Player ratings, season '12-13

Aggsy touched upon this in the Our Squad -thread, but I thought it'd be clearer if we had a separate thread for end of season talk.

Do player ratings and whatever you wish to say about the season.


Reina 8/10 - Wasn't always great yet sometimes was. Hopefully can raise his game a little bit for next season.

Johnson 7,5/10 - Sometimes brilliant, sometimes good, but I don't know was it fatigue or what that Gleninho had a number of disappointing performances in the second half of the season.

Enrique 8/10 - Solid in defence, works hard, often providing nicely support in attack. Decision making occasionally poor.

Skrtel 8/10 - Got harshely benched, but at least Carragher and Agger were playing well in his place.

Carragher 9/10 - The retiring legend showed he can still play at the highest level.

Agger 8,5/10 - Most of the time reliable, but along with the rest of the team didn't always defend well at set-pieces and we need that from our CBs.

Kelly 7/10 - Did fine before his injury.

Wisdom 6,5/10 - Raw, but promising.

Suso 6,5/10 - Talented, but needs to work on his movement. Looked at times like he didn't know what to do on the pitch at this level, experience should sort it out.

Sterling 7/10 - Had a handful of good games and hopefully develops into a fine winger. Decision making let's him down, too often loses the ball.

Downing 6,5/10 - No non-sense kind of player, but too often there was no nothing from him.

Shelvey 7/10 - I like his vision and passing and eye for goal, but at 21 he needs to take the next step up in his overall game or I'm afraid we'll be left disappointed about him.

Allen 6/10 - Started OK, but very soon became painful to watch.

Henderson 8,5/10 - His work-rate and box-to-box abilities improve our team, imo. Started to get involved in dangerous attacking plays more and more as the season went on, I thought.

Lucas 7/10 - Not always his beastly self that we've come to expect from him. I especially would like to see him commit less of poor challenges, for instance against QPR yesterday they might have gotten a penalty when Remy went down under Lucas's challenge and there was contact, too.

Gerrard 9,5/10 - A great season from our captain. His long-range passing is second to none and scored and assisted a lot this season. Here's hoping we get another season like this from Steven.

Coutinho 9,5/10 - Arrived only in January, but I think he's had almost a point per game.

Sturridge 9/10 - Another January arrival, scored, what, was it 10 in 14? Anyway, definitely the kind of striker we need.

Borini 6,5/10 - Injuries pretty much ruined his season, but I for one was left disappointed by what I saw from him. Good attitude but needed to show more skills.

Suarez 9/10 - Near-perfect when playing the game, but his other antics...



I'd rate our season 7,5/10. Results wise there's, well, nothing, really, to cheer for, but there were positives in terms of signings like Coutinho and Sturridge, our goal-difference and usually good defence. I was critical about Rodgers for much of the season and still remain unconvinced that he's the right guy for us, but am fine with him getting another season. Now if only August came soon...

Great idea Arty. It's very late here right now so I'll add mind my piece of mind tomorrow.

Reina 6/10 - Had a solid end of the season, but he was terrible for the first six months. Mistakes against Arsenal and Man City in 2013 pretty much killed hope in us being able to play in Europe next season.

Johnson 7/10 - Started very strongly and could have been been our player of the season if he played at the level he was from the start of the season to February. Was arguably our best player behind Suarez to be honest. Unfortunately his form after Zenit away was worrying but I'm sure that has more to do with fatigue than his quality.


Enrique 7/10 - Pretty much proved his doubters wrong and showed he can play for Liverpool. Solid season.

Skrtel 7/10 - One game against Oldham pretty much killed his season and could even go on to ruin his career with us. He was our best defender behind Johnson before that. Stupid knee-jerk to drop him after the game, considering he made the least of mistakes from our other defenders.

Carragher 8/10 - Oh how I'm going to miss you. Words cannot describe him. Arguably our best defender that has played at the club in the last two decades; only behind Sami for me. Started to slowly show his form from the 08/09 season.

Agger 6.5/10 - His worst season to date for us. He'll improve heaps for next season, but this is a season to forget him on the basis of individual performances. He'll show his class next season no doubt.

