Liverpool face Bordeaux in a crucial tie on Friday with qualification to the next round of Europa League in sight. The side, which not long ago was a picture of disheartening performances seems to have turned the ship and is actually Buoyant. Egged on by the new man in charge, there is growing optimism at the club. It has become evident that Klopp sees Europa League as a priority and that is music to the ear for many fans who see the tourney as a way up the footballing ladder.
That said, we would like to see some changes being made to the side, especially with the number of games in the build up to the new year. We believe that the following 3 players should be afforded a chance against the French side.
Joao Carlos Teixeira
The Portuguese midfielder has only featured once for the side this season and what an outing it was. He was phenomenal in that outing against Bournemouth in the league cup and won great acclaims for his performance. The 22 year old has been knocking on the door of this Liverpool side time and again and this presents the right opportunity for him and the manager. He showed that he can be the creative lynch pin of the side while ensuring he covers all the boxes defensively.
The attacking midfielder who won the Brighton’s Young Player of The Year last season with 6 goals has the knack of finding his team mates in critical areas apart from knowing where the back of the net is. He can be a tricky customer to handle for the opposition with his movement on and off the ball and could prove a handful for the Bordeaux side.
Joe Allen
We know Lucas Leiva is flying high at the moment. He has been making crucial tackles, his positioning seems better and is putting in incradible shifts week in week out. However, we believe that affording Joe Allen some playing time will prove to be a good decision into pushing this side into something substantial.
He has featured thrice in the European competition this season and would bring solidarity to the Liverpool midfield. Many people seem to underestimate the abilities of the midfielder who adds a lot to the side with his footballing abilities. He can do the dirty work in the middle of the park, is tidy in possession and is capable of finding the attackers in crucial areas in the pitch.
For us, he starts in the midfield alongside Can and Teixeira.
Connor Randall
Clyne has been very consistent through out the season so far. However, with him having featured so often for both Liverpool and England, there’s a real possibility of fatigue setting in. e made his debut for Liverpool with an outing against Bournemouth in the league cup. While he might not have put in an awe inspiring performance, the 20 year old was rather tidy as the right-back. We believe that the academy product can fill in the shoes of Clyne for the evening. While he might not possess all the tools to put in an all round display like the English international, Klopp will be more than happy if he sticks to the specific tasks assigned to him.
The above mentioned changes in the side could work really well into the long run. It remains to be seen if Klopp will venture in this direction come Friday, but the German has a penchant for throwing surprises and this could very well be the next one.
