Swansea 2-2 Liverpool: Post-Match Analysis

Yesterday, Liverpool travelled to the Liberty Stadium in Wales to face Swansea City. Before the match they were 3^rd, level on points with Arsenal and Tottenham. Any result better than a loss would put them back on top of the league. After Swansea’s poor start to the season and our strong one, most Liverpool fans were hoping for a 4^th successive win, but it wasn’t to be. After a match jam-packed with action, the game finished 2-2.

It was the worst start Liverpool could have hoped for. After less than 2 minutes, Swansea managed to get in front. After completely mis-kicking the ball, ex-Liverpool player Jonjo Shelvey kept ploughing through the defence, unchallenged by anyone. Eventually, having run deep into the penalty area, he curled the ball past Simon Mignolet. Debutant Mamadou Sakho was the nearest to Shelvey just before he placed the ball in the net, but did not make a challenge, looking fearful of conceding a penalty. This is a problem the team as a whole need to work on- if the alternative is conceding and the ball is there to be won, you have to try and dispossess your opponent. It was a very scrappy goal to concede from Liverpool’s point of view; not a nice way to end the run of zero goals conceded in the season.

Liverpool were not behind for long though. Just 2 minutes later, they equalised! It doesn’t take a genius to guess who got Liverpool back on level terms- the man who has scored a goal in every Premier League game this season, Daniel Sturridge. Jonjo Shelvey was once again instrumental; though this time he wasn’t celebrating. He played a wayward pass which Sturridge picked off with ease. It was then a simple matter of slotting the ball past Vorm, which the Premier League joint top goal scorer was able to do with ease. Jokes about Shelvey forgetting that he’d left Liverpool have been hugely overused, so I won’t bore you with them, but it has to be said that it was an absolute gift of a goal. Still, it took a cool head from Sturridge to finish it off, and his ability to do so with apparent ease sums up why he is such an asset to us- we lacked a clinical, reliable finisher for a long time.

Liverpool pushed on from this, and were soon all over Swansea. They were dominating possession, and more importantly were creating some good chances. Debutant Victor Moses was playing especially well, showing some great skill and putting good balls into the box. Liverpool eventually got their reward, though it would be untrue to say that it came through pretty build-up play! It was, once again, put on a plate for Liverpool courtesy of Jonjo Shelvey. Another poor pass was picked off, this time by Moses, who fired it into the bottom corner, well beyond Vorm’s reach. The half ended without further incident, and Liverpool went into the break with a deserved 2-1 lead. It could well have been more, but Swansea had defended well (with the exception of Shelvey) and Vorm had made some great stops, including blocking a point-blank header from Sturridge.

In the second half, everything went downhill. Swansea came out on the front foot, and stayed there. The situation was not helped by the forced departure of Philippe Coutinho on 52 minutes, due to an injury caused by a foul challenge from Ashley Williams. The little Brazilian had been playing well, and his replacement, Aspas, never really got into the game. This raises more questions as to whether the Spaniard can cut it in the Premier League, but that’s another story (see my article on that here: http://jamesmartinblogs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/iago-aspas-early-impressions.html). Swansea looked a constant threat and, almost inevitably, they managed to equalise with just under 30 minutes to go. Shelvey was key in the scoring of the goal (surprise, surprise), heading it down perfectly for Michu to tuck home. Liverpool made no attempt to get back in front, and in all honesty were quite lucky not to concede again. Based on the game as a whole a draw was probably the fairest result, but Liverpool were simply outplayed in the 2^nd half.

To sum up, the result in itself is nothing to complain about, but Liverpool’s second half performance is worrying. They have looked weaker in the second period than the first in all of the games so far this season, and it leaves us vulnerable. At the moment nobody has read too much into it, as the results are going our way and we are top of the league, but if we want to maintain a genuine challenge for 4^th or higher then we will have to start sustaining performance for the full 90 minutes. If our team had better stamina then they would have beaten Swansea, and come the end of the season 2 points may be all that separates us and the Champions League. Even though this result is acceptable in isolation, its wider implications are not good. We cannot have many more games like this. The harsh truth is, if we want to become one of the ‘big’ Premier League teams again, we’re going to have to start playing like one for the full 90 minutes.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

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

Top of the League? You’re having a laugh….

