January Must See Suarez Replacement

Liverpool’s season took yet another turn for the worse with a 3-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace on Sunday. For the second consecutive trip to Selhurst Park, the Reds conceded three goals yet the pain from this experience is a total contrast compared to the 3-3 draw over six months ago.

This time there is no title loss to despair over, yet perhaps that emphasises how this campaign has deteriorated compared to the wonderful season of 2013/14. Whilst Liverpool agonizingly missed out on long-awaited Premier League glory, the football that almost took them to the summit was exhilarating. Even though the defence was poor, Liverpool could out-score the opposition and arguably only a slip (or the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at last Christmas when Raheem Sterling was onside and Simon Mignolet should have kept out Alvaro Negredo) denied the Reds their title dream.

Instead of pain, this defeat simply continues the depression that currently surrounds Anfield and seems to be injected into every succeeding season following a runner-up finish in the league.

Liverpool’s set of strikers have struggled in the post-Luis Suarez era, with Daniel Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert scoring two league goals between them this season. Sturridge, who was expected to ascend to Liverpool’s main man up front, has had severe injury problems that should remind the Reds not to take him for granted – he is injury prone.

Meanwhile, Lambert was brought in for Plan C, with an ability to hold the ball up well and finish but with declining pace and ageing legs he has barely featured this season. Fabio Borini has the energy to perform the runs that Suarez made in his sleep but lacks the quality to be a striker for a club as ambitious as Liverpool. He should have stayed at Sunderland.

Finally, the less said about Mario Balotelli the better.

Whilst Balotelli and Lambert are proven strikers, they simply don’t fit into Brendan Rodgers’ style of play. Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has been unable to unleash his devastating long-range weaponry this season as too few forward runs are being made behind the defence, with Lambert lacking the pace and Balotelli lacking a consistent work-rate.

Liverpool have brought in strikers who are the polar opposite of Suarez in his tenacity and relentlessness that fit into Rodgers’ system seamlessly.

Additionally, with Gerrard being man-marked regularly in this campaign, Liverpool’s quality supply of passing has been suffocated and hence the ball is kept for even longer spells in Liverpool’s half or an offensive pass is given away cheaply. Gerrard cannot work miracles and is being asked to supply, defend and lead the team when he has never been a defensive midfielder and is only getting older and slower. There is still a place for the captain in this side, but it has to be alongside an energetic, tough-tackling anchorman – Javier Mascherano in his prime comes to mind!

With Suarez gone and the new firepower misfiring, there is even more pressure on SAS – Sturridge and Sterling.

As both of the original SAS currently unavailable to the Reds, Sterling has become the main beacon of hope and the teenager, who is still only 19, cannot be asked to assume such responsibility. Furthermore, his form has dipped with his enhanced reputation resulting in greater attention from defenders while Sterling also has less space to work with because of the missing forward runs that were made by Suarez and Sturridge.

There is no doubt anymore that Rodgers is a man under pressure – it normally happens once bookmakers all round the country start to take odds on the next Liverpool manager. Yet despite the current backlash, Rodgers deserves until at least the end of the season.

Even Rafael Benitez or Jurgen Klopp couldn’t improve the current Liverpool defence – it needs time to gel with three new arrivals in Javier Manquillo, Alberto Moreno and Dejan Lovren and if there is not even the slightest improvement then it can be discarded.

If the owners do decide to keep faith with their young manager, who they traded Liverpool icon Kenny Dalglish for so they will not fire him lightly, then he needs to have greater control over transfers in a ‘do or die’ situation.

The infamous transfer committee have achieved virtually nothing in successful signings and seem to acquire targets from the media – I wonder if West Brom striker Saido Berahino will be on his way in January for a ludicrous £20m?

Rodgers should be given full control and let’s see if his powers of persuasion and reputation will be there when he needs them the most – for if Liverpool are not playing Champions League football next season, I cannot see how Rodgers will remain in the job.

Therefore, if it’s his last stand then it should be by the philosophy he has employed throughout his time at Liverpool – attack.

The defence, midfield and goalkeeper can be addressed in the summer. In January, a world class player has to come in to truly replace Suarez, or at the very least two top-class players perhaps in the bracket below.

Either would send a message to the Premier League that Liverpool truly means business – not by the money spent, but who the money has been spent on.

Rodgers needs these dynamic forwards in order for his system to work and for confidence to flourish. Gerrard may have strikers to pick out in the New Year, while Sterling could have some more space to work with as he moves into his twenties.

Others may leave to provide some financial balance with Financial Fair Play and the risk that should Liverpool miss out on the Champions League the budget will become a lot tighter. Fabio Borini, Lucas Leiva, Glen Johnson and Mario Balotelli could fetch a combined fee of £35m if the Reds are lucky.

They could then splash that out on one player (Marco Reus for instance) or two (Gonzalo Higuain and Seydou Doumbia would be my personal choice), as long as there is serious competition for Liverpool’s very own Jack Wilshere!

Signing big players brings that little bit of swagger and belief that with those players on the teamsheet you can always win a game from somewhere. Liverpool have lost that with the departure of Suarez and the injury problems of Sturridge.

They only have the month of January to make things right, but can Rodgers attract the very best? He can coach them to new levels but can he persuade them to join in January?

His job may well depend on the answer.

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