Raheem Sterling offers far more than just pace

After a breakout season in 2013-14, Liverpool attacking midfielder Raheem Sterling has continued where he left off notching 2 goals and an assist in Liverpool's opening three fixtures. What was so impressive about his performances last season was that at just 18-19 years old he proved to already be more than just a raw pacey and athletic player. He certainly exhibited pace in abundance but combined that with a promising composure on the ball, an ability to play a final ball and an adaptability to take on different roles in Brendan Rodger's use of different formations. He was the only bright spot in England's short World Cup campaign this summer and was England's best player in their tepid 1-0 win over Norway Wednesday. With Wayne Rooney still looking off the pace, it probably wouldn't be much of a stretch  to say that along with Liverpool teammate Daniel Sturridge he is.

What's impressed me so much about Sturridge since he hit a fantastic run of form last December that has continued to now is how complete a player he looks. He's far from a slightly built fast player that stays in the channels, sprints past defenders to the endline and plays balls into the box, although he's certainly capable of strong wing play. Despite being just 5'7" he has deceptive strength which has allowed him to play centrally at the top of a midfield diamond when Rodger's has gone with a diamond 4-4-2 without being bullied out of games by more physically imposing holding midfielders and center backs. Since the start of last season he gets dispossessed 2.0 times per game, an impressively low number for a player that runs at defenders as much as Sterling. By comparison Sturridge is dispossessed 3.3 times per game, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey is dispossessed 2.3 times per game. The arrival of Mario Balotelli means Liverpool have two strikers that will expect to play each week so the diamond 4-4-2 should be a formation we see plenty of from Liverpool. They played it in last Sunday in Balotelli's debut in a 3-0 win over Tottenham with Sterling in a central role. He scored the opener but equally impressive was his willingness to compete in crowded central areas.

Sterling also possesses decent vision and passing range in the final third. He's played 2.3 key passes per game this season which puts him in the top 20 in the Premier League. His 5 assists last season was an impressive tally and one he'll expect to better this campaign. He showed his full range of passing in the Norway, twice setting up Sturridge with good goal scoring opportunities. The first of those opportunities came from a clever perfectly weighted backheel in the penalty area (0:34 below), the second from a perfectly weighted diagonal ball over the top that Sturridge tipped over the bar (0:49).

He often has the poise in front of goal of a good striker (his bizarre baby strike that led to his manager's "he was in the box like Ricky Villa and finished it like Ricky Gervais" comment aside) best illustrated by his outrageously patient opener against Manchester City last season in which he twice simultaneously takes Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart the wrong direction to slot in comfortably. The finish is all the more impressive considering it came in Liverpool's biggest match since Istanbul and, again, this from a player that is not yet 20.

His ability to beat defenders is the area of his game that receives the most attention and for good reason. He's a nightmare for defenders when games open up and Liverpool are allowed space to play quickly on the break. His 3 successful dribbles per game this season is second only to Eden Hazard. However, his movement off the ball is also noteworthy. He times his runs well and gets himself into dangerous goal scoring positions in the box.

The one area of his game that needs the most improvement is the consistency of his passing. His 80% pass success rate from last season to the start of this campaign is hardly poor for an attacking midfielder, particularly because Liverpool often played a very quick, vertical passing game that doesn't call for possession for possession's sake. However, he is a bit too loose with his passing at times and doesn't always select the right pass. When inferior opponents defend deeper and force Liverpool to patiently unlock them, it'll be important he's just a bit tidier in possession.

It will be important for Liverpool's success that Rodgers uses Sterling wisely. At 19 he's likely to feel some fatigue after his first season of weekly involvement in the first team and a summer without a break. With Liverpool also competing in Europe Rodgers will need to find games to get him some rest to get the best out of him. Last season we saw a decline in the form of Chelsea's Oscar after a tremendous debut 2012-2013 season due largely to fatigue attributable to the number of games he accumulated over the previous season and two previous summers with Brazil. As tempting as it is to select someone as gifted as Sterling every match, he'll need recovery time to avoid a similar second season decline. However, if managed well all signs are that he should have a bright future ahead.

Mistakes and poor game management define Everton, Chelsea 9 goal thriller

Chelsea's 6-3 win over Everton at Goodison Park was a surprisingly open and sloppy affair. Roberto Martinez and Jose Mourinho are both managers that meticulously prepare tactics for individual opponents and neither would have instructed or wanted their respective side's to turn this into a wide open shootout. The two league matches between the sides last season both ended with 1-0 wins for the home team. Another match between two well-organized outfits was expected yesterday.

Chelsea's two goals inside the opening three minutes from Diego Costa and Ivanovic came from the Everton back four stepping forward too late to draw the visitors offside. Costa's opener highlighted the new threat he brings to Chelsea's attack. Too often last season Mourinho's side lacked a vertical threat in behind the opposition defense. Costa is happy to make those runs and his work rate off the ball is prodigious. He's strong and powerful enough to play with his back to goal and mobile enough to work the channels and dart in behind the defense. We saw all of those aspects of his game yesterday.

At 2-0 up away from home Chelsea unsurprisingly dropped deeper into an organized defensive shape and allowed Everton to have the bulk of possession. For the first time in the league this season Mourinho used two defensive players in the deep midfield roles, Matic and Ramires, and moved Fabregas higher up the pitch in the #10 role. With Ramires and Matic providing a shield for the back four, Chelsea would have been confident in their ability to deal with Everton's forays into the attacking third then exploit space on the break. For 41 minutes the game went the way Mourinho would have wanted- Chelsea looked relatively comfortable defending despite Everton having more of the ball. Mirallas's opener on the stroke of halftime from a Seamus Coleman cross after a beautifully worked move entirely changed the course of the match. With Everton re-energized and getting increased numbers forward to chase the equalizer, the game really opened up.

