Brendan's new style: Pace and movement

A lot has changed in Liverpool since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers last season. The most notable change could be seen in the gameplay, which now employs a passing system which was unfamiliar to Liverpool in the recent past. For this reason, he signed a number of youngsters like Fabio Borini, Joe Allen etc. as they were used to this style before they came to Liverpool.

But it is a style of play which generally takes some time to get embedded into the team. Rodgers, the team, the owners, and the supporters knew it. As expected, it was taking time; but nevertheless, the team showed improvement game after game. This could be seen in the slow start Liverpool had last season.

As improvement was seen, Rodgers, who was with a mission to elevate Liverpool to a whole new level, decided to sign two more players in January – Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho. Both these players adapted quickly to the Liverpool game, and what they added to the team was even more precious – pace with precision passing. This saw Liverpool going rampant in the second half of the season, as a faster game with improved passing proved much more lethal as compared to the first half of the season.

As the summer neared, Rodgers, with intent to close all the deals as soon as possible, signed four new players within a matter of days – Kolo Toure, Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto and Simon Mignolet. What everyone looked at was that the players were young, except Kolo Toure.

But what else is common in Sturridge, Coutinho, Aspas and Alberto? It is pace and faster movement on and off the ball. This could be a new phase in Liverpool’s passing system. The success of Sturridge and Coutinho could have encouraged Rodgers to sign similar players. Let’s have a look at what these signings could change for the team:

Counter Attacks:

It is also possible that Rodgers would put more effort on counter-attacks, which obviously didn’t work for Liverpool last season. Now all he would need is for these players to link up properly before trying to experiment with counter-attacks, which could be a wonderful move as it could increase the number of chances created by Liverpool.

More options:

Though this factor is secondary compared to the counter-attacking football, it is also important to note that this would give Rodgers more freedom in team selection as he would have more options which could help in a better cup run for Liverpool. He need not tire out the same set of players every game.

The transfer season is getting more exciting and one can’t wait to see the Premier League action begin. Will Rodgers’s signings help him improve the side? Is this a change towards glory for Liverpool? It is difficult to predict, but it has given Liverpool a new look and a brighter future to dream of.