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6 GOALS 7 ASSISTS - SHOULD LIVERPOOL GO FOR THIS SUPER PLAYMAKER IN SUMMER?
Soccer Souls, UK
March 6 2014
By Shamik Mukherjee on March 7, 2014
It seems that a move for Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan could
still be possible after the Borussia Dortmund man supposedly gave
Liverpool hope in any pursuit for him by keeping himself open to a
possible move. As such, the rumor mill has been churning and Liverpool
all of a sudden are supposed to reignite their interest in a player
they failed to sign one year back.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Last summer, Liverpool failed to sign Mkhitaryan from Ukrainian side
Shakhtar Donetsk as he chose to join Dortmund due to the opportunity
of playing Champions League football for the German side, something
that Liverpool could not provide thanks to their seventh place finish
the season before.
Move forward 9 months and the scenario has changed completely-
Liverpool all of a sudden are playing some of the best football in
Europe and even a title challenge doesn't seem out of the question.
Champions League qualification is almost certain and Liverpool is
currently one of the best attacking sides in Europe. So the question
is should Liverpool go for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the summer?
When Liverpool were courting Mkhitaryan last summer, they were in need
of his services badly as Liverpool was looking for a player who could
run the game in an offensive capacity from just behind the central
striker. His skillset fit in perfectly with what Liverpool were looking
for and hence there was great disappointment when he did not join.
However, now Liverpool have changed their entire setup and play either
in a modified form of 4-3-3 with Suarez and Sturridge taking turns in
a wider role or sometimes even a 4-4-2 with both Suarez and Sturridge
playing centrally. Philippe Coutinho has adapted his game to be the
most offensive minded of the midfield three and the current setup
seems to be working fine for Liverpool.
Hence, the question actually is do Liverpool really need Mkhitaryan?
While one can never have enough quality players in the side, his role
in the current team would be much different to the one he currently
play for Dortmund. His numbers are eerily similar to those of Coutinho,
barring one- his shooting is much more accurate and as a result,
his goal tally is higher than Coutinho's.
So bringing in Mkhitaryan would mean that Liverpool would have two
very similar players fighting for possibly one place in the side,
or worse still it might force Brendan Rodgers to alter the setup to
accommodate both Mkhitaryan and Coutinho which could be detrimental
to the side. It might mean that Coutinho might have to revert to a
wider role once again and that could also block the development of
Raheem Sterling who has been outstanding this season.
Mkhitaryan has 6 goals and 7 assists in Bundesliga this season. A
player of his quality will always managed to carve out a space in the
team, and he might even be Gerrard's successor should the Liverpool
management so decide. However, considering that Liverpool have limited
financial resources and a very thin squad there are other areas that
need more urgent attention and Mkhitaryan should not be at the top
of this summer's shopping list.
http://www.soccersouls.com/2014/03/6-goals-7-assists-should-liverpool-go-for-this-super-playmaker-in-summer/
Soccer Souls, UK
March 6 2014
By Shamik Mukherjee on March 7, 2014
It seems that a move for Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan could
still be possible after the Borussia Dortmund man supposedly gave
Liverpool hope in any pursuit for him by keeping himself open to a
possible move. As such, the rumor mill has been churning and Liverpool
all of a sudden are supposed to reignite their interest in a player
they failed to sign one year back.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Last summer, Liverpool failed to sign Mkhitaryan from Ukrainian side
Shakhtar Donetsk as he chose to join Dortmund due to the opportunity
of playing Champions League football for the German side, something
that Liverpool could not provide thanks to their seventh place finish
the season before.
Move forward 9 months and the scenario has changed completely-
Liverpool all of a sudden are playing some of the best football in
Europe and even a title challenge doesn't seem out of the question.
Champions League qualification is almost certain and Liverpool is
currently one of the best attacking sides in Europe. So the question
is should Liverpool go for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the summer?
When Liverpool were courting Mkhitaryan last summer, they were in need
of his services badly as Liverpool was looking for a player who could
run the game in an offensive capacity from just behind the central
striker. His skillset fit in perfectly with what Liverpool were looking
for and hence there was great disappointment when he did not join.
However, now Liverpool have changed their entire setup and play either
in a modified form of 4-3-3 with Suarez and Sturridge taking turns in
a wider role or sometimes even a 4-4-2 with both Suarez and Sturridge
playing centrally. Philippe Coutinho has adapted his game to be the
most offensive minded of the midfield three and the current setup
seems to be working fine for Liverpool.
Hence, the question actually is do Liverpool really need Mkhitaryan?
While one can never have enough quality players in the side, his role
in the current team would be much different to the one he currently
play for Dortmund. His numbers are eerily similar to those of Coutinho,
barring one- his shooting is much more accurate and as a result,
his goal tally is higher than Coutinho's.
So bringing in Mkhitaryan would mean that Liverpool would have two
very similar players fighting for possibly one place in the side,
or worse still it might force Brendan Rodgers to alter the setup to
accommodate both Mkhitaryan and Coutinho which could be detrimental
to the side. It might mean that Coutinho might have to revert to a
wider role once again and that could also block the development of
Raheem Sterling who has been outstanding this season.
Mkhitaryan has 6 goals and 7 assists in Bundesliga this season. A
player of his quality will always managed to carve out a space in the
team, and he might even be Gerrard's successor should the Liverpool
management so decide. However, considering that Liverpool have limited
financial resources and a very thin squad there are other areas that
need more urgent attention and Mkhitaryan should not be at the top
of this summer's shopping list.
http://www.soccersouls.com/2014/03/6-goals-7-assists-should-liverpool-go-for-this-super-playmaker-in-summer/