Everton deserve credit for how they stretched the Chelsea defense using the full width of the pitch. They switched the point of attack from side to side, forcing Matic and Ramires away from the middle towards the channels to offer support when Everton overloaded those areas with the wide midfielders and overlapping fullbacks. The two Chelsea holding midfielders were therefore far more stretched than they'd have wanted to be and Everton were able to find gaps in the midfield.

Everton's problems of course stemmed from poor team defending. Their defensive shape was too loose, leaving too much space for Chelsea's dangerous attackers to expose. On three separate occasions they scored to cut Chelsea's lead to a goal. It was vitally important they shore up the defense and remain within touching distance but they were too careless in pressing for the equalizer on each of those occassions. Conceding five minutes and then one minute after cutting the visitor's lead to one would have been maddeningly frustrating for Martinez. It was testament to his side's character that they continued to fight back but that won't diminish the fact this was a chaotic and undisciplined performance.

Only Chelsea and Manchester City conceded fewer goals than Everton last season. They've already conceded 10 in three games, worst in the Premier League. Most frustratingly for Martinez, they've played well for large chunks of the three matches but have been undone by short spells of lapses. They'll be disappointed with two points from three but have showed enough to suggest they can have another successful season.

Mourinho will be irritated with his side's inability to close the contest out earlier. Efficient game management is something he demands from his sides and Chelsea failed on that front yesterday. However, he'll be pleased to get a result from a very tricky away fixture and will be thrilled with the immediate impact of Costa. He lamented Chelsea's lack of in form striker last season and appears to have addressed that problem with Costa.

Manchester United fail to expoit numerical advantage in middle of pitch

Manchester United's poor start to the season continued with a 0-0 draw away to Burnley. Louis Van Gaal's side were aided by the debut of Angel Di Maria who started at the base of midfield alongside Darren Fletcher. The only other change from the side that drew 1-1 last weekend at Sunderland was Johnny Evans into the back three for the injured Chris Smalling.

In theory Burnley should have been the ideal opponent for Van Gaal's side to gain a bit of confidence in their new 3-4-1-2 shape. The home side set out in a 4-4-2, a formation that has a number of disadvantages against 3-5-2 on paper.

In a 3-5-2 vs. 4-4-2 match up, the 3-5-2 side has a 3 v. 2 advantage in defense, a 3 v. 2 advantage in midfield and a 2 v. 2 up front, meaning the opposition doesn't have a spare center back to provide cover. In effect, Burnley were outnumbered 4 to 5 in the middle of the pitch in attacking areas.

With the spare man in midfield, Juan Mata would have expected to to find plenty of space to work in between Burnley's defensive and midfield lines. However, the home side did an excellent job keeping the space compact between the lines. The center midfielders David Jones and Dean Marney and center backs Jason Shackell and Michael Duff stuck tight to one another, limiting the space for Mata to operate between them. Mata saw plenty of the ball and completed 39 of 40 passes but he was forced to drop in front of Burnley's midfield and towards the channels to get on the ball so that he was always separated from his forwards by the Burnley midfield. Rarely did he get on the ball behind the Burnley midfield where he could turn and play penetrating passes for Rooney and Van Persie behind the Burnley center backs. Mata played just 4 passes to Rooney and just 1 to Van Persie throughout the match. United had just 1 first half shot and finished the match with only 2 shots on target.

Di Maria was quite good overall but it doesn't seem as though 3-5-2 is a shape that has a natural position for him. From his deeper midfield position today he struggled to get into areas of space where he had the opportunity to run with the ball in space, something he did so well playing as the left center midfielder in Real Madrid's 4-3-3 last season. Today he would frequently drop deep to get the ball from Fletcher and the United center backs. He showed his long passing quality from these deeper positions, with one particularly tasty diagonal ball to Van Persie coming to mind, but he's at his very best moving towards the left channel and combining with the wide men in space.

Di Maria also played higher up the pitch than Ander Herrera or Tom Cleverley had alongside Fletcher in United's first two league games. This left Fletcher with a lot of defensive work to do on his own in front of the back three. The lone holder isn't a role Fletcher is especially suited to. New arrival Daley Blind can play one of the holding positions and we saw Herrera start in that spot for United's opener. If one of those two partner Fletcher or play with one another in the deep midfield roles, where does Di Maria play? He could play the Mata role behind the two forwards but then you're forced to leave a gifted creative player on the bench. Alternatively he could certainly play wing back given his energy, tactical intelligence and willingness to work for the team but then do you really want to give your side's most dynamic attacking player that much defensive responsibility?

Van Gaal's reason for playing 3-5-2 was largely that it allowed him to play Van Persie, Rooney and Mata all in their favored positions. While most of the attention has been paid to the squad's poor defending with the new shape, it's been shocking just how impotent they are in the attack. Four games is too quickly to implement a new system but when a formation allows a front three of Mata, Rooney and Van Persie and you manage just two goals against a newly promoted side and two sides that battled relegation last season it's a worrying sign.

Valencia too cautious, United lack pace

Louis Van Gaal's Manchester United side again looked disjointed and confused in today's 1-1 draw away to Sunderland, his second in charge.

Van Gaal has stressed that his 3-5-2 system will take time to implement and two games is surely too soon to scrap the system altogether. However, he must have genuine concerns over how the players he has available to him fit into the formation.