Kelly n/a - Missed majority of the season from injury.

Wisdom 7/10 - Looked very good. Was very solid defensively and looks to have a promising career. Didn't really offer much going forward but he was a rock at the back. I can only count the United and Spurs game where was poor from the top of my head.

Suso 7/10 - Another youth player having a break-out season. Showed his class and kept Clowning out of the team before he was dropped from Rodgers to keep the player grounded. Looked to have a great understanding with Luisito.

Sterling 7/10 - Just class. Wasn't afraid to take on his man and he has blistering pace. Helped out defensively and most importantly - he knows when to run. Great movement off the ball. Needs to improve but he's only 18 lol. Has a great future in front of him.

Downing 5/10 - Improvement from last season was inevitable. With that said, he was still the same useless player he was the season before this. The only thing that got rid of the doubters was the fact that Coutinho, Sturridge, Suarez and Johnson did his job and we scored more. Needs to go.

Shelvey 6/10 - Looked okay early but struggled later on when Lucas and Gerrard pretty much settled their positions in midfield. Found it hard to compete with 16m Henderson and 15m Allen. Should probably go out on loan. The lad is class - he just needs to have some support / consistent game time and he'll prove his doubters wrong.

Allen 7/10 - Should probably be rated lower but he did very well for his first 3 months here. Was our most consistent player and once found out, struggled to play the defensive midfielder role. Struggled with injury after that.

Henderson 8.5/10 - I'm going with the same rating as Art. Don't think he ever put a foot wrong and was one of our best players this season imo. Improved his scoring rate and looks a lot more confident. His attitude when it comes to Liverpool is top class. Professional player. The only thing he would have to improve from next season is using the ball a little bit better whilst playing at Anfield. He struggled to break teams down when teams had 10 players behind the ball. Won't be surprised if he establishes as Gerrard's successor.

Lucas 7/10 - Missed half the season from injury. We improved tremendously in terms of results when he came back - looking a lot stronger in midfield even when he played "poor". His looked like his picked up his form in the last month, and has vowed to find the form he had before his first injury.

Gerrard 9.5/10 - He's bettered his form from the last 3 years and has established himself as the "English Alonso" by some. He's just fantastic, isn't he? Welcome back captain.

Coutinho 9/10 - Just

Sturridge 8.5/10 - He has proved me wrong to an extent; I still don't see why he was our primary target. Regardless, he's been scoring for fun but he does need to improve his finishing. He can be terribly wasteful. With that said, he's slotted in great. Let's hope he doesn't fade out in his first full season for us.

Borini 6.5/10 - Struggled with injuries, Art's rating is fair in my eyes. Although kind of harsh. Couldn't really show his skills, could he?

Suarez 10/10 - Where would we be without Luis Suarez? Arguably the best player the club has seen in the past decade. He's pretty much replaced "prime Steven Gerrard" in that SS role in the second half of the season, and had a great return in terms of goals in the false 9 at the start where he was partnered with kids. Can only see him getting better next season. He's improved heaps from his Ajax days. Luis.

Reina 6/10
Johnson 6.5/10
Enrique 6.5/10
Skrtel 7/10
Carragher 7.5/10
Agger 7/10
Kelly N/A
Wisdom 6/10
Suso 6/10
Sterling 6.5/10
Downing 5/10
Shelvey 6/10
Allen 7/10
Henderson 8/10
Lucas 7/10
Gerrard 9/10
Coutinho 8/10
Sturridge 8.5/10
Borini 6.5/10
Suarez 9/10

