Community

Assessing Liverpool’s Attacking Threat

With four goals against Arsenal, many have jumped on the Liverpool bandwagon after Gameweek 1, mainly to snap up two goal hero Philippe Coutinho. But is the Liverpool side worth investing in?

Here are the factors to consider before weighing in with a Liverpool midfielder purchase:

Gameweek 1

A key factor is the opponent they faced in Gameweek 1. Arsenal missed both regular centre backs Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, with Rob Holding and Calum Chambers clearly not ready to replace them. Meanwhile, the usually reliable Nacho Monreal looked surprisingly weak too.

Fixtures

Liverpools next four are Burnley(A), Spurs (A), Leicester (H) and Chelsea (A), and although Klopps side usually perform well against teams in the upper half of the table these are nevertheless four potentially tough fixtures. The Clarets only lost two games at Turf Moor last season and historically newcomers often perform well in the first fixtures of the season.

Points Spread

Spread of points should also be considered. In one way the Liverpool side is a Fantasy manager’s worst nightmare.manager with   Sadio Mané poaching a hat trick one week, while the next Coutinho could score two world class free kicks and after that Roberto Firmino dominates the goal scoring.  Throw in Daniel Sturridge there and there’s an even a bigger spread to breed frustration when it comes to choosing the best asset.

Rotation

Even without European duties Klopp may still look to rotate to ensure his wide array of stars get game time. Firmino, Coutinho and Mane look the most nailed on, although at the time of writing the latter was a doubt for Gameweek 2 with a shoulder injury. Daniel Sturridge is less secure and was not in the starting XI many times last season even when fit.  Adam Lallana, Marko Grujic and Georginio Wijnaldum will also want to play and so too will Jordan Henderson. That is a lot of personnel to keep happy.

Sturridge looks the most intriguing as when he plays he offers a consistent source of points. Nevertheless his price tag of 10.0 looks steep for a player that is not guaranteed to start.  If he fails to make the starting XI against Burnley a price dip could be on the cards.

Inconsistency

Liverpool’s inconsistency cannot be ignored with the side often struggling last term against minnows, yet capable of putting tough teams to the sword, most notably Manchester City. That inconsistency is best typified by Coutinho, who is now owned by just under a quarter of FPL managers. Last season he had some notable scoring runs, but also frustratingly long periods without any attacking returns. Mane is another who can score a hat trick one week, as he did when at Southampton, only to go months without as much as an assist. Firmino could offer consistency, but with Sturrridge as an option in attack he doesn’t have a consistent role, move from midfield one week to a false nine the next.

CONCLUSION

Liverpool need close monitoring by Fantasy managers to spot trends with their line up and which of their players are most involved in attacking play. The Arsenal match offered a glimmer of how much of a lucrative Fantasy football investment Liverpool players can be but perhaps more time is needed to assess which of their stars is the best purchase. Sturrridge in particular could prove an enticing option should he nail down a starting role during Liverpool’s tough early schedule.

13 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Sleivspark
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Wanna be brave and go with Firmino captain??

    yay or nay ??

    1. Baby Bubu
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Been thinking about this as well if Liverpool is going all out attack again.

  2. Woy of the Wovers
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    This article seems to be looking for reasons not to buy. Sharing points is even a positive if there are lots to share. There are more reason why we should be buying

  3. J0E
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Sturridge duly monitored - but his lack of starts even when fit last season was a real worry.

    I agree with Woy - points spread is actually great news for managers like me who are happy to double up (jumpers for goalposts type reminiscing of my Suarez/Sturridge combo).

    1. Baby Bubu
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      I suppose Loundini's point is that pinpointing which midfielder to get, or even to double-up, is too uncertain. Thus there may be better value elsewhere.

  4. Bezzer
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Still happy with Firmino and think the points will come.

  5. Mark-O
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    No mention of Origi to steal the points

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      How I wished he was nailed.
      Love his 1st touch and his quick feet.

  6. Andy_Social
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Should just mention in passing ..... for god's sake avoid the defence!

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      The truth is that, if you are to get one defender, it will be the worst one in Moreno..
      Because even if LIV concede, he is the one that can at least return some attacking points.

      1. ChameLeon Best
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        By a few accounts Milner is actually first choice LB now. Be extra careful of everyone bar Clyne

  7. El-Kloppico
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Among the MID, the only consistent player in the LIV rank is Firmino.
    He knows exactly when to push forward and when to fire a shot. Has good techniques of keeping the ball to his feet.
    But the fact that Klopp tends to move him from one position to the other during a same match frustrates me.

    But I am keeping faith in Firmino and sticking.

  8. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Very good article.