Valencia too cautious

The positioning of the wing backs today was particularly concerning. Sunderland lined up in their usual 4-3-3 shape. The battle in the middle of midfield was straightforward- Cattermole vs. Mata, Larsson vs. Cleverley and Rodwell vs. Fletcher. Buckley dropped from his attacking position wide on the right for Sunderland to track Ashley Young going forward. This allowed the right back Vergini to keep a narrow position close to John O'Shea since he didn't have a direct opponent to mark. He was the spare defender meaning he could help O'Shea and Brown track the runs of Rooney and Van Persie. Whereas Buckley tracked Young on the right side of Sunderland's defense, on the other side of the pitch Connor Wickham stayed high up the pitch from his left forward position rather than tracking Antonio Valencia. Valencia was therefore free to receive the ball in space on the right channel. When he received the ball it forced Van Aanholt to quickly move wide from a narrow left back position to close him down. For United's opener Van Aanholt didn't close down quickly enough- Valencia beat him towards the end line then cut back across the face of goal for an easy Mata tap in. That should have been on all afternoon but for whatever reason Valencia was incredibly cautious with his positioning as the game progressed, playing more as a conventional right back than a wing back. Too rarely did he push high up the pitch to get the ball in wide areas and force Van Aanhalt into the channels away from goal (diagram below). It was strange Valencia wasn't more adventurous. He seems by far the player most suited to play wing back in United's side. He's played both right back and right winger, has pace, is a good crosser and is very disciplined about performing his defensive duties. This should be a role he can excel in once he learns it.

Buckley drops in on right to man mark Young. Wickham stays high on other side of pitch leaving Valencia space to attack down right channel. Valencia however wasn't adventurous enough with his positioning, playing more as a standard right back than wing back.

No Pace

In his match commentary Danny Mills made the astute point that one of the major differences between Louis Van Gaal's Holland side at the World Cup and this Manchester United side is that Holland had Arjen Robben, a player with pace that has the ability to relieve pressure by carrying the ball 40 yards on the break. For all of their qualities, Juan Mata, Rooney and Van Persie aren't particularly fast and therefore United don't pose a huge threat on the counter. They don't have a player who can shuttle the ball forward quickly into attacking zones.

The lack of pace in the United squad and the inability to counter that that causes means it's important for United to control possession and create chances through clever movement in the attacking third and decisive passing. Right now they don't have good enough midfielders to control the game. They need one of the two deeper lying midfielders to dictate the tempo of the game and get the ball into the front three of Mata, Rooney and Van Persie. Tom Cleverley and Darren Fletcher are not going to give you that. Perhaps Ander Herrera, who missed today with an injury, will but for now United's midfield passing looks methodical and far too slow. Again, the poor positioning of the wing backs doesn't help in the side's ability to control the match and advance into the attacking third. They need to be in front of the ball to offer the center midfielders a forward passing option in wide areas. Young was trying to push on but was being man marked by Buckley, Valencia was unmarked but took up incredibly deep positions.

Grading the young players at the Premier League's top clubs

I looked at the age of the 11 starting players for each of the 20 Premier League teams in match week 1 in order to get an idea of how teams were balancing the use of promising youthful players and more experienced veterans (you can see that information in the chart on the previous post). For the sake of this post I was most interested in seeing to what extent the clubs likely to contest for the league title and Champions League places over the next 5 years (I look at Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United) are using young players (which I define as younger than 25). Clubs with older squads will of course have to spend more on incoming transfers in future seasons in order to revamp their squads and remain competitive. This could be significant given that FFP should in theory restrict the ability of clubs financed by super wealthy owners like Manchester City and Chelsea to spend as they wish. The days of those clubs bringing in five or more big name transfers in a single window are likely gone. It is therefore seemingly more important for big squads to have young players that can contribute well into the future or can be sold at a premium price to finance the purchase of other players.

There are of course limitations with looking at just one week of games and we can't make sweeping predictions based on this data. The absence of a young player or two due to injury or fitness will skew the data if they were replaced by significantly older players. Likewise, the opposite is true- veterans who normally start but were forced to miss the opening week and were replaced by young ones (eg Calum Chambers replaced Per Mertesacker at Arsenal) will skew the data the other way.

The measure of squad youthfulness I looked at was the number of players a squad had under 25. I'll discuss the quality of those players for each club and what they suggest the future may hold for their respective clubs.

Arsenal

Arsenal started more players under 25 than any other club in match week 1 with 6- Wojciech Szczesny (24), Jack Wilshere (22), Calum Chambers (19), Aaron Ramsey (23), Kieran Gibbs (24) and Yaya Sanogo (21). This isn't terribly surprising. Arsene Wenger has always had a talent for developing young players and the faith in them to play them. Szczesny isn't always the most convincing keeper but seemed to improve his decision making and propensity for big errors last season. Wilshere was the most hyped of all of Arsenal's young players and although it would be unfair to say he's been a disappointment, he's maybe not quite as far along in his development as some would have expected by now. Injuries haven't helped but it's difficult to say whether his best position is a #10 or more of a box-to-box #8. At the moment Arsenal have more talented players in both positions. Gibbs is a solid, reliable left back. Ramsey endured a difficult spell after suffering that horrific broken leg but surprisingly emerged last season as one of the Premier League's outstanding midfielders. He's athletic enough to track back and win tackles and run past defenders with the dribble, has the vision and passing ability to provide the final ball in attacking third and a strikers finishing ability in the penalty area- a true all around midfielder. The jury is still very much out on Yaya Sanogo. He looked awkward, uncoordinated and totally out of his place in his appearances last season and although he enjoyed a solid preseason, his performance in Arsenal's opening day win over Crystal Palace suggested he's along way from being good enough to play for a side hoping to contest the title. Joel Campbell (22) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (21) were on the subs bench for Arsenal with Oxlade-Chamberlain coming on in the second half. Both players look promising. Along with this collection of players under 25. Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez are all just 25. Arsenal appear to be in fairly good shape for the future in they can retain their players.

