LFC: Liverpool vs West Ham United - Match Preview

"How Will the Reds React to Cup Exit?"

A couple of days have now gone by since that night at Stamford Bridge. From Liverpool's frustrating missed chances up-front, to Diego Costa's sadistic behaviour, Tuesday's tie is not one that will live long in the memory of us reds fans. It is of essence that Rodgers gets his squad of players fully focused as this weekend's fixture, alongside the flurry of league and cup fixtures to follow in February will undoubtedly make or break our season.

An in-form West Ham United may not be the ideal of opposition for Brendan and his men, however Liverpool will enter this weekend's match-up as firm favourites nonetheless.

Important Information & Statistics

Date: Saturday, 31st January                                         Liverpool League Position: 8th

Time: 3:00 pm (UK time)                                               West Ham League Position: 7th

Venue: Anfield                                                              Liverpool Current Form: DWWDWW

Referee: Andre Marriner                                                West Ham Current Form: WLLDDW

Is it on TV?: No

Chelsea Battle Proves We Are On the Up

It took Chelsea 210 minutes, a penalty, and two savage-like stamps from Diego Costa for Chelsea to overturn us over two legs. (Not to forget the extremely poor man-marking for the free-kick that led to the winning goal). No, Mourinho's ever-dominating Chelsea found it extremely difficult to defeat a seemingly haphazard looking Liverpool side, and if it had not been for the number of chances missed by Brendan's men, it would have clearly been game over after the first leg. 

Reverberating one of Brendan's most famous of phrases, Liverpool showed great character and determination throughout both legs, something that has been missing ever since last season. We where only a Daniel Sturridge away from destroying Mourinho's Chelsea and securing a place in the final. The numerous missed chances throughout echo that thought perfectly. Liverpool NEED a striker, however with a day or two of the window remaining, that request is looking the more likely to be unanswered.

He is Finally Back!

After five months and a staggering 32 matches without a decent striker up-front, we can finally speak the words "Daniel is Back!" After suffering an agonizing injury which was prolonged further than supposedly, Sturridge has finally returned to full training and has been deemed fit to play by Rodgers. The training pictures of Melwood in the snow published on Thursday afternoon brought a broad smile across each and every fans' faces out there, as we witnessed Sturridge in a joyous mood prior to his return.

Now, to the dying few questions that remain out there: Who will he replace? Who will he partner up-front? Will the disheartened Mario Balotelli transform into an entirely new player once placed alongside Daniel? One thing is for certain, the 'false number nine' system will be abolished for good, as we finally get to welcome a decent 'out and out' centre forward back to the side.

Ghosts of the Ex-Liverpool FLOPS to Return to Haunt Us?

Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll define the word karma to a T. The ex-red flops, who where sold for petty fees because they did not "fit in our style of play" have revelled under Big Sam, who must be sat on his couch this very moment, portraying a wide grin across his face. Downing in particular, a player we spent 20 million pounds, and sold for 5 has been one of the League's players of the season thus far, yet we sit here having just forked out 25 million on a Serb who has one goal to his name. In Carroll, we possessed a player who apparently did not "fit in our style of play", yet Rodgers opted in buying an older version in Rickie Lambert a mere two seasons later.

Should we have kept the duo, or is their current scintillating form an expression of the type of players they truly are, which is strong 'mid-table team' individuals? Have your say in the comment section below!

                               Should have kept both              Should have kept one (Name who)                                                                        Brendan made right decision

Team News - Mignolet to Retain Place After MOTM Display?

Leaving to one side our promising performances throughout both legs, we have our Belgian number one to thank for a string of world-class saves to keep the scores level. Mignolet was unbeatable on Tuesday night, in contrast to the many shaky displays we had come to witness of late. As Jones is still out on the sidelines, I fully expect Simon to get given the green light come Saturday afternoon. "In the next couple of days, I'll analyse the game and take the positives and negatives out of it, like I've always done." Let us all hope that is true, as a tricky West Ham outfit make the trip to Merseyside.

In other team news, Brendan has confirmed that Sakho has knocked off a slight niggle and is fit to start this weekend, which comes as a relief to us fans fearing the return of Dejan Lovren to the starting eleven.

A Quick Glance at the Opposition

This season in particular, Sam Allardyce has shown each and every one of us that the "long ball over the top" method is, more times than not, one of the best options going forward. (If not, I doubt they would find themselves one point above Rodgers' 'Tiki-Taka gone wrong' style of play). With that being said, they have endured a slight dent in form of late, and this will give the reds further cause to attack the game from the outset and win convincingly.

In contrast to Liverpool, who are faced with no fresh injury worries, West Ham have four doubts for the weekend's match, each one being a defensive player. Allardyce is sweating over the fitness of Jenkinson, Song, Tomkins, and Collins, four omissions that will no doubt bolster the reds' chances of obtaining a positive result.

