One of the hottest debates during the summer has been the way Kenny Dalglish has spent around 47 million pounds on three midfielders – Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing.
At the start of a transfer window is when fans are most optimistic; about the transfers and and what the team can achieve next season. This transfer window Liverpool supporters have every season to be optimistic. The arrival of Kenny Dalglish at the helm, new ambitious owners, the winter arrivals of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll and the performance of the club since January. After signings such as the duo in January most fans expected many more big names to be added to the side. I cannot remember another transfer window in which the media linked us to as many players as they have this season with as many as 61 players rumored to be heading to Anfield in a month. Some were exciting and others were laughable. Players like Juan Mata and Sergio Aguero were heavily linked to us which excited many fans (myself included).
Then there were two people who paid no attention to all the hype and media frenzy – Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli. They went about their business in a professional, calculated manner and paid more attention to statistics, ability of a player to add missing links to the team rather than flair and trickery. The idea was simple – to add quality to the side with primarily British players which can meet the long-term needs of the club. Smart and responsible. Both Kenny and Damien realize that its not the most star-studded team that wins you trophies but the most complete team that win them. Keeping that in mind the club has purchased 3 midfielders :
Jordan Henderson was the first to arrive at Anfield. Many fans believed we overpaid for this young talented English midfielder. In reality he is a quality signing. A player who always looks assured in possession and looks to make good, positive passes and is touted to be a future English midfielder. He had a top season with Sunderland in which he made 82 goal scoring opportunities for his team-mates, 39 more than any of his other team-mates. It was such performances that saw him win Sunderland’s Young Player of the Year award. Kenny Dalglish is a master at spotting talent and this will surely prove a quality signing for the future if not immediately.
Next Charlie Adam was signed by the club for a cut-price deal. The man who tried to keep Blackpool in the Premiership on his own headed to Anfield. Liverpool attempted to sign him in January but failed. Following Blackpool’s relegation, it paved the way for his move to Liverpool. His accurate passes from 40 yards out to pick out a team mate or his through balls along the ground as well as his set-piece ability somehow remind us about Xabi Alonso. Yes, he is not a complete player and has his weaknesses in defensive duties and he may not be the most mobile player but at the price we got him, it is a bargain and he sure to make valuable contributions to the team.
The jury is out on Downing and Henderson in particular. Massive fees for, as yet, average Premier league players.
We really need Downing to help Carroll fire 20 goals because, at the moment, Andy Carroll doesn’t look a £15m player.
Henderson and Downing are tied for 3rd for most key passes last season. Doesn’t sound too average to me. That is more than VDV, Fabregas, Meireles, Silva, Modric, N’Zogbia, Baines, Wilshere, Nasri.
define a key pass, incredibly subjective.
To be honest I have no clue how the Telegraph(where I got those stats) defines a key pass but to keep track of them they must have some sort of concrete definition. Perhaps a pass that ends in an assist or clear goalscoring opportunity? Regardless with Henderson and Downing at 3rd most and Adam at 9th shows they are chance creators and Suarez, Kuyt, and Carroll are the perfect individuals to get on the end of those chances.
Dear LFC,
How upset we heard that LFC kept losing 3 goals for the past 4 games. How wisely KK done his duty as manager that keeping a lot of midfields instead of rebuild the defenders teams???!!!
Malaysia Loyalty LFC Fans
Nope, LFC wasted cash again
It’s not the players that are wrong for LFC. It’s the price and priority. FSG paid over the top for Henderson and Downing. So, we didn’t do justice to the transfer funds (by at least 10 million).
Also, the prioritisation was wrong. We should have only gone after Henderson or J. McCarthy after offloading Aqulani. The priority should have been a LB in my view. While Adam fills a left-footed midfilder void, he needs to work on his defensive qualities. The squad still lacks a left-footed defensive mid and overall the only defensive mid we have is Lucas which should be addressed by offloading Poulson. Comolli should also think of a CB before the window closes.
I agree, our priorities hav been very strange, we needed to shore up our defence everyone knew before tier window we were desperate for a lb, British players can’t achieve for England our obsession w them is outdated thinking. However things may come good I’m desperate to be wrong, and we need strikers and midfield to do their expensive jobs.