Young player grade: A

Manchester United

Manchester United have plenty of youthful players but not enough have shown they have the quality to play at a club with such consistently high expectations. Of the five players under 25 that started their opening day defeat to Swansea, Tyler Blackett (20) and Jesse Lingard (21) were making their Manchester United debuts. Phil Jones (22) and Chris Smalling (24) are solid enough squad players but have yet to establish themselves as first team regulars and they need to step up their performances in defense after the summer departures of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. For me Jones looks the more likely to do so. Only goalkeeper David De Gea (23) has been a regular starter at the club. At 25, new midfield signing Ander Herrera is still quite young and an upgrade on Tom Cleverley (also 25) while 26 year old Juan Mata should still have several seasons remaining at his peak. Danny Welbeck's (23) energy and work rate are useful off the bench but he's never given the impression he'll be a 20 goal a season scorer. New signing Marcos Rojo (24) offers versatility at the back- he can play center back or left wing back- and has big game experience having started in 6 of Argentina's 7 World Cup games including the final. Luke Shaw (19) was excellent at Southampton last season and came with a hefty price tag. Louis Van Gaal was unimpressed with his fitness this summer and he's probably more suited to playing as a traditional fullback in a four man defense than a wing back in Van Gaal's 3-4-1-2 but LVG is tactically flexible and may well change shape in the near future. United's key big players Wayne Rooney (28), Robin Van Persie (31) and Michael Carrick (33) all have their best years behind them. Van Gaal has never been afraid to install youth players and he'll need to consider how he'll replace those three sooner rather than later.

Young player grade: B

Tottenham

Tottenham can be cautiously optimistic about [most of] their five young starters from week 1- (Christian Eriksen (22), Nabil Bentaleb (19), Eric Dier (20), Danny Rose (24) and Erik Lamela (22). Eriksen already established himself as a quality Premier League player in his first season, compiling 7 league goals and 8 assists. Bentaleb started in 3 of Algeria's 4 games at the World Cup and should continue to get opportunities to develop under Mauricio Pochettino, who showed in his time at Southampton he's more than happy to field capable youngsters. Dier's Spurs debut got off to a flying start as he picked up a stoppage time winner over Spurs and MOTM honors. Danny Rose is inconsistent and prone to errors but Spurs have just signed 21 year old Ben Davies from Swansea. Davies became a regular starter early last season under Michael Laudrup and was a surprising success- he could secure the left back position over Rose. The verdict is out on Lamela- Spurs' record signing was certainly a disappointment in his first season, struggling to get a game before succumbing to injury- but he enjoyed a strong preseason and should enjoy a stronger rapport with fellow countrymen Pochettino than with Tim Sherwood in the second half of last season. Spurs are also currently missing 24 year old right back Kyle Walker through injury. Walker is exceptionally athletic and likely would have been England's starting right back at the World Cup. Under Pochettino the young players will get their chances.

Young player grade: B

Liverpool

Four of Liverpool's five starters under 25 played an integral part in the Merseyside outfit's impressive second place finish last season. Daniel Sturridge scored 21 goals, second only to then teammate Luis Suarez in the Premier League. Raheem Sterling was something of a revelation, scoring 9 goals and assisting 5. Coutinho's 7 goals and 7 assists were likewise impressive while Jordan Henderson provided 4 goals and 7 assists of his own as he improved vastly from the previous season. Those four players combined for 41 goals and 28 assists. Liverpool's fifth starter under 25 from match week 1 was right back Javier Manquillo, on loan from Atletico Madrid. Brendan Rodgers has also added 20 year old winger Lazar Markovic from Benfica, a player with high expectations after impressing in Portugal. Liverpool look poised for a bright future but like Arsenal need to do what they can to hold on to their best players.

Young player grade: A

Chelsea

Chelsea boast an outrageously talented collection of young players. Of their five starters under 25 in match week one, Cesar Azpilicueta, Oscar, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois were all regular starters at the World Cup. The fifth player, Andre Schurrle, was Germany's second leading scorer off the bench and provided the assist for Mario Gotze's winner in the final. Add in Diego Costa (25), Willian (26) and Nemanja Matic (26), it's a Chelsea side you'd expect to remain stable for quite some time. Chelsea also won the under-21 Premier League last season though few of the club's youth players end up getting a chance with the senior side. After years spent shelling out on big money signings at or just past the peak of their best, Chelsea's recent signing of younger talent bodes well for the future.

Young Player Grade: A

Manchester City

The five teams that started five or more players under 25 make up five of the six Premier League teams you'd expect to compete for a top four finish consistently. The sixth, Manchester City, have quite a different squad makeup. The defending league champions started just one player under 25 in match week one, forward Stevan Jovetic. New center back signing Eliaquim Mangala is the only other City player under 25 likely to play any sort of a prominent role this season. Jovetic and Matija Nastasic are the only City players under 25 to have appeared in more than 10 league games last season; Nastasic is certain to depart for Italy before the transfer window closes after the arrival of Mangala. The lack of young players in the squad suggests the club aren't terribly concerned with FFP compliance in the coming years since they'll need to continue to purchase players as current squad members pass their peak. City's plethora of veteran players with title winning experience certainly contributed in part to their success last season but in the near future its squad will need an overhaul.  With FFP City won't be able to make that overhaul in one transfer window. Of City's five signings last summer only Jovetic is under 25 while Fernandinho is 29, Jesus Navas is 28, Alvaro Negredo is 29 and Martin Demichelis is 33. They need to start making signings with an eye towards the future. Their U-21 side finished 4th in the U-21 Premier League last season so there are promising young players at the club but, like Chelsea, promotion to the senior squad for youth players has been all but impossible in recent years.

