OK, so it is something that Liverpool fans didn’t ever want to consider, or ever believe that they would have to consider. Nineteen league titles. The most successful team in league history and come May it will most likely no longer be Liverpool FC. I like most Kopites have been waiting for No. 19 for more years than I ever dared imagine.
Our bitter rivals down the East Lancs Road will reach title 19 and then perhaps the weight from the necks of those adoring liver birds will finally be lifted. A strange comment you may say, but the more I ponder the more I feel that this may be to our greater good. We can then forget about ‘them’ and concentrate on OUR future.
History is what football clubs are built on. We have outstanding foundations. What we must do now is some refurbishment. The current season is one that most Reds will want to banish to the farthest reaches of their minds. Changing manager’s mid-season is not a trait that LFC has in its make-up, but we have had to pick ourselves up from the worst position we could have ever imagined.
What our club must do now is learn and learn fast. FSG will need to repeat their January spending spree, perhaps even surpass the £50 + million shelled out for Messrs Suarez & Carroll. The Liverpool squad needs major surgery, many additions, some departures and a more creative presence. The departures? We would probably all agree that Poulsen, Ngog, Konchesky etc should go. There may well be ‘bigger’ named casualties as well. The more I see of Martin Skrtel, the more I feel that any offer of £10 million plus, from any willing German admirer (it appears this will be his most likely destination) should be grasped with both hands. The Giant Slovakian is no longer displaying the attributes that led many fans to believing this could be Carra’s most natural replacement. He is out-muscled with worrying ease by such world class players as Carlton Cole. His inability to to establish any aerial dominance over opponents including those much smaller than himself is no longer funny. A tendency to commit the most rash of tackles when totally unnecessary is becoming much to frequent.
Continue Reading on Page 2 . . .
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Before silly season starts and people start replacing the whole squad with 300mil+ of new talent I’m going to put my view forward remembering that with the ‘Financial Fair Play’ rules coming into effect in the summer we must operate within our means.
OUT
Konchesky – £2m
Aurelio – £2m
Jovanovic – £5m (we were offered £6m in Jan)
Maxi – £3m
Ngog – £4m
Poulsen – £2m
Aquilani – £12m
Degen – £2m
El Zhar – £2m
Mavinga – £2m
Ive tried to keep the sale prices low to ensure these players aren’t priced out of a move.
Without any interest to pay on loans it is expected that we should be able to generate £30-£35m in net transfer funds, I’m gonna go with £35m because its always nice to have more money to spend.
Sales – £36m
Net Transfer Funds – £35m
Total Available – £71m
I’ve identified that we need
2 Left Backs, 1 Centre Back, 2 Central Midfielders, 1 Left Wing & 1 Centre Forward.
IN
LB – Taiwo – Free
LB – Insua – I know people will disagree but I think he could develop into a quality player
CB – Cahill – £15m
CM – M’Villa – £10m
CM – van Bommel – Free
LW – Sanchez – £25m
FW – Lukaku – £20m (he will only have 1 year left on his contract come the summer)
Total £70m
I think that would make quite a formidable 1st team squad, with a nice blend of youth and experience.
we dont need 2 left backs, just one is enough..
we dont need 2 centre mids, we got enough of them already, just one holding mid is needed..
we shudn’t sign lukaku b’cz he’s a similar type of player as carroll and is too expensive to be on the bench…
Stanley,
I’ve put these down as the players (positions) I would like us to buy to create a capable squad not a first 11.
What if the 1 LB you buy gets injured?
Yes we have enough CM’s but we would have no recognised DM, again what if the 1 you would buy gets injured or Kenny wants to play with 2 in any given game?
Lukaku is similar to Carroll in the fact he is 6’4″ but there play isn’t that similar, Lukaku could play with Carroll or replace him & isn’t our problem at the moment that we have no quality coming from the bench?