Top Scorer: Diafra Sakho, 8 goals.                                 Red Cards: 1

Goals Scored: 35                                                            Most YC's: Winston Reid, 8

Goals Conceded: 25                                                       Play-maker: Stewart Downing, 7 assists

Clean Sheets: 5                                                               Biggest Victory: 3-0, vs Hull City

My Prediction and Probable Starting Line-Up

With Dan the man returning, and added to that Allardyce's injury woes at the back, I am going for a convincing 2-0 win, hopefully with a clean sheet as the cherry on top of the cake. As for the predicted line-up, I reckon Sturridge's return will alter the formation slightly.

I am foreseeing an omission from Mario Balotelli's side due to an "illness" of some kind, thus I have opted in omitting the Italian from my predicted line-up.

Entering the month of March, Brendan's Liverpool may find themselves still in the mix to win two trophies and claim that much coveted top four spot, or if worse comes to worst, the Northern Irishman may find himself jobless, with the reds knocked out of both cup competitions and the gap between us and fourth place proving too substantial an amount to recover from.

All eyes will be on Daniel Sturridge come Saturday afternoon. How will the Englishman react to the considerable amount of pressure heaped upon him to perform and begin to bang in the goals with immediate effect? Will Rodgers stick with his beloved "three at the back" or alter it to accommodate Sturridge? Liverpool need a response following their cup exit on Tuesday night, and a win that would take us above West ham into sixth place is essential. January has been a month of ups and downs thus far, let us hope we end it on high spirits against the East London club. 

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LFC: Six of The Best! Up and Coming Stars to Emerge from Mewood Youth Academy

Liverpool FC boasts one of the strongest youth systems in world football. In contrast to recent polls conducted by Bleacher Report, Givemesport.com, amongst others, who seem to have disregarded the Merseyside club entirely and placed them towards the bottom end of the pile, players such as Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, and Raheem Sterling demonstrate just how wrong these poll-makers are, and that our base at Melwood is as strong as it has ever been.

The most recent of emerging professionals who have received the trustworthy call by Brendan at least once in the past include Raheem, Jon Flanagan, Jordon Ibe and Jordan Rossiter. Michael Beale and Neil Critchley's Under 21 and Under 18 sides are brimming with quality and promise, and although we have sadly lost a young gem in Suso to AC Milan, Liverpool's youth academy carries on going from strength to strength, and in this blog I will name you six of the best of these up and coming young Melwood talents.

6. Jordan Williams (19, Centre Back/Defensive Midfielder)

Prior to the Welshman's first-team debut in our Capital One Cup win over Middlesbrough, Jordan Williams was an unknown figure to 90 % of us reds fans. His introduction seemed a surprise to many, with the likes of talented prospects such as Harry Wilson and Jack Dunn yet to get a sniff in by Brendan. No, the 19 year-old was given the green light and excelled once introduced from the subs bench that night, shoring up the reds' defensive line and scoring a crucial penalty in the lengthy penalty shoot-out in the process.

The youngster can play in the centre of defence as a centre back, or as a defensive midfield "anchorman", a position that looks somewhat weakened amongst Brendan's first-team options.

5. Jerome Sinclair (18, Striker)

On the 26th of September 2012, a certain 16 year-old by the name of Jerome Sinclair replaced Samed Yesil in Liverpool's 2-1 win over West Brom in the Capital One Cup to break Jack Robinson's record as the reds' youngest ever player. Since then, the now 18 year-old has yet to play a single minute for Brendan's first-team squad, and has scarcely been involved with the under 21's either.

The youngster's immaculate pace and eye for goal has resulted into a number of reporters across the country dubbing him 'the next Raheem Sterling', in comparison to his slightly older compatriot. This wonder-goal scored against World Cup and European Championship winner Victor Valdes for the under 21's the other night is enough to give us cause for optimism, and the Englishman some much needed confidence as he eyes another call-up from the boss in the near future.

4. Harry Wilson (17, Attacking Midfielder/Winger)

From a club record breaker to one on the International stage. The wonder kid that is being touted 'the next Gareth Bale' broke into the limelight a mere one or two seasons ago, producing a string of exhilarating performances for Neil Critchley's Under 18's. This did not come unnoticed by Wales manager Seamus Coleman, as the youngster made his International debut at just 16 years and 207 days, beating the record previously set by Welsh icon Bale.

Wilson is now 17, and has, quite obviously enough yet to be called upon by Brendan. It is pivotal that the boss nurtures these youngsters the right way, and I do not reckon we should be piling the unnecessary pressure of first-team football and the strains that come with it on the shoulders of a 17 year-old, however promising the lad is. There is no doubt that the Welsh wizard's future lies on Merseyside, as we begin to be dazzled by a youngster who possesses all the traits, and then some, to become as successful as his Welsh compatriot Gareth Bale.