Young player grade: C-

Rodgers starts in 4-2-3-1 then makes changes

4-2-3-1 has been the popular formation in the Premier League the last few seasons but one that Brendan Rodgers did not use during his side's surprising second place finish last season. Rodgers has stated he prefers 4-3-3 with a single holding midfielder and two runners over 4-2-3-1 because it allows for more vertical passing options. He's stated that in 4-2-3-1 the two holding midfielders can often end up playing too many harmless side to side passes to one another. You can hear Rodgers explain in the video below.

One of the big pluses with 4-2-3-1 of course is that two deep lying holders provide better cover for the back four than one. When Liverpool played 4-3-3 or a diamond 4-4-2 last season, Steven Gerrard operated as the lone holder. Gerrard is a fantastic player but isn't always positionally disciplined and at 34 isn't as mobile as he once was. As a result, Liverpool's defense was often left too exposed. They scored a remarkable 101 goals but conceded 50, 13 more than the Manchester City side that would beat them to the title and 23 more than Chelsea. Their capitulation at Selhurst Park after going 3-0 up in the penultimate game of the season, a game that would end 3-3 and all but give City the title, summed up Liverpool's biggest problem in an otherwise great season- they were incredibly fluid and could score with ease but struggled to change their approach and tighten things up when circumstances dictated they should do so.

Perhaps as a result of his side's openness last season, Rodgers opted for a 4-2-3-1 today with Lucas and Gerrard holding in front of the back four. Liverpool were certainly more solid and compact defensively. They did not get as stretched on the counter and Southampton didn't create much the opening 45 minutes. However, they also offered far less penetrative passing than we saw last season. When Liverpool play 4-3-3 (or 4-1-4-1 if you prefer) and Gerrard gets the ball in deep areas he generally has 4 midfielders in front of him to play forward passes into- the two shuttling center midfielders, Coutinho and Allan likely candidates, and the two wide midfielders (Figure 2). As a result Liverpool play more vertically, get forward more quickly and have more players in the attacking third. In the 4-2-3-1, Lucas sits alongside Gerrard, leaving him with only 3 midfielders higher up the pitch to play forward passes into- the #10 (Coutinho today) and the two wide midfielders (Sterling and Henderson today). When the opposition defends in banks of four as Southampton did today, having three attacking midfielders in advance of Gerrard rather than the four we see in a 4-3-3 makes it easier to defend- Southampton's midfield bank of 4 has a 4 v. 3 advantage in the midfield zone (Figure 1). As a result, Liverpool played a lot of sideways passes between the holding midfielders and center backs and struggled to funnel the ball into the attacking third at pace.

Figure 1: Three advanced midfielders for Gerrard to pass to with Liverpool in 4-2-3-1 formation. Opposition has 2 v. 1 advantage on Coutinho in Liverpool's attacking midfield zone.

Figure 2: Four advanced midfielders for Gerrard to pass to with Liverpool in a 4-3-3 formation. Attacking midfield zone is now 2 v. 2. Wanyama and Schneiderlin each have a direct opponent.

After Southampton equalized, Rodgers switched to his more attacking 4-3-3 shape replacing Lucas with Joe Allen. Although the shape gives Liverpool more attacking thrust, immediately we saw some of the same defensive problems Liverpool were faced with when they played that formation last season. Gerrard was left to shield the back four on his own and almost immediately Liverpool conceded possession with Gerrard out of position towards the left wing. With no one patrolling the center of the park for Liverpool, James Ward-Prowse got the ball in acres of space in the middle of the pitch and was able to drive uncontested at the Liverpool center backs. The 19 year old Southampton midfielder made the wrong choice in trying to shoot from 25 yards out with better passing options on either side of him but a more experienced side will punish Rodgers' side for allowing themselves to become that open.

Rodgers then replaced Coutinho with Rickie Lambert and moved to 4-4-2. With Allen higher up the pitch than Gerrard Liverpool were even more open and Southampton continued to threaten. Liverpool got the winner however, more as a result of some good fortune and hesitant Southampton defending then Rodgers' tactical changes. Lambert appeared to handle the ball on the sideline in the build up to Liverpool's goal then Southampton failed to deal with the second ball after Clyne initially headed clear a Henderson cross. Sterling nodded Clyne's header towards an unmarked Sturridge at the back post for a tap in.

Incredibly, with his side continuing to look stretched defensively in midfield, Rodgers elected not to use his third sub to bring on a third central midfielder for Sturridge or Sterling. Emre Can seemed like the obvious choice. Instead Sterling, Sturridge and Lambert all stayed high up the pitch and Liverpool defended with a midfield three of Gerrard, Allen and Henderson. Southampton continued to be dangerous and Liverpool were fortunate to escape with the three points. Morgan Schneiderlin rattled the crossbar for Southampton and Shane Long missed an open net with a follow up header.

