The Burning Question – How to solve the Liverpool midfield conundrum?

The tyranny of choice was never greater than when considering the Liverpool midfield.

Jurgen Klopp has an abundance of talent at his disposal, and that wealth is creating an almighty headache for us Fantasy managers.

It seems highly likely that there will be points aplenty to be had from Reds midfielders this season, but which ones will start consistently? And will any be considered undroppable, particularly with Champions League rotation to be considered as well?

The fact that key assets have now also been reclassified for this season’s Fantasy Premier League game should have decluttered the issue but has actually clouded things even further, as we shall see below.

We canvas the opinion of some leading Fantasy Premier League managers and Fantasy Football Scout staff to ask for their verdict on the third of this season’s Burning Questions: Who is the solution to the Liverpool midfield conundrum?

Ben Crabtree (Reigning FPL Champion & Liverpoolphobe) Says…

Hmm, Liverpool…

Last season they offered numerous options, and the headache may be further enhanced this season. The safe bets look like Philippe Coutinho – if he stays – and Sadio Mane, although Coutinho may play in a slightly less points-effective position with the arrival of Mohamed Salah.

Salah himself has had a great pre-season and could do better than the same-priced Coutinho, although he would have been more tempting at 0.5 less. Then there’s Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum, who both clocked up respectable scores and could prove great value, as well as being differentials.

Lallana, at 7.5, has potential for big Gameweeks but is a greater injury and rotation risk than Wijnaldum who casually hit 149 last season. A repeat would prove very acceptable at 7.0.

Overall, I think with Liverpool’s midfield; you get what you pay for. If you want a higher probability of output, then you have to pay more. If you have one, you may have to ride out some lean spells while others score heavily, but I think they’ll all run in cycles and your choice will eventually reward you.

They’ll likely all score well for their prices, and the best option will probably be different for each quarter of the season.

If the headache is too great then don’t pick any. It’s not necessarily a bad move…

Simon March (FPL Champion 2014/15) Says…

If you believe the back pages, this is a conundrum that is increasingly close to being solved for us, particularly if Coutinho does complete his much-rumoured move to the Camp Nou.

The speculation alone rules him out as an option for me, at least until the transfer window shuts. In my view, that leaves Mane and Salah as the main prospects.

As impressive as Salah has been in pre-season, I think Mane wins out for two reasons. Firstly, he’s a tried-and-trusted FPL performer, tallying double-figures for goals scored in each of his three Premier League seasons and with plenty of assists to boot. He seems to get better and better.

Secondly, at 9.5, he is slightly more expensive than Salah at 9.0. That might sound a little counter-intuitive, but it means Mane is an easy downgrade should Salah start firing or, alternatively, allows a straight swap for the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, who are also both 9.5.

Given that Liverpool’s opposition toughens considerably from Gameweek 3, whereas Spurs’ fixtures appear to ease up, that’s an option Fantasy managers who are backing Liverpool midfield assets might want to have ready in their back pockets.

Peter Kouwenberg (Current Hall of Fame #1) Says…

To death and taxes can be added a third certainty in life: picking the one barren Liverpool midfielder as the others claim a bumper haul (typically away against Arsenal, rather than home to Southampton, just to rub salt into the wound).

This season, with increased risk of rotation, it won’t get any easier.

Mane is back from his lay-off and new boy Salah has been tearing up pre-season. There are even a few under the radar strikers who could wipe the iridescent smile off reclassified striker Roberto Firmino’s face from time to time, as Jürgen Klopp fights on four fronts this season.

When plagued with seemingly impossible questions, I invariably turn to the Book of Paddy for inspiration. Here, we find the Golden Boot odds favour Mane, followed by Firmino and finally Salah, though the margins between the three are fairly narrow – particularly when you consider the cost differences in FPL and Firmino’s positional point penalty.

With assists also factored in, Coutinho could just as easily top the billing by the end of the season. Thanks, Paddy…

So for those who seek to take advantage of Liverpool’s reasonable open fixtures, avoid the reticent ‘wait and see’ approach and don’t own a four-sided dice from those glorious childhood days playing Dungeons and Dragons, I would plump for Salah.

That said, I challenge anyone to list the order in which those four players will finish for points by the end of the season. Crystal balls at the ready, now.

Uwais Ahmed (FPL Runner-up 2016/17) Says…

At the time of writing this, Coutinho remains a Liverpool player.