3. Sheyi Ojo (17, Attacking Midfielder/Winger)

Similarly positioned to Harry Wilson, Ojo joined the reds' youth system from League 1 outfit MK Dons in 2011, aged 14 and a half years old. A more mature individual now at 17, the Englishman has immersed us at Under 18 level with his jaw-dropping pace and trickery down both flanks. He has flirted with the first-team on several times as well, resulting into his name being placed on Brendan's subs bench for a number of first-team matches thus far.

Recent reports have linked Ojo with a loan move out of the club, a decision that, in my opinion, is best for all parties involved. A kid Ojo's age, although still very young, needs game time to develop and improve, and I reckon that a loan move to a lower-league side would entrust him exactly that. I highly doubt that, with Sturridge returning, Ojo will be given much of a look-in from now until the end of the season, especially with penultimate league and cup ties on the horizon. One thing we cannot question is the massive amount of talent this lad possesses. Will he return from his loan spell a better player, or will the current competition for places in Rodgers' side hinder just that?

2. Jordan Rossiter (17, Central Midfielder)

"A young lad just about to come on for a few mins for Liverpool in nextgen... Jordan Rossiter, big  shout but potentially a young Stevie G."

Now, whenever a statement that factual is Tweeted by any reds fan, it is quickly shrugged off as an 'over-excited fan Tweet'. However, when that fan's account is owned by one Robbie Fowler, it simply cannot be taken in the same manner. Ever since the Tweet was published, the 17 year-old has gone on leaps and bounds for the Under 21's, cementing his place as a regular, although he is four years younger than the competition's title.

Brendan himself has not shied away from his deep admiration for the youngster, hinting that we will be seeing more of Rossiter in the upcoming few months. To already have a number of first-team appearances for a club as high-calibre as Liverpool under your belt at the age of 17 is alone an incredible feat, and although I do not want to pile unnecessary pressure on the kid, I DO believe that he is Steven Gerrard's future successor. His eye for a pass, no-nonsense approach and attitude, and utter passion shown to play for Liverpool FC tells me that in itself, as we see a player who will undoubtedly be a regular in Liverpool's first-team squad in the next two-to-three years.

1. Jordon Ibe (19, Attacking Midfielder/Winger)

Although the most experienced of my list, young Ibe is an up and coming talent nevertheless. The lad who shares the same birthday as fellow 'wonder-boy' Raheem Sterling has all the attributes to equal, and even exceed the Jamaican's rocketing career on Merseyside. One could just imagine it: The Liverpool boss publishing his starting eleven in two years time, portraying Ibe on one side of the wing, and Raheem on the other. Unquestionably a recipe for success. The 19 year-old's ability is there for everyone to see, and young Ibe has definitely matured in his time on loan at high-fliers Derby, a statement echoed by Under 21 boss Beale.

The majority of reds fans questioned the abrupt termination of his loan spell at the Championship club. Should Brendan have kept Ibe at a club that is certain to play him week in, week out? Will he return and continue to be left frustrated on the sidelines, whilst jealously watching Raheem strutting his stuff on the pitch? A lot of pondering to do for Brendan, however his cards have now been played and it is essential he finds time to introduce the sensation that is Jordon Ibe to his starting eleven.

Liverpool's youth academy seem to have taken a substantial hit due to the recent haphazardness of the first-team. One cannot generate a table consisting of top youth academies and not include Liverpool. We may not be performing as relentlessly as we would like to, however a plan for the future is evident.

As the plans to expand the iconic Anfield stadium get under-way, and one or two of the reds' next-gen stars slowly begin to get introduced by the boss, one can only think positive thoughts when the phrase 'Liverpool's future' pops up. As you have probably read in last week's papers, Real Madrid's new signing Martin Odeegard will be earning a staggering 80,000 a week, at just 16 years of age. As unbelievable as that sounds, this is where I fear for a couple of our current young crop. If Rodgers' side does not improve it's league form and fails to qualify for Europe next season, we may see one or two of our young talents be lured away by the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, who will undoubtedly offer lucrative wage offers and brainwashing promises of first-team football. European golden boy Raheem Sterling has already been the subject of a few high-end offers, and I am afraid that if we maintain our mid-table positioning, we may well lose the youngster.

Will Brendan begin to introduce one or two of these six players listed, in such a pivotal point in time during the season, or will he wait till summer and plan from there? A minor thought amongst many in the bosses mind at the current moment, as Michael Beale prepares his Under 21 team to face Birmingham on Friday night.

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LFC: ONE WEEK REMAINING: Do We Need A Striker? Assessing Our Current Options

Paramount. Critical. Fundamental. A Necessity. Each one, and more, of these many adjectives were used to describe Liverpool's desperate need for a striker following the sale of ex-icon Luis Suarez in the summer. The 75 million pound price agreed may be a tad lower than what us reds fans were anticipating, however we could not afford to bite off more than we can chew, especially where a player who has been involved in three previous 'biting incidents' is concerned.