Rodgers is an excellent manager, adept at changing systems while still getting his sides to play fluid, coherent football. However, his decisions today seemed strange. At home against a side gutted by players departing on summer transfers, you'd have thought he'd be a bit more adventurous with his team selection and gone with a 4-3-3 from the outset. Yet when the circumstances of the match dictated he should make cautious changes, he did not.

Summer signings strengthen Chelsea considerably, no excuses this time for Mourinho

Throughout the 2013-2014 Premier League season Jose Mourinho expressed to the media that his Chelsea side were not yet ready to compete for the Premier League title, that they shouldn't be viewed as contenders until next season. This was a classic Mourinho example of attempting to deflect pressure from his side but one he won't be able to cling to this time around. Next season has arrived and anything less than a league title for Chelsea will be perceived as a disappointment.

Despite their lack of a quality striker and talented but relatively young and inexperienced group of attacking midfielders- factors Mourinho rarely missed an opportunity to point out throughout 2013-14- Chelsea's third place finish was largely disappointing. Just one loss against top 6 opposition and 16 out of a possible 18 points against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City should have been enough to see the Blues crowned champions. An inability to switch from a reactive, counterattacking style to a more proactive one against weaker opposition ultimately cost Mourinho a third Premier League title.

Those troubles against weaker opposition were largely due to the lack of an in form #9 and a creative presence in the middle of midfield, areas Mourinho has addressed this summer with the signings of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. Costa scored 36 goals in all competitions on his way to a La Liga title and Champions League runner up finish with Atletico Madrid last season. Chelsea's three strikers Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba scored a combined 31 goals.

Last season was the first in which Costa scored more than 10 league goals and he failed to impress in Spain's difficult World Cup campaign, leaving some to question whether he may yet prove to be a one season wonder. Early signs are good for Chelsea however- he's scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists in 5 preseason appearances.

With Ba and Eto'o shipped out over the summer, Mourinho has brought Didier Drogba back to the club where he's cemented his status as a legend. Drogba and Torres will provide some depth at center forward but it's difficult to see Chelsea winning the title if Costa misses an extended period of time with injury.

The creativity Fabregas brings to midfield should be a huge lift for Chelsea as well. Following Juan Mata's January sale to Manchester United Chelsea lacked a player in the middle of the pitch that could unlock crowded defenses with a clever pass. As precocious a talent as Chelsea's current center attacking midfielder Oscar is, his biggest attributes are his tireless off the ball running and fantastic ability to press the opposition high up the pitch. However, he does not yet have the vision to pick apart teams with his final third passing. He provided just 2 assists in 33 league appearances. Fabregas provided 13 at Barcelona, second only to Angel Di Maria in La Liga.

Crucially, Fabregas can also play in a slightly deeper role, replacing Ramires alongside Nemanja Matic in Chelsea's 4-2-3-1 formation which would allow 3 of Oscar, Eden Hazard, Andre Schurrle, Willian and Mohamed Salah to take up the attacking midfield positions behind Diego Costa. Ramires will still get opportunities in midfield. His defensive ability and prodigious midfield running make him an incredibly effective player when Chelsea play on the counter. But, when he plays alongside Matic against teams that sit deep, Chelsea tend to move the ball too slowly and too horizontally. Matic is a classic defensive holding midfielder, Ramires is a shuttler. Neither player is a deep lying creator. Teams will drop into a compact defensive shape, deny passing lanes into Chelsea's talented attacking midfielders and allow Matic and Ramires time on the ball knowing they'll likely play horizontal passes out to the fullbacks. Fabregas brings greater creativity and vision to that deeper lying midfield position. If the defense drops off and gives him time on the ball he can dictate the rhythm of Chelsea's play and pick out dangerous forward passes.

At the back, the purchase of Atletico Madrid left back Filipe Luis will add depth to a Chelsea defense that conceded 10 fewer goals than any other side last season. His purchase should allow Cesar Azpilicueta to switch back to his favored right back position although I'd expect Mourinho to start the season off with the same back four he used last term- Branislav Ivanovic at right back, John Terry and Gary Cahill partnering at centerback and Azpilicueta at left back. The addition of Filipe Luis means that Ivanovic can be used as an experienced center back off the bench if Cahill or Terry pick up an injury- important given David Luiz's summer move to PSG.

Mourinho will be left with a difficult decision over who to start in goal, albeit one he'll be happy to be faced with. Thibaut Courtois was Europe's outstanding keeper at Atletico last season but Mourinho has always put faith in experienced players so I wouldn't be terribly shocked if he starts the season with Cech. I do think it's important Courtois becomes the #1 at some point this season though- taking the world's top young keeper away from a situation he was enjoying in Madrid to sit on the bench would not bode well for Mourinho's relationship with Courtois in the future. 

Chelsea's wealth of young attacking midfielders should continue to progress in their second year under Mourinho. Hazard dazzled at times last season but Mourinho will look for more consistency and a better defensive work rate this time around. Andre Schurrle is coming off a fantastic World Cup in which he scored 3 goals and provided the winning assist to Mario Goetze in the final, all coming off the bench. Willian combines the tactical discipline Mourinho demands with genuine ability on the ball. Oscar struggled in the second half of last season, a problem blamed largely on fatigue after playing the Olympics and Cofederations Cup for Brazil in consecutive summers. Coming off another busy summer at the World Cup he'll be playing his third straight year without a meaningful break. Mourinho will need to use him wisely and at times sparingly.

