New Season Preview: Formations

So the new season is only days away (as long as riots don't ruin the whole thing).  To preview the season I will look at how I see  us lining up once everyone is fit.  I will also try and predict how our top bench would look.

                                                                    Reina
       Johnson                     Carragher                          Agger                      Aurelio
                                                                 Lucas
                       Kuyt                                                                      Downing
                                                                   Gerrard
                                              Suarez                                   Carroll

I do not think it is a guarantee that we buy a new left-back.  Yes it is a problem position and has been for some time.  But there is never a need great enough that we should buy a player for an extravagant price or one with character issues.  A 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield will properly utilize both Lucas and Gerrard in their natural positions.  Our bench could then be Doni, Henderson, Aquilani, Sktrel, Kelly, Adam, Robinson.

But for this week we know we have some injury problems and Luis Suarez returning to fitness.  I predict a 4-2-3-1 with:
                                                                            Reina
          Kelly                                 Carragher                         Agger                  Aurelio
                                         Lucas                                              Adam
              Kuyt                                                     Aquilani                                  Downing
                                                                        Carroll

Work Left to Be Done

With the new season ready to begin, I felt like addressing what I felt has been left undone this close season.  In all fairness loads of great strides have already been completed.  We have added three midfielders who were all standouts at their respective club last season and an experienced keeper to deputize for Pepe Reina.  We have also let go two symbols of our dreadful start last season in Paul Konchesky and Milan Jovanovic.  With three weeks and some change remaining in the transfer window, I feel there is no doubt more movement is imminent.  Here is what I feel we should do:

Step One:  Sales

• Joe Cole - not come close to saving his Anfield career this preseason
• Ngog - He just needs to move on. Too many season with not enough games.
• Poulsen - Will never never ever touch the field if he remains.  I wonder what his wages are?
• Ayala - Already seems destined for Swansea or Hull
• Degen - Why is he still here?
• El Zhar - Ditto
• Emiliano Insua - We need a new left back, which would make Insua fourth behind said new left-back, Aurelio, and Robinson

Step Two: Buys

• Jose Enrique - Alvaro Pereira is too expensive and Aly Cissokho has a serious spinal problem. For 5-10 million this could be an excellent buy.
• Gary Cahill - I see a player plus cash deal involving Ngog.  We need a CB that can compete for starting spots.

Step Three: Loans

In my opinion we should loan at least two of these four, and maybe even three.  First team chances, especially in the midfield will be increasingly hard to come by after our purchases this summer.

• Shelvey
• Spearing
• Wisdom
• Coady

The Dani Pacheco Question

There are many questions frequenting the minds of the Liverpool faithful in the past few weeks.  Decisions remain on the futures of the likes of Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani.  This mostly comes down to whether or not there is a foreseeable future at our club.  Dani Pacheco is another player I feel should be up for discussion.  Reports are surfacing that he could be loaned out again following his stint at Norwich last season.  I think he should stay.

Many fans have written about how a back-up striker would be a good addition in this transfer window.  Similarly a feet-on-the-chalk winger could be used out right to complement Downing on the left.  I see Pacheco as a solution to both problems.  Pacheco has the pace and ball control to keep teams honest down both flanks.  And as far as up front him and Dirk Kuyt can be our back-up strikers.  Then we would have a partnership of speed and strength in the mold of our starters Carroll and Suarez.  This lad as loads of talent as exhibited for the Reserves and for the Spain underage teams.

NEWS:

Mata is free to go from Valencia for the right price.  But who really cares anymore we are not going to buy him.

German international Marcell Jansen has been linked to Anfield.  He is young and a left back, but he has had woeful form for Hamburg in the past two years, making only 29 appearances.  I think it is a no go.

And Porto winger/left back Alvaro Pereira could be on his way to Liverpool.  The Uruguayan has the versatility and age desired by FSG and King Kenny.  He has a smashing left foot and good pace also.  I see this as a grater possibility than Jansen, but it is also a higher price.

And lastly some journos are reporting we are in for Mariano Pavone.  They must never read interviews with John W. Henry because he is way too old for us.

