Stat: Liverpool have the worst shot conversion rate in the Premier League

Liverpool’s four opening games of the Premier League season have seen them score just twice – one being Philippe Coutinho‘s stunner at Stoke, the other being Christian Benteke‘s offside goal against Bournemouth.

The Reds drew blanks at Arsenal and at home to West Ham – the latter seeing just one shot on target at Anfield.

It’s a worrying statistic, and perhaps more telling than the three consecutive clean sheets that began the campaign.

Benteke has looked increasingly isolated, with former boss Roy Evans telling This Is Anfield that the service to the Belgian has been “awful.”

“We’d be better off with somebody who runs in behind Benteke,” says Evans. “We’re too predictable, playing in front [of opponents’ defences].”

Alas, reports suggest Danny Ings will get the nod in attack to replace the suspended Coutinho at Old Trafford.

Ahead of the match though, the Mirror report how Liverpool are bottom of the Premier League for shot conversion.

Only 5.4% of Liverpool’s shots have resulted in goals, while West Ham have converted 32.1% of their shots at the top of the alternative league table.

Goalscoring and shot conversion was a huge Achilles heel for Liverpool last season. But having completely overhauled the attack this summer, with three forwards leaving and three arriving, it should be significantly improving this season.

Daniel Sturridge‘s return perhaps can’t come soon enough.

With Sturridge, Benteke, Ings, Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi, Liverpool certainly have the attacking players to score plenty – it’s about how Brendan Rodgers can get the team working to get the forwards scoring.

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“Too predictable” – Former boss Roy Evans on Liverpool’s start to the season

Former boss Roy Evans says Liverpool have been too predictable and negative in their opening four games, and would like to see Danny Ings partner Christian Benteke at Old Trafford.

Liverpool play Manchester United on Saturday evening (5.30pm kick off BST) and Ings is expected to make his full debut for the Reds in the match.

Evans believes it could be a cautious game, with neither side playing particularly well so far this season.

“Both teams not playing their greatest stuff, playing some poor football,” Evans told This Is Anfield.

“I think it will be a cautious game. I’d like to see Liverpool being a bit more aggressive. We’re a little bit negative, little bit predictable at the minute.

Liverpool are without midfielder Philippe Coutinho after he was sent off in the 3-0 defeat to West Ham before the international break, and Evans would like to see Ings replace the Brazilian and play alongside Benteke.

“Without Coutinho it’s hard to see where we’re going to create chances.

“I’d like to see Danny Ings in and around Benteke. I think the service in to Benteke has been awful. We’d be better off with somebody who runs in behind Benteke. We’re too predictable, playing in front [of opponents’ defences].

“West Ham didn’t park the bus, they played like a good away team, we need to be more creative.”

Daniel Sturridge returned to full training this week and Evans believes the England forward’s return will be key, giving Liverpool a forward with better movement.

“Sturridge’s return would make a big difference because our movement so far in games has been poor. He has great movement.”

Evans was speaking to This Is Anfield at the launch of David Fairclough’s autobiography, Supersub.

• MAN UNITED vs. LIVERPOOL BUILD-UP
• LFC – MUFC Combined XI
• LFC’s Top 5 Old Trafford Moments
• 3 key battles
• View from the opposition
• QUIZ – test your knowledge of previous encounters

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Fabio Borini: Being made to train alone forced me out at Liverpool

Former Liverpool forward Fabio Borini has criticised the way he was treated by the club in the lead-up to his move to Sunderland last month.

The 24-year-old completed a £7.75m transfer to the Stadium of Light just prior to deadline day, having fallen out of favour at Anfield and only starting five games in 2014/15.

Borini has laid into the Reds for the way they handled the situation, most notably the decision to make him, along with Mario Balotelli and Jose Enrique, train away from the first-team squad.

“It was really upsetting. It was the killer that led me to leave Liverpool,” he told the Sunderland Echo.

“I always gave everything for the club and I showed that on the pitch and in training.

“Everyone knows within that club that I did everything and never complained.

“They make you train at different times from the first team, so I was actually not seeing them – not because of my behaviour, or because I had said something or done something wrong.

“I did everything right and people inside the club know that.

“I can’t really say why, because I don’t know why.”

Having turned down a permanent move to Sunderland the summer before after a £14 million fee was agreed between the two clubs, Liverpool’s hardline stance to finally force the Italian had the desired effect.