With the talent at Mourinho's disposal anything less than a league title will be considered a disappointment. The Portuguese manager is generally very good at preparing his sides against other title challengers and you wouldn't expect that to change this time around. Whether he wins a third Premier League will likely depend on whether Chelsea can adopt a more proactive style of football when it's required of them. The numbers make for frustrating reading for Chelsea supporters: they finished 4 points behind Manchester City and dropped 10 out of 12 points to Aston Villa (1-0 loss), Crystal Palace (1-0 loss), Sunderland (2-1 loss, Mourinho's first home league defeat) and Norwich (0-0 draw) in the final two months of the season. If they get it right more consistently against weaker opposition they have every chance of dethroning City.

Plenty of reasons for optimism at Arsenal

The mood surrounding Arsenal has changed dramatically since the same time last year when the club were coming off an 8th consecutive season without a trophy and going into their season opener having failed to make a significant summer signing. That opener ended with an embarrassing 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa. An increasingly frustrated Arsenal fan base implored Arsene Wenger to spend the sums of money required to bring in established, world class players. Wenger obliged, shattering the club's previous record signing on Mesut Ozil a day after Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0 for their 4th straight win after that opening day defeat. The Gunners went on a blistering run of form and were top of the league as late as match week 23. Key injuries and a dip in form that saw four heavy defeats to Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton derailed Arsenal's title challenge. The season ended on a high however after their FA Cup triumph over Hull, a win that has certainly had a meaningful impact on the psyche of the club this summer. Rather than the narrative heading into this campaign being focused on a poor second half of last season, another 4th place finish and a 9th trophyless season, a huge weight has been lifted off of the shoulders of Wenger and his players and they'll be approaching this season with a sense of optimism not felt at the Emirates in some time.

Important summer signings will have increased those good vibes. Alexis Sanchez is an immensely talented player that will increase Arsenal's tactical flexibility. He can play on the right of a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, as the lone striker in those two formations or even alongside Olivier Giroud in more of a 4-4-2. He can dribble past defenders, provide the final ball and is a gifted finisher. His 21 goals in all competitions last season at Barcelona was second only to Messi. He provided 11 assists- tied with Messi and Pedro behind Cesc Fabregas's 14. Key to Arsenal will be his eagerness to make runs in behind the back four. After Theo Walcott's injury in January, the Gunners lacked a vertical threat in behind the defense. Giroud is a striker that links play well and plays with his back to goal but doesn't offer the pace to dart behind the defense. Sanchez will make those runs and in Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere has three midfielders that ranked in the top 6 in the Premier League in accurate through balls per game.

Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil were all in the top 6 in accurate through balls per game (stats via whoscored.com)

Sanchez's ability to rotate in as the lone center forward will also be key in providing Wenger with depth at that position. Giroud was Arsenal's only battle-tested center forward last season and was therefore forced to feature in nearly all of Arsenal's games- his 51 appearances was second only to Per Mertesacker. Unsurprisingly, his form tailed off in the back half of the season after a strong start as fatigue set in. Yaya Sanogo's strong preseason should see him feature more this campaign, providing further depth up front.

The gap in squad depth between the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea and Arsenal has shortened considerably over the last couple of years meaning the Gunners should be better able to cope with a congested fixture list with fewer injuries than in past seasons (the acquisition of renowned American fitness coach Shad Forsythe should also help). In Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil, Sanchez, Walcott, Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Abou Diaby, Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell, Arsenal have 11 strong options to play in the 5 midfield positions in their usual 4-2-3-1 shape. While Arsenal supporters maybe wouldn't be comfortable with some of those players featuring in the most difficult fixtures, they're all good enough to get results in a domestic cup and provide valuable rest for the 7 or 8 midfielders expected to play the most minutes in the league and Champions League.

The sale of Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona means Wenger should sign an additional center back before the end of the transfer window. As of now Arsenal's only cover at center back in the senior squad is new signing Calum Chambers. While the former Southampton player has impressed in preseason in the middle of defense and appears to be one for the future, he's still just 19 and his only Premier League experience has come as a right back. It's hard to envision Arsenal challenging for the title without more defensive cover if Koscielny or Mertesacker were to miss any large spell of the season through injury.

Mathieu Debuchy is an experienced and capable replacement for Bacary Sagna at right back and was Didier Deschamps' first choice right back ahead of Sagna at the World Cup. Nacho Monreal will again provide adequate cover for Kieran Gibbs at right back.

For me Arsenal's biggest weakness will be their lack of a true defensive holding midfielder against the league's strongest sides. Mikel Arteta has served the club admirably but doesn't have the athleticism or power to slow opposition counter attacks. As much as Arsenal like to possess the ball in the opposition half, they're inevitably going to leave themselves vulnerable on the break and need a defensive midfielder that can get across the pitch to slow down quick transitions. Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool were too easily able to blow past the Arsenal midfield last season. The Gunners have been linked with Sporting holding midfielder William Carvalho, a signing that I feel would turn them into genuine title contenders.

In Ramsey Arsenal have one of the best box to box midfielders in the Premier League. The Welsh international was a revelation last season before a Boxing Day thigh injury kept him out until early April. He scored the winner in the FA Cup and has impressed this summer. He was the best player in Arsenal's convincing Charity Shield win over Manchester City and could be an outside favorite for PFA Player of the Year if he stays healthy.

In recent seasons picking Arsenal to finish outside the top 4 has been a popular trend among pundits. Significantly fewer are betting on that this time around as new signings coupled with Wenger's long term player development have made this a more talented Arsenal side than we've seen in the last several seasons. I think they're still a couple signings away from being able to challenge Manchester City and Chelsea for the title- they particularly need a defensive midfielder- but are not far off.

