The latest rumours doing the rounds involving Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool side include bids for both Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe and Swansea’s Scott Sinclair. It has become clear over recent weeks what the club’s achilles heel will be in their race for fourth and where their focus lies for the remainder of the January transfer window – adding pace to a side completely devoid of any.
Liverpool are still a club in transition it’s worth remembering. Frustrating results like the countless home draws this season, the weekend’s latest example against Stoke merely adding to the mounting evidence, are unfortunately just par of the course. Those fans that expected a top four finish were in dreamland. The rebuilding project entrusted to Roy Hodgson at the beginning of last season is now only beginning to truly take form and get back on track – Hodgson’s tenure was but a bump in the road, albeit a fairly hefty one.
The expensive acquisitions of Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Luis Suarez in the last year have prompted an overhaul of what was a deeply average and somewhat threadbare squad inherited by Dalglish’s predecessor from Rafa Benitez.
As will inevitably happen when so many fresh faces move to a club in a relatively short space of time, a period of leniency has to be afforded to those gelling into their new surroundings. Of Dalglish’s signings for instance, Enrique, Suarez and Bellamy have flourished; Henderson and Adam have been decent whereas Carroll and Downing have struggled terribly, to put it politely.
The main problem Liverpool have had this season has been being able to put the ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis. The club have scored a measly 24 goals in 21 league engagements this campaign so far. That is less than Bolton, Blackburn and Sunderland. The club’s top scorer is Luis Suarez with just five goals to show for all of his talent and ingeniously dynamic play. Something is clearly awry.
A mixture of poor finishing and mesmeric goalkeeping has been laid as reasons partly responsible for the club’s laboured home form which has seen them draw seven of their eleven games. While both of those are certainly true to an extent, perhaps they’re only two factors in part of a wider, more systematic problem.
Liverpool are an almost chronically slow side. They are by far the slowest side in the top half of the Premier League table at present. That in turn makes them far easier to play against and makes it far more difficult for them to break you down, exploiting space in behind the defence.
The one thing we are often told that defenders don’t like playing against is raw pace. Would the likes of Obertan, Walcott and Wright-Phillips even be professional footballers without it? In today’s modern game, pace is essential to the success of any side. Indeed, the foundations of Swansea’s efforts to compound their pre-season expectations has been, above all, their pace out wide with the likes of Dyer, Sinclair and Routledge crucial. For without it, they are merely a toothless side with lots of possession and no cutting edge.
Look around the Liverpool squad – where does the pace come from? Who is the club’s quickest player? Are they even a regular? The side that started against Stoke included five defenders, three central midfielders, and two wingers in a variant of the 3-6-1 formation which had proved so successful in the same fixture last season.
An attacking line-up of Dirk Kuyt, Charlie Adam, Steven Gerrard, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson, with Johnson and Enrique in support as wing backs offers no plan B. It relies in creativity, clever movement and the ability to create space. In short, three things Luis Suarez is fantastic at which is why he is so crucial to Liverpool’s style of play. Without him, plan A doesn’t work as well and plan B, which is apparently lumping it up to Carroll, has shown no signs of working so far.
Craig Bellamy has been superb when called upon this season, but a knee injury prevents him from playing two games in quick succession. He is undoubtedly quick and direct, two characteristics in short supply elsewhere in the squad. When Bellmay doesn’t play, there is no like-for-like replacement, rather a slower, watered down version instead and the side looks far less dangerous as a result.
Rafael Benitez always seemed inherently distrustful of any player with any semblance of pace. It was like he couldn’t fully control them and factor them into his tightly-knit tactical plans and so they were left by the wayside in favour of steadier, more disciplined disciples.
Dalglish has assembled, at great cost, a side without a get-out ball. However, the difference is, is that you get the feeling that with Dalglish, it was somehow done by accident, which is why they are rumoured to be looking at quicker players this transfer window.
Liverpool are still a club in transition; a salient point worth remembering and reminding those emplacing lofty expectations on this side. What is also worth noting, though, is that the way Dalglish has been backed in the transfer market to date has all been based on the precondition that the club achieve Champions League football this season, therefore heading off any losses that they may incur along the intervening period. Failure to do so would be a huge blow and certainly prompt the boardroom to cut their cloth accordingly in terms of investment in the playing staff.