Total waste of money on sub-standard English players. I fear for the coming season – hoofball is all we can expect. My prediction: Dalglish out by the end of the season.
Wonder what happened to standing by your club and side?
all fans are welcome including the pessimistic ones. But then, the fact that u think we overspent or could have gotten beta players doesnt mean u should start talkin outa ur arse. Downing is beta than ‘all’ our present wingers. Henderson at his age will give Carrick a run for his money for the England shirt. and Adam is ……well…Adam.
I cant say am overly delighted by our signings, but there’s still time and money, so I’ll wait n see.
lets see what we’ve on Aug. 31th. be patient.
It’s not that the players themselves are poor, as individuals they’re all quite useful, its that the money could have been more efficiently utilized.82 million pounds on Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, and Jordan Henderson is not value for money. Jordan Henderson shouldn’t cost 20 million pounds when Juan Mata is 18 million Euro (via guillem balague)
Jordan Henderson didn’t cost 20m, dont believe everything you read on blogs. Bet you think Jova is on 120,000 a week as well dont you?
He is on 120k a week. I work in the accounts section of his bank and I’ve seen his payslip.
Sure you do champ. That would put him on par with Gerrard.
why dont I believe u??
And I am the next great LFC striker if Jova is on 120K a week.
Shibashis, Liverpool’s Number 9! My response to this has been moderated but I’m telling the truth.
from wots been reported henderson cost 16m with add-ons could rise to 20m
Henderson was somewhere between 15 and 20, i was rounding up to emphasize my point, which i guess is unfair. I like Jordan Henderson as a prospect, but we still overpaid for him in contrast to other options. English players are always overvalued, and are therefore by definition not value for money.
Jova did earn £120k per week for his first year with us, as it included the signing on fee. His salary has reverted to £65k per week for balance of his contract.
As for Henderson, we have only put just over £10m down up front. The balance is dependent on his and lfc’s success. We will only pay £20m if we win 3 champs leagues and 3 prems with him.
I knew it was performance based incentives, but arent those normally appearances etc? Not team goals? Out of curiosity where did you read this?
Fine – you believe HIM but you won’t believe ME?! Hehehe! I’m truly disgusted!
He’s dead right re: Jova. Never knew that about Henderson though.
Lol i never said i didnt believe you, id heard the same thing for Jova (that was Rupert and Gerrardious)
get real 3 champions leagues and 3 prem titles? like Any club would agree to that deal, especially with us, being abit too optimistic. Its more likley based on goals, appearances, England caps, getting back in the top 4, winning 1 cup atleast more likly not 3, SUnderland do want to see this money as soo an poss not be waiting 20+ years for us to win a title and then see their money lol (don’t get me wrong im not saying we will be waitn another 20+ years)
Good work Galen! I know mate.
we have spent over 100m and got 1 world class play the rest are wannabe’s . we have paid well over market value for average british players. for example andy carroll 35m for 3m more man city get aguero then we buy downing not even an england regular 20m, arsenal look to be gettin mata for 15m . we are the laughing stock of the prem and i wont even go into henderson. we lost torres through buying unproven players so i dont expect to see suarez staying for long and who can blame him if he didnt.
It’s depressing how many fans Liverpool have these days that know little or nothing about football. The figures quoted show a lack of knowledge about the transactions themselves (all true fans know what I mean, especially re the so-called 35m for Andy). All 3 recent buyers are gems and as long as Henry provies the funds, it doesn’t matter how much they cost. Mata can’t cross like Downing, has not yet proven he can play in the Prem, and doesn’t suit what the team needs on the left. That’s why Kenny is the manager and not you or I, so trying to crticise as if your view is worth something is a real joke.
Henderson, Downing and Carroll are all overrated and overpriced. The truth is the club have wasted 75m on 3 sub-standard British players. Mata can’t cross like Downing but he is younger, more skillful, has more game intelligence and fits in with the pass and move attacking football. So what if he is not proven in the Premier League? This is a risk that the club has to make. As if Suarez was proven in the Premier League.
