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Yes, we are THAT good – Part 2

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Liverpool FCFOOTBALL may be a game of finances, but as two of the highest spending teams have shown, it takes team chemistry and a number of intangible factors to win the league and/or stay in the top 4. 

Of course there is an approximate pool of money that is essential for a team to be competitive, but simply handing a blank check to the manager is no guarantee of success.

Where are Chelsea and Man City in the table at this point in the season? 

Even with their undeserved point against West Brom, Chelsea are just about staying in touch with first place.  Although indications that Eto’o is beginning to find his form is promising for their goal difference, they are always one step away from being torn apart by internal tensions

The table below charts the expenditures of the top 5 clubs over the last 4 seasons:

Team\Year

10-11

11-12

12-13

13-14

Total

Chelsea

 

£73,200,000

£63,200,000

£72,000,000

£60,700,000

£269,100,000

Man City

£116,000,000

£48,250,000

£14,000,000

£86,800,000

£265,050,000

Man U

£13,550,000

£38,150,000

£51,100,000

£28,900,000

£131,700,000

Liv’pool

-£5,150,000

£35,350,000

£40,800,000

£15,300,000

  £86,300,000

Arsenal

£6,800,000

-£17,550,000

£8,600,000

£32,500,000

  £30,350,000

Tot’ham

£17,500,000

-£27,000,000

-£1,300,000

-£3,050,000

 -£13,850,000

With reference to this year, Chelsea and Man City have continued their free spending ways yet what have they to show for it?  Neither has been a commanding presence and both have dropped points to ‘inferior’ sides.  Arsenal spent big on Mesut Özil this season but is, historically, one of the more miserly teams.  Yet year after year finds them playing in Europe.

Liverpool’s spending has been frugal but they have, of late, gotten value for their investments.  Even so, we have had some disasters, namely the Downings, Adams but the acquisition of Coutinho and Sturridge last January was golden.

The table illustrates another interesting feature – the ability of clubs to attract quality players is not a function of the money they spend.  We found this in last summer’s transfer window where players opted not to come to Anfield.  If meagre transfer spending were any determinant of where a player moves to, why did we lose out on highly touted player after highly touted player while no one shied away from either Spurs or Gunners?

The Reds’ high position in the standings bodes well for the January transfer window.  It will be difficult for players and their agents to ignore the momentum and enthusiasm that characterizes the side this season.  

Although the nouveau rich like PSG will still garner their share of mercenaries, Spurs won’t be stealing any players from under our noses.  Arsene’s reticence to spend money will eliminate him as competition in January while Man City and Chelsea’s problems won’t be addressed by the arrival of new players.

Finally, I am sure that many out there will be sharpening their knives for the usual objects of derision: Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen, and Lucas Leiva.  It seems that, once a player is tarred with the brush of incompetence it is impossible to bring some people around to support them.

Plants don’t grow if you stop watering them (although the manure that some have been heaping upon these players goes against this analogy) and players/teams don’t improve with criticism.

In the case of Joe Allen, much of the criticism levelled his way is collateral damage from those who dislike Brendan Rodgers.  Coupled with the poor decision making that had him playing injured for most of his appearances last season, he quickly became the focus of negative attention.  Hopefully his true abilities will shine in 2013, although his is one of the positions we should be recruiting for in January.

Henderson is still so young.  For a large part of his stint at Anfield he has seemed like a big uncoordinated puppy, jumping up on visitors and knocking over vases.  This season he has excelled in a number of fixtures and garnered Man of the Match honours on more than one occasion.

Lucas does his job game after game.  He does not make the spectacular challenge or deftly dispossess an opponent but he is constantly in position to cut off the passing lanes of any opposition threat, settles the midfield, and makes the intelligent pass to shift defence to offence.

One of the dangers of relegating either or both of the latter two players to the bench or worse lies in an intangible – team chemistry.  This team has come together under Rodgers and each player is an integral part of the machine.  

Any player acquired in January must be engineered into the whole through the skill of the manager and coaching staff.  I believe that the current side has the wherewithal to be legitimate contenders for Europe but needs the infusion of one or two marquee players to remain in the fight for the top 2.  

If that’s overly optimistic, at least it feels good.  If it’s delusional, I’d rather be delusional than wallow in doubt and scepticism.

