Jordan Chamberlain – Editor of E.O.T.K – @Jordan_AC90
While team aims and targets should dominate pre-season discussions, it’s important to note that any excellent collective Liverpool results will only come about through similarly excellent individual performances.
Our title pursuit in 2013/14 was based on over-performing cogs in a fluid wheel, but nobody can deny that without Luis Suarez, it simply wouldn’t have happened.
In order to compete strongly on all four fronts and finish in the top four, our entire squad will need to knuckle down and apply themselves.
Below, we’ve named the individual targets of the current squad for the 2015/16 season.
Some of course contradict each other – as there’s no way that Lucas, Emre Can and Joe Allen can all thrive at once – as they’re all competing for the same spot.
(We’ve not included Jose Enrique, Fabio Borini, Rickie Lambert or Mario Balotelli – as in all likelihood – the four will be sold before the start of the season. And if they’re not, they’re unlikely to feature much.)
Goalkeepers
Adam Bogdan
Bogdan was playing as a backup keeper in the Championship last term, so to go through this season establishing himself as a solid Premier League understudy will be an achievement. Bogdan could get chances in the Cups, and so long as doesn’t prove blunder prone, he could warm our bench for a number of seasons.
Simon Mignolet
We need to see the Mignolet we’ve seen since the turn of the year, and not the disastrous one who stood between the sticks during the first six months of last season. The Belgian needs to form a solid relationship with his defenders, primarily the central two, as the constant communication errors will not be forgiven this time around. ‘Confident’ Mignolet must remain, as he won’t be given any more chances this time around. Hit shot stopping is largely good, but he must improve at claiming crosses, too.
Fullbacks
Nathaniel Clyne
Clyne’s job is to prove an upgrade on the departed Glen Johnson, first and foremost. In order to do this, he needs to provide a consistent marauding presence up the right, but perhaps more importantly – shine defensively. This is something Johnson never managed to do, and although we value Clyne’s offensive traits – it’s his tackling, intercepting, blocking and defensive positioning we’ll first judge him on.
Jon Flanagan
Flanagan simply needs to recover from his devastating injury, and ease himself back into first-team action at his own pace. Literally no pressure is being put on the young defender. We just want to see him healthy again.
Alberto Moreno
Like many of last summer’s signings, it’ll be this season that we can fairly judge Moreno. He’s had a full pre-season, should be acclimatised to English life and needs to start justifying his price-tag. Remember, this is a left-back who was starting for Spain in 2013/14 and earning the attention of Real Madrid (via talkSport). He showed glimpses of this ability during the debut campaign (like his goal against Spurs), but we need to see it more consistently this time around. Moreno’s final delivery needs to be more cutting and regular, but like with Clyne – it’ll be his defensive contribution that marks him a success or failure. Positionally he made mistakes and often didn’t get tight enough to opponents. This needs to change.
Joe Gomez
To do exactly as he has done all pre-season, and play with a confidence and physicality that belies his age. If he can do this, Moreno’s starting spot could be in trouble – although Gomez might get a chance at centre-back in the cups as well.
Andre Wisdom
Do his job when called upon and establish himself as the primary backup to Clyne on the right.
Centre-backs
Martin Skrtel
Skrtel needs to prove he can maximise the ability of his defensive partner and form a solid, automatically picked centre-back pairing. He’s signed his new contract and he’ll be Rodgers’ first-choice, but it’s no good him playing well if his lack of communication at the back damages the performances of Lovren or Sakho alongside him. He’s in his 30s now, and needs to provide the cool, experienced head at the back we’ve lacked since Carragher’s departure. Interestingly, Skrtel’s season will almost be judged on how well his fellow defenders do, as we know what to expect from the Slovakian by now.
Dejan Lovren
It’s now or never for the £20m Croat, in truth. So poor was his debut season, that many Liverpool fans have already written him off, while some are only willing to give him another chance because of the inflated price-tag he arrived with. Firstly, Lovren needs to sort out his confidence issues. Time and time again last term he looked petrified and made confused defensive decisions which led directly to opposition goals. If selected, Lovren needs to take charge of the defence like he did for Southampton. He needs to be vocal and composed. One of the traits we signed him for was his ability on the ball, but again – last year his passing was poor. We’re actually not too bothered about seeing his ‘classy’ defensive characteristics, provided he gets back to basics. With Lovren – you feel his issue is a mental one. We can’t see him actually starting the season, but with four competitions to play, he’ll get chances – and needs to start repaying the faith Rodgers has put in him.
Mamadou Sakho
Stay fit. If Sakho does this, he’s our best centre-back. It’s occasionally not pretty to watch, but the Frenchman is physically outstanding, aerially exceptional and can pass a ball, too. Like Skrtel though, Sakho needs to prove a better defensive communicator. He must also cut out the occasional lunged, defensive decision – that can give away fouls or leave him out of position.
Kolo Toure
To carry on providing an experienced head in the dressing room, and a solid backup option should injuries take their toll at any point during the campaign.
Tiago Ilori
Ilori wasn’t taken on pre-season tour, and what we’d deem a successful season for the Portuguese is to show Rodgers during a loan spell at a Premier League club that he’s ready for this league. If Ilori shines at a mid-table club, surely he’ll finally get his chance next season – though we wouldn’t blame the player if he demanded an exit having never been given a single minute since his 2013 arrival.
