It has been reported that Milner has been promised a central position within our midfield which could result in some reshuffling in order to accommodate the England international. If this promise is true, Milner will either be replacing another midfield player in an act of direct substitution, or the midfield itself will be changed. In either case, how will our midfield, and by extension, our overarching formation and system, be different?
To date Brendan Rodgers has shown flexibility with Liverpool’s system. In his first season as manager he deployed a 4-3-3 formation which often regraded into a 5-man midfield when Liverpool lost possession. During the 2013/14 campaign Rodgers experimented with a more conventional 4-man midfield in order to enhance our attacking prominence in the form of optimising Suarez and Sturridge in a 2-man forward line. The so-called diamond shape predominated during this time and worked to great effect. However, Rodgers did occasionally abandon the diamond in favour of a less-structured midfield which enabled Sterling and Coutinho to make the most of their offensive threats. In the most recent campaign Rodgers tested a 5-man midfield, utilising wing-backs and it seemed to help with our defensive calamities as it allowed us to play with 3 orthodox centre-halves.
It will be interesting to see how Rodgers shapes the team for the 2015/16 campaign, and I personally believe a 5-mam midfield within a 4-5-1 formation could be effective. A system like this does not need to be negative, so long as offensive players are deployed in the midfield itself. This, of course, depends on the availability of Daniel Sturridge, as if he and Danny Ings were both fit simultaneously there would undoubtedly be a case for playing both strikers. However, given Sturridge’s track-record with injuries, Rodgers will need to be prepared to be flexible, and a 5-man midfield could be a potential solution.
If Emre Can were to play in midfield rather than defence then he could be a useful asset as a holding-midfield player. I have previously written about Liverpool’s desperate need for a defensive midfielder, but if we do not recruit one, Can could possibly fulfil our needs? The German is strong – in the tackle and in possession – and reads the game with shrewdness. Furthermore, as well as performing as a conventional holding midfielder, Can also has the capacity to develop into a deep-lying playmaker. If he could get the balance right between these two roles he could be an excellent addition to our midfield.
Jordan Henderson will probably play further forward than Can, but the addition of Milner means there are questions over where Henderson will be deployed. I would say his best position is probably in the centre of midfield, but tucked in slightly on the right-hand side. This position gives Henderson scope to impact on the game from a central position whilst also giving him a licence to maximise his energies down the right flank.
With Henderson dominating the right-hand side of the pitch, Jordan Ibe could perhaps play on the left. Ibe is a much more orthodox wide-player than Henderson, which would add a dynamic balance to the team. Ibe could express his pace and skill on the left flank, pulling opposition players out toward him which could free up space in the central areas for Coutinho and Milner to exploit.
I would imagine both Coutinho and Milner will start the majority of games, and if Milner is to play centrally, Coutinho’s role could be altered slightly. One option would be to play Milner ever so slightly deeper, allowing Coutinho to continue in the conventional number 10 position – ‘ in the hole’. Another possibility would be to play both players in a forward position, with Coutinho slightly to the left and Milner to the right; this old-fashioned ‘inside forward’ role has gone out of fashion but could perhaps work effectively? A third alternative would be for Milner to fill the conventional number-10 role whilst giving Coutinho somewhat of a free-role, perhaps enabling him to link up with Sturridge/Ings and get more goals?
This is merely a suggestion of how our midfield could accommodate Milner most effectively, but there are also other players to consider too. Adam Lallana is perhaps worthy of a regular starting-role and depending on whether Sterling stays or goes, there is a case for finding his optimal position. Regardless of the system Rodgers decides to exhibit, let’s hope Milner is a decent addition and that he contributes to us having a better season than the last one.
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