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Welcome Lucas

From all LFC fans I would like to welcome our newest star Lucas Leiva. Wait, he isn't new? Then why has every fan from Liverpool to California forgetting Lucas and all he did for us last season. Remember? Lucas Leiva our Player of the Season. The man that had an 83% pass completion rate, 64% tackle success rate (100/157), and a 58% (266/462) possession duels success rate. He was one of the top two holding midfielders in the whole league last season, cooling herding opposition attacks wherever he desired and making the necessary tackle or foul when circumstances deemed it fit.




Now I realize Charlie Adam is a great player who we are all glad to have signed. He played a brilliant season for Blackpool last year as their Mr. Everything. He has a bright future for us, but he also has to fit into the rest of our squad. Plainly said he is not a defensive midfielder. He loves to get forward and dictate the flow of the attack and even have a go at many shots. He is a true center mid, who while not incompetent in a tackle can track back when not creating goals. Adam surely has a spot in our squad depending on the formation, but I in now way see him replacing Lucas as a holding midfielder, a position Lucas has clearly claimed in the last 18 months.




Wow two days in a row with a rant...on to the news:


Many sources say Mexican starlet Marco Bueno is set for a trial at the club. The 17 year old lit up the U17 World Cup for the Champions, and his current club Pachuca claim a deal is very near to final.
More talks today of Milan Jovanovic edging towards a move to Anderlecht. The stumbling block, as anyone could have guessed his wages. I can't stand how players are content to sit around on high wages rather than go and play somewhere else.
And an interesting new development as it appears Wolves manager Mick McCarthy would like to have Jay Spearing on loan this season. Personally I would not mind this move because we all know how crowded our midfield is and Jay could really turn into a fine squad player if given more time to develop.

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Notes 7.19

Everyone is doing it.  So I thought that on one of these off days in July where there is little news I would try my hand at forming some ideal formations.  To separate myself from others who have completed this task I will admit that I in now way rival the knowledge of any of our coaches or King Kenny himself.  I am merely speaking of what I see and think, not the gospel truth.  As a preface I am assuming we bring in a left-back, who is looking more likely by the day to be Jose Enrique from Newcastle.  It is still possible/likely there could be a signing or two more than that but they probably would not crack the starting XI anyway (no we are not bidding for Aguero).

4-2-2-2

                                                              Reina

        Johnson                   Carragher                      Agger                 Enrique

                          Lucas                                                    Adam

Gerrard                                                                                                 Downing

                                       Suarez                           Carroll

4-2-3-1

                                                               Reina

         Johnson                 Carragher                     Agger                   Enrique

                               Lucas                                      Adam

    Henderson                                        Gerrard                                     Downing

                                                           Suarez

3-5-2

                                                                    Reina

                          Carragher                            Agger                     Skrtel

Henderson                    Gerrard                Lucas                  Meireles                   Downing

                                            Suarez                          Carroll

I know these are just a few formations but it shows the versatility we will have in this forthcoming campaign.  What sticks out to me most however is how our bench is shaking up.  There were games last season I dreaded an possible injury because of how shallow our bench was.  But this year our substitutes could contain  Aquilani, Meireles, Kuyt, Maxi, Kelly, and Skrtel depending on how we line up.  

And onto the news I guess, with the highlight being back-up keeper Peter Gulacsi being sent on loan to Hull City.  Hints of this came with the friendly we play with Hull on the weekend, and also the signing of Doni last week.  This just might be the keeper of the future in some eyes, but he must get a lot of first-team action.

In other transfer talks we have been linked today with Uruguayan center-half.  He is 25 and has 45 caps for his country so he can't be all bad.  Luis Suarez could sure be influential if this is true also.

Joel Campbell, the Copa America standout from Costa Rica has turned down an offer from Arsenal according to his father.  By all reports they turned it down in favor of a better tabling from another "big" club in England.  Maybe he will show up at Melwood in the coming days.

And Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is trying to force a move from from Southampton.  The 17 year old has been linked with Arsenal since his fifth birthday but is rumored to have been looked at by Liverpool as well.

And finally with the deal for Aly Cissokho on the fritz, if it was ever existent at all, has opened the door for more negotiations with Newcastle for left-back Jose Enrique.  The 25 year old has never appeared the the senior side in Spain but has made 117 appearances for Newcastle since 2007.  I do not see him as the best attacking fullback or the strongest in defense, but his ability to hold his own in both categories is his biggest selling point.  He can keep goals out at the back while still providing a good partnership with Stewart Downing along the left.

