Liverpool Attack Is Back: Ranking the 5 Reds Likely to Create the Most Assists

Pass and move.

An easy philosophy to understand, but a tricky one to implement in games, and an even more difficult one to stick to when things aren't going so well.

That is the ethos of Liverpool Football Club; it is where the club has come from and where Kenny Dalglish and his coaches are trying to get the side back to on the pitch.

Get the ball, give it to a teammate and move into a position so that you can receive the ball again afterwards.

Easy.

Well, not so easy, but definitely easy on the eye when the Reds get it right.

Against Bolton on Saturday it worked like clockwork as Liverpool opened up the Bolton defence time and time again; slick one-touch moves and intelligent passing provided the framework for victory as the opposition defence struggled to cope with the movement from those in red in the final third.

Of course, the defence played its part—nobody more so than holding midfielder Lucas Leiva—and so it must, but games can only be won if the goals are being registered.

In Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Dirk Kuyt and the rest, Liverpool have a genuine goal threat in every game now, but sometimes finishing a move is only the end product of a long move, or else the final touch after a defence-splitting pass.

Sometimes, the assist is worthy of note as much as the goal itself.

For years Liverpool have seemed to rely on the delivery from the likes of Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard for regular assists—but the former is long gone and the latter is still injured.

Thankfully, after a summer of re-shaping the team, Liverpool have a plethora of players who are capable of providing the killer pass, excellent cross or set-piece delivery which can lead to goals galore.

Here are the Reds I think will challenge this season for the honour of the highest-assisting player.

Honourable Mentions

There are any number of players at Liverpool this season who are capable of providing assists and some who have already gotten off the mark.

However I have picked out the five who I think, barring long-term injuries or a shocking loss of form, will eventually put the most goals on a plate for their teammates.

Several others though should not be ruled out:

Raul Meireles

The Portuguese midfielder has already set up Luis Suarez for one goal against Arsenal and provided the through-ball which led to the Reds' opener in the same game. Meireles faces a real battle for his place but is capable of delivering from central or wider areas with great accuracy and loves to get in the box. If he wins a place in the team he will deliver.

Jordan Henderson

The new kid on the block has already shown glimpses of his superb delivery from wide areas and when in a central role will also look to play killer through-balls to on-rushing strikers. His occasional hesitancy in playing a crucial pass in and around the box, though, will cost him the chance of troubling the front-runners in this category.

Jose Enrique

Quite possibly the most reliable fullback and best crosser of the ball from defence that Liverpool have had since Steve Finnan left the club. A marvellous turn of pace, willingness to attack and measured crosses mean Jose will start providing goals sooner rather than later.

Andy Carroll

The obvious thought is that he will get his fair share of knock-downs to teammates in and around the penalty area which can lead to goal-scoring opportunities, but Carroll has more in his locker than just that. He won't get the most assists, probably not by a long way, but I'd prefer him to be shooting rather than laying off neat little balls anyway.

Luis Suarez

If there was a Premier League award doled out for cross of the season, Suarez might have already had it wrapped up for his outside-of-the-boot effort to Stewart Downing at the weekend.

It wasn't an assist in the end but Suarez's movement, willingness to work the channels and ability to find his way past opponents near the touchline and in the penalty area are fast marking him out as one of the most dangerous attackers in the league.

Kuyt, Carroll and Co. will benefit hugely from his work rate and endeavour again this season and I expect the Uruguayan to total in the double figures for assists this term.

Steven Gerrard

I do hope some people out there are not getting too carried away at how the team are doing without Steven Gerrard in the team and saying he can now be replaced.

He can't.

The team will go on without him (as we have already shown) but Gerrard cannot be replaced, only the team made different without him. Gerrard is one of a kind and still has the ability, drive and desire to be the best. This season will surely tell if his body is still up to the rigours of regular top-flight football—and I have no reason to think it will not be after he fully recovers from his latest absence—and when he returns Gerrard will be a man on a mission.

He knows this season, under Kenny Dalglish and after a great start, represents a huge chance for Liverpool to land silverware and get back amongst Europe's giants.

I expect Stevie to have a massive, massive impact on Liverpool's campaign, wherever he ends up playing—scoring and assisting in equal measures.

Stewart Downing

Anybody watching Downing in action over the past couple of weeks cannot help but have been impressed by the start he has made to his Anfield career.

Gliding past players at will and leaving fullbacks staring at the studs on his boots thanks to his pace, Downing has opened up the pitch at home like few have managed over the past few years for the Reds.

His crosses are exceptional and once the forward line learn to anticipate where Downing will put the ball, he will start racking up the assists at quite some rate.

The England winger will be one of the highest-ranking assist-makers for Liverpool this season without any doubt.

Dirk Kuyt

If there's a brick wall to be run through in defence for Liverpool to help the team win the game, you want Jamie Carragher doing it.

At the other end of the pitch, it's Dirk Kuyt.

Already off the mark with two good assists versus Bolton at the weekend, Kuyt is a master at linking play between midfield and forwards or wide players and central strikers.

His movement is top draw and if he is at times not as technically proficient as others, he more than makes up for it with his non-stop harassing of defenders and will to win for the club.

Kuyt will score plenty this season again and is another who will be one of the highest assist-makers for the season, if not the highest.

Charlie Adam

Like Kuyt and Meireles, Adam is already off and running with his two assists from dead-ball situations for Liverpool.

Suarez against Sunderland and Skrtel against Bolton have both profited from the dead-on delivery of Adam's left boot, and no doubt many more will over the course of the season.

He'll get his share of goals from set pieces too, but his passing between or over defenders is another huge weapon for Liverpool's attackers, who will take advantage of Adam's abilities with runs into space if teams continue to press high up the pitch—especially at Anfield.

Gerrard will want a piece of the dead-ball action too once he returns, but a specialist delivery from the right-hand side of the pitch is going to be Adam's all the way this season and he should end up one of the highest in the league, let alone at the club.

Charlie Adam is my tip to create the most assists for Liverpool this season.