LFC Loan watch: Vigouroux’s loan cut-short, Balotelli scores stunner, Markovic impresses but picks up injury

We round up how Liverpool’s loanees fared for their temporary clubs throughout the week, with a mixed bag of action at their temporary clubs.

Mario Balotelli

Liverpool’s Italian striker netted his first goal of his return to AC Milan on Tuesday night, helping his side to a 3-2 win at Udinese.

Balotelli – who turned in another good all-round performance – fired Milan ahead rifling a free-kick that he won himself into the top right corner after just five minutes, and he was a key reason why the Rossoneri raced into a 3-0 lead as he produced an influential and mature display.

The 25-year-old was kicked time and again by the home side but never once responded with anything other than a raised smile, and his hold-up play, touch and creativity proved too much for Udinese to handle on the night.

After a positive performance in midweek, Balotelli continued in his striking role for Milan’s trip to Genoa on Sunday – a game that ended in 1-0 defeat for Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men.

The boyhood Milan fan didn’t enjoy the same impact on the game this time out, but his good form could see him rewarded by a return to the Italy squad by manager Antonio Conte, with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani claiming the Azzuri manager spoke to the Mihajlovic about the star striker’s progress.

Lazar Markovic

Markovic’s assist and impressive performance last weekend saw the Serbian keep his shirt in the Fenerbache attack for the Istanbul derby on Sunday night.

The 21-year-old turned in another strong display despite a 3-2 defeat to rivals Besiktas on the right side of Fener’s offensive three, causing the home side all manner of problems with his electric dribbling that almost saw him claim a sensational assist.

Picking the ball up deep, the Serbia international drove straight through the heart of the home side with lightning pace, before sending in a delightful cross from the left side of the box that the arriving Fernandao couldn’t reach to convert.

Frustratingly for the in-form Serbian, he picked up an injury after just 37 minutes which forced him to be substituted, handing a huge blow to Fenerbache who tasted defeat in the derby for the first time since March 2013.

Lawrence Vigouroux

After being benched for what manager Mark Cooper labelled “disciplinary matters” on Saturday, Vigouroux’s season-long loan at the County Ground has come to an abrupt and shock end.

The Chilean stopper had become Town No.1 on arrival after joining in the summer, and he had repaid the faith shown in him by Cooper with excellent form in his nine appearances for the League One outfit this season.

But after “disciplinary matters”, which is reported to have stemmed from Vigouroux turning up late to training last week, the loan has come to a sour end with the U21 goalkeeper having been recalled just two months into the temporary agreement by Liverpool, where he is said to have had meetings over the matter on Monday morning,

Seemingly Liverpool have recalled the player after not being happy at Swindon’s disciplinary process.

Luis Alberto

After his good form saw him score twice in as many games, Alberto dropped to the bench for Deportivo on Thursday night and he was disappointingly an unused substitute for Victor Sanchez’s men who secured a 2-1 away win against Real Betis.

Sanchez freshened up his side for the clash against Espanyol on Sunday, including reinstating Alberto into the starting XI, and the Reds loaned man repaid the manager’s decision in the 3-0 win, claiming another assist.

Operating from the left of an attacking midfield trio, Alberto produced a perfectly weighted through pass as Deportivo counter-attacked, releasing Lucas to slot him his first of the afternoon to double the home side’s lead, capping off another strong all-round performance.

Sheyi Ojo

Talented teenager Ojo was an unused substitute for Wolves in midweek as they crashed out of the League Cup to Middlesbrough following a heavy 3-0 defeat to their Championship rivals.

Despite the poor result in midweek, Ojo again started on the bench on Saturday afternoon, in Wolves’ disappointing 1-1 draw against newly promoted Preston.

But with Kenny Jackett’s side trailing 1-0 even though the home team had only 10 men, and later, nine, the Wolves boss put Ojo on in the 65^th minute to help turn the game around, and the Liverpool loanee did exactly that making a big impact from a wide-left position.

