Tag Archives: liverpool

FIFA 16: Liverpool’s Top 10 Best Players in the latest FIFA edition

  By O-Posts Team | July 26, 2024 - 20:33 | , ,
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Liverpool have sealed the most signings so far in this transfer window. You, the Kop, might want to update your team in FUT or Career Mode so we present to you the top 10 Liverpool players in FIFA 16.

 

Christian Benteke – 81

After a huge move from Aston Villa, Benteke is expected to play a huge role in accomplishing Liverpool’s goals for the season. With an average goal record the previous season, the big attacker has an increase in his FIFA rating.

 

Adam Lallana – 81

The former Southampton man could not perform up to everyone’s expectations last season. However, he made some career improvements playing in the Champions League and with big names like Steven Gerrard. This might be why the attacking midfielder has a boost in his FIFA stats.

 

Mamadou Sakho – 81

The defender was linked away from Anfield for a long time, but it seems that he will stay for at least one more season. The versatile defender made some silly mistakes for Liverpool which cost them the Champions League. But, it does not seem to affect EA’s decision to not alter his rating in FIFA 16.

 

Martin Skrtel – 82

Skrtel was Liverpool’s main man in defense last year. He made an outstanding number of clearances and also scored a few times. His FIFA 15 overall of 81 has increased to 82 in the latest version.

 

Jordan Henderson – 83

Henderson is the new Liverpool captain after the departure of Steven Gerrard. With this responsibility, he also gains a valuable increase of two in his FIFA 16 rating. He will also feature in the cover of the UK version of FIFA 16.

 

Mario Balotelli – 83

The AC Milan flop has one more season to prove himself. Once an 85 rated player, Balotelli was very costly for Liverpool both literally and figuratively as he could not score as much as expected. He, however, is popular among Italian FIFA 16 players.

 

Simon Mignolet – 83

The Belgian goal stopper was vital for Liverpool saving tons of shots on target. He has an overall of 83 making him a decent goalkeeper to have in your FUT or Career Mode.

 

Daniel Sturridge – 83

The Englishman struggled with injuries almost all of last season, but the striker still has a lot of potential to make an impact with the team. Already popular among English FIFA 16 players, Sturridge is well known for his goal celebration dance within the FIFA community.

 

Roberto Firmino – 83

The new addition to Liverpool squad is expected to make a huge impact in his debut season. Having scored tons of goals last season with Hoffenheim, the attacker will be one of the main man in the offence for the Kops. He has an overall of 83 making him a good enough player to place in your starting eleven.

 

Coutinho – 84

The Brazilian youngster is the highest rated player in the Liverpool squad. He is expected to provide sterling performances this season for Liverpool following only decent season the last team. He has improved his rating by three in FIFA 16. He is also the most traded Liverpool player in FIFA 16.

 

Written by Charchit Dahal

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Javier Manquillo: Ex-Liverpool loanee set for another loan sojourn at Marseille

  By O-Posts Team | July 24, 2024 - 19:39 | , , , , , , ,
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Javier Manquillo was headed on loan to Marseille a year back. But Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool came in the fray for the youngster and soon after, news broke that the Reds had agreed a deal for a two year loan for the Atletico Madrid right back.

Not much was expected from the youngster initially, mainly because he was fairly unheard of. However, Manquillo was used by Rodgers regularly at the start of the season and he performed strikingly, surprising a lot of people. There were times last season when Manquillo was the only player performing consistently for the side, especially in the tempestuous opening half of the season.

But ironically, Rodgers shifted the formation to a three man back-line to get the best out of the remainder of the team and Manquillo became redundant as he couldn’t be used as a right wing-back. Many would argue that he wasn’t given much of a chance to prove whether or not he could, but when he was used, like he didn’t have that much attacking instinct in him to do justice to that role.

The Spaniard spent the remainder of the season on the bench and recently had the second year of his loan with Liverpool scrapped out.

