After four competitive matches for Liverpool in 2016/17, what does the squad’s hierarchy look like? Who’s been best?
August has been a very, well, Liverpool month.
They had a few preseason matches left and on back to back days before the season. They beat Barcelona 4-0 then lost to Mainz to the same scoreline. What could be more Liverpool than that?
Their form continued to vacillate once real games begun as well. Because of course it did.
The competitive matches kicked off with a high of beating Arsenal 4-3 at The Emirates directly followed with a painful 2-0 loss to Burnley a week later. It reverted to the average of just kind of disappointed with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham when Liverpool really deserved three points but their inability to put Spurs away cost them. Sandwiched in there was a 5-0 bullying of Burton in the 2nd round of the League Cup with a very strong XI.
Some players like Loris Karius and Emre Can figured to be involved in all of these games, but injuries cost them that. Daniel Sturridge figured to be involved in all of these games, and it wasn’t even an injury for him (finally), it was just Jurgen Klopp preferring Robrto Firmino through the center.
This month has seen Klopp persist with the notion that James Milner can play fullback as well as the sore sight of Simon Mignolet remaining in goal.
Liverpool’s nine goals in all competitions this month has been divvied up egalitarian with only two players having multiple goals. No one player has scored in separate matches, either. Philippe Coutinho and Sturridge lead the team with a pair of goals each.
Last month’s preseason rankings can be found here and this is what they looked like:
13: Danny Ings, 12: Jordan Henderson, 11. Loris Karius, 10. Nathaniel Clyne, 9. Dejan Lovren, 8. Joel Matip, 7. Divock Origi, 6. Adam Lallana, 5. Sadio Mane, 4. Emre Can, 3. Daniel Sturridge, 2. Roberto Firmino, 1. Philippe Coutinho.
Going to be a bit different this go ’round.
Next: 13. Gini Wijnaldum