Liverpool vs Watford: Lallana as a false 9!? Three changes to compensate for missing Firmino

Use Adam Lallana as a false nine

Adam Lallana was the surprise pick against West Ham that got hammered by the fans. But now, could Lallana be an option again?

The former Saints man definitely has some touches of Firmino about him. Lallana is silky on the ball, is willing to work all day and will spend his time defending on the front foot. The 30-year-old can also thread a pass and isn’t bad in front of goal.

In this formation, Lallana would operate as a false nine. He’d drop a little bit deeper than Bobby, and be responsible for threading balls into Salah cutting inside from the right hand flank.

In attack you could see Lallana sitting around the edge of the box while Salah and Mane flood the box – alongside Gini Wijnaldum, who is excellent at arriving in the area at just the right time.

Maybe a more functional than exciting choice, Lallana would certain look to pull the strings and defend on the front foot. When you think about it, this idea isn’t as mad as it may seem at first.