Flo ‘felt comfortable’ on the right
The 20-year-old was converted to a right midfield role for Liverpool’s European clash with Real Betis in Seville on Tuesday and scored within 90 seconds of the start as the Reds secured a 2-1 victory. Now he wants to continue that role for Sunday’s Premiership battle with Manchester United at Anfield.
He could come up against Kieran Richardson, who was forced to play left-back for the Red Devils when Gabriel Heinze was carried off during the Champions League draw with Villarreal on Wednesday.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez failed in his quests to buy a right-sided midfielder before the transfer window closed, missing out on Nolberto Solano and Stelios Giannakopoulos.
That search was brought about by the failure to get a work permit for Chilean starlet Mark Gonzalez, who would have been a £4.7 million (€6.95m) signing from Albacete before the British Government stepped in and wrecked the move.
So Benitez turned to Sinama-Pongolle in Spain, and the youngster said: “The manager has been looking for someone to play wide right, maybe I can be that player. I will do my very best there and hope that he makes a decision that includes me in his plans.
“I was asked to play on the right against Betis. It is not my best position but I will do it gladly and I want to learn to do the role because the manager obviously wants to find someone who can play there.
“I felt comfortable in the position, one of my attributes is that I am good one against one and it is something that I can do on the right. I can go inside or go to the line and make crosses.”
The match was Sinama-Pongolle’s first start in the senior side since his serious knee injury back in January against Watford in the Carling Cup semi-final.
He said: “I was delighted with the goal in Spain, it was the first time in my career that I have started a Champions League match and to score an important goal was very exciting for me.
“This means a lot to me, I was out for a long time with injury last season and missed all the end of the season. So to get my first start in a Champions League match was tremendous.
“And to get the opportunity to score was good for me and the team.”
Benitez is clearly considering giving Sinama-Pongolle the chance to claim the spot, having tried Djibril Cisse there recently - a role the former Auxerre man did not appreciate.
Benitez said: “We have been looking at different solutions on the right because we do not really want to use Luis Garcia there, preferring to play him between the strikers and midfield. Florent played very well there, and scored, on Tuesday.
“Flo has the pace and intelligence to play there, I remember him playing very well there against Arsenal last season, he gives us options.”
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