Liverpool are in a remarkably difficult position. It’s clear that things need to change, but given the extravagant spending of last summer, it’s unlikely that the top brass will be willing to fund any big changes. Liverpool’s third Premier League defeat on the trot is clear evidence that there’s something wrong with the way Kenny Dalglish has set his team up. When Niklas Bendtner can score but your forwards cant then something has to change.
It all comes down to this: there’s no possible way of justifying the way that the club has spent its money over the last couple of years. It’s all well and good saying that with the benefit of hindsight, but the policy of buying young British talent was always a risky one. Just look at the success rate of the of the England National side.
Consider the difference between the Reds signing Luis Suarez and Jordan Henderson. Liverpool plucked Suarez out of Ajax’s grasp for just £23m and Henderson cost almost £20m. There’s a difference of just £3m but there was a huge difference between the skillset, ability and experience of both players before they were signed.
Suarez had proven himself at Ajax (with an incredible 81 goals in 110 games) and at International level for Uruguay. He was 25-years-old and mixed genuine technical ability and a knack for grabbing goals. Contrast this to Jordan Henderson, who Liverpool signed because he was a player who had potential. A couple of good seasons for Sunderland does not guarantee he’d be able to make the step-up to a top club. He was a gamble in the way that Suarez wasn’t.
So why on earth did the club decide to take a gamble on both Downing and Adam in the same summer. Blackpool Captain Charlie Adam had started the season prior well, but had faded towards the end. At £8m he wasn’t really a costly gamble, but the fact that he has earned such a prominence in Liverpool’s midfield is a little worrying.
This brings me to Stewart Downing, a man who was always going to be a risky signing. Yes he had won Aston Villa’s ‘Player of the Season’ award, but he was still in Ashley Young’s shadow. He had only ever been tested at mid-table clubs and there was no sure sign he could adapt to life at the top. So why did Liverpool spend so much on him?
These signings are particularly bizarre in the light of Liverpool splashing £35m on Andy Carroll. They’d already taken a big risk, so why not go after people who have been tried and tested at the top level and shown more than just potential? Why not look abroad for talent on the cheap?
I’m not against football clubs taking a risk in the transfer market, I just find it bizarre that Liverpool were willing to take so many risks at a pivotal stage in their evolution. As things stand now, Champions League football is further away than ever and it’s all because these players weren’t able to make the step up that Liverpool’s top brass must have been praying for.
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at times inaccurate, and overall misleading article. we all know that it is more expensive to ‘buy british’ than to import, but the rules are the rules. Henderson did not cost ‘nearly 20m’, and yes does not have the proven experience of Suarez. Deservedly captain of england u-21, Henderson has looked one of our better signings. The big disappointment is Adam, at an age when he is unlikely to improve. Downing has been opatchy and unconvincing. Lets see how they do with 2 big matches this week. The last time we did as we did at Sunderland (at Bolton) we then defeated City and United. Patience, i urge, work in progress, and we are progressing.
What a load of rubbish. The blame should gennerally lie with KD.
Carrol has hardly been given a run of games to get some form and when he does start playing well he gets dropped. He should have started the last three games.
Jordan Henderson has constantly been played out of position. He is not a wide player and when he does play in the middle he generally plays well.
Adam has been made to play a much deeper role than he did at blackpool especially whith Lucas out.
Downing has been disapointing and again when he does start to play well he gets dropped.
The line up is changed far too much, the build up play is to slow, mdifielders are not getting in the box enough and there is no creative player in the midfield.
Finally if PSG put in a GOOD offer for Suarez we would consider it as he is not producing the goods.
When has downing ever really played well?? The lad has no goals or ASSISTS to his name in the PL, what kind of record is that for a winger who should be raking in assists.
I was at the match at the weekend against Sunderland and we looked awful, Henderson isn’t anywhere near good enough, too defensive, afraid to go forward with the ball, Adam was sitting far too deep also, then with Spearing being another defensive minded player it made me feel, where is the creativity, flair or pace going to come from in midfield? i have absolutely no idea why the likes of Maxi didn’t start playing behind Suarez, he is actually an attacking central midfielder after all!!!! Spearing, Adam nor Henderson have the mindset to move forward with a ball and take on players.
We seriously lack, pace, flair, creativity and importantly, from what i witnessed first hand, a lack of passion & motivation (up until the dying minutes anyway!)
The players need to take a long hard look at themselves and aim to step up their games, no one is to blame but themselves for that kind of shift!!
bazza,
Kenny’s signings – bar Enrique (Suarez was a Comolli signing) – are crap; and that’s a hard fact.
The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the so-called king who in actual fact is merely a cheque-book manager at best. This totally clueless and out-of-his-depth manager cannot even tell the difference between talent and mediocrity. Oh Dalglish, football is not played with the mouth. What a pathetic, woeful, abject scumbag you are to blame everything under the sun, but yourself. No one considered Roy Hodgson a decent manager until the Dalglish-can-do-no-wrong manager came along.
FOOLGISH and FOOLCOLI are to blame. I am sorry but English players are mostly crap and extremely over rated. The prices reflect this period.
I never was happy with Foolgish or his side kick. For god sake he was removed at spurs and arsenal. He knows FA about football. The only decent signing has been the left back and saurez. Carrol is a skill less donkey, hendo useless and downing is no better. As I previously wrote LFC would have a hard time getting worthy manager so Fenway stuck to fans pressure like fools and appointed FOOLGISH. Hes been out of the game for too long and he is one stubborn guy which makes him hard to adapt and change. A must needed skill in anything in life, especially top flight footie.
Roy done better than Foolgish, at least he never blew 100 million.
Some of the most famous and laughable quotes I have come across, “In King Kenny we trust” makes you look like a MUG!!!
So called experts in the game talk a big game but what diff it make? Get sack or what ever they can retire the next day. Makes no difference to them.
Tron,
Some of these fans still believe in King Kenny. How tragic.
kenny has made no sence all season his buys have been poor,his tactics have been poor,his after match interviews have been a joke,Adam has played rubish all season but he still ends up on team sheet.
at the end of the Everton match the chants will be”get kenny out,get kenny out, get kenny out”
Dalglish Out Dalglish Out
Dalglish your on yer own son, start walking…. and dont come back….well not as the first team manager director of the youth acadamy is right up your street.
p.s take Carrol, Adams, Henderson and Downing with you… they have just killed your career as a manager i doubt after this job any other club would hire Kenny…maybe he could manage our local pub team….(maybe not).
John,
Very well written. If Everton beat us tomorrow (Heaven forbid) that will be curtains for Kenny at Liverpool Football Club. What an unwise move with all his signings. Didn’t he watch England in the 2010 World Cup Final?
Kenny Dalglish is wholly to blame for this.
SACK kenny dalglish and appoint FRANK RIJKAARD…. if not means just closed the club, don’t spoil the club’s name by loosing to underdog teams like sunderland. And dalglish always give excuse if lose any match…
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I THINK DALGLISH ALREADY BRAINWASH OUR OWNER, THAT WHY HE STILL IN THE JOB.