Things aren’t so bad for the youngster though, as he is now reportedly headed to Marseille (there was significant interest from AS Roma as well), and under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa, who was said to be keen to acquire his services a year back as well.

Bielsa is getting a fine young player to work with as Manquillo has shown the qualities to become a solid right back.

What is especially incredible about the 21-year-old is the fact that his defensive abilities are pretty good, especially good in a day and age for the “modern full-back” where there is more focus on attack than on defence.

In the 10 games he played in the Premier League (started all), he averaged 3.8 successful tackles per 90 minutes in an average attempt of 4.5 tackles per 90 minutes. He also averaged 2.6 successful interceptions every 90 minutes. That is incredible for a full-back in today’s time because so much importance is given to the offensive side.

Brice Dja Djédjé, who primarily played as a right back for Bielsa last season, averaged 1.8 successful tackles every 90 minutes. These numbers can be misleading because Dja Djédjé played in the midfield in some games, as well as played 23 games more than Manquillo, but we can still form a vague picture of what Manquillo brings to a team.

The Spaniard has certain areas to improve, namely his offensive side. His crossing is not very good and for a full-back, it is essential.

At Marseille and under Bielsa, he will have the perfect opportunity to do the same. He will perhaps be a squad option initially, but the Argentinean is likely to give him enough opportunity to impress and he should look to nail down a starting spot in the team. Marseille have plenty of games with Europa League and cup competitions to play besides the league.

If the Spaniard wants to go back and play regularly for Atletico Madrid and get into the senior Spain side, he will need to do well on loan this season.

 

Written by Aakriti Mehrotra

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Manchester United vs Liverpool: A Crossword Puzzle Face-Off

  By O-Posts Team | July 17, 2024 - 20:42 | , , ,
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This week’s football puzzle sees bitter rivals Liverpool and Man United go head-to-head in our popular crossword face-off. So if you think you know your Phil Neals and your Phil Nevilles, come with us on another puzzle adventure!

 

Clues Across

7 United midfielder who went on to play for Inter then Liverpool (4,4)

8 Dejan Lovren and Milan Baros both had stints at this French club (4)

9 _ Macari, Man United star from the 1970s and 1980s (3)

10 Where Liverpool somehow came back from 3-0 down to win the Champions League in 2005 (8)

11 The Jimmy who defended for Northern Ireland and United (7)

13 Nickname of the club who sold Oyvind Leonhardsen and John Scales to Liverpool (4)

15 _ Litmanen, an underused talent during his brief spell at Anfield (4)

17 Mr Schweinsteiger, a new stellar signing for United (7)

20 ‘Old’ stadium dubbed the Theatre of Dreams (8)

21 & 4 down Shankly era colossus in defence - first Liverpool captain to lift the FA Cup (3,5)

23 Portuguese forward who signed for United in 2010 (4)

24 Domain of John Barnes and Ryan Giggs (4,4)

 

Clues Down

1 _ Meireles, tattooed midfielder who the Reds signed from Porto in 2010 (4)

2 A talented number seven (with a famous father) who Souness signed from Forest (6)

3 Stadium we connect with an 1980s Rap (7)

4 See 21 across

5 Spanish pass-master brought to Anfield by Rafa (6)

6 _ Moenchengladbach, the Reds beat them 3-1 in 1977 to win their first European Cup (8)

12 They blighted Daniel Sturridge’s game time last season (8)

14 Scene of United’s 2004 FA Cup Final triumph v Millwall and Liverpool’s 2006 FA Cup Final victory v West Ham (7)

16 Fabio Da Silva’s twin brother (6)

18 Long-ball specialities of Peter Schmeichel - launchpad for many a United attack (6)

19 FIFA _Player of the Year, award won by United’s Cristiano Ronaldo for 2008 (5)

22 Portugal winger who made a big money move to Old Trafford in 2007 (4)

 

Created by Aleric Linden

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Allan: Have Liverpool stumbled upon a diamond in the young Brazilian?

