The story of Liverpool’s season so far could perhaps best be described as Jurgen Klopp’s quest to establish a functioning midfield. It has been far from the only issue facing the team but it has certainly dominated discussions among pundits and supporters.
The Reds’ manager has already deployed eight different starting trios in the centre of his side in league and Europe, and that’s before we get to the various other formations which have been tried. Where Klopp’s Liverpool used to play an established 4-3-3 framework with a solid midfield, there are now many questions over who should feature and with what tactics.
And while a whole variety of options have been used, in one sense the Reds have barely scratched the surface of their possibilities. Arthur Melo has only played 13 minutes for the club thanks to injury but it has recently been claimed he could return next month. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s only start came against Derby County in the Carabao Cup, while Curtis Jones has been in the starting XI on just two occasions this season. And that’s before we get to Naby Keita.
