Liverpool Struggling to Reproduce Attacking Excellence of Last Season

Last season Liverpool blew sides away with their swashbuckling, free-flowing attack—even conceding 50 goals couldn't stop them from finishing second in the Premier League.

Liverpool's goals conceded record was the eighth worst in the league, while their goals scored—101—was second only to champions Manchester City.

It's a well-known tale how Liverpool's attack papered over the cracks in their defence; it was the story of the 2013/14 season for Brendan Rodgers' side. You score three, we'll score four.

The new season, though, has seen those same defensive fragilities persist—but without the attacking prowess of last season. For all the drama of the League Cup win over Middlesbrough, the lack of clear-cut chances on show must be a huge concern for Rodgers.

Of course, Luis Suarez has moved on to pastures new, but even removing his 31 league goals last season, Liverpool still scored 70—bettered only by City and Chelsea.

Daniel Sturridge hit 21, Steven Gerrard grabbed 13—albeit largely via the penalty spot—while Raheem Sterling added nine and Marin Skrtel seven.

Even without Suarez, and especially having added the firepower of Mario Balotelli, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Lazar Markovic, the Liverpool squad has goals and creativity in it.

So just why are Rodgers' side struggling to score and create goals in this new campaign?

New Season, New Era

The new campaign started ok, with wins over Southampton and Tottenham in August, and six goals scored in three games.

Then came the international break and Roy Hodgson's England training injuring Sturridge. Since then, Liverpool have scraped past Ludogorets Razgrad and Middlesbrough in cup competitions, and lost to Aston Villa and West Ham in the league.

Those four games in September have seen their attack lacking any fluidity or clinical goalscoring edge. Without Suarez and Sturridge, it's been a whole new look that hasn't looked anywhere near as threatening.

Balotelli

Mario Balotelli has been asked to lead the line, but perhaps caught between being asked/challenged to ensure he does his defensive work, he's been found playing far deeper than you'd expect or saw when he was Italy's physical, leading the line of attack at the recent World Cup and European Championships.

As noted by Liverpool statistician Andrew Beasley, the Italian isn't a very clinical forward:

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[...] the fact that he has one goal from seventeen shots so far ties in perfectly with his 5.2 percent shot conversion rate from the last two seasons (when free kicks and penalties are excluded).

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Beasley explains how Sturridge's conversion rate of 21.2 percent of all shots last season shows how Balotelli isn't a suitable replacement for the England forward when he's missing through injury.

Writing for This Is Anfield, Henry Jackson questioned whether Sturridge is fully appreciated at Liverpool, noting:

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When Suarez‘s form dipped during the early part of this year it was Sturridge who stepped up to the plate, scoring in eight consecutive league games to reignite the Reds’ surprise title challenge.

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Michael Regan/Getty Images

Perhaps this absence will see Sturridge fully appreciated when he does return. His movement in the final third and more clinical finishing has certainly been missed.

In the meantime, should Rodgers ask Balotelli to stay as the focal point more rather than challenge him to add the defensive aspect of the game that commentators perceive as lacking in the 24-year-old?

The problem there is that perhaps then Balotelli would become more isolated in attack and thus become more frustrated.

New Signings

Rodgers hasn't been helped by the injury to Lallana in pre-season. The former Southampton man was clearly identified by the Liverpool manager as the man who can bring creativity to the Reds' attack following Suarez's absence.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

With three games under his belt now, Lallana looks to be gaining fitness and, with it, hopefully, form. The 26-year-old was the only player Liverpool signed this summer who can be considered to be in their prime and therefore have an immediate impact in the side.

With Lallana having been sidelined and not fully fit, Philippe Coutinho struggling to find form, Markovic having failed to settle immediately and Lambert struggling on his cameo appearances, it's clear to see why Liverpool have looked so toothless in attack.

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Talk of a heavy shirt, Lambert’s appeared to be made of concrete. Desperate to do well, but none of the relaxed confidence he had at Soton

— Paul Tomkins (@paul_tomkins) September 23, 2014"

Systems

Much was made of Rodgers' ability to change systems last season; from 4-3-3 to 3-4-1-2 to the midfield diamond. It was a coming of age for the Northern Irishman.

However, this new season has already seen all three of those systems used, plus the double pivot midfield in a 4-2-3-1, and that seems to have created a lack of fluidity between the new signings in particular.

"Until I get all the players back that I know are multifunctional players, I’ll look at the strength of the players we do have fit," Rodgers told reporters this week, via Andy Hunter of The Guardian.

The Liverpool boss will certainly be hoping that Sturridge can return and remain fit, forging a partnership with Balotelli.

Sturridge's return can't come soon enough.