What Liverpool Fans Want to See in Valarenga Friendly

Liverpool take on Norwegian outfit Valarenga at Anfield on Wednesday evening in their penultimate friendly before the new Premier League season gets under way.

There are still a number of areas of the side in need of fine-tuning.

So far, the Reds have a 100 percent record in their preseason friendlies, which bodes well for the upcoming campaign, however, head coach Brendan Rodgers knows he must make full use of these final two warm-up fixtures if he is to get his starting XI right for the top-flight opener with Stoke City at Anfield on Aug 17.

And the Northern Irishman, as well as the club’s fans, will be focusing most of their attention on the following aspects of the team against Valarenga:

Agger-Toure Central-Defensive Axis

Rodgers appears to have already settled on his favoured centre-back partnership for the new campaign, with recent new acquisition Kolo Touré seemingly having been penciled in to partner Daniel Agger at the back.

And the duo look to have gelled well so far in their brief forays together in defence during preseason. In fact, the Reds have yet to concede a goal in their five warm-up contests.

However, Liverpool fans will still want to see more evidence of this growing understanding against Valarenga, especially as doubts continue to grow about the pairs’ general lack of collective pace at the heart of the Reds' back line.

And with a new goalkeeper in the form of Simon Mignolet to also factor into the equation, this will be an important friendly with which to iron out any potential communication problems the trio may have ahead of the big kick-off. 

Lucas-Allen Holding-Midfield Role

As with the aforementioned Agger and Touré partnership, Rodgers also seems to have now decided to go with a combination of Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen as dual defensive midfield players protecting his back four going forward at Anfield next season.

Of course, the Northern Irishman could have opted to play skipper Steven Gerrard in one of those positions, however, in light of the impending departure of playmaker Luis Suarez, the manager clearly feels his inspirational midfield player would be better utilised further up the field.

As a result, it will be Lucas and Allen putting out fires in front of the back line next season. And Wednesday’s friendly will be another welcome opportunity for the pair to better understand each other’s games after both men missed chunks of the previous campaign through injury.

And Liverpool’s supporters will be hoping the two players can also start to demonstrate greater attacking intention in their play from what they have shown so far this summer.

At least they will hope so, particularly if the team really are going to push on next season and challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Continued Samba Magic from the Boy from Brazil

Midfield schemer Philippe Coutinho has just carried on in preseason exactly where he left off in the previous campaign, with the twinkle-toed Brazil international once again Liverpool’s main attacking inspiration.

The 21-year-old, who registered an impressive three goals and seven assists in just 13 Premier League outings in his first six months at Anfield, is already the Reds’ most influential creative source.

And the club’s fans will be wanting to see more of the same when he takes to the field against the Norwegians on Wednesday.

They will also hope to see further evidence of a growing understanding at the top end of the pitch between Coutinho and fellow attackers Gerrard, Raheem Sterling and Iago Aspas.

Yet More Sterling Work

It has been heartening to see the young England flyer back on the pitch in preseason, fit and firing ahead of the new campaign following an injury-interrupted second half to last season.

The pacy wide man has so far been utilised by Rodgers on the right-hand side of an attack-minded front three, with Aspas the lone front man through the middle, and Coutinho to his left.

And there have been promising signs so far from this new-look forward lineup, especially during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Olympiakos at Anfield.

However, one thing Liverpool fans will be wanting to see more of from Sterling against Valarenga is an all-round improvement in the winger’s sometimes off-target finishing. 

Strike While the Iron Is Hot

Aspas has been an absolute revelation so far in his short time at the club following his £7.7m arrival from Celta de Vigo earlier this summer, scoring and laying on goals aplenty in preseason.

All of which is a good thing when one considers the continued doubts currently surrounding the first-choice strike duo of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez due to injury and disillusionment at Anfield respectively.

And that means that Reds’ fans will be praying that the little Spaniard continues in the same attacking vein against the Norwegians on Wednesday - it might give the 26-year-old renewed confidence in front of goal going into the new campaign.

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