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Preconceived Notions

Over the past week I have been frustrated to see the reactions of some Liverpool fans to our recent friendlies.  Even match commentators on LFCTV fell victim to the mistake of maintaining preconceived notions.  Two players that are often analyzed in this way are Alberto Aquilani and Charlie Adam.  All summer we have heard how Aquilani is too slow, too fragile, too weak, and altogether not suited for the Premier League.  Meanwhile, many see Charlie Adam as the savior for our football club ready to put every ball he plays with his perfect left foot right on to Andy Carroll's forehead.  As I wrote about Saturday Aquilani and Adam were the two standouts of their respective halves.  This in turn has led to quick juxtaposition of their two efforts and some alarming comments have been made.  Despite bossing the midfield the entire second half many focus on trying to find elements where Aqua Man is lacking.  Meanwhile self-professed experts cream over ever pass Charlie Adam makes even when  he is playing the ball along ground like any of our U18's could.  Now personally I feel both players have a lot to offer this next campaign.  But often I see people either blinding criticising or blinding praising our team's efforts.  If we can find some middle ground for this maybe we can actually find out how our players play and what they really have to offer.

Whew, now that my ranting is over on to some news......

• After weekend rumors placing left-back Aly Cissokho practically at Melwood, no "sources" are saying the deal is off.  Who knows if we ever were in for him, but he does have a history of spinal problems in previous medicals that could have a red flag.
• Joe Cole has been encouraged by Steve Clarke today and seems eager to remain in the side.  Maybe he can gain fitness and offer us something unique off the bench, but wow does he make a lot in wages for that role.
• Someone is claiming we are in for AIK defender Molosevic.  I couldn't even find a youtube video with him in it so I'll go out on a limb and say it is unlikely.
• And with more fact behind them Middlesbrough want Brad Jones back on loan, Chris Mavinga is still destined for a move to Rennes, and we have sold Bruna to Blackpool.
• And on a last note, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, and Glen Johnson were all in training today in what looks like a typhoon.

What Else We Learned (Malaysia XI)

Well we knew it was too good to be true.  Joe Cole, after impressing SOME Liverpool faithful after the friendly in China again disappoints. Maybe on the flight between China and Kuala Lumper Coley got online and read all the great things people were writing about him and couldn't handle it.  Misleading us like that must just not be his style.  Gone was the poise on the ball he had demonstrated and instead he focused all play down one side of the pitch and did a good job at stiffling our own attack.

Elsewhere, the majority of the first half squad looked either under the weather or disinterested.  Meireles has lacked fitness in the pre-season so I might give him a pass for his porr touches.  But other than that it looked like Carroll took the youngster John Flanagan out for a night on the town and that the two were still recovering from a hangover.  Flanno looked worse than we have ever seen him by a large margin.  Carroll seemed to be doing a Joe Cole impression with his ability to move.  Just did not at all seem the player that was overflowing with confidence just four days ago.

The rest of the first have starters were not as bad, still there really lacked any interest in the match.  Maybe the boys are just ready to come home.  Adam I felt was our best player in the half.  For the most part he only attempted the 50 yard prayers when it was appropriate and overall had complete control of the midfield.  Great confidence to score the penalty twice.

The second was almost an altogether different story.  Where the first had been pedestrian and lackadasical the team put out in the second half was at times lively and spirited.  Led mostly substantially by the midfield pair of Aquilani and Jonjo, the pace was faster and play much more crisp.  Their passes even made Ngog look at least average on his way to a brace.  These two with their added athleticsm and creativity really impressed me.  I know it is a poor side we were playing and the PL is far more physical, but Aquilani is class.  I hope, and generally believe he can continue to perform and be a big asset for us.  If you noticed his movement was much better today when he lost the ball.
Further int he half were more defensive and goalkeeping mistakes, granted though our center back pairing of

Kyrgiakos and Wilson wouldn't have batted any eyelashes.  Maxi came through with two maxi-esque poachers goals and I thought Insua did a fiar job at left back, creating Maxi's first.  Insua may not be the ready for the first team every week, but at 22 he is a talent worth holding on to.

One last note after Shelvey made the poor ball and then sat around as the China side went on the counter to score their first goal, the mistake was not made again today.  I was happy to see Jonjo chasing all over the pitch to not be caught out.

I hope this makes sense, I was up at 4:45 this morning to watch the match.....I little sleepy.
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