Here's Rodgers on Enrique after the game:
If you look at Gareth Bale he played at left-back and then moved forward and showed his strengths. Jose is someone I think can do that role with his power and pace. I said to him yesterday him and Raheem can get goals if they get (positionally) inside the frame of the goal. If you watch the replay he makes up a lot of ground to get in there and anticipate the rebound.
So I think that makes it official. Jose Enrique is no longer a full-back at LFC. For Rodgers, he is a wide midfielder/winger, playing on the opposite flank of Sterling and expected to create and score goals. Wow, did anyone see this coming? I certainly didn't!
But I think I can understand Brendan's reasoning: Enrique loves to take on opposition players, loves individual duels and is generally very good at them. But that's a quality of an attacker, not a defender. Attackers take players on, defenders play it safe. An attacker tries to create chaos and unpredictability, a defender tries to create order and structure. In Brendan's judgement, Enrique belongs on the Chaos team.
How good of an attacker is Enrique? I guess we'll have to find that out. 1 and 1/3 of a game he's played at this position is a small sample. But in those 120 minutes he already has more goals and assists than Downing over his whole Liverpool career. And the attacking trio Suarez-Sterling-Enrique is the first one we've had this season that shows any real chemistry.
First goal: Sterling-Suarez
Second goal: Enrique-Suarez
Third goal: Suarez-Sterling-Enrique
That's chemistry you can see on the scoresheet.
