Brendan
Rodgers should axe Mario Balotelli for Liverpool's Champions League
clash against Real Madrid and play Raheem Sterling up front instead.
So
says Reds legend Jamie Carragher, who reckons the misfiring Italian
should be dropped for Wednesday night's Anfield showdown after a poor
start to the season.
And Carragher believes Brendan Rodgers should play in-form Sterling down the middle instead.
Brendan Rodgers could pin his hopes on Raheem Sterling when Liverpool take on Real Madrid
He said: 'I would bring [Philippe] Coutinho in for Balotelli and play Raheem Sterling at centre-forward.
'They
can't have any passengers. He [Balotelli] doesn't run around enough and
against Real Madrid you've got to get that crowd going.
'There’s got to be an energy about Liverpool that we haven’t seen; we’ve seen it once this season at Spurs.
'It’s going on too long now and we can’t keep waiting. It’s a huge game and Liverpool have to get something from it.
Sterling and Steven Gerrard celebrate Liverpool's winner at QPR
'I
would put Raheem Sterling in there because he can run in behind and
Liverpool may have to counter-attack a lot of the game. Madrid may have a
lot of the ball.
'Sterling can also press from the front. He doesn’t have to play right up front and he can come back and help the midfield.'
Liverpool go into the game on the back of Sunday's thrilling 3-2 win at QPR that saw them snatch the points at the death.
Liverpool's leaky defence have their work cut out trying to keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet
Carragher reckons there were signs that their flowing counter-attacking football from last season was on its way back.
But the former centre-back admits their defence is a concern as they prepare to take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.
He
added: 'In 11 games, they've conceded six goals from set pieces. It
must be as bad as anyone in the league. I think Crystal Palace have
conceded one more.
'Every time they concede a set piece they look like conceding a goal.'
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