Rodgers responded by bringing in two fairly divergent players in Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli. The former, a 32 year old centre forward who was unplayable at times for Southampton last season, was the first of the bosses nine summer recruits. The latter was the ninth and final of our expenditure, a controversial figure who surprised the majority of us by his move.

And so they kicked start their reds career, with the boss hopeful they will gel in immediately alongside the 'red-hot' Daniel Sturridge. A mere three games into the new season though, and disaster strikes. Sturridge sustained a knock whilst on International duty in early October and has been out of action EVER SINCE. To further add to the misery, Brendan's two forward recruits have failed to live up to the billing as of yet, accumulating a petty two league goals between themselves.

As Sturridge nears an eagerly-anticipated return to football at the end of this month, whilst the transfer window deadline day looms in the distance, we begin to ponder the prospect of new recruits entering the club. Liverpool's current Premier League top scorer is Steven Gerrard with five goals, followed by Sterling, Lallana, and the unattractive title of 'Own Goals' , each with four. That is nowhere close to being good enough for a team aspiring to secure that final Champions League spot up for grabs. With this being said, do we possess enough fire-power amongst our current crop to maintain top form for the rest of the season, or is it of essence that Rodgers reaches for his wallet and forks out the big bucks for a 'world-class' centre forward? In this blog, I will assess our current forward options.

Daniel Sturridge

Whichever club you support in world football, whether it is Liverpool or Manchester United, one has got to feel a tad sorry for young Danny. After playing an enormous part in our success last season, and aiding us in our return to European football, the 25 year old is yet to even play a Champions League fixture for the reds. His prolonged injury problems have brought us reds fans in near tears, especially after observing just how well he and Balotelli gelled up-front in their only game on the same pitch thus far. (3-0 thumping of Tottenham).

Will Dan return portraying the red-hot, fiery form he sustained alongside Luis Suarez in the last campaign? Could this be the start of the S.A.B partnership? His sheer presence amongst the first team will undoubtedly bolster Brendan's options going forward.

Fabio Borini

Rewind to last summer, and the ever-willing Fabio Borini found himself hours away from a 15 million pound move to Gus Poyet's Sunderland. (Yes, 15 million!). The Italian wanted to prove himself at the highest level however, and instead opted to stick with the manager who brought him in three summers ago. The 23 year old may well have his fair share of regrets about rejecting the move to Tyneside. His chances amongst Liverpool's first team set-up have arrived at a minimum thus far, resulting into a number of personal rants from myself in previous blogs, which have seemingly come to no prevail.

His smooth strike against Aston Villa the other day would have certainly boosted the youngsters' confidence in front of goal, however I remain insure where the Italian's future at Liverpool is concerned. He seems to lack the overall traits necessary to become a world-class striker, and one or two lacklustre performances from his behalf have shown us exactly that. The 23 year old does make some positive runs off the ball, however when the chance does come to your feet, you have to bury it, and Borini has failed to do that on many occasions.

Rickie Lambert

It seems Rickie cannot seem to do anything right at the moment. After netting the crucial second goal against Aston Villa, a bare eight minutes after his introduction, Rodgers seemed content in placing the Englishman on the bench yet again for our Capital One Cup first-leg tie against Chelsea the other night, which caused a puzzled stir amongst the reds faithful. (Of which was instantly distinguished following our extremely positive performance). No, the childhood Liverpool fan has endured a torrid six months or so, and although he is slightly improving game by game, has found himself on the end of intense speculation regarding his future, as deadline day nears arrival.

As previously stated in my "Assessment of  summer signings" blog ( http://kennymifsud.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/lfc-rating-our-summer-signings-halfway.html ), I reckon that Brendan made a huge error in selling Andy Carroll because he did not 'fit our style of play', yet opting to recruit an older and cheaper version in Lambert. With this being said, the 32 year old is a relatively decent option to introduce from the bench once the need arises, although that is not what is needed right now. Rodgers needs goals in his team, and I highly doubt Rickie can produce such a request week in, week out.

Raheem Sterling

The 20 year old 'golden boy' could thank his team-mate Sturridge's injury for his inspiring form this season. Whilst the immediate plan to play Balotelli as the 'lone striker' failed miserably, Brendan decided to introduce the 'false number nine' strategy to his squad, an idea that has set Raheem on leaps and bounds ever since. He seems to be thriving in this new scheme, and apart from netting a goal or two with his efforts, his lightning quick pace and runs made behind the opposition's defence oft causes a stir, not to mention his constant dragging of defenders, enabling one of his team-mates to fill the void and produce their own bit of skill.

The negative aspect of this game plan is the lack of a solid presence up-front. Whenever Sterling does go out-wide, his position up-front is scarcely filled, thus resulting into a wayward cross or loss of the ball. This is where Daniel Sturridge comes into the frame, a return that may abolish the whole 'false number nine' idea entirely. Rodgers has unearthed an exceptional 'Plan B' "When all else fails" option, nonetheless.