The teenager brought real drive, positivity and creation to a struggling side in his cameo, creating numerous chances – though not directly involved in Kevin MacDonald’s late equaliser – and Ojo will hope the lively cameo that “pleased” Jackett hands him a start next game.

Danny Ward & Ryan McLaughlin

The Aberdeen duo took part in the Dons’ disappointing Scottish League Cup exit to Hibernian on Wednesday night, losing 2-0 at Easter Road.

Ward could do little about either goal, but the Welshman turned in a less impressive performance than his recent high level has produced, with some rash decision making and loose handling on a night which saw McLaughlin enter as an early substitute and produce a quiet performance at right back.

McLaughlin dropped to the bench for his unimpressive Cup display on Saturday as Aberdeen returned to SPL action and tasted defeat in the for the first time as they went down 2-1 at Inverness.

Ward made a number of saves to keep the score-line down, despite conceding two goals he could do little about, with it taking two stunning strikers to beat the Wales ‘keeper who continues to impress at Pittodrie.

Allan Rodriguez de Souza

Liverpool’s young Brazilian recovered from injury sustained last weekend to produce a man-of-the-match display in which he assisted twice and scored directly from a corner for SJK in their comfortable 3-0 win over HJK Helsinki.

The 18-year-old’s early shot was parried allowing Timo Tahvanainen to tap home the opener before he doubled his side’s lead with a quite remarkable effort from a corner.

Swinging the ball inwards with his cultured left foot, Allan’s deep delivery beat everyone piling in and curled straight into the far, top corner of the net for a remarkable goal to double his side’s lead and his second goal of the season.

A then perfectly delivered corner found the head of teammate Ariel Ngueukam who headed powerfully home.

The Rest

Tiago Ilori

The Portuguese defender was again left out of match-day involvement by Tim Sherwood in midweek for the club’s League Cup derby match against Birmingham which Aston Villa claimed a 1-0 win in, and he is still yet to feature for his loan club after missing the Villains’ loss at Anfield due to being ineligible to face his parent club.

Andre Wisdom

Having missed his loan club’s fixture at Anfield, Wisdom made a return to action in midweek for Norwich in their convincing 3-0 League Cup win against his former club, West Brom.

The defender completed all 90 minutes of the game at Carrow Road, where he played right back and impressed with a solid defensive display, helping the Canaries to their first clean sheet of the season, a result he clearly enjoyed.

Despite his solid performance in midweek, Wisdom dropped back to the bench for Norwich’s trip to West Ham on Saturday and he remained an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw with Stephen Whittaker Alex Neil’s preferred right back.

Jordan Williams

Williams was the only Reds loanee in action for Swindon Town in their 2-1 defeat against Colchester – with Stewart injured and Vigouroux dropped.

As Wales boss Chris Coleman watched on, the natural midfielder played in the centre of a back three and endured a difficult afternoon, though he was not directly at fault for either goal in a loss that condemned Town to a third straight league defeat.

Sergi Canos

Despite Canos’ game-changing display last weekend, the Spanish midfielder started amongst the substitutes again at Griffin Park for Brentford’s 2-1 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.

However, with his side trailing 1-0, the Reds youngster did come on as second half substitute for the remaining 20 minutes, but with his side down to 10 men, Canos didn’t enjoy the same impact on proceedings as last time out, but he earned praise for his desire and work-rate after entering.

Ryan Kent

After the 18-year-old “run the show” for Coventry last week, the Reds loaned man kept his place in the Sky Blues’ side on Saturday as they slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss against Bury.

The teenager was again deployed in an attacking midfield role by Tony Mowbray but despite some lively moments in which he displayed some of his sublime skill and creativity, he endured a quieter afternoon, unable to prevent his side slipping to defeat.

Semed Yesil

German striker Yesil played the second half and grabbed an assist for Markkus Babbel’s Luzern in their 2-1 victory over bottom-of-the-league Vaduz on Wednesday night.

Minutes after coming on, Yesil broke the offside trap, drove to the 18-yard box, dribbled inside and laid the ball off for Marco Schneuwly to fire home from inside the danger area.

