A Big Shake Up

I really don't know where to start, so let's go from right here.

I haven't written about Liverpool Football Club for 31 months now, for various reasons. One of them being that Jurgen Klopp took control of the Reds, and I wanted to strap myself in for what was obviously going to be a fun ride, without feeling the need to watch every game with an analytical eye. It felt like this was going to be a time to be enjoyed, and savoured.

This has proven to be true at times. Dortmund; two cup finals in his first season with us; goals, lots of them; fist-pumping; late winners. We've had our fair share of highs.

But.

But.

Sunday. The Reds produced that, and suddenly I needed to spill my thoughts. Okay, we lost 4-1 to a very, very good football side who had a very, very good day, but that is sort of missing the point. The most galling thing about it, the thing that drove me to spew my anger here on this blog, was how it happened. The problems are painfully obvious and familiar; they've been our problems for a frightening amount of time now. The last time I went into games confident of a clean sheet was in one of the seasons under Kenny. Martin Skrtel was in our backline then. Which is ironic because I hated Martin Skrtel - not personally, I'm sure he was a nice fella. Just as a footballer.

I suppose hate is a strong word isn't it? It should be used sparingly anyway. That brings me nicely to Dejan Lovren. I usually pride myself on being quite philosophical about the footy; I try not to dwell on individual errors - they are inevitable. But when your centre-half - a senior centre-half who is criminally still part of the first choice pairing - consistently fucks up, something has to be done. And I mean something fairly drastic, like committing to the decision that he simply isn't good enough. Certainly not as a starting player. Maybe hooking him half an hour into Sunday's debacle is a sign of Klopp belatedly acknowledging that, and finally letting down his failing barrier of stubbornness.

Then we come to Simon Mignolet. Now he’s a man it’s difficult to actively hate. He’s a totally different character to Lovren; Mignolet has a face which cries out for help, full of self-doubt, paranoia and fear, as much as he admirably tries to mask this by shouting as loud as he can and flapping his arms at anyone in front of him when he makes a good save. His determination to fight against the odds and better himself, despite an apparent self-awareness that he’s a bit crap, is all well and good and like I said, could be seen as admirable. In your average person that is. But then you remember Simon Mignolet is the man tasked with stopping the ball going in Liverpool Football Club’s net. And he has been for over four years. Four bloody years. It’s astounding. In that time, two managers have lost patience with him a number of times, but they have always gone back – why?! Maybe it’s the fact he can go on runs of good games, or loves a penalty save, but a series of calamities – like Sunday – are never far away. Surely Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp have known this; surely they are not so fickle. It’s time to be bold and make a change – permanently. Mignolet is never going to be a Liverpool Football Club goalie.

It’s time we gave Danny Ward a prolonged run in goal. Not just the odd game as he’s had before; a proper run as the Reds number one goalkeeper. If it doesn’t work out, so what? It’s not working with Simon Mignolet, and never will – it’s that simple. What’s clear is Ward has something about him and at the very least, an air of authority. Ward is no young maverick too; he’s played league football for five different clubs, and was a key part of Huddersfield’s promotion to the Premier League last season. At 24 years old, Ward is ready for a chance.

So there’s the keeper sorted. What about the 10 in front of him?

Well first of all, I think a change of system is overdue, just to freshen things up and give teams something else to think about with Liverpool. The 4-3-3 Klopp has rolled out for the majority of his tenure with the Reds is becoming tired and predictable – easier and easier for opposing teams to work out and pick holes in.

I’d love to see a 3-4-3, at least until we manage to sort the current personnel. Something like this:

 

 

Brendan Rodgers often switched systems to good effect, if a little too much at times. I remember Emre Can impressing as a ball-playing centre-half in a three at the back, so I’d use him here again. Of course, this also has the added perk of not needing to select Dejan Lovren. I think a key component of us deploying a 3-4-3 is the wing-backs. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alberto Moreno are perfectly suited to these roles, with their mix of athleticism and attacking guile. I can hear you now protesting about a central midfield two of Henderson and Coutinho; but with a back three behind and the wing-backs helping out inside when necessary, protection in midfield isn’t as vital. Look at City anyway – a central midfield two of De Bruyne and Silva. Okay, Fernandinho mops up, and he is very, very good at it, but then that is with only two centre-halves behind. The front three picks itself when Mane is available again, but for now I'd like to see Oxlade-Chamberlain get a proper go.

Like I mentioned, I normally try to be quite level-headed about football, and not look too closely at individual errors, but that's gone out the window here. It's the frequency at which they are happening, at the hands of the culprits I've mentioned. The same thing over and over and over. They were talking about it on Sky after the game on Sunday, debating whether things would be different if we had got Van Djik over the summer. Jamie Redknapp was unsure, as he often is, but Graeme Souness spoke loads of sense. He was basically saying yes it would make a huge difference. For example, we wouldn't be starting a centre-half who is happy to watch the ball float over his head and let one of the deadliest strikers in the world at the moment score a few minutes into a huge game. It really is that simple. To not do something about it would be criminal. A big shake up is needed, and I think (hope) part of you knows it, Jurgen.

It's the battle of the Germans on Saturday, as Klopp's best mate David Wagner brings his gnarly Huddersfield side to Anfield. I'm reminded as I write this, by a crowing, Terrier's-supporting mate of my own, that a win for the visitors on Saturday would send them above us in the Premier League table. After ten games that is. And if changes aren't made, I wouldn't bet against it. Pull yourselves together, Reds.