Finally. After three consecutive 2-1 defeats at the hands of our bitter rivals Manchester United, we have beaten them. Admittedly United were nowhere near their form of last season (blame Moyes for that one- they look a different side now Ferguson has left), but Liverpool still had to work hard and play well to secure the victory. The win saw us go top of the league, having secured maximum points from our opening three games. Due to this, and to the excellent football we are producing, optimism amongst fans is high, but how far up the league can we realistically expect Liverpool to finish this season?

Most non-LFC fans seem to think that Liverpool have an outside chance of snatching 4^th, but that is the highest we could possibly hope for. Theoretically, this makes some sense. After all, player for player, there is no questioning that Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have stronger squads than ours. In a game of Top Trumps, Liverpool’s players would surely lose out to these clubs (and debatably to United and Arsenal as well), unless you have the luck to draw Coutinho from your deck when your opponent possesses the Milner card. The fact is, having not been in the Champions League since 2009/10, we haven’t been able to attract the top players for some time now, and as such our squad, on paper at least, simply is not as strong as those of our direct rivals.

However, though it is a cliché, the game is not played on paper. If all of Tottenham’s new players were immediately able to gel with each other and with the rest of the team, then they could most certainly challenge for the title. As it is, they needed to rely on debatable penalty decisions to win them their games against Crystal Palace and Swansea, and today lost 1-0 to Arsenal, because the team are not performing well as a group. Liverpool, on the other hand, have looked like a very tightly-knit unit this season. Their chemistry on and off the pitch has been wonderful; I don’t recall ever seeing a Liverpool team more in tune with one another. This is, in part, down to the relatively small amount of change the club has undergone in the down-season in comparison with the big clubs around us. Out of the top 7 from last season, only Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have retained the same managers. As such, until all the other teams are able to settle down and adapt to their new managers (or, in Spurs’ case, adapt to fit in a whole host of new players), Liverpool may well have the edge over them.

Saying this, doing business in the transfer market is by no means a bad thing. It is simply that there needs to be a balance. Spurs have brought in too many players for their starting 11 at once to be able to get results in the short term, but as the season progresses they will most likely become a force to be reckoned with. Arsenal, on the other hand, though not destabilised by change, are being left behind in terms of squad depth by not signing anyone (unless you count free transfers Flamini and Sanogo). Indeed, their lack of depth is already troubling them, as they have been plagued by injuries to multiple players recently.  Liverpool have struck a happy medium, in that they have brought in a couple of players who have made it immediately to the first team, some others to bulk out the squad in case of injury, and some young talents who have potential to make it to the first team in the future. The immediate changes to the starting XI are not so drastic that they throw us off course; they only serve to strengthen us.  As we are the only club from last season’s top 7 to achieve that fine balance, except perhaps Chelsea, we most certainly have the upper hand on our rivals.

So, bearing all of that in mind, where do I think we can finish? Chelsea suffer the least out of the clubs that have made managerial changes, as Mourinho has been at the club before and knows how things work. Most of the players already know him and his style, so there is little adaptation to do. They have also done good business in the transfer market: players such as Willian and Samuel Eto’o are likely to start on a fairly regular basis, whilst Van Ginkel and Atsu are great squad players. Due to this, I don’t think we can realistically hope to finish above Chelsea. Manchester City are another we will struggle to overcome, as despite the vast amount of money spent at the club this summer, the emphasis has been on quality rather than quantity. Though they have a new manager, it would be a tall order to compete with the sheer quality and depth that City possess. Other than that, I don’t think there is any team in the Premier League that Liverpool cannot hope to finish above. Arsenal have not made anywhere near enough additions to their squad, Tottenham are still reeling after undergoing a squad overhaul, and Manchester United’s squad, which wasn’t that strong in the first place, is now under the guidance of a new manager: this is already taking its toll on them, as they have only managed 4 points from their first 3 games.

