Liverpool had a stuttering start to the season and have recovered well in terms of gaining ground on their Champions League rivals. There have been focused attempts from the manager and the players, and have hit their best form at the right time. Here are the grades for Liverpool.
Defence: 8/10
Liverpool signed Dejan Lovren in the summer and was considered a great buy but he has struggled to fit in. The defence has been led by Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho, Emre Can and Alberto Moreno (another summer signing) while Lovren has also featured in games but in average form.
Mignolet started off poorly and was a disappointment in the early part of the season until mid season, when he picked up his form. The Belgian has kept 10 clean sheets so far which is a commendable effort for both the defence and the keeper.
Can’s shift to the defense encouraged a 3 man defensive structure for Liverpool and it has worked beautifully for the Reds. The combination of Sakho, Lovren and Skrtel didn’t work at all as Liverpool couldn’t play the ball out of defense, but Can did that beautifully and gave balance to a 3-5-2. Playing Markovic as a RWB and Moreno as a LWB has also worked pretty consist so far, solely owing to Can’s brilliance at RCB where he and Markovic pair up.
Glen Johnson has had a bit part job.
Midfield: 7.5/10
In terms of sheer quality, Liverpool were lacking consistent midfielders in the early part of the season. Henderson and Gerrard duo was just not clicking while Lucas and Allen were average. Sterling is now considered a forward and usually played way ahead of the midfield. Coutinho’s form was poor in the early half. But, it has changed miraculously since mid-December. What has happened is Steven Gerrard’s role in the team has been redefined and the onus has shifted to Henderson’s shoulders. Henderson’s form has been brilliant and the team has worked well under his leadership as well. Henderson’s DNA is of a good box to box player and has given rise to the true number 10 Philipe Coutinho, and he has been brilliant.
Raheem Sterling has played as a striker because of Balotelli’s poor form and has been a revelation in that position despite not having the physique to deal with such battles. With a great team chemistry and a philosophy that depends on quick counter attacking and high pressing, Liverpool administered enough pace and agility in the team with some good technical players in the forward line, just by removing Gerrard as their main player, and utilizing him in lesser pressure roles.
Forwards: 6/10
Daniel Sturridge has been the only traditional striker who has performed well, but has been injured for way too long. This led to a goal-scoring crisis for Liverpool with the likes of Balotelli, Lambert and Borini failing to score goals or even get good touches in the opposition box.
Raheem Sterling, traditionally an attacking midfielder or winger started deputizing as a striker and it worked well as he pressed from the front and had pace. His finishing will take time to develop, but he has been a good contributor with goals and has shown unquestionable flair.
Style of Play: 8/10
Liverpool were very poor in the start, and as I mentioned above, rose to excellence after mid- December. Again, the dramatic rebuilding of the midfield was the reason why Liverpool got their form back and are fighting for the Champions League spot.
The style of play has been attractive since December, and the key features have been quickness and decisiveness. The hunger in the players have increased and Liverpool have stuck to their ethos. Had they not been in a slump in the early season, Liverpool would have a got a near perfect rating for their style of play for being offensive minded and yet being tough to score against.
Closing the game/Killing the game: 7/10
Again, the early Liverpool and the Liverpool of now have a lot of difference. They have improved multiple folds in closing the game. The recent encounter against City was testimony to the fact that Liverpool have had the mental stability to hold on to the result.
But, in the initial parts of the season, Liverpool have had a lot of frustration against teams whom they should have beaten but ended up with draws. They couldn’t kill the game off because of misfiring strikers early on, but have evolved suitably in the latter half and look like they are true contenders for the top four spot.