Well I hear Kenny is waiting for Suarez to return, not sure why, he isn’t British we obviously don’t need him, only British players capable of destroying 4 manure defenders in the box? Must be why we chose Henderson over Mata?!
well said
We have spent over 100m don’t forget we got £50 mill for Torres, basically Abromovich paid for Carrol n Suarez, so the owners have really around 50 mill this summer on Henderson, Downing n Adam so far
if we go by our previous managers and most other premiership managers spending 100 mil on 6 players and only getting one world class one at the end of it seems to be the trend how much ave man u, chelsea, man city all spent on flops so even if suarez turns out to be are only gooden its not that bad, i think a few will shine thou, guareteed not all.
Lee u r not a true supporter – I dont hear u doing any supporting. Fans like this are the single biggest thing wrong with LFC at the mo – Start supporting the team and showing a little faith in the man (legend) who singlehandedly rescued us from relegation last season or go back to championship manager please
im not a true support , i have supported liverpool for over 35 years so dont think you can tell me wen i should start supporting my team and dont comment on something you know nothing about . it was kenny who was the player that turn me into a liverpool fan . you have no need to point out what kenny did i watched every liverpool game. but has this is a free country i can speak my mind. when the season starts i will be watchin and supportin who ever pulls on the red shirt. but there is a reason liverpool havent won the prem and its cos we have waste good money on average players and in my opinion nothing as changed but i do hope im talkin out of my arse and we win everything we take part in
Fair enough. Do you think all of this negativity actually helps the team tho? I’m telling you it doesn’t. There are many, many reasons both on and off the pitch, we havn’t won the league for so long. We certainly have no divine right to EXPECT to win the league after not having done so for 2 decades (that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t AIM for it tho – which is one thing u can guarantee KK is doing). One of the things which has not been helping us in recent years is the negative, morgue-like, spirit-destroying atmosphere which often prevails at anfield in the league these days. We should all reserve judgement until we actually c how the team actually DOES in the league this season (ie. the end of the season). We have to accept that OUR attitude towards the team, negative or positive, actually AFFECTS the team and their confidence and, by a process of logic, the results and performances on the pitch.
whos to say aguero will cut it, i dont think so he never played well against us, unproven in the prem and just another mercenary like adebayor, balotelli, tevez
in kenny we trust,i beleive we have made very good signings so far,yes maybe the prices we ve paid is a little high,so come on guys let not judge them wrongly before they ve even had a chance to show in the red of liverpool.lfc till i die
As a sidenote, Dalglish wasted a golden opportunity to build the side around Suarez – a genuine world class young talent. Instead, he chose to build the side around plodder Carroll. Not much to get excited about in my eyes…
Kenny will not be building a side around any single player – he will be building a TEAM. U obviously have not learned anything from the fernando torres saga.
Henderson and Downing were obviously overpriced. We should have waited a bit longer and got Juan Mata.
See above reply….you obviously don’t know much and Kenny will prove you wrong.
Juan Mata is too similar to the players we already had. An attacking midfielder who likes to cut inside and doesnt know how to skin a full back and put a decent cross in. FACT: Throughout the entire history of football in all countries 70% of ALL GOALS EVER SCORED were scored as a result of a cross into the box from either wing. Learn a little bit about real football.
NO MORE AVERAGE BRITISH PLAYERS KENNY, we are not in the 70’s-80’s now, times have changed Kenny, wise up, or we will become a joke!, we need more of SUAREZ quality and by that I mean NOT home grown average players. Wise up or you will fall!.
And what about the new quota regarding the no. of homegrown/home national players that are required in a side? Here’s an idea: How about we sign 11 skillful foriegners, watch them get kicked off the park and soundly whooped by the likes of reading and stoke week in and week out and then, if ever do qualify for europe we,ll get kicked-out for not having enough english players in the team. Sound good?
Im sorry to say this, but im beginning to feel as though KK is either not cut out for this, or he is a racist. The transfer policy so far baffles beyond belief. And before you start harping on about buying to suit delivery for Carrol, what are we a 1 dimensional team. What happens when Carrol gets injured? 50m well spent.
And another thing, 35m on Carroll. Really? He’s slow, cant dribble, cant link a pass, and is very poor at reading the game. Yes he is a beast and great in the air, great left peg, but to spend 100m around this guy. For fooks sake. He is not worth 5m, and newcastle were going to sell him for a 1m not a year before.
