Your first choice XI without Sturridge

[-V-]

So its unlikely Danny will be available for the first 6 weeks or so. What would be your team without him..........

Mines would be-

............Mignolet

Clyne...Skrtel...Sakho...Moreno

......Milner...Can...Henderson

Firminho...Benteke...Coutinho

Clyne and Moreno will offer great width. 3 in midfield can cover them when needed and all 3 are mobile enough to play box to box when needed. Firminho and Coutinho can offer plenty of creativity. If that was the team starting against Stoke I would be really excited, the likes of Ibe, Lallana and Ings can provide good options in the second half. We have real squad depth now with Lucas and Allen bench players in my opinion.

Im sure Brendan will have other ideas

[Nicey]

Nailed it

[Gibbo]

I personally would have Lucas in for Milner and Henderson slightly further forward, mainly because I think Milner is best out wide and ive never rated him seeing him in a central role.

Can see why that formation you picked is a popular one though, and I reckon we'll probably see that formation first game of the season, maybe with Lallana for Firmino as we ease him in.

[Nicey]

I personally would have Lucas in for Milner and Henderson slightly further forward, mainly because I think Milner is best out wide and ive never rated him seeing him in a central role.

Can see why that formation you picked is a popular one though, and I reckon we'll probably see that formation first game of the season, maybe with Lallana for Firmino as we ease him in.

When have you ever seen him in a central role ? he has never been played there, for both club or country

[-V-]

I know what you mean but for me Milner has to be one of the first names on the teamsheet. Lucas and Allen are too pedestrian and don't create enough for me whereas Milner is always looking to score or create something.

Your probably right about Lallana starting ahead of Firminho for the first game but that wouldn't be my choice.

I think once Sturridge is back I would play him and Benteke together with Firminho and Coutinho as playmakers in the old sort of Brazil 4222 formation

[Fosterbloke]

............Mignolet

Clyne...Skrtel...Sakho...Gomez

................Lucas

......Milner..........Henderson

...............Coutinho

........Firmino......Benteke


Subs: Ings, Lallana, Ibe, Moreno, Lovren, Can, Bogdan

****ing hell then we have Sturridge, Texeira, Origi, Allen and Markovic. Quite a big squad this!

[frank the tank]

For me, it depends on who we are playing against..... someone like Rafa would love the options that Brendan has right now because he has a mixture of different players in midfield and attack to cater for every type of game.

With our away games in the first half of the season being what they are, i wonder would brendan be tempted to flood the midfield and control possession, play for a draw but if we nicked a goal, then hold what we have..... so something like:

-------------------------------MIGNOLET---------------------------------

CLYNE-----------SKRTEL--------------------SAKHO------------MORENO

--------------------------------LUCAS-------------------------------------

----------HENDERSON--------EMRE CAN--------MILNER-----------------

------------------------------COUTINHO-----------------------------------

-----------------------------BENTEKE--------------------------------------



For me though, the best i have seen Liverpool play (certainly live anyway) was in the second half of 13/14 when we played the diamond formation. It is set up to both counter attack teams and also press teams very high up the pitch. Certainly in our home games i hope to see this formation utilised..... so something like:

------------------------------------MIGNOLET------------------------------------

CLYNE-------------SKRTEL------------------------SAKHO--------------MORENO

--------------------------------------LUCAS---------------------------------------

------------------HENDERSON--------------------MILNER------------------------

------------------------------------COUTINHO------------------------------------

------------------BENTEKE------------------------FIRMINO-----------------------



For me, that has similar flexibility to when we had Suarez and Sturridge. Firmino can drop off right and left wing and Coutinho can be free to come deep when he needs to and run at defenders whilst having the likes of Milner to run beyond him and offer him an option.... if Benteke can press the opposition effectively, then he could be a very good option.

That is the team i would like to see us starting anyway to be honest. Over the season, i would like to see if Emre Can is good enough to take up the mantle of DM from Lucas but for me if you look at our results when Lucas played instead of Gerrard last season, that shows that Lucas should be very important still.

With players like Ibe, Origi, Markovic, Emre Can, Allen, Ings, Lallana all not in the team named above - and Sturridge to come back as well - then we are set up to be a very very good squad...

[danperkins]

............Mignolet

Clyne...Skrtel...Sakho...Gomez

................Lucas

......Milner..........Henderson

...............Coutinho

........Firmino......Benteke


Subs: Ings, Lallana, Ibe, Moreno, Lovren, Can, Bogdan

****ing hell then we have Sturridge, Texeira, Origi, Allen and Markovic. Quite a big squad this!

[Exiled_red]

I think that Firmino wil be eased into the side so we will probably start with something like this:

Mignolet

Clyne Skrtel Sakho Moreno

Henderson Can Milner

Lallana Benteke Coutinho

[Camble]

I think Ibe could be pushing for a start. Here's mine:

Mignolet
Clyne - Skrtel - Sakho - Gomez*
Hendo - Milner - Coutinho
Ibe - Benteke - Firmino

Or

Mignolet
Clyne - Skrtel - Sakho - Gomez*
Can/Lucas
Hendo - Milner
Coutinho
Benteke - Firmino


So far Gomez has really impressed and has been good going forward and solid at the back so I'd have him in over Moreno at the moment. Yeah he's right footed but he's doing well.

I've used a 4-3-3 for games where we can attack, but a 4-1-2-1-2 for games we need a DM to cover the back four if they've got a dangerous attack.

[Pablo]

It's tough picking a definitive XI isn't it! If everyone's fit we have a pretty good squad again on paper.

[kev776]

---------------Midge

Lallana--Lovren---Can---Henderson

-------Clyne----Kolo-----Ibe

-----Allen-----Gomez---Sakho

Rodgers demonstrates squad flexibility.



-----------------or

-------------Mignolet

Clyne-- Skrtel-- Sakho --Moreno

------------Henderson -------

Ibe--Firmino--Coutinho--Lallana

-------------Bentecke

Demonstrates Flair flair flair !!!

[BigChief]

............Mignolet

Clyne...Skrtel...Sakho...Gomez

................Lucas

......Milner..........Henderson

...............Coutinho

........Firmino......Benteke


Subs: Ings, Lallana, Ibe, Moreno, Lovren, Can, Bogdan

****ing hell then we have Sturridge, Texeira, Origi, Allen and Markovic. Quite a big squad this!

for tough games that need defensive solidity against 'better' teams (Chelsea, City, etc).

However, for a more expansive game we need more pace so Lucas has be sacrificed to make this 4231 formation:

Clyne...Skrtel...Sakho...Gomez

......Milner..........Henderson

...Ibe.......Coutinho........Firmino

.............Benteke

[BobTheCharmer]

Against Stoke -

............Mignolet

Clyne...Skrtel...Lovren...Moreno


......Milner...Can.....Henderson

.........Coutinho........Lallana

........Benteke

[Exiled_red]

The back 5 more or less picks itself, beyond that I think it then becomes 6 from the groups below (roughly broken down into positions midfield, attacking mid/wide and strikers) depending on formation and system we want to play and whether we play differently away from home compared to at home or differently against the top sides etc.

Group 1: Henderson, Milner, Can, Lucas
Group 2: Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana, Ibe
Group 3: Benteke, Sturridge


There are of course a few people missing (Allen, Markovic, Ings, Origi etc) but I can't see those getting ahead of the people listed above when everyone is fit.

For the start of the season where Sturridge is out I imagine we will go with Benteke up top, 2 from group 1, and 3 from the group 2 when we want to play an attacking game and 3 from group 1 and 2 from group 2 when we want to be more solid.