As we approach the third week of the latest January transfer window, there has been very little activity from any Premier League clubs, with only Liverpool’s city rivals Everton showing any serious signs of adding to (and also selling) squad numbers.
The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, City and Tottenham are unlikely to add to their squads significantly in this window, with all of these clubs having fairly impressive sized first-team squads with strength and quality in depth.
On the other hand, fellow challengers, Liverpool, Everton and United all require further strengthening – for various reasons – and in Liverpool’s case, the sooner the better.
This season the return of one Liverpool player has heralded the long term injury of another, and for every Allen or Gerrard we see returning to full fitness after a lengthy injury, we see Agger or Sakho succumb to a almost season-ending injuries.
Prior to the window opening, and after two hard-fought defeats over the Christmas and New Year period, Rodgers spoke of the need to quickly bring in quality to add to the squad. Players that would mean absentees wouldn’t be missed so much and that players wouldn’t be forced to play such a high intensity game so many times in a short space of time.
But over 2 weeks into the January window and we’ve seen rumours come and go, with the disappointment of players we were linked to leading up to the window opening being dashed and subsequently grounded.
We’ve also heard little from the owners, FSG, since the 1st of the month and Brendan Rodgers has now started to state that we won’t just buy for buying’s sake. If there aren’t any top players available that fit into what he wants for the club, he will just wait for the summer.
While this is an admirable admission, I’m afraid our current predicament means that we have no option but to strengthen while we can! All Liverpool need at the moment is for one of the clubs’ top players to sustain another big injury and all of a sudden our top 4 hopes could die.
I’m not trying to scare-monger, but can you imagine if we suffered an injury in a key area again, during a crucial run of games?
Just imagine having to come up against City, Chelsea or Arsenal at home later in the year. With a fully fit first-team we’d fancy our chances against any of them. In fact, it is the fact that we have so many of the other top 7 to come at home that we feel this could really be our season, but if we had to face them without Lucas, Suarez, Sturridge or Gerrard all of our hard-work and effort could become undone.
I’d always prefer to avoid sprees in January, unless we can guarantee some top-quality, high-value signings like we did last January when we signed Coutinho and Sturridge, but this year we’re desperate to add some more quality and numbers, given the much stronger standing in the league.
Liverpool can strengthen significantly in the Summer and once we know what our final league position is, the club and manager can get together and thrash out a proper budget and plan for moving forward during the World Cup but this window, we need to move fast as the squad is thin and the opportunity to finish as high as 2nd or 1st is one which hasn’t presented itself so closely for over 5 years.
After a victory at Stoke, which propelled the Reds back into the top 4, this is an opportunity that the club – and, more importantly, it’s owners – really can’t afford to let slip through their fingers.
In previous seasons Liverpool would’ve collapsed after losing a two goal lead so close to half-time but the second half comeback is something new, something that we’ve only started seeing this season and much of it rests on the quality of our front-3, at least one of whom we could lose in the summer should we not at least qualify for the Champions League and the addition of even one extra player, with real quality could make the biggest of differences to Liverpool’s season.
It is only worth buying players who are going to add to the quality of the team and also not at the exorbitant fees that are wanted in the Jan window. FSG will no longer throw money away willy nilly.
nice article…we need to strengthen in midfield area atleast an attacking midfielder and d.m..and right back..we all need sacrifice for the money to succeed..
I’m suprised no one has reliased the lies FSG are telling liverpool fans. They keep saying theres is money to spend, yet Rodgers always seems to be buying players on the cheap, on loan or players top clubs dont want.
FSG are a pack of lying ba******
I think our squad is pretty strong but the mid field aren’t scoring enough. Just get a creative goal scoring mid fielder is good enough for me. (Not many good players want move during this window)
I think there is no money available from owner for reinfocement since it already wasted on flop striker and defender.
