THIS summer has been one of the most uneventful transfer windows in the modern history of Liverpool Football club and despite there being a little over 3 weeks of potential transfer window dealings remaining there is increasing frustration amongst Liverpool supporters in both the lack of activity and also the caliber of names being linked with a switch to Anfield.
So is this frustration justified? Is what we expect from the transfer window simply unrealistic? Are we in danger of lowering the expectation of what it takes to play for Liverpool Football club?
And are we at risk of getting left behind in our quest for Champions League football.
With the departures of Dirk Kuyt, Maxi and Alberto Aquilani and the likes of Agger, Carroll, Bellamy and Pacheco possibilities to follow suit, Brendan Rodgers 1st team squad is in danger of lacking serious strength in depth in preparation for the season’s curtain raiser at West Brom later this month.
It’s fairly standard in the modern football era for a club like Liverpool to be linked with a whole host of names, and this summer has been no different. However, the quality of names linked with moves to Anfield have certainly raised more than their fair share of concerns, with names such as Allen, Williams, Sinclair, Sigurdsson, Moses, Fernandes, De Vries, and Dempsey doing little to convince Reds fans that Brendan Rodgers will have a squad capable of challenging for a top 4 place this coming season.
With our likely opposition for Champions League qualification spending big and strengthening in key areas the Reds are in danger of getting left behind in the transfer market and risk losing more yet more ground on the Premier League’s elite.
With Arsenal bringing in Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla, Chelsea adding Hazard, Oscar and Marin to their ranks, arch enemies Manchester United seemingly on the verge of adding Robin van Persie to the capture of Shinji Kagawa, and Champions Manchester City certain to add yet more world class to their embarrassment of riches, the writing is on the wall for new boss Brendan Rodgers and the Champions League marker has been well and truly laid down.
Our one bit of business so far (at the time of writing), the ?11 million signing of Fabio Borini has drawn a mixed response from Reds fans and despite Borini being only 21 years of age it is difficult to see him being a much better option than Craig Bellamy at this particular moment.
The Reds have been consistently linked with Clint Dempsey and Joe Allen and whilst there is no denying the talent possessed by both players the argument once more will be how much better are these players than the current crop, if indeed better at all. With a reported combined figure of ?30 million the Reds would be well advised to look elsewhere.
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The ?15 million price-tag on Swansea’s GB and Welsh international Joe Allen is proof enough that we should be moving onto different targets. Value for money seems impossible to come by with British players these days and the ?70 million already spent on Carroll, Henderson and Downing should underline that point as clearly as anything. With the reported asking price for Allen almost identical to the fee Liverpool paid for Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez and in the same week that saw Arsenal sign Spanish International Santi Cazorla for ?16 million it is plain to see why new boss Brendan Rodgers is scouting the European loan market.
Whichever way you look at it, any club that loses 6-7 first team players will almost certainly need strengthening, and as the clock ticks towards the opening weekend of the Premier League season the Reds lack of urgency in the transfer market is in danger of putting Brendan Rodgers debut season at Anfield under serious threat.
Question-marks remain over the size of the budget available to boss Brendan Rodgers and perhaps the funds Liverpool would receive from any potential sale of Daniel Agger and Andy Carroll will kick start the Reds recruitment drive. With Olympic fever gripping the whole nation let’s hope that the Reds have a sprint finish of their own as they aim to add some golden talent this summer. YNWA!
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I actually dont see it that way,i am fed up of signing players with a good reputation but play bad.i’d rather see some more low profile players who do their job on the field.Borini looks very very good and we cant criticise Allen yet as he hasnt hit the ground running.if we bought one of Adam Johnson/Walcott/Dempsey/Tello/Gaston Ramirez…. i’d be very happy.We need a winger i think since we sold Maxi,Kuyt and Bellamy.
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Gerrard Lucas Allen
Ramirez Borini Suarez
Bench:Doni Coates Kelly Henderson Downing Sterling Carroll
Joe Cole to be considered too
Strong squad i think
YNWA
Obviously another of the football manager computer game generation, there is no way Ramirez would play as winger in the EPL. You haven’t studied his style of play, he’s a languid playmaker not a fly past your man winger. Why in God’s name do people like you keep mentioning Ramirez the club through their mouthpiece (the Echo) denied he is coming although Kenny did seriously look at him.
Wow, you have no idea. Classic ignorance. Wait till Christmas, then make your judgments. Joe Allen wouldn’t look out of place at Camp Nou. If you can’t see how crucial this signing will be in terms of game tempo, control, allowing Gerrard to get forward etc., why do you comment on football? and as far as us selling our ageing contingent of high wage earners, it has been a fantastic window. I believe we still will see a couple of players in regardless. The level of ignorance and fear mongering in this article is quite amazing.
