And he won’t be playing as a holding midfielder, it’ll be at CM… Roy’s centre midfielders won’t be as defensive as Rafa’s… think of a 4-4-1-1. Flat midfield four…

Also, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Aquilani play. He has a huge potential and Hodgson seems to be a fan of his work. Here’s my projected lineup :
—————-Torres—————
—————Gerrard————–
—Cole——————–Kuyt—–
——-Aquilani—–Lucas———
-Aurelio-Agger-Carra-Johnson-
————-Reina———————

Of course, Masch would take Lucas’ spot if he isn’t transferred. Let’s just hope for one more signing or 2 (LB and striker).

- Defence: Carragher had one of his worst seasons last year, but really improved towards the end of the season. He’s still got a couple of season’s left, but expect a transition to an Agger/Skrtel partnership more often over the next two seasons (if nobody new is bought). Carragher is always caught out for speed, which is a worry. He’ll keep working along, but his time is limited. RE: Kyrgiakos – I’m a fan of his, some of his performances last season were superb, he really cleans out aerially at the back. RE: Skrtel – he’s got a future at the club, but I don’t expect him to stay too long if new investment arrives because he isn’t the best out there.

Aurelio is injured a lot, so we’ll probably buy a new LB by September.

- Midfield: Jova is a great LM, and can switch each wing when needed. He can cut inside, go down the line and more. Cole should play behind the striker, with Gerrard in CM. Unless Aquilani dramatically improves, I can’t see him staying for very long.

- Forward: Yep, we badly need a second striker but Ngog is an improving talent. His finishing needs work, but he’s a super young striker. I don’t know why we’re going for Crouch though, other than the fact he’s English.

I was eagerly waiting for this preview. I got a sweet spot for the Reds and last season was really painful. I didn’t know about the better atmosphere with Hodgson, and I gotta say I don’t really know him. So I’ll solely focus on the field.

As far as the pitch is concerned, I am really happy with Cole’s move, and I think having both him and Gerrard can only do good to the team. I will raise questions on 3 points :

- Defense: Carraher looked on the decline last season, will he recover this year? I’m quite a big Agger fan but I can’t stand seeing Kyrgiakos on the field. He’s not good enough for Liverpool. What are your thoughts on Skrtel? I’d also say I have doubts about Aurelio being fit and good enough for a whole season.

- Left midfield position: I’ll wait until I see Jovanovic play, I don’t know him very well. Another option could be Gerrard behind Torres and Cole on the left.

- striker position: I am a HUGE Torres fan, I’m just concerned about possible injuries and the lack of back-up. The team depends so much on him that any absence costs a lot. I’d love to see the club landing another player that can fill in when Torres needs to rest, or that can partner with him (and I’m not talking about Crouch here). Rémy is expensive but has a lot of potential.