Hodgson was wrong to trust English LFC players and so may Rodgers…

Henderson in action for the Reds last season

Never mind the Luis Suarez saga, though for many it wasn’t a saga but a well constructed move away, Loic Remy’s mysterious non-arrival or many comings in and outgoings both potential and completed. The highlight of the summer was the World Cup. Whether you liked it or not, share the view that international football is dying, it WAS the biggest footballing event of the past few months. So let’s talk about it and the implications it may have on the coming season.

So let’s examine the Reds at the showdown in Brazil. Well, I think it will be fair to say that each and every one of them failed miserably. Some never got a sniff of action, some performed badly, Luis Suarez became a worldwide celebrity for, putting it mildly, wrong reasons. Thus leads us to English players.

Five Liverpool players started for England v Italy and Uruguay. I’m not a historian, but I’m not sure something similar ever happened. Should have been a proud moment for every LFC supporter. What a chance to boast around! Half of England’s team was made in Liverpool! Those Mancs who have been showing off with their trophies and number of England players for so long will finally shut up. A moment to bask in glory, isn’t it? And then came the reality… The worst World Cup for England team for fifty odd years. Made in Liverpool.

Let us have no doubts, it WAS the worst World Cup for England. Never mind some mythical things like “good performances” or a “new found flair”. They failed miserably and embarrassed the nation. Even under Capello in South Africa they fared better. They did make it out of the group at least. And Hodgson’s trust in Liverpool players was at the root of the problem. The team went out after 2 games and 50% of the starting XI were the Reds.

Flanagan at Spurs

But we are not here to talk about England. They have their own problems, starting with ineffective governing body and Fulham class manager. We here talk Liverpool. And England’s World Cup failings affect the Reds. For those who are blind to the obvious: most of Liverpool’s English players aren’t good enough. I mean seriously, Glen Johnson is a joke of a right back. He is constantly out of position and can’t keep track of his players. Some might argue he is good going forward, but that’s not his primary objective. And never should be. Defenders must defend. End of story. 50 goals shipped in last season, equals not good enough to challenge.

Sturridge was OK, scored one, and so was Stevie. Many a pundit raved about Raheem, though personally I never saw anything out of an ordinary from him. If I were a Barcelona or a Bayern fan preparing to face LFC in the coming Champions League season, I wouldn’t be too scared. He’s a good lad with potential, nothing more. Having no Suarez around, means he scored none and assisted none. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see him do well this season, but doubt he will without the Uruguayan. I hope I’m wrong!

Hendo can run around. And so he did for England. He ran around. I’m not sure I remember anything from him this World Cup. One half decent shot v Italy maybe. I wasn’t convinced by Adam Lallana for Southampton. It’s a mystery to me why he was chosen in PFA’s best XI. He’s good on the ball, created and scored some. But £25 million after an anonymous World Cup? Not for me. Rickie Lambert did his reputation no harm whatsoever and so did Flanno. Mainly because they never played.

Would Sterling strike fear into the Barca’s and Bayern’s of this world?

The nation relied on Liverpool players to produce for England. They failed. They didn’t have Luis Suarez around to make them look better than they really are. And they won’t this season. Sure Liverpool isn’t England and Rodgers is by no means Hodgson, so the judgements will be made. Trusting overpaid, overrated English players is wrong. And hopefully Brendan Rodgers won’t do that.

British fighting spirit is important. The “never give up” attitude. That’s what’s won LFC so many trophies over the years. But this lot are different. Stevie, Flanno and Lambert are of old school and still have it, Hendo may be called enthusiastic, but Johnson, Sterling and Sturridge? They down tools as soon as something goes against them and there’s no Luis Suarez or captain to drag them away from it. Last season was a miracle, LFC could have been found out in almost every game.

This year only a few will make this mistake.