2013-2014 Squad

Mignolet, Jones

Johnson, Enrique, Cissokho, Toure, Agger, Skrtel, Sahko, Ilori, Wisom, Kelly, Coates.

Coutinho, Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Allen, Alberto.

Suarez, Aspas, Sturridge, Moses, Sterling, Ibe

That's bang on 25 players.
So you might think "great we can only have a 25 man squad".
6 of the players are U21.
That leaves a 19 man registered squad.
Smallest squad in the league.
2nd youngest, to Aston Villa.

Defensively we've probably never had a better squad.
I think we could have done with a DM and a attacking option.
I think we've left ourselves short at keeper too.

As it stands I expect us to see the 3-5-2 used a fair bit this season,
especially if we need to rest Lucas.

We got a glimps of a Rafaesque feature with Cissokho and Enrique deployed on one side.
Another sign of having to do things differently because of the lack of funds available.

Once again you can highlight the U21's filling the squad to see where we are light in the squad.
We are dependant on our front line staying fit.

Slightly worrying that Sturridge always seems to be carrying some sort of injury.
He's quickly becoming the main man in Suarez's absence.

Interesting times ahead.

If we do well with this squad then I think Brendan needs some massive credit.
As things stand I'd expect us to line up like this.

                     Mignolet

Johnson    Skrtel     Agger     Enrique

  Henderson     Lucas     Gerrard

     Moses     Sturridge     Coutinho

Jones, Wisdom, Sahko, Alberto, Aspas, Sterling, Ibe

Ilori, Kelly

Cissokho - Injured
Coates - Injured
Allen - Injured
Toure - Injured
Suarez - Suspended

Our squad is really good at the moment bar the central midfield


GK: Mignolet, Jones, Ward

RB: Johnson, Wisdom, Flanagan

LB: Enrique, Cissokho

CB: Agger, Toure, Sakho, Skrtel, Ilori, Kelly, Coates

MF: Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard

WF: Sterling, Ibe, Moses

AMC: Coutinho, Alberto

ST: Suarez, Sturridge, Aspas

Flanaghan has surly got to drop back down to U21 for the rest of the season as he's not going to get a luck in and it would benifit him to play all the time.

not sure what will happen when Kolo is back as we have 5 CB, with Cissoko to come back as LB cover it could be  a shame but think Kolo might loose out and be palmed off at the end of the season even though so far he's been class. you dont pay 25mil for two new CB to sit on the bench. Ilori will prob start off U21 have a few games back to back to get up to speed then he will be on the bench with Skrtel

Our squad is really good at the moment bar the central midfield


GK: Mignolet, Jones, Ward

RB: Johnson, Wisdom, Flanagan

LB: Enrique, Cissokho

CB: Agger, Toure, Sakho, Skrtel, Ilori, Kelly, Coates

MF: Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard

WF: Sterling, Ibe, Moses

AMC: Coutinho, Alberto

ST: Suarez, Sturridge, Aspas

Still think we're a couple of players short in the attacking areas going by that. Another quality winger as Sterling and Ibe are still in development stages. An attacking midfielder and backup goalkeeper to compete with Coutinho and Mignolet. Then I think we'll have a squad that can comfortably finish in the top 4.

The 1 place we look thin if injuries hit or tiredness is the middle. It basically reads Lucas Gerrard Allen Henderson and if stuck Alberto and Toure

Could be worth a look in Jan or maybe a punt on Momo?

The 1 place we look thin if injuries hit or tiredness is the middle. It basically reads Lucas Gerrard Allen Henderson and if stuck Alberto and Toure

Could be worth a look in Jan or maybe a punt on Momo?

A punt on Momo? Hasn't he signed for Reading? If we are going to reinforce the centre midfielder area, why not do it with quality? Why resort back to players who we've moved on from the club, along with Juve and PSG? If there is any central midfielder I'd welcome back, it'd be Alonso.

I would say the RB position needs strengthening as well as DM, and most definitely LW after Moses returns to Chelsea. These should be priority positions for next summer or this winter.

A punt on Momo? Hasn't he signed for Reading? If we are going to reinforce the centre midfielder area, why not do it with quality? Why resort back to players who we've moved on from the club, along with Juve and PSG? If there is any central midfielder I'd welcome back, it'd be Alonso.

I would say the RB position needs strengthening as well as DM, and most definitely LW after Moses returns to Chelsea. These should be priority positions for next summer or this winter.

Yeah we can't keep going back to the past to answer our concerns for the present and the future. Brendan must forge his own way forward without using the template of Rafa.

