Power Ranking Every Liverpool Player from the 2015/16 Premier League Season
The 2015/16 Premier League season was far from a successful one for Liverpool Football Club, with a turbulent spell on and off the field leaving a meagre eighth-placed finish to show for it.
Starting the campaign with Brendan Rodgers in place as manager, the new Celtic boss was dismissed at the beginning of October following a sluggish run of performances and a 1-1 draw away to Merseyside rivals Everton.
Rodgers was replaced days later by former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp, with the German outlining his mission statement as turning "doubters to believers," as relayed by the Liverpool Echo's David Prentice.
Klopp has certainly managed that, but this shift in mentality has not always led to the best results for the Reds, and ending the season with a muted 1-1 draw away to West Bromwich Albion—with one eye on the UEFA Europa League final coming shortly after—this served as a fitting epitaph to a hit-and-miss campaign.
But which of Klopp's stars outperformed the others in the Premier League throughout 2015/16?
We've ranked each Liverpool player to have featured in 45 minutes or more of league football over the 2015/16 season—meaning there is no place for Jordan Rossiter, Sergi Canos, Steven Caulker and Joao Carlos Teixeira—factoring in their impact on results and overall consistency.
The list kicks off with our No. 30, Spanish teenager Pedro Chirivella.
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30. Pedro Chirivella
Nineteen-year-old former Valencia youth midfielder Pedro Chirivella made only one league appearance for the Reds in 2015/16, away to Swansea City at the beginning of May.
The nimble playmaker endured a nightmare 45 minutes at the Liberty Stadium, with Klopp withdrawing him at half-time. The German admitted after the defeat that his young star "forgot to orientate himself," as reported by the Express' Dan Gibbs.
29. Adam Bogdan
Bemusing supporters on his arrival on a free transfer from Bolton Wanderers last summer, Adam Bogdan did little to assuage Anfield concerns in his two league outings for Liverpool in 2015/16.
The Hungary international conceded three goals away to Watford in December, including a calamitous error in the opening stages where he dropped the ball into the path of Nathan Ake for the Chelsea loanee to tap home, setting the tone for his spell at Liverpool—which is likely to end this summer.
28. Cameron Brannagan
Like Chirivella, Cameron Brannagan was one of the young academy stars that Klopp called up into his first-team squad as the fixture list grew more demanding throughout 2015/16.
Brannagan made three league appearances throughout the season, including an impressive second-half cameo in May's 2-0 win at home to Watford and a star turn in the Reds' closing-day clash away to West Brom.
The under-21s captain is poised for a bright future under Klopp at Liverpool.
27. Connor Randall
Academy right-back Connor Randall was a surprise inclusion in early squads under Klopp, making the substitutes' bench for 10 of the German's first 12 league games before his league debut away to Bournemouth in April.
Successfully shackling the dangerous Max Gradel at Dean Court, Randall went on to produce a reasonable display at home to Newcastle United before a two-minute cameo at home to Watford.
Solid, but unspectacular, Randall's first-team hopes suffered following the return of our No. 26.
26. Jon Flanagan
Jon Flanagan successfully recovered from a series of knee injuries to make his first appearance for Liverpool after 619 days on the sidelines, replacing Randall as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 Capital One Cup win over Exeter City in January.
The local-born defender went on to make five league starts for the Reds in 2015/16, including captaining Klopp's side in March's 3-2 defeat to Southampton. His full-blooded challenge on former Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling in a 3-0 win at home to Manchester City provided a true highlight for supporters.
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25. Danny Ward
Recalled from a successful loan spell with Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen in January, Danny Ward can feel disappointed to have only made two league appearances for Liverpool throughout the second half of the season.
But matching Bogdan's record for outings for the campaign, Ward surpassed the 28-year-old with two excellent displays, away to Bournemouth in April and then at Swansea in May.
24. Brad Smith
Coming back from the brink following Klopp's appointment, earning a new contract after seeing out his previous deal last summer, Australian left-back Brad Smith served as one of the success stories of the 2015/16 season.
The 22-year-old only made four league appearances for the Reds, including a red-card display away to Swansea, but he largely vindicated Klopp's faith and provided comfortable back-up for Alberto Moreno.
23. Joe Gomez
A £3.5 million signing from Charlton Athletic last summer, teenage defender Joe Gomez made the immediate transition into Premier League football under Rodgers, starting the first five games of the season at left-back.
