I don't see how you can look at the team going into this season and think it's going to be the same or worse than last year's effort.
Positives
--- I'm not particularly keen on Benteke, but he's miles ahead of Balotelli in my opinion. He's a better finisher, plays like he's actually a striker, and doesn't try hopeless shots from 40 yards out.
--- Firmino is a class act that's going to add flair, creativity and goals to the side. Last year it was Coutinho's tricks or Sterling's pace, and that was all we could rely on. Firmino's got a little of everything and is a better finisher than either of them.
--- Milner gets about the pitch like no one else -- and as much as we all love Stevie, his lack of mobility hampered whoever played beside him. Anytime it was Gerrard and Henderson, Gerrard and Lucas (shudders), Gerrard and Allen, one of them had to do the running of two men. No one can ever replace Stevie's ball-playing and sheer class as a player, but Milner makes us much more mobile and dynamic than with Gerrard. He's also severely underrated by some on here.
--- Clyne might not be the best RB in the league, but Lordy is he better than Johnson. Our RBs were so sh*t last year we had to play Can severely out of position.
--- Ings and Origi will be prove to be better bench strikers than Borini and Lambert (though I think everyone was very unfair on Rickie). Origi is very raw, but I can see him making an impact off the bench since he's got a perfect combination of size, strength and pace. The big difference between Borini and Ings is Ings adds a goal touch to his work rate, whereas Borini just kind of ran tirelessly.
--- Someone like Lallana is going to improve this year. For all the over-the-top criticism he received last year, it might be time to realize he scored the same number of league goals as Coutinho despite playing 1,000 less minutes and getting shifted around a bit. Add in that he didn't have a preseason and was unlucky with injury, etc.
Negatives
--- Lovren. I just don't see any big improvements in his game, and he's still very erratic at times and buckles under pressure. (And I don't mean an opposing player closing in on him, I mean in big games and when we're expected to win.) Even so, he can't possibly play any worse than last season, so that in and of itself is a slight improvement.
--- Skrtel. So damn erratic in a high line system and neither a leader nor an organizer. I really feel that if we're being honest with ourselves as a club, we'd have moved him on and brought in a top CB.
--- FB depth. Yeah Gomez looks good, but it's preseason. Outside of Clyne, our depth at FB is fairly weak. Flanagan is out for an even longer stretch, and while I don't think Moreno will play as poorly as last year, I'm not sure he'll ever became a top FB for English football, either. Enrique only exists in the digital realm.
--- Not playing a DM/not playing Lucas. Our record with Lucas vs without him is night and day. I fear we're going to often play without Lucas, which will leave an already erratic backline exposed even more -- especially if Brendan trots out a Lovren/Skrtel pairing.
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Overall, there are far greater things to optimistic about than there are negatives. And even some of these negatives ^^ are known quantities, so you'd think the coaching would be aware of these things and work to eliminate or best limit them.
Besides, being negative never gets you anywhere but the end of a ledge.
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