The Defence

Thanks partly to injury and partly to squad rotation, Liverpool have fielded many different back 4’s over the course of this season. In fact, some haven’t even consisted of 4 at the back. Brendan Rodgers has experimented with many different players in varying formations. The question is, which combination works best for LFC?

My personal favourite combination of defenders is (from right to left) Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique. They are all very talented, and Johnson and Enrique are very good at pushing forward and starting attacks. Indeed, Rodgers has experimented with playing them in the wing-back role, which in my opinion is extremely effective. When they play at wing-back, they are given more freedom to attack, which really unlocks their full potential. Obviously this means they have to track back a lot to make sure we aren't left vulnerable at the back, but when they do get caught too far up the pitch, Agger and Skrtel are solid defenders, perfectly capable of covering.

Unfortunately, this combination is not currently possible, as Jose Enrique is out injured. In his absence, Brendan Rodgers has been playing Johnson on the left and Wisdom on the right. This works fairly well, but I think Johnson is much more effective at right back. For this reason, I would play Downing at left back and keep Johnson at right back. Some may argue that Downing is needed as a winger in the front three, but personally I think that Sterling, Suarez and Sturridge is the best attacking combination.

Although I said earlier that my favourite pair of centre-backs is Agger and Skrtel, they may well have some competition for their places in the starting 11 when Martin Kelly returns from injury. Although he has often played as a full-back for Liverpool in the past, he is a centre-back by trade, and I think he works best there. Agger is a great defender, and I think he is certain to keep his place in the team, but Kelly may well give Martin Skrtel a run for his money. Skrtel, though usually solid, does make some costly mistakes. If Martin Kelly can show that he doesn't make such errors, he may well break into the first team once he recovers from his injury.

To summarise, my current favourite combination at the back is Johnson, Skrtel, Agger and Enrique. However, in the absence of Enrique I think Downing should function as a left back, and Skrtel may well lose his place when Kelly returns. It is good that Rodgers has been experimenting so much, but now we are more than midway through the season, we are at a stage where we need to consolidate our position. He should now pick the most effective combination of defenders, and stick with it until the end of the season.