And building on his midweek showing, Yesil scored the winner on his first start for Luzern, who overcame FC Zurich 1-0 on Sunday, with a composed finish that moved his side to fourth in the table.

Lloyd Jones

Liverpool’s young centre back completed another 90 minutes for Blackpool on Saturday, but couldn’t prevent his side slipping to a 2-0 defeat that leaves the Tangerines bottom of the table.

While it would be harsh to blame Jones for either goal, the Reds defender certainly didn’t cover himself in glory on both occasions, allowing Shrewsbury striker Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro to run off him too easily twice, which the Shrews’ striker ruthlessly punished.

Harry Wilson

Academy product Wilson came on as a second half substitute for Crewe in their 1-1 draw against Walsall on Saturday.

Alex boss Steve Davis introduced the Wales international with 15 minutes to go with the scores level, but the youngster had little time to impact and be the man to make the match-winning difference.

Joe Maguire

The Reds left back was left out of match-day involvement for Leyton Orient on Saturday for the 1-1 draw against Northampton Town.

It’s a surprising move considering it was the last fixture he was eligible to play before the expiry of his one-month youth loan, and it adds to speculation that the 19-year-old has returned to Anfield but could instead be loaned to League One side Barnsley in search of increased game time.

Taiwo Awoniyi

The Nigerian striker was left out of match-day involvement for Frankfurt on Wednesday night as the beat Union Berlin 3-2 but he made his first appearance on the bench for his loan club on Sunday as they lost 2-0 against Freiburg.

Despite his lack of game time, Nigeria U23 boss Samson Siasia wants to include the 18-year-old in his squad for the upcoming U23 African Cup of Nations qualifying matches.

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Alberto Moreno impressing, but now overly relied upon with no cover at left wing-back

Alberto Moreno’s recent return to form at Liverpool has been extremely pleasing, but there is now an over-reliance on him at wing-back.

It wasn’t too long ago that he was being written off by some supporters, with many feeling the Spaniard would never justify the £12million spent on him last year.

Having lost his place at left-back to Joe Gomez in the opening weeks of 2014/15, the popular, mildly eccentric Moreno has responded admirably, and been one of Liverpool’s best players during a poor run.

Brendan Rodgers‘ switch back to a 3-4-2-1 formation has benefited the 23-year-old, and his relentless energy at wing-back has given the Reds an extra attacking outlet.

He was particularly impressive in the 1-1 draw at home to Norwich, but also shone against Aston Villa in the 3-2 win on Saturday.

Whereas Moreno couldn’t get in the team when Gomez was Rodgers’ first-choice left-back, there is now suddenly an alarming dependence on him to stay fit and in-form in the current system.

Lack of a replacement

Gomez has shown that he can be a decent option as a defence-minded left-back, but he is clearly not suited in an attacking sense to rotate with Moreno as a wing-back.

This leaves Rodgers with almost no back-up option in that role, unless he decides to try something out of left field like playing James Milner there (never going to happen).

It should never have got to a situation like this.

Jon Flanagan, even if he were fit, is similar to Gomez in that his attributes are better suited to a full-back role than a wing-back role.

Lazar Markovic showed last year that he has the ability to thrive as a wing-back, even if it’s far from his best role – which makes his loan to Fenerbahce all the more baffling and frustrating.

This lack of options has put Rodgers in a tricky situation: does he just keep playing Moreno? The answer has to be a resounding no.

Rest needed

Such are the demands of being a wing-back – it is widely seen as arguably the most relentless, taxing position in football – that Moreno must be given a breather for Thursday’s Europa League clash at home to FC Sion, especially with the Merseyside derby in mind.

The former Sevilla man has got through a huge amount of work since returning to the fold earlier this month, and will be feeling the strain. Starting against Sion would be his fifth start in 14 days.

Indeed, including sub appearances, Moreno is second (behind Emre Can) in most appearances this season so far..

He has been a constant outlet down the left, and while his final ball and general intelligence have been questioned in the past, there has been a significant improvement in both areas.