Borini scored just three goals in 38 Reds appearances after arriving from Roma in the summer of 2012 as Brendan Rodgers‘ first signing for £11 million.

In truth, Sunderland is probably his level, and there is no reason why he can’t enjoy a similarly productive time of things there as he did during his loan spell in 2013/14.

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Danny Ings set for first Liverpool start at Man United

Danny Ings will make his full Liverpool debut against Man United on Saturday evening, according to reports on Friday.

Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph writes that Ings will make his first start for the club against Man United, adding that “Ings scored two goals in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Wolves during the international break.”

Should the news of Ings’ inclusion turn out to be true, it will be a tactical move by Brendan Rodgers that will please many.

The 23-year-old scored 11 Premier League goals for relegated Burnley last season, including a well-taken effort away at Old Trafford.

Much has been made of how isolated Christian Benteke has been up front at times, especially in the 3-0 loss to West Ham in their last outing, and the Englishman would certainly make a difference in that respect.

However, there is every chance Ings could be deployed in a wide position in a 4-3-3 formation, rather than alongside Benteke in the 4-4-2 diamond that many have been desperate to see.

It will be interesting to see how Rodgers sets up his side for the battle against Louis van Gaal’s men, with key man Philippe Coutinho suspended.

Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana remain doubts for the Old Trafford showdown, which as ever, will be the standout fixture this weekend.

> Preview: Danny Ings to replace Coutinho in Liverpool XI vs. Man United?

> Player Focus: Danny Ings offers Liverpool a solution with Philippe Coutinho suspended

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Steven Gerrard: A player-coach role would have kept me at Liverpool

Steven Gerrard says he would have been “tailor-made” for role among Liverpool’s coaching staff alongside being a “squad player”.

Gerrard left Liverpool to join MLS side LA Galaxy in the summer after his contract expired at Anfield, citing a desire to continue playing week-in-week-out.

He admits though that physically he couldn’t play every game, now aged 35.

“Ability-wise, I could still play but physically I couldn’t play every game at my age,’ Gerrard admits in an interview with the Daily Mail. “I didn’t enjoy being sub last season. I didn’t enjoy not knowing if I would be in the XI or not.”

“I didn’t enjoy when Liverpool were in the Champions League, the idea that I might have to miss matches. I struggled to get my head around it.

“Maybe that was selfish of me but I had gone a long time playing every single game.

However, there is one way which Gerrard says he would have accepted a reduced playing role in order to remain at Anfield – by joining the coaching staff, much like how Ryan Giggs did at Man United.

“I might be contradicting myself here but what would have kept me at Liverpool into this season was the chance of shadowing Brendan Rodgers and his staff as well as playing,” he sad.

“Those ideas were only mentioned to me after I had announced I was leaving.”

Of course, nobody at the club would have foreseen Liverpool sacking their assistant manager and first-team coach six months before it happened.

“Liverpool replaced coaches Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh in the summer, so they were looking for a new No 2, or No 3 or No 4. I would have been tailor-made to fill one of these roles, as well as making myself available as a squad player.

“I could have been a good squad player, a good sub, as well as getting management experience that money can’t buy.”

Gerrard says he was surprised no such role was spoken about when he sat down with Ian Ayre.

“I was surprised a role wasn’t mentioned when chief executive Ian Ayre sat down with my agent but maybe it might happen one day.

“I’d have stayed on as a squad player if I’d had the chance to learn more about management or coaching. I left with all the doors still open, but yes, I could still have been at Liverpool now.”

Gerrard also speaks of his admiration for Rodgers, suggesting the current Liverpool boss would be the ideal man to replace Roy Hodgson as England boss.

“His man management is brilliant,” he praises, saying Rodgers’ possession-based methods would work well on an international stage.

“If you want someone who would get the team playing and the players would enjoy working with, it would be Brendan.”

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Preview: Danny Ings to replace Coutinho in Liverpool XI vs. Man United?

Brendan Rodgers’ Reds return to action after the international break with a trip to Old Trafford. We take a look at the potential team selection options ahead of the grudge match.

Liverpool attempt to bounce back to winning ways at the first time of asking on Saturday evening when they make the short journey along the M62 to take on arch-rivals Man United.