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Retired High School English teacher. Coached high school football (soccer) and basketball. Played football (soccer) in high school and at university. Live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with my wife and 2 cats. Have been a Liverpool fan since we started receiving broadcasts in Canada. Love to golf and read Terry Pratchett.

23 comments

  • Lee says:

    I’d rather be realistic than wallow in delusion .

  • Denis D says:

    Fritz, The league is not concluded or won in November. The league standings and cup competitions come to a close in may. We have a great class, quality first 11 if our first 11 is fully fit and injury free all season and suspension free. But that will never ever be the case and we have a weak squad that needs huge investment needed.

    10 class, quality players short in squad to offer class, competitive quality competition for places.

    GK: No class quality competition or cover for Mignolet

    RB: No class quality competition or cover for Johnson

    LB: No class quality competition or cover for Enrique

    DM: No class quality competition or cover for Lucas

    CM: No class quality competition or cover for Gerrard

    RW /RWF: No class quality competition, cover or to learn from for Sterling

    LW / LWF: No class quality competition, cover or to learn from for Ibe

    FD: No class quality competition or cover for Sturridge

    FD: No class quality competition or cover for Suarez

  • Davis McGovern says:

    This writer is living in la la land :-/

    • Denis D says:

      Davis Mcgovern,

      If Johnson had any real class cover for his position, he would have been taken off at half time today, he was absolutely woeful. How many attacks come from down his side today?

      Davis if Mignolet, Enrique, Lucas, Gerrard are ever out injured all together, do we have the same class quality to replace them on our bench? NO

      In I

    • Denis D says:

      In Ibe, Moses and Sterling we have three quick pacey wingers, two of which are youngsters and need to be loaned out so they can learn their trade. But all those wingers lack creativity, goals and consistency.

      So our club needs two class quality wide men on each wing who can regularly stretch teams at will, will regularly create chances for the side, will regularly perform to a 7-9 week in week out out of 10 and will score 5-15 goals a season from out wide.

      And Sturridge during some part of the season could be out due to injury, so where is his class , quality cover or understudy? Please don’t be foolish and say Aspas or Borini, as both of them together are not good enough to tie sturridge’s laces let alone replace him if he is out injured.

      So if you think i am living in La La Land, tell me where the class, quality players are in our squad if our 1st 11 key players get injured or suspended?

      Today, Johnson was abyzmal and if he had good class competition for his place and Rodgers had some back bone, then Johnson would have been off in 1st half, how many attacks came down his side today? Flannagan had a better game than Johnson and he is diabolical, but one thing the kid has is heart and passion, you can’t take that away from him. But playing for a club like Liverpool, you need class, quality and heart and passion to succeed. Not just heart and passion

      Today was another day, where our centre midfield struggled again, against mobile centre midfielders, how many times did Barkley skip past S Gerrard and Lucas in the game? it was a joke, I have said club should have brought M’Vila(23) to club two seasons ago as five years on the class, quality, domination of centre midfield has not been same for since Alonso and Mascherano left our club.

      Owners need to back Rodgers heavily in January and the summer: In January 6 players are needed:

      And their class, quality has never been replaced:

      In January:

      Rodgers needs to spend 32M on 1: M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan who was in away crowd with fans today and 2: Y Cabaye(27) Of Newcastle, These two players would bring similar class and quality of what club had with Alonso and Mascherano in centre of park.

      And Two classy quick wide men on either wing to regularly supply team and stretch teams week in week out:

      3: M Salah(21) Of Basel RW /RWF needs to be brought in January
      4: D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal LW / LWF needs to be brought in January

      5: FD: K Mistroglu (25) Of Olympiacos needs to be brought in January

      6: GK: Lastly S Umtiti(19) Of Lyon needs to be brought in January

      • Denis D says:

        To Davis Mcgovern, My number 6 i put wrong, S Umtiti(19) is a exciting young class quality quick left back. We need good competition and cover for Enrique, Cissokho(26) used to be a very good left back. But since he has come to club, he looks laboured, sluggish, clueless and a liability to say the least. And for Flanagan to be picked ahead of him says it all.

        So those are the 6 positions desperately needed class, quality, more depth brought to club:

        LB: S Umtiti(19) Of Lyon to compete and cover Enrique

        DM: Y M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan to compete and cover Lucas Leiva

        CM: Y Cabaye(27) Of Newcastle to compete with Henderson.

