Liverpool Preview: Attacking Midfield

The most glorious time of the year is almost upon us: The start of the Premier League season. I am publishing a series previewing the Liverpool squad by taking a look at the goalkeepers, the defense, the central midfield, the attacking midfield and the strikers.

Liverpool’s attacking midfield is overflowing with talent. Jurgen Klopp’s cup runneth over but that is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it means that he can rotate the squad without a drop-off in quality. A curse because without European competition, there are simply not enough minutes to go around. Let’s take a closer look the players that make up the most dynamic part of Liverpool’s offense.

On the left wing, there’s Philippe Coutinho. The diminutive Brazilian had a stellar season last year, picking up four of Liverpool’s end-of-the-season awards including player of the year. The 24-year-old midfielder typically lines up on the left side of the attacking trident in Klopp’s preferred 4–2–3–1. He can use technical ability to terrorize fullbacks down the flank or he can cut in and unleash a shot with his powerful right foot. Coutinho was the Red’s second leading scorer with 12 goals as well as chipping in 7 assists in all competitions. Liverpool will be looking for him to build on that this season.

Lining up in the middle of the attacking midfield is Roberto Firmino. He arrived from Hoffenheim in a £29 million move last summer and has proven that he was worth every penny, scoring 10 goals in Premier League play. His high-energy style of play is perfect for Klopp’s high-pressing style of football. The 24-year old is versatile, able to hold up play as well as get in behind the defense. Reds’ supporters will be hoping he can continue his blazing run of form.

When healthy, Firmino and Coutinho are veritable locks for their respective positions. This leaves one spot open for James Milner, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mané, Gregorio Wijnaldum, and Sheyi Ojo to fight over. Milner deputized admirably in the role last season but is honestly outclassed by the other three players. Most of his minutes may come playing in a more central role or as a fullback. When healthy, Lallana is a perfect player for Klopp’s system. His silky smooth moves with the ball at his feet are only outshone by his seemingly endless ability to press. However, Wijnaldum and Mané cost a combined £55 million so it would seem foolish to splash that much cash without playing them regularly. Wijnaldum has the ability play in the central midfield so that may help clear some of the congestion. Ojo looks to be the odd man out this season. The 19-year old is bursting with talent but lacks the experience of some of his teammates. It will be an interesting game of Jenga that Klopp will have to play this season to finagle all his players on to the pitch.

Klopp has a problem that most managers would kill to have: too many quality players in the attacking midfield. With Coutinho and Firmino penciled in to start most matches, it would seem the only injury or extremely poor form would open up an opportunity for some of the second-choice midfielders to get their chance. It will be interesting to see which players will be able force their way into the starting XI.