With the final day of the season approaching this Sunday, our European hopes hang in the balance following the home defeat to Tottenham. Starting the game 2 points clear of them made it easy math to deduce, Kenny’s men would qualify for Europa League next season with a win.
Hardly something to brag about for a side that until a few years ago, was feared in the European circuit by one and all. The 2005 victory over AC Milan is an obvious example but more significant victories like beating (then defending champions) Barcelona in 2006, smashing a three goal win past PSV Eindhoven at the Phillips Stadium and following that up with a home victory, defeating Inter Milan home and away in 2008, the list goes on. I would count the five goal aggregate thrashing of Real Madrid in 2009, but to be fair to them, they weren’t having their best patch of form then.
Returning to the point of qualification for Europa League bearing large in everyone’s minds, it only highlights the state of setbacks the club has suffered since then. Fighting for the Premiership two years ago, a fifth place finish now might count as a good ending (we were in the relegation zone for the best part of October last year). Whether or not Liverpool beat Aston Villa on Sunday and Tottenham manage to slip up against Birmingham, the questions remains, what can be expected of Liverpool next season?
It would be naive to assume that the league is coming back to Anfield just because of Kenny Dalglish’s appointment as manager on a permanent basis. The loss on Sunday exposed the vulnerability of the side when on the back foot, and no matter how hot a run you’re on (as they were before that) time and time again we’ve seen Manchester United and Chelsea split the crown between them because of their ability to dig deep and win dirty and messy games.
Liverpool displayed copious amounts of that against Arsenal at the Emirates a few weeks back, but that’s the level it’s going to take by default for them to put themselves back where they spiritually belong. There’s been a fair amount of speculation over Joe Cole’s future and question marks have been raised over Maxi Rodriguez. Of course some of them have been wiped away with two hat tricks in the space of three games, but it’s been made eminently clear that some people need to go at the end of the season and other need to replace them. More than that, we have to fill in the void that was present even when these players are still here.
Defensive options look optimistic for Liverpool given the rise of young John Flanagan and Jack Robinson, along with Martin Kelly who seems to be a forgotten man having been sidelined with injury for a while now. His performances during Roy Hodgson’s troubled tenure as gaffer were one of the few reasons to smile about. Daniel Agger (if he can shake off his injury woes and that’s a big ‘IF’) would make up a formidable defensive line up next to Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson, Fabio Aurelio, and Sotirios Kyrgiakos.
The last two have had troubled times as well with injuries and what have you. Many believed Kyrgiakos would’ve been just a fringe player at the club but there was a time this season when he was a bit of a Mr. Dependable at the back. Fabio Aurelio shares his plight for injuries with Agger, spending more time on the treatment table than on the pitch. With luck, those issues could be resolved.
The midfield however, is where the dry wheat’s going to have to be turned in to bread (so to speak). Steven Gerrard’s absence hadn’t been quite felt until last Sunday, and Jay Spearing and Lucas Leiva’s steady rise have given the Kop reason for more hope than scepticism. Christian Poulsen will probably leave in the summer along with Joe Cole, and it’s hard to see anyone raising question marks over Raul Meireles. The Portuguese international seems to have finally allowed Kopites to put behind memories of a certain Xabi Alonso.
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Cahill ,ENrique,A young ,Hazard or mata,And adam plus a young talented striker like chicarito who keeps pressuring suarez and caroll to perform..Poulson,jova,konchesky,ngog,elzhar OUT
Hope Kuyt will be our third streaker next season. Meaning he wont be playing on the wing. Hopefully we can bring in 4 wingers. For both sides with decent backups. Young, Downing, Hazard, etc.
We definitely dont need 4 wingers. I’d say we need 2 good quality ones. my choice would be Mata and Hazard
I agree we need a young striker in the mold of chich and for that reason I reckon we should go for Kevin Gameiro from Lorient. He has 1 year left on his contract
I think we should let go of Agger..he is injury prone, whether we believe it or not. To replace him I’d get Jan Vertonghen from Ajax. Similar player but more commanding, stronger and quicker.
James McCarthy if a future star. I’m convinced. I’d be happy if we splashed 15mil on the lad. He is that good. The closest thing i’ve seen to Paul Scholes in the league.
Jose Enrique left back. Solid. Reliable.
I don’t want Ashley Young. Too inconsistent and tactically weak. Don’t want Charlie Adam. I feel in Suso we have a similar player. And while Adam is fine as passing, the “moving” does not come too naturally for him. It would mean other players would have to move more and hence are more likely to be pulled out of position.
Jones, Degen, Agger, Kyrgiakos Konchesky, Insua, Jovanovic, Cole, Poulsen, Aquilani and N’gog should all go. Maxi has done well but I think giving him a 2 year contract now would be a mistake and he is on around 70k/wk. Not worth it.
And also regarding Kuyt on the right. I may be one of the few, but I quite like him there. He still scores and assists. His striker instinctiveness brings him inside, creating space for Johnson on the wing. He often cuts in and Kuyt’s good heading ability is often rewarded.
