019s got right during his managerial career. His repeated questioning of why Christian Benteke would want to move to a club that doesn\u2019t play to his strengths has to go into the \u2018fair point\u2019 column, though, even if the scruffy meff is a large part of the reason why Aston Villa are getting relegated.<\/p>\n

Benteke was always likely to be a plan B even if Brendan Rodgers has remained Liverpool manager, so his opportunities were likely to be limited further by the changing of the guard in the manager\u2019s dugout. Yes J\u00fcrgen Klopp reportedly wanted him when he was at Dortmund, but that was when he was young and impressionable and the German felt he could mould him into the player he needed.<\/p>\n

\"Jurgen

Jurgen Klopp watches over Christian Benteke in training<\/p><\/div>\n

His recent performances have made the point rather succinctly that Benteke is a player who has his own way of playing and doesn\u2019t show enough for anyone in the Liverpool team to adapt to make it work. Was the big Belgian ever likely to be Philippe Coutinho\u2019s dream man in the final third? Or Adam Lallana\u2019s? Even Alberto Moreno seems annoyed at his constant lack of movement and intelligence. If Alberto Moreno is bemoaning your lack of intelligence then you know you really have got problems.<\/p>\n

Benteke\u2019s lack of involvement combined with his recent not-so-subtle criticisms of the manager whilst away on international duty mean that his number is surely up at Anfield. With big games left to play this season, though, and the Belgian\u2019s presumed desire to move somewhere half-decent come the summer you can imagine him being used a few more times before the curtain closes on another season on Merseyside.<\/p>\n

Divock Origi<\/h3>\n

If Christian Benteke, or Daniel Sturridge for that matter, needs an example of a player who is adapting his game to fit into Klopp\u2019s master plan than they need look no further than Benteke\u2019s international teammate Divock Origi.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s certainly true that the striker lacks the goalscoring prowess of Sturridge, but he makes up for it with his desire to close, press and generally just run himself into the ground for Liverpool\u2019s cause. His hat-trick against Southampton in the League Cup also showed that he does know how to find the back of the net when he\u2019s presented with a decent opportunity.<\/p>\n

\"Origi\"

Origi<\/p><\/div>\n

There\u2019s no way of knowing whether Origi will ever develop into Liverpool\u2019s main striker, but right now it\u2019s difficult to see how Klopp will do anything other than keep hold of him for the foreseeable future. He\u2019s young enough to be happy with a role in the squad for the time being and seems the sort of lad who will know how to take his chance when he\u2019s given it. No one will be happy if he\u2019s our only option next season, but he\u2019s definitely a better plan B than his countryman.<\/p>\n

The Other Option<\/h2>\n

Roberto Firmino<\/h3>\n

The bores that seem to be inexplicably against the signing of Mario Gotze have one refrain they keep coming back to: We\u2019ve got too many number 10s already. It\u2019s true that, on paper, Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino can all play in similar positions. But there\u2019s also no doubting that whilst Coutinho and Lallana are very much midfielders, Firmino has been at his best this season when he\u2019s been used in an attacking role.<\/p>\n

Liverpool have used more false-nines than Kim Kardashian has false body parts over the last couple of years, but none have been as successful as Firmino at actually putting the ball in the back of the net. The Brazilian has formed a habit of frustrating and delighting in equal measure, sometimes in the same match.<\/p>\n

Yes he gives the ball away stupidly when it seems more difficult to get the pass wrong than actually completing it, but you can\u2019t argue with his raw numbers. Whilst the entirety of the country\u2019s press seem to be wetting themselves whenever Dmitri Payet so much as ties his shoelaces, Firmino has quietly gone about his business, scoring nine goals and assisting in the scoring of another nine in 38 games across all competitions. That\u2019s only two less of each than the West Ham middle man has managed.<\/p>\n

\"Firmino\"

Firmino<\/p><\/div>\n

A Liverpool team that features Coutinho, Firmino and Mario Gotze behind a fit and firing Daniel Sturridge is one worthy of the fire emoticon that Twitter users so love to put after everything, but that doesn\u2019t mean that we should rule out the possibility of Firmino being used as the main striking option in the future, should the game situation call for it.<\/p>\n

The beauty of Firmino is that he knows how to score all sorts of different goals. He\u2019s hit a far few belters during his short time at Anfield so far, but he\u2019s also scored the more intricate, get-on-the-end-of-a-ten-pass-move type goal, too. On top of that his goal against United in the Europa League was the ultimate combination of poacher-meets-intelligent-player. He was in the right place at the right time, but he still bought himself a few vital moments before turning the ball into the back of the net.<\/p>\n

