With the Brazilian duo of Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, along with Adam Lallana, the Liverpool midfield was already full of attacking intent last season.
With Sadio Mane recruited from Southampton and Georginio Wijnaldum drafted in from Newcastle, Fantasy managers face an even tougher choice when selecting from Liverpool’s crowded list of midfielders.
With this in mind, we asked our team of contributors the “Burning Question” – “Which of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield assets warrant investment?”
“Dufflinks” aka Simon March (2014/15 FPL Champion) says…
Maybe it’s because I’ve been burned several seasons running by Liverpool midfielders (my Coutinho and Firmino double Gameweek double up last season was a notable disaster), but none of Liverpool’s players fill me with confidence this season.
Their opening fixtures don’t help their cause but, inevitably, somebody will emerge with form to tempt the good ship that is my Fantasy team towards the jagged rocks of red-arrow oblivion.
Or maybe this year it’ll be different. Firmino might play up front and Coutinho looks good value at 8.0. Then there’s Sadio ‘not another hat-trick?’ Mane to think about.
The problem is, whichever I chose, I’m pretty certain I’ll be choosing be the wrong one. That’s really the challenge; there’s too little to pick between them at the moment and, meanwhile, there’s plenty of comparable and, arguably, safer options to look at elsewhere.
So the short answer is that, for all the undeniable quality and potential in Liverpool’s midfield, a player would have to emerge as a really compelling and consistent option before I can bring myself to look in that direction again.
Mark says…
It’s fortunate that Liverpool’s fixtures are so unappealing early on – that should give us the opportunity to assess matters further before being lured to invest in Klopp’s midfield.
My love/hate relationship with Mane is well known on these pages and inevitably my heart is screaming to side with the Senegalese.
Meanwhile, my head will urge me to play safe and stick with Firmino. He’s the option most likely to be backed by Klopp and a player who could find himself spearheading the Liverpool attack as a false nine – that’s certainly been the case in pre-season.
With 0.5 in change, it seems obvious to opt for the Brazilian, although Mane’s tendency to explode goals remains a nagging concern.
Elsewhere, both Wijnaldum and Countinho cloud the issue further.
Much as I’d like Coutinho’s class to translate to emphatic Fantasy returns, I fear he’ll be reduced to providing the probing passes that go unrewarded, relying on numerous improbable strikes from range to keep his tally ticking.
Firmino ahead of the Gameweek 6 clash with Hull, looks the likely route. I only hope that a slow start will keep his price grounded and that Mane’s output to that point doesn’t turn my head further.
Jonty says…
In my view there are just three main protagonists in the Liverpool midfield, each offering something different depending on your style of Fantasy management.
For the “dullards” amongst us there is Firmino: a known favourite of Klopp who looks the most nailed on of the midfield.
He also has a strong debut season under his belt, accruing 155 points even though it took him around two months to cement himself in the side.
His ten goals, eight assists and 18 FPL bonus points last term also show his game offers broad points potential. It will come as no surprise to reveal that this ‘Steady Eddy’ of Klopp’s unit is this dullard’s top Liverpool midfield target.
For the Maverick there is a Mane. He’s incredibly frustrating and inconsistent, but his explosive potential is tailor made for the risk taking Fantasy manager.
Take last season for example. After failing to score in the Premier League for four months he went on a sensational and unexpected scoring run that included a brace against Liverpool and a hat-trick against Manchester City.
Finally, for the stats obsessives, Coutinho offers a third route.
Last season no other midfielder had more goal attempts than his tally of 111. But with just eight goals from this effort he is a goal explosion that may never arrive.
Paul says…
Roberto Firmino.
I reckon Wijnaldum’s potential will be somewhat diminished by his ability to play in a deeper central midfield role, whilst Coutinho’s underlying numbers will always flatter to deceive – essentially, this is a player who has scored 4.9% and 7.2% of his chances in the last two seasons and lacks a cutting edge.
This leaves Firmino and Sadio Mane as my favoured Liverpool midfield options. Whilst both are versatile enough to play as a “false nine” or in the attacking midfield positions, I simply feel that Firmino is a class above the summer signing from Southampton.
The Brazilian’s output with Klopp in charge underlines his capabilities.
Firmino averaged 5.8 points per match under the German’s guidance last season and, despite Liverpool’s tricky opening schedule, it’s worth bearing in mind that the former Hoffenheim man picked up returns against the likes of Chelsea, Leicester, Man City and Arsenal amongst others in 2015/16.
A player of that calibre, with such fixture-proof potential and priced relatively kindly at 8.5, looks irresistible.
Spencer says…
Some of Klopp’s games last season where a joy to watch, with aggression, directness, and attacking intent all key to Liverpool’s play. With a raft of new acquisitions the German has firmly cemented his ethos in the side and there are high hopes for this season.
Amongst their midfielders, Firmino certainly looks the best option.
He was Liverpool’s top goal scorer last season and has shown the magic that he can produce on the pitch. Added to that, some impressive outings as a false nine position further cement his appeal.
Coutinho has often produced impressive underlying statistics, but his end product has been lacking. The key question is whether Klopp get some consistency from the young Brazilian and whether that will translate to Fantasy points returns.
Meanwhile, Lallana has also shone under Klopp. One could argue that the former Southampton midfielder has played his best football at Liverpool during his tenure. But his starting role has never looked assured since arriving at Anfield.
Then we have the new signings – Mane and Wijnaldum. Both have similar statistics (11 goals and six and five assists respectively) and could yet emerge as strong options under Klopp.
Lack of European competition should ease rotation fears, but it could also breed discontent as those left on the bench become increasingly unsatisfied with their lack of game time.
Fixtures are also tough early on but I don’t think this will hinder Liverpool. They played exceptionally well against many so called bigger sides last season.
As soon as it becomes clear which midfielder is most assured of starts and demonstrates consistency, they are heading straight for my squad.
Applebonkers says…
This is a very interesting one, as are Liverpool as a whole with Klopp’s feet now fully under the table and no European distractions.
Firmino was a quiet colossus once he broke into the side properly and there’s no reason why at 24 he can’t push on even more.
Hamstring injuries and the Europa League kept Coutinho away from blue-star status but there were actually signs of a consistent FPL points scorer developing.
Mane is too mercurial to predict, he may also be more prone to bench-time with Lallana lurking.
Then there’s the dishwater duo of Milner and Henderson. They will play too deep with Milner expected to fill in at left-back and, thanks to Emre Can and Wijnaldum, there’s just too much competition for places.
I’ve got a good feeling about Liverpool this season, I think they’ll overwhelm a lot of sides and rack-up some big wins. Like hairy conjoined twins prepping for the beach, two Brazilians could be the answer here.
