The old statement “back me or sack me!” comes to mind as Liverpool FC failed to do either and are still haunted by the lack of activity in the last transfer window. Yes, I know we’re second in the league. It’s the fact I check when I wake up each morning and the happy thought which I remember just before I fly off to work!
However FSG, in my opinion, should have funded an injection of optimism with the addition of a player of promise, better still a good or great player. January seems a long time ago but it still plays on my mind, as with 10 games to go we are in the mix with a vengeance. Our games against Chelsea and Man City will shape our season if (it’s a big ‘if’) we win the other games or do at least as well as them.
As a seasoned and mentally scarred fan I remember the 4-4 draw with Arsenal in 2009 (Arshavin’s best ever match had to be against us). That night ended our title hopes but it was the points dropped against ‘lesser’ sides where the real blame lay.
Rolling forward to 2014, we need more quality to be available off the bench. We need some strength in depth to compensate for players off their game and inevitable injuries. This is why FSG needed to put their money where their mouth should be.
How can we compete without good reinforcements? When Chelsea and Man City look to call upon world class reinforcements,who will we have? Against Chelsea we won’t even have Victor Moses, as Victor is on loan from Chelsea he will be ineligible to play against them!
I am glad for financial common sense and not paying over the odds under the Fenway group. I am also pleased by the manageable £50 million debt we have, as I remember our close call with administration but I do believe Mr Henry should have backed his manager with one good player (at least) as we attempt to do the unthinkable. Injuries have taken their toll on us already as points have been dropped by a thin squad lacking quality in depth.
We have a track record of losing players to Spurs, so a back-up should have been in place. Our failure to do a deal for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk’s Yevhen Konoplyanka shouldn’t have come as a shock. We know all about how to ignore a release clause as we clung on to Suarez and ignored Arsenal ourselves. We should never have let it got so close to the wire; the deal to bring in an exciting, attacking winger should have been done before the 11th hour.
Salah can go Chelsea and Spurs can get everyone else (and then struggle to pay them next season) but sooner or later we’ll get the right player for us. The rich clubs might be able to buy all the top players but they can’t play all of them and so in time they can’t keep them happy.
Players will want to move and, with luck, be available for less then they paid for them. Not that anyone will sell Liverpool FC a bargain again! After Sturridge and Coutinho, getting a bargain will be difficult. Spurs’ scouting department seems to be Mr Levy reading the back pages ready to offer more money for any and all Liverpool targets.
I hope as we push for the title and Champions league we don’t look at the benches of our opposition enviously as the boys on the pitch eclipse their opposite number and help us forget our short comings.
As far as I’m concerned, we’re still going to win the league!
You can follow me on twitter @LFCVee
no i don’t think they have let him down. they advised him what was needed and the frame in which, for at least the first few seasons, he would need to operate. BR has positively worked wonders under these guidelines and had he spent more wisely, Moses, Aspas and Alberto we could have those attacking players coming off the bench. that’s no attack on BR transfer policy just stating the obvious.
Plus we could have had a number of players (Salah, Erikson, Willian etc) however due to our not competing in the CL they chose to go elsewhere or to join Tottenham, who, as a player, they could see were moving in the right direction and possibly had a better (on paper) squad and finances than us.
now we are again looking like an attractive proposition, with CL back on the agenda and BR earning rave reviews, proving his worth to the owners, who lets not forget sacked Dalglish after two cup finals, one success. I’m pretty certain they will never waste money like the Caroll/Downing/Adam saga again but will continue to look to get value for money in players or from within youth.
That’s not to say they won’t spend big, they will and with CL back at Anfield, the likes of Erikson, Willian and Salah will be more keen to join us. This summer should be quite interesting. Just get rid of Aspas, Moses and replace with real quality and we are back in business.
i drove bugatti veyron on sea shore with my hat on and looking out through the side views of my expensive glasses,singing lucky dube’s PRISONER and hitting my big palms on my wheel,wench nearby called me a dullard but that bothered me the least,why should i care i was just dreaming.
Excellent comment. Thank you. V
No. FSG have backed Rodgers and they’ve worked together shifting the unmanageable wage bill and replacing with very good players. The reality is Brendan has the team challenging ahead of schedule. Given time he’ll get whatever backing he wants from them-of that I am sure. They spent 18 million on a center half with a year left on his contract. They spent 9 million on a keeper when we already had one on 110k per week. When we’ve been able to get our targets they have done the deal. Give it a rest. We’d be hard pressed to find a better ownership group.
Its pretty obviously they have a Rebuilding Strategy. It’s to only spend the revenue they get from sponsorship and make enough to pay the wages. Its also means young players will get a real looking (see Johnsons Comments about Mourinio). Liverpool are still rebuilding, What Rodgers has achieved with the younger players is unbelievable. Thats why we are sitting 2nd. Sterling is now under control and one of the best in the league. Flannigan is looking like a future England Star. Henderson could be the best English Midfielder we’ve seen in a long time. Sturridge is unstoppable at the moment. We are lucky because I dont think Liverpool expected the young players to step up as much as this – We are lucky – if you add the total value of those players they are close if not worth more than £100mil. We have a new Shankly in Rodgers.
I hope your right. High praise indeed. I still feel a mini gamble with a quality addition may have stopped us dropping a few points in Jan Feb which may be the difference between 1st n 2nd!
Indeed BR has done a terrific work but please don’t compare him with Shankly.
y cant people stop comparing rodgers to shankly….it pisses me off….am not slating rodgers but he isnt shankly (not yet) though
“its d fact i check when i wake up…..” you are not walking alone on that bro…..but i think am a step ahead of you in making sure our goal diffrence is intact esp d 8 above chelsea….
“IF” we win all our 10 finals nd chelshit and city draw 1 apiece…we have won d league….CAN WE?
no they haven’t let rodgers down. what a daft comment. if anything, having posted £50m losses i think we need to tighten our belts and bring more youngsters in to the first team squad. £50m…….i thought fsg had brought the wage bill down. how the hell did we lose that much?
At least get your facts right before you start accusing FSG.
Henry and Werner agree how much is available, they do not do the deals themselves.
It’s Ian Ayre that drives that side of the club. He was the one that dragged his feet and couldn’t get deals over the line.
Yes he has improved our commercial status to improve revenues but doing transfer deals seems to be his weakness.
Maybe you should go to Anfield 8-10 times a season and mix with the locals and see what they know cos you completely wasted our whole article on mis-information.