mr-r34 wrote:Reina: ranged between average and shakey for large part of the season. Had a strong finish. 7/10
Johnson: had some average to poor games but that's due to fatigue and lack of competition. 7.5/10
Enrique: had a solid season. 7.5/10
Skrtel: ranged between average and ok. 7/10
Carragher: did great to fill the void of Skrtel 7.5/10
Agger: may be Skrtel made him look better, but he was way off his best. 7.5/10
Kelly: just glad that he is back.
Wisdom: played out of position. Solid in defence but crap in going forward. 7/10
Suso: wasn't anything special. 6/10
Sterling: took his chances with both hands. Needs to mature a lot. Lots of work needed in his finishing and passing. 7/10
Downing: had few bright spots. 6/10
Shelvey: I would say our greatest flops of the season. Barely went beyond average even against small teams. 6/10
Allen: started pretty good. But had no clue about playing 'a Lucas'. Got injured. Should have got few more games. 7/10
Henderson: had a very strong finish. 8/10
Lucas: injured for large part of the season. Way off his best. 7.5/10
Gerrard: 9/10
Coutinho: Inter is banging their head. If he can stay fit, will turn into a great, GREAT player. 8.5/10
Sturridge: imagine if we had him plus £40 million for Torres! Got some rough eadges. 8.5/10
Borini: just glad that he is back
Suarez: some very stupid things spoiled the season. Got no words (Sublime! Enchanting! Stupendus!) to describe his skills. Would have struggled to finish T10 without him. 9/10

thanx mr-r34 :-)

Reina 7/10
Johnson 7/10
Enrique 8/10
Skrtel 7/10
Carragher 8.5/10
Agger 7/10
Kelly 7/10
Wisdom 7/10
Suso 7/10
Sterling 7.5/10
Downing 6.5/10
Shelvey 7.5/10
Allen 7/10
Henderson 8/10
Lucas 7.5/10
Gerrard 9/10
Coutinho 9/10
Sturridge 9/10
Borini 6.5/10
Suarez 9.5/10

@ YNWA - Reina 6/10; Agger 6.5/10; Downing 5/10
I thought those were too low in your ratings, forgetting their better games. The same goes to R34 (what's your nickname about, btw?)

What I don't understand is how everyone has given Allen 7/10. Both his one-on-one moments (whether offensive or defensive) and his tactical skills sucked. Had me wishing we had kept Spearing and saved the money spent on Allen. By the way, Spearing won the Player of the Season award at Bolton, does anyone have any interest in giving him one last chance next season and selling only in January? Personally I have to say I'm a little tempted to see what on Earth earned him that award at Bolton; has he grown to new heights?

Allen was pretty impressive in his initial three months and you can't neglect that.

Spearing, as good as he is, doesn't deserve to play for a club aspiring for top 4.

Spearing did well at Bolton for two reasons:

1) It's the Championship... the style of play and refereeing suit him more as his tenacity is more prominent, the level of play is generally nearer his personal level of ability and his penchant for reckless challenges is generally less likely to be punished.

2) Dougie Freedman's style of play suited Spearing. Bolton's style under Freedman was a far cry from what they previously attempted to play under Owen Coyle. Likewise, their style does not match up to ours at all.

Art Morte wrote: (what's your nickname about, btw?)

The nick name i gave my self when i was 12,Mr is self explanatory and r34 stands for the r34 skylines, my fav car back in the day.

Art Morte wrote:@ YNWA - Reina 6/10; Agger 6.5/10; Downing 5/10
I thought those were too low in your ratings, forgetting their better games. The same goes to R34 (what's your nickname about, btw?)

What I don't understand is how everyone has given Allen 7/10. Both his one-on-one moments (whether offensive or defensive) and his tactical skills sucked. Had me wishing we had kept Spearing and saved the money spent on Allen. By the way, Spearing won the Player of the Season award at Bolton, does anyone have any interest in giving him one last chance next season and selling only in January? Personally I have to say I'm a little tempted to see what on Earth earned him that award at Bolton; has he grown to new heights?

Reina was average this season... he only picked up his form after March where we had nothing to play for, really.

Agger was also average. He may have been okay in possession but he needed to defend and struggled. Started to find some form towards the end of the season. Expecting him to get back to his usual ways next year.

Downing was lucky to get a 5. lol Horrid player.

ynwa can't believe you are still riding the wagon of Skrtel >> Agger this season.

What are on you about? I don't understand why I'm targeted for defending Martin... they're (Agger + Skrtel) both great players but both had average seasons to their expectations / quality. How is that too hard to understand? I'm sorry if I'm not jumping on the "Skrtel is average; he won't make it here; doesn't suit us" bandwagon because I don't believe it's true.

