Football News: Liverpool FC - Midfield Revolution

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In Jurgen Klopp's heavy metal footballing machine, one area has an importance above all others. Sure the dynamic wing backs, sweeper keeper and fluid attack are key components. However, the midfield three is where all the magic happens; or at least it should do.

It is expected that this coming summer, Klopp will tear up the current crop and have some major plastic surgery done in his Liverpool midfield. The current collection of players is adequate, but adequate doesn't win titles.

Jordan Henderson

Ironically, opposition fans believe that Henderson is the problem. Anyone who watches enough of Liverpool will be able to tell you he is the best midfielder at the club though. Without him in the team, Liverpool can be easily held at an arms length. His injuries have been a huge blow.

Henderson's passing range is severely under-rated, he is as good a one touch passer of the ball as the Premier League has seen, and he works like a Trojan to protect the defence in spite of his lack of quality in the tackle.

He is the only midfielder at the club with the ability to consistently hit the long diagonal passes, and without those balls in behind the opposition full backs, Liverpool tend to lack width and penetration. He is also the only midfielder at the club who tries to control a game. Whilst others simply "go with the flow", Henderson is the exception.

Overall, he is an honest and hard working player who has abilities crucial to the way Klopp wants to play. He has the energy to drive the midfield press and the ability to build attacks from deep. Is he world class? No, and at his age he never will be. However you don't win with a team of flair players. If he left this summer it would be a surprise, but it would not be a shock if he is gradually phased out next season because of his injuries .

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

It is very hard to judge Oxlade-Chamberlain. First of all, he has been subjected to nearly a decade of poor coaching and mismanagement at Arsenal. He has shown new hope under Klopp though.

You still can't really tell for sure what type of midfielder he will become. He loves snapping into a challenge, but he lacks the discipline to play a holding role. He loves running at the opposition in a more advanced role, but despite creating a lot of chances he is generally quite poor when the chances fall to him.

This leads me to the assumption that he will eventually be used as cover on the right wing and as a box to box midfielder. He certainly has the power and stamina to get up and down all day and he can influence the play both in attack and defence.

He really is just a work in progress right now though. For every Manchester City performance, there is a Manchester United performance. Finding that consistency will be key. He has time on his side at least.

Georginio Wijnaldum

If ever there was a personification of marmite, it is Wijnaldum. At the the end of every game, you either love him or hate him! Does he ever have a 7/10 performance? He either seems to play out of his skin and bully the opposition, or he hides in his shell and you forget he's playing.

Klopp really trusts Wijnaldum though. He has played nearly every position on the pitch for him since joining Liverpool. The only positions I'm yet to see him play are Goalkeeper and Striker. He is very versatile and epitomizes the phrase "Jack of all Trades".

Wijnaldum has a major issue though; mentality. He cannot consistently put a run of good games together, and that is largely because he is so woeful away from home. In football, you generally play a game at home and then a game away. Because of this, Wijnaldum never hits any semblance of rhythm. Something about away games affects him badly.

Love him or hate, don't expect him to be a part of any potential cull in the summer. I am starting to see similarities with Lucas Leiva. Like Lucas, Wijnaldum came to Liverpool as an attacking player and has been converted into a deeper player primarily in the side to break up play. Wijnaldum is also a huge favourite of his manager, just like Lucas was for Rafael Benitez.

James Milner

In direct contrast to Wijnaldum, Milner has made a career out of being a 7/10 man! He rarely ever plays above his abilities, but it is even rarer that he puts in an unexpectedly bad shift. He is just there. Never really to blame, but never really the lynchpin.

Milner fancies himself as a midfielder, but truth be told he is a winger who has hit his 30's and can't beat a full back for pace anymore. His background as an attacking player does help him at times. He creates a lot of chances because he sees runs that normal midfielders don't.

However, his decision making is just so poor. One of the easiest things about playing on the wing is you have freedom to express yourself. In midfield, you need more discipline and intelligence. They are two attributes that Milner just doesn't have. He charges about leaving huge gaps and giving away lots of free kicks.

Milner simply isn't a midfielder so whilst his consistency is commendable, being consistently average is not good enough to take Liverpool forward as a club. Unless he accepts a far more reserved role, he'll likely move on.

Adam Lallana

Now imagine Milner, but take away his consistency and add a little bit more skill. That's exactly what Lallana is. He rarely ever plays well back to back, but that little sprinkling of skill means he can do magical things on rare occasions.

Like Milner, Lallana is also a former attacking player who has dropped back into midfield. Essentially he is just another aging, headless chicken. He runs around in a slightly more controlled manner than Milner, as he does at least respond to key triggers such as a loose pass or a bad touch. It's still not really good enough though.

Lallana has to be micro-managed. If you are 3-2 up in added time and everyone is shattered, the last thing you want is a midfielder to vacate his position trying to initiate a press. Lallana has no ability to make the right decisions for himself though. He doesn't adapt to changes in the game quickly enough and he doesn't read the play at all.

The only thing worse than his decisions without possession are his decisions with it. Never have I seen a player do so many fancy turns without actually beating a man. It is skill for skills sake and it holds up the play and allows opposition players back into position. Couple this with his recent injury problems, and I just can't see Lallana being at Liverpool next season.

Emre Can

Speaking of taking too long on the ball, Can does exactly the same thing. He also loves a pointless flick or trick, but the bigger problem with Can is that extra touch he needs to set himself. His first touch is slightly lacking, so he often needs a second touch to set himself before he can play his pass.