Also you may have forgotten, but Rodgers didn’t sign Carrol, Downing, and Hendo. To compare Allen to these players is silly on a number of levels (for starters Allen is a student of the modern game and simply a far better player). Just because buying British didn’t work out the last transfer window, doesn’t mean that we need to entertain this kind of xenophobic attitude! Any player needs to be judged on a case by case basis on there talents alone, and who better to do that than the players ex manager?
Out of place at camp nou???????? Are you on glue!!
In a website not too far from here , I voiced my opposition to KD taking his first full season…. I was told to support a blue team . I questioned buying downing and Henderson. Now we seem to be paying the price for being wasteful to the extreme. We had money to build a frightening team, but wasted it. First, Roy with polsen, Konchesky and co. next up KD and the spending spree. Now whenever we go for players, they quote a fortune for them. Can you really blame them? We have learned nothing. Signed Allen for 15 million , and he is not worth that amount. 2 Swansea player so far. We lost kuyt, Maxi, Bellamy. Can you say borrini and Allen will provide the 20 goals or so we lose from them??
Aquilani has been sold, yet Spearing , Cole are still there.
I’d be happy to just clear the deadwood. Sell them 2, add Charlie Adam to the list and don’t buy anyone. Target PL survival and bring the finances in order . At least we achieve something. If we utilise , sterling, Suso and Morgan something good might come out. Keeping crap players on the books just holds youngsters back, contributes nothing to the point tally and screws up the finances.
The jury is out for Mr Rogers. So far, he seems well educated and well spoken. Does he have the ability to spot talents worldwide??? I doubt it. The problem is, without knowledge of the transfer market, you can’t make it at the top. Ask KD! His football was good , but he just couldn’t spot players.
Are you talking about the same kenny that gave us Suarez,Beller,Enrique??!
O dear Jesus God would those attacking Joe Allen before he’s kicked a ball for us go and shut up or support someone else. Let’s try this one for size shall we, since the arrrival of Buck Rodgers has he not continually expressed his belief in tika taka football? Has he not stated he wants us to play that way? So why in the name of Jesus are people questioning Joe Allen’s 91% passing rate? Tika taka means we keep the ball, Lucas wins it, Stevie bombs forward with it, but who’s the pass master? Yes £15 million is a gamble but since as Buck has worked with him maybe, just maybe he deserves to be given the benefit of his knowledge and if you’re prepared to do that either shut up or sod off
We signed Hendo and Downing on statistics too don’t forget….you can dress stats up whichever way you like and how much of that 91% is sideways passing….this ludicrous comparison to xavi is adding more pressure onto the lad…can’t see anything in the article that says Allen isn’t a good player but £15 million is a MASSIVE gamble on a player who has only played 1 season in the prem……he will be a marked man next season as teams will figure out a way of shutting him down. The value for money is a fair point too…..tell me 1 British player signed to a top club that hasn’t been overpriced!
You are spot on but who is going to listen???? You can not find any value in British players unless you produce them yourself. Allen the next alonso and could walk into barcelona. Please, how many British players play there? Hmm ok, in the last 10 years? None and there I a reason for that. We don’t produce those players and when we do, they are snapped up very young. See Rooney, Wiltshire, Bale.
The squad is worse than last year and it’s a fact. We have mediocre midfielders aplenty. And the manager, let’s see. He has proven beyond doubt that he can deliver in interviews. Now, the market and on the pitch. Let’s see .
why do people keep putting lfc in the same box as city chelsea exc lfc are living within thier means and canot compete with these clubs financeuly for the forseeable future brendon rodgers is building a young side starting from the ground up buying tallented young players hope they will show thier potential as they mature into there prime hopefuly hel get there but it eill take time with young players coming in
Love the Arsenal players you quoted as world class… oh you weren’t taking the p*ss?
Are you saying that Allen is better value than Podilski and Corzola??? If so you are a clown!
Redallovertheland: Who the hell is Podilski? 🙂
There’s gotta be a player coming in to replace Downing in that team.
Okay. I keep reading articles comparing us with the current top four, we aren’t, for the season coming atleast, anywhere near those teams. What Rodgers has done is get rid of the drift wood, he’s creating the team that we all want to see playing tika taka footy. Its all v well saying lets buy x y z, but at the end of the day some even if these big players, admittedly great players came to lfc, who’s to say the they would be successful. To play tika taka u must have the right players. Not every player can play like that, and obv Allen can, and so can majority of our current players. It is v right to let kuyt (Legend), maxi and aquaman go, higher wages for not neccessarally the right return. I’m excited about the new season and the new lfc. We have moved on from our older team that was heading more down hill after Torres, mascherano and xabi left, it literally now is a new era, new footy and new lfc, get behind him, he deserves our backing! Both Allen and Rodgers I mean!