A new era has arrived in Merseyside, Jurgen Klopp has taken over for Brendan Rodgers and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his debut match this Saturday.
Klopp hasn’t had a lot of time with his new team as a couple of players were on international duty and the new manager has already lost two players with both Joe Gomez and Danny Ings suffering season-ending injuries. It is almost certain that Klopp will be using a new formation since the 4-2-3-1 was his preferred lineup for most of his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Goalkeeper
While Simon Mignolet will have to be on his toes especially during set pieces, he should be happy that the team will likely revert back to a four-man defense rather than the three-man wall that proved to be a liability the past few weeks. Tottenham have capable goal scorers all over the field and Harry Kane is still a massive threat even if he has not been at his best so far this season.
Right-Back
After playing a few matches out of position as a wing-back, Nathaniel Clyne should return to his preferred role along the defense. His skills fit much more as a defender rather than someone who has to toggle between attacking and defending alone on one side of the field.
Center-Backs
The pair of Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho will likely take the field this Saturday and they are still the best that Liverpool have. Kolo Toure is no threat to either of them and Dejan Lovren has been inconsistent the entire year. It will be up to both defenders to lock down Harry Kane and make sure they don’t give Christian Eriksen a free-kick in a dangerous position, he is one of the best at taking advantage of those opportunities.
Left-Back
With Gomez out, Alberto Moreno is the only other player who can play in the position but given his strong performances in recent weeks, Moreno is as good a choice as any. His speed along the flank is something no one else on the squad possesses but he will have to make sure that he stays disciplined and performs his defensive duties first before bursting forward.
Defensive Midfield
There will be a few question marks as to who Klopp deploys as his defensive midfielders but Lucas Leiva and Emre Can are two of the more capable candidates to fill-in for now.
Lucas is already Liverpool’s best defensive midfielder but having Can beside him will bring even more toughness and passing ability to the middle of the pitch. Even if Can struggled as a center-back, placing him in a position that has more freedom should work well for him since he enjoys marauding forward.
Attacking Midfield
Ahead of Lucas and Can, James Milner, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana may be the players Klopp chooses to be the creative hub of the team. Milner’s experience and high work rate make him an ideal player for the pressing style that Klopp utilizes.
In the middle, Coutinho remains Liverpool’s best playmaker and he should receive the ball as much as possible. Lastly, Klopp will have to decide between Lallana and Jordon Ibe but Lallana’s willingness to track back will put him ahead of the young winger.
Forward
With Christian Benteke still injured and Ings done for the season Daniel Sturridge is by far Liverpool’s best striker available. Sturridge has provided a massive attacking boost ever since returning from injury and his chemistry with Coutinho is really worth watching.
Against Tottenham, Sturridge will need to take advantage of any scoring chance since the Spurs’ defense has only allowed seven goals this year.
(4-2-3-1)
Via – Lineup Builder
