Liverpool: Full Report Card for Every Position for September
For Liverpool supporters, it has largely been a case of wake me up when September ends. Now it finally has, the Reds can reflect on a somewhat messy month.
Everyone associated with the club will hope their morale is boosted by a Champions League win in Basel on Wednesday, but after a month in which they lost their premier forward, lost two Premier League fixtures, were demoralised in the last seconds of a derby and only won two games thanks to a last-gasp penalty and a bizarre 30-kick shootout, the Reds will hope to experience a more routine October.
Having bounced into the month with a 3-0 win at Tottenham, there wasn’t much that went right for the Reds during September, but what about the individuals involved?
Here we take a look at every player who appeared in a senior Liverpool match over the last 30 days and give them a grade, while also evaluating the manager.
We’ll kick off focusing on a goalkeeper who has been the talk of many supporters.
Goalkeeper
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There was literally no hiding place for Simon Mignolet in September, as he appeared in all five of the Reds’ matches over the month, playing for 480 minutes and enduring a marathon penalty shootout.
The month really wasn’t kind to the Belgian, who is now facing questions about his ability to command the penalty area and his defenders, something that was demonstrated by Gabriel Agbonlahor’s scrambled winner for Aston Villa at Anfield.
The ‘keeper also didn’t cover himself in glory with the manner of the last-gasp equaliser from Ludogorets’ Dani Abalo, which looked as though it had earned the Bulgarians an unlikely Champions League point. He was then left stranded by two goals in the opening seven minutes at West Ham the following weekend.
In the marathon penalty shootout against Middlesbrough, he did manage to save Boro’s first kick from Patrick Bamford, only to be a spectator as 13 successive penalties were buried past him—hardly good for fragile confidence—and then, having not had much to do against Everton, he was beaten by a once-in-a-lifetime strike from Phil Jagielka that he could do nothing about.
Mignolet is facing more questions than he ever has during his Liverpool career, and he needs to produce some performances to convince people he’s good enough to be the club’s No. 1 for the foreseeable future.
Right now, he's not doing that.
Grade: D
Right-Back
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Javier Manquillo
In the continued absences of Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan, young Spaniard Javier Manquillo started every one of Liverpool’s games in September, completing four and coming off early against West Ham when Brendan Rodgers decided to change his system.
The month showed Manquillo to be exactly what he is: a young, developing player with a lot of work to do.
He offers support to Liverpool’s attacks down the right whenever he gets the opportunity to come forward, something that he loves to do, as evidenced by what was clearly his best moment of the month: the stoppage-time foray into the Ludogorets penalty area for which he was rewarded by winning his team a penalty.
Manquillo hasn’t been directly responsible for the concession of any of the goals Liverpool have shipped, but you do suspect that he is in need of some competition in the position if he is to improve; right now, he might just be a little too comfortable to survive what will still be a culture shock for him in a new division and a new country.
There is a lot more to come from Manquillo, but don’t be surprised to see him drop out of the team should Johnson or Flanagan return to fitness in the near future.
Grade: C+
Left-Backs
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Alberto Moreno
Having quickly settled into Liverpool life and delivering some eye-catching performances, Alberto Moreno has established himself as the most impressive of the Reds’ summer recruits.
The quicksilver left-back might still get caught up the field a little too often for many tastes, but with memories of his goal at Tottenham at the back end of last month still fresh in many people's minds, he retains the goodwill of supporters who are hoping that a problem position has finally been filled.
Playing in four of the five fixtures in September, Moreno’s best display was probably in the Merseyside derby—his first—when he competently combined defending with attacking. Earlier in the month, he managed to assist Mario Balotelli against Ludogorets for the Italian’s first Reds goal.
There are still flaws that he needs to iron out in his game, of course, but at such a young age he looks like he’ll approach that task confidently.
In what was a pretty disappointing month for the Reds, Moreno was a bright spot.
Grade: B+
Jose Enrique
In the one game that Moreno didn’t play in September, his fellow Spaniard Jose Enrique stepped in and performed well against Middlesbrough.
On his first start for the Reds in a year, Enrique managed the full 120 minutes and scored his penalty in the epic shootout on a successful return to the side, and one that he’ll hope to replicate soon, even though Moreno’s form will make it tough for him to do so.
Grade: C
Centre-Backs
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Dejan Lovren
The most expensive defender in Liverpool history started four of the club's five games in September, but he’s yet to become a commanding presence in his new team.
The Croatian has had his good moments and was fairly impressive for the majority of the matches against Ludogorets and Everton, but there is still an element of uncertainty about him, something which wasn’t helped by the blow to the head he suffered during the loss at West Ham.
He could just be one performance away from hitting really good form, but that performance hasn’t come yet.
Grade: C+
Martin Skrtel
Injury kept Martin Skrtel out of the first two games of September, and he was rested for the Capital One Cup, so Brendan Rodgers will doubtless be hoping to get the Slovakian back up to speed in October.