What do you guys think? Where should Sterling be deployed once Sturridge returns?

Alongside him (CF Role)            Behind him (CAM role)                 Out-Wide (Winger Role)

Mario Balotelli

Finally, to our enigmatic Italian centre-forward, the man who is continuously "ill", however posts Instagram pictures of himself supporting the reds from the sidelines on his 100-inch 'home cinema' nevertheless. The surprising signing of the summer arrived in August, with reds fans worldwide praying to the heavens that Mario develops a maturer approach to this club, in contrast to some of his child-like behaviour shown with past teams. His 'off-the-field' antics seem to be improving, which is a plus, however his football on the pitch is deteriorating by the minute. When the 24 year-old is not out of action due to "illness", he is proving a frustrating watch on it, which has resulted into his lengthy stint on the bench of late.

Now, the return of Daniel Sturridge gives me a slight cause for optimism, and is probably the only reason why Brendan has not sold the forward as of yet. The duo excelled in the only fixture they have played alongside each other, and Danny's rebirth should indeed light a spark in the ever-so-fiery Mario Balotelli. Who needs S.A.S? S.A.B is back in full effect, let us hope it gels instantly, akin to the former of the partnerships.

Possible Forward Line-Ups (If we stick with our current crop).

- Sterling

Balotelli              Sturridge

- Gerrard/Coutinho/Lallana

Sterling          Sturridge

- Balotelli                      Sterling

Sturridge

- Balotelli

Lambert/Borini             Sturridge

- Sterling

Lambert/Borini                 Sturridge

As I conclude my piece, the question behind the debate remains in the air. Do Liverpool need to buy a striker in the upcoming week or so? In my opinion, yes we do. Relying on a partnership to work out with immediate effect is risky, and an extremely tall order. I reckon Rodgers should look at names such as Higuain, Lacazette, Benzema, amongst other players linked, as that 'world-class' figure to bring in. However, with this being said, I give the likelihood of Rodgers actually going ahead with this a teeny 2 %.





"I've said before we wouldn't be doing much over the course of January. For us, it will be pretty quiet." The above quote all but dampens any slight hint of optimism regarding incomings this month, however as seen previously by the signing of Mario Balotelli, the ever-so elusive Brendan Rodgers does not always stick to his guns regarding what he tells the press.







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YNWA !!

LFC: Rating Our Summer Signings, Halfway Through Their First Season

The 2014 summer transfer window was certainly an eventful one. If Luis Suarez was not biting Italian's in Brazil, Mario Balotelli was being welcomed into Melwood by ice buckets of all sorts. Whilst the former opted to exit the club due to aggravating back problems due to continuously carrying the club in the 2013-14 season, the latter joined the Anfield club in a 15 million pound move that shocked the footballing world. Six months on, and we find ourselves pondering the 'ifs' and 'buts' where a couple of these recruits are concerned. There were nine incoming signings made by Brendan in the summer, and I will rate and assess each one's contribution in these past six-to-seven months.

Rickie Lambert - 4/10

We begin with the first of our signings, a player who should be flattered by the 'rating 4' I have elected to give him. However much he has tried, it has just not worked out for the boyhood Liverpool fan. Whether it is his slow pace in getting to the ball, or his extremely poor finishing at times, the forward is yet to reach the deadly goalscoring form he showed at Southampton last year. (Although they do not look like they are missing him too much, at the moment).

His recent lacklustre performances have resulted into rumours of a possible departure for the Englishman, a meagre seven months succeeding his 4 million pound arrival. One thing that remains clueless to me is, why Rodgers let go one individual in Andy Carroll, because he did not "fit Liverpool's style of play", yet elect to buy an older version in Lambert. A question that will remain forever in the clouds, as I doubt we will be seeing Andy in the red of Liverpool any time soon.

Adam Lallana - 7.5/10

Unfortunately, the ever-so silky play-maker began his Liverpool career in abysmal fashion. An injury sustained upon arrival meant we did not get to witness Adam strut his stuff till mid-September. Now we are beginning to observe exactly why Rodgers forked out 25 million pounds for arguably the league's brightest player in 2013-2014. From Liverpool's thrashing of Swansea last month, we began to see stints of the Adam Lallana we watched and admired at Southampton, and his link-up play with fellow-magician Philippe Coutinho is proving a joy to watch each time they both get the nod by the boss. 

The only aspect hampering the Englishman's progress, and the reason why I have opted in giving just the 7.5/10, is the lad's continuous injury problems. Lallana seems to get injured whenever he endures a positive run in the team, and Rodgers will need to assess that as the 26 year-old nears a return. He undoubtedly possesses the traits to be one of the stars of the future, as long as he sticks to his guns and preserves to 'wow' us with his pace and trickery.