In order to turn those draws into wins and ensure a place in Europe’s top club competition next season, Liverpool must add a degree of pace to their side, whether it be out wide, up top of through the middle, otherwise, they will continue to frustrate as often as they delight, they will continue to fail to deliver on their undoubted promise and they will continue to struggle to break down some of the league’s lesser lights and more stubborn opponents.
The article was written by James McManus for FootballFancast.com. Make sure to check out the latest news, blogs and podcasts at FFC – ed.
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Yes pace is essential but liverpool doesnt hve a player who got genuine dribblin abilities other than suarez..against stock all the players kept passing to each other..no player seems to go straight into defenders cos him trouble..we really need another player with similar technical ability that of suarez….
Lets be honest here…. Downing (more than anyone), Carrol, Henderson and Adam have been a disgrace to the red shirt. No ability, guile, skill and worst still little to no effort…. I love King Kenny but on reflection £80m of toilet paper has been bought in. Had we signed Gomez, Podolski and Hazard we would have been buzzing. We have Maxi and Bellamy who do well and are dropped week in week out…. Yet Henderson, Downing and Carrol get played… WTF. King Kenny please give a chance to our youngsters, they will do so much better…. I would like to see Adam Morgan, Raheem Sterling and Suso given a chance, they can’t be any worse than those mentioned and will at least try…. As for signing it would be nice to see some quality like Podolski, Hazard, Cavani etc etc I know we don’t have champions league but if we don’t do something radical we’ll never have it….
Gomez would never come from one of the best clubs in Europe and potential European champions this season, Hazard has a a host of European giants running after him…as for Podolski he would be real prudent business. He is not flamboyant, but a solid player, does the job entrusted to him, a team man and has a fantastic work ethic, really we should at least try to get him within the next 10 or days remaining in the window.
If Woy’s tenure was a ‘bump on the road’ Kenny’s must be the biggest pot hole in liverpool!
Lets be realistic we are not going to get 4th, we are 5 points behind Chelsea who have had a piss poor season by there standards and Arsenal have been awful as well and yet they are still above us…….we can’t score goals and we have no genuine wide man who beats a player……us fans rave about Bellamy but we let him go first time around and he did nothing special in the championship last season……..I hate being an unrealistic fan but a Hazard, Gotza, Lucas Moura, Shaquiri type player is really needed.
I just cant believe it my Yid mates told me that Downing and Carroll were cack….I was optimistic due to blind faith in Kenny but I guess they were right….I just dont get why we couldnt of signed Parker or Adebayor for a nominal fee like they did makes no sense.
If I got given 20 million and I had to spend it realistically Id go for Sinclair, Hoilett and Pavlyuchenko (ok the guys lazy but if he gets a chance he scores, thats what we need)
PLAY PLATERS IN THEIR RIGHT POSITIONS AND THEN JUDGE OR SACK KING KENNY – Kop are turning
Yes, lack of pace and also the ability to beat a man are the big problems. So, why did we buy
Carroll?
Downing?
Adam?
I actually think Henderson will work out in time. But these three? £63 million?
I completely disagree with this article that ”Pace” is the be-all and end all. Liverpool have been creating chance after chance this season, holding the record for the number of times they’ve hit the post. This is not down to a lack of pace, its down to a bit of bad luck.
Liverpool have a problem and how to solve it is by signing a box finisher. Andy Carroll would thrive whilst playing alongside what is commonly known as a ”sniffer”
As far as I’m concerned the Carroll/Suarez combination doesn’t work, thats unless Liverpool are set up in such a way that Suarez drops off and Liverpool play with 3 forwards, Suarez withdrawn in a midfield/forward role, and Andy Carroll and ? up-front.
This may in turn help Jordan Henderson as he seems to be a little lost in the centre of midfield. He could play right side of a three with Stevie playing as a deep sitting central mid with Downing on the left of that trio. Both Downing and Henderson have the legs to do the running whilst Stevie is plonked in front of the back four and dictates from there.
Is there a lot wrong? I don’t think so. Every problem does have a simple solution.