In conclusion, Chelsea and Manchester City are a cut above the rest, and barring too many more slip-ups against clubs such as Cardiff they should be expected to occupy the top two slots come the end of the season. From 3^rd to 6^th there is  very little in it, and Liverpool, if all goes well, will be able to capitalise on the shaky starts their rivals are having and take 3^rd place. It’s optimistic, but it’s also realistic. Let’s hope they can continue their excellent start to the season, and go on to achieve what they are capable of.

-James Martin

Follow me @JamesMartin013

2013/14- A New Dawn?

Two games into the new season, Liverpool are looking very good. They have played some excellent attacking football in both matches, as well as looking strong defensively (not conceding in either game). Most importantly, though, they have won both of the matches, meaning they already have 6 points on the board. This contrasts hugely to the way we have become accustomed to Liverpool starting a campaign; the win against Stoke marked the first time we had won an opening game in the Premier League since 2008 (in a season which saw us finish 2^nd). Does this turn-around in early season form mark a new dawn for LFC?

Firstly, it is worth noting that Liverpool’s two opening games have both been against relatively poor opposition. Both of the sides they have faced thus far in the Premier League, Stoke and Aston Villa, finished well within the bottom half of the table last season. In truth, most fans, quite understandably, would expect nothing less than a victory against clubs such as these.

Saying this, it is not as if our first two fixtures didn’t pose any challenges. Stoke have proved time after time that they are hard to break down defensively, so to be able to find a way past them in our first competitive game since May 19^th was no mean feat. Villa posed an even greater challenge. In their opening game they caused an upset against Arsenal, coming out 3-1 victors. They also netted against Chelsea, though they ended up being narrowly defeated by 2 goals to 1. Their star man Benteke scored in both of these fixtures, and Liverpool’s defence, as well as new goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, had to be on top of their games to deny him yet another goal. Add to this the fact that the quality of opposition hasn’t made much difference to our results in previous opening-day matches (one simply has to look at the 3-0 humiliation at the hands of West Brom last year to see that), and it could be said that the odds, if anything, were against Liverpool!

It is clear then that Liverpool’s opening two games were by no means easy to win. However, it is not just the victories that make me, as a fan, so excited; it is the manner of the victories. In both games, Liverpool got off to quick starts, swiftly getting the upper hand. They were able to dominate for large portions of the game, and played some lovely football during these periods. This in itself is not much different from last season, but what has changed is our ability to put the ball in the net! Countless times last year we were all over a game but somehow failed to score, and thus missed out on the victory. In contrast, in our opening two games this year, we have succeeded in getting that crucial goal, and getting it early on. This is largely thanks to Daniel Sturridge, who is in exquisite goal-scoring form. He has provided the goals in both of our games this season, and has certainly looked capable of providing more in future. If he can keep this up, and the team can keep providing him with the service he needs, we will have a much better chance of finishing in the top 4 than we have had for a long time, as the sort of games which ended in draws last season we should be able to turn into victories during this campaign.

That said, there are some negatives I took from our two opening games. The main problem was the way we seemed to fade towards the end of the halves. We were able to keep well on top of our opposition until roughly 5 minutes before the end of each half, and then suddenly seemed to lose all of our momentum. We were pushed right on to the back foot, and forced to rely heavily upon our defence and keeper. This happened against both Stoke and Villa, and resulted in some nervy moments towards the end of the games. Though it didn’t prove costly, it may well do against stronger opposition. If we are to stand a chance of beating United on Sunday, we cannot invite large amounts of pressure from them at any point in the match, as, with the quality they have in their attack, they will be bound to punish us.

