Liverpool FC vs AS Roma: What Liverpool fans can expect
TORONTO, CANADA – JULY 21: Adam Morgan #50 of Liverpool is congratulated by Jonjo Shelvey #3 after scoring against Toronto FC during the World Football Challenge friendly match on July 21, 2012 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston
Time: 22:30 GMT(25 July 2012)
04:00 IST(26 July 2012)
Liverpool play their second match of their pre-season tour of the USA against Italian giants AS Roma. Both clubs are coming off a pretty disastrous 2011-2012 season and even though, this match is only a friendly, both teams would be eagerly looking for a win. Both teams have already played one game on the tour, Liverpool drawing 1-1 with Toronto FC and Roma beating Polish side Zaglebie Lubin 4-0.
What we saw in Liverpool’s first game was refreshing for Liverpool fans. Liverpool made 712 attempted passes, 645 of them found their intended target. That is a successful pass percentage of nearly 91%. It should be more of the same from Brendan Rodgers as he attempts to get Liverpool playing free-flowing, penetrating football.
In the first game, it was nice to see the 2 centre-forwards, first Nathan Eccleston and then Adam Morgan pressing the ball high up the pitch, the opposition defenders were not given any time on the ball. Alberto Aquilani and Jonjo Shelvey, not known for their defensive capabilities, did a very good job in midfield. Every player was willing to get on the ball, and also there was a marked improvement in their movement without the ball.
The youngsters were given a chance to impress and the some of them were brilliant. Dani Pacheco and Raheem Sterling with their pace and trickery, Adam Morgan with his predatory instincts and Suso with his seemingly high level of maturity were particularly impressive.
But, arguably the biggest plus from Saturday’s encounter came in the from of the return of Lucas Leiva. Lucas was widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the league till an injury to his knee cruelly stopped him in his tracks. A fit Lucas is key to Rodgers’ style of play because he plays the role of a defensive playmaker wonderfully, and that is a role, which, in this current Liverpool side, only Steven Gerrard can play as well as him.
Gerrard, Andy Carroll, Glen Johnson, Stewart Downing, Martin Kelly, Jordan Henderson and new signing Fabio Borini would have all joined the squad in Boston ahead of the Roma friendly, but it would be a surprise to see any of them play against Roma because they would have had only a couple of days of training.
Against Roma, Rodgers would use largely the same set of players, although Daniel Agger is likely to feature for some part. It would be interesting to see what combinations Rodgers uses upfront. A front 3 of Pacheco, Morgan and Sterling with Suso behind them should be on the field for one of the halves. Joe Cole was disappointing in the opening game and I think he has only this game and the next one against Tottenham in Baltimore to impress Brendan and salvage his Liverpool career.
This could be how Rodgers lines Liverpool up for the game:
One half: Jones, Wisdom, Wilson, Carragher, Enrique, Spearing, Adam, Aquilani, Ibe, Cole, Eccleston
Other half: Gulacsi, Flanagan, Skrtel, Agger, Robinson, Lucas, Shelvey, Suso, Pacheco, Sterling, Morgan
Ofcourse, all this would change if Rodgers deems the England representatives at Euro 2012 and Borini are fit enough to start.