In case you have been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, Jurgen Klopp is the new Liverpool manager and our Reds supporters here in the Football Transfer Tavern aren’t half pleased with the appointment.
A hugely sought-after manager across all of Europe, the former Borussia Dortmund manager gave his first ever Liverpool press conference earlier where he again came across as the charming and intriguing character we’ve witnessed from afar over in the Bundesliga.
With Brendan Rodgers having left this Liverpool side in tenth place in the Premier League right now with the Reds just four points off second-placed Arsenal, the Merseyside club aren’t in total disaster and it’s certainly not a case of irreparable damage for Klopp.
What Liverpool supporters do demand of their team under the German however is improved consistency out on the field with the Reds’ defence having looked rather shaky in recent games.
Add to the fact that Liverpool have been drawing far too many games lately and there will also be an onus on the likes of Christian Benteke, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings to keep the Reds firing but it must be acknowledged; the latter two players have been on the scoresheet of late.
With Liverpool fans itching for the domestic action to return as soon as possible with all of them eager to see how Klopp will start shaping his newly adopted side, we’ve devised what we believe to be the best available Reds XI that Klopp can select against Tottenham in the next game.
[ffc-gallery]
Click on the image below to reveal the best XI Liverpool can field under Jurgen Klopp against Tottenham.
[/ffc-gallery]
Simon Mignolet
Simon Mignolet is most certainly not a dream choice in goal for any Liverpool supporter with the Belgian being looked upon as a player who can be improved upon in the transfer market.
That said, Mignolet hasn’t been as bad this term as he was at the start of the 2014/15 campaign.
Losing all of his composure between the sticks, in fairness to the former Sunderland man, he managed to earn a few brownie points in the second half of last season.
Nathaniel Clyne
With Manchester United eventually opting for Matteo Darmian having missed out on the signature of Nathaniel Clyne in the summer, it’s the Reds who are benefitting from a player who usually gives 7 out of 10 displays at right back most weekends back-to-back.
Signed for what we believe to be a bargain £12.5 million fee, Clyne has taken to life in his new surroundings quite well.
Battling to be the first choice right back option for England at Euro 2016 next summer, Clyne is well suited to playing a wing back role that Brendan Rodgers installed prior to Jurgen Klopp’s arrival.
Emre Can
Somebody who has endured a tough time of it in Liverpool’s three-man central defence of late is Emre Can who we all know Brendan Rodgers was definitely referring to when he alluded to the fact his group is still learning and will make mistakes from time to time in his final interview after the Everton game on Sunday.
Starting life at Anfield well last season, Can was also deployed in midfield in the early part of 2014/15 but after reverting back to being a defender for the second half of last term, his performances have been inconsistent.
Despite this, Joachim Low has called Can up for his first senior appearances with Germany and with a German in Jurgen Klopp now being in charge, perhaps this added factor can get more out of Can’s performances.
Martin Skrtel
According to rival fans, Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel is the best of a bad lot when it comes to their defence and it’s hard to disagree with Dejan Lovren, Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho making up the other options.
With Liverpool’s defensive ranks having been inconsistent over the past couple of seasons, this ultimately proved the end of Brendan Rodgers.
That said, when Slovakian international Skrtel is on top form, few Premier League defenders are as aggressive and commanding as the long-serving centre half.
Mamadou Sakho
In the early part of the season, Brendan Rodgers opted to start Dejan Lovren to his peril but as we saw in the home game against West Ham United, he simply can’t seem to shake costly errors from his game.
Therefore, many Liverpool fans have been grateful when Mamadou Sakho has stepped in but if we’re going to have it right, he too isn’t the most reliable of centre backs on a week-to-week basis.
In and out of the team having been rotated with Dejan Lovren and Kolo Toure, Sakho would hope for more regular game time in Liverpool’s starting eleven in a Euro 2016 season but he remains something of a bit-part member of Liverpool’s squad at present.
Alberto Moreno
Rather surprisingly for some, rookie full back Joe Gomez has started more games at left back than Spanish international Alberto Moreno so far this season.
With Gomez still riding on a high of completing his first full season at the professional level with Charlton Athletic last term, it’s clear that he could go on to enjoy a very fulfilling career.
This has to been to the detriment of Moreno who has usually had to settle for a place on the bench but on his day, the former Sevilla man is a decent option at left back.
That said, like other members of Liverpool’s purchases over the last few seasons, the problem with Moreno is his consistency so there is most certainly room to improve on his part.
James Milner
Brought in as somebody who could replace the shoes of Steven Gerrard in his own way in the centre of the park, nobody was really expecting James Milner to emulate the heroic like displays of the iconic number 8 at Anfield.
In fairness to the former Manchester City player, he hasn’t endured the worst start to life at Anfield but he’s one of those players who can sometimes fall into the category of – ‘what exactly does he do other than run?’
In truth, most good sides need these workmen in their ranks and as we’ve become accustomed to with Milner, he’s one of the most athletic central midfielders in the top flight.
Lucas Leiva
With usual central midfielder and Liverpool club captain Jordan Henderson still expected to be out for a period of up to six weeks, the long-serving Lucas Leiva has been filling in, in the England international’s absence.
Having been at Anfield since way back in 2007 now, Lucas has been retained by several Reds managers so this would suggest Jurgen Klopp will find a way to keep him in his playing staff.
That said, it remains to be seen just who the new German boss will be looking to bring into the club in the January transfer window and if players such as Lucas don’t start impressing right away, he may be thrown onto the Anfield scrapheap in favour of a swoop for the likes of Sven Bender for example.
No Liverpool supporter would like to see Lucas succumb to that fate however with the Brazilian being one of those unsung heroes who always seems to give the Reds more stability when he’s in the side and performing to his peak.
Philippe Coutinho
Having aggravated a groin of late, nobody knows whether Philippe Coutinho will be back for the Tottenham game but considering it is an international break at present, he might recuperate in the meantime.
Having most definitely proved his worth unlike so many others since arriving at Anfield, it’s noticeable when Coutinho is missing from this Liverpool team.
An bargain buy from Inter Milan for £8.5 million, Brendan Rodgers really needed more transfer success stories such as the Brazilian in order to have smoothed over his relationship with the Kop.
Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge came back with a bang upon returning to the side from injury lately where his brace managed to eventually down Aston Villa at Anfield prior to the Everton fixture.
Having not been selected by England boss Roy Hodgson for the Three Lions’ round of qualifiers to boot, Sturridge would’ve had ample time to relax, recuperate and focus on getting fully fit again in recent days.
There’s no doubting that when Sturridge is fit and firing, he’s a right handful for opposition defenders and with Danny Ings having also found the net regularly of late, Jurgen Klopp’s striking options look plentiful and diverse.
Danny Ings
Having alluded to his recent goals on the last slide, Danny Ings finding the net in new expectant surroundings will go some towards proving the doubters that he can hack it at a big club after all.
Having succumbed to a late ankle injury prior to England’s game against Estonia tonight, the former Burnley man has been unlucky to miss out on what could’ve potentially been his first senior cap for the Three Lions.
There will of course be plenty of time for Ings yet who is still young but given his recent few goals for Liverpool, we’re giving him the slight edge over Christian Benteke in this potential starting eleven for the Tottenham game next weekend.