  By O-Posts Team | July 17, 2024 - 13:37 | , , , ,
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Allan (Left)

On the face of it, Liverpool FC’s participation in Malaysia’s Frenz International Cup earlier this year was not a resounding success. Their Under-18 side, proclaimed pre-tournament as ‘undoubtedly the team to beat’ by the competition website, won an easy group but were dumped out in the quarter final by Valencia.

However, as well as valuable experience for youth team players, these tournaments also provide a golden opportunity for clubs to uncover unknown stars in the making from around the world, and in this case Liverpool believe they have stumbled upon a diamond. A diamond in the shape of 18-year-old Allan Rodrigues de Souza, who starred in the Internacional side that swept all before them in South East Asia as they scored 20 goals in six games, culminating in a 3-2 final victory against Argentinian outfit Estudiantes.

From his role in central midfield, left-footed Allan scored two of those twenty. The first was a free kick curled into the top corner against Valencia, while the second was a magnificent 40-yard lob of the Porto goalkeeper in the semi final. The Scouse scouts in attendance are sure to have noted his technical excellence, precise long passing, strong tackling and ability to read the game.

Allan’s deliveries from corners and free kicks were also top notch (a fact that will inevitably lead eventually to his left foot being dubbed a wand in the English press), an area in which some observers believe Liverpool are currently lacking. He would most likely be employed at Anfield as a defensive midfielder or perhaps slightly further forward, spraying passes from the centre of the park, should formation allow.

As Inter have progressed to this year’s Copa Libertadores semi finals, boss Diego Aguirre has implemented a rotation policy in which the club’s youth teamers have seen plenty of first team action. Allan, however, is not among those to have been deemed ready and is yet to have made his professional debut. As such, Liverpool’s interest was a shock for Brazilian observers, most of whom had never heard of the youngster.

His youth, lack of experience and the potential difficulties of adapting to life in England make him a risky signing, however with an initial fee agreed upon of just £500,000, and further cash only due as a percentage of any future sale, the deal is a risk the Anfield club can easily afford to take.

Allan will, at least, have compatriots Lucas Leiva, Philippe Coutinho and fellow new boy Roberto Firmino to keep him company and help him settle in to life on Merseyside, although he will certainly not be joining them in the first team squad just yet.

 

Written by Calum Leahy

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Liverpool: What does Rodgers need to do to bring the Reds back to winning ways?

  By O-Posts Team | July 13, 2024 - 14:31 | , , ,
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Now in his fourth season in charge of Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers is still without a trophy to his name.

The £29 million signing of Brazil striker Roberto Firmino is a clear statement of intent from the Northern Irishman, whose legacy will be judged on the silverware he is able to bring to the club.

Firmino’s transfer fee, young age and the hype surrounding his arrival are evocative of the infamous Andy Carroll signing, just under five years ago.

That was a move sanctioned by Kenny Dalglish – Rodgers’ predecessor – and it came to represent both the promise and failure of his second tenure as Liverpool manager. Dalglish may have coached the club to a League Cup triumph and FA Cup Final, but the project ultimately collapsed, with Carroll struggling for fitness and form.

Until this point Rodgers has typically avoided these sorts of transfers, happy to work within the parameters set by chairman Tom Werner and the Fenway Sports Group.

Given the importance of the role of the Carroll transfer in Dalglish’s exit from Liverpool, you get the sense that Firminio’s arrival will also be a defining moment for Rodgers.

Of all of the Liverpool arrivals this summer, the Brazilian is clearly under the most pressure: not only to perform, but also to force his way into a first-team in a top-heavy squad.

Did the shadow of the big-money move to England occupy the striker’s mind during the recent Copa America? He and his Brazilian teammates struggled and Rodgers would have been hoping for more encouraging displays.

