2) Is Liverpool’s midfield creative enough?
It has been difficult for Liverpool with Jordan Henderson out injured, though even with him in the side there are question marks. Liverpool were linked with creative midfield playmakers like Miralem Pjanic, Mateo Kovacic and Asier Illarramendi but failed to bring any of them in this summer. At the moment, Henderson’s absence has meant more playing time for Lucas Leiva, who has done well, but along with players like Emre Can and James Milner as a main central combination, there is not enough craft there to make Liverpool tick.
It might be worth considering moving Philippe Coutinho back like Arsenal did to such good effect with Santi Cazorla. Alternatively, Joe Allen is surely worthy of more chances than he’s had for the Reds, as he is certainly a player with a bit more imagination and quality on the ball.