Running him into the ground would be a terrible decision by Rodgers, and both Moreno’s confidence and form would suffer because of it.

The Reds need their in-form Spaniard at the top of his game for Sunday’s showdown at Goodison Park, with Seamus Coleman a key man for Everton down the right.

Should he start against Sion on Thursday, Rodgers really will be asking for trouble in that respect.

Fulfilling his potential

There was a reason why Moreno was so highly sought-after in the summer of 2014, with Spanish football experts like Guillem Balague lauding his ability.

He was seen by some as a player who could rival Jordi Alba as Spain’s long-term left-back, and Liverpool weren’t alone in trying to sign him.

A hugely inconsistent first year at Anfield saw plenty lose faith, however, but was it just a case of adjusting to a new life in a new country, and getting used to the pace and power of the Premier League?

There are definite signs in recent weeks to back-up that argument, and Moreno may be about to join the long list of Reds players who came to life in their second season at the club.

Rodgers’ lack of squad depth is an issue that could work against the youngster though, and it is imperative that he is used thoughtfully until Flanagan returns.

He is key to Liverpool thriving in a 3-4-2-1 formation, and also remains a more balanced option than Gomez at left-back.

It’s hard not to like him.

Subscribe to Henry’s increasingly popular new podcast ‘Koppage Time’ (@KoppageTime) on iTunes or listen on Podomatic.

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Brendan Rodgers making his job harder with media arrogance

Despite being under considerable pressure in his position as Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers continues to broadcast media arrogance.

One 3-2 victory over bottom-half strugglers Aston Villa, and Brendan Rodgers’ approach to media duties completely changes.

From the sullen, meekly defiant figure that entered the Melwood press room on Friday morning to that which briefed assembled reporters after Saturday’s victory at Anfield, therein lies one of the key issues underpinning Rodgers’ position on Merseyside.

For a manager who is under serious pressure this campaign, Rodgers’ post-match words reflected a sheer misplaced arrogance.

It was as if Daniel Sturridge‘s 67th-minute strike had completely wiped his memory of that Friday morning in which he said “it’s not about me. The most important thing is the club’s success.”

The 42-year-old is making his job so much harder with this self-importance.

“We’ve lost less games than Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal”

Incredibly, Saturday’s victory lifted the Reds to the fringes of the Premier League’s top four; two points behind third and fourth-placed West Ham United and Arsenal, four points behind second-placed Manchester City and five points behind league leaders Manchester United.

It is a situation that provides context for the fast-flowing nature of football management; that fortunes can change within 90 minutes.

But more so it is a marker of just how poor the standard of this season’s Premier League has been so far: none of United, City or Arsenal—favourites for a top-four finish—have been convincing over seven games, while last season’s champions, Chelsea, flounder in 15th.

However, that Rodgers had to gall to compare himself to his loftier rivals after this Villa victory is astounding:

“What has surprised me, is that I look at our games in all competitions, we’ve lost less games than Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.

“We’ve lost two games – similar to Manchester United and Tottenham.”

This was essentially saying ‘why put so much pressure on me, and not Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger?’

But in doing so, Rodgers ignored some salient facts about his side’s form:

• City, Chelsea and Arsenal didn’t lose their final game of 2014/15 away to Stoke City 6-1.
• City, Chelsea and Arsenal haven’t won just five of their last 16 league games, against sides that now lie 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th in the Premier League and 12th in the Championship.
• City, Chelsea and Arsenal haven’t scored just seven goals in seven league games this season.
• City, Chelsea and Arsenal didn’t need a penalty shootout to defeat League Two opposition.
• Liverpool haven’t been losing games in the Champions League like City and Arsenal.
• City, Chelsea and Arsenal haven’t produced the listless collective performances that Liverpool have.

It was as if, to Rodgers, this wasn’t such an obviously flawed comparison.

While Mourinho is struggling to coax form out of his reigning champions, there are clear signs that this is a side down on its luck, rather than out of ideas—unlike Rodgers’ Liverpool prior to this Villa victory.