However, if he did move on to pastures new at Barcelona, this would change the dynamic significantly – they will look to replace him in the squad with someone of similar ilk, so we will have to keep an eye on that.

At the start of last season, Coutinho, Firmino and Mane were all viable candidates for a slot in our midfield. However, doubling up from one team on midfield assets always leaves you a little compromised as there are so many other attractive midfield options from other teams.

Therefore, doubling up on Liverpool assets this season will be a lot easier because Firmino is now classified as a striker, which will allow us to have coverage of other Premier League teams.

Personally, I feel Jurgen Klopp will settle in the long-term on Lallana playing in the double pivot, with Mane, Salah, Coutinho (if he stays) and Firmino occupying the front four slots.

With Lallana being ruled out through injury for two to three months, Jurgen Klopp has talked up the idea of James Milner occupying a midfield role.

Ironically, this changes things up from last season when he played for Liverpool as a left-back but was classed as a midfielder in FPL yet this season, he is classed as a defender (albeit an expensive one), but will probably play in central midfield.

I like Mane, personally, because I believe he has the potential for explosive returns and last season, he was atop the points per match statistic for Liverpool.

One other factor to definitely bear in mind is that penalty duties may well be up for grabs. I would give strong consideration to that player for this added value.

Firmino has taken a penalty in pre-season, but there is no real confirmation as of yet on this point.

Jonty Says…

Search by points per match for last season on the FPL transfer page and the evidence that Liverpool midfielders share points is there in black and white.

While Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Spurs duo Alli and Eriksen broke the six points per match barrier, Liverpool’s Mane, Coutinho and Firmino all failed to reach this landmark.

Instead, they sit in a next best group of players who brought in a respectable but not eye-popping average of more than five points a match.

Nailing the right Liverpool player each Gameweek is tricky and the smart managers last season, like FPL winner Ben above, swerved them altogether.

We would be advised to follow this lead this season, particularly as the forthcoming campaign will see even more competition, with new winger Salah eager to take his share of points.

Having said that, I currently have Mane in my side, with his 9.5 price tag offering the flexibility to hop on an emerging premium midfield bandwagon.

But looking at those points per match figures, I may have just talked myself into ‘doing a Crabtree’.

Paul Says…

Having supplied six of the top 18 scoring FPL midfielders in 2016/17, Liverpool clearly offer a potent source of attacking points under Klopp.

The future of Coutinho may ultimately dictate how we assess the Merseysiders’ Fantasy appeal – if the Brazilian’s mooted move to Barcelona goes through, they will surely need to grab a similarly creative presence to compensate.

To me, Coutinho remains the man that makes Liverpool tick – in terms of frequency; he produced a shot (21.2 minutes) and key pass (34.5) quicker than any team-mate last term. If he stays, and remains injury-free, I’ll certainly be looking to acquire him.

Yet with so much uncertainty surrounding the South American, I currently have Salah as part of my midfield.

Four goals in pre-season not only highlights his form, it also indicates why the Egyptian’s pace will thrive in Liverpool’s 4-3-3 set-up.

In my opinion, Salah and Mane will be equally prolific over the season, yet the price difference of 9.0 to 9.5 is enough to sway me from the off. Meanwhile, Mane’s late return to action over the summer, after finally recovering from a knee problem, could also be a slight factor in the initial stages.

I’m not really into the idea of getting “coverage” of any given side and will have no qualms over opting for two Liverpool midfielders if their output and underlying stats merit it over the course of the campaign.

Mark Says…

I’m currently breaking the cardinal rule of Fantasy Football by backing Salah as my weapon of choice. The unknown quantity.

With the transfer speculation surrounding Coutinho, I’m not going near him for the time being. Firmino’s classification as a forward threw me somewhat and also jarred with my preferred setup of two big-hitters and a budget striker.

That currently leaves me choosing between Salah and Mane.

The latter is proven and, based on last season’s points per match averages, is the Reds midfielder most likely to deliver.

I also love Mane.

I will never forget his “supermarket sweep hat-trick” for Southampton that transformed my Saturday and, arguably, my season.

But Salah has seduced me. A similar option with explosive pace, the price difference and his pre-season form has swayed me. I see him as being more clinical and certainly, more creative.

I’m backing both Salah and Mane to be largely immune from Klopp’s rotation. I just see their pace become such integral weapons, Liverpool will become a blunt instrument without them.

I’ve had line-ups with them both but, with Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku demanding our attention, that’s a big ask.

I’ll try again but, ultimately, it may just be Salah for me.