While writing a short post about Glen Johnson in another thread, I started to think which players make the core of this 2013-14 LFC team. We clearly have makings of a good team here; it's starting to show certain character and personality that was missing in recent years. Who are the players that determine, more than the others, this character and personality? Clearly Suarez is the leader and the star of this team, but we would not be in first place if this was a one-man team. Other than Suarez, who are the players who make those around them better, lead by example and step up their game when it's most needed? Vote in the poll and if you're interested in my opinion, continue reading below.
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For me, probably the 2nd most influential player behind Suarez this season has been Henderson. That doesn't mean he is the 2nd best player in the team or that his every performance this season has been top class. But there is a reason why Rodgers has started him in every game so far and almost never taken him off – his attitude is brilliant and it rubs off on other players. And whenever he had a poor game, the whole team looked worse, whereas our best games this season have been also generally the games where Henderson was one of the best players. That's a mark of influence.
I think Coutinho is hugely important to our game and this is reflected in the other players' attitude towards him. Whenever he plays, he is on a receiving end of a big percentage of the team's passes – basically teammates are feeding him the ball as often they can. He is protected vigorously by his senior teammates whenever opponents try to play rough against him; and when he has the ball at his feet every attacking player knows it's time to make a run somewhere. If that sounds like a description of a playmaker, that's exactly what Coutinho is at Liverpool. He might not have hit the top form yet (although the past 3 or 4 games have been encouraging – finally the through-balls are starting to find their targets), but that doesn't matter – little Philippe's influence in this team is huge and for now, almost irreplaceable.
I think Mignolet should also be in the conversation, based on his performance so far. I don't want to write too much for fear of the jinx, so let's discuss more about Mignolet at the end of the season.
A few more players have made a case for themselves to be considered a part of the core. Sturridge is a bit inconsistent and injury-prone, but he has really carried the team with his game-winning goals when Suarez was suspended. And he delivered again in a crucial moment with the equalizer against Everton. Skrtel may have some shortcomings as a defender, but he did look like a leader of the defense for the most part; he stepped up big in crucial games and there is a reason why he is the only CB who has played consistently. And Allen has only just come into the team, but for me he is every bit a future core LFC player. His tackling, energy and passing sets the tone for the rest of the team and I think he suits the character of Rodgers' team perfectly. I think Sakho has the potential for a similar impact in defense, setting the tone with his aggression and his constant demand for precision from himself and teammates. Kolo Toure seems to be one of the leaders in the dressing room and on the training ground, whether he is playing or not.
There are a few notable omissions here, as you might have noticed. I love Gerrard and appreciate his contributions with assists, set-piece deliveries and key passes – but honestly I can't say that he is an essential part of this team any more. His best performances did not coincide with the most important occasions and in the few poor games we had as a team, when we looked like we were missing a bit of leadership and character, he didn't provide it. Right now we are playing probably our best football of the season without him. Now that's not a final verdict, just an honest assessment at the current moment in time – I hope Gerrard can come back stronger after his injury lay-off and stamp his authority on the team once again, kind of like he did in the 2nd part of last season.
Lucas is another senior player who has played in almost every game, and while he is an important part of the team mechanism on and off the field, I wouldn't really consider him a core player. I think by now he more of less recovered his "pre-injury" form. Most of his performances this season have been solid with a couple of really terrific performances sprinkled in. But those excellent performances seem to be appearing at random; unlike Henderson or Skrtel he doesn't seem to raise his performance level at will for the most important games and in many games where most of the other players have been excellent, Lucas was "just OK". I think he shouldn't be underestimated and there is certainly no reason whatsoever to dislike him, but he is replaceable and upgradable.
OK, I have to apologize to KHL in advance about what I'm going to write next. I think Agger is the only CB in the team who didn't make a case to be considered an essential player this season. Sure, he's been part of some clean sheets – but I think there is a difference between "being part" of something and being the leader and the one who sets the tone. Skrtel, Toure and Sakho have shown the leadership traits at one or another point this season – sorry, but I just didn't see it from the vice-captain. Similar to what I said about Gerrard, this is not a final verdict, but just a current assessment. Unlike Gerrard, however, Agger doesn't have the club legend status to protect him, especially if Rodgers decides to raise some funds by selling one of the CBs. I think Agger is a very talented player with some rare qualities for a defender; my guess is that spending his best years playing in mediocre and badly managed LFC teams maybe led to some stagnation and lowered standards, like it did for Pepe, unfortunately.
That finally brings us to Glen Johnson. I think GJ is a clear case of a player who is just not on the same page with most of his teammates. It's a clear case precisely because his talent, physicality and class are all unquestionably up to par at the highest level of football – the only problem with Johnson is the problem. He got kicked out of the only winning team he's ever being part of – Jose Mourinho's Chelsea – and spent all his formative years plying his trade at mediocre or dysfunctional teams with little expectations and little accountability for mistakes. That's basically Johnson in a nutshell – he doesn't take responsibility. I wrote earlier that Henderson's mark of influence is that whenever he plays well, the whole team plays well and vice versa. Well, Johnson is the anti-Henderson. His mood and performance level fluctuates based on its own schedule, without ever being aligned to the team's body temperature. Why is that a problem? Because delivering results under pressure (as winning teams have to do) means every player executing the team's plan for the game – in every game. Having one player who simply "doesn't get it" can be dispiriting for the group, like a viola player who has beautiful tone, but sometimes plays out of tune for no apparent reason can destroy an orchestra, unless the conductor does something about it. That's why I've been calling RB our "problem area" for years. I am not blind to Johnson's class and the fact that he is objectively one of the top RBs in the league and would not be easy to replace right away. But I just don't think he can be an integral part of a winning team. Which is the opposite of "core."