Emre Can - 7/10

The ever-versatile beast of a man that is Emre Can. Right back, centre back, left back, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, he has gone through the lot in his short spell amongst Brendan's first team set-up thus far. (Heck, put him in goal and he may do a better job than our current man behind the sticks). Emre could thank the introduction of the 3-5-2 formation as the reason for his current stint in the first eleven. Although he has come out and personally stated his desire at playing in his favourable position, which is the centre of midfield, he seems content with showing his versatility at centre back, a position he has thrived in and produced a string of solid performances.

From his rock-hard stature to his silky touch of the ball, there is no doubting Emre Can's extremely bright future in the red of Liverpool. Come to think of it, we did happen to possess a 'number 23'  at centre back once upon a time. (I wonder who that may be, huh)?

Lazar Markovic - 7/10

If only the young Serb had produced the form he is beginning to show now, in the early stages of the season, my rating may well be in the 9s or 10s. No, I reckon I am being extremely kind on young Lazar with my 7/10. The 20 year old was a non-existent figure in the first few months of his Liverpool career, and when he did get the rare nod, he seemed to scarcely receive the ball, something that frustrated us reds fans, especially looking at the price we paid for him.

Akin to Emre, the introduction of the 3-5-2 formation brought with it a whole new Lazar Markovic. The Serb is lighting the league on fire in the right wing-back position he has been deployed in, and by some of his silky skills portrayed on the pitch, we are starting to witness why the youngster was likened to the Messis and Neymars of the footballing world. One of these many skills came in the shape of this unbelievable strike against Sunderland, which had it gone in, would have undoubtedly won the 'goal of the season' accolade.

Dejan Lovren - 3/10

The 20 million pound record signing arrived from Southampton with substantial amounts of praise surrounding him. The Croat was being dubbed the player to replace ex-legend Jamie Carragher at the heart of the reds' defence, and with performances as solid as the player's debut in our pre-season grubbing of Dortmund, of which he scored, you could begin to draw certain similarities between the two. Ever since that faithful day, us reds fans have been left enraged and bewildered at how we let a player like Daniel Agger exit for 3 million, and then forked out 17 million pounds more on an individual who cannot defend for his life. Identical to his defensive frailties, Lovren's attacking capabilities do not prove a good showing either, with the 25 year-old failing to counter up a single Premier League goal so far. (So much for the dominating, tall, goalscoring centre half we were anticipating from Southampton).

It has not worked out for Dejan, and the Croat now finds himself behind Sakho, Skrtel, Toure, and Can in the centre-back pecking order. Brendan needs to think long and careful about this one.

Alberto Moreno - 7/10

Another one of my lucky number sevens. The 'Gerrard and Alonso mash-up' arrived from Sevilla for 16 million pounds in the summer, after watching his ex-team overpowered by Real Madrid in the SuperCopa. The left-back was highly regarded by his peers, and one could see that by the hefty amount spent on securing his services. Unlike his fellow compatriots, Moreno kicked start his reds career in spectacular fashion, netting a wonder-goal in our 3-0 demolition of Spurs earlier on in the season, and has since rode the storm, not playing exceptional, 'out of this world' football, yet not falling below expectations either. The 22 year-old has the pace of a Cheetah and has shown his goalscoring capabilities as well, with a couple of neat strikes from the left-back.

His rendition of "Merry Christmas" for LFCTV sticks out above all however, as we see Alberto's humorous nature portrayed off the pitch, as the youngster starts to settle in to the beautiful city of Liverpool.

Javier Manquillo - 6.5/10

In modern day football, two year loan deals are a rarity. That is, because they seemingly never work in favour. Fernando Torres' two-year loan to Milan is a prime example, where the Spaniard abruptly bailed out after half a league campaign. Players may seem less motivated to perform, knowing that they are constantly on a trial basis, and conscious of the fact they they could find their loan spell discontinued at a moment's notice.



With this being said, Manquillo has endured a relatively sound six months at the Anfield club thus far. Has the Spaniard improved since August? Yes, undoubtedly. Although with a helping hand from Johnson's sustained injury a long the way, Javier underwent quite a lengthy stint in the first team, until the inception of Rodgers' 3-5-2 strategy, which favours the pace and trickery of Markovic in the right wing-back spot. The Spaniard is a suitable option to call from the bench however, and although he may face further competition by the return of Flanagan and Johnson, the 20 year-old will only grow as a player under Brendan.

Mario Balotelli - 5/10

Appalling. Disinterested. Infuriating. You could pull out each and every negative adjective in the book to describe Mario's time on Meryseyside since his arrival in August. Zero is the number of Premier League goals he has scored thus far, and that is the same amount of hoots he has given in the process. (So much for the 70 quid splashed out on having the Italian's name printed on the back of my new home kit). No, it seems the 'Mario Balotelli' plan is failing yet again, however the two following points are the reason I decided to give Mario a 5, and nothing less.

He and Sturridge have played just one match alongside eachother.