Liverpool’s most consistent defender over the past year isn’t perfect, but his partnership with Lovren should be allowed the time to develop over the next few weeks in a bid to get it right for the remainder of the season.
Like everyone else, Skrtel didn’t cover himself in glory in the loss at West Ham, but he was within seconds of a morale-boosting clean sheet against Everton before, like everything else over Liverpool’s month, there was an unwelcome twist.
Grade: C
Mamadou Sakho
The injury to Skrtel meant that Mamadou Sakho came into the team for four of Liverpool’s five games in September, but it was what happened in the fifth that probably told the biggest story.
After being left out of the squad for the Everton game, Sakho stormed out of Anfield, a symptom of what was a pretty poor month personally and one which only added fuel to the fire for some of his many critics.
There is a good defender within the Frenchman, but his ungainly style gives off an air of a player panicking, which is hardly what you want when a team is struggling for form.
Sakho has ended the month with an injury that means he’ll miss a fair chunk of October, and some might be relieved at that.
Grade: D-
Kolo Toure
"Incredible scenes as Kolo Toure kills a goalkeeper with penalty https://t.co/3nmpOugeOy
— The Stebie (@ThoseScouseLads) September 23, 2014"
Ever the able deputy, Kolo Toure stayed on the bench for four of Liverpool’s five games in September, but he played all of the 120 minutes against Middlesbrough.
His concession of a late penalty took the match to its epic conclusion, during which Toure buried his spot kick at the Kop end to raucous approval.
With Sakho seemingly both injured and out of favour, expect to see more of the Ivorian in October.
Grade: C
Central Midfielders
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Such is the national and international obsession with Steven Gerrard’s form that a month—or even a few weeks—isn’t allowed to go by without a dissection of it, and the Liverpool skipper found his game constantly analysed throughout September.
In basic terms, he scored a last-gasp penalty to win a Champions League game and was seconds away from scoring the winner in the Merseyside derby, but the key narrative from the month was his performances in his other two September games—the defeats to Aston Villa and West Ham in which first Andreas Weimann and then Stewart Downing were deployed to put him off his game.
Gerrard is reaching an age at which very few players are considered to be first-team regulars every week, but then very few 34-year-olds have his outright quality, with his delivery from dead balls still one of Liverpool’s most potent weapons.
Finding a way to get him through matches is crucial for Brendan Rodgers, but after an up and down September—which wasn’t helped, clearly, by the injury absences of Joe Allen and Emre Can, who missed the whole month—he could be facing an even more difficult October as teams learn how to combat his influence from deep.
Grade: C
Jordan Henderson
Key to Gerrard’s game these days is Jordan Henderson, and the England man was once again seen in his usual central roles throughout the month, although he didn’t quite have the same impact that we’ve seen from him before.
Like Gerrard, he played in every game bar the Middlesbrough league cup tie, with his best performance coming in the second half against Ludogorets when he was stationed a little further up the pitch and unlucky not to score.
Given that Liverpool should spend their October fixtures on the front foot—which wouldn’t be a bad tactic, even against Real Madrid—it would be good to see Henderson get back to his attacking best, as he was a little passive throughout September.
Grade: C
Lucas Leiva
Lucas’ introduction when Liverpool were chasing a goal against Ludogorets looked a little strange at the time, but he added calmness and ball-retention ability when the Reds needed it most.
Other cameo appearances over the month didn’t quite go as well, but he was a calming influence in the madcap clash with Middlesbrough, playing 120 minutes and scoring both penalties he took in the shootout.
Grade: C-
Jordan Rossiter
You can only grade a player based on what they have done over the month, so 17-year-old Jordan Rossiter, the scorer of a goal 10 minutes into his senior Liverpool debut, has to be marked highly for his display against Middlesbrough.
The young Scouser was calm and composed throughout his 79 minutes on the pitch, and he looks like he’ll be getting more action soon.
Grade: A
Jordan Williams
Rossiter was replaced by another Jordan, the Welshman Williams, in that Boro game, and the teenager certainly looked the part in the centre of midfield, and he hammered home his penalty at the Kop end.
A little older than Rossiter and seemingly built psychically for the challenges of top-level football, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he managed to get back in the team a little sooner than his younger colleague.
Grade: A-
Attacking Midfielders
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Adam Lallana
After finally starting his Liverpool career in earnest in September, things got better for Adam Lallana as the month went on.
Still searching for fitness after a pre-season injury robbed him of the chance to get into the team from the very start, Lallana spent the first few games of the month seemingly feeling his way into them until the 120 minutes against Middlesbrough—and two successful penalties in the shootout—paved the way for his best performance for the club in the Merseyside derby.
Clearly a player who Brendan Rodgers was eager to get up to speed as soon as possible, you have to feel as though October is a huge month for Lallana, who will be challenged to display the form we saw from him in a Southampton shirt for the vast majority of last season.
Grade: C
Raheem Sterling
Early exertions for club and country led to Raheem Sterling being rested for the home clash with Aston Villa, with the subsequent defeat seeing Brendan Rodgers openly questioned for that decision.
