6 games into the new Premier League season, Liverpool sit in 13th place with 8 points. 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats. 4 goals scored, 7 goals conceded. Perhaps even more worrying than these numbers are the performances themselves and the lack of progress shown. It appears as though Rodgers doesn’t have a clear direction or tactical blueprint. So far we’ve seen a myriad of different systems deployed by Rodgers. We began with a rigid 4-2-3-1 set up against Stoke, with Henderson and Milner as a holding midfield duo. This deprived both players of their freedom to make forward runs and also resulted in Benteke being totally isolated up front. Rodgers soon switched to his favoured 4-3-3 set up, but still the performances didn’t improve. Firmino looked unsuited when made to play out on the right, whilst Ings looked equally uncomfortable on the opposite flank. Crucially, however, the lack of bodies in close proximity to Benteke was still a major issue. In the Europa League opener against Bordeaux, we saw Rodgers revert to the 3-4-2-1 system which brought a period of success for several months last season, but yet again we were not creating enough chances. Sunday’s frustrating 1-1 draw to Norwich at Anfield saw Rodgers stick with 3 at the back, whilst adapting the system to accommodate the return of Sturridge alongside Benteke in a 3-5-2 formation. Whilst the performance was a slight improvement, the result was still unacceptable. With pressure building, Rodgers is still yet to find a suitable formation to fit all of his best players in their favoured positions. It leaves him with something of a tactical jigsaw and he needs to solve it very quickly.
Source: liverpoolfc.com
When discussing which formation is best suited to Liverpool’s current squad, there are several key criteria to be considered. Firstly, Rodgers must find a way to fit Benteke and Sturridge in the same side. We saw the devastating impact produced by a two-pronged attack with Suarez and Sturridge. Benteke may not able to replicate the ruthless efficiency of Suarez, but there remains the exciting prospect that an effective partnership can be struck with Benteke and Sturridge. Having spent £32.5 million on Benteke, he must be a nailed on starter- we’ve already seen flashes of what he has to offer and surely there’s much more to come. We all know that a fully fit Sturridge is one of the best strikers in the league, and so his place in the starting lineup is a necessity. Fitness problems may prevent a Sturridge-Benteke partnership at times, in which case Danny Ings is more than capable of slotting in up top. Elsewhere, Coutinho is clearly integral to the side and will start the vast majority of games, whilst the same will also apply to Henderson once he recovers from his broken metatarsal.
Having established that Benteke, Sturridge, Coutinho and Henderson (when fit) will all be starters, this leaves the issue surrounding our second most expensive recruit from this summer. Personally I strongly feel that Roberto Firmino needs to start. We spent £29 million to sign him, and Rodgers must find a way to get the most out of his considerable ability. With 35 goals and 28 assists in the past 2 seasons for Brazil and Hoffenheim, we have a hugely gifted attacking midfielder. Rodgers cannot afford to waste Firmino by fielding him out of position on the right wing. Firmino is a central attacking midfielder and must be utilised correctly. This means playing him in the number ten role behind Sturridge and Benteke. If Rodgers realises this, I think we’ll see the best of Firmino and the goals will surely start flowing.
Therefore, how can Rodgers accommodate 4 key attacking players- Benteke, Sturridge, Coutinho and Firmino- all in the same side? There seems to be one particular system which allows us to use all our key players in their strongest positions- the 4-4-2 diamond formation. Primarily, this system allows Benteke and Sturridge to play up front together with Firmino in a central attacking midfield role. I have always felt Coutinho’s best position is not in the number ten role, but slightly further deep in midfield, where he is able to find more space to drive forward and dictate the play. His work rate is an underrated aspect of his game, and Coutinho has proven in the past his appetite to make tackles and perform his off-the-ball duties which are essential in this role. With Coutinho playing tucked in on the left point of the diamond, the right point would be filled by Henderson when fit, and by Milner in his absence. You could argue that this leaves a dilemma when Henderson returns, given Rodgers’ guarantee to Milner of a starting role in central midfield. However, based on his performances thus far, this ‘guarantee’ seems misjudged and Milner has not yet shown the quality to suggest he deserves to be a nailed on starter in this position. At the base of the diamond, Lucas would seem the most natural option as the only recognised defensive midfielder at the club- perhaps most suitable against the better sides when his positional understanding is most required. I would like to see Emre Can get the opportunity to grow into this role- his athleticism, physical strength and range of passing suggest he would be well suited, and as he matures, his tactical understanding of the position would improve.
