Liverpool Transfer Requirements
A finish above arch-rivals Everton, two domestic cups and a Europa League spot to help give the youth a run out next year will be okay for Kenny. But the Champions League will be the key objective and it is absolutely imperative for Kenny Dalglish that he gets it to secure the additional revenue required to help take the club back into the upper echelons of European football. The period will help provide reflection upon what has been a torrid league season it has been where inconsistency has been rife and the club’s finishing in front of goal has been abysmal.
Living up to the creed set out by the American owners, Kenny was told to buy British, buy young talent and buy players with the potential of a greater sell on value. With the help of Damien Comolli, he assembled a squad that had set about launching an assault on the Champions League spot, whilst harbouring a veiled desire of even pushing on for Championship. This however didn’t commence, on the contrary it appears the club has gone further into the abyss, at least going by league standings.
A war chest of one hundred and ten million pounds has been spent on largely a British contingent of players; many will say the money was spent wastefully. I too was among the large portion of fans dismayed by the acquisition of Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adams. Andy Carroll was not suited to our passing style, Henderson and Charlie Adams were both central midfielders acquired, in spite of us boasting the likes of Alberto Aquilani and Raul Meireles along with Steven Gerrard and Lucas. Stewart Downing is already twenty-seven and a player who serves more as a full-back then a winger in my eyes. An Adam Johnson he is not indeed and the return on the investments have illustrated this with the limited amount of goals and assists between them this season despite the numerous amount of appearances they have made this season.
My view drew the ire of many fans on the website who thought I was simply chatting out of my backside. I felt with good pre-seasons, Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani would thrive this year, not to mention Maxi Rodriguez who with only seven Premier League starts has four goals, more than Henderson and Downing combined. If given the chance and feeling wanted, I feel Aquilani would have stayed as would have Raul Meireles. But knowing you have Charlie Adams and Jordan Henderson as your replacements, one would have felt disheartened and sidelined hence their desires to seek a move elsewhere. Wrongfully so in my opinion considering the talent they possess compared to the players we brought into the club.
I’m not one to boast of my predictions but I feel that I’ve been proved right and this summer will be pivotal in the development of the club. Liverpool has a solid base to start from knowing we have a good defence and keeper. What we require is pace in abundance and a deadly finisher. Perhaps a throwback to the days of Michael Owen, a striker with pace and agility that plays on the shoulders of central defenders and has an eye for goal in the box. Wingers are a must, Dutchman Elias of Hamburg for instance would be ideal. A player that can jink past a full back within a blink of an eye and can score goals, unlike Stewart Downing this season.
Many wishful thinking fans will throw out names such as Eden Hazard and Edison Cavani whereas the die-hard loyalists will call for patience and to stick with our current crop with maybe one or two additions without a complete overhaul. I prefer to take the middle-road and believe a clear out of some players, a promotion of some of the youngsters and a couple of signings could make all the difference to our campaign next year.
In dealing with the youngsters, I clearly believe the club need true impact players. Looking at our bench, we are over-loaded with the likes of Coates, Dirk Kuyt and Jonjo Shelvey, players that are unlikely to rock the proverbial boat so to speak during games when pace and skill can be decisive against tiring legs to pinch a result. Raheem Sterling who came off the bench just a few weeks ago along with Toni Silva are two players who stand out from the youth system. Both play for their international teams at the under-age levels and both possess the required attributes that will shape their careers. In the context of next season, coming on for fifteen or twenty minutes here and there will definitely garner them more experience maybe even the possibility of a first team position if they manage to impress.
With the likes of Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani returning I would keep them because of the experience they possess and quality they bring. There are talks of off-loading them because of the wages they command and the burden it’s putting on the team’s resources but I feel they possess far more quality than the likes of Charlie Adam’s and Jordan Henderson. With Lucas coming back into the fold next season, I feel Liverpool have more than enough depth in the middle of the park.
What will be crucial for Liverpool are a right-sided winger and a finisher. Ibrahim Affelay has become disenchanted with the limited minutes he has received at Barcelona. I feel at a cut-price he would be happy to move away from the Catalan giants to gain regular football having fallen behind the likes of Telo and Cuenca. He has the pace and skill to not only provide regular assists next season but to chip in with a few goals, something our current “wingers” Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have failed to do on a consistent. A goal scorer in the guise of Walter Lavezzi would perhaps be an ideal position. His goal record in Italy isn’t the best because he has often played the role off of poacher Cavani, but given the chance playing with the likes of Suarez; both will provide and scores goals all day long hopefully forming a deadly partnership. Another position we may need cover for is left-back but this is less of a priority. What do you the fans think we need?