        RW / RWF: M Salah(21) Of Basel to compete and Cover Sterling.

        LW / LWF: D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal to compete and Cover Ibe

        FD: K Mistroglu(25) Of Olympiacos to compete and cover Sturridge

  • pino pino says:

    Brendan Rodgers should drop Agger and Joe Allen immediately cos I couldn’t believe what I saw today. Lukaku ran riot 2day whereas Suarez was bullied and bullied.Infact I don’t want to set my eyes on Agger in a liverpool shirt again.Allen played well is just that he played the most selfish game I have ever seen in football.

    • Erin says:

      Agger had a bad game. Granted! Gerrard was annonymous . Allen should never be seen again on a liverpool shirt. Johnson was at fault also.
      Whatever happened to the manager and his second half tactics??? We could have been losing the game by 4 or 5 if it wasn’t for mignolet .
      Disgusted by what I saw. Especially second half

  • pino pino says:

    Truth is Allen upon all his innocent face is so wicked to deny Suarez that goal.

  • Erin says:

    How on earth do we get caught on the counter several times when Everton should be the ones chasing the game?
    Awful , gonna need a few beers to forget

  • Patrick says:

    Allen is s h I t . Biggest waste of 15m EVER !

    • ian says:

      People said that about Henderson after 1 – 2 seasons.

      Not defending Allen, he has been poor but also injured, returning to a team that’s doing well means his game time is limited and difficult to command a regular place,

      Sturridge said that was his problem at CFC&MCFC not getting game minutes but trying to over impress and was labelled selfish.

      Now i’m quite glad we have DS and he’s proved everyone wrong, however, can’t see JA proving people wrong.

      Looks out of his depth. Still, would rather pay £15 for him than £27 for Fellani… That is a serious waste of money.

      Although nothing quite beats £35 for Andy (where is the goal supposed to be) Carroll.

  • Diego 'Digger' Souness says:

    Mignolet was man of the match, made about 5 or 6 quality saves, this says it all about the flow of chances. We needed a late equaliser to save our bacon. Why is Allen (15m) still at LFC while 7m was also squandered on Alberto, for those two combined fees (22m) we could have got one real top notch midfielder who could have gone straight into the first team. Mis-management yet again.

  • Dennis says:

    Apart from coutinho and sturridge and maybe mignolet ALL the money Rodgers has spent has been wasted.

    Allen Aspas Alberto Assaidi Borini and llori = 52 m wasted

    Loan players in sahin and cissokho = money wasted about 4m

    Sakho we don’t need more defenders = 18m wasted

    We didn’t even nred mignolet when we had Reina

    Over 70m wasted !

    • Denis D says:

      Dennis, I think Llori(20) and Sakho(23) are going to be for the future, we need one more class, quality centre back in, then in 3 years time. Llori , Sakho will be first choice at the club. Agger(28), Skrtel(28) and Toure (34). Toure i think will be here for one season, Agger and Skrtel both have 2- 3years of good football in them at the highest level.

      Yesterday Johnson and Agger were awful, Skrtel kept Lukaku quiet. The only time Lukaku got chances is when Gerrard made mistakes, or Lukaku was up against Agger or Johnson in aerial dual.

      Allen was never worth 15M, but he still is young, can and hopefully will improve but just the thing him and Henderson both have over Gerrard and Lucas is mobility, a bit of pace and youth. Both lack creativity, class, steel and goals.

      Cissokho(26) used to be a very good left back 2-3 years ago, but now he looks laboured, sluggish and pathetic to say the least, so his loan period may end sooner than expected.

      Mignolet is a very good young goalkeeper and was needed, Reina(31) was going to Barcelona but Valdez decided to stay so it through spanners in the works. Mignolet has been awesome in goal for us, his flaws are there for all to see his kicking and distribution is not great. But this season Begovic, Krul, Lloris and Mignolet have been the stand out Goalkeepers by a country mile.

      So to say Mignolet was not needed is comical

      I Agree Alberto, Aspas, Assaidi and Borini was waste of money on potential: 30M

      The loan signing of Sahin and Cissokho= Seems to have been waste

      But If our club is to keep up with the pursuit of Top 4 all the way through the season:

      first thing is the owners need to back B Rodgers well with 60-70M in January:

      Secondly for Rodgers to stop trying to buy Potential: We need class, quality players who will make difference to squad, first eleven and bench straight away.

