Why we must find players who WANT to play for Liverpool FC

With every Liverpool-related news story currently concentrating on our quest for a new manager, I thought it would be positive to focus on the types of players this new coach may bring in. The sacking of Rafa Benitez really did come at a bad time because it killed the buzz that transfer season often brings. Instead of being able to dream about top players joining us for low fees, we’ve basically now been placed back on square one. The new manager will have his own ideas of what players he needs and will have to analyse the current squad, which will most likely set us back some crucial preparation time in pre-season.

Whoever this new manager turns out to be, I hope he shares Rafa’s view that the team needs more passionate players who ‘feel’ Liverpool. If it were up to any of us fans to decide which players the club sign this summer, it’s very likely that more than half of the requests would be for quite unrealistic targets such as Lionel Messi and Xavi. While this kind of wishful thinking is understandable, I also try to consider how much desire each transfer target would have to become a part of Liverpool. The bottom line is it’s very important for me that whoever we sign this summer and every summer from now on, they genuinely want to be here.

The world’s top players are always going to have their heads turned by offers to join the very best clubs, especially if they play for a team that is currently struggling like us. My viewpoint is that I only want players loyal to Liverpool playing for us. We saw with Mascherano at the beginning of last season that if your heart isn’t in it and you’re dreaming about playing elsewhere, your form can suffer dramatically.

After the season we had last year, it’s so vital that we bounce back, but we won’t be able to do so unless we have a squad of fully committed players who still feel honoured to represent Liverpool. So for our players who see La Liga as their dream destination, by all means, go achieve your dreams elsewhere.

As for their replacements, I want more players signed with a similar mindset to that of Turkey’s Arda Turan, who has said on numerous occasions that he is a big fan of Liverpool’s history and tradition. Here is a player who has the attributes to be world class in the future and is already the captain of his club at 23 years of age, but yet still sees his dream destination as Liverpool FC. You can only respect him for his thinking and along with him, I think it’s vital we sign more players who shouldn’t necessarily break the bank but have the quality to represent Liverpool. I no longer want to see players signed who see playing for Liverpool as a temporary stepping stone until Real Madrid or Barcelona bid for them. It’s important to have a spine of players who can play together for a good few seasons, and it’s impossible to build a consistent top side if certain key areas need replacing regularly.

So, to the future manager, whoever you may be, I’m hoping that this summer sees more of a focus on the mentality of potential transfer targets. As Liverpool fans, we see pulling on that red shirt as the ultimate honour, and we just want players signed who feel the exact same way.

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