Which of these five midfield partnerships could to take us forward…
It’s been one of the biggest talking points amongst Liverpool fans this week – who will replace Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva, with both midfielders out through injury.
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Brilliant defender or the next Steven Gerrard? Analysing Emre Can’s best position
Jordan Henderson is almost guaranteed to start, and will wear the captain’s armband in the absence of Gerrard. Who is best suited to partnering him in the centre of the park though? We analyse five potential options…
5) Jordan Rossiter & Jordan Henderson
We start with a surprise choice – academy player Jordan Rossiter. The 17-year-old has been involved in a number of match-day squads this season, but has not featured since his club debut; which included a goal against Championship leaders Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup. Brendan Rodgers’ young players have rarely let us down so far this season, so why not give another starlet a chance over the coming weeks.
4) Adam Lallana & Jordan Henderson
Summer signing Lallana has struggled to hold down a first-team place so far this season, due in no small part to the wealth of attacking talent already in the Liverpool squad. Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, Lazar Markovic, and Jordon Ibe are all competition for an attacking midfield role, so why not try dropping Lallana deeper where he can influence the game with his passing and vision. It would be an interesting experiment.
3) Joe Allen & Emre Can
An unlikely option as things stand, but if Henderson is asked to play on the right hand side – as he has been in the past – this would be an intriguing option to try out. Can proved against Tottenham that he’s ready to start impressing in midfield, as well as in defence, while Allen will be eager to re-establish himself as a first-team player after finding himself on the fringes in recent weeks. This partnership would represent a more defensive choice, but could allow Can to push forward a little more than if he were playing with Henderson.
2) Jordan Henderson & Joe Allen
If Rodgers chooses to keep Can in defence, so as not to change a winning formula, the obvious midfield partnership would be Henderson and Allen – the two senior players left for the position in the Liverpool squad. This could come down to who Rodgers trusts more – Allen or Dejan Lovren. One or the other will more than likely have to play, with Can either staying in the back three, or pushing forward to accommodate the Croatian.
1) Emre Can & Jordan Henderson
The German has been in wonderful form since the turn of the year, and it’s an intriguing prospect to see him playing in his favoured position. Lovren, who cost us £20m from Southampton in the summer, has been left wasting away on the substitutes bench. He needs to be given another chance, and an FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace is the ideal opportunity to trial both players. As the previous pages have shown us, there are plenty of ways to change the team around if either Can, or more likely Lovren, fail to perform.
