3 Areas for Liverpool's Jordon Ibe to Improve on in 2015/16

Jordon Ibe is widely regarded as one of the finest young prospects in the Liverpool ranks, but since his promotion into Brendan Rodgers' first-team squad at the beginning of 2015, the 19-year-old has yet to produce a steady stream of form in a Reds shirt.

This should be expected, but with Rodgers' side short on orthodox wide options at this stage, Ibe has a big opportunity to establish himself as a first-team regular this season.

The former Wycombe Wanderers winger can take inspiration from Spanish left-back Alberto Moreno, who recently spoke to Premier League Productions (h/t Liverpool's official website) about his return to the starting lineup.

"The manager thought it was the right time to put me in against Bordeaux, and I grabbed my chance," he said. "I think I’ve done reasonably well since then; I’ve had three more games and I think I’ve played well, but obviously I’m still a young player and I know I can still continue to improve."

Since reclaiming his starting spot, Moreno has shown substantial development in his game. His defensive contribution, the quality of his delivery and the consistency of his attacking support are all markedly improved.

But as the 23-year-old notes, this improvement must continue. So how can Ibe take this and look to better his game?

Here are three areas for Ibe to improve on this season, including a particular fixation of his own.

Movement

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One of the key factors behind Ibe's lack of success in the Premier League is his failure to vary his movement on the flanks.

As with many highly talented young attackers, Ibe is relatively predictable. The 19-year-old will more often than not surge toward the byline and look to cross toward the back post, and this is particularly flawed when he is fielded in his natural position on the right wing.

Ibe must learn to explore his options when attacking on the flanks and learn when to deliver a cross from deep or cut inside and head for the edge of the penalty area.

Adding variety to his game will make Ibe a much more dangerous option in the final third.

Crossing

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When Ibe does reach the byline and is able to make a delivery into the penalty area, the quality of his crossing has not met the level required to service the likes of Christian Benteke and Daniel Sturridge.

He knows this, too, and he's spent time working on his game with academy director Alex Inglethorpe and Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish at the club's academy in Kirkby over the summer.

"We worked on shooting and crossing and getting in the areas where the ball might be when the opposite winger is crossing it," he told the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce in August. "I just need to continue doing it."

So far this season, Ibe has averaged just 0.4 accurate crosses per 90 minutes in the Premier League, whereas Moreno—Rodgers' other principle wide option—has averaged 1.9.

Goalscoring

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"The fact I haven’t scored my first goal for Liverpool definitely gets on my nerves at times," Ibe told Pearce at the beginning of the season. "I might put too much pressure on myself but hopefully it will come in due time."

Ibe is desperate to convert his first strike in a Liverpool shirt, and this fixation is clear, with the 19-year-old regularly finding his wild attempts from outside the penalty area blocked by lunging defenders or launched skyward due to a lack of composure.

Only two Liverpool players to attempt four or more shots on goal have registered a lower shooting accuracy than Ibe (33 percent) so far this season, with Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne both failing to hit the target once.

While Ibe must not be expected to become a regular goalscoring threat in 2015/16, setting a target of five goals in all competitions should be reasonable for a player looking to improve his game this season.

Statistics via WhoScored.com and Squawka.com.

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