May 8th, 2012
Cole and Aurelio have to go, and i reckon maxi and kuyt would also leave at the end of this season only because of no game time. Suarez must get a strike partner. Carroll should be given more chances, but i feel send him on loan so he will get more game time and gain more confidence. Aqua man could be a could bench strength if he is given a chance at Anfield. Coates should not be picked after carra! Downing definately should be given more chances. hope kenny brings in good buys this season and we have a fit and inform gerrard and Lucas.
May 8th, 2012
I’d keep Joe Cole because of his experience. He had a good pre-seaosn last year and thought he’d play a pivotal role on the right sid eof midfield cutting in with glen bombing on, instead kenny loaned him out for jordan henderson to play on the right and he;s been nothing short of a joke. Aurelio is injury prone but id like to see him on the bench unless we buy a left back full of pace in the mould of clichy who can compete with enrique. I think maxi will leave on a free, kuyt is being courted by hamburg and I agree carroll deserves at leas another season despite his indifferent year. a pacey striker is required. coates will become third choice centre back i feel and i just dont know about downing. I think he hasnt got the bottle to play for us. he’s suited to an everton or a villa. doesnt get enough goals for my liking and lacks pace and skill to beat wingers. Adam Johnson would be my choice. pacey, skillful gets goals and can ghost players for fun.
May 8th, 2012
sale cole,auilani,shelvey,kuyt,agger,nd throw caragger 2 support staff, buy odemwingi,tarrabt,scott sinclair, colloccini.give chance 2 young talented academy players like sterling,martin keely, robinson. nd rodriguez should b given priority over downing in starting 11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
May 8th, 2012
As i said id keep aquilani and cole cos of they’re international pedigree and experience. id loan shelvey out, sell kuyt and keep carra on the bench as 4th choice centre back. Sell agger? are you mad? he’s our first choice centre back. odemwingie would be adecent forward for us but he needs a lot of chances to finish, so id avoid hm. taraabat is eays on the high but not a hard worker. scott sinclair id love to have, full of quality, collocini wont be sold and isnt required, sterling should be igiven more game time, robsinson i dont think will make it and rodriguez as much as i like him will be sold. And your right downing shouldnt start, he not good enough.
May 8th, 2012
I think we need 3 players. First, Luuk de Jong, he is a very prolific and young striker. Second, Gaston Ramirez is a very exciting player, and we should definitely buy him for the future,since Gerrad is sadly aging.
Third, a winger, why don’t Kenny make a contentious effort to bring in Payet from Lille or Valbuena from Malaga? Please reply.Thanx
May 9th, 2012
Luuk de Joong does look prolific in front of goal and Luis Suarez has proved that the transition from the dutch league to the premier league can be done. But I hear he is being courted by many clubs. Gaston is a player i am a fan of, again sadly I just dont see him coming to liverpool because of the fee his club would command. A winger is a must, I prsonally prefer affelay to payet or elias of hamburg as i stated in my article. But a player of pace and skill andproven at international level is something i would appprove of in this regard. And valbuena is a quality winger for sure, drifts inside right alot so dont know if he fits the mould of an out and out winger however during the days of benitez, I was a staunch believer that we should have put a bid in for him. unfortunately he is a few yars older and an option i wouldnt now pursue.
May 9th, 2012
yous are making it out as if we are poor and have no money :/ 16 million for gaston ramirez is easily within our means. did yous not hear tom werner sayin these things 1/ ”we have the resources to compete with anyone in football”….. 2 ”we will spend, and continue to spend until we get to where we want to be”…. see whoever has said things like ”we are only getting 20million to spend this season” and ”we cant afford good players”, I’d love to know where they get their information from, we have money if we need to spend it…..
May 9th, 2012
It’s a coy tactic but i dont think there’ll be a hundred million to spend like last season, probably 40 to 50 million with addiontal revenue raised with the sale of players, so maybe 60 to 70 million. Even with the vast amount of funds we’ll possibly be able to spend, i dont think henry trusts dalglish after what he brought in last season. we’ll have to wait and see who comes in, either way is gaston a player we need? another central midfielder aint required, we need wingers and a striker.