The issue for Firmino is that he is in a unique situation within this squad and will begin to feel ostracized if he struggles to adapt quickly. Danny Ings, James Milner and Nathaniel Clyne have also been signed but the English trio are expected to perform different roles this season.

Liverpool need a talisman in the wake of Luis Suarez’s departure and Mario Balotelli’s failure to flourish within any of Rodgers’ systems. Firmino will need to be that man, as well as shoulder the goal-scoring burden, despite not arriving with an imposing goal-scoring record.

None of his fellow arrivals seem set to compliment the player on the pitch but Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho – all Rodgers signings – still remain at the club and are cultured footballers who might work well with the newcomer.

The likely sale of Raheem Sterling this summer (Liverpool and Man City have reportedly agreed a transfer fee of 49 million British Pounds) takes on a fascinating complexion: if it is confirmed, Rodgers might get the opportunity to re-invest those funds and perhaps assemble a supporting cast for Firmino.

Other high-profile arrivals would not only take some of the spotlight away from the Brazilian but also add quality and variety to a squad lacking in depth when compared Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.

It would also do the same for Ings, Clyne and Milner, who would form part of the base of the squad, allowed to contribute to in a more rudimentary and consistent fashion. That is not to suggest they are limited players but rather than they are players who will be at their best when allowed to focus on their particular strengths.

Ultimately, Rodgers will also need to strike a balance between quality and quantity. Having already made a clutch of signings, the temptation could be to continue on in the same vein, but Benitez, Hodgson and Dalglish struggled to bring consistency and results after signing a larger pool of players.

Sterling’s likely departure and the arrival of replacements mean Rodgers is likely to go down a similar path this season, where a positive start – particularly in the league – will be crucial.

 

Written by Chris Paraskevas

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Liverpool: Is Brendan Rodgers Shuffling Cards in the Last Chance Saloon?

  By O-Posts Team | July 10, 2024 - 21:26 | , , ,
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Making changes to the coaching staff at a football club may not seem like a monumental occurrence. But for Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, the recent shuffling of the pack at Anfield could be a defining moment in the career of the young manager.

When the final whistle blew at the Britannia Stadium on the final day of last season, many people questioned whether the Northern Irishman would be able to survive the fallout from the humiliating 6-1 defeat inflicted by Stoke City. Fan forums went into meltdown, replacements were touted and an emergency meeting was called by the club’s hierarchy.

It is testament to either the board’s faith in his abilities or Rodger’s skill as a salesman that he came away from that meeting relatively unscathed, and with the full backing of his superiors. The subsequent dismissals of assistant manager, Colin Pascoe and first team coach, Mike Marsh gave many observers the impression that Rodgers may have thrown his colleagues under the bus when it came to apportioning blame for Liverpool’s underwhelming season.

Whatever the circumstances behind the departures, it is clear that Merseyside club’s American owners have decided to give Rodgers the opportunity to put things right - and on his own terms. While many of last year’s transfer dealings were not fully endorsed by the manager, it is expected that this summer the focus will be on bagging Rodgers preferred targets, both on and off the field.

By putting so much faith in their manager, the American owners are also giving the Red’s boss enough rope to hang himself should things not improve in the coming season. In fact, Rodgers now finds himself in a position where the next 12 months will be make or break.

After extolling the virtues of having a clear philosophy in his first three seasons at the helm, Rodgers is now talking about taking the club in “a new technical direction.” The appointments of Sean O’Driscoll and Pep Lijnders are integral to this new vision.

After plying his progressive style of football with varying degrees of success in the lower leagues, O’Driscoll was eventually appointed coach of the England under-19 set-up, and has now quit that role to join the Anfield boot room. Lijnders was already working at the Liverpool academy where his impressive work with the under-16s persuaded Rodgers that he was ready to make the step up.

With another first-team coach also due to be appointed, Rodgers will have a whole new set of technical minds at his disposal next term.

