This time last week if you had said to me that Fernando Torres had left for Chelsea for £50m and that we had replaced him with Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez for £35m and £23m respectively, I would have laughed my head off. The Suarez deal looked a possibility but the other two transfers would have looked incredulous. The old cliché that a week is a long time in football certainly rings true. The last two days have been very trying certainly on the editor of this website who has extremely red eyes after spending the best part of 18 hours yesterday and the day before looking at computer or TV screens. I need to get out more really.
After the dust has settled, rather than a feeling of devastation or despair among Reds fans which would have characterised most supporters if the club had just sold Torres for £50m without bringing in the replacement, there is sense of great optimism and excitement about what the future holds. Great credit must go to FSG and Damien Comolli for getting the deals done for Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in the shortest period of time imaginable. Although the net spend for the window is approximately £1.8m (£50m received for Torres and £6m for Babel, £35m paid for Carroll and £22.8m for Suarez), it shows that the American owners are willing to use money to go and buy top players, rather than keeping the money for interest payments or anything else. It is great that the owners are also backing Kenny and Comolli in the transfer market too as £35million for Carroll is going way out on a limb, and puts reputations on the line. There is great optimism for the first time in a long time and there is a feeling that Liverpool are finally back up with the big boys competing financially in the transfer market. Kenny Dalglish mentioned in his interview about Andy Carroll today that FSG will back the club in the summer too:
“The owners have been fantastically supportive during this window. In fact they may be slightly disappointed they didn’t get someone else. Anyone who had any doubts about hunger or anybody taking this club forward, they’re gone now. In the summer we’ll be looking forward to trying to enhance what we’ve got.”
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This week it is even more of Liverpool WAG Alex Curran!
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I can only assume we will play 4-4-1-1.
Reina
Kelly Carragher Agger Aurelio
Johnson Meireles Gerrard Maxi
Suarez
Carroll
In the summer we will sign a young LB and LM.
Then the next stage will be to look at developing Wilson to take Carraghers place and Shelvey to take Gerrards place.
Maybe we need to look again at Insua & Aquilani or just cash them in, either way the future is looking very bright.
the best tactic is 4-3-3
Reina
Johnson Charagher Skrtel Agger
Gerrard Meireles Cole
Suarez Carrol Kuyt/Jovanovi?
I WAS going to say I’d go 4-1-3-2, with Gerrard and Meireles running riot…
Kelly, Skrtl, Agger, Aurelio
Poulson
Johnson, Meireles Gerrard,
Suarez, Carroll
But I can’t see that working… although Gerrard cutting in from the left could be lethal…
you could also put Johnson on the left and Gerrard on the right!!!!
Tough one.. but I’m sure Kenny knows exactly what he is doing.. I(we all) have faith!!
even in a 4-2-3-1 formation, suarez can play in the hole behind carroll…
but i think we need width in our game if we are to make full use of caroll’s heading prowess, playing glen in the wings wud be very beneficial to that effect..
I can assume a 4-3-3
Reina
Kelly Carragher Agger Johnson
Gerrard Lucas Meireles
Pacheco Carroll Suarez
My team sheet for sure
4132
reina
kelly carra agger johnston
lucas
gerrard miereles maxi
suarez carrol
although hodgson flogged the 442 of ineptness to death with liverpool, in essence it can be a very fluid system that can create and control a game. however, it will depend on 2 pacey wingers being signed. against most teams in the premiership we could easily play gerrard and miereles in the middle without compromising the integrity of our defence, however, i would much prefer to get someone like diarra from rmadrid to build a foundation upon, although i can see spearing getting more game time in the makalele role, just to buy the owners enough time to put together enough funds to buy someone of quality. i think lucas may go this summer, which would be a real shame, i think he’s been quietly excellent for 2 seasons now but gerrard will be number one for at least 3 more seasons and miereles is a more than capable back up to him. lucas is being played as a holding midfielder when really he is a creator, like the two mentioned earlier, a player adept at keeping the ball moving and pushing forward into space rather than holding back and making sure the space behind the attacking half of the team isnt exploited on the break. however, earlier in the season lucas and miereles were forging quite a prtnership in the middle and i would love to see them carry this on, with gerrard being pushed out to the right and maxi on the left.. i think this would creata a fluid 442/433 combination that would bring out the best of gerrards dynamic movement and his crossing ability, suarezs vision and touch and carrolls power and hieght, with maxi/lucas/miereles all able to run into the box late and create chances.
reina
kelly carra agger johnson
lucas/poulsen
miereles/kuyt maxi/jovanovic
gerrard suarez
carroll
maybe. in kenny i trust.
Carroll is now injured so i consider this line up for tommorrow:
Reina
Kelly Skrtel Agger Johnson
Lucas Meireles
Gerrard
Kuyt Suarez Maxi
but when Carroll and Carragher are 100% ready i expect this lineup:
Reina
Kelly Carragher Agger Johnson
Lucas Meireles
Kuyt Gerrard Suarez
Carroll
Kenny will stick with 4-2-3-1 i think till summer..it’ll be a bit risky to play 4-4-2 but we can with Suarez-Carroll up front.YNWA..GREAT thanks to NESV,Kenny and Comolli for the transfers..we paid a lot for Carroll but he’ll be greeat i’m sure of it..i like his style a lot!!at summer consider Ashley Young and Charlie Adam!!
Steve spot on mate! Completely agree with you. 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 is definately the formation Kenny is planning.
Tomorrow:
Reina
Kelly skrtle agger johnson
Lucas gerrard
Kuyt meireles maxi
Suarez
Rest of season:
Reina
Kelly carra agger johnson
Lucas gerrard
Kuyt meireles suarez
Carroll
Next season potentially:
Reina
Johnson cahill?? agger contreau??
Adam?? gerrard
meireles
Young?? carroll suarez
bringing back aquilani can give liverpool the option of 4-3-1-2 with aquilani just behind suarez and carroll. With Gerrard, Meireles and Adam(or someone else with great passing capabilities). The pass and move system and playing on the wings can both be implemented. With the back 4 of Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Coentrao, we will have to pacey players running from the back and Meireles and Adam covering for them. Gerrard and Aquilani as a support to the strikers. We need to bring in one more striker, just for the sake of having 4 capable strikers.(Man U 1999 any1??). With Lucas,Wilson,Ayala,Pacheco,Suso,Conor,Kelly,Amoo,Eccleston,Spearing,Shelvey,Flanagan,Sterling,Hansen,Gulacsi etc… We have a team for the future.. And not forgetting Carragher,Jovanovic,Cole,Aurelio,Kuyt etc as backup..