BOKISSONTHRONE: Rodgers aims to build Liverpool around Suarez and Sturridge partnership

Friday, October 4, 2013

Rodgers aims to build Liverpool around Suarez and Sturridge partnership

In recent weeks the Northen Irishman has opted to field just three defenders, a tactical choice rarely seen in the Premier League.

The decision allows the Reds manager to pack his midfield with creativity and provide service for in-form Sturridge, who has netted seven goals from eight appearances so far this season.

Rodgers aims to build Liverpool around Suarez and Sturridge partnership
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The England international has done well to carry the Merseyside outfit’s attacking threat on his shoulders over the past months, but his burden has been lessened somewhat with the return of Suarez, who scored a brace in his return to top-flight action in their 3-1 win over Sunderland.

And Rodgers revealed he satisfaction with the current set-up’s suitability to getting the best out of the frontmen.

"It's about exploiting the strengths of our players and I think this does it well for us," said the Liverpool chief.

"In Suarez and Sturridge, I've got what I call two 'nine-and-a-halves'.

"They both like to move, they like to drift and they both like to go into the half-positions in between the lines.

"You've got two great players as your front two and then you build the structure around that.

"I'm not the traditional 4-4-2 man and with the players we've got we can make this system work.

"If you have got them [Sturridge and Suarez] through the middle, moving and inter-changing then your structure has to then change behind that and that's obviously something that we have done."

Second-placed Liverpool have enjoyed a positive start to their Premier League campaign and have a chance to leapfrog leaders Arsenal, who play Sunday, with a victory at home to Crystal Palace over the weekend.

Their last appearance at Anfield saw them slip to a surprise, but slim, defeat to Southampton, but Rodgers is adamant they will not fall into that trap again.

"I am not one to dwell on too many negatives," he said.

"We were disappointing in that game, we maybe didn't deserve to lose it but we didn't deserve to win it. We have moved on well.

"There are still lots of areas that we can be better but we have confidence and belief at the moment.

"We are team who are evolving and we are starting to understand that side of football that with every attack you can't score, sometimes you have to disrupt your opponents' organisation and then make goals from there and that requires patience from the players and supporters.

"The beauty for me is that I think we've still got a lot of improvement to make and we'll just look to keep winning the next game."