WITH the January transfer window rapidly approaching, the manager has to decide whether he wants to make a major move for first place, ensure finishing in the top 4, or building a team for the future. The first is a pipe dream, the second a distinct possibility, and the third a sure way to see a lynching outside the gates of Anfield.
I will put forward some ideas but leave the actual names on the wish list to both serious fans and Football Manager devotees.
The season so far has shown us that we need cover in a number of positions, starting in goal. Brad Jones seems a likeable bloke but will not win games for us. He has a bad case of the dropsies and has not had sufficient first team time to step into the fray in an emergency.
Every team needs a strong right side and ours is competent as long as Johnson is a) healthy, and b) on his game. Since he is often either a) or b), we need reliable cover at right-back.
There is Martin Kelly. According to Brendan Rodgers, the young English fullback/centre-half is not very far away from featuring with the first team again which will give us some cover on the right.
At left-back, the same comments made about Glen Johnson could as easily apply to Jose Enrique who is a terror when he is fit and in form but lately has been neither. We have seen that Jon Flanagan is capable of replacing his defensive side but lacks the imagination of the Spaniard in attack.
Our fullbacks are probably least in need of shoring up, but the club should put aside some money to allow Jamie Carragher to teach them how to marshal the other players at the back. Agger and Skrtel are both bright lads and can be taught to organize the phalanx when the pressure is on.
I’ll leave it to someone else to look at the midfield. Our current contingent is such an enigma with a virtual army to choose from. Unfortunately, the seeming depth in the midfield beyond the starting four is high on quantity and indeterminate on quality.
In the derby we saw the devastating effect of taking Lucas out of the side. One thing I do know is that Brendan Rodgers has bought too many cannon fodder players for the midfield and needs to bring in a marquee player a la Alonso or Mascherano to keep us in the mix.
At the top, although the strike partnership of Sturridge and Suarez is arguably the best in England, we could use a top notch backup, perhaps an ageing star who could play a game or two if need be. The desire of Iago Aspas to do well is almost palpable when he gets a chance to play. Unfortunately, desire without results is wholly trumped by results without desire.
Our place in the standings at this point should give us more credibility than we had in the summer. The only fly in the ointment – and it would be a ‘flyzilla’ – would be the departure of Suarez. If that nightmare scenario doesn’t rear its ugly head then £70,000,000 should buy us all we need to see the season through to a European place.
So bring on the candidates and try to refrain from slagging either current team players or each other (you can direct all your vitriol at the columnist instead).
Brendan Rodgers did bad in selection,he should use that stats when we played with fulham.And also that 4,3,3 is not good,he should play 4,4,2 or 4,2,3,1
Rodgers can not be trusted in the transfer market . He has wasted over 70 million in my opinion. If I were Mr Henry I wouldn’t give him another penny .
I agree with this . Rodgers was moaning today about our small squad , YET our subs bench cost over 75 million today.
Allen 15
Borini 11
Sahin 3 loan fee
Assaidi 3
Sakho 18
Alberto 8
Aspas 8
Llori 7
Cissokho ? Loan fee
Moses 2 loan fee
That is over 73 m wasted . We MUST NOT let Rodgers spend any more.
do u even watch football sahin is gone
I thought we were supposed to have a great academy with lots of talented players coming through? If we’re always going to reach for the cheque book why are we bothering having an academy? Will these talented youngsters ever get a chance? Why give rodgers more money when he’s wasted it on players like sakho and allen?
We HAD a great academy . Rodgers has f**ked it all up by replacing the great coaches with another of his idiot mates from Swansea.
If you look at Rodgers record at reading & Swansea – he has a very bad record of bringing youth through .
Just another epl cheque book manager now who can’t wait to waste another 25m in january. No faith in youngsters anymore. Lost his nerve with them. Losing faith in him now to be honest
Brendan is doing a great job look at spuds all the money they wasted and they cant click we kept our best player and within the next 3 years you all will be eating your words
Lol
Just read that jack rodwell is fit again. I know he’s ex everton but he’s a good player. Anyone think he’s worth taking a punt on in january? He won’t get a game at citeh because he’s english so it might be worth thinking about
I’d like 2 c liverpool buy, pastore,Montoya and a defensive mid in january
Awful game today. I really hope quality players are signed in January, lord knows we need them.
Nearly 90m spent in just 14 months, no European footy to distract us, one of the best players in the world(Suarez) and we go and get battered by a promoted Hull side with barely an international in their first team. Believe me it could have been worse, we were that bad. Unbelievable.
Br is a gambler, i doubt him giving us champions leauge position with his stupid tactics and approach to game. Average manager..crap!
