Four games, two goals. Unfortunately this isn’t a description of one of Emile Heskey’s purple patches, but Liverpool’s start to the current campaign. Forgivably sterile against Champions League contenders Arsenal and Man City, their tally of one goal in the games against West Brom and Birmingham is a concern. Now consider that there isn’t the age-old excuse as Gerrard and Torres have played in all four matches and the situation looks even bleaker.

Liverpool’s defence has kept two clean sheets, a third only denied by a very un-characteristic last-minute blunder by Reina. Meanwhile Torres’ Premier League pedigree remains un-questionable. He is one of the few strikers who can create a goal out of nothing, however like any striker he ultimately relies on service. All fingers appear to point to the same issue, Liverpool’s midfield.

In the worryingly convincing 3-0 defeat at Man City Liverpool veered away from their usual 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 formation. Instead Hodgson tried a 4-4-2, odd timing (difficult opposition, away from home, second game of the season), but perhaps acceptable given four factors. Firstly Torres was now fit enough for a start and was always going to come straight back into the side. Secondly David N’gog had remarkably found some form in Torres’ absence making it hard for Hodgson to suddenly drop him. Thirdly Joe Cole was serving a three match ban after an over-zealous challenge on the opening day. Finally, and probably the clincher, was Mascherano effectively ruling himself out of the game with Barcelona’s obvious interest having turned his head away from on-field matters with Liverpool. As a result the four man midfield read:

LM: Jovanovic ———- CM: Gerrard ———- CM: Lucas ———- RM: Kuyt

With this formation, and most importantly it’s personnel, Liverpool managed to cripple themselves defensively from central and wide positions. How? Man City were playing a three man central midfield of De Jong, Barry and Yaya Toure, a trio who stifled in defence and over-whelmed in attack through sheer weight of numbers. Gerrard tried his best, but him and Lucas were always going to struggle. The biggest crime of the formation however in my eyes was playing Jovanovic and Kuyt in the wide positions. Both are clearly centre forwards who despite their astonishing work-rate lack any defensive awareness. In a 4-4-2 more orthodox, specialist wide midfielders are needed. At Fulham Hodgson had Duff and Simon Davies, or Dempsey, a midfielder who can fill-in up-front, not the opposite which is the case for Kuyt and especially Jovanovic. As expected therefore make-shift left back Agger was left out-numbered and overwhelmed by Adam Johnson and Micah Richards marauding forward on the over-lap. Johnson and Milner took full advantage of the freedom afforded to them by Jovanovic and Kuyt respectively and were the star men in the 3-0 win.

So how does this relate to Liverpool’s scoring credentials? As Spain show brilliantly possession is the best form of defence. By affording Man City the freedom to attack out wide so much Liverpool were pinned back, made to work harder off the ball and consequently made to attack from a deeper position with more fatigued players. With Gerrard almost always occupied in a defensive role by one of Barry, Yaya Toure, Milner cutting in or Tevez dropping deep Liverpool were a predictable attacking unit which lacked any spark. Kuyt and Jovanovic were left with the task of feeding Torres and N’Gog. Neither had the pace to beat Richards and Lescott on the outside or the passing nouse of a natural midfielder to work the ball inside. It was an almost painful watch at times, and I’m not even a Liverpool fan.

An interesting management dilemma is always do you pick a formation and then fit the playing personnel into it, or do you assess the players at your disposal then decide on the best formation. With the transfer window, Roy Hodgson had the ability, if not the adequate funds, to try to do both. So why on earth did he end up with the errors I’ve tried to explain above, which seem almost obvious looking from the outside in? Was it just a simple Mascherano fuelled mistake? Maybe, as next match the 4-4-2 experiment was over and Liverpool were back to their more recognised 4-5-1. N’Gog dropped out, new signing Poulson slotted into a defensive midfield role and Gerrard was freed to push forward in support of Torres:

LM: Jovanovic ———————– AM/SS: Gerrard ———————– RM: Kuyt

—————————— DM: Poulson ——– DM: Lucas ———————-

So back with their old chum of a formation, home to a West Brom side who lost their last away game 6-0 and with Torres back up to full speed the goals were bound to come. Not quite. Liverpool snatched a 1-0 thanks to a crisp Torres volley on the break. Then yesterday afternoon at Birmingham the same 4-5-1 (with Maxi in for Kuyt) failed to muster a shot on target the entire first half as the game finished 0-0. Does the success of this formation rely on Gerrard playing to his full potential? When this formation was at its rampant best for Liverpool in the 08/09 season they came off a 4-0 mauling of Real Madrid to beat Man United 4-1 and Aston Villa 5-0, with Gerrard scoring six in the process. The only difference was Xabi Alonso back then. Can he really have made that much difference? The most common argument appears to be Alonso got the ball to Gerrard quicker than Lucas currently does, leaving Gerrard running at a more un-prepared and stretched opposition back line. My theory however is the difference between the side of 08/09  and the present day side is Liverpool have now lost Alonso and Gerrard.

