Three at the back needs some work
When employed correctly a 3-5-2 offers an array of attacking ammunition, or dependent on the personnel it can provide plenty of defensive stability, however, the ideal scenario is to find a balance of the two. Liverpool have a fairly decent balance, although it probably favours the attacking department approximately 60-40. There are two key individuals to focus on in order to correct a few flaws – Clyne and Can. Firstly, the former Southampton fullback Clyne. That first sentence says it all really, at the Saints he was employed as a defensive minded fullback that occasionally advanced forward when the opportunity presented itself, whereas, at Anfield it is closer to the opposite. Rodgers expects him to be predominantly higher up the pitch, supporting the midfield and providing extra width. Although the 24-year-old had some bright moments against Villa in the attacking-third, he mostly looked a little lost and caught in-between, due to his more natural starting positon being deeper.
This leads onto the awkwardness of Can playing alongside Skrtel and Sakho. By trade the German is a defensive-midfielder and when Can strides into the middle with a barraging run, that is when he looks his best. Unfortunately, being a part of the backline has its restrictions, not to mention the increased chance of a crucial mistake. This almost eventuated a couple of times on Saturday, none more noticeable than his miscued clearance that handed Gestede a volley at goal. If Clyne and Can were to switch places Liverpool could reap the benefits, we have all seen how strong the former is at defending and same to with the latter on the front-foot.
If Can was played as the wing back the Reds would lose some pace, yes, but the midfield would be reinforced with another quality ballplayer and someone that can provide some bulldozer like runs, whereas the addition of Clyne to the backline would eliminate Can’s liabilities.
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