Ranking Liverpool's Top 5 Players During the Month of February
Abject, dismal, hopeless, miserable, pitiful and wretched.
Any of the adjectives above can be used to describe Liverpool's display at lowly Leicester City on Monday.
Jurgen Klopp's refreshed Reds arrived at the King Power Stadium knowing a win would lift them to third in the Premier League table. Over two weeks since their last outing, they had a chance to make a statement to their top-four rivals and prove that a difficult January was merely a blip.
Instead, they left with tails between their legs and major questions over the players, the club's transfer policy and even the manager's tactical nous.
It was hardly the end to the month Klopp and his squad had hoped for.
Out of both domestic cups and with no European commitments this season, they played just three league games during February. Two of those finished in disappointing defeats to teams who were in the relegation zone prior to kick-off.
However, sandwiched between losses to Hull City and Leicester, Liverpool produced a dominant performance to see off Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. In 2017, you never know which version of the Reds will show up.
As for player rankings for the month, it was slim pickings. Less of a famous five and more a barely qualified quintet, the focus here was looking at the positives, rather than dwelling too much on the negative displays.
5. Philippe Coutinho
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Philippe Coutinho's form is a mirror image of Liverpool's progress over the course of the season.
The Brazilian managed five goals and the same number of assists in the Premier League before suffering an ankle injury in the 2-0 win over Sunderland on November 26.
Since returning to action in the middle of January, Coutinho has failed to hit the same lofty standards he reached in the opening months of the campaign.
It cannot be a coincidence that, with their leading playmaker not quite at his peak, Liverpool have struggled to score goals. They've managed only 10 in the nine games Coutinho has played in 2017.
Still, the 24-year-old's consolation strike against Leicester—his first Premier League goal on the road since August—might provide a silver lining to a dark cloud.
Coutinho is perhaps fortunate to get into the top five, but who else honestly merited inclusion?
It just wouldn't feel right picking a regular from a defence that has leaked five goals against sides trying to avoid relegation (Leicester hadn't scored in the Premier League in 2017 yet managed three in just over an hour against the Reds).
As for Adam Lallana, he hasn't contributed an assist or goal since the turn of the year. At least Coutinho found the net in February.
4. Jordan Henderson
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It can often be the case that a player's reputation grows when they're not actually playing; just ask anyone who followed the England cricket team in the 1990s.
For Jordan Henderson, that was definitely the case against Leicester on Monday. Minus their captain due to a heel injury, Liverpool were rudderless.
"As already evidenced this season, most especially in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland, the visitors fail to assert themselves in their skipper's absence given his excellence in directing their attacks, and organising the blocks against counters," Melissa Reddy wrote for Goal.
Would Henderson have made that much of a difference against the Foxes? Maybe, maybe not. Don't forget he was part of the starting XI that lost at Hull.
But, when he is fit, the England international is a reassuring presence as the Reds' holding midfielder.
The bad news for Liverpool supporters is Henderson is unlikely to be fit to face Arsenal on Saturday, according to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo.
3. Roberto Firmino
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Roberto Firmino squeezes in thanks to his performance against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Brazilian forward ran his blood to water to aid the Reds' cause, earning him special praise from Klopp. "I don't think I've seen a better performance from a striker without scoring,” the German told BT Sport in his post-match interview (h/t Ashley Birch of Squawka).
He would have bagged Liverpool's second goal had a spread-eagled Hugo Lloris not kept out his volley, although Sadio Mane was on hand to stick away the rebound.
In his player ratings for the Liverpool Echo, Ian Doyle noted how the tireless Firmino had "harassed the Spurs defence and dropped deep when required."
However, the same player was distinctly average against Hull, and downright dreadful at Leicester.
Yet in a quiet month, both in terms of good team displays and actual fixtures, he did more than enough against Spurs to merit a spot.
2. Georginio Wijnaldum
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Left out of the starting XI for the defeat at Hull, Georginio Wijnaldum showed his value to the team with an excellent display against Tottenham.
Per WhoScored.com, the midfielder had an 89 per cent pass-completion rate.
He was certainly on target with the inch-perfect through ball that set up Sadio Mane's opening goal in the 16th minute.
After the game, Klopp said of the Dutchman, per David Maddock of the Mirror: "Georginio showed a really good combination of an aggressive, defensive midfielder plus a creative, offensive midfield player."
Wijnaldum has saved his best for big games at Anfield. He scored the only goal in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Manchester City on New Year's Eve and found the net in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea in January.
He failed to flourish against Leicester, although he wasn't the only player in a red shirt to turn in a below-par performance.
However, the former Newcastle United player deserves to feature highly in the top five for February simply for his assist against Spurs alone.
1. Sadio Mane
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Sadio Mane has to finish top of Liverpool's list for February.
The Senegalese was the catalyst for the Reds' only win during the month, scoring a quickfire double in the 2-0 triumph over Tottenham on February 11.
The first goal was an example of just what he provides for his team, as Mane showed off his speed to race on to Wijnaldum's through ball and finish past Lloris.
That result at Anfield was meant to give Liverpool's campaign to qualify for next season's Champions League some much-needed momentum, only for the handbrake to be popped back on at Leicester.
Still, Mane's brace against Spurs takes his tally to 11 goals. He's fitted right in with the Reds since signing from Southampton last summer, just as his agent, Bjorn Bezemer, planned.
"I knew Jurgen Klopp from Germany and thought that he could be the right coach to take him [Mane] forward after Southampton," Bezemer told Ed Aarons of The Guardian.
Liverpool need their leading scorer to carry them forward over the coming months, or else a bright start to the campaign will go to waste/end up with a place in the Europa League.
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