A dreadful performance and defeat against West Ham before the international disruption saw Brendan Rodgers’ side take a backward step and pass up a glorious chance to cement a strong opening to the campaign, thus increasing the pressure on Saturday’s mammoth showdown against Louis van Gaal’s side.

The Reds – who are the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League – will have to improve significantly both in attack and defence in order to return to Merseyside with what would be a pressure-relieving and confidence boosting victory, against a United team who also arrive off the back of a defeat having lost 2-1 at Swansea last time out.

The grudge match could not be more finely poised with the two sides boasting almost identical records after the first four games, and a positive result could see a solid opening look all the better while a successive defeat would present an unimpressive start.

Liverpool will have to improve on their record of five defeats in the last six visits at an unhappy hunting ground however, if they want to emerge from English football’s biggest fixture victorious.

Team News

Jon Flanagan and Joe Allen remain absentees, while Daniel Sturridge – who returned to full training on Thursday – is also likely to miss out, despite reports previously indicating Saturday’s clash could see the comeback of the Reds’ much missed striker.

While familiar names are again unavailable, Rodgers faces an anxious wait over the availability of Jordan Henderson, who continues to be hampered by an on-going foot problem, while Adam Lallana is also touch-and-go to be involved as he struggles with a thigh issue.

The Reds boss will be hopeful of receiving a boost over the fitness of the England duo, but regardless of their inclusion, Rodgers faces some big decisions with his selection with question marks over places in defence and attack, including how to adapt to the monumental loss of the suspended Philippe Coutinho.

Rodgers has a huge call to make over whether to keep faith with Dejan Lovren who produced a woeful display in the West Ham loss, and a big decision over whether to stick with Joe Gomez out of position at left back where the 18-year-old struggled last time out, with Mamadou Sakho and Alberto Moreno waiting in the wings.

Coutinho’s one-match ban opens up a space in the Reds attack, and the Liverpool manager has a number of options to utilise in the Brazilian’s absence, including reinstating Jordon Ibe into the starting XI, or handing Danny Ings his first Reds start alongside Christian Benteke after a lively cameo appearance against the Hammers two weeks ago.

Starting XI

Rodgers will be forced into making at least one change to his side with Coutinho out, and having previously spoken of the importance of consistency, the Reds’ leader is likely to make just a single alteration to his selection, though he could change shape depending on who enters the XI.

If the Northern Irishman does exactly that, and keeps with the 4-3-3 shape for the game, Coutinho’s absence leaves a wide role space in the side which could see the Liverpool manager opt to recall Jordon Ibe to the starting team.

The teenager would likely line up on the right of the attack with Roberto Firmino on the left with both playing in support of Christian Benteke, and in front of an untouched midfield three and back five – keeping Sakho and Moreno in reserve.

That one change would see the Reds line up like this at Old Trafford:

However, Rodgers could utilise a change of shape and personnel at Old Trafford and switch to a 4-4-2 diamond midfield formation.

Using that system could bring a compactness and extra-defensive protection centrally, as well as affording more presence in attack, allowing Benteke the chance to have direct support with a striker partner.

Following the disastrous display of Lovren, the Reds boss could bring Sakho back into the side next to Martin Skrtel and behind a midfield quartet of Lucas Leiva, James Milner, Emre Can and Roberto Firmino, with the lively Ings joining up with Benteke to spearhead the Reds new-look offensive line up.

The changes in system and personnel would see Liverpool look like this come 5:30pm kick-off time:

A trip to Old Trafford to take on your arch rivals isn’t the ideal fixture to have when looking to respond to defeat, but there arguably wouldn’t be a better place to get a positive result that could really kick-start the season and set up a promising campaign.

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• MAN UNITED vs. LIVERPOOL BUILD-UP
• LFC – MUFC Combined XI
• LFC’s Top 5 Old Trafford Moments
• 3 key battles
• View from the opposition
• QUIZ – test your knowledge of previous encounters

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Video: The history behind the Manchester United vs Liverpool rivalry

Copa90 take a look at the history of the Manchester United and Liverpool rivalry.

The north-west sides, the two must successful clubs in English football, face each other for the 193rd time on Saturday afternoon (5.30pm UK time).

• MAN UNITED vs. LIVERPOOL BUILD-UP
• LFC – MUFC Combined XI
• LFC’s Top 5 Old Trafford Moments
• 3 key battles
• View from the opposition
• QUIZ – test your knowledge of previous encounters

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