Can will almost certainly be leaving as he has still not signed a new contract, despite his current one running out this summer. It's probably not a huge loss for Liverpool because he is such an enigma. He clearly has quality and sometimes his passion is etched on his face. On other days though he looks slow, cumbersome and like he's out of his depth.

It's easy to forget that Can lost a lot of important years being wasted at right back, left back and centre back. However, you'd think that would at least have given him a heightened defensive awareness relative to a normal midfielder. Instead though, it looks like it helped him to decide he doesn't like defending and he continuously stops in midfield and shirks his defensive duties.

I like Can and I think he has a big future in football. That future is not at Liverpool though. Sometimes, a fresh start is needed to reinvigorate a player and Can looks to be in desperate need of just that. So long as he applies himself for the last 8 games, he'll leave with the best wishes of Liverpool and their fans. Another acrobatic goal against Watford this weekend wouldn't go amiss either!

Marko Grujic

Grujic came to Liverpool with huge pressure on him. The financial outlay just to get him a work permit was enough alone to cause some teenagers to fail. That is exactly what has happened, but I'm not sure pressure is to blame.

Grujic is currently on loan at Cardiff after failing to convince the Liverpool coaches in training. Initially, Neil Warnock wasn't impressed either, but Grujic has now forced his way into the side as a defensive midfielder.

His height, strength and aggression make Grujic a pretty terrifying opponent to come up against, but he needs to work on his reading of the game. He is still a little slow to spot danger. Add that to his rashness in the tackle and you have a player who gives away lots of free kicks and picks up a lot of cards.

Whether or not he is at Liverpool next season is totally impossible to call for sure. I think he's made his bed personally. Klopp doesn't suffer fools and Grujic let himself down by not training hard enough. Consider that he has to play regularly to keep his work permit, and it is very unlikely he will stay at Liverpool. It is down to him to work incredibly hard for Cardiff and then in pre-season to prove he belongs.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Every so often a local lad comes through the academy and everyone just knows he is the one. The latest example of that at Liverpool is Alexander-Arnold. Though he is currently covering at right back out of necessity, his future will be in midfield.

Young Trent has so many strings to his bow. He is a set piece specialist, an excellent dribbler, has a good range of passing, deadly crosses and a hammer of a right foot. Some say he is the next Steven Gerrard, but I just hope he is the first Trent Alexander-Arnold!

He is good enough, and therefore he is old enough. I just can't wait to see what he has to offer to football and to Liverpool. He definitely won't be going anywhere in the foreseeable future, and has openly spoken of his dream to be the club captain. Dream big!

Ben Woodburn

Like Alexander-Arnold, Woodurn is a phenomenal talent. In fact anybody in Wales will probably tell you he's the bigger talent! Woodburn as a player is very clearly going to play an attacking role. He's so good offensively that it is debateable as to whether he'll even play as deep as midfield!

His main strengths are his finishing, his vision, his flair and his acceleration . He is a very dangerous player in one on one situations who can leave a defender for dead without ever really breaking the sound barrier. His feet are just too quick and he can drop the shoulder and lose his man in the blink of an eye.

Will he be at the club next season? Well if he's not he will only be on loan, that is for sure. He's certainly not a player Klopp will want to lose and he should have a long and bright future at Anfield, most likely as an attacking midfielder or a second striker.

Naby Keita

Keita has yet to pull on a Liverpool shirt, and yet he's already convinced most people he will be the best midfielder at the club next season. Honestly? I can't say I disagree.

There are concerns over his attitude though. He is a bit flamboyant and he has not been at his best for RB Leipzig since agreeing to join Liverpool this summer. However he has been subjected to a fair share of stick. He's basically been made the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong.

As a midfielder, Keita is essentially the orchestrator of the team. He only let's his team mates borrow the ball. He always wants the return pass and he is always probing to move the team forwards. Capable of running through 4 or 5 players on his day, he doesn't rely on his passing though. He can also either go round the keeper or stick it in the top corner from 20 yards so expect goals.

On top of all his ability on the ball, Keita is a ferociously aggressive player. He makes a lot of tackles and interceptions and plays very physically. That has seen him become something of a red card risk though. Liverpool haven't had a midfielder who plays on the edge since Javier Mascherano left and it has seen them accused of being a soft touch at times. So maybe Keita is the missing piece.

Conclusion

In summary, it is very possible that Milner, Lallana, Can and Grujic will leave Liverpool in the summer. Woodburn going on loan wouldn't be a surprise either.

This would leave Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wijnaldum, Alexander-Arnold and Keita which is the core of a decent midfield. Keep in mind though that Alexander-Arnold may still be called on to cover at right back, Henderson is injury prone, Oxlade-Chamberlain will also be providing cover on the right wing, and Wijnaldum struggles away from home. A sprinkling of quality is definitely required.

With interest in the likes of Thomas Lemar, Julian Brandt and Julian Draxler it would suggest that Klopp still thinks the midfield lacks a creative spark. Those players can also offer competition in the front 3. Liverpool never replaced Coutinho so i fully expect a replacement in the summer, whoever it is.

With the likely exits, and the interest in Kerem Demirbay, Dani Ceballos, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Jorginho and Max Meyer it seems that Klopp will be looking for two more genuine midfield players, as well as Keita.

The Midfield Revolution will happen and there will be some big casualties in Liverpool's current midfield. Fingers crossed Klopp gets it right, because Liverpool are in desperate need of some class and composure in midfield.

Written by Adam Jones March 15 2018 12:14:04