Gomez helped Liverpool earn three clean sheets, keeping Moreno out of Rodgers' side until a horrific ACL injury ended his season. Now, Gomez can look towards a fruitful 2016/17 under Klopp.
22. Kevin Stewart
Following a similar path to Smith, Kevin Stewart looked down and out at the beginning of the season, joining League One side Swindon Town on loan and struggling to break into Martin Ling's squad due to injury.
Recalled alongside Ward in January, Stewart established himself in an important back-up role as Klopp navigated a busy fixture list, making seven league appearances—including six starts in the final eight games—operating in a understated, defensive role at the base of the midfield.
21. Danny Ings
Making the move from Burnley last summer, in a deal that was eventually agreed to be worth up to £8 million, Danny Ings' step up to life on Merseyside was reinforced by a clutch of impressive displays in the Premier League.
The England striker scored crucial goals against Norwich City and Everton, in Rodgers' last game in charge, but an ACL injury limited his campaign to just six league appearances, making his comeback on the final day at West Brom.
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20. Jordon Ibe
The 2015/16 campaign was designed to be Jordon Ibe's breakout year, with the £49 million sale of Sterling to City not followed by a direct replacement due to Rodgers' faith in his next young winger being able to step up to the plate.
But while Ibe produced sporadic moments of form throughout the season, capped by a sensational solo goal away to West Brom on the final day, his consistency was lacking.
The former Wycombe Wanderers youth showed signs of promise, but he will need to improve in 2016/17.
19. Sheyi Ojo
Contrasting with Ibe's fleeting quality on the flanks, January loan recall Sheyi Ojo rewarded Klopp with a series of emphatic displays when called upon in the closing weeks of the season.
The 18-year-old rarely failed to impress and laid on goals in April's 3-0 win at home to Stoke City and May's clashes with Swansea and Watford, with his explosive brand of wide play hinting at bigger things to come in 2016/17—he only made eight league appearances in 2015/16, but he shades Ibe in terms of impact.
18. Martin Skrtel
According to the Telegraph's John Percy, Martin Skrtel has told Klopp he is "ready to leave" Liverpool this summer having fallen down the pecking order in the German's defence this season.
Starting the campaign as Rodgers' first-choice centre-back, Skrtel continued this role in the first months of Klopp's reign, but a number of worrying displays undermined a reasonable start to the campaign.
While there were moments of steadfast quality from the Slovak in 2015/16, it is certainly time to move on after eight years on Merseyside.
17. Joe Allen
Joe Allen has spent much of his Liverpool player performing a bit-part role, filling in when required and expected to perform to a high standard at short notice—and this continued throughout 2015/16, despite a change in manager.
But what separates Allen's latest campaign with those before it is the Welshman's remarkable consistency, and over 19 league appearances for the Reds, including eight starts, he highlighted why he is an invaluable member of this Liverpool squad.
16. Kolo Toure
In a similar position to Allen, 35-year-old veteran centre-back Kolo Toure played back-up for much of the 2015/16 season, deputising for the likes of Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren when injuries inevitably piled up.
But as the pressure mounted at the tail end of the season, Toure proved his worth, and Liverpool lost just one of the 14 league games the former Ivory Coast international featured in—a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in January.
15. Christian Benteke
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League appearances: 29
Belgium international Christian Benteke made the controversial £32.5 million switch from Aston Villa to Liverpool last summer amid widespread criticism from supporters who predicted the striker jarring with Rodgers' system at Anfield.
Naturally, these fell on deaf ears, and despite initial signs of a blossoming partnership with Philippe Coutinho in the opening months, Benteke's physical, direct style of attacking play saw him struggle to adapt to a more refined tactical approach on Merseyside.
Nevertheless, Benteke scored nine league goals in 2015/16, making him the Reds' second-highest goalscorer in the competition, with his performances as an impact substitute under Klopp boosting his stock.
14. Lucas Leiva
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League appearances: 27
Like Skrtel, Lucas Leiva finds himself in a troubled position as one of Liverpool's most loyal and long-serving players at risk of falling behind in Klopp's quick-moving Merseyside revolution.
The Brazilian was close to joining Besiktas on a season-long loan last summer but remained at the club following a robust display at the base of Rodgers' midfield in August's 0-0 draw away to Arsenal, and while he remained behind the likes of Emre Can and Jordan Henderson in the Reds' ranks throughout, this form largely endured.