Central midfielders
Emre Can
Secure the holding midfield position as his own, simply. Steven Gerrard has departed, and we haven’t spent any money in directly replacing him – largely because of the German’s potential. Can will surely be given regular chances in the midfield three this season, and he needs to combine his immense physicality and composed technical skills and cement himself as an automatic starter ahead of Lucas and Joe Allen.
Lucas
Like Allen and Can, Lucas will be aiming to be our no.1 holding midfielder in the 4-3-3 formation we’re expected to begin the season with. If not, Lucas will be content with regular rotation appearances. His discipline shouldn’t be disregarded.
Joe Allen
Allen needs to show Liverpool fans the attributes Brendan Rodgers is so keen on. Our manager believes Allen can run games in true European fashion from midfield, but Reds supporters think he’s weak, unadventurous and only passes sideways. Like Can and Lucas, he wants that midfield spot next to the two automatic starters you’re about to hear about.
James Milner
In many ways – Milner doesn’t have much to prove individually. The football world knows what you get with him, and has grown to respect it. We think he’s more than a tireless runner, of course. Milner’s target, from his desired central midfield spot, should be to match the form shown with Aston Villa that saw Manchester City shell out £26m on him five years back. On top of this, he needs to grown into a role as one of the sides senior players and leaders.
Jordan Henderson
Henderson must prove Rodgers made the right decision in giving him Steven Gerrard’s armband – arguably the biggest individual task of the entire squad. But the new skipper’s got it in his locker. In terms of individual improvement, it’d be nice to see more of the guile and intricate creativity Henderson began to show at points in 2014/15 – and combine it with never-ending work-rate and a developing leadership.
Attacking midfielders and wingers
Jordon Ibe
Ibe is our only out and out direct, pacy winger now Raheem Sterling has been sold. For this reason, he’ll get chances when Rodgers feels the need to inject speed into the frontline – wide in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. Individually, Ibe should aim to add the odd goal and assist to his impressive runs down the flank, as he has shown in pre-season. He faces an uphill task considering the talent in attacking midfield he’s competing with, but Ibe has the physicality and mentality to embrace the fight. If he’s to become a starter, he needs to prove his dribbles often result in end product.
Adam Lallana
Lallana has had a full pre-season and has the full support of his team-mates and managers who recognise the £25m signing’s progress stunted in 2014/15 because of injuries. This time around though, he’ll have no excuses. Due to his full pre-season, Lallana should be given a starting role at the beginning of the campaign, likely on the left of a 4-3-3. It’s key for Lallana to begin taking games by the horns as he did for Southampton, as he has the ability to consistently assist and score. A successful season for the England man will be based on whether he’s nailed down a specific position in the side and is not considered a handy utility midfielder by the end of it.
Coutinho
Coutinho needs to simply carry on from where he left off last season. At times, it was an utter joy to watch. If we’re giving him one target though, it’s to score more goals. He notched five in the Premier League, and with his barbaric talent, he should be aiming for double that in 2015/16.
Lazar Markovic
It’s going to be tough for Markovic to get game time this season after failing to impress in 2014/15. Its easy to forget that he’s only 21 because of his £20m price-tag, and we’d love to see the young Serbian impress on loan to a Premier League club.
Roberto Firmino
The Brazilian’s individual targets should not be set too high. Yes he cost plenty, yes he starts for Brazil and yes his performances in Germany indicate potential genius – but equally lauded players have arrived in England and simply failed to adapt. We want to see Roberto Firmino find his natural position in the side – preferably alongside Coutinho where he can link up with his international team-mate. In terms of goals and assists – it’d be nice to see him reach double figures in one of those tallies. If he reaches it in both then we’re onto a serious winner.
Strikers
Christian Benteke
Benteke’s debut season will be judged on goals, and goals alone. We regard 15 in the Premier League as par, but ideally – we want more. The Belgian netted 13 for Aston Villa last time out, but with much, much better service we’d expect him to better that. With Daniel Sturridge injured until October, he’ll definitely begin the term as first-choice – and we need to see the physical and goalscoring attributes that convinced us to break the bank for his services. Tellingly, Benteke needs to press and constantly demand the ball – as there’s nothing which frustrates Reds fans more than a ‘lazy’ forward.
Daniel Sturridge
To stay fit and get people talking about his football rather than his muscle problems. Sturridge’s career will continue to stagnate unless he can put last season totally behind him. The forward is in a tricky situation right now, as he knows Benteke (a £32.5m signing) will be starting the season while he sits and watches from the sidelines. Sturridge is due back in October (via Independent), and it’ll be his job to get fit, get confidence in his legs, find his scoring boots – and force Rodgers to adapt a system that includes him in a central striking position – as he had to in 2013/14 when the forward bagged 24 goals alongside Suarez.
Danny Ings
Ings notched 11 goals with Burnley last season, and if he matches that from an expected substitute role, we’ll be over the moon. Ings’ primary target should be to cement himself ahead of Divock Origi in the subs’ pecking order, only behind Christian Benteke until Daniel Sturridge is fit. If he can do that, he’ll get chances.
Divock Origi
Improve. Show keenness and a hunger to get better, and learn from those around him. At 20-years-old, Origi has years ahead of him to eventually earn a starting spot – so as long he provides pace, intensity and work-rate from the bench, fans will be happy.
