by Hoop Blah »
13 May 2019 13:21
BR0B0T Gomez i'll give you but AOC and Lallana would be debatable
Oxlade-Chamberlain was probably Liverpool's best attacking midfielder when he got injured. I'm pretty sure he would've been a big player for Liverpool this season if injury hadn't ruled him out.
Lallana's injury problems go a bit further back of course. He'd been exceptional for England and Liverpool before hand though and, for my money, could've been the more natural back-up for wide attackers or adding creativity to the midfield when they were lacking. His injuries ruled him out and he was an automatic starter before them, so you'd have to say they've been unlucky to have him rule out (pretty much for two seasons too).
BR0B0T Alison, VVD, Robertson would have been replaced by Mingolet, Lovren and Moreno (bad as the chuckle brothers at Utd)
Who replaces the front three? Origi, Sturridge and who?
Like I said, they got lucky to some extent in not losing one of those key players (although Milner would probably have replaced Robertson at any point, and not Moreno).
They lost one of their first choice centrehalfs for pretty much the whole season. Matip and Lovren were both injured at times too, with the 15 year old lad and Fabinho playing at the heart of defence at one point, so I think it would be more than bad luck to have all 4 of your centrehalfs injured and out for a significant amount of time.
A bit like with Reading under Pardew and Coppell, a good or bad injury record isn't necessarily luck either. Winning teams tend to have less little knocks etc (see Mourinho's comments on his squad not having the attitude to deal with injuries) and having players well prepared and physically (and mentally) resilient is a sign of good management and training (Reading were never fitter and more resistant to injury than during and just after Niall Clarks time as out fitness and preparation man).