Once the football gets underway in August; the performance of this newly-assembled back room team will be under just as much scrutiny as that of any players that Liverpool might recruit this summer.

 

Written by Neil Morris

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Raheem Sterling: Could Real Madrid be the right move for the Liverpool star?

  By O-Posts Team | July 6, 2024 - 19:14 | , , , , ,
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Raheem Sterling will report back to pre-season training with Liverpool this week with his future still undecided. And while Manchester City are still keen on securing the services of the England international, a move overseas is still not out of the question. So what would be the ideal destination for the highly-rated forward player?

The Liverpool board have a firm bid on the table from the Manchester club but are not interested in selling to a direct rival unless they receive an offer in the region of £50m. There has been talk of a move to Real Madrid and Liverpool may actually be willing to accept a lower offer if the player were to move abroad.

A move to Madrid could be beneficial to both parties as the Merseyside club would not be strengthening a direct rival in the league, and the player would get the opportunity to team up with the Coach who originally took him to Anfield.

Rafael Benitez persuaded the youngster to sign for the reds in February 2010 when he was just 15-years-old. At the time he was a Queens Park Rangers academy player and on the radar of several top Premier League clubs. However, it was the Spanish coach who convinced Sterling and his family that Liverpool was the best place to develop his talents.

Unfortunately, the relationship between Sterling and Benitez was short-lived as ongoing behind-the-scenes turmoil at the club, and a poor finish to the 2009/10 season saw the Spaniard axed from his role in June 2010.

A move to Real Madrid would certainly give the player the high profile role that he craves, and he would also be joining a team that has genuine Champions League pedigree. It would also close the circle on his relationship with Benitez as the pair would finally get the opportunity to work together.

The biggest question is whether Sterling has the ability to walk into a team of Madrid’s quality. Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that the player still has plenty of room to develop and that staying at Liverpool would give him the breathing space to do that.

If he were to move to the Spanish capital, patience is not a luxury that he would be afforded and his performances would be intensely scrutinised from day one. It would certainly pose a challenge for both the player and the new Madrid boss.

Liverpool are due to fly to Thailand on Sunday to begin their pre-season tour and as things stand, Sterling will also be making the journey. It is thought that Brendan Rodgers may try to persuade the 20-year-old to remain at the club where he would be handed a pivotal role next season. However, if City do come in with an improved offer, or if Madrid express further interest, the Reds may be tempted to cash-in.

Looking at things logically, there is a strong case to suggest that the Jamaican-born attacker may be better staying put and developing his game on familiar ground. But if he is determined to move on, then maybe Rafael Benitez would be the right man to help him succeed at the next level.

 

Written by Neil Morris

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Nathaniel Clyne: Liverpool hope history doesn’t repeat itself with the Saints star’s arrival

  By O-Posts Team | July 1, 2024 - 17:23 | , , , ,
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When Glen Johnson signed from Portsmouth for £17.5 million in 2009, Liverpool hoped they had finally found their answer to their right-back problems that had stretched back to 2004.

Despite the sizeable fee, Johnson was a 24 year old England international who had been named in the PFA Team of the Year for the preceding season, he was the obvious candidate to break a run of names that had failed to properly replace Jamie Carragher since he was converted to a centre-half by Rafael Benitez back in 2004.

Jan Kromkamp, Josemi and Phillp Degen are names best forgotten while Steve Finnan and Alvaro Arbeloa, admittedly solid during their spells on Merseyside, were not in the bracket of players Liverpool required to maintain pace with their rivals in the increasingly competitive Premier League.

Johnson, then seen as an astute capture as Liverpool bargained over money owed to them by Portsmouth, can now be added to the list of underwhelming right-backs at Anfield as he is cut loose six years later for free.