Rodgers is a poor manager . The result today doesnt prove anything but most honest fans knew we weren’t going to sustain a challenge
– Last season was pathetic
– he has wasted a heck of a lot of money
– Inability to beat the top teams
– Inability to change a game
No top manager rotates his defenders , NOT ONE . Ferguson mourinho rafa Kenny Wenger etc etc none of them rotate defense . They know you need a solid consistent back 4 ….yet Rodgers rotates defenders !
Not to mention the fact that he is filling the academy with his mates .
Fans have been deluded into thinking things were better than they are because
1. An easy fixture start
2. The top sides with new managers have had teething problems
Like you said , the defeat proves nothing intelligent fans do not know. Rogers is out of his depth. Last week deluds kept pointing at the table as prov. we are now 7 points from the top and one defeat away from 10’th. Rogers needs kicking out of our club .
Anyone seen the Liverpool 2014 calendar ?
….Luis Suarez is NOT in it. . Hmmmm
I’ve got the official 2014 liverpool calendar and Suarez is the month of August in mine
Well I have been telling you lot Rodgers is inept and now I justified.
His back room staff of Colin Pascoe(His Brother in law) and Mike Marsh are way out of their depth on the training ground down at Melwood.
We need proper coaches to coach these inept players that Rodgers has saddled the club with or we have to sack all three of them as soon as possible.
We all expect a hiccup in some part of the season ,but some of these displays are disgusting and shambolic. Southampton, Arsenal and now Hull City.
His decision making at his team choice is mindboggling, besides that when we have played poorly he never uses the full amount of Substitutes !
We have just had 8 days rest after the Derby and we perform like that today, totally not good enough for the thousands of supporters paying good money to go watch them.
Rodgers, you either get off yourself or we the supporters will turn on you.
we nid a beter midfield, lucas, hendo shld b takn away as dy do nt contribute 2 an attackn flow, january shld c us getn beta CM DM AM, rogers shld also beware! He mite b sitn on gunpowder
B Rodgers is comical at times, he was the one who wasted 35m plus on these poor, average players: Alberto, Assaidi, Aspas and Borini.
He has wasted 7m on loan players who have just not cut it: Sahin last season.]
And now Cissokho and Moses, Moses the most comical after he came out this week demanding he needs to be starting more and can score 20 goals for us. Moses has never scored 12 goals in a season in the premiership, some good strikers in the premiership struggle to get 15 goals a season. And Moses is not a goalscoring Winger
As i have been saying and will keep saying our Biggest Problem is our Engine Room: Centre of park and the lack of cutting edge goals out wide, we need good class quality cover at full back but the full back positions should be rectified in the summer transfer window.
Our squad is 11 class, quality players short of a good squad: Our 1st 11 are good but our squad is pathetic and Real true fans who know anything about football can see that.
This season with Lucas, Gerrard and Henderson in midfield, how many times have they lost the ball in key areas and been punished by centre midfielders, because lucas and Gerrard do not have the legs to get back and win the ball back after the ball is lost?
Yesterday Gerrard(33) and Lucas(26) and Henderson(23) made Huddlestone and Livermore look like Cazorla and Ozil.
So this season: Cabaye, Ramsey, Huddlestone,Michu, Livermore have scored against us threw coming through the centre of park without being closed down quick enough or by just running of Gerrard and Lucas.
Henderson is mobile, has a bit of pace about him and presses well but he is a headless chicken.
In January: These five players are DESPERATELY NEEDED if we seriously want to stay in top 4 hunt:
And in this order also, the most important first: No more dead wood average players Rodgers: No More Excuses:
1: DM: Y M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan to compete and Cover Lucas for 10-14M
2: CM: Y Cabaye(27) Of Newcastle to compete with Henderson for 14-18M
3: RW/ RWF: M Salah(21) Of Basel to compete and Cover Sterling for 12-16M
4: LW / LWF: D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal / Lisbon to compete with Ibe for 4-6M
5: FD: K Mitroglu(25) Of Olympiacos to compete and Cover Sturridge for 4-7M
Those five players are needed in January to keep our pursuit of top 4 all the way through to May
Then if we make the Champions league place, In summer these dead wood average players need to be shown the door and shipped out:
1: GK: B Jones 2: CB: S Coates 3: RB: M Kelly 4: RB: J Flannagan
5: AM: Alberto 6: RW / RWF: Assaidi 7: FD: Aspas 8: FD Borini
And then these 6 players need to be brought to club to strengthen every position in Squad:
2 players will be needed to take over and replace the class, quality of our great captain S Gerrard(33):
1: CM: Koke(21) Of A Madrid should be brought for 15-20M to compete with Allen
2: AM: I Munian(20) Of A Bilbao should be brought for 15-22M to compete and Cover Coutinho
Those two players would take over and replace the class, quality of S Gerrard(33) in centre of park for next 5-8 years.
3: A Mccarthy(23) Of Reading should be brought to club for 5-7M to compete and cover Mignolet for next 5-7 years.