What is with the English only policy, English players are simply shite. We will not win the title, we will not get into the Cl, and all of you who would blindly follow KK into the thames will be scratching your head come the end of the season.
City, Chelsea, Manu and now even Arsenal are digging deep into their pockets to buy the best players available to compete while we buy what exactly? oh wait thats right, someone who can cross the ball to Carrol. Seems a little odd don’t you think to spend so much money on a one dimensional tactic. And what happened to the pass and move philosophy that we have been crying out for. Fook that lets just hoof it to Carrol.
I know ill cop flack for saying this.
I thought KK was going to bring us back to the top. Not going to happen. Aquilani, the only really creative flair we have, is not wanted. why? o wait he’s not british.
I hope i eat my words, and my assumptions are far off the mark, but in all honestly i can’t see us competing for 4th, 5th or 6th with the “talent” were acquiring.
There will be many of you posting negative comments towards my post. Calling me this and that, not a tru red blah farking blah, get your hand off it. If your too blind to see that this is not 1985, that english football is no longer dominated by english players, and that to win you need a balance of world class quality, and heart then your all deluded. If British players are so fantastic then why oh why have they not been able to win anything in god only knows how long. hmmm cuz they are shite. Gerrard is of course exluded from this comment.
If downing and hendo are so fantastic then why is it that we were the only ones trying to get their signature???
i hope i am totally wrong, and come may kk proves that i should have had more faith in his ideas, but from what i have seen so far, well it’s going to be another frustrating and long season. I will still back them no matter what, but this british only policy is ridiculous, and i for one do not think it will work. Time will tell.
Be back at the end of the season, i hope i am singing a different tune by then.
Im sorry mate, im not being funny but you just dont get it!
Im sure youve seen all of the statistics of the 3 players we have bought so I wont go into them but if you look at the bigger picture, kenny is building a team and a squad.
Think about it, Downing may not be mata or aguero, but he still is the best left winger we have had since mcmannaman! He is exactly what wev been crying out for! Hes not just for carroll!!
Adam will provide running power when gerrard isnt available, hes the best deep lying passer in the prem probably now scholes has retired. He will provide goals from midfield and his set pieces are excellent!
As for henderson, its a wait and see!
What I would say though is that the team kenny has built is a stronger team than we had when we finished second in the league! Suarez and carroll as opposed to just torres, downing instead of riera, kuyt and gerrard still about, meireles/henderson on bench, adam completing alonsos job only adding more goals, running, assists!
The biggest thing id say is that theres creativity and goals right throughout the side now!
C my previous comments.
It amazes me how one minute so called LFC fans ring praises for King Kenny and the next they shoot him down. Yes the players bought aren’t superstar names but then again there is a certain spanish team that does that and has failed horribly. i agree with the writer buy players to fit positions rather than big names.Lesser named players to play their heart out where as big names are pre madonnas.
Here here
Carroll at £10m would be over-priced, Kuyt and Suarez are better with Carroll on the bench, Carroll has no pace and no first touch…..very average!!!!
Guess who has as many league goals as Javi Hernandez and is younger and was out of commission for two months? Andy Carroll.
That’s interesting. Andy Carroll SHOULD be amazing for us but it’s far from certain. Hernandez only cost them around 7 million too. The pressure was never really on him to perform.
Id rate Kuyt above Carroll at the moment. Thats not to say Carroll wont be the second coming of Alan Shearer, but for 35 million he’d have to to be worth the cost.
Very funny comment. Carroll was a quality proven striker at a very young age and will do really well. I wonder if you guys are too young to remember Kenny buying Sutton and Shearer at Blackburn. It’s Ok to be ignorant, just don’t advertise it by commenting online…
Stephane Guivarc’h at Newcastle? And sorry, but Carroll is far from proven. Hasn’t yet played a complete season in the top flight (last season he missed the second half) Really he’s “proven” based on half a season
These must be the delusional Liverpool fans who the rest of us get slatted off about. Half a season in and out of court cases and everyone thinks he’s worth the 35million.
Except when we signed Carrol we told chelsea they could have there torres (he’d bin there’s for at least 6 months anyway) for the price of Andy Carroll plus 15m – so basically we ripped Chelsea off. Also at that time tottenham were willing to pay 25 million for Carroll and Fergie was starting to sniff around – the reason is that he is MONSTER who terrifies defenders – in the premiership thats far more important than skill. That’s why Rafa always did better in europe than in the prem.