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I wanted to put all 14 players I mentioned above into the poll, but turns out it only allows 10 choices. So I selected 9 players who I think have made the strongest case to be considered "core" this season, and the option of selecting "other" for ones who didn't fit. Multiple selections can be made.
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For me, probably the 2nd most influential player behind Suarez this season has been Henderson. That doesn't mean he is the 2nd best player in the team or that his every performance this season has been top class. But there is a reason why Rodgers has started him in every game so far and almost never taken him off – his attitude is brilliant and it rubs off on other players. And whenever he had a poor game, the whole team looked worse, whereas our best games this season have been also generally the games where Henderson was one of the best players. That's a mark of influence.
I think Coutinho is hugely important to our game and this is reflected in the other players' attitude towards him. Whenever he plays, he is on a receiving end of a big percentage of the team's passes – basically teammates are feeding him the ball as often they can. He is protected vigorously by his senior teammates whenever opponents try to play rough against him; and when he has the ball at his feet every attacking player knows it's time to make a run somewhere. If that sounds like a description of a playmaker, that's exactly what Coutinho is at Liverpool. He might not have hit the top form yet (although the past 3 or 4 games have been encouraging – finally the through-balls are starting to find their targets), but that doesn't matter – little Philippe's influence in this team is huge and for now, almost irreplaceable.
I think Mignolet should also be in the conversation, based on his performance so far. I don't want to write too much for fear of the jinx, so let's discuss more about Mignolet at the end of the season.
A few more players have made a case for themselves to be considered a part of the core. Sturridge is a bit inconsistent and injury-prone, but he has really carried the team with his game-winning goals when Suarez was suspended. And he delivered again in a crucial moment with the equalizer against Everton. Skrtel may have some shortcomings as a defender, but he did look like a leader of the defense for the most part; he stepped up big in crucial games and there is a reason why he is the only CB who has played consistently. And Allen has only just come into the team, but for me he is every bit a future core LFC player. His tackling, energy and passing sets the tone for the rest of the team and I think he suits the character of Rodgers' team perfectly. I think Sakho has the potential for a similar impact in defense, setting the tone with his aggression and his constant demand for precision from himself and teammates. Kolo Toure seems to be one of the leaders in the dressing room and on the training ground, whether he is playing or not.
There are a few notable omissions here, as you might have noticed. I love Gerrard and appreciate his contributions with assists, set-piece deliveries and key passes – but honestly I can't say that he is an essential part of this team any more. His best performances did not coincide with the most important occasions and in the few poor games we had as a team, when we looked like we were missing a bit of leadership and character, he didn't provide it. Right now we are playing probably our best football of the season without him. Now that's not a final verdict, just an honest assessment at the current moment in time – I hope Gerrard can come back stronger after his injury lay-off and stamp his authority on the team once again, kind of like he did in the 2nd part of last season.
Lucas is another senior player who has played in almost every game, and while he is an important part of the team mechanism on and off the field, I wouldn't really consider him a core player. I think by now he more of less recovered his "pre-injury" form. Most of his performances this season have been solid with a couple of really terrific performances sprinkled in. But those excellent performances seem to be appearing at random; unlike Henderson or Skrtel he doesn't seem to raise his performance level at will for the most important games and in many games where most of the other players have been excellent, Lucas was "just OK". I think he shouldn't be underestimated and there is certainly no reason whatsoever to dislike him, but he is replaceable and upgradable.
OK, I have to apologize to KHL in advance about what I'm going to write next. I think Agger is the only CB in the team who didn't make a case to be considered an essential player this season. Sure, he's been part of some clean sheets – but I think there is a difference between "being part" of something and being the leader and the one who sets the tone. Skrtel, Toure and Sakho have shown the leadership traits at one or another point this season – sorry, but I just didn't see it from the vice-captain. Similar to what I said about Gerrard, this is not a final verdict, but just a current assessment. Unlike Gerrard, however, Agger doesn't have the club legend status to protect him, especially if Rodgers decides to raise some funds by selling one of the CBs. I think Agger is a very talented player with some rare qualities for a defender; my guess is that spending his best years playing in mediocre and badly managed LFC teams maybe led to some stagnation and lowered standards, like it did for Pepe, unfortunately.
That finally brings us to Glen Johnson. I think GJ is a clear case of a player who is just not on the same page with most of his teammates. It's a clear case precisely because his talent, physicality and class are all unquestionably up to par at the highest level of football – the only problem with Johnson is the problem. He got kicked out of the only winning team he's ever being part of – Jose Mourinho's Chelsea – and spent all his formative years plying his trade at mediocre or dysfunctional teams with little expectations and little accountability for mistakes. That's basically Johnson in a nutshell – he doesn't take responsibility. I wrote earlier that Henderson's mark of influence is that whenever he plays well, the whole team plays well and vice versa. Well, Johnson is the anti-Henderson. His mood and performance level fluctuates based on its own schedule, without ever being aligned to the team's body temperature. Why is that a problem? Because delivering results under pressure (as winning teams have to do) means every player executing the team's plan for the game – in every game. Having one player who simply "doesn't get it" can be dispiriting for the group, like a viola player who has beautiful tone, but sometimes plays out of tune for no apparent reason can destroy an orchestra, unless the conductor does something about it. That's why I've been calling RB our "problem area" for years. I am not blind to Johnson's class and the fact that he is objectively one of the top RBs in the league and would not be easy to replace right away. But I just don't think he can be an integral part of a winning team. Which is the opposite of "core."
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I wanted to put all 14 players I mentioned above into the poll, but turns out it only allows 10 choices. So I selected 9 players who I think have made the strongest case to be considered "core" this season, and the option of selecting "other" for ones who didn't fit. Multiple selections can be made.