4: RB: M Montoya(22) Of Barcelona should be brought to club on free transfer to compete and cover G Johnson(28)
5: LB: S Umtiti(19) Of Lyon should be brought for 5-7M to compete and Cover Enrique
6: CB: Considering Toure(34) is just at club for experience, i think after this season he should be shipped out and K Papadopolous(21 at moment but 22 by summer) Of Schalke should be brought to the club for 10-14M to be come and compete with Llori(20) and Sakho(23) for next 4- 6 years at club.
As Agger(28) and Skrtel(28) have two more good years of playing football at the top, K Papadopolous(21) and Sakho(23) would be an awesome partnership solid partnership.
Denis……you’re clearly passionate, but deluded. Probably only two of the above players would come. We are not in the champions league and I can’t think too many of the above want to fight to get us there. Be realistic. If jack rodwell can prove his fitness I would go for him. Clearly he will not play at citeh due to pellegrino’s anti english stance. I would put a bid in for him in january
Stevie, why deluded.
The owners need to put up or shut up, Suarez cost the club 23.5M now he is worth triple that. FSG need to back B Rodgers properly if they really want us to challenge for top 4 all the way through the season.
The likes of Alberto, Assaidi, Aspas and Borini have been a waste of money. They were brought on potential, but they are not cutting it.
We need these 5 players in that would cost Rodgers: 55-70M
Two players to sort out our: diabolical, soft, lacking in creativity, lacking in scoring goals, unproductive, not mobile, sluggish, centre midfield:
1: DM: M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan for 10-14M to compete and Cover Lucas Leiva
2: CM: Y Cabaye(27) Of Newcastle for 14-18M to compete and Cover Henderson
Two class quality pacey quick creative goalscoring wingers on either wing:
3: RW / RWF: M Salah(21) Of Basel for 12-16M to play on the right wing or right hand side of attack to compete and cover Sterling
4: LW / LWF: D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal / Lisbon for 4-6M to play on the left wing or left hand side of attack to compete and cover IBE
And a Back up/ under study striker to Sturridge:
5: K Mitroglu(25) Of Olympiacos or L Remy(26) Of QPR, one of these two strikers should be brought to club for 4-8M
Stevie, These 5 players would cost club 60-70m but would help us Make the top 4 this season. But with our current pathetic weak squad, we will make top 6-10 as usual, we have now become over the last 5 and half seasons.
I am very passionate, i love my team but we have too many dead wood average players at the club. And that is why we have been a top 6-10 side for last 5 and half seasons and it is reason why L Suarez wants to jump ship.
If we brought in M’Vila(23) DM, Cabaye(27) CM, Capel(25) LW / LWF, Salah(21) and Remy(26) FD are players of Coutinho(21), Gerrard(33) and Sturridge(24) class and calibre.
Whereas the likes Lucas (26) DM, Henderson(23) CM , Allen (24) CM, IBE(17) LW / LWF, Aspas(26) LW / LWF, Moses(22) RW /RWF and Stering(18) RW / RWF are nowhere near the calibre and class of Coutinho(21) , Gerrard(33), Sturridge(24) and Suarez(26) and when two of the 4 are out of starting 11 it clearly shows
A new manager should be the priority before we talk transfers .
I dont want to see more Aspas and Albertos at my club.
Sell Suarez to Madrid in jan for 60 million an get a new midfield the lack of quality is there for all to see we need a clear out sterling Moses Allen Lucas after dec we will be in mid table ?? Kenny daglish took Liverpool to two cup finals in the same season an got the push B.R should pack is bags he still do,s not know is best formation an the only good players he has bought is courtino an sturridge BR is not good enough to get the best out of players against championship teams never mind winning the league an getting in the champs league I have been a Liverpool surpporter for 39 years the club is in my DNA this is not a reaction after yesterday result after dec you will all be saying the same Liverpool need a quality manager an brenden rodgers is not he has not got a clue how to run a big club 🙁
Do the deludes still think we are going to finish top 4 ? Only a total delude would .
Can’t belive we can’t beat Hull without having our full strike force!!! I expected our under 18’s to be beat this team. Brenden Rogers brought in 6 players in the summer and now he says we don’t have quality and depth in the squad – so Why the F**k buy 6 useless players none of whom have made any sort of impact. One injury and we are screwed at a curcial time in the campaign. The guy is a joke he buys a 18m defender and makes him warm the bench. He brought a thrid striker (Aspas) but sits him on the bench! He plays Sterling when Jorden Ibe is a far better player! Steven Gerrard should be playing behind the strikers but instead plays in front of our defenders, Lucas is finished but Rogers insitis on playing him every game.
Agree with you fernando. Ibe is better than sterling who went backwards as soon as he signed his big contract. I was genuinely excited when he played last season. Now I’m not too fussed if he goes on a free to rochdale. Play ibe more
Brendan rodgers should be shown the exit door or else lfc will be relegated to the championship in the near future