One victory seems to have changed everything for the Ulsterman, but he would wise to take perspective.

“If you give me the tools, I’ll do the work.”

A good workman never blames his tools, but Rodgers clearly will.

“I think I have shown in the early stages of my management—without being arrogant—that with a talented group of players I can compete at the top end of the league,” he said after Saturday’s victory.

“I know how to manage top players. If you give me the tools, I’ll do the work.”

This was a bizarre statement—seemingly blaming his side’s poor form solely on the players—and one which has become a worrying trend for Rodgers during his time on Merseyside.

“Our top goalscorer has six goals—we have three players on six—so we have to find a solution to that but when everyone is fit and available we are able to compete with this squad,” he said in April, after season spent struggling to mould Raheem Sterling into a world-class centre-forward and ignoring summer signings Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert.

The players are never good enough, and every season sees Liverpool rip it up and start again—but, this summer, there was a marked difference in recruitment.

Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner and Christian Benteke are three key examples of the manager being given more clout in the transfer market this summer, while Dejan Lovren remains the £20 million albatross from the summer of 2014.

Incredibly the player who inspired Liverpool to victory on Saturday, Sturridge, was initially vetoed by Rodgers ahead of his £12 million move from Chelsea in 2013.

Does Rodgers really know which are the best tools for the job?

“I am the same guy who nearly won us the league, but better.”

Liverpool’s remarkable title challenge in 2013/14 will long remain Rodgers’ salvation as a manager, and it can be argued that this is justified, with the manager spearheading one of the most enjoyable league campaigns in the last decade.

But Rodgers’ most ludicrous claim after Saturday’s victory was that he was now a better manager:

“There are very short memories in football.

“The team was eighth when I got here. We built a team to excite people throughout European football, that should have won the league.

“All the good work gets forgotten.”

In this defiant stance, Rodgers created a miserable paradox for himself: suggesting that he is now a better manager, but falling back on his side’s near success from two seasons ago to justify his claims.

This confused self-preservation is an alarming flaw in Rodgers’ character, particularly given the poor form his side have endured so far in 2015/16; he would be wise to focus on the humility and class of City manager Pellegrini.

When Liverpool need to keep their heads down and focus on improvement, Rodgers has created a rod for his and his squad’s backs.

The manager has proved nothing yet, and this media arrogance is only making his job harder.

• Read more: Why wait until Liverpool hit rock bottom to sack Brendan Rodgers?

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Reports: Jurgen Klopp would demand transfer overhaul if appointed Liverpool manager

Jurgen Klopp would only take over from Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager if the club’s transfer committee setup was dismantled, reports claim.

Jurgen Klopp “would demand the end of Liverpool’s transfer committee” if he takes over from Brendan Rodgers as Reds manager.

That is according to the Mail‘s Joe Bernstein, who suggests that Klopp would interested in the role—but only if his stipulations were met by Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group.

“The German tactician has also made it clear he would only be interested in ending his sabbatical by taking a job at Anfield if he is a unanimous choice rather than just elements within the club,” Berstein claims.

He later continues: “The former Borussia Dortmund manager is open to the idea of managing one of Europe’s traditional big clubs but only on his terms.”

This report comes off the back of previous claims from the Independent‘s Simon Hughes that FSG had been “warned against hiring” Klopp.

Klopp’s perceived demands are likely based on common-sense assumptions, but the German has history of working within a different transfer setup at Borussia Dortmund.

Scrapping the transfer committee could see FSG employ a director of football—an appointment they desired before Rodgers joined in 2012.

Klopp worked alongside Michael Zorc at Dortmund, with the former BVB midfielder overseeing incomings and outgoings.

This situation suits Klopp, as his agent explained in June:

In Germany there is a clear separation between manager and sporting director and I think in principle this is very good.

Jürgen does not like to speak to players’ agents or to carry out a transfer.

So we have to see which is the most useful arrangement.

Though a director of football setup would be FSG’s preferred approach to the transfer market, the mistakes of Damien Comolli under John W. Henry and Tom Werner at Liverpool should serve as a warning sign.

