These players will need to perform excellently this term to save their Liverpool careers…
SEE ALSO: The Best Liverpool goals.
5) Mamadou Sakho
The Frenchman cost Liverpool £15m last summer, but injuries blighted his debut Premier League campaign, and he rarely got a lengthy run in the side. At the World Cup though, he kept Arsenal’s excellent centre-back Laurent Koscielny out of the side, and displayed his monstrous talent whilst doing so. Sakho’s strength is incomparable, and his passing is hugely underrated. Reds fans will hope he forms a solid partnership with new signing Dejan Lovren.
4) Jose Enrique
The left-back is finally fit again after missing virtually the entire campaign last time out with an injury. During the 2012/13 season, Enrique played well, but with Alberto Moreno possibly arriving to compete with him for his position, he’ll need to find his way back to his best very quickly. Liverpool fans appreciate his work-rate up the flank, but he’ll have some difficulty on his hands to dislodge the incoming Spaniard.
3) Joe Allen
‘Some nice neat touches, but didn’t really influence the game.’ This constant accusation has dogged Allen’s Liverpool career so far, and the diminutive Welshman will need to start making the difference when matches are tight for Reds fans to finally take to him. Rodgers will no doubt give him chances, as he rated his technical qualities highly, but he needs to offer more going forward, rather than passing the ball sideways at every opportunity.
2) Simon Mignolet
Liverpool fans are largely split over the Belgian, who made some high profile mistakes around Christmas time, despite enjoying an excellent start to the season. He’ll need a flawless campaign this time around to convince everybody that the club were right to essentially phase out Pepe Reina (still at the club, although unlikely to be for very long), and replace him with Mignolet.
1) Glen Johnson
With Jon Flanagan breathing down his neck, and the Reds also set to sign Javier Manquillo on loan from Atletico Madrid, the Englishman has a serious job on his hands to prove himself to an increasingly dubious Anfield faithful. While his defensive mishaps have always been forgiven on the large, some of his positioning last season was criminal. He’s 29 now, and has only one year on his contract. He’ll have to really step it up this term to earn a new deal.