The downside to the diamond formation is the lack of width, due to the narrow midfield quartet. There are no wingers in this system, unlike in a 4-3-3. However, with the strange decision to loan out Markovic, following Sterling’s departure without the arrival of a replacement winger, it makes little sense to pursue a 4-3-3 system which relies upon width when we only have Ibe as a natural wide player who is still young and developing. The width in the 4-4-2 diamond formation has to be provided by the full backs. As it happens, we currently have two very capable full backs who have plenty to offer going forward. Alberto Moreno was terrific in a wing-back role against Norwich, creating 6 chances from the left flank, proving his quality as an attacking asset. When the full backs are high up the pitch to provide width, it is vital that the holding midfielder drops deep to provide cover, almost forming a typical back 3. This is where the important element of transition between defence and attack comes into play.
When operating this system, the shape of the team depends upon whether we have possession of the ball or not. When in possession, either Clyne or Moreno provide an attacking outlet in the wide positions, playing more like orthodox wing backs who join the attack. In order to prevent an overload of forward players leaving us short of numbers at the back and prone to the counter attack, whoever plays in the holding midfield position has the vital role of filling the space in front of the defence, whilst the two centre backs split to fill the vacated space on either side. For example, when Moreno bursts forward, Can would have to maintain a deeper position in midfield, whilst Sakho would shift over to the left to cover for Moreno. The same would apply when Clyne bursts forward on the right, whether it be Gomez or Skrtel in the other centre back spot. Essentially, when the full backs push forward in a 4-4-2 diamond formation to provide the width, and the holding midfielder drops into defence, this creates what almost looks like a standard 3-5-2 formation. The success of this system relies upon quick transition between defence and attack in order to maintain balance, which requires the left and right central midfielders to press the opposition to avoid them exploiting the space out wide. An interesting possibility of playing Can at the base of the diamond in this arrangement is the prospect of him performing almost a traditional libero role when the full backs are forward. Can would be able to drop deep at times, allowing him space to collect the ball in defence and drive forward into midfield, which is one of his most impressive qualities.
Whether Rodgers eventually decides to play a diamond formation or not remains unclear. I am by no means a qualified coach or expert tactician. I am a passionate Liverpool fan, and having watched us play this season, there are clear tactical deficiencies which limit the effectiveness of our players. I am responding to what I see, and the diamond formation seems a viable solution. It does no favours to Emre Can, for example, to be switching from right-sided centre back to central midfield every other game. He needs consistency to develop in a specific role. Likewise, it does Firmino no good to be shoehorned out wide where he cannot influence the game to the best of his ability, especially when settling into a new club. Rodgers quickly needs to settle on a formation which accommodates our best players in their strongest positions- only then can we expect to see a degree of consistency and improvement in our performances. I have explained why I think the diamond formation is ideally suited to our individual personnel, but it’s only a suggestion. With the players we have, we should be scoring much more than 4 goals in 6 league games. I don’t believe we have a bad squad- there are weak spots, granted, but the key for a manager is getting the best out of what he has available. Right now, Rodgers is comprehensively struggling to do that. The results need to pick up immediately, starting with Carlisle tomorrow night and Aston Villa at the weekend, both at Anfield- winning these two games is surely a prerequisite for Rodgers to keep his job.
Red Regista
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