Pressure on committee to deliver

AFTER missing out on the top targets in the forward line in the summer, there is pressure on Liverpool’s transfer committee to deliver a player who can have an instant impact on the team this January.

Last season Liverpool delved into the magic hat of football transfers and were pleased to find not one but two rabbits in January. Managing to conjure up Sturridge and Coutinho, the club brought in two players who have not only significantly raised the quality of the first team but have also performed magic of their own on the football field.

Yet, the strategic plan for the summer to reinvigorate Liverpool’s squad has not matched the impressive trick of snatching top talent at low prices. Of the new arrivals only Mignolet and Toure have proven to be successes in a red jersey, the remaining deals have offered a mixed bag.

Although Sakho looked incredibly impressive against an imposing West Ham side, he has been mostly a second choice defender finding himself behind Skrtel and Agger in the pecking order and level with Toure. If the capture of the Frenchman was a means to coax the best out of our Slovakian warrior then it has certainly worked but £17m to improve a player already on the books is hefty investment. That’s not to say that Sakho cannot go on to become a mainstay in the Liverpool defence but simply that since his move, he is not exactly uprooting the established team, let alone Premier League opposition.

Moses has offered fleeting moments of craft but now finds himself behind Raheem Sterling in Rodgers thinking. It has been surprising to see Moses be usurped by the youngster but until he materially affects the course of a game, he will continue to gather splinters on the bench instead of picking up minutes on the turf.

The Spanish contingent of our business has perhaps offered the poorest return. Iago Aspas has endured an inauspicious start for LFC. It is often said that if you don’t notice a defender then they’re probably doing a good job. Sadly for Aspas the same mantra does not apply for someone who wears the number 9 shirt. His invisibility on the pitch has been compounded by injury but so far he has offered little inspiration.

Luis Alberto on the other hand looks to be developing with more game time but so far he has yet to make any significant impression on the first team. And finally Cissokho, who arrived from Valencia, now finds himself behind Flanagan, marking a complete reversal of fortunes for the academy graduate who was frozen out of the first team last season.

The only conclusion that can be drawn at this time is that most of our business in the summer has been underwhelming with only one of our signings becoming a first team regular (and if Mignolet had not become first choice, that would have been a complete embarrassment!). While the squad does feel improved from that of last season, particularly in defence, there has been little return for the first team for the outlay made.

Liverpool may be riding high near the summit of the league so far this season but that is more to do with the players who were already at Rodgers’ disposal last year than new recruits. That creates pressure on the transfer committee, which is designed to limit the number of mistakes in the transfer market and ensure that big money is spent well. Of course, there will never be a perfect system for finding players. There are far too many variables which can affect whether a player is a success. Can he acclimatise? Does he fit well with the team? Does he like the food? Can his girlfriend settle in the area? Can he get the right colour boots? The reasons that players fail to integrate are endless but the number of mistakes can be reduced with clever analysis and prudence.

The positive for the transfer committee though, is that of the 3 high profile targets of the summer only one has not proved to be a great success. Mkhitaryan has managed 3 goals and 5 assists in 13 Bundesliga games so far which is a pretty good return, while Diego Costa has blasted in 15 goals in 15 La Liga games as well as 3 goals in 2 Champions League games. There is only Willian who hasn’t been successful since his move but with only 3 Premier League starts it is hard to speculate how he would fare had he been given regular football.

This demonstrates that some of the players that are being measured up for the reds are of the right calibre to succeed on Merseyside. It would be fair to say that Liverpool’s team would probably be much stronger had one of those players arrived in the summer, as there is an obvious lack of options in our attack. Missing out on these players was disappointing but it was not the fault of the committee it was simply a result of where we finished last season.

The good news is that we are a much more attractive proposition for players in January than we were in the summer. Moving to the reds would have been more of a gamble for players wanting to play for a team fighting for the Champions League positions than it is now. We look like a team that can achieve rather than one that is floundering.

There is also the added bonus of not being in Europe this year. Many rival clubs are reluctant to spend in January because players are cup tied for the Champions or Europa League. That is not an issue for the Reds as anyone we sign is eligible for all our competitions. A big signing in January would also boost the team and the fans (just look at the positive impact of Ozil on Arsenal). The positive atmosphere a new signing can create can help turn draws into wins and can bring momentum.

This will be necessary regardless of our results over the next few weeks. If we are still near the top of the league, the signing will reinforce the team and make a statement of intent to rivals. If we have faltered then the signing can help to dispel any negativity and push the team on.

There is therefore a huge amount of pressure on the committee to find a deal that can match that of Sturridge, Mignolet or Coutinho in January. If they do so, it would mark a real triumph for the structure the club has set up. It could also mark the point where the club progresses from hopefuls to contenders.