Liverpool August squad rankings: Sturridge falls, Mane rises

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: James Milner of Liverpool celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at White Hart Lane on August 27, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /

9. James Milner (no ranking last month)

My favorite thing about James Milner is that he’s Liverpool’s penalty taker. It breaks stereotypes as he’s surrounded by flair Brazilians, deadly finishers and better tacticians but the Englishman nicknamed Boring James Milner is the man handed the penalty duties.

Milner is a fantastic penalty taker, of course, but non-Liverpool fans would have to take a lot of guesses to figure Milner as the taker.

General football fans might assume Philippe Coutinho. If not, maybe Roberto Firmino. Sturridge if he’s on the pitch, possibly Origi if he’s around. Not any of them? Well, okay, Germans are good at pens, right? So Emre Can? No? Sadio Mane? Adam Lallana is good with his feet? No? Wijnaldum is a good finisher? What– Milner? No way.

I love that.

The poor guy, though, has been shackled to left back simply because he’s professional enough to have the ability to be adequate despite playing winger his whole career as well as central midfield, a position he was promised to play when signing for Liverpool. That would have been a deal breaker, nonetheless. To play Devil’s Advocate here, I wonder if he’d prefer left back or left bench?

At any rate, long live Jimmy Milner, the consummate professional.

Next: 8. Nathaniel Clyne

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