Comolli spent around £120 million in two years on Merseyside, signing Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Doni, Jose Enrique, Sebastian Coates, Craig Bellamy, Jordon Ibe and Danny Ward.

Only half of those acquisitions can be considered successful, while only Henderson, Enrique, Ibe and Ward remain at the club.

If FSG were to bow to Klopp’s demands, appointing the right fit as head of transfers is essential.

Failing to do so would likely see the charismatic German retread the flawed path of Rodgers in the Anfield hot seat.

• FROM APRIL: Do Liverpool need a Director of football?

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Player Focus: Emre Can presents an issue in centre-back role vs. Aston Villa

The struggle of Emre Can in an unnatural centre-back role in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Aston Villa should be addressed by Brendan Rodgers.

Reverting to a three-man defence was a no-brainer for Brendan Rodgers this season, with the virtues of an overloaded attacking system proven by improved performances against Norwich City, Bordeaux and in Liverpool’s victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.

But one major flaw in this defensive setup has emerged in recent weeks in the troubling performances of Emre Can, fielded out of position as Rodgers’ right-sided centre-back.

Though the goalscoring exploits of Daniel Sturridge have masked some of Liverpool’s deficiencies in this latest Anfield victory, Rodgers should have noted Can’s display, and his contribution to Villa striker Rudy Gestede’s brace.

It may be time for a change of personnel, as analysing Can’s performance suggests.

Defensive Struggles

Towards the end of the 2014/15 campaign, Rodgers fielded Can at right-back in a four-man defence, with the German mercilessly exploited by opposing wingers.

In particular, Can was targeted by the imperious Marko Arnautovic in the Reds’ 6-1 loss at the hands of Stoke City on the final day of the season—the former Inter Milan winger made four successful dribbles and three key passes on that miserable afternoon at the Britannia Stadium, registering two assists.

Can was withdrawn at half-time of that clash, with Rodgers clearly noting his deficiency in the defensive sector.

Unfortunately, while Can proved a useful option as centre-back in Liverpool’s three-man back line last season, these problems continued against Villa on Saturday.

Largely, this came with the 21-year-old’s poor positioning and lethargic approach to tracking runners.

Can finds himself out of position and sluggish in the challenge as Grealish surges past him and Clyne.

With Jack Grealish firmly established as one of Villa’s most dangerous attacking players, Can took a lackadaisical approach to defending when the 20-year-old dribbled towards the Liverpool penalty area.

Despite being fielded as a centre-back, Can found himself in a position alongside right wing-back Nathaniel Clyne, effectively nullifying his own defensive responsibility, with the former Southampton man taking the initiative.

When Grealish beat both with his skill, Can was forced to charge back to cover.

Lazily tracking back with Grealish already surging ahead – Clyne eventually deals with the Villa winger.

Similarly when Villa advanced up the right flank, Can continued to ignore the threat of Grealish. With Alan Hutton receiving possession by the halfway line, Grealish was allowed to ghost past the German and towards the Liverpool penalty area.

The danger of this approach from Can was evident as Hutton’s deep cross looked set to land at the path of the Villa midfielder, who had worked his way into the Liverpool penalty area.

Having trudged back into a defensive position, Can was then caught off-guard and forced into a wild clearance.

With no awareness of his surroundings, Can makes a weak clearance from Hutton’s delivery – straight to Gestede.

Due to the shape of his body in tracking back, Can was unaware of the safety of his surroundings and required to clear the ball with his weaker left foot.

This fell nicely for Gestede on the edge of the 18-yard box, with the Benin international sparing the German any blushes by hammering his effort just wide of Simon Mignolet‘s goal.

This should have been a warning for Can, however, but the Liverpool man continued to overlook danger in the penalty area.

Allows Gestede to pass him too easily for Villa’s first goal.

The way in which Gestede sauntered past Can for his first goal of the night was criminal from a defensive perspective, with Can’s flailing arms offering little in the way of a barrier between the Villa striker and an open goal.

