Ask any baseball team, and they'd say you can never have enough pitchers. Ask the Toronto Raptors, and they'd say you can never have enough foreign players. Ask the Detroit Lions, and you'd be informed that you can never pick too many wide receivers.
By looking at Liverpool's offseason plans thus far, they must be thinking you can't have enough midfielders.
After already having a formidable (when healthy) first team in the middle of the field, the Reds have added some youth and athleticism with recent signings Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam. There's no question that both players have plenty of potential and the ability to play in the Premier League (both players' former club was in the EPL), but there is a question as to where they will play.
Seven midfielders appeared in at least 12 Premier League games for the Reds, while three others under contract with Liverpool next year appeared in the majority of their club's games — leaving around 10 midfielders for four spots.
Figuring out where these players will be positioned depends on which formation Kenny Dalglish decides to implement.
A fan of the traditional 4-4-2, Dalglish may plan on adding more support in the midfield with the addition of these players. With aerial-attacker Andy Carroll up top, Dalglish can afford to play wide and fling crosses into the 6-foot-3 target. If Dalglish decides to leave Carroll alone up top and add a line of support behind him, he could find a way to give more playing time to his abundance of midfielders.
Tweaking the 4-4-2 slightly, Dalglish could line up a 4-2-3-1, with Luis Suarez and two attacking midfielders behind Carroll, or a 4-3-1-2, with Suarez positioning himself more toward goal position (with either Steven Gerrard or Raul Meireles feeding the two attackers through balls).
Looking ahead toward the upcoming season, let's take a look at the midfield prospects for Liverpool and where they may end up.
Charlie Adam
Liverpool's new cog in their midfield wheel, Adam has been an Anfield target since the January transfer window, when the Reds just missed out on the former Blackpool star. Adam showed great will and leadership, captaining a Blackpool team out of the Championship Division and into the EPL.
He followed that up with 12 goals in his first season in the Premier League. Arriving at Anfield in time for next season for around £7 million, Adam could be used in a platoon with Lucas as more of a defending or holding midfielder, helping the transition from defense to offense.
Alberto Aquilani
After a year on loan at Italian club Juventus, Aquilani is looking to find his form in English soccer after a lackluster 2009-10 season with Liverpool, during which he found the net just twice in 26 contests.
Aquilani also didn't fare too well at Juventus, scoring twice in 33 contests, leading to Juventus trying to lower the pre-agreed purchase clause and losing out on the player entirely.
It's not exactly sure where Aquilani fits in the 'Pool midfield, especially after they tried dumping him on Juventus. But King Kenny seems happy to have the Italian back in Red, as Dalglish was quoted as saying, "When people talk about next season, I'm surprised they don't give Alberto a mention. Everyone seems to have forgotten about him."
Gee, I wonder why?
Joe Cole
One of the biggest disappointments in recent memory, Cole came in with the promise of adding a level of creativity in the midfield that Liverpool hasn't had since Xabi Alonso left for Spain. Perhaps he was hindered by extreme expectations, though, as Gerrard outlandishly claimed that Cole was more talented than Lionel Messi.
"[Lionel] Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better," he said. "He used to shock us in training by doing footy tricks with a golf ball that most players can't even do with a football. I really fancy Joe for the [player of the year] award this season."
That, plus a three-game ban for a red card at the start of his Liverpool career, helped derail a fresh start for the former Chelsea great. Cole may only have one more chance for Liverpool after underperforming in 20 games last season.
Steven Gerrard
There's no denying how I feel about the importance of the Liverpool skipper to the Reds' success this season, and this gathering of midfielders could be a precaution in case Gerrard still isn't fully healthy.
But as long as Gerrard comes back for the Premier League with his normal level of play, there will always be a spot for Gerrard in the middle of the field. A healthy Gerrard threading passes to Suarez and Carroll could have Reds fans seeing hardware again.
Jordan Henderson
One of the newcomers this summer, the young Englishman appears to be an heir apparent to Gerrard in controlling the midfield for both Liverpool and England's national side. The 21-year-old just finished his second season at Sunderland, appearing in all but one league game this past season, showing tremendous durability.
Given his age and the experience in front of him, you could argue that Henderson will come off the bench most times. But his price tag (£20 million) suggests he may be a bit more than a substitute.
Lucas Leiva
One of Liverpool's most consistent players last season, Lucas appears to be another mainstay in the midfield this coming season. After losing Alonso and Javier Mascherano in back-to-back seasons, Lucas was a needed relief in the holding midfield spot.
After leading the EPL in tackles in his first full season on the first team, Lucas signed a long-term contract to stay with the Reds, and most likely stay in their first team.
Raul Meireles
After a successful stint at Portuguese side Porto, Meireles was brought to the EPL on a €13 million deal. Perhaps no one benefitted from the arrival of Dalglish more than Merieles, who thrived under King Kenny in the second half of the season.
After scoring in Dalglish's first game back with 'Pool, Meireles went on a tear, scoring in four of the next five matches. As long as Dalglish is at the helm, Liverpool fans should feel comfortable when No. 4 is in the starting 11.
Christian Poulsen
After an up-and-down first season at Anfield, it's unknown what is expected of Poulsen. It shouldn't be thought of as a good thing if Poulsen is consistently featured in the starting 11 next season, though, as it would most likely mean an injury to one of the Reds' first choices.
Appearing in 12 EPL games with no goals, no assists and three shots, little offense or playing time is expected from Poulsen.
Maxi Rodriguez
In a year-and-a-half since joining Liverpool, Rodriguez has enjoyed a considerable amount of success in the EPL. Scoring once in 17 appearances in 2010, Rodriguez settled in during his first full year at Anfield, scoring 10 times in 28 appearances.
With rumors of a move back to his home country of Argentina, Maxi's spot is one place where Henderson could try and step in.
Jonjo Shelvey
The youngster of the group, Shelvey received ample minutes as a sub in the latter half of the 2010-11 season. Most likely playing the role of a sub for at least another year, Liverpool fans will be smitten if Jonjo is able to deliver balls to Suarez like he did against Fulham last year.
