Iago Aspas- Early Impressions

Iago Aspas was brought to Liverpool early this summer, along with Simon Mignolet, Kolo Toure and Luis Alberto. He was arguably the most exciting of this new crop of players, as he was a creative forward who, from Brendan Rodgers’ comments, seemed to be destined for regular first team action. As such, there was a lot of hype about him, and his excellent pre-season only served to increase that. Unfortunately, in the first three games this season, he has been unable to make much of an impression. Will he be able to overcome this blip in form, and if so what sort of impact will he be able to have on our season?

There is no real question that Iago Aspas is a good footballer. He proved that at Celta Vigo, where he scored or assisted more than half of the team’s goals throughout the course of the season. In our pre-season matches he also showed some quality, and was able to continue his good run of goals and assists. The fact that he has been unable to replicate this form (which has, up to now, been so consistent) in the Premier League is slightly concerning. In pre-season we faced opposition of a much lower calibre than that which we are up against in the Premier League, and in La Liga Aspas was in a much less physical environment. If it is the physicality that Aspas is having a problem with, then in time he will be able to adapt to it, and there is no need to be too worried about his relatively poor Premier League performances so far. If, on the other hand, it is the step-up in opposition quality that Aspas is struggling with, then there is a real problem.

But which is it? It seems most likely that Aspas’ lacklustre performances so far have been caused by the vast difference between La Liga and the Premier League. After all, it is not as if there is no quality in the top flight of Spanish football. Indeed, Aspas was able to get an assist against arguably the best team in the world last season, Barcelona. If the issue was that the Premier League was simply too good for Aspas to cope with, we would surely have seen the same ineffectiveness that he has shown thus far in the Premier League at Celta, when he came up against the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. As this was not the case, the logical conclusion is that he has simply been a little overwhelmed by the new league he has found himself in. One aspect he appears to be struggling with is the physicality- he has been dispossessed on a regular basis. Also, there is the sheer pace of the games. Aspas has looked a little lost at times, unable to keep up with the game and get himself in sensible positions. Against United in particular, there were many times where he stayed rooted to the spot, when he should have been making a run.

This should soon be ironed out of him. If he gets a reasonable amount of game time (and so far, Rodgers has looked set to give him that), he will almost certainly be able to re-find the form that made him such an asset to Celta Vigo. If and when this happens, his impact on Liverpool will be very positive. So far we’ve won all our games, and deservedly so, but we have only managed to score 1 goal in all of them. So long as our defence remains as solid as it has been thus far, this is not a problem, but it would be good to have some margin for error. Aspas will hopefully be able to provide us with this, by feeding balls in to Daniel Sturridge from a wide position. Aspas knows how to beat a man, cut inside and deliver a killer ball: he was renowned for it at Celta. This is bound to have a positive impact on Sturridge, as the more chances he is provided with, the more goals he’ll score!

There is, however, a risk that Aspas will not get the game time he so clearly requires to become a valuable asset to us. The signing of Victor Moses on a one-year loan deal suggests that Rodgers was not entirely happy with out options in the wide midfield areas. As well as this, Suarez is returning soon (his 10-match ban is nearing an end). With these two available, there is a possibility that Aspas will struggle to make the starting 11 on a regular basis, as both Moses and Suarez are perfectly capable of functioning in the wide forward role which Aspas naturally occupies. He is unlikely to be played out of position either, as Sturridge is in form and therefore unlikely to be replaced as the lone striker, and Coutinho, though he hasn’t been brilliant so far this season, is the natural choice in the central attacking midfield role. If this is the case, Aspas will struggle to even come close to regaining the form he had in La Liga, as he won’t be able to properly adapt to English football.

To sum up, if he is given a lot of game time, I am confident that Aspas will soon find the form that had fans so excited in pre-season. His unerring ability to beat a man on the wing then cut inside and deliver to a forward could be very valuable to our team, and as such we should be making every effort to ensure he settles in quickly.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Sterling- Starter?

This pre-season, we have been seeing a lot of Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling. He has been very impressive thus far, netting 4 times and showing that he can combine very well with the rest of the team. Many believe that his performances warrant a place in the first team for the start of the season.