This was characteristic of Can’s work at centre-back at Anfield; seemingly disinterested in his unorthodox role, Can seemed to give up with many of his duties, leaving a considerable gap between him and Clyne, which the impressive Jordan Amavi exploited with his pace on many occasions.

Watching on, Rodgers should have been made aware that this is not Can’s position, and his progressive play elsewhere against Villa should have highlighted his strengths.

Progressive Play

“The most important thing is I feature in the games for Liverpool—that’s my number one intention,” Can told LFCTV during pre-season.

“A midfield role is preferable; of course it is the manager who decides who plays where. We’ll see where he choses to play me this season. It is up to the manager but my preference is midfield.”

Though decidedly polite in his stressing of his positional preference, this was a clear plea to Rodgers to deploy him as a central midfielder in 2015/16, after spending much of the previous campaign as a utility player.

Can is right: he is too good a player to be Liverpool’s John O’Shea.

With Villa sitting incredibly deep for much of Saturday’s clash, perhaps inspired by Carlisle United’s frustrating rearguard effort in the 1-1 League Cup draw in midweek, Can was allowed to probe into midfield areas when the Reds were in possession.

When Liverpool are in possession, Can finds himself drawn towards the Villa penalty area – this is where he wants to play. Again, Can is stationed way up the pitch when Liverpool attack. A natural midfielder.

With James Milner supporting Sturridge and Danny Ings in attack, and Clyne and Alberto Moreno given license to overlap on the flanks, Liverpool applied considerable pressure to the Villa defence—with Rodgers finding a more efficient system than against the Cumbrians.

Liverpool overloaded the final third, and as a result Can had plenty of space to occupy in midfield.

It is clear that this is the area he wishes to play and, having fielded him as a central midfielder in the opening games of 2015/16, Rodgers must be aware of his quality in these central areas.

Can is capable of performing in a defensive role in midfield, with three of his four interceptions against Villa coming in central areas, but he is not a last-ditch defender—Can needs a covering centre-back to operate behind him.

This allows him to drive at defences with his Yaya Toure-like power, and deploying him in a purely defensive role in a back three deprives Liverpool of an extremely useful, probing outlet in attack.

Can’s poor display at centre-back against Villa should prompt Rodgers into a rethink in terms of personnel—and, fortunately, there is an obvious solution at hand.

The Solution: Joe Gomez

Just as Can wants to play as a midfielder, Joe Gomez wants to play as a centre-back.

“At the end of the day I see myself as a centre-back and in years to come that is where I hope to play,” he said at the start of September, before continuing to employ the hint-hint approach that Can had back in July:

At the moment I just have to learn and be grateful to play where I can and use it as a stepping-stone to be the best centre-back I can be.

I know I am still young and people can be wary of putting in young players, especially at centre-back. But the gaffer at Liverpool is good at managing young players and giving me advice so hopefully I will get my opportunity to play at centre-back

It is clear that neither Can or Gomez would challenge Rodgers’ judgment as to their best position, or their most useful role at this juncture, but logic dictates that both would be better off in their most natural position.

Can’s poor performance at centre-back suggests that a move into midfield would be beneficial—though whether he can dislodge Milner and Lucas Leiva after their strong displays at Anfield remains to be seen.

Can’s Game in Numbers:

90 minutes
70 touches
62 passes
83.9% passing accuracy
1 key pass
0 tackles
4 interceptions
3 clearances

Similarly, Gomez being exploited at left-back in his last start for the Reds in the Premier League so far—up against Matteo Darmian and Juan Mata in the 3-1 loss to Manchester United—suggests that he would be better served at centre-back from now on.

Moreover, Gomez’s ability in bringing the ball out from the back, paired with his defensive strength, should make him an ideal candidate for the right centre-back role.

Why put Can through misery out of position?

Fielding Gomez at centre-back and Can in midfield should see Liverpool’s 3-4-1-2 formation continue to flourish—with its main flaw ironed out.

• Read more: Coutinho, Milner and Lucas all benefit from tweaked Liverpool midfield vs. Aston Villa

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