Not strengthening a thin squad is a recipe for disaster. I can fully appreciate that we have done well up to now, but if no fresh faces come in this month, there is a real danger not just qualifying for Champions league football but completely falling out of the European places altogether again. What we need to realize is that even with a good first half to the season, we still have teams breathing down our necks who have a lot more strength in depth than us. Fair enough there is no point in buying just anyone but there is quality out there and if we do make Champions league, the prices of players in the summer are going to be inflated, so to guarantee we make top 4 or higher, we may as well buy quality in this window. Whether FSG have the same ambition as us fans remains to be seen. They are bragging that they have secured top class sponsorships so prove it.
FSG won’t do what’s needed . They think they can achieve top 4 on the cheap
With all the other top teams having a transition season , this was an opportunity for us
it’s not about FSG forking out money.. they will it’s more about finding someone of quality to transfer in the jan window which is tough.. what they did last jan with Sturridge and countinho is unbelievable and VERY lucky.. that will not happen again.. I would only expect maybe 1 player at most in in Jan that could maybe be in the starting lineup.. anything more than that is pretty unrealistic imo
a lot of fans think you can just buy anyone in Jan which is not true.. it’s almost impossible to get a player of champions league quality to move in Jan.. but most supporters don’t realize that…
Both BR & FSG are misers. They want good players on the cheap. If really they want CL nite at Anfield next season, it is now they must reinforce and do away with unproductive players. Let we fans reserve our comments till the end of the transfer window. Liverpool 4 live!
@yomi. What’s wrong with good players on the cheap, rather that than good players overpriced. Some of the best players to ever grace the PL were signed cheaply… Viera, Fabregass, zola, Di Canio to name but a few. Some players costing a fortune don’t live up to expectation as we have and now Tottenham are finding out.
Yawn . Ignore the Aaron troll . He bores everyone with his trolling
Idiot
It is good we get players this jan bcos tym will come that players will nt be available. Everton,spurs,manu all this need 4th position liverpool watch out.
Spot on . Fsg care about money not lfc
Reading the comments here it would appear many supporters still think money grows on trees.
Fool. Fsg r billionaires or ddnt u know. Fsg need to invest or f*ck off.
Fool . Fsg r billionaires or didn’t u know . They need to invest or pi ss off back to dirty greedy yanksville
fookin idjets
Spot on Jas.
We won’t progress with FSG in charge . Their ridiculous plan to bring success without spending will never work . And their pathetic efforts concerning the stadium is just stalling tactics. they are raking it in with partnership investments , tv money and new sponsorships , none of which is reinvested in the team.
But we have already progressed with FSG in charge @TM, or would you say we have regressed so far with them?
Yawn . The troll speaks again.
Nobody cares what you say
It gets so annoying hearing Rogers or Henry praise one player or the other in the past two weeks. I begin to imagine if that’s what we need when stronger team like Chelski are equipping themselves with a mature buy instead,you hear stupid comments about cheap and shallow skilled players linked to (US) LFC. Pathetic!
There are plenty of quality players out there but John Henry won’t spend.
I expect a cheap 6-10 m player plus another loan player to come .
It’s all we get nowadays – cheap cast offs
Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam, Sakho, Suarez, Sturridge those players weren’t cheap and only a couple were instant hits. It’s not always about throwing money at situations. Sterling, Flanagan, Kelly, Suso, Ibe, these players will be saving us lots of money.
Can someone please explain this FSG greedy yanks theory cos I don’t see it. All that Torres money and then some were splashed on new players, not bonuses for the new owners as is being suggested. Also who buys a club to lose money, would you?
Agree with your comments aaron. Fsg have spent plenty…..but have a budget. We are not citeh and chelsea
Yawn . Aaron the troll
Idiot
We are only playing one game a week so if everyone is fit I think the squad is strong enough. So stop worrying
So many comments are just so immature and pathetic. It’s amazing how many posters on this site have a direct line into the psyche and inner business communications of FSG. They are so effective they really should turn their efforts on the worlds governments to help solve some real problems.
Your comment is the most immature and pathetic . Shows a complete ignorance of our situation.