Roll back to Balo's debut back in September, a match that ended in the mauling of Tottenham at their home turf. Mario and Sturridge was exceptional that day, and but for a hint or two of good fortune, Mario would have easily netted a hat-trick on his first start. This is one of the main reasons as to why I remain optimistic that 'Super Mario' will come good in the red of Liverpool.

We are not talking about the Italian's off-the-field antics THIS TIME.

Apart from the occasional flirt with a woman or two on Instagram, Mario's behaviour has improved rapidly since his time in the blue half of Manchester. Yes, the Italian has replaced his past team-mate brawls and irritable sending offs with more humorous, off-the-field tomfoolery, such as his brilliant imitation of Ronaldo's Balon D'or speech after scoring on FIFA, and his 'Rey Mysterio' pose with his brother Enoch, amongst other shenanigans.

If I were to give an overall rating of our summer signings, the average number will be a solid 6/10, followed by the comments "A lot of room for improvement, however slowly getting better game by game." As are Liverpool right now, who seem to always burst into life when the New Year arrives. (Damn those New Year resolutions...cannot they begin in August)?

Rodgers may look at this summer window as the main reason why he is yet to sign anybody in the winter window thus far. Could we see that change, as we begin the 10-day countdown to deadline day? Let us first maintain belief that our current crop improve, and we see enhanced ratings from myself in my summer 2015 review.

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YNWA !!

LFC: Aston Villa vs Liverpool: Match Review, Analysis & 5 Things We Learnt

"Another Clean Sheet as Rodgers' Men Extend Unbeaten Streak"

              Aston Villa       0      -       2        Liverpool

                                                                                                     Borini 24'

                                                                                                    Lambert 79'

Possession: 48.2% - 51.8%

Shots: 15-12

On Target: 4-5

Corners: 9-5

Fouls: 13-11

Yellow Cards: 1-1

Red Cards: 0-0

It has been a crazy, yet magical weekend of football reds fans. Apparent flops Fernando Torres, Rickie Lambert, and Fabio Borini have each netted essential goals for their respective clubs. Although the former's was a brace against Champions League holders Real Madrid, Rickie's and Fabio's were equally as important... to the reds faithful at least. There was an air of confidence with both strikes, something Rodgers will look at with extreme fondness. (I reckon a certain Mario Balotelli could do with a lesson or two from his striking compatriots).

How The Goals Went In.

Fabio Borini (24 minutes): Five minutes prior to this goal, and reds fans across the country had already found themselves on the edge of their seats as Borini began the match in a nervy fashion, however all was forgotten as a perfectly-timed cross by Henderson was met by the forward. (His heel rather). That was followed by the Italian's signature 'knife in the mouth' celebration, something that we have not witnessed as much as we would have hoped to, unfortunately. 

Rickie Lambert (79 minutes): Prior to Lambert's goal, Liverpool found themselves under heaps of pressure from the home side, forcing us fans to foresee yet another frustrating result on the cards. Not today said Rickie, as just eight minutes into his introduction, the reds broke on the counter, as the ball was then played to Lambert, who took it in his stride smoothly just outside the box, and produced a sweet strike that eased its way past Guzan in the Villa goal.

Heroes, Villains & Talking Points

Man of the Match: Jordan Henderson. Stevie's absence in the starting line up meant young Hendo needed to step up to the plate and lead from the front, and he did just that exceptionally. His assist for Borini's opener brought his tally up to seven for the season, which surpasses the likes of Silva, Di Maria, and Hazard. He was unplayable in the central of midfield, let us just hope he stays there and is not shifted to the right, where in my opinion, he is nowhere as effective. (Does anyone remember us offering Fulham Henderson plus 5 million for a certain Clint Dempsey, a mere three summers ago)? No, me neither.

Worst Player: I always find myself scratching my head at this one when Liverpool win convincingly. However, at times Simon Mignolet proved a nervy watch as one or two set pieces where whipped in, thus he gets my vote this time around. The Belgian seems eager in coming for the ball each and every time, even if it is played in miles away from his penalty area, a habit he needs to cut out in his game.With that being said, his double save off Benteke, with the score still at 1-0 was nothing short of world class, so I will give him credit where credit is due.

Talking Point: The ridiculous yellow card shown to Lambert for celebrating with the away fans after scoring. I have to credit the American commentators on my stream for bringing it up, as they mimicked by thoughts perfectly by comparing this booking shown for "showing your support", to the amount of pushing and elbowing that occurs in the penalty area, of which goes unnoticed most of the time. Rickie should be receiving a medal for showing such tenacity in communing with the fans, not a yellow card. Whilst this is baffling to say the least, it is wrong. If one cannot celebrate with the fans who paid a substantial amount of money to come and watch their team play, then we might as well introduce barriers across each and every stadium in the country.