To sum up, I have been extremely heartened by our first two games, as Liverpool have shown that they are indeed embarking upon a new dawn. Unlike in the past, they have been able to start the season on the front foot, by beating teams who have in previous seasons proved frustratingly hard for us to score against. Despite this, there is still a long way to go for Liverpool, and before they can genuinely pose a threat to Arsenal, Tottenham and maybe even (in the long run) the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, they will have to learn to sustain a high level of performance for the full 90 minutes. Here’s hoping that they can do that, and that they can continue their winning start to the season against United next week.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool vs Stoke- Pre-Match Analysis

At last. After a long summer of waiting, the time is finally upon us. At 12:45 on Saturday, Liverpool will get the 2013/14 Premier League season underway. They entertain Stoke at Anfield in their opening fixture, and most fans will be expecting a win.

When one takes a good look at Stoke, it is clear why the weight of expectation is with Liverpool. Stoke have appointed a new manager since the end of last season, replacing Tony Pulis with Mark Hughes. Admittedly they have had the whole of pre-season to adapt to his style of play, but it is clear from the poor start Liverpool made last year under the then newly appointed Brendan Rodgers that often, more than just a couple of months and a handful of games is needed. On top of this, their activity in the transfer market has hardly been inspiring. They have brought in two new players on free transfers, signed full-back Eric Pieters from PSV for just over 3million pounds, and bought Maurice Edu from Bursaspor for an undisclosed fee. None of these signings are bad in themselves, though I doubt that any of them will be setting the Premier League alight this season! Man for man, the Liverpool squad is (on paper at least) far superior.

However, Stoke’s pre-season has been relatively successful. They have played 5, winning 3, drawing 1 and losing 1. The key figure, however, is that they kept clean sheets in all of their last four matches. Towards the end of last season they were not as solid at the back as they had been, but it seems that they may have re-found their defensive form. Admittedly the games they have played were against relatively weak opposition, Genoa being the pick of their opponents, but the signs, for them, are promising.

Add to this the fact that Liverpool are renowned for their slow starts to the season (they have failed to win an opening day fixture since the 2008/09 season, which was incidentally the last time they qualified for the Champions League), and the fact that, as we saw against Celtic, we have a tendency to dominate a game and yet still fail to score, and our victory is not as secure as one might think at first glance.

Saying this, I do still think that Liverpool will manage to win the game. The Celtic game was the only match which we failed to score in, and our overall pre-season form in front of goal has been exceptional. Coutinho has continued to shine, scoring and assisting with apparent ease. Raheem Sterling has also proven himself to be ready for another run with the first team, playing some dazzling football in pre-season as well as scoring prolifically. He continued his goal-scoring form on international duty, scoring for the England U21’s against Scotland. New signing Iago Aspas has also looked threatening in front of goal, and Jordan Henderson, Steven Gerrard, Luis Alberto, Joe Allen and Jordan Ibe have also been on target for Liverpool. Daniel Sturridge also scored twice in a behind-closed-doors game against Newcastle. The fact that there are now so many potential goal-scorers in the team gives Brendan Rodgers the option to change things around if we are failing to score, which I think will be the difference from last season.

This is how I think the team will line up:  

                                                       Created using @footy_formation

 Before the transfer window closes I would ideally like to sign another centre-back for the first team, although to be fair Toure has impressed me a lot in pre-season. He will certainly be adequate to deal with Stoke’s mediocre attack. Aspas could play as a right forward in place of Sterling, but I think Stoke will find it very hard to cope with Sterling’s trickery and on-the-ball skill. If we are failing to score, I would expect Rodgers to replace Sturridge, who isn't fully match fit yet anyway, for Aspas. Joe Allen may also come on for either Lucas or Gerrard, as he has done very well in pre-season, and has shown himself to be good going forward as well as dictating the play from a central position.

