Jordan Henderson-James Milner Partnership Continues for Liverpool vs. Adelaide

Liverpool saw off Adelaide United 2-0 on Monday courtesy of goals from new boys James Milner and Danny Ings, continuing the good pre-season form for Brendan Rodgers' side—who now travel to Malaysia for the final game of their tour of Asia and Australia.

It is Milner who has caught the eye so far, with the former Manchester City player lining up alongside new Reds captain Jordan Henderson in all three of the games.

As noted by Ben Twelves of This Is Anfield, the pair worked well vs. Adelaide United on Monday:

"

Henderson and Milner swarmed their opposite numbers and bossed the middle of the park from the first whistle, on and off the ball.

The pair have conjured up an effective partnership effortlessly, and should Liverpool enjoy a productive season this year, it will certainly be partly down to their brilliant work.

"

Milner grabbed his second goal in two games, forcefully getting forward and working slightly further ahead of Henderson, with the pair either side of Joe Allen, who performed in the holding-midfield position.

The promise of a central role was one of the major reasons Milner opted for Anfield this summer. As he explained recently, it's a position he rarely was afforded the opportunity to thrive in at Man City but where he excelled for Aston Villa in his final season at the Midlands club, according to Jamie Jackson of the Guardian:

"I was thinking what could have happened had I kicked on from that one season at Aston Villa where I played centrally and what could have happened if I'd carried on like that. Who knows?"

Matt King/Getty Images

Milner is now going to get the opportunity to see where he can go in a central role as Rodgers rebuilds his midfield.

Liverpool have played 270 pre-season minutes, with the English duo paired alongside each other in midfield for 208 of them—showing the clear intention for the season.

With 4-3-3 looking like the desired formation of choice, Liverpool's engine room is being engineered. And never has the proverbial engine room been more appropriate than with the hardworking duo of Henderson and Milner.

Indeed, after Friday's game in Brisbane, Rodgers joked: "James Milner and Jordan Henderson could run to Adelaide!

“The work they put into the game—how they press, how they run and also the quality," he praised.

With two of the midfield three assured, then, the question becomes who will be the third midfielder within the Reds' 4-3-3.

According to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, a midfield trio of Henderson, Milner and Philippe Coutinho looks "mouthwatering." But that would leave no holding midfielder of any sort.

A more likely solution is to have either Emre Can or Lucas Leiva as the holding pivot player within the midfield three. That would allow Coutinho to take up an attacking role alongside fellow Brazilian and new signing Roberto Firmino, behind either Daniel Sturridge or Christian Benteke—according to BBC Sport, the Belgian striker is set to join the Reds in a £32.5 million deal.

Options are there now, with the midfield diamond also looking attractive. Henderson and Milner are certainly capable of providing the energy required for those two shuttling roles between defence and attack on either side of the midfield.

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Some may critique that the duo do not have enough creativity between them, but last season Henderson provided six goals and nine assists in the Premier League, while Milner provided five goals and seven assists despite his limited and changing role at City.

They may not be David Silva or Coutinho, but between them Henderson and Milner provided similar goals and assists to their more acclaimed midfielder creators; Silva and Coutinho scored 17 goals and had 12 assists; Henderson and Milner provided 11 goals and had 16 assists.

It's a summer of rebuilding for Liverpool under Rodgers, and that is stemming from the partnership of Milner and Henderson in midfield.