Another match-day, another disappointment for Liverpool. Brendan Rodger’s side will surely have been keen to put to bed the fears and concerns that arose during the Reds’ opening three fixtures. Unfortunately, Sunderland did little to ease these concerns and it was only a Luis Suarez equalizer in the final third of the game that saved the club’s blushes.
It’s clear, as it has been for some time, that there’s some major work to be done here. Despite Rodger’s best efforts this summer, there are still far too many passengers in this Liverpool side. The sooner the likes of Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and others move out and free up funds for other players, the better.
Naturally, they’ll have to wait until January to do that. By that stage, you get the feeling that they’ll be absolutely desperate for another striker. But it may also be beneficial to look at players who can help the Reds get more creative and present their forwards with more opportunities.
In that regard, Liverpool’s link to Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera is a good one. According to AS both Liverpool and Tottenham are keeping tabs on the youngster and are thought to be willing to spend up to £16m on bringing him to the Premier League.
I’d argue that he’d be better suited to Anfield. After all, he has drawn considerable comparisons to former Liverpool ace turned Real Madrid maestro Xabi Alonso. The simalarities are these: both players are extremely comfortable on the ball, always seem to create space and time, whilst displaying the vision and ability to carve out a killer ball.
Herrera rose to prominence over the course of last season, putting in 54 appearances for the La Liga side at just 23-years-old. It’s clear that he’s set for a big future and that he’s likely to be snapped up by a top club sometime soon. Let’s hope that it’s Liverpool who does exactly this.
Some fans may feel that Joe Allen was brought in to do the job for Liverpool that Herrera currently does for Bilbao. Yet, I see Allen as more of a Michael Carrick, possession-keeper and Herrera more as a killer ball man. Indeed, I think the two of them could potentially form a rather promising partnership in the centre of Liverpool’s midfield.
£16m may seem a steep price to pay, but for a player of his talents, I represents a small investment.
What’s your take? Would Herrera be a smart addition at Anfield?
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The Liverpool hierarchy must be blind. There is in existence a ready-made striker in their ranks and they don’t even have to look hard to find him. That player is none other than Jamie Hoofer Carragher. It’s a crying shame that all these years Jamie is made to play as a defender. Even a novice could tell that you cannot find another footballer who can be as uncomfortable on the ball as Jamie Hoofer Carragher. Given how technically-inept this so-called footballer is, he would surely cause panic and total mayhem for his team mates and opposition alike thereby allowing an abundance of scoring opportunities for the Reds.