Well he has no choice now with the window closed. Had Momo not apparently signed for Reading he was available to sign as cover for Lucas. What that has to do with Rafa I don't know

Well he has no choice now with the window closed. Had Momo not apparently signed for Reading he was available to sign as cover for Lucas. What that has to do with Rafa I don't know

Couldn't Kelly do a shift  in that position?

As things stand I'd expect us to line up like this.

                     Mignolet

Johnson    Skrtel     Agger     Enrique

Good post. I don't believe we will have spend close to 20mill on Sakho to sit on the bench though.
With that said Toures been probably our strongest player this season, bar Sturridge so a nice problem to have, will he drop the vice captain to have a Kolo-Sahko CB bearing?
Conundrum.

Couldn't Kelly do a shift  in that position?

Interesting call that, never considered him there but now you have mentioned it Id like to see how he got on.

But ideally we want proven players in positions not hoping we can convert players?

Couldn't Kelly do a shift  in that position?

Possibly but I'd say not for a good few months or possibly not till next season mate.  He's still recovering from a very serious injury that happened not long after a lot of other injuries.  He's nowhere near back to full fitness even playing in the reserves.

Our squad is really good at the moment bar the central midfield


GK: Mignolet, Jones, Ward

RB: Johnson, Wisdom, Flanagan

LB: Enrique, Cissokho

CB: Agger, Toure, Sakho, Skrtel, Ilori, Kelly, Coates

MF: Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard

WF: Sterling, Ibe, Moses

AMC: Coutinho, Alberto

ST: Suarez, Sturridge, Aspas

If you were to field two teams, you'd struggle! Hendo,  Lucas, and Stevie have already established themselves as our regulars in midfield. Who's to their support? Joe Allen, and that's it. You'd need Toure or Llori to do a shift there if a B team was to be fielded. I haven't got anything against having Sterling as our 2nd winger, as I believe he's got good talent, but Jordon Ibe is too young and hasn't had the experience that Sterling had last season. Happy with our first team, and we are fortunate to not be playing in Europe this season given that our squad is still thin in places.

See what people are saying about shortage of depth in central midfield, but I don't think it's that bad - Enrique has already shown he can do a similar job to Henderson, and imo Agger would be a good holding midfielder. (On current form he would be the one losing his place to Sahko, so he could well be available to cover there.)

My only real worry in CM would be if Stevie G got injured. We don't have a real alternative to him. But they ain't easy to come by!

Up front, slightly surprised Borini was loaned out - only 2 real goal scorers, one of whom is suspension-prone.
Slight risk that - anybody know if we have reserved the right to call Borini back if we need him? If so, the loan makes good sense. If not, I'd have kept him.

Other than that I think the squad looks good. We can challenge strongly for top 4 imo.
Loads of depth at the back now, ditto out wide.
If Stevie and Sturridge stay fit, and Suarez doesn't bite anybody, we'll do well.

If you were to field two teams, you'd struggle! Hendo,  Lucas, and Stevie have already established themselves as our regulars in midfield. Who's to their support? Joe Allen, and that's it. You'd need Toure or Llori to do a shift there if a B team was to be fielded. I haven't got anything against having Sterling as our 2nd winger, as I believe he's got good talent, but Jordon Ibe is too young and hasn't had the experience that Sterling had last season. Happy with our first team, and we are fortunate to not be playing in Europe this season given that our squad is still thin in places.

Granted we aren't able to put out a world class side as a B team.  But I think we've got decent cover and options.  Actually A B team of


                                                                              Jones


Kelly                              Toure                                                 Sakho                  Wisdom




                                Allen                                                         Cissoko


                                                          Alberto


Moses                                                                                         Sterling


                                               Aspas



Isn't the end of the world.  And really, how often would we have to do such a thing?  If ever, as you point out, without playing in Europe. 

Even without Europe, an injury to Lucas or Gerrard will completely F**k up our season. Surprised Brendan didn't learn from the first few months of last season where we were totally lost without Lucas and Gerrard struggled as a result.

The depth out wide isn't fantastic either but with Hendo and Coutinho able to play there I'll think we'll get away with that one until January at least.

Granted we aren't able to put out a world class side as a B team.  But I think we've got decent cover and options.  Actually A B team of


                                                                              Jones


Kelly                              Toure                                                 Sakho                  Wisdom




                                Allen                                                         Cissoko


                                                          Alberto


Moses                                                                                         Sterling


                                               Aspas



Isn't the end of the world.  And really, how often would we have to do such a thing?  If ever, as you point out, without playing in Europe.

