Predicting Brendan Rodgers' Opening Liverpool Premier League XI
The start of the new Premier League season, and therefore Liverpool's return to Stoke City—the scene of their 6-1 defeat on the final day of last season—is less than a fortnight away.
Brendan Rodgers, somehow, survived that humiliation and a sixth-place finish to enter his fourth season in charge of the Reds.
With Liverpool's owners having backed their man and acquired the players he clearly wanted to bring in over the summer, Rodgers needs his team to start the campaign on a positive note.
The opening day of this season arrives earlier than usual, due to the European Championships next summer, and some of Liverpool's key players will be lacking match fitness.
Rodgers will be without the sidelined Daniel Sturridge, who should return in October, while new signings Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino will have had limited time with their new team-mates.
Likewise, last season's Player of the Year, Philippe Coutinho, returned later than the rest of the squad, having been away with Brazil on Copa America duty.
Rodgers' selection will be affected by this attacking trio's lack of fitness.
We take a look at how the Reds' will likely line up against Stoke on August 9; we're going for a 4-3-3 formation—which has been widely used thus far in pre-season.
GK: Simon Mignolet
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Simon Mignolet is Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper and begins the season with a new deputy in the form of former Bolton Wanderers stopper Adam Bogdan after Brad Jones' departure this summer.
Jones' exit frees up the No. 1 jersey at Anfield, but Mignolet will still be sporting the No. 22—much to the derision of squad-number aficionados.
RB: Nathaniel Clyne
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Another easy selection, Liverpool's acquisition of Nathaniel Clyne from Southampton has provided a perfect replacement for the outgoing Glen Johnson, and he should hold down the right-back spot for the long term at Anfield.
Clyne, 24, signed for a reported £12.5 million and will be eager to get his Liverpool career under way.
His position is not cemented in the England squad, and Clyne will therefore be looking to prove himself and earn a place in the squad for next summer's European Championship in France.
CB: Martin Skrtel
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Martin Skrtel divides opinion among Liverpool supporters. Some think he's the defensive rock of the Reds' defence; others see him as the only constant in Liverpool's leaky back four.
Whatever fans think of the long-serving Slovakian, Rodgers clearly sees him as his first-choice centre-back and rewarded him with a new three-year contract this summer.
CB: Mamadou Sakho
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Alongside Skrtel is the first big selection question. Liverpool spent £38 million on two left-sided centre-backs across 12 months, acquiring Mamadou Sakho from Paris St Germain for £18 million in 2013 then spending £20 million on Dejan Lovren from Southampton the following summer.
Yet, neither has done enough to cement their place in Rodgers' defence.
Both have featured alongside Skrtel in pre-season, but the evidence of last season shows that Sakho is the better option when it comes to competitive action.
LB: Joe Gomez
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Left-back has been a perennially problematic area for Liverpool for years, and despite signing Alberto Moreno for £12 million last summer, the position still isn't clear.
Rodgers seems to have concerns about Moreno's ability, and the Spaniard has struggled with fitness thus far in pre-season.
Instead, new signing Joe Gomez has impressed in the role, and he could make his Premier League debut in the opening fixture.
CM: Lucas Leiva
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Another area of contention is that of defensive midfield—an area Rodgers has refused to sign a player for throughout his time as Liverpool manager.
The idea of a defensive midfield divides opinion among some fans, but given that the best sides in the world who utilise 4-3-3 always have a (very) resolute holding/defensive midfielder, it appears to be quite an oversight that Rodgers continues to overlook the area.
His options are Lucas Leiva, Joe Allen or Emre Can—but Can has returned late to pre-season after his exploits with Germany under-21s this summer.
Can may be the man to fulfil the role long-term, but the opening fixture could be too soon for him. That and we have no idea if he is up for the role, since Rodgers didn't bother testing him there at any stage last season, even once the season had effectively ended with several games to spare.
At least Lucas won't have Steven N'Zonzi to run rings around him again after he signed for Sevilla this summer.
CM: Jordan Henderson
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Liverpool's new captain and the Reds' most used player in the last two seasons, Jordan Henderson is the first name on the teamsheet.
He'll be hoping to begin his time sporting the armband in an official capacity on a positive note.
CM: James Milner
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Alongside Henderson will be James Milner. The two English midfielders are set to provide the energy, drive and creativity in Liverpool's midfield.
Milner is eager for the opportunity to show his best from a central role and has looked good early in pre-season.
AM: Philippe Coutinho
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Philippe Coutinho returned to pre-season late due to international commitments, but last season's Player of the Year will be required to add some flair to the Liverpool side on the opening day.
Rodgers could opt to play the 23-year-old within the midfield three, but for a game away to Stoke and with his match fitness not quite there, it's more likely he'll start in the front three.
AM: Adam Lallana
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Alongside Coutinho will likely be Adam Lallana, with new boy Roberto Firmino having to wait for his full debut.
Lallana missed the start of last season due to injury, but with a full pre-season under his belt and a season of bedding in at Anfield, he'll be looking to show the form that prompted Rodgers to spend £25 million on him 12 months ago.
Firmino can then be an effective sub to replace Coutinho, with the No. 10 not fully match fit.
FWD: Christian Benteke
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The final position isn't one that's certain due to the £32.5 million Christian Benteke, again, not being fully match fit.
Rodgers could opt for fellow new signing Danny Ings instead, but Benteke's physical presence would be welcome against Stoke.
Benteke to start the match, with Ings' movement to be effective from the bench later on, along with Firmino, seems like a sensible game plan.
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