It could be argued that Liverpool have massively overpaid for a couple of players this Summer, but the bottom line is that if they have the money, they should use it to improve their squad and so far that is exactly what they have done.
Their priority so far has been the strengthening of their midfield, and they were never short of attacking threat, so it is their defense that I think should be their next focus. Liverpool don’t necessarily lack quality in their back line but they do lack numbers, their current set of players are experienced but either injury prone or getting on in years, and in some cases both. Jamie Carragher and Sotirios Kyrgiakos are both decent players but the wrong side of 30, Daniel Agger is a great defender when on form, but he has been hampered by injuries , and Martin Skrtel has missed the entire preseason with an injury.
Caughtoffside.com reckon that ‘King Kenny’ is looking at addressing that department in the near future and they claim he is paying particular interest in Stoke war horse and former Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross. Whether it be the Stoke man or not it shows a clear understanding of the frailties in his squad, and he could do a lot worse than the 23 year old. He is about to begin his 5th season with the side and in that time he has become a crucial cog in their team, his physical attributes make him a real force in the Premier League. Clearly he is not one of the ‘classiest’ defenders, but he gets the job done and he has attracted admiring glances from a few teams up and down the league.
In many ways it is a transfer that I can see making sense for all concerned, Shawcross has recently rejected the opportunity to represent Wales which would suggest that he see’s a future with England, and I see no reason why that can’t happen. CaughtOffside suggest that the defender may feel it easier to get into the England squad whilst playing for a more high profile club and I can see that as a big factor in pushing him towards a move. It is reported that a bid of around £12million would secure his signature and to be honest I think that would be a really good piece of business for Liverpool, he is a quality defender and I think there are similarities between Shawcross and Anfield legend Jamie Carragher. Clearly it would be good money for Stoke as well, a side who are hardly flushed financially and therefore it would be a bid that would be very hard to reject.
In the grand scheme of things Dalglish is doing a great job at Anfield, many questioned his appointment after the dismissal of the forlorn Roy Hodgson, but doubts now seem foolish, he is working with a clear picture of what he wants in his mind and his actions in the transfer market have confirmed that. He is creating a strong attacking unit which will play to the strengths of both Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. His defense has shipped goals in preseason and he must now make that his primary focus and I am sure he will do just that.
Extra bodies in the central defensive area are a must, they may have players coming through but they need to be supplemented with experienced Premier League performers and I think Shawcross fits that bill perfectly. I also can’t help but feel they could do with more people at left back, the future’s of Aurelio and Insua seem a little unsure and whether they can keep relying on kids is unclear. They asked Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger to play there on occasion last season but clearly that isn’t going to get the best out of them, so after securing a centre back, that could be another position that Kenny Dalglish will look to strengthen in what is become a really big spending Summer for the club.
Clearly money had to be thrown about at Anfield, there were a lot of problems and their manager is sorting them out well and finding good solutions, I expect that to continue over the coming weeks with the next focus being the defensive unit. A charge for the top 4 seems highly likely to me next season, Arsenal must be worrying about their Champions League future…
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We’re leakin like a $20 hoar!!!!! Come on Kenny sort this out. We have used our vital pre-season fixtures to show our dead wood off in hope we can off load the likes of Degan. As a result our first team squad has had very little or no time to prepare and get up to speed. Meanwhile, our top 4 competitors are focusing on the impending premiership fixtures.
If Shawcross ever plays for England I’m going to support Scotland. Luckily he never will thanks to the likes of Phil Jones instead of this lumbering donkey who can head a ball.