Firstly, let’s address the issue of his youthfulness. At only 18 years of age, some people think that Sterling is ‘not ready’ for the first team, and should be given more time to develop. However, whether or not a player is ready for the first team is defined by their ability, not by their age. Sterling has proved himself to be extremely talented, and should therefore certainly be considered for the first team. As for whether he is mature enough to combine well with the rest of the team, it should be noted that he played regularly for the first team at the start of last season, at the age of just 17, and did exceptionally well. He lost his place through injury, not lack of ability. Fully fit once more, he has shown in pre-season that he is still perfectly capable of scoring, as well as combining beautifully with the rest of the team.

It is clear then that his age should not be considered a factor when considering him for our opening game against Stoke. One thing that should be looked at, on the other hand, is the competition he faces within the squad. He is a midfielder, and it is true that this is the most saturated area in the Liverpool squad. However, he plies his trade in a wider position, which puts him out of the territory of players such as Gerrard, Coutinho, Allen and Henderson. His only real competition is Stewart Downing and new signing Iago Aspas. Aspas has looked very promising in pre-season, and looks a likely candidate to make the first team for the coming season. However, given the option between Sterling and Downing, I would take Sterling any day of the week. He has more pace, is better on the ball, and is better at passing and crossing. I think that Liverpool should line up in a 4-2-3-1 this season (see my previous article), meaning there is space for two attacking wide players in the team. It would make sense, therefore, to play Aspas on the right and Sterling on the left, with maestro Philippe Coutinho down the middle, all behind Daniel Sturridge. This combination of players looks very promising indeed.

As well as the competition within the squad, the outside competition should also be debated when deciding to play Sterling. For the first game of the season, this will be Stoke. Sterling would be perfectly suited to playing against a team such as Stoke. They are not the quickest of teams, and have the tendency to come up with a fair amount of clumsy tackles. Sterling’s pace and agility would be nigh on impossible for Stoke to deal with, and he would most likely to be able to create lots of space for himself and others, as well as drawing lots of fouls. He is also very strong for such a small player, and would therefore be able to stand up to the physical presence of the Stoke defence.

On the whole, I certainly think that Sterling should, and will, be given a chance in the first team this season. Brendan Rodgers, like all good managers, gives players a chance in the first team if they are performing well enough, and Sterling has been one of our stand-out players in pre-season. He will almost without question be selected ahead of Downing (who is rumoured to be on his way out of the club anyway, possibly to Newcastle), and he has the potential to be hugely effective in our opening fixture against Stoke. It’s a big season for the 18 year old, and if he continues to play like he has been in pre-season he will not only cement himself as a regular in our side, but also almost certainly prompt another international call-up. He’s an exceptional young talent, and Liverpool are lucky to have him.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Philippe Coutinho- The next big thing?

Philippe Coutinho was brought in to Liverpool near the end of the January Transfer window, bought from Inter Milan for £8.5million. He is only 20 years of age has shown great potential in his first few games for the club. Could he play a vital part in getting us back to the Champions League soon?

One of the key things that has struck me about Coutinho since he joined Liverpool in his confidence. He hasn’t been scared to take players on 1 on 1, and has tried some audacious skills (most notably an attempted Rabona shot which went just wide). This is a good sign, as it shows he has self-confidence, and is not afraid to try things. This should allow him to reach his full potential. Take Luis Suarez as an example. A lot of the things he tries don’t come off, but they are definitely worth it for the things that do! An attacking player who is afraid of being audacious is, in general, not worth having.

Another great thing is his age. From what I have seen, it appears Coutinho bridges the gap between getting talent here and now but also investing in potential. At only 20 years of age, Coutinho certainly has the capacity to improve as a player. He will also be able to adapt to the teams style of play, which will of course be an improvement. However, he is currently a very good player. Bringing him has made a noticeable positive impact on the team, which is a very good thing. Basically, it seems we may have managed to sign a very good player who’s going to get better!

As well as this, he provides another option for Brendan Rodgers. Coutinho is an attacking midfielder, which opens up a lot of possibilities for Rodgers in terms of formations he can use. Before Coutinho’s signing, the midfield was nearly always Lucas and Gerrard central, with Downing and Henderson out wide. Now, Rodgers can choose to play with 3 central midfielders, or 1 central attacking and 2 wide. In essence, it provides a lot of variation, which will make us hard to predict and therefore hard to beat. Coutinho also allows Rodgers some back-up in case of injury or suspension, and the option to rotate the squad.

In conclusion, Coutinho is a very talented player who has a lot of potential. He is not afraid to try his luck with audacious skills, and he provides Rodgers with lots of new options. For just £8.5 million, I think he is a great buy, and if all turns out well he may become an integral part of the team within a few years.