I believe Liverpool have done well except Carroll is not worth 35 mill but if they fail to bring in a decent L.B and C.B it will be a waste.
Question for all of you questioning Kenny and the club. Could you do a better job?
This isn’t Championship Manager, it’s professional football! Kenny and his team know what’s needed and where, so rather than jumping on their backs and acting like fickle fans of other clubs, get behind your team and club!
Kenny and Comolli know far more than these internet warriors ever will.
I don’t think anyone is beyond constructive criticism though mate. If you’re asking could any of us do a better job than Kenny, then obviously the answer is ‘no’.
But that’s not the question. The question is – is Kenny doing a good job? That remains to be seen and given the relatively underwhelming transfer window we’ve had, coupled with the poor results and the promises that were made about our transfer dealings this summer, then surely it’s a little mindless and robotic not to at least question these things.
Every LFC supporter wants Kenny to succeed more than anyone else on the planet, but he’s only a man and men make mistakes.
Also, there’s no way in Hell that Andy Carroll is worth 35 million.
What you lot are doing is not constructive criticism – its destructive criticism and you’ve been doing it for years to manager after manager. That’s what’s really been holding LFC back for decades – negative fans who aren’t prepared to show any patience whatsoever (you sound like newcastle fans!)
Constructive criticism is all well and good mate, but is it fair to criticise when the players have not yet kicked a ball competitively? How can they be judged as no hopers before the season has even started?
Yes you can question the signings but criticising them this early on whether it be constructive or not is unfair to say the least.
am sure if u ask the same question about Hodgson, the answer would still be NO
Here here!
WHO CARES HOW MUCH WE SPEND, AT LEAST WERE SPENDING MONEY, I’D RATHER SPEND TOO MUCH THAN NOT ENOUGH.
GET RID OF THE WASTERS NOT NEEDED AND WE CAN SPLASH THE CASH EVEN MORE ON A GOOD LEFT BACK, CENTRE BACK, AND BACK UP STRIKER, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO OVERPAY THE TRUE VALUE
exactly spot on, id rather be where we are now under this new regime then go back to spending piss all like we did under Hicks n Gillett. Imagine having to sell before we could buy right now, we wouldn’t be buying anyone with the wages all our deadwood are on no 1 wants them, well not for the price we want.
we have us true liverpool fans that stick with our team through thick an thin,then we have the glory supporters who all think they would be able to do a better job then kk,keep your negative opinions to yourself.
Oh, sorry. Come one guys we should all pretend that we have a left back, haven’t wasted 40 odd million on average joes and will walk to the league title next season. Blind faith over knowledge and realism any day!!
Amen to that!
Supporting your club is about much more than instant glory. I’d still support LFC even if they got relegated (which they would have last season if not for KK), would you???
Yes and so wud 99,9 % of people on this site, we are all fans and a family we just don’t all agree on everything like a normal family. We need to all learn to tolerate varying opinions!! (and buy some flipping defenders for crying out loud) we conceded 44 last year and 3 goals four games in a row! Pleeeeaaaaasssseee!!! I’m begging!
I think we bought some ok players at rather inflated prices. I think the prioritisation of players was completely wrong, and I cannot for the life of me understand why we are this close to the season without having bought a left-back for the 3rd or 4th year running – and that to buy one we reportedly have to sell first.
In addition to the left-back, we still lack a quick centre back and a decent quality third striker.
I also find it strange that we are wasting our friendly matches putting our dross in the shop window rather than letting the new better players settle gel in. The fact we lost is irrelevant, I’m just annoyed that we turned it into a pointless fixture.
Unless we bring in some more quality we will be fighting for 5th next season!! (P.S that’s not negativity, that’s reality)
How can anyone say anything on the team? THEY HAVEN’T PLAYED YET! Can we hold condemnation or not until after the ACTUAL team has played a couple of games? I know that there is a great deal of feeling out there on who is or who is not the material we need but there is nothing to be done about it. Let’s get a couple of proper games under our belt first. I know most of the wails are from people who see their favourite player for buying is not coming but that is the name of the game. Get together. The season is almost on us.