Reina: 8.0
Did he have some very costly errors? Yes. However, he significantly improved upon his performances from the last few seasons. It finally looks as if he has regained his confidence, and his 15 league clean-sheets certainly showed that. His up-turn has reached the point that I would be very sorry to see him go.

Johnson: 7.5
Johnson is the prototypical wing-back for a Brendan Rodgers system. He fits the system perfectly. This season, he was given quite a bit more attacking freedom, and he took it in stride. I’ve docked him a few points, because he dropped off quite a bit in the last month or so of the season. Hopefully, this was just a symptom of the number of matches he played, as I don’t believe he’s gone an entire season without injury in quite a while.

Enrique: 5.5
Enrique’s season was quite a mixed bag: poor to start, moved forward for confidence, and eventually found a fair run of form back at LB. Even within matches, he often swung between the maddening and the sublime (often resulting in me yelling at the TV for either good or bad reasons). He had some beautiful intricate moments with Coutinho, Henderson, and Suarez. On the other hand, his decision making was absolutely head-scratching at times. Enrique has the potential to be one of the best LBs in the Premier League. He simply has to make better decisions on the ball. I’m not sure whether he would benefit from competition at the position, but LFC definitely would.

Wisdom: 6.5
Wisdom was a very consistent performer, considering this was his first season in the first-team. Often far more cautious than Rodgers may have wanted his full-backs to play, Wisdom didn’t offer the same endeavor of Johnson and Enrique (and even Kelly). However, he put in a shift, was consistent in his performances, and rarely looked completely out of his depth. I personally don’t think he’s ready to play CB for the first-team, but he could continue to be a more defensive option at RB.

Skrtel: 4.5
I personally can’t believe the drop-off in Skrtel’s performances this season. It’s more than just the system, he seemingly lost all confidence at times this season. I know that some here think he was unfairly benched for Carra, but his performances didn’t warrant a starting birth. Of course, once Carra came in and performed, he was never going to get pulled from the line-up.you have to wonder what might have been if Skrtel hadn’t gifted City an equalizer in the second match of the season. That moment, combined with a failure to truly regain his form has lead to a “lost” season for Skrtel. He still has something to offer the club, and with a full pre-season, I think he could regain something similar to his 2011-12 form. However, with Rodgers looking at younger options with more potential, the money his sale could lend might just be more valuable than a 28 year-old, fringe starter.

Carragher: 8.5
Let’s be honest here. His performances were great… for his age. He wasn’t particularly dominant on his own, he failed to assert himself in aerial challenges (a big problem with our defense), and he forced the backline deeper to compensate for his lack of pace. That said, his leadership and consistency was a major factor in a a run from January until June that only saw LFC lose on three occasions. While there are better defenders out there, it was great to see Carra go out with a strong run in the first-team.

Agger: 8.0
His season was really a tale of two-phases of play. In open play, he was the bed-rock of our defense, often looking like the world-class defender he can be. However, over the course of the season, he made an awful habit of losing his man on set-pieces. He’s going to be the “main-man” in the defense next season, and rightfully so. He’s certainly not the only problem with our set-piece woes, but for the sake of our defense, I hope he works on his set-piece marking in the off-season.

Kelly: N/A
Kelly is a write-off for this season. There is a small silver lining to his injury, though. The rehabilitation program has afforded him the time he needed to bulk up and begin training as a CB once again. I’m of the opinion that he has all the tools to succeed at CB within a Rodgers team. With Carragher retiring and Skrtel and Coates likely out the door, he may just get his chance in the center sooner rather than later.

Suso: 5.5
In my opinion, Suso was the biggest beneficiary of the attacking deficiencies in the first half of the season. For a 19 year-old, he acquitted himself well when he was called upon. However, his age is masking obvious deficiencies in his play. He’s too slow to play on the wings, and he’s often looked uncomfortable in decision making from the wide areas. I can’t speak for his performances in the reserves, but his appearances for the first-team have somewhat underwhelmed me. With that said, he’s looked a far better prospect when playing as a more traditional central playmaker. If we don’t sign another CAM in the summer, I could see Suso providing more like-for-like cover for Coutinho next season.