A limited option at the base of the midfield, Lucas produced a number of strong displays, including a more expansive showing at home to Southampton in Klopp's second league game in charge, while he also filled in with a dominant display alongside Skrtel at centre-back in May's 2-0 win at home to Watford.
13. Jordan Henderson
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League appearances: 17
"The team at Liverpool this season have progressed very well," Liverpool captain Henderson told the Liverpool Echo's Neil Jones in May. "But for me personally, it's been the hardest season of my career so far."
Taking up the captain's armband from the departing Steven Gerrard last summer, Henderson was forced to contend with both a heightened expectation and a number of niggling injuries throughout 2015/16.
These undoubtedly damaged Henderson's form, but largely, the ex-Sunderland midfielder performed when called upon, with his one-goal-one-assist display at home to West Brom in December underlining his dogged brand of leadership.
12. Simon Mignolet
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League appearances: 34
A perennial problem area for Liverpool, Simon Mignolet's continued role as first-choice goalkeeper under Rodgers and Klopp in 2015/16 provoked ire from the Kop on a number of occasions.
But offering a more stable custodian than both Bogdan and Ward, the Belgian largely served as a solid option between the sticks in the league, conceding 42 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets, with his display away to Arsenal in August's 0-0 draw highlighting his quality as a shot-stopper.
Attention has immediately turned to his likely replacement at the end of the season, however, with the Guardian's Andy Hunter reporting that a £4.7 million move to sign Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius is close to completion, meaning Anfield's concerns may finally be alleviated this summer.
11. Divock Origi
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League appearances: 16
Arriving at Liverpool last summer after a miserable season on loan with Ligue 1 side Lille, Divock Origi settled into a back-up role under Rodgers—behind Benteke, Ings and Daniel Sturridge in his first-team thinking, making only one league appearance during the Ulsterman's reign.
But on Klopp's arrival, with the German contending with injuries to each of Benteke, Ings and Sturridge, Origi was trusted in a key role leading the line and promptly produced a diligent display away to Tottenham Hotspur.
It wasn't until February that Origi truly kicked into life, however, scoring four goals and laying on another in eight league appearances before an ankle injury in April's Merseyside derby derailed his campaign.
Much like our No. 19, Ojo, Origi receives such a high ranking due to his significant impact, succinctly highlighted by an excellent two-goal, 45-minute display at home to Stoke City in April.
10. Dejan Lovren
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League appearances: 24
After a nightmare maiden campaign on Merseyside, undermining his £20 million price tag with a series of calamitous displays in Rodgers' defensive line, Lovren sought to make reparations in 2015/16.
The Croatian was in excellent form as the Reds kept clean sheets in their opening three league games, but an ankle injury disrupted his transition to life under Klopp in October.
Eventually forming a solid partnership with Sakho as Klopp's first-choice centre-backs, Lovren showed his quality in a limited role, and while he remains far from the perfect option, the 26-year-old went some length to justifying the significant outlay sanctioned to take him from Southampton in 2014.
9. Alberto Moreno
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League appearances: 32
A troubled display in Liverpool's UEFA Europa League final defeat to Sevilla has clouded supporters' view of Spanish left-back Moreno to an extent, with calls for an immediate replacement glossing over what was a strong league campaign for the 23-year-old.
Exiled by Rodgers in favour of Gomez at the beginning of the season, Moreno returned to the first team following the teenager's ACL injury and showcased his strengths as a hard-hitting, attacking full-back, while developing his defensive capabilities throughout.
Moreno spent much of the season as Liverpool's most reliable creative source, with his overlapping runs on the left flank providing a much-needed outlet as the Reds stretched sides on the counter, and his goal in April's 4-1 win over Stoke capped one of his strongest displays in a Liverpool shirt.
8. Mamadou Sakho
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League appearances: 22
Sakho is currently awaiting his fate following a UEFA suspension for violating a doping policy, testing positive for a suspected fat-burning drug following Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the Europa League in March.
The Frenchman's campaign ended in April, which served as a bitter blow to Klopp, with Sakho showcasing his talents as Liverpool's strongest centre-back throughout 2015/16, including a number of excellent displays in the league.
At his imperious best in his final outing of the season at home to Everton, Sakho provided Klopp with a robust, technically superior centre-back option, and a potential long-term ban is a major disappointment.
7. Adam Lallana
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League appearances: 30
As with the previous campaign, the first weeks of Lallana's 2015/16 were dogged by injury, with the former Southampton midfielder struggling with a thigh problem that saw him make only four appearances before Rodgers' sacking in October.
