Following Philippe Coutinho’s injury (which will keep him out for around six weeks) and Liverpool’s shock 1-0 home defeat to Southampton there was a general acceptance that there will be a place for Luis Suarez in this side when he returns from suspension. The first game that Suarez is available for will be the League Cup tie at Old Trafford in midweek and Rodgers will have a big decision on his hands about whether or not to unleash Suarez in this game. The Uruguayan’s relationship with United is fractured at best ever since his run-in with Patrice Evra, who may well not feature. Playing Suarez could provoke a tremendous performance from the forward but equally a volatile situation with huge potential to backfire.
Assuming that Suarez makes his return against either United or Sunderland on the weekend, the question is where he will fit in. Daniel Sturridge has been superb since he joined from Chelsea last January and this season he has continued his fine form. Dislodging him from the starting striker berth would be unfair and it looks like Suarez will have to work his way into the team from another position. Given Suarez’s supreme talent as a player it would appear feasible that he could do a job in any of the three attacking midfield positions.
Victor Moses and Jordan Henderson have occupied the two wide roles in each of Liverpool’s last two games and both have generally looked impressive. Against Swansea Coutinho played in the hole but his replacement, Iago Aspas, struggled against Southampton. For the next few weeks as Liverpool deal without Coutinho their best bet may be to shift Suarez into his position.
Suarez created the second most chances at Liverpool last season with 90, just behind captain Steven Gerrard. He also contributed the second highest number of assists (5) and his link-up play is generally very good. The former Ajax man is clearly more than just a goalscorer so playing in the hole might work well for everyone although he’ll have to work hard to replace Coutinho. Without the Brazilian’s influence Liverpool looked bereft of ideas and although he is yet to register an assist this season he did match Suarez’s five from last season, in far fewer games. Coutinho’s dribble accuracy was 9% higher than Suarez’s last season and his accuracy this season is 3% better than Suarez’s from the previous campaign. The Brazilian is one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League but a man of Suarez’s talent and experience should be capable of providing an adequate replacement.
The alternative for Rodgers is to send Suarez out wide and dispose of either Henderson or Moses. Suarez does have history of playing on the wing, he did it at Ajax on occasions and his movement could be particularly problematic for full-backs. He would create a lot of space that Jose Enrique or Glen Johnson could easily exploit. Henderson would seem the most likely to make way, he is primarily a central midfielder but the former Sunderland player’s progress this season has been remarkable. At times in his Liverpool career Henderson has been maligned for his performances and labelled as a waste of money. Now though, we are starting to see the Henderson of Sunderland and it is encouraging to see a player flourish once he has been given time. He has created more chances than Moses but the Nigerian has played fewer games and Moses can boast the second highest number of dribbles attempted at the club.
Wherever Suarez plays he will be a danger to opposition defences and he will be a valuable asset for Liverpool. Much has been made of his potential return but the simple fact of the matter is that he is too good to not be playing. That being said Sturridge, as mentioned earlier, has been brilliant in these opening stages and he thoroughly merits staying as the focal point in the team’s attack.
What Suarez’s return does throw up is the possibility for some serious interchanging from Liverpool’s front quartet. Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva have become very solid fulcrums for the attacking talents and with already this season their interchange has been impressive. Coutinho and Sturridge in particular have shown a willingness to drift away from their usual positions. Against Swansea and Southampton Moses and Henderson also demonstrated this trait and this is something Suarez can do extremely well.
Last season, before his suspension, he was forming a really interesting partnership with the likes of Sturridge, Coutinho and Stewart Downing. Liverpool’s front three (rather than a front four) interchanged with great fluidity and it was a nightmare for opposing defenders because their man-marking became irrelevant. If you put Suarez behind Sturridge with Moses and Henderson out wide then you will have all four attackers capable of freely interchanging, a mouth-watering attacking prospect indeed.
The problem arises when Coutinho returns from injury. He will surely come back into the side and once again the person most at risk would appear to be Henderson. With Coutinho tucking in behind Sturridge you would expect Suarez and Moses to occupy the wide roles. The thing is with this formation, although there are set starting roles the players are free to move as and when they like. This provides a great air of mystery for Liverpool because defenders won’t know whether they should track their man or stick to their position.
Additionally all four (or six if you include Aspas and Henderson) are very disciplined and in their tougher games they can stay to their positions with less interchanging. It is an excellent dilemma for Rodgers to have on his hands and one that he did not have last season. It shows how Liverpool have learnt from their previous mistakes in the transfer market. They have improved the squad as well as the starting XI and at the moment their fans will be feeling very optimistic about their chances for this season, the return of Luis Suarez will only enhance this optimism.