Much like with Origi, few Liverpool supporters will be happy if Firmino is the only striking option we\u2019ve got moving into next season. But considering some questioned whether he was good enough when he first signed, he\u2019s certainly proved his doubters wrong. He\u2019s also not had all that long to adjust to the English game, when you think about it, and considering the way in which Mezut Ozil has come on leaps and bounds this season after a tough introduction to Premier League football in the last campaign, you have to think the Brazilian will be even better once he\u2019s fully adjusted to life on Merseyside.<\/p>\n

The Forgotten Men<\/h2>\n

Danny Ings<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s an odd one, the Danny Ings situation. He\u2019s not only the forgotten man as far as Liverpool are concerned, with his cruciate ligament injury essentially ruling him out for the majority of the season, but even his fee doesn\u2019t seem to have been figured out yet. The Reds will have to pay a fee to Burnley based on the decision of a tribunal, but the people involved in deciding it have been locked in a basement at the bottom of the FA\u2019s HQ since August.<\/p>\n

Of all of Liverpool\u2019s strikers it is Ings that I feel sorry for the most. Whilst Daniel Sturridge has had major injury problems throughout his career, he\u2019s still had opportunities to prove to both Brendan Rodgers and J\u00fcrgen Klopp exactly what it is that he brings to the table. Similarly Christian Benteke might not have impressed, but at least he\u2019s been fit enough to get onto the pitch, whilst Firmino and Origi have both become firm favourites of the new Reds boss.<\/p>\n

\"smileimage9

smileimage9 \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Ings, meanwhile, injured himself in training just moments after Klopp was installed as Rodgers\u2019 replacement. It was as if his poor knee found the whole thing far too exciting and simply imploded at the very thought of all of the pressing and closing it was going to get to do.<\/p>\n

Ings, you feel, is a player that Klopp will love. He deserved more than to see his goal against Norwich at Anfield end up essentially pointless, with the Canaries striking back and earning themselves a point when all of the joy should have been his. That he scored the goal in the derby was great for him too, with Liverpool fans immediately taking to his work ethic and ability to keep running.<\/p>\n

Rodgers, for reasons best known to the Northern Irishman, favoured using the former Burnley front man out of position, something you feel Klopp won\u2019t do. If a front four of Coutinho, Firmino, Gotze and Sturridge is enough to terrify any defences, what would a front unit of Lallana, Firmino, Ings and Origi do to tiring legs that just want to be left alone? It\u2019s a pressing, closing down machine waiting to happen.<\/p>\n

The only real question mark around Ings is whether or not he\u2019ll be the same player when he returns from his injury. Given he\u2019s never really been blessed with blistering pace, you have to assume should be ok. If he is then, at the age of just 23, he could go on to be a real asset under the management of a guy who looks for work-rate from his players almost above anything else.<\/p>\n

Mario Balotelli<\/h3>\n

Ah Mario, you crazy fool, you. Why did Rodgers sign him? Why did he come? Why didn\u2019t he, you know, actually run around a bit and stuff?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be honest, I do think Mario Balotelli actually tried harder than he\u2019s given credit for during his time at Anfield. He was never good enough, don\u2019t get me wrong, but he also wasn\u2019t the lazy, completely useless player that many Liverpool fans decided he was. In the semi-final of the FA Cup against Villa at Wembley he actually looked the player most likely to make a difference when he replaced Lazar Markovic at half-time.<\/p>\n

\"photoplanet.am

photoplanet.am \/ shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

But if the Christian Benteke experiment is one we can declare a waste of time and try to scrub from our memory then the Mario Balotelli one is even worse. He could have been so much better for us. He could have made a real difference. Instead he\u2019ll be consigned to a dustbin with a label on it saying \u2018Mistakes\u2019 and, like the residents of Room 101, have to spend eternity talking to Julian Dicks and El-Hadj Diouf.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the final part of a three part series, I\u2019m going to have a look at Liverpool\u2019s forward line and see what options are open to J\u00fcrgen Klopp as we head into the summer. For the purposes of ease I\u2019m only going to talk about players that are officially on the club\u2019s books, regardless of how excited we might all be getting about the chance of Mario Gotze arriving at Anfield in the summer. I\u2019m also not going to bother with any youth players. Aside from the fact that Jerome Sinclair is as good as gone from the club, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":422,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions\/422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}