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Depth is such a relative term. One minute you're competing on multiple fronts and your squad looks desperately threadbare, the next you're back to a single competition and suddenly the number of fringe players looking to scrape together some much needed minutes has multiplied. Luis Alberto is one such player, whose only start was in Liverpool's first League Cup match of the season and who has appeared only as a substitute in all his league matches.
"I would like to play more, I am waiting for my chances," Alberto said of his conundrum. "The truth is I need to play more and I hope to do it. I have to wait for the manager to start having confidence in me and then repay his confidence on the pitch. I have been working a few months and I have learned and I am going to wait for my moment."
Standard position of a benched player aside, Alberto isn't exactly in poor company considering who else has been unable to get into the side recently. Alberto seems amongst the least likely to be sent on loan to earn minutes, which means his main option is to find a way to cope with the Pace and the Power of the Premier League™.
"I have discovered it is faster football, more physical, and you have to be in better physical condition," the midfielder continued. "I have improved in many aspects: my physique is better and I am heavier now - these details contribute to better preparation."
This news should bring a little bit of sunshine to hearts of those worried about the potential for the Spaniard to be snapped like a twig by some of the Premier League's less refined players. With a busy December ahead of his club, Brendan Rodgers will need to rotate his squad — he has to, right? — and the newly beefy Luis Alberto will likely get a chance to make a mark that builds upon the success he had in his substitute appearance against Newcastle.