But restored to full fitness on Klopp's arrival, Lallana quickly assumed a key role in the German's attacking system, with his ability to press opponents with intelligence and determination earning him an admirer in his manager.
Lallana finished the season with four goals and six assists in 30 league games, with two star performances in wins over Manchester City underlining his quality in a fluid forward line, shining alongside Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho.
6. Daniel Sturridge
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League appearances: 14
That Sturridge was only able to take part in 14 league games for Liverpool in 2015/16 shows the extent of the striker's injury problems, with hip, knee and hamstring issues hampering his progress following surgery in the summer.
But with Klopp overseeing his return with patience, Sturridge was able to slot in and reach top form by March, scoring five goals in an emphatic seven-game stretch, including a virtuoso display away to Bournemouth in April.
Sturridge ended the season as Liverpool's third-highest goalscorer in the league, with eight goals in 14 games, providing a reminder of the world-class ability that makes persevering with his fitness problems worthwhile.
5. James Milner
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League appearances: 28
Signed on a free transfer from Manchester City last summer, James Milner assumed the role of Rodgers' vice-captain on his arrival on Merseyside, with his top-level experience designed to cater for the loss of his former England team-mate, Gerrard.
After initially struggling in his preferred role in the centre of midfield, and seemingly lacking the authority to serve as captain in Henderson's absence, Milner picked up form in the second half of the season.
Given the freedom to roam by Klopp, Milner was able to take up positions on the flanks, and it was the 30-year-old's delivery from out wide that proved most valuable, and the former Villa man ended the season with 11 assists in 28 league games.
4. Emre Can
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League appearances: 30
German midfielder Can spent the first months of the season under Rodgers operating in an unnatural defensive role, with the Ulsterman opting for a three-man defence as he looked to cling on to his position as manager.
But following Klopp’s arrival, the 22-year-old took up a regular role at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield and immediately shone, dominating contests with his blend of physicality and finesse.
Can was liberated following the arrival of Klopp, a manager who understands his ability and potential, and exceptional displays away to Villa and Crystal Palace provided the perfect examples of his talents as a prowling, box-to-box midfielder, with bigger things to come.
3. Philippe Coutinho
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League appearances: 26
Twenty-three-year-old Brazilian playmaker Coutinho kicked off the season with a moment of trademark brilliance, curling in a long-range winner in the Reds’ 1-0 victory away to Stoke on the opening day of the season.
This served as something of a statement of intent from the No. 10, who looked to build on a promising 2014/15 to grow into a key role in the Liverpool attack, emerging as a leader in the absence of Sturridge, Gerrard and Luis Suarez.
Coutinho enjoyed his most prolific season to date in front of goal, with eight league strikes, but it was his performances as the Reds’ creative talisman—most notably away to Manchester City in November and Villa on Valentine’s Day—that reinforced his rise to prominence in a new era at Anfield.
2. Nathaniel Clyne
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League appearances: 33
Coutinho was awarded Liverpool’s Player of the Season and Player’s Player of the Season awards at the club’s end-of-season ceremony in May, and the Brazilian’s match-winning displays and important goals arguably back up these honours.
But in terms of remarkable consistency and reliability, last summer’s £12.5 million signing Nathaniel Clyne had a major claim for both awards following a season of defensive strength and underrated attacking support.
The 24-year-old rarely fell below a seven-out-of-10 level and provided a welcome solution to what had been a problem area for the Reds for many seasons. That he was able to do so despite playing more minutes (2,970) in the league for Liverpool than any other outfield player is a marker of his talent.
1. Roberto Firmino
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League appearances: 31
Firmino’s £29 million move to Liverpool from Hoffenheim served as a statement of intent from the club last summer, acting swiftly and decisively to sign one of the most exciting talents in the Bundesliga.
Undersold in his first outings under Rodgers, however, Firmino threatened to join the ranks of transfer disappointments in recent years on Merseyside—but this all changed following the appointment of Klopp.
Led by a landmark attacking display against Manchester City in November, scoring once and laying on a further two goals as a makeshift No. 9, Firmino’s performances in a focal role in Klopp’s attack vindicated Liverpool’s significant outlay.
Ending the season as the Reds’ top goalscorer in the league, with 10 strikes, Firmino underlined his status as Liverpool’s best performer.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
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