To sum up, it would be a mistake to underestimate Stoke, who, though they don’t have the most inspiring squad, are solid at the back. However, I think that, unlike last season, we now have enough attacking options to find a way through the Stoke defence, and get our season off to a winning start.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Sturridge- Can he force his way back in?

Liverpool signed Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea in the January transfer window, and the striker had an immediate impact. He scored 10 goals in just 14 games, and was hailed by many as the clinical striker we needed. He was so successful that he earned himself a call-up to the national side. Unfortunately, in a game for England against the Republic of Ireland, he injured his ankle, meaning he was forced to miss Liverpool’s pre-season tour. However, this didn’t seem to hinder Liverpool in the slightest, as they managed to score 13 goals in their first 5 pre-season fixtures, conceding none. The team gelled extremely well together, and a combination of Coutinho, Sterling, Aspas and Gerrard proved deadly in front of goal. The question is, now Sturridge has returned to full training, will he be able to win his place in the team back?

At the end of the 2012/13 season, it would have been unthinkable that, come the start of the new season, Sturridge’s place in the first team would be in question. His performances for Liverpool produced a lot of goals, and he was one of the stand-out players in the second half of the campaign. However, there are question marks over his consistency. Despite his impressive average of a goal every 0.71 games, he failed to net in half of his Premier League games for Liverpool. This shows that his goals came in bursts. In some games, he simply failed to perform, and consequently Liverpool struggled. Now, with the arrival of Iago Aspas, Liverpool’s attacking players are scoring seamlessly (though admittedly against relatively weak opposition), and consistency would not appear to be an issue, as the reds have netted at least two in every pre-season game thus far. Daniel Sturridge was brought in because we needed goals; now, even without him, we are scoring regularly.

Saying this, it is likely that Sturridge will make it to the starting 11 come the first game against Stoke. Regardless of the fact that Liverpool have been scoring in pre-season without him, Sturridge’s performances last season justify his place in the team. What is different from last year is that Sturridge is no longer a necessity. If he fails to perform, pre-season has shown Rodgers can drop him, and still have a team that are able to play some beautiful football that results in goals. Consequently, the pressure on Sturridge to be quick off the mark is huge. Last season, Liverpool’s only other attacking option was the injury-ridden, underperforming Fabio Borini, meaning Sturridge was essentially guaranteed first team football. This year, if he is unable to perform right from the start of the season, his place in the first team is at serious risk.

This could have one of two effects. It could spur him on to perform at his very best, which would be the best case scenario for Liverpool. We saw in multiple games last season (such as against Fulham and Newcastle) that Sturridge at his best is an absolute nightmare for defenders, and a very potent goal threat. The fact that he is, in essence, playing for his position in the team every game, may well inspire him to put in his best possible performances week in, week out. This would be brilliant, as it would cover over the only major chink in Sturridge’s armour, his consistency issues. If Liverpool can get Sturridge playing to his full potential all season, then their chances of breaking back into the top 4 are greatly increased.

On the other hand, the pressure could ‘get to him’. By signing Iago Aspas, who is already proving himself to be a very good attacker, Brendan Rodgers has dramatically raised the stakes for Daniel Sturridge. In doing this, he has potentially executed a masterstroke, but he has also taken a considerable risk. If Sturridge is unable to handle the pressure of constantly having to fight to stay in the first team, there is a significant danger that his performances will become lacklustre. Although Liverpool will be able to cope if this happens (as we have seen in pre-season), it would be tragic to waste a talent like Sturridge.

To sum up, although the likes of Jordan Ibe, Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho, Steven Gerrard and new signing Iago Aspas have all proved that they can combine well to get lots of goals this pre-season, it is extremely unlikely that Daniel Sturridge will have been robbed of his place come the start of the season. However, he will have to be on top of his game right from the word go if he wants to retain his place, as Rodgers has given Liverpool an attacking depth that they have been clearly lacking for the past few seasons. If he is able to find his form straight away, Liverpool could be in for a very successful season.

-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