But i do understand why youd want to play him as a striker. His movement is phenomenal. He just lacks pace.
1st and foremost the club needs the 11 dead wood mediocre players on clubs books shipped out:
1: B Jones GK
2: Krygiakos CB
3: Degan RB
4: Insua LB
5: Koncheskey LB
6: Aurelio LB (Class,quality, great player but on treatment table 80% of every season/injury prone/Inconsistant)
7: Poulsen DM/CM
8: El Zhar RW/LW
9: J Cole AM/LW/RW
10: Jovanovic RW/LW
11: D Ngog FD
And if Aquilani does not want to come back to club,then he should be sold to the highest bidder in italy.
So 12 players out: And 8 to 10 players in:
Then 8-10 players: Good, Quality, Class, Hungry players should be brought in: To improve squad quality and competition for places:
INS:
1 GK: W Hennessey Of Wolves for £5-£8M
2:CB: G Cahill Of Bolton for £14-£17M
3:CB: S Kjaer Of Wolfsburg For £8-£12M
4:LB: A Cissokho Of Lyon for £6-£12M
5:LB: O Wendt Of Copenhagon Free Transfer
6:DM: M’Villa Of Rennes, Moussa Sissoko Of Toulouse Or B Matuidi Of ST Etienne for £8-£15M
7:AM: Diego Of Wolfsburg, C Eriksen of Ajax, Valbuena Of Marseille Or Willian Of Shakhtar Donesk, one of these should be brought for £8-£17M
8:RW: Jesus Navas Of Seville for £17-£24M
9:LW: Charles Nzogbia Of Wigan for £7-£14M
10 FD: ? Lukas Podolski Of FC Koln for £10-£15M
Hennessey has dropped more crosses than any other Premier League goalkeeper this season so why would you want to waste up to 8m on the guy. Plus, we have a young and talented goalkeeper in Gulacsi anyway. Gary Cahill is overrated and overpriced and the guy can hardly defend. Just ask Bolton fans. Diego can’t even cut it in Italy and is hardly setting the Bundesliga alight so why would Liverpool want him. Jesus Navas is homesick so he won’t leave Seville.
A few months ago I was calling for Maxi to be sold, but he can still do a job as a squad winger.I’m not sure about Ashley Young, because as much as he reminds me of John Barnes, he doesn’t hug the touchline like we’d need. I think we should go in for Jose Enriqué, Ryan Shawcross, Diego, Navás, Eden Hazard, and Sergio Agüero.
Its not unrealistic, then we have four world class strikers and brilliant wingers to provide ammunition for them.I only named 2wingers because,A: quality ones are ridiculously expensive, and B: We can always move Glen up there.
I think we need a decent backup keeper to play Cup games, I would suggest Shay Given but he’d be too expensive. Rob Green (free) and Wayne Hennessey (£5m) are more realistic options.
Firstly, Kenny should get rid of all the deadwood. These players are either not good enough or are just past it. As many as 15 players need to be sold this summer to make space and boost funds for new signings. The following players should be sold:
Jones
Darby
Degen
Soto
Konchesky
Aurelio
Poulsen
Ngog
Jovanovic
Ngog
El Zhar
Aquilani (no less than the agreed price)
Liverpool should buy the following players:
Baines – quality left back. Very solid defensively and excellent going forward with great crossing ability. Good free kick taker as well.
Moussa Sissoko – young defensive midfielder. Lucas has done a great job but we need one more player in that position. Sissoko fits in perfectly with the transfer policy and a hard tackling midfield destroyer like him is what we need.
James McCarthy – for now and for the future. Easily one of the best midfielders in the league in 2 years time. At 20, he can become a great player for us for the next 10 years. A quality all round centre midfielder, I would have him over Aquilani. Liverpool should do everything they can to get this guy, and before Chelsea come sniffing around.
Ashley Young – for the right price. He will provide the ammunition for Carroll with his crossing while he can also play behind the striker.
Charlie N’Zogbia – I rate this guy highly. Has been fantastic for Wigan for the past 2 seasons. He’s got the pace, can dribble, can cross, can shoot, just an excellent left footed attacking player. Can play on the left if you want him to cross, on the right to cut in and shoot and also as an attacking midfielder. He’s single handedly rescuing Wigan from relegation and is just a great player overall. Available for 10m and like McCarthy, available for less if Wigan get relegated.
we already have the future best winger in the world, his name is raheem stirling, he will be ready soon, i would use him as a sub in home games to start with. HE IS THAT GOOD! just wait until he’s 17. in fact if we play him pre season he will be hard to keep out.
a classy centre half is a must plus a top winger and at least one more top quality striker, add a left back and we can take them all on – and win. we can buy one out of the sales money, fenway need to do the rest.
In any time you could be knock- out in any round without a very hard and good Defence that’s the point to be taken in consideration YNWA