He was back in the side for all the other matches over the month, however, but there wasn’t quite the same zip and dynamism we saw from him in the opening weeks of the campaign, despite the fine goal against West Ham that helps him share top-scorer status with Steven Gerrard at the moment.
With big fixtures to come this month—not least a meeting with Real Madrid—Sterling will be eager to get back to his dazzling best, although as ever with young players an element of patience might well be needed.
As he showed in the Middlesbrough game, he can still make mistakes, but the 19-year-old remains the best thing about the Reds at the moment.
Grade: C+
Philippe Coutinho
When Philippe Coutinho is at his best he can look as though his sublime skills are almost effortless, so the fact that he’s often wearing a pained expression these days does tell a story.
After frustrating games against Aston Villa and Ludogorets he missed two games through injury before reappearing for half an hour against Everton.
It’s just not quite happening for him at the moment, perhaps a hangover from the fact he’s not been playing with either Luis Suarez or Daniel Sturridge, with whom he’s forged a good partnership.
A big month lies ahead for the Brazilian.
Grade: D
Lazar Markovic
Like Lallana, a pre-season injury has proven disruptive for Lazar Markovic, who did, however, start three of the four games he was eligible for in the month, having been banned for the Ludogorets fixture.
The psychical side of things seems to be what is troubling the 20-year-old at the moment, and it is difficult to be too harsh on a player who arrived with a big reputation—one who might be afraid of getting injured again so soon after his summer blow.
He’ll need to step it up quickly, though, as there are players in the squad who could overtake him in the pecking order in October.
Grade: D
Suso
It was nice to see a brief cameo from Suso in the Middlesbrough game, and it was even nicer to see him score a crucial goal.
Indeed, add on his two penalties in the shootout and you get a sort of strange hat-trick at the Kop end for the popular young Spaniard, who plenty of supporters would like to see more of in the coming months.
His little reminder to Rodgers came at a good time.
Grade: A-
Forwards
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Mario Balotelli
In future years, September might well be remembered as the month that saw Mario Balotelli kick-start his successful Liverpool career. It might also be seen as where it all started to go wrong.
The only man who can decide which one that is, of course, is Balotelli himself. And after signs of what opposition players will plan to do to him—particularly Aston Villa’s Philippe Senderos and West Ham goalkeeper Adrian—it will be vital he keeps a lid on his emotions over the course of his Reds career.
September saw him score his first Liverpool goal—the most celebrated strike of the month, at home to Ludogorets—while his cameo against Middlesbrough showcased his remarkable penalty-taking prowess, which might come into increased importance should Gerrard be rested for a few games.
As ever with Balotelli, there are question marks, but it sees a little unfair to be overly harsh on him, given he has been robbed of the company of Daniel Sturridge for the entire month.
The pair looking as though they could forge a successful partnership during the hour they played together in the 3-0 win at Tottenham at the end of August. Once the England man comes back, we might see a different Balotelli—one who flourishes with the goalscoring burden shared around.
Grade: B-
It was another month that saw Rickie Lambert’s “dreams” mentioned as he captained the Reds in the Middlesbrough game, and he came off the bench in three of the four other games during the month.
However, and as the player himself has admitted to the Daily Mail, it is time to stop all that talk and simply see him as a Liverpool player deserving of his place in the squad, not one who is there on sentimentality.
Has he proved that yet? No, not really, although it has been tough for him with fleeting substitute appearances and a lack of match sharpness.
Whether he’ll ever get the chance to put that right remains to be seen.
Grade: C-
Fabio Borini
Having stayed at the club despite all evidence to the contrary, Fabio Borini found himself making two appearances from the bench and his first Premier League start for the Reds in two years.
He did okay, zipping around the pitch and looking to cause trouble, with his appearance in the Ludogorets game particularly helpful to winning the three points, but when Sturridge comes back, it’ll be interesting to see how many more chances he gets.
Grade: C-
Manager
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Brendan Rodgers
The results dictate that this wasn’t a successful month for Brendan Rodgers, who has found himself coming under fire for some of his formations and tactical switches during games, most notably against West Ham, when he had to change things just 22 minutes in with his team 2-0 down.
The decision to rest Raheem Sterling against Aston Villa—while understandable—was also something that he wouldn’t have done at the tail end of last season, and the Northern Irishman must try to find a return to those days when things seemed less complicated if his side are to be a success once more.
On a personal level, the fact that Rodgers has now managed in the Champions League must be great for the CV—and indeed, the ego—but it is how this young manager adjusts to the new demands on his team that is going to have a huge say in the months ahead.
October brings with it the dual challenges of matches against some of the lesser lights of the Premier League and a glamour Champions League home tie against Real Madrid.
Beat Basel, though, and that Real game suddenly becomes less vital, meaning it should be the league games the manager focuses on.
The returns of Daniel Sturridge, Glen Johnson and Joe Allen over the new few weeks could help his team look a little more like last season’s, but Rodgers must know the expectations are higher now and that September didn’t live up to them.
Grade: C
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