Sterling: 7.0
With Brendan Rodgers at the helm, Sterling was always going to get his chance this season. Rodgers has repeatedly shown faith in youth, supporting his saying, “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.” However, Sterling’s impact would’ve surprised even his most faithful supporters. He was often one of Liverpool’s most constant threats in the first half of the season, taking the Premier League by storm as a 17 year-old. Fatigue, injury, and reinforcements to the squad saw his impact diminish after January. Even so, this season has to be considered a success for the budding star. However, his preparation and performance in 2013-14 will likely decide where his career goes from here.

Downing: 6.5
Downing’s contribution this season is perhaps most accurately described as “steady”. He was far from the confidence-sapped shell he was last season but certainly not the spectacular player you would expect for his price tag. Downing performed his role well this season, keeping the width while providing 3 goals and 5 assists in the league. In all, it’s a much improved second season in a Liverpool shirt. It’s not the dynamic play LFC need from a starting winger. Downing was selected more often out of necessity rather than choice, and this is certainly an area that could be improved upon. That said, Downing’s improvement means that there will be a place for him in the squad, just not a starting one.

Shelvey: 5.0
This was supposed to be the season where Shelvey made the step into a first team regular. For the last few seasons, supporters have been fed the line about how much promise he has and what he could do for the squad. However, even after several prominent opportunities and a promising start to the season, Shelvey has failed to truly make the step up. Once again, we’re left talking about the midfielder’s promise and not his performance. In fact, his few opportunities in the second half of the season would suggest that he isn’t capable of performing at the level Liverpool requires. He certainly has a Premier League future ahead of him, but I’m no longer certain it will be with Liverpool. If a bid in the region of £6-8m comes in, I would be hard-pressed to reject it.

Allen: 6.0
This one is difficult… On the one hand, he failed to offer anything truly positive from November until the end of the season. On the other, he was one of the most dynamic and versatile players in the first few months of the season, winning a player of the month award at one point. It has to be said that his ever-changing role and persistent shoulder injury had to have affected his form. I still believe that he was bought to fill the role that Gerrard eventually took up, leaving him homeless in a way. I do, however, believe he still has something to offer, and next season will likely see him find a more definite role and regain the form that saw him make his £15m move to Anfield.

Henderson: 8.0
A strong second half to the season saw Henderson become a nearly indispensible player for the 2012-13 squad. Gerrard is aging, and his game is adapting as necessary. Lucas is a wonderful Anchor/Volante, but he’s not (nor has he ever been) an extremely mobile destroyer. Whether he played through the center or on the left, Henderson’s running, pressing, and new-found finishing ability added a much-needed dimension to the midfield. It’s hard to predict just what kind of role Henderson will have next season, but you can be relatively certain that he will have some part in the manager’s plans.

Lucas: 7.5
Injury and the subsequent regaining of fitness/form can be blamed for Lucas’s diminished impact this season. Don’t get me wrong, he was a marked step up from a declining Joe Allen at DM, but he was far from the dominant force we remembered from the beginning of last season. While improving as the season came to a close, he has yet to fully regain the dominance he is capable of. A full pre-season should go a long way towards showing if he can truly regain his form. Regardless, he needs cover so we don’t end up in the same situation as this season and last. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three time, and this is becoming borderline negligent…

Gerrard: 9.0
Okay, okay… So, it’s more like a 6.0 until November and a 9.0 since. He contributed very little in the first few months of the season. It could be argued that Joe Allen had more impact on the team’s play. Then, he suddenly found it.Reverting to a slightly deeper role (something between a full regista and a traditional English CM), he was able to control a the tempo and distribution. It’s like there was a sudden revelation that he could actually control a match more effectively from a deeper position, without having to “lead from the front”. Maybe Pirlo had a word with him over the summer… I’m not sure. Whatever it was, it will likely prolong Gerrard’s (starting) career. The only questions remaining are what kind of players are needed to surround him in midfield and what formation gets the best out of Gerrard and his new role.

Coutinho: 8.5
The little Brazilian proved a lot of doubters wrong in his first few months in English football. He’s too light, they said. He’s not physical enough, they said. Why else would Inter offload him? To be honest, I still don’t understand how we got him for £8.5 million. The scariest part is that the lad is only 20, and still improving. A full preseason with the squad could see his understanding grow even more. My only negative is that he can occasionally be marked out of a game, especially when played on the wing. However, given a little bit of space, he will destroy teams.

