IT goes without saying that in order to win games you have to score goals – more than the opposition at least – and it’s in this key area Liverpool have so clearly failed over the past few seasons. Even with Suarez and Carroll on board last season the “goals for” statistics was borderline awful and none of us want to hear the word “woodwork” too many times again next season.
I’ve had a look at the goals-scored and goals-against statistics over the last five seasons to see what the trend looks like and what it shows is clearly disturbing.
The graph clearly illustrates Liverpool’s scoring potency has been in serious decline not just last year but year-over-year culminating in a mere 43 goals last season condemning us to a rather harsh, but maybe justified, 8th place in the league. As you can see, it’s no accident that in the 2008/09 season, when Liverpool scored 66 goals and only conceded 26, they almost won the league finishing a close second to that lot 40 miles away along the East Lancs Road.
Even though the goals against have been increasing they have stabilized over the last two seasons so I don’t see this as Liverpool’s main problem next season as defensively they look pretty solid, as long as you forget the QPR games last season! I realize it’s hardly CSI level analysis but it’s this slide in Liverpool’s goal-scoring ability that illustrates that putting the ball in the net more often and on a consistent basis next season has to be one of, it not the, main priority for Brendan Rodgers.
The question is can the current squad turn this goal-scoring decline around? Is Suarez and our new 21 year-old Italian signing, Borini, good enough to get the job done or does Rodgers still need to find another clinical finisher? It looks like you have to factor out Carroll from the equation as it seems he’s almost certainly on his way out of Anfield.
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I’m fully confident that Suarez, given the right support from the midfield and all of last year’s troubles now behind him, will have a great season. Suarez is such a talented, creative, player that we’ve yet to see the best of him and with another deadly striker alongside him the omens look really good. As for Fabio Borini, to date in his senior career he’s only made 46 appearances including Chelsea, Swansea, Parma and Roma scoring a total of 16 goals. Not a bad conversion rate but it’s safe to say he’s still an unproven striker and only time will tell if he can become a lethal striker and that he and Suarez can create a new scoring partnership we so badly need. Don’t forget we bought Kuyt as a striker from Feyenoord and for all his work rate he was never able to fulfil that role to its full potential.
It’s not like Liverpool didn’t create the chances to score and win games last season, they did, but now it’s down to taking those chances and putting the games beyond reach. The question remains as to how wise is the decision to let a striker of Carroll’s talent go, given his improved form and the amount of investment that will be lost? Can we really afford to let him leave? It’s a question only Rodgers himself can answer.
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Being able to score a penalty would help. Liverpool’s performance from the spot last season was utterly pathetic. This is one of the few things the new manager could work on with any hope of an improvement.
First and foremost B Rodgers needs to clear out the 6 dead wood players and 1 player who is simply three years past his best and should join the coaching side of club.
1: Doni GK
2: B Jones GK
3: J Flanagan RB/LB
4:J Spearing DM/CM
5: C Adams CM/DM
6: J Cole AM/RW/LW
7 Lastly J Carragher CB
Then B Rodgers should be given £110m to bring in these 9 quality players:
Three Defensive players to strengthen back four and GK Position:
1: Al Habsi Of Wigan for £3-£6M GK
2: S Kjaer Of Wolfsburg for £7-£11M CB
3: A Cissokho Of Lyon for £4-£9M LB
6 creative class quality mobile pacey quick attacking players to create and score goals:
4: J Allen Of Swansea fo £8-£13M CM
5: M Fernandez Of Besiktas For £5-£8M CM
6: Willian Of S Donesk for £18-£20M RW/AM
7: I Munian Of A Bilbao for £16-£18M AM/RW
8: G Ramirez Of Bologna for £14-£16M LW
9: C Dempsey should be brought in swap deal with C Adams and £2M. AM/FD
Dream all you want mate but this is a cost cutting plan pure and simple. Big money will not be spent.
I can’t see us making the top four positions this season unless Rodgers pulls off some kind of tactical miracle. What has changed to improve our situation from past seasons……we’ve signed an unknown striker and demoralised Carroll! I’ll be expecting about 6th.
and let go of Kuyt, Maxi, Aquilani and will probably release Bellamy and sell Agger and possibly some of the kids like Sterling.
Frankly, I think we are toast. Now we know why they didn’t want Rafa because he would not stand for it. Rodgers has been told to cut the wage bill and thats it.