Should Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard play from the offset?
Here’s the XI we think Brendan Rodgers should select to face bitter rivals Manchester United in our crunch top-four clash on Sunday…
What d’you reckon?
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GK) Simon Mignolet
First name on the team-sheet. Partly because of how well he’s been playing, and partly because of the complete lack of any backup option! Mignolet will desperate for yet another clean-sheet.
DRC) Emre Can
There’s no point in changing our back-three, even though Emre Can was undeniably shaky versus Swansea last time out. Still – the team didn’t concede – although the German powerhouse will need to be ultra careful with the likes of Angel di Maria, Juan Mata or Ashley Young finding looking to find space down his channel.
DC) Martin Skrtel
Skrtel relishes the central role in the back-three, and along with Mignolet, he kept up us in the game against Swansea in the first-half… He’ll need to keep an especially close eye on the rejuvenated Wayne Rooney, who’s likely to start up top on his own, and has a habit of bagging versus Liverpool.
DL) Mamadou Sakho
Sakho was rightly brought immediately back into the side on his return to fitness, at the expense of Dejan Lovren. There’s now way he’ll lose his spot against the Mancs.
MR) Lazar Markovic
Jordon Ibe is injured, and we think that Markovic offers more defensive contribution at right wing-back than Raheem Sterling… By deploying the Serb here – we can use Sterling’s pace up top, instead.
ML) Alberto Moreno
Moreno should be an automatic choice at left wing-back because of his ability to patrol the flank for the entire 90 minutes. He provides an overlapping option for Coutinho, but can restrict a marauding Antonio Valencia as well.
MC) Jordan Henderson
Henderson’s scored goals in each of our last three games, relishing the added responsibility that comes with the skipper’s armband. Expect him to be well up for a midfield battle with Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera.
MC) Joe Allen
Lucas isn’t 100% fit but he’s back, and Steven Gerrard will be chomping for a central midfield berth – but the little Welshman is basically undroppable based on recent form.
AMRC) Steven Gerrard
Our biggest decision is to put Gerrard back into the lineup at the expense of Adam Lallana in the attacking three. Lallana was poor versus Blackburn and Swansea, and might be more useful as an impact substitute in the second-half. Gerrard will be enormously up for the clash – which is likely to be his last ever against our bitterest rivals. Let him at ’em…
AMLC) Coutinho
The Brazilian is another guaranteed starter, playing in a free role slightly on the left of the front-three. He thrived in our last massive game against Manchester City, and few would bet against him doing it again. If he really turns it on, he can win us the game singlehandedly.
FC) Raheem Sterling
Daniel Sturridge has been off-colour, and we think that Sterling should play the central striking role instead of our more natural starting forward. Sterling offers unbelievable pace in behind, and will be able to press and harry better than Sturridge – who like Lallana, will offer a genuinely classy option from the bench.
