Excellent Start Masking Problems in Midfield

Liverpool head into the weekend’s Merseyside Derby sitting pretty in second place with 23 points, just two points behind leaders Arsenal. It has been a surprising start of the season for both of the top two teams, with many expecting Chelsea and Manchester City to contend a two-horse race after their string of exuberant signings over the summer – Willian (£30mil), Andre Schurrle (£18mil) and Marco van Ginkel (£8mil) for Chelsea; Fernandinho (£30mil), Jesus Navas (£15mil), Alvaro Negredo (£20mil) and Stevan Jovetic (£22mil) for Manchester City. 

Both Liverpool and Arsenal were fairly prudent in the transfer window, making sensible signings rather than splurging big on one player (until the Gunners signed Mesut Ozil on deadline day). Liverpool signed the likes of Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto, Simon Mignolet, Tiago Ilori and Mamadou Sakho for a combined £45mil, much of
which was offset by the sales of Andy Carroll, Jonjo Shelvey, Stewart Downing and Jay Spearing for a total of £28mil.

Arsenal basically matched what Liverpool spent in the entire transfer window for their one major transfer in Ozil, who switched Madrid for London after a £42.5mil deal. Arsenal were able to recoup about £10mil of that transfer fee through the sales of Gervinho, Marouane Chamakh, and Vito Mannone.

Despite deciding against spending lavishly throughout the transfer window, it’s the teams in red rather than blue that are at the summit of the Premier League. However, Liverpool cannot afford to let the excellent start to the season lead to complacency, as they still have much to improve upon.

The recent 2-0 defeat to the Gunners at the Emirates was a timely reminder that Brendan Rodgers still has a long way to go before Liverpool can be considered serious title contenders. Liverpool were thoroughly outplayed in quickness of thought, technical ability, and tactical organization. Arsenal passed their way through the Reds midfield time and time again, with the defense not knowing whether to step to the ball or to stay with the runners. The midfield quite rightly came in for harsh criticism after the display, with both Lucas and Steven Gerrard producing lackluster displays offensively, while failing to track the Arsenal midfield runners throughout the game.

Rodgers’ men did respond in perfect fashion with the 4-0 thumping of lowly Fulham the following weekend with Gerrard and Lucas imperious in midfield, but the problems brought to the fore by the visit to the Emirates have been ever-present this season. The area between the center-backs and midfield has been an open zone for any opposing attacking player to receive the ball and weigh up his options with little to no pressure placed upon him.

It cost the side against Arsenal with Aaron Ramsey having all the time in the world to strike a wonderful shot into the top corner, and it cost the side against Sunderland with Ki Sung-Yueng left in acres of space to test Mignolet before Emanuele Giaccherini swept in the rebound. Poor defensive midfield play also cost the side goals against Swansea as Michu was able to equalize after making a run from deep that nobody tracked, and against Newcastle as Yohann Cabaye fired in from 30 yards under no pressure what so ever.

The defensive midfield role has been taken over by Lucas in recent seasons after the departure of several key players such as Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, and to a lesser extent Mohammed Sissoko and Jay Spearing – let’s not forget he was useful in spells. Lucas on his day can be dominant, but since the injury sustained around two years ago in a Capital One Cup quarter-final against Chelsea, he has struggled for consistency.

The defense in itself has not been a huge issue, with Mignolet impressing from the off in his Anfield career, while Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique are shoe-ins at full-back when fit. The fact that nobody knows what the best center-back pairing is at the moment is an extremely positive problem, with Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger, Kolo Toure and Sakho all in excellent form.

Injuries have brought about defensive issues though, with winger Raheem Sterling and midfielder Jordan Henderson being forced to fill in for Johnson at right back this season, and a confidence-deprived Aly Cissokho replacing Jose Enrique through his recent injury. As long as the back line is fit, it will be good enough for a top four finish.

The attacking department is as set-in-stone as it has ever been, especially with Coutinho returning from six weeks on the sideline. Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez are joint top scorers in the Premier League with eight goals apiece, and with Coutinho back and providing service it is something that Rodgers will not want to tinker with.

So with the defense and attack both flourishing, it is the midfield where change is needed. Personnel change will only do so much, and Rodgers needs to realize that tactically too much space is being afforded in front of the back line, and midfield runners are finding it far too easy to get through and outnumber the defense.

Tentative (and hopeful) links to Benfica man Nemanja Matic and unsettled Spurs midfielder Moussa Dembele have been touted in the media recently, and both would provide the Reds with the type of domineering and physical defensive midfielder the side has been missing for a number of years. Rodgers is astute enough to recognize this and will surely make adjustments in the January transfer window.