The string of draws has continued for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, the new manager has yet to find victory after three matches. The club looked like they were going to get a full three points against Southampton after Christian Benteke’s fantastic header but the defense once again let everyone down and allowed Sadio Mane to equalize.
Klopp does have a perfect opportunity to get that first win this Wednesday, the team meets Bournemouth at Anfield in the Capital One Cup. However, an upcoming match against Chelsea on Saturday may force Klopp to deploy younger, weaker lineup. The change could be a good thing as many of the academy players may get some much needed top-level competition while a few of the bench players will be motivated to show that they deserve more minutes going forward.
Goalkeeper
Adam Bogdan is the clear number two ‘keeper but he may get a start on Wednesday, Bournemouth do not have a particularly powerful attack and Bogdan is a good enough player to get a clean sheet. The one thing he needs to do is organize the back line when the team is defending a set piece, they have been the reason why Liverpool have conceded so many unnecessary goals this year.
Right-Back
Connor Randall has been on the bench for much of the season and he may finally get a start if Nathaniel Clyne rests. Randall is the first of many young but talented players to appear on this lineup and it would be great to finally witness the products of the academy perform on the big stage.
Center-Backs
Resting Martin Skrtel before the big match on Saturday is important given that he has not been at his best recently so starting Kolo Toure makes sense. Mamadou Sakho could not keep up his excellent form in the Southampton match but he and Toure should be able to handle Callum Wilson and the rest of the Bournemouth attack.
Left-Back
Alberto Moreno will continue to start until the team finds a capable backup, Jose Enrique is still part of the team but he has only appeared in under-21 matches this year. Former manager Brendan Rodgers made it clear that Enrique was not wanted at the club but Klopp may give the Spaniard another chance.
Defensive Midfield
Starting the pair of Joe Allen and Pedro Chirivella shouldn’t hurt the team that much given the quality of their opposition and Allen had a decent performance last week against Rubin Kazan. It will also be exciting to see what Chirivella has to offer, the Spaniard is a great talent and he deserves a call-up to the first team especially after the injury to Jordan Rossiter.
Attacking Midfield
Given that James Milner is suspended for the match against Chelsea, he might as well start on Wednesday. Cameron Brannagan has just signed a new long-term deal and this would be a perfect match for him to show why the club is investing in him. He could be the next great Liverpool player and it is time for him to introduce himself to majority of the fans. Jordon Ibe, like the rest of his teammates, has been more bark than bite this year. He is a fantastic dribbler but that only matters when you are able to turn all those tricks into goal-scoring chances.
Forward
With Daniel Sturridge still struggling with a knee issue and Benteke needing to be rested before the weekend, Divock Origi is probably the best choice for Klopp. Divock Origi has struggled in the last two matches he has started but going up against a Bournemouth defense that has given up 5 goals in back-to-back games is the perfect antidote.
(4-2-3-1)
Via – Lineup Builder
