Lallana could be deployed on the left, in central midfield, or in the pocket behind a striker…
SEE ALSO: The Best Liverpool goals.
Liverpool today completed the £25m signing of Southampton skipper Adam Lallana, confirmed the club’s official website.
His new manager Brendan Rodgers highlighted the 26-year-old’s versatility and tactical awareness as a key reason for his signing.
“We have seen, over the past two seasons in the Barclays Premier League, he has a tactical awareness to adapt to what is required of him and to put the team above his personal ambitions,” said the Northern Irishman.
“He has leadership skills and personal qualities that make him a special commodity and I am delighted we have acted decisively to make sure he is wearing a Liverpool shirt next season.”
It’s clear then that Rodgers, a manager known for changing tactics and formations throughout matches, reckons Lallana will be able to perform a number of different roles with the Reds.
As a result, we’ve collated five scenarios and formations Lallana could play, depending on Liverpool’s activity during the rest of the market, that show how Lallana could be used at Anfield next term.
1) *The scenario where Liverpool keep Suarez*
If the Uruguayan sensation stays, Brendan Rodgers will surely not want to break up Suarez’s breathtaking strike partnership with Daniel Sturridge up top.
He regularly accommodated the two up front by deploying a diamond formation, with Raheem Sterling usually at the top.
Lallana could seamlessly slot into this fluid side, with Steven Gerrard providing the platform from which he can perform, and Jordan Henderson providing the leg-work and pressing to the captain’s right.
This would enable Lallana to get forward up the left, drift into central attacking positions, and help the side retain possession in the centre next to his English teammates.
(For the sake of this piece, we’ve gambled on the new left-back and centre-back that will likely be signed – potentially Marcos Rojo and Dejan Lovren.)
2) *The scenario where Liverpool sell Suarez, and don’t manage to bring in a top level replacement*
For many Liverpool fans, this would be the worst possible outcome, but with Lallana having signed, this side still looks pretty impressive on paper.
It would enable Sturridge to move to a spearhead no.9 role, meaning Lallana, Sterling and Coutinho and provide pace, creativity and spark in behind him – with Gerrard and Henderson providing the platform.
Lallana regularly played on the left last term with Southampton, where he contributed nine goals and five assists in the Premier League.
3) *The scenario where Liverpool keep Suarez, and sign another top class attacker*
Alexis Sanchez is a reported £32m target for the Reds, and could arrive at Anfield even if Barcelona refuse to meet Suarez’s £80m valuation.
In this situation, Rodgers could use three of Suarez, Sanchez, Sterling and Sterling in a dynamic attacking trio. (It’s unlikely he’d ever start with all four at once, as it would leave the centre of midfield exposed.)
This would enable Lallana to play in what’s probably his favoured position – in central attacking midfield. With Gerrard and Henderson providing the base, Lallana could drive through the middle of the park, trying to find the pacy talented front men with intricate through-balls, or try to score himself with his impressive long-range shooting.
4) *The scenario where Rodgers chooses to use his wing-back formation once again*
At the beginning of last season, Liverpool often played with a three man defence, and should Rodgers feel the need arise, Lallana would likely have to play a more defensive, combative role in the side.
With an extra centre-back, there’s one less player in midfield, meaning Lallana could perform Henderson’s usual battling role, where he’ll be encouraged to contribute defensively as much as he offensively.
Similarly, Henderson could play this role, and Lallana could play slightly ahead of them, in the spot Sterling is positioned in the below graphic.
5) *The scenario where Liverpool sell Suarez, and bring in Xherdan Shaqiri*
The 22-year-old Swiss international is regarded as a cheaper alternative to Alexis Sanchez, and potentially a more realistic purchase.
He prefers to play centrally – and is proving right now at the World Cup that he has the ability to both score and create goals in the pivotal position, which he wasn’t allowed to do at Bayern Munich last term due to a lack of playing time.
If he is to be accommodated as such, Lallana could be used on the right, with Sterling cutting in on his right foot from the left. This attacking midfield trio would be very interchangeable, with all three capable of being used in any three of the positions behind Daniel Sturridge.