With Kenny Dalglish expected to take the Liverpool manager’s job permanently in the summer, both he and Director of Football Damien Comolli will be looking to shape a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League. With Comolli stating it will be a “busy summer” in the transfer market, it looks as if Reds owner Fenway Sports Group will be looking to splash some cash. With perhaps 4 or 5 players needed in the summer (two wingers, left back, defensive midfielder and a centre back?), a clearout of deadwood will be needed.
Starting with the strikers, the arrival of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, means there is greater strength up front but I think we can expect Serbian forward Milan Jovanovic to depart this summer. He has been used relatively little by both Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish, and rejected a move to Wolfsburg in January. I anticipate the Serbian to depart just a year after arriving from Standard Liege on a free transfer. The future of David Ngog is a little less certain. Although still young at 22 years of age, Comolli and Dalglish may seek to look for another striker, and with Dirk Kuyt being used more often as a striker, instead of Ngog, under Dalglish, there is a chance of the Frenchman leaving if another striker arrives.
The midfield is certainly the area where most changes will be implemented in the summer. With Christian Poulsen completely failing to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, the Dane will almost certainly be departing in the summer with Udinese his most likely destination. It will leave Lucas Leiva as the only really effective defensive midfielder in the squad, barring Jay Spearing, and I would expect Damien Comolli is already scouting a new holding midfielder. Moussa Sissoko stated to L’Equipe yesterday that he is seeking to leave Toulouse and the Reds have been touted as a possible destination. In regards to Alberto Aquilani, the future is less certain than Poulsen’s and he could very well find himself back at Anfield come the summer.
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I think people always go a little crazy when the subject of a clearout is mentioned. It isn’t championship manager, you can’t just get rid of everyone you don’t fancy and replace them with stars. We still need a squad and players to come in when injuries occur.
There are of course those players who have some value and it is time they went, with the back up players being young British players rather than similar quality foreigners.
I’d get rid of:
Insua – he wants 1st team footy, but he’s not good enough for us. Sell.
Ngog – he might still be young, but for me he is truly awful and the Arsenal goal aside looks dreadfully of out his depth. Sell.
Jovanovic – not brought much to the party since he arrived. We’ll get a few million for him to cover his wages and fees. Sell.
Joe Cole – just hasn’t really worked for him. Injuries have held him back but he looks a shadow of the player he once was. Again, he’d get us some money at his sale value. Sell.
Maxi – if we’re in the market for a winger which i hope we are, then he would step out. He won’t sit on the bench so lets cash in. Sell.
Aqualani – I’m always critical of players who come out of Italy. They rarely adapt to the pace of the game and Aqualani is a prime example. All the talent in the world but never had quite the time on the ball he wanted. Shame, but sell.
Poulsen – Jay Spearing looks a better bet, and has more passion being a scouser. Lets cash in a use Jay as back up.
Konchesky – a given really.
Centre back – don’t have a real problem with any of them. Carra is ageing and may play less but we’d never sell him! Soto prob the one to go if we brought in a top quality player.
Pacheco is always one that confuses me. He looks so lively when he has come on in the odd game. Though 3 managers have failed to give him more time, so there must be something there. Maybe his attitude, but he looks 10 times the player Ngog isn’t. Worried he may be another Le Tallec. Would def keep for the moment.
i agree with all them although i wouldnt mind so much if aquilani stayed and see if dalglish and clarke can get the best out of him. but for me i would maybe get rid of skrtel and try and get gary cahill. we also still have players like philipe degan and nabil el zhar to get rid of as well
It isnt championship manager but you list 7 players!?
Jova, Poulsen, Konchesky, Degen and Aquilani are the most likely to depart.
Rebuilding takes time and we are never going to sell 10 players or buy 10 in return. Therefore you got to keep some players and give m another year sitting on the bench. Ngog, Cole, Maxi and Insua would be good to have on the bench.
Rebuilding the team will take another summer at least. The 2012/2013 season is going to be fantastic!
2010 Summer transfers OUT (first team players only): Riera, Benayoun, Mascherano, Aquilani, Insua, Degen and Aurelio (released on a free)
2010 Summer transfers IN (first team players only): Cole, Jovanovic, Wilson, Konchesky, Meireles, Poulsen, Aurelio (brought back after nobody wanted him from the free agency market)
That’s fact, not based on any video game. SEVEN regular first team players out and SEVEN players brought in for the first team during the last summer window… in real life… when the entire club was supposedly about to fall apart…
On top of that we also apparently rejected offers for Torres, Reina, Kuyt, Lucas, N’gog and Johnson!
It is FAR easier to get rid of 10 players in real life than in a video game (from the last time I played Football Manager at least anyway)
I totally agree with that.If we can make some purchases & two positions should be given priority in my opinion.Left back & on the flanks.
Get centrao if he wants to come to Anfield if he doesn’t get Enrique.I’m sure he can’t turn us down.
On the flanks, It would be hard but it’s worth a try to persuade Young.but even it we don’t land him, we should be able to get a winger who has got the pace & skill to take on & unlock defence.Aurelio……i like him alot but he’s been humpered by injuries every now & then.I think we should keep.With that said, next season we could win the title or finish 2nd or 3rd.
Maxi, Kuyt, Skrtel, Poulsen, Cole, Jovanovich, Spearing, Konchesky, Aurelio (+fringe players already moved out on loan like Degen & El Zhar) SHOULD be leading a clearout – all average players that are not of the quality to move the club forwards either short term or long term, and are just taking up wages blocking the progress of potentially far better players
Aquilani, Jovanovich, Konchesky, Maxi, Poulsen, Insua and Kyrgiakos probably will be the players sold on though, leaving the squad with a lot of deadweights still in there… 🙁