Manchester United: 3 Key Areas to Target in Liverpool Team Selection

Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool team selection for Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester United may stand as somewhat of a curve-ball for manager Louis Van Gaal, and it offers a tactical challenge in a hugely important tie in terms of top-four contention.

It represents as a bold attacking venture by Rodgers, as well as a potentially fatal defensive experiment.

Liverpool XI vs. Manchester United: Brad Jones; Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren; Jordan Henderson, Steven Gerrard, Joe Allen, Alberto Moreno; Adam Lallana Philippe Coutinho; Raheem Sterling

This line-up—though not dissimilar in personnel to many Rodgers has fielded this season—will see Liverpool operate in a 3-4-2-1 formation, if speculation from the Mirror's Jim Boardman is to be believed.

Wing-backs Jordan Henderson and Alberto Moreno stand out as key men, as they will be required to support both defence and attack with diligence.

However, other areas stand out as potentially vulnerable.

Here are the three key areas for Van Gaal to target in this surprising Liverpool team selection.

Brad Jones

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Dropping Simon Mignolet for this fixture seems an oversight by Rodgers, with the No. 22 not quite as poor in recent weeks as he has proved to be during large portions of this season. For such a high-profile encounter, the manager would have been expected to opt for stability in consistency.

However, with back-up goalkeeper Jones preferred on Sunday, this is an area where United's formidable attack of Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and James Wilson can seriously test their mettle.

Jones has made just eight previous Premier League appearances for the Reds since his 2010 move to the club, per LFCHistory.net, and he represents a hugely inexperienced player at this level.

United should look to take advantage of any nerves in the 32-year-old by peppering his goal with long-range strikes early on in the game.

Let Jones settle into the game, however, and United could see a defining display from a player with a point to prove.

Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel

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Whether Liverpool operate in this reported 3-4-2-1 formation or not, the gaps between Johnson and Skrtel on the right-hand side of defence are there to be exploited by Van Gaal.

Owing to Johnson's lethargic positional assiduity and Skrtel's struggle to operate in a cohesive back line, Liverpool are often targeted by opposing left wingers.

As former United midfielder Paul Scholes detailed in his column for The Independent, this is where Tuesday's Champions League opponents FC Basel hurt Liverpool in their decisive 1-1 draw.

Scholes claims: "You would expect that, on Sunday, United will attack the space between Johnson and Martin Skrtel where Basel got so much joy."

With Ashley Young deployed in the left-back role, which saw him impress in United's recent 2-1 victory over Southampton, this right side of the Liverpool defence could be particularly vulnerable.

Steven Gerrard

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This experimental selection sees Rodgers drop midfielder Lucas Leiva, who has so impressed of late in the role of midfield anchor for Liverpool.

With Gerrard and Allen serving as the side's only bona-fide central midfielders in this formation, United could target this vulnerable area.

Rodgers had seemingly abandoned last season's repositioning of Gerrard in a deep-lying role after a series of abject displays in 2014/15, but this formation could see the 34-year-old return to a similar position.

As the effective man-marking displays by West Ham United's Stewart Downing and Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor this season have shown, if United were to harry the Liverpool captain in this crucial area, the likes of Juan Mata in the central area can flourish.

The support of Allen, and the energetic Henderson, will be vital if Liverpool are to avoid being overrun.

Whether Brendan Rodgers' experiment pays off or not will likely depend on Louis Van Gaal's ability to adapt to a changing tactical scenario—it may be bold, but this may be what Liverpool need to defeat an in-form Manchester United.

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