That's some good looking skater there!

Liverpool Squad Submitted to the Premier League

25 Man Senior Squad (Liverpool have 19 senior players)

Overseas/Non-Home Grown Players (Maximum of 17 - LFC have 10 senior overseas players + 1 loaned in)

Daniel Agger
Iago Aspas
Aly Cissokho
Sebastian Coates
Jose Enrique
Simon Mignolet
Lucas Leiva
Mamadou Sakho
Martin Skrtel
Luis Suarez
Kolo Toure

Home Grown Players (LFC have 7 senior players classed as home-grown players + 1 loaned in)

Joe Allen
Steven Gerrard
Jordan Henderson
Glen Johnson
Brad Jones
Martin Kelly
Victor Moses
Daniel Sturridge

The reds have no restrictions on Under 21 players and have named over 50 youngsters

LFC Training Wear 2013-14
Adorjan, Krisztian
Alexander, Jack
Baio, Yalany Cuino
Bijev, Villyan
Brannagan, Cameron
Brewitt, Tom
Burke, Nathan
Cleary, Daniel
Coady, Conor David
Coutinho Correia, Phillippe
Crump, Ryan
Dunn, Jack
Fernandez Saenz De Le Torre, Jesus Joaquin
Firth, Andrew
Flanagan, John
Fulton, Ryan
Hart, Samuel James
Ibe, Jordon Femi Ashley
Ilori, Tiago
Jones, Lloyd Richard
Kent, Ryan
Lussey, Jordan
Maguire, Joseph
Marsh, William George
McLaughlin, Ryan
Mersin, Yusuf
Morgan, Adam Joseph
Mukendi, Henoc John
Ngoo, Michael
O'Hanlon, Alex Joseph
Ojo, Oluwaseyi
Paez, Rafael
Pelosi, Marc
Petersson, Kristoffer Paul
Randall, Connor Steven
Roberts, David
Robinson, Jack
Robles, Louis Gabriel
Roddan, Craig
Romero Alconchel, Luis Alberto
Rossiter, Jordan
Sama, Stephen
Sinclair, Jerome Terence
Smith, Bradley Shaun
Sokolik, Jakub
Sterling, Raheem Shaquille
Teixeria, Joao Carlos
Trickett Smith, Daniel Thomas
Virtue Thick, Matthew Joseph
Waldron, Dahrius Nathaniel
Ward, Daniel
Williams, Michael Jordan
Wilson, Harry
Wisdom, Andre
Yesil, Samed.

http://www.anfield-online.co.uk/lfc-news/2013/liverpool-submit-full-2013-14-squad-list-premier-league/

The area we really needed to strengthen was at the back, and that has been done, with some good competition for places which in a WC year has to be a good thing.  I think our forward area is also on balance better so overall the squad is stronger.

That player list shows a good balance of youth and experience.

First XI (not necessarily who I'd choose either)

Mignolet

Johnson Toure Agger Enrique

Gerrard Lucas

Henderson Suarez Coutinho

Sturridge

Second XI (again not necessarily the side I'd choose)

Jones

Kelly Sakho Skrtel Cissokho

Allen Alberto

Ibe Moses Sterling

Aspas

Plenty of depth for Brendan to choose from. Especially when you see we've still got a couple of youngsters who can come in and do a job if need be. And to accommodate the occasional injury and/or suspension we can always change the formation, which given the players we've got we should be able to do.

From that our defence is stronger and our midfield and attack similar.

From that our defence is stronger and our midfield and attack similar.

I would also say we've strengthened in goal too. Mignolet is clearly a better keeper than Reina in this present time. Long may that continue. Our defence actually looks frighteningly good in the centre, but possible a little weak at RB. Johnson is still a donkey when it comes to keeping possession deep inside our own half.

Although I like the players, it's a shame we couldn't send Coates and Wisdom out on loan.

I would also say we've strengthened in goal too. Mignolet is clearly a better keeper than Reina in this present time. Long may that continue. Our defence actually looks frighteningly good in the centre, but possible a little weak at RB. Johnson is still a donkey when it comes to keeping possession deep inside our own half.

Although I like the players, it's a shame we couldn't send Coates and Wisdom out on loan.

If Coates wasn't injured I have a feeling he would've been moved on before the window shut! Wisdom needs to stay as Johnson's back-up since Kelly isn't 100% match fit yet. Kelly will be another few weeks and I hope then he'll get a crack at CB. He's 23, same age as Sakho. The two could be a massive future first choice pairing!