It pains me to say it as a huge Gerrard fan but he is not the player he was in his peak in 08/09. No disgrace seeing as he was scintillating that season, prompting some, including Zidane to hail him as the best in the world. Gerrard’s personal decline knitting so perfectly with Liverpool’s decline is surely no co-incidence? He used to drive them to victory in the games they played well then bail them out in the games they played poorly. Now Liverpool appear to be winning un-convincingly and losing convincingly, not the typical combination of Champions league contenders. I believe in a 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 the support striker role is the most important on the pitch. This player holds the key to the formation being a success. If the playmaker is not on the top of their game they go from the key player to a luxury player who effectively robs the team of an extra midfielder or extra striker. Özil at the world cup, Sneijder with Inter and Fabregas with Arsenal highlight just how much of the play goes through these players when all three are at the top of their games.

Ironically Gerrard is currently playing very well for England. After years of failing to replicate his club form on the international stage the opposite now seems to be the case. This recent international form has come in a deeper midfield position. Joe Cole is due back from suspension next game which gives Roy Hodgson the chance to return Gerrard to this deeper role he is flourishing in with England. Should he play there he could very likely be partnered by new signing Raul Meireles whose debut cameo off the bench was a rare positive for Liverpool yesterday. He was calm and assured in possession, never lost the ball and always looked for that early forward pass. As it stands he looks like the closest thing to a Xabi Alonso replacement. It’s still very early to say of course, but judging from what we’ve seen of him with Portugal he looks every bit the upgrade from Lucas Leiva. Gerrard and Meireles deep, with Joe Cole in behind Torres is what I anticipate to be Hodgson’s preferred choice. I see no reason why these three can’t help fire Liverpool forward. The immediate spanner in the works unfortunately being Liverpool’s next match at Old Trafford. This will likely see this switch delayed for another match with the more gritty and up to speed Lucas or Poulsen in alongside Gerrard.

The left midfield is a notorious problem for Liverpool and I don’t think now is any different. Jovanovic has so far struggled to get going in the Premier League. He has shown glimpses of being perfect for English football with his pace and power, but has been frustratingly wasteful whenever put through on goal considering he played as a striker at Standard Liege last season. Defensively he has left Agger and yesterday Konchesky exposed too often and Hodgson will really need to work with him on that side of his game. Based on Babel and Maxi Rodriguez being the only alternatives on the left Jovanovic looks set to get the chance to tweak himself into a useful player. Should he not settle Joe Cole could switch to the left as the more natural midfielder, perhaps leaving a spot for Ryan Babel to prove himself up front with Torres? Jovanovic in a 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 or Joe Cole in a 4-4-2 would be my solution, for the reasons stated earlier.

As for the right side Dirk Kuyt seems to have spent the past year hanging onto his place due to an infectious work-ethic (a real manager’s dream) and popping-up with vital goals every now and then. He’s not pretty (in every sense!), his passing leaves a lot to be desired, but he is undoubtably effective and always puts in a shift. Something world cup finalists The Netherlands appear to agree with. Like with Jovanovic I’d give Kuyt the benefit of the doubt in a 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 due largely to a lack of alternatives, but if Hodgson ever reverted to a 4-4-2 I would suggest Maxi Rodriguez may be more effective as the slightly more natural winger.

So to conclude, if Hodgson wants to go with Liverpool’s 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 then I believe he should go with:

LM: Jovanovic ———————– AM/SS: J.Cole ———————– RM: Kuyt

—————————— DM: Gerrard ——– DM: Meireles ———————-

Should Hodgson get itchy feet and revert to his favoured 4-4-2 from his Fulham days then I suggest the following is his strongest line-up with Torres and Babel up-front:

LM: J.Cole ———- CM: Gerrard ———- CM: Meireles ———- RM: Maxi

I have purposely avoided discussing Joe Cole in this article. I find him almost impossible to analyse. Where is his best position? Will he ever re-discover his pre-injury form of a few seasons ago, the form which made him a fixture in the Chelsea and England team? I really have no idea and will be happy to sit back, give him a chance and see just what a bargain Liverpool have got with their Bosman, if any.

No team deserves success, but it’s hard to deny that Champions League games at Anfield are special. Even on the TV the atmosphere comes across as inspiring and for that reason I hope Liverpool put a halt to their alarming slide. Similarly a Gerrard revival would be nice to see. It would be foolish to say he’s finished already, but such were the heights he scaled in 08/09 he has a long way to go to re-find that form. The past suggests a Gerrard and Liverpool revival will come simultaneously. We’ll have to wait and see.