I know I ‘d be much happier if our bench consisted of Lukaku, Kuyt, Lucas, Cole, Johnson, Agger, Insua, Skrtel, Shelvey, Spearing, Pacheco etc.
you listed all skrtel’s failings so here’s sweaty boy kuyt’s: can’t hold the ball up, no first touch, no pace, can’t dribble (apart from orally), can’t beat a man, can’t pass, can’t cross a ball, can’t score many goals! surely he must be on the ‘out’ list?
whatever result i dnt usually criticise players but ngog really need to go look somewhere else!!! as LB enrique would be logical choice since he’s been playing in EPL he’ll fit in then we really need wingers should try get A.Young to sign for us as well as get D.Amoo back the guy cab prove something n instead of using Jova give Pacheco a chance improve the squad with players like Taiwo n Moussa Sissoko to strengthen the midfield…
The first players out the door in the summer should be Gerrard,Kuyt and Reina. 350 grand a week paid to these 3 and they have been pitiful this season. These 3 and others need to be got rid of: Jones,Darby,Degen,Irwin,Ayala,Carragher,Skyrtel,Insua,Konchesky,Aurelio,,Maxi,El Zhar,Aquilani,Poulsen,Spearing,Cole,Jovanovic,Ngog.
Out-
Aqua-11
Poulsen-3
Jova-5
N’gog-5
Konchesky-3
Skrtel-10
In-
Taiwo/enrique
Sissokho/m’vila
Young/hazard
Richards/mertesacker
Bojan/lavezzi
Adam
I believe if Adam is to arrive Lucas will go with Poulsen.
The reason being the midfield needs a player who can make more interceptions and have a midfield enforcer,e.g Mvila/ Sissoko or Matuidi.
Jones-give Gulasci a chance
Konchesky-not gud enough
Skrtel-not gud enough
Soto-never gud enough
Poulsen-never gud enough
Lucas-not gud enough
Jovanovic-not gud enough
Cole-overrated
Maxi-past his best
Kuyt-overrated
N’gog-not gud enough
seeing all this player playing for lfc make me sick…
here’s the comparison of epl player from the smaller team that can easily surpass their ability…i’m not saying to replace them…just my opinion of how desperate for quality we are…
Jones-Stockdale
Konchesky-Baines
Skrtel-Cahill
Soto-Samba
Poulsen-Tiote
Lucas-Charlie Adam
Jovanovic-Dempsey
Cole-N’Zogbia
Maxi-Jerome Thomas
Kuyt-Odemewingi
N’gog-Demba Ba
Well 2 me eljero elia would be a cheap alternative 2 young nd also d likes of lucas,poulsen,maxi,ngog,konchesky,fabio aurelio,nd maybe d likes of jovanovic joecole nd krygakos should leave 4 d likes of fernando gago,m’villa or lassana diarra,taye taiwo,elia,n’zogbia,honda,nd may be alcaraz,cahill nd then we can say yes this is my team.
OUT : –
Konchesky – £4m
Jovanovic – £5m
Aurelio – £4M
Maxi – £7m
Ngog – £5m
Skrtel – £10M
Poulsen – £4m
Aquilani – £14m
Degen – £2m
Jones – £2M
Reina – £20M
El Zhar – £2m
Mavinga – £2m
Total sales : £81M
Balance of previous transfer window sales : £15M
Total = £96M
IN : –
Adam Johnson – £10M
Ashley Young – £20M
Simon Kjaer – £10M
Fabio Coentrao – £5M
Bojan Krkic – £14M
Fernando Gago – £8M
Matej Delac – £2M
David de Gea – £12M
Total : £96M
Goalkeepers : De Gea & Delac
Full-backs : Johnson, Kelly, Coentrao, Insua
Centre-backs : Carragher, Kjaer, Agger, Kyrgiakos
Midfielders : Gerrard, Mereiles, Gago, Lucas
Wingers : A. Young, A. Johnson, D. Kuyt, J. Cole
Forwards : Suarez, Carroll, Krkic, Pacheco