Liverpool vs. Aston Villa: Picking a Reds Team to Lift the Mood on Anfield

Liverpool fans were left frustrated and watched helplessly as the Reds went down without putting up a fight against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Sunday.

And they are right to feel aggrieved at the team’s recent slump in form, which has seen them lose six out of their last seven Barclays Premier League fixtures.

The players aren’t happy; John Aldridge isn’t happy, and the entire Liverpool fraternity seem to have a few questions in their minds.

Is Dalglish still the right man for the job? Is he taking the team down with him?

Clearly, FSG and John W Henry aren’t happy either. And if newspaper reports are to be believed, they have summoned Dalglish & Co. for an end of season performance review meeting, demanding explanations for the club's downturn.

While all that happens on one side of the pitch, I’m here to tell you that we need to move on and remain optimistic about the future.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the possible XI to face Aston Villa in this weekend’s fixture at Anfield. A win could bring back smiles for the team's supporters.

Goalkeeper: Alexander Doni

Finally, it’s going to happen!

Alexander Doni, signed from AS Roma in the summer of 2011, will finally get his chance between the posts against Aston Villa this weekend.

He takes over from first team regular Pepe Reina who will miss the team’s next three fixtures on account of his suspension for head butting James Perch.

Now that I said it, how many of you folks actually think that it was a deliberate head butt from Reina?

And as for Doni, we wish him the best and would want to see him break the curse of the backup keeper at Liverpool.

But fear not folks! If this man turns out to be a failure, we know someone who can do a pretty decent job in his place…

Left-Back: Jose Enrique

Jose Enrique did a decent job as a goalie for a few minutes during the Newcastle game.

But he failed to fulfill his duties as a full-back.

Although, Enrique isn’t the only one that was down on form on Sunday. Kenny can’t drop Enrique because there isn’t any competition for the left-back position.

Fabio Aurelio’s name may spring up to some of our supporters’ minds.

Aurelio’s contract is up this summer. And it isn’t going to be renewed. So Kenny would see no reason to play him.

Right-Back: Jon Flanagan

Jon Flanagan will continue to play in the absence of Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson.

While Johnson and Kelly continue their recovery process, there is another option that Kenny may choose to utilise in this position—Jamie Carragher.

Carragher is a bit old to be able to match the speed of Villa’s Gabby Agbonlahor.

But Kenny will have to choose between playing him or dropping him in favour of Flanagan.

Why? It is because this lad deserves a chance to play…

Centre-Back: Sebastian Coates

Sebastian Coates stole the Liverpool hearts with his sideways scissors kick goal against QPR a couple of weeks earlier.

If it wasn’t clear until that moment, then Coates proved a point to Kenny about his abilities.

The Anfield King showed his appreciation by benching him for the next game.

Daniel Agger will return to action in a week’s time granted that his rehabilitation process doesn’t slow him down.

If all goes according to plans, then the Dane will line up alongside Martin Skrtel for Liverpool’s FA Cup semifinal clash against Everton.

In the meantime, c’mon, Kenny, give this lad the chance he deserves…

Centre-Back: Martin Skrtel

Has it struck you folks that Agger’s injury crisis coincided with Liverpool’s poor league form getting worse?

The Skrtel-Agger partnership was one of the stingiest in the Premier League until 2012 dawned on us.

Skrtel has struggled to keep a clean sheet for Liverpool even against less fancied opponents. Pepe Reina’s lack of form between the sticks didn’t help the case either.

But the absence of Agger from the lineup has clearly thrown Skrtel off his rails. Yet he continues to be the only player in recent times worthy of a pat on the back for at least putting up a fight in the face of crisis from his position.

Centre Midfield: Jonjo Shelvey

Liverpool gave infinite chances to Jordan Henderson to prove his worth to the team.

He failed to make a difference. And as unfortunate as it may sound, he hasn’t taken any massive strides on the road to development.

Having extinguished all possible loopholes to try and fit Henderson into a system that suits him well, Kenny Dalglish would be better off giving a chance to this youngster.

Jonjo Shelvey went unnoticed in the game against Newcastle, a feat achieved by Jordan Henderson in 70 percent of the games that he was involved in.

If the Liverpool hierarchy thinks that it would be better to drop the youngster, then I’d say it won’t be worse than playing Jay Spearing as a CM.

Fielding Spearing as a defensive mid, when clearly he lacks the tactical abilities of Lucas Leiva to influence the game, is yet another glaring mistake of Kenny Dalglish.

The Premier League season is drawing to a close. Liverpool’s fourth place hopes are as good as gone now. So Kenny should at least consider giving Shelvey a decent run in the first team.

Because if the experiment fails, it’s only going to count as bad luck!

Centre Midfield: Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard looked a little out of touch during the Newcastle game. His passes weren’t exactly what I’d like to call desirable.

Stevie G cut a forlorn figure trying to understand the mediocrity surrounding him, all the while trying to calm down Kenny Dalglish who by that time had lost his mind in the chaos that followed Reina’s dismissal.

Steven Gerrard deserves more. Hopefully he gets what he really deserves from the next season, but for now, the responsibility of seeing this team off safe and sound once again falls on his broad shoulders. 

Left Wing: Maxi Rodriguez

Let’s just forget the whole Stewart Downing experiment as a big bad dream.

Because for all of the PR optimism that Downing comes out with, he seems to have completely lost touch with the duties of a wing midfielder—to provide those crosses and pop in with a few decisive goals whenever necessary.

So it’s definitely hard to believe that Downing has failed in both these tasks with critical aplomb.

So it’s only right that Kenny gives Maxi Rodriguez a deserved chance to start the game.

What is the real reason behind Kenny’s absolute alienation tactic employed against Rodriguez?

Maxi doesn’t deserve to be in the situation that he finds himself in.

Right Wing: Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez has found life in the Premier League to be extremely tough.

Liverpool’s over reliance on this man has made the job of the opposition defender very easy.

Mark out Suarez; lock out Liverpool—as simple as that.

So it is in the best interests of the team to slightly take the burden off of Suarez’s shoulders. Kenny should try playing Suarez in the right wing and see if that works as a charm for Andy Carroll.

Playing Dirk Kuyt isn’t going to make Liverpool any better and neither is playing Stewart Downing on the right.

Luis Suarez is more than capable of delivering some fantastic crosses to the players in the box, and his natural pace and trickery should allow him to dribble past full-backs.

Attacking Midfielder/Left Forward: Craig Bellamy

Forget the fact that he has fragile knees and that he finds himself on the wrong side of 30. Craig Bellamy has been a revelation for Liverpool on the wings.

But it is not an unknown fact that he prefers a central role and is more effective playing the forward role.

So Kenny should play Bellamy just behind the main striker as a roaming centre-forward/second striker.

It will also provide an interchange of positions between Suarez and with the main striker as well.

Striker: Andy Carroll

There is no other way to put it.

Kenny should place the same level of confidence and trust that he has over Henderson and Downing on Andy Carroll.

Liverpool can’t get worse than the position that they currently find themselves in.

If playing Andy Carroll wouldn’t make much of a difference to an already much-maligned league season, then it’s only fair that Kenny tries it out.

Conclusion

Liverpool find themselves in a big pool of mess.

Kenny Dalglish is fast running out of answers to provide to the media and the fans. He is desperate for some words of encouragement and support.

And he did get some from unexpected quarters (see video).

If Kenny believes that he can repair the mess, then he can do it. But if this run of poor performances continues, even the FA Cup won’t be able to provide him with some grace time.