They’re one of the most successful clubs in British football, they have a manager who has won the lot – both as a player and a boss – and their club captain was once the most coveted player in world football. So why is everything so glum at Liverpool Football Club? Well, first of all the stats – they’ve lost six of their last seven league games, eight in total since the turn of the year, they languish 16 points off the Champions League spots and they’ve got two strikers who don’t score goals. Let’s not get too carried away with one of the two strikers who is indeed a supreme talent but that’s by the by, he’s still not a goalscorer.
Former player John Aldridge has piped up recently stating that the club is a ‘laughing stock’ and that their current Premier League form (or lack of) is ‘shambolic’ as the men in red currently stutter through their worst run since 1954. He may have a point but the question is – where does the problem lie? And with Kenny Dalglish only being in charge for over a year, is this club currently in transition as he looks to shape his squad and therefore should the fans be more patient? Obviously, patience is key in football if an empire is to be built (take Ferguson at Man United) but without a league title in 22 years and the Premier League trophy about a million miles from their clutches, you can’t really blame Liverpool fans for venting their frustrations at the current state of affairs on the pitch.
Their latest episode was on Sunday just, in a 2-0 defeat to fellow Champions League hopefuls Newcastle United at the Sports Direct Arena. Amidst conceding two from Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse, their own number nine Andy Carroll was booked for a dive when clean through and the normally dependable Pepe Reina was sent off for clashing heads with Toon defender James Perch (full marks to Perch for his reaction). To state that it was a bad day at the office for Dalglish and his men would be an understatement. Kenny himself, often so prickly with journalists, wore the look of a weary man afterwards, a man at odds with the state his beloved club finds itself in.
Now, I wrote at the start of the season how Dalglish could be just what Liverpool need – a man who inherently knows the club history and someone who is respected throughout. While that opinion will remain I will also argue that there are certain elements of his tenure which are questionable. Mainly his signings – some of which have simply not been up the job. Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam – types of players who don’t seem to fit the bill at Anfield; players who are mere shadows of Fowler, McManaman and Barnes before them. The latter of the three, I would argue, can be an assertive midfielder, a decent passer of the ball who could come good given time. But, along with the previous two (who both cost a whopping £55 million between them), has thus far struggled to make a telling impact. There is also a particular lack of belief amongst the squad at the moment – take the Newcastle defeat recently – despite starting well the Reds faded quickly and ended up well beaten.
You get the feeling that maybe Dalglish has been out of the game for too long in order for him to stamp his mark on this current crop of players. Their League Cup win and progression to the semi-finals in the FA Cup would argue against this but in the league, there is a certain aspect of Liverpool’s game which is missing, particularly at Anfield where they have picked up only five wins this season. The Scotsman has spent a lot of money to draft in a number of average players and, as a consequence, his team have underachieved in the league.
This summer at Anfield a revamp of the current squad is needed – much as Dalglish may argue against it – otherwise the men on Merseyside will have to accept another fruitless year in search of the long-awaited league title.
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