James Pearce has today had his say on Liverpool’s pre-season campaign, giving each of the regular first-team players a mark out of ten for their performances in the Far East, Helsinki and Swindon.
His marks gave some indication as to what he feels the team should be for our first Premier League game of the new season – which takes place this coming Sunday away to Stoke City.
For example, young Joe Gomez deservedly scored at eight in his ratings, three points more than left-back rival Alberto Moreno. The teenager is many people’s favourite to be the surprise inclusion at the Britannia Stadium and this will be yet another vote in his favour.
Mamadou Sakho also outscored Dejan Lovren, despite starting just three of the seven games, suggesting it should be the Frenchman who partners Martin Skrtel in defence against a dangerous Stoke attack.
However, it was Jordon Ibe who top scored with a mark of nine – two more than fellow attacking midfielders Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho. Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner and Christian Benteke all scored eights, and that’s despite the latter featuring for little more than an hour of the campaign.
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These were Pearce’s ratings in full:
Mignolet 7, Bogdan 6, Clyne 8, Gomez 8, Moreno 5, Skrtel 7, Lovren 6, Sakho 7, Toure 5, Lucas 6, Milner 8, Henderson 7, Allen 5, Can 6, Teixeira 7, Rossiter 6, Markovic 5, Ibe 9, Lallana 7, Firmino 6, Coutinho 7, Ings 7, Origi 6, Benteke 8.