Ghana's draw a surprise but Black Stars match up well against Germany

Ghana picked up a vital 2-2 draw with an impressive display against Germany in what was a wildly open second half. The surprising result was the latest in what has been an unpredictable World Cup. After Ghana's opening match defeat to the USA, it looked like they'd be heading out early against the group favorite. But while the result was a bit of a surprise, the Ghanaians actually match up quite well against Germany.

Ghana is a side that prefers drawing the opposition out then using their gifted and pacey midfielders to break quickly on the counter attack. Against the USA, the Americans sat extremely deep after their early goal and forced Ghana to break down their compact defense. Ghana never had the space to run in behind and play on the counter. The US had just 36% possession and while that looks like a good thing on paper for Ghana, it meant the US never moved enough players into advanced attacking areas to allow themselves to become exposed at the back. Ghana had to be patient in possession rather than playing their preferred direct, vertical game.

Germany on the hand were a very different opposition. They prefer to control the game, maintaining possession high up the pitch. This meant Ghana could get into an organized defensive shape (which they did only in the opening half), wait to win back possession and then break quickly behind the German midfield 3 of Lahm, Kroos and Khedira and the fullbacks Boateng and Howedes. Germany left themselves incredibly open and were made to pay with Ghana's pace on the break. Ghana had just 37% possession but were a much more threatening side than they'd been against the US. They were guilty of leaving themselves far too exposed in the final 10 minutes as fatigue crept in, and were rescue by poor German finishing and a heroic Kwadwo Assamoah tackle on Muller, but in attack this was Ghana at their pacey, direct best.

Portugal's heavy defeat gives winner of US vs. Ghana massive advantage in Group G

Portugal's heavy defeat at the hands of Germany (currently 3-0 as I type) will provide a massive advantage to the winner of Ghana vs. USA this evening. If there is a winner in that contest, that team will go 3 points clear of their two expected rivals for second with a large advantage in goal difference over Portugal. If the US manage to get a big result in Natal, it would mean that in all likelihood a point against Portugal would be enough to put the them into the knockout stage on 4 points. A draw with Portugal would put the US 3 points clear going into the final day with at least a 4 goal advantage (make that 5 as Muller has just added a 4th for Germany) on goal difference as things stand now. That would leave the US simply needing a close defeat to Germany to get through barring Portugal don't pick up a lopsided win over Ghana.

Knowing that a draw could be enough against Portugal would provide the US a big tactical advantage. They could maintain a compact defensive shape, forcing Portugal to open themselves up and attack, leaving space for the US on the break. Portugal are not a side that's comfortable playing proactively. They prefer to allow their opponents to control the game, then break quickly down the channels through Ronaldo and Nani. It's not a side littered with midfield creativity and they could therefore struggle when being forced to pick apart a crowded defense. Their three central midfielders in their 4-3-3 formation, Raul Meireles, Miguel Veloso and Joao Moutinho, all sit fairly deep in front of the back four and look to provide more defensive cover than attacking endeavor. Moutinho is a skilled passer but none of the three are creative #10 types that will link play with the center forward. While it may be a frightening thought for fans of US soccer to sit deep with an inexperienced back four, it may be a better option than opening themselves up and allowing Ronaldo the space to dribble forward on the break. 

This discussion is of course irrelevant if the US fail to beat a very strong Ghana side but if they can somehow manage that feat they'll have a much better shot at progressing than anyone would have imagined when the groups were drawn.

Argentina 2-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Sabella opts for overly cautious 3-5-2 then switches at halftime

Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella opted for a slightly surprising 3-5-2 formation from the start in his side's 2-1 win tonight over Bosnia. It's a formation Argentina have used under Sabella but one they were only expected to go to against sides that can at least come close to matching Argentina's prolific individual talent. Bosnia have plenty of quality but it's their first appearance at a World Cup and in a home atmosphere for Argentina at the Maracana the formation seemed a bit too cautious.

To some extent Sabella's decision is understandable. Argentina's weakest area is their defense and Bosnia were a remarkably attacking side in UEFA qualifying. In switching from their usual 4-3-3 to 3-5-2, Sabella was basically replacing center forward Gonzalo Higuain with a third center back to shore up the defense. Messi and Aguero were partnered up front and, along with Angel Di Maria shuttling forward from midfield, were expected to provide the bulk of the attacking thrust.

The formation didn't offer enough options in the final third. Messi was guilty of trying to do too much on his own in the first half and conceded possession too often but he also had fewer passing options because of the shape. When he dropped into midfield to receive possession, Aguero was often the only player in a more advanced area. With only Aguero offering a threat behind the Bosnia defense, they were able to focus more attention on Messi. Pablo Zabaleta and Marcos Roja were remarkably conservative in their positioning as wing backs and didn't offer an attacking option in the channels. As a result the shape was basically 3-5-2.

In the second half Sabella moved to a 4-3-1-2, bringing on Higuain to partner Aguero up front and dropping Messi into a #10 role. With Bosnia leaving two players high up the pitch defensively and defending in two banks of four, the new formation meant Argentina had a 4 v. 2 advantage in the middle of midfield. After Bosnia controlled large segments of the first half, Argentina were able to boss possession more after the change. Bosnia's center backs had to concern themselves with Aguero and Higuain, meaning they couldn't step out to Messi when he collected the ball between the lines. Messi found more space in the half and combined with Higuain for a brilliant second.

Argentina did look more exposed defensively after the change and perhaps the 3-5-2 has its place in a final at the Maracana against Brazil. However, with the incredible talent they have at their disposal and playing on South American soil, Argentina should be able to win playing a more attacking brand of soccer than we saw in the first half.