Sturridge: 8.0
His start to life in a red shirt is one of the best in history. Sure, the lad looks a bit selfish at times. But, I can’t help but think more time under Rodgers, and a comfortability factor with his place in the squad will see that wane. He’s always had the pressure to “save the world” on him each time he’s been brought onto the pitch. At Chelsea, he could walk on water one match and be out of the squad the next. If he didn’t destroy a team on his own, he knew his spot would not be there. That’s not true here. Rodgers has faith, and he’s bought himself faith from the kop, too. He just needs to go out, do his job, and trust others to do theirs. I’m really excited to see what he can do under a manager that has faith in him.

Borini: 5.0
Oh, Fabio… He simply did not get a fair shake this season. He was never going to be the answer to LFC’s forward deficiencies at the start of this season. He’s a good player, a hard worker, and a scorer of scrappy goals. He was just not ready to lead a line or replace Suarez’s movement and production. Then for him to pick up some lengthy and unlucky injuries… It was a real shame. That said, he came back and got a goal, seemingly buying himself a little time with the supporters. He has the potential to be a real impact player next season. I believe Rodgers will use him as a second half sub when we are chasing a game, and I think he could be very effective for us. He could be our “Chicharito” given a little more confidence.

Suarez: 9.5
Does anything really need saying here? He carried the team for the first half of the season, and tormented defenses with the help of Coutinho and Sturridge in the second. He’s not perfect however, as we saw his “bad side” again at Chelsea. One moment of madness ended his season and his chances at the golden boot. In all, there isn’t much more we could ask of his play. If only his emotional reactions and drive to win could be as focused and refined as his footballing skills.

That's a bit too harsh on Enrique treaddy, Enrique deserves a minimum 6.5.
He was one of the most consistent players throughout the campaign IMO.
Would give at least a 7.

Nishank wrote:That's a bit too harsh on Enrique treaddy, Enrique deserves a minimum 6.5.
He was one of the most consistent players throughout the campaign IMO.
Would give at least a 7.

I really wanted to give Enrique a higher score. I think he's a very good LB when he's on form. The goal against Swansea, his interplay with Coutinho and Suarez, and his lob for Suarez against Newcastle for that goal all warrant at least a 7.5-8.0. However, there are times he makes me want to pull my hair out with his poor decision making and tendency to get complacent in defense. You also have to remember that he was out of the squad for a portion of the beginning of the season. Rodgers chose to play Glenjo on the left and Wisdom on the right, because Enrique's form/decision-making was that poor.

I like Enrique, and I hope he steps up his consistency next year. However, this season was very bi-polar for him. I think the 5.5 reflects that. Therefore, I'm sticking by my score on this one.

I know I was a bit harsh on several players (Enrique, Skrtel, Suso, Downing, Shelvey, and Borini), but the thing you have to remember is that we came in 7th for a reason. We were inconsistent, and inconsistency leads to dropped points. We don't have a 7.5 squad across the board (at least they didn't play like it throughout season). If we did, we would've been closer to the CL spots. I tried to take off my Red-tinted glasses for this, and take into account the entire season. Considering the first half is what truly derailed our desired goals for this season, I think first-half performance should be given its due weight in the grading of the season.

I pretty much don't remember any faults from Enrique leading to goals in the season, I also dont remember him being troubled by a winger throughout the season. IMO Enrique had a better season than Johnson.
Yeah he loses the ball sometimes, or keeps it too long, or goes hoofing, I still think he was the second best in our defense this year. First obviously Carra.

Allen, Borini, Coates, Johnson, Downing, Assaidi, Reina, Shelvey, Wisdom all are below 7/10.
Lucas, Hendo, Agger, Skrtel, Carra, Enrique hovering around 7. Only Gerrard and Suarez above 7.

Not considering the January comers since they didnt play the full season, All of them were 8.5+.

I can't contemplate Agger getting better rating than Enrique, as well as a 4.5 for Skrtel when you have given 8 for Agger

agree with everything else though