The man now charged with replacing him is Nathaniel Clyne whose similarities with Johnson at the time of his own move to Liverpool are striking. Clyne is 24, has broken into the England senior team and although he wasn’t named in last season’s PFA Team of the Year, he was unfortunate to miss out to Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

No other Premier League defender made more tackles than his 115 last term as he missed just 3 games of Southampton’s excellent campaign which finished with the division’s second-best defensive record and Europa League qualification.

Finishing the season having made 64 interceptions and 77 clearances, fourth best in the Southampton squad for both aspects, Clyne was the model of consistency in a back four- together with Jose Fonte, Toby Alderweireld and Ryan Bertrand- that provided the solid basis to Ronald Koeman’s superb first year on the south coast.

Speaking back in September, the Dutch manager called him “one of the best right full-backs that I’ve had in my teams during the last 15 years.”

With Koeman encouraging his natural instinct to gallop forward from full-back to add width and impetus to his free-flowing style, it was not only defensively where Clyne thrived, chipping in with 22 chances created and was Southampton’s third most frequent crosser of the ball.

“As a full-back, I like to get forward and help out in attack. If I can get assists or score goals myself, then I’ll do it. With the centre-backs covering me, I’ve got the ability to go forward,” Clyne said in an interview with Southampton’s website in September.

Clyne made 94 appearances for Southampton across 3 seasons after joining from Crystal Palace and will now hope he is afforded a similar freedom under Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, where he becomes the fourth Saints player, after Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Ricky Lambert, to join over the past year.

Hindered last season by the injury to Jon Flanagan, the declining form and fitness of Johnson as well as the struggles of Javier Manquillo on loan from Atletico Madrid, Rodgers often found himself without a right-back, having to field Lazar Markovic as a makeshift right-wing-back position in a 3-5-2 system or Emre Can in an unfamiliar right-back slot in a back four.

Such disruption and the lack of a regularly reliable full-back undermined defensive organisation and cohesion, factors that constantly undermined any attempt to summon the form needed to break back into the top 4 and came to a brutal head in the 6-1 humiliation at Stoke on the final day of the season.

Rodgers has reacted swiftly this summer, adding James Milner, Danny Ings, Adam Bogdan, Joe Gomez and the £29 million Brazilian Roberto Firmino before the beginning of July, possibly in an attempt to avoid a repeat of last summer’s late and erroneous capture of Mario Balotelli. Now they have jumped in ahead of Manchester United to bring in Clyne to continue the theme of quick, effective business designed to forge a squad capable of returning to the Champions League next season.

Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke remains a target despite a mammoth £32 million release clause and the Belgian’s powerful aerial threat partnered with Clyne’s crossing will provide Liverpool with a dangerous weapon for their armoury and one they sorely missed last term.

Clyne will bring with him a defensive discipline and energy that was also lacking last season, freeing up Can and Markovic to move into their more familiar midfield roles while ensuring the blow dealt by Jon Flanagan’s knee surgery, that will see the 22 year old out until the winter at least, will not be felt too much.

With Clyne entering his final 12 months of his contract at St Mary’s, Liverpool have managed to direct Southampton to a compromise between their original £10 million bid and the selling club’s £15m valuation.

For a high-performing young Englishman in the age of elevated premiums for home-grown talent, the £12.5 million it has taken to land Clyne will be rightfully billed as excellent business for Liverpool and Rodgers.

However, they will be hoping his career trajectory now continues upwards rather than the downwards curve that befell the now deposed Johnson and those that failed before him.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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James Milner: The all-trades master joins Liverpool and is set to become a master of one

  By O-Posts Team | June 7, 2024 - 16:19 | , , , ,
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It may not have been the most significant of occasions but England’s 5-0 thrashing of San Marino back in October is memorable for summarising James Milner’s role in his national team and, to some degree, his club career.

That night Milner appeared in 3 positions and one of the many who praised his versatility was former England manager Terry Venables who recounted, as the Leeds coach who gave a 16 year old Milner his debut, the game against West Ham when moved him up the field to support the striker. It was an alien position for Milner, then at the raw age of 17, but Venables re-called his performance in the 1-0 victory as “terrific”.