      • Davis McGovern says:

        Allen is NOT young. He is nearly 24 . Totally useless and not good enough for a second div team

        • Denis D says:

          Davis, Allen and Henderson are both average players at best with mobility, good passing, little bit of pace about them, both can cover ground very well, both are too cautious/ too safe, both lack class, creativity and goals. And both buckle under pressure, Henderson bottled his chance at the emirates when he ran all the way through to Arsenal goal and fell over. And Allen missed a one on one from 3 yards out when the third best player in world was right next to him square for a tap in but Allen thought he could do it himself and didn’t even make the GK work or hit the target.

          Davis, Allen and Henderson are both average at best, but have time to improve.

          But in all honesty i am hoping and praying the owners back B Rodgers heavily in January as this year is the best chance of us reaching champions league and if Rodgers brings in the 6 players i mentioned, we could have out side chance of winning the league:

          Rodgers two biggest signings in January needs to be in Centre Midfield: To replace the class and quality we have not replaced for five years/seasons and a half now(Alonso and Mascherano) : M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan for 10-15M ( Mascherano Type Player) and Y Cabaye(27) Of Newcastle for 14-18M, Those two players will bring some class, creativity, goals, mobility, power, solidarity, steel to the centre of park.

          Today Man City Anielated Tottenham and we have to play City soon, If we play how we played yesterday vs Everton Aguero, Negredo, Nasri and Navas will be giving Mignolet no second chances.

          But where City dominate is in the centre of the park in Yaya Toure(27m) and Fernandinho(30m) , J Allen and Henderson have the mobility and bit of pace to match Fernandinho and Yaya Toure, But not the class, power or quality . Whereas Gerrard and Lucas have the class, experience and quality but not the legs or mobility to keep up with Fernandinho or Yaya Toure. But M’Vila(23) and Cabaye(27), both have the class, quality and mobility and bit of pace about them to cause any midfield in world football problems.

          And then the other 4 players needed:

          LB to compete and Cover Enrique as Cissokho has been abyzmal and Flannagan is diabolical , but has heart and passion.

          RW / RWF: A pacey quick creative classy goalscoring right winger ( M Salah(21) Of Basel Or J Montero(24) Of Monarcas Morelia in Mexico for 5-15M

          LW / LWF: A Direct pacey quick creative Left footed Left winger ( D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal or S Sam(25) Of Bayer Leverkusen for 4-7M

          FD: A back up striker to cover and compete with Sturridge: K Mitroglu(25) Of Olympiacos for 5-8M

          • Patrick says:

            I hope the club give Rodgers NO money in January. He can not be trusted . He will just waste it on more rubbish.

  • CHUKWUEMEKA says:

    most times when certain people come out to defend allen and lucas with all guns blazing and no bullets, i begin to wonder what part of the television or stand they are watching from. lucas legs are getting old and his strength is fading to quickly, he needs cover nd competition. and rodgers neglected to get that in diame and arda turan, while he sold shelvy (this three players can dictate the game from deep. now we ve an option in m’villa. joe allen….(i wldn,t like to waste my time on it) its pretty obvious he wld undo rodgers if rodgers doesn’t sell him. mitroglou and cabaye or rakitic of sevilla(though its a tall order) should be approached in january. we also need a winger and i wldn’t rule out ben arfa (if he can stay with the help of our medical staff) or walcott (depending on wenger).

  • shittle says:

    Rodgers lost the match,with d subs,,I was only expectin sakho and sturdge,,,

  • ian says:

    For £70m to be wasted and be second still is not horrendous, wasn’t long ago we wasted £75m and were a write off by now, hardy winning any home games against the teams we should have easily beaten.

    We haven’t had the toughest of starts but our performance level against smaller teams has dramatically increased.

    I am a little scared about BR dipping into the transfer market again, very miss, miss, hit.

    The good thing tho is we do have a young, squad with potentially very good players, a good blueprint for success.

    What’s required in January is some experienced players who will fit straight in and provide, quality cover for the positions requiring back up.

    Hope December goes ok but am slightly scared, even if it doesn’t go too well, we have quite.a nice run of easy games after so should still be on course for top four.

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