Encouraging Signs For Liverpool
After missing out on a top four place last season, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers can’t afford to miss out again or he will be looking for another job. The Reds’ boss has been busy in the transfer market again this summer and he will be hoping that his new recruits will do better.
The biggest problem for Liverpool last season was scoring goals and with the arrivals of Danny Ings, Christian Benteke and Divock Origi Liverpool have more striking options.
It remains to be seen if last season’s striking failures Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert will remain at the club for the new season, but if they do move on to pastures new Brendan Rodgers should still be happy with his striking options.
Daniel Sturridge should hopefully come back fitter next season and play a major role in Liverpool’s strikeforce too.
I think Rodgers will just play the one striker despite his striking options because he has so many attacking midfielders in his squad.
Rodgers has to fit players like new signing Firmino, Coutinho, Lallana, Ibe and Markovic into his eleven and he will be reluctant to play a front two.
The pressure is on Benteke to hit the ground running after his big money move to Anfield and Rodgers will be hoping he can find the back of the net regularly.
Clyne, Gomez and Milner have also looked good in pre-season after making the switch to Liverpool and although it is early days there is encouraging signs for Rodgers ahead of the new season.
The Kopite View 
I think Rodgers has so many options now it will be more a case that the intensity in the team is right. We need to either press high to win the ball back quickly and ensure our shape is compact when we lose the ball. There is no doubt that we played better with 3 at the back so to play that would obviously suit our central defenders but leaves Clynne and Moreno out of the side.
All of our wide players are attacking minded so playing 2 in the centre of midfield could allow us to get caught on the break easily so if playing with wide players we will need the likes of Milner and Henderson to be aware of their defensive duties.
Then upfront, possibly our 3 most creative players in Coutinho, Firmino and Lallana all play better as a No10 so unlikely all 3 will ever be on the pitch at the same time, unless we play very narrow, but then we would need excellent movement as will get congested on the edge of the area.
The only way I can see us playing 2 up front is with a diamond 4 in midfield or as 3 at the back and 3 central midfielder with left and right wingers with 2 centre forwards, but that would effectively leave out 2 of our strongest players in Coutinho and Firmino.