It is that willingness to perform at a high-level wherever his manager chooses to field him that has earned Milner 53 England caps and five trophies, including two Premier League titles and one FA Cup, for Manchester City, since moving there from Aston Villa for £26 million in 2010. Among the many of players Sheikh Mansour has lavished portions of his vast wealth on since arriving at City in 2009, he may not have grabbed as many headlines as Yaya Toure, Robinho, David Silva and Sergio Aguero but he has been no less important, racking up 201 appearances in all competitions across five years as City have established themselves as a genuine domestic force.

The desperation of Manuel Pellegrini and City for Milner to sign a new contract as it ticked down to a conclusion this summer is testament to his value to the club who offered him £165,000-a week to stay at Eastlands. Coming off a season however in which 14 of Milner’s 32 league appearances came as a substitute, they could not ensure him regular first-team football and now Liverpool have stepped in to provide a new home.

Pellegrini was able to field Milner in 7 different positions last season, including as a withdrawn centre-forward in the role of a “false-9”, and losing such an asset will be a blow that will also harm City’s quota of home-grown players. Liverpool meanwhile, with this signing kicking off a summer where transfer business will be hugely pivotal to the future of manager Brendan Rodgers, have pulled off an astute capture who brings graft, dedication and experience of competing for top honours, a trait that their squad was notably lacking as they limped to a sixth placed finish last term.

Milner, who with the void left-behind by the outgoing captain Steven Gerrard, now has the chance to stake a claim for an integral role with his club in a season that will build up to Euro 2016, sought assurances that would be in his preferred position of centre-midfield.

Also waiting until the doubts over the future of manager Brendan Rodgers had vanquished, following a meeting with club chairman Tom Werner and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon, before agreeing to move to Anfield suggests the 29 year old is seeking stability as he hits the peak of his career.

In a consistent role in a settled, familiar position, back in the one he performed so well in for Aston Villa, it gives Milner a prime opportunity to play his way into Roy Hodgson’s midfield in time for next year’s European Championships in France. With Hodgson yet to fix on a midfield system after the parting of Gerrard; see the experiments with Fabien Delph, Phil Jones in Italy and Jack Wilshere at the base of a diamond, it still smacks as transitory. There is still a huge chance for Milner to prove that he can be the single answer to a question rather than a multiple-choice solution.

Dogged by an unassuming nature and the “Boring Milner” Twitter account that plays drolly on his reticence, the ex-City man may be construed as an underwhelming acquisition in a transfer window where Liverpool and Rodgers have to eradicate the mistakes of last summer’s disaster, but he will bring energy, determination and leadership to a midfield that was found wanting for those traits last season.

With Gerrard’s drive now absent, partnering Milner’s willing endeavour alongside the hard-working Jordan Henderson is clever work from Rodgers who will look to Phillipe Coutinho to provide the craft ahead of them.

With Lucas Leiva’s tally of appearances declining by the season, Rodgers will have to seek out added protection to the back four behind them and if he finds it both Milner and Henderson will be freed-up to charge around the middle of the pitch similarly to how Gerrard and Henderson did when they narrowly ceded the title to Milner’s City in 2014.

For a large majority of last season that dynamism from all areas of the squad was lost and Rodgers will have to reinstall that if he is to restore Liverpool to the Champions League. Milner, who is likely to be followed into Anfield by Burnley’s impressive Danny Ings, is a good way to start that rebuilding process.

Pellegrini will now find it extremely difficult to replace Milner at City given the Chilean’s admiration of the player, and his opinion that there aren’t many more complete English players than him probably rings true. It is easier to list the things Milner can’t do rather than the ones he can on a football pitch.

Though for the player who has escaped definition since the days of Venables in 2002, it is time for him to limit his variety of talents to a single role as he reaches the peak of his career. Liverpool and England could be about to reap full benefit of that.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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