Downing DOESN’T have the legs to do the running.. He is barely able to run past my granny on her zimmer… As for the effort he puts in, my 8 month old nephew tries harder…. Worthy of being in the top five worst signings by the reds….
If only Rafa had £100m to spend a few years earlier, I could see David Silva and few other decent players in the team…
PACE AGREED! but we need to look at young players with MASSIVE upside! Players such as Shaquiri, Boudebouz! So agreed with Rafa having the money to spend! He scouted David Villa and when he arrived at LFC Villa arrived at Valencia! He scouted Silva and Torres endorsed Mata! As I say, I love Kenny, but just imagine what Rafa would’ve done with that money! jeeeezzz! Downing and Henderson!! REALLY! Rafa spent 1 mill quid on Sterling and he’s going to be better than both of them combined, in a few years time! Rafa’s Rev’n gave us Pepe, Arbeloa, Lucas, Sterling, Jonjo, Alonso, Kuyt, Skrtel, Agger, Luis G, and so much more! Yes he’s had some failed transfers, but didn’t Chelsea buy Sheva, Essien (great but inj prone), Obi Mikel, Veron, and other failed transfers?!?! Rafa was on the cusp on greatness and we cut him free and the thing is, he still adores LFC and is continuously living here! We need to stop the Hazard rumours as he’s NOT going to end up in LFC! Im still in shock Daglish and Co. didn’t take 35 mill + Sturridge for Torres! Still bites today! Hopefully Daglish gives up on his NEED to continuously inject English “Talent” and seek those abroad or those plying their trade in the EPL and doing well!
Let’s be honest daglish ant got a clue tactics players we all no we need wingers with pace yet still continue with none he never seems to but players on form and it’s costing us hate to say it but he needs to go then the reds will rise again
Defoe stated on Christmas Day on Channel 4 that there was absolutely no chance of him leaving Spurs when asked about transfer rumours he would look to leave in January so Kenny can bid all he likes, it won’t make a blind bit of difference.
Besides which, why would a player take a step backwaards to a team full of overpriced mediocrity.
liverpool needs a good creative midfielder like japanese interational HONDER, someone in the mould of david silva.Pacy wingers will be essencial so raheem sterling could be an asset, if one could mention sinclair. unfortunately Carroll is too clumsy and hefty and so immobile and inactive
. I had thought he would be effective but iam sorry i am wrong.
Brilliantly written article that expressed just about everything I’ve told about half a dozen of my Liverpool supporting friends all season. Downing can’t beat a man for pace, the fastest ‘Pool player is probably Bellamy and he’s 32 with dodgy knees. Dalgleish has managed to get the team playing pass and move quite well, but this falls down when there are days or 45 mins, when you just don’t click as a team. Then you need something else, an X-factor. Somebody to produce a moment of magic,or PACE! Apart from sporadic moments of skill from Gerrard or Saurez Liverpool don’t have that X-factor. Basically Dalgleish has bought badly considering the outlay involved. Perhaps the game that put all this in stark contrast was down at White Hart Lane, where Spurs (undoubtedly the fastest team in the Prem) put ‘Pool to the sword. Skrtel against Bale was a mismatch,and Adam got totally frustrated. Coates could have been a third sending off but the ref didnt fancy being the man to put Liverpool down to 8 men. Personally as a Spurs supporter I’m looking forward to the rematch!
Half decent article.
It’s not that we do not have the players to take on teams. The manager got his tactics wrong on the day.
For Carroll to prosper, and he will, he would have needed Suarez and Bellamy alongside him, and Stevie G and Downing supplying from centre/out wide while Enrique and Kelly to supply from deep as wing backs.
Against Stoke, we needed Carroll’s presence in the box. Our crosses were not productive when Carroll was not on the field.
We also needed intelligent players who takes risks, aka Bellamy, Maxi, Suarez.
If we really needed PACE, all we have to do is look to our reserves and pick Adam Morgan or Raheem … but just pace is not what we are after.
KD is a smart manager and would have learned from this, hopefully and may he pick Maxi more often over Henderson for the time being based on FORM, RESULTS and EXPERIENCE.
YNWA.
I think LFC should take a serious look at Shaqiri at FC Basel. Kid has speed, strength, technique, and talent, very much reminded me of Rooney when I watched him play.