5 Things We Learnt From The Match

1. Liverpool are starting to show exactly what was missing last season.

In recent weeks, a certain David De Gea was being talked about as one of the best keepers in the game at the moment, whilst Thibaut Courtois was being dubbed the 'perfect all-round goalkeeper'. Simon Mignolet? Disastrous. Appalling. "A crappy version of his Belgian counterpart." Yet, if we look at the statistics, we see that Simon has EXACTLY THE SAME number of clean sheets as Dea Gea and Courtois this season. (In two less games than the Spaniard as well).

The reds have a total of seven clean sheets to show for this season, four of which have come in the last month and a half, in contrast to our last campaign, where Rodgers' men conceded a whopping 50 + league goals. Then again, we outscored the opponent 95% of the time, a trait that needs to be introduced to our current crop of forwards. I, personally am more content with winning by the 1-0 or 2-0 margin, rather than some of the 5-3 score lines we witnessed last season, of which sent us reds fans on a roller-coaster of emotions throughout the 90.

2. Fabio Borini is still not "good enough" to lead the line.

Yes, the Italian netted a superb goal on Saturday, a strike that should boost his confidence enormously as we enter the Capital One Cup showdown with his ex-team Chelsea. However, I reckon the 23 year-old is not yet ready to play week in, week out for a club the stature of Liverpool. His general ball-play lacks tremendously, and his wayward finishing leaves us reds fans frustrated on many occasions. With the forward turning 24 in March, one question remains; Will he improve, or is Fabio just not "good enough" to strut his stuff for a massive club like Liverpool? Time will tell, let the ever-willing lad enjoy his moment in the limelight.

3. Where does this leave Mario Balotelli?

The first question I beg is, where was the Italian on Saturday? "Out due to illness", the media reported pre-match. Heck, I would play on without an arm if I was getting paid 60,000 plus pounds a week , whilst at a club as passionate as Liverpool. With both Borini and Lambert netting on Saturday, where does this leave the ever-exasperated Balotelli? Fourth in the pecking order, once Sturridge returns? If there ever was a game to enter the team and prove you deserve to stay there, it was this one, and Mario blew it, I am afraid. We shall await further comments on the matter from Brendan himself, however this is an extremely worrying factor, as the transfer window nears its climax. T-12 days.

4. The away fans were exceptional, yet again.

Now, leaving to one side my rant on Clattenburg's yellow card and the ethics behind punishing a player for 'celebrating with the fans', I have to personally take my hat off to the 3,000 reds fans in attendance on Saturday. They were nothing short of remarkable from the first to the 90th minute, with the double rendition of 'YNWA' at the end being my pick of the bunch.

Liverpool fans have been heavily criticized for their lack of support of late, and the reds' twelfth man answered those critics perfectly on Saturday afternoon. I am not too sure how Mario Balotelli will act to them transferring his song on to fellow countryman Borini, however. I cannot blame them of course, as we were yet to chant Mario's tune to him scoring a Premier League goal.

5. Five points off fourth spot, whilst still in the chase for three trophies... Do we need to strengthen this month?

Myself, amongst many Liverpool fans out there were eagerly anticipating this January transfer window. A solid man behind the sticks and a proven goalscorer were a must, as Brendan's options up-top were proving as frail as ever. However, as we enter the final ten days of the window, I am beginning to wonder whether we do in fact need to further strengthen. We find ourselves five points off the final Champions League spot, we are still in the running to win three trophies this season, and Daniel Sturridge, the striker who lit the league on fire last season has finally returned from a lengthy injury. Club in ruin? Rodgers Out? I bet the majority of Premier League teams out there would relish being in the position Liverpool find themselves in at the moment.

I do reckon spending the 20-30 million pounds on a 'world-class' striker would only disrupt the mood in the dressing room. (Unless they prove as successful as previous January buys Suarez and Sturridge, of course). As for Mignolet, I believe he only needs a few minor, yet pivotal tweaks to some of his decision making in matches, and he could turn into one of the world's greatest. A question to ponder for Rodgers as the first of our cup games looms in the distance.

No Steven Gerrard? No problem. His vice-captain comes up with the goods with yet another key assist.

'Wonderboy' Raheem not amongst the goals? Not a problem. (Although he probably should have made it 2-0 in the first half). Apparent 'flops' Lambert and Borini will get the goals.

Liverpool are improving game by game, something that is apparent for anybody to perceive. The following ten fixtures are of an essence for Brendan's men. By March, we could be talking about an extremely successful season, or one marred by disaster, and in the end, trophy-less. This all depends on how the players perform from now until then, and whether individuals such as Sturridge will maintain peak form and condition throughout the season.

Next up for the red men is the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-finals, where high-fliers Chelsea travel to Anfield. We have got some match on the cards come Tuesday night, with both teams in relatively good form of late. Let us hope that come Wednesday morning we are waking up whilst still in the running and talking about the possibilities of a return to Wembley on the 1st of March.

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YNWA !!