Crisis? Think Again!

Our worst run since 1953, are Liverpool in crisis?

No, I don't believe we are. The players aren't performing, but can we really blame that on the manager? The public are saying that he bought unwisely, but lets look at these 'bad buys':
          -Charlie Adam, one of the premier league players of the year last season, bought for around £5m.
          -Jordan Henderson, Sunderland's player of the year, and a promising England youth international.
          -Stewart Downing, experienced Premier League player, arguably the best crosser of the ball in England.
          -Jose Enrique, £6m, what more can you say? Brilliant this season.
          -Craig Bellamy, impact player of the season in England.
I hardly see any bad buys on paper there. Sure, some of them have failed to perform, maybe the pressure of such a big club has gotten to them, but as we have seen with Lucas, some players need a while to get used to it. The unfortunate injury to Lucas is also a major factor in this seasons failings. Our holding midfielder's injury forced a reshuffle in the squad. Adam was forced to play in the holding midfield role, working with an unfit Steven Gerrard. Adam can only play in that position to spray passes around the pitch, but defensively he is not up to much. Gerrard, the dynamic player we know and love, can't possibly make these tackles. Playing Adam out of position caused a loss of confidence, and form. This spread throughout the team. Henderson was also being played out of position. Our season wasn't helped by our misfortune in front of goal. After failing to score, the team did not have confidence in each other, and let their form slip. Suarez's stupidity (although I support him, he did not handle it well) heaped pressure on the team.

The big positive from this term was our defence. Agger and Skrtel's partnership works brilliantly, and is complimented with our attacking full-backs. In this respect, Dalglish has gotten it spot on, however, it is sad to see the decline of Carragher. A wonderful servant to the club, it is a shame to see him causing trouble in our defence. I believe that he needs to retire, perhaps into a coaching role, where he can help the team move forward.

On the whole, Dalglish deserves at least one more season. His signings will grow in stature, and with a full season expected from Luis Suarez, we will do well. The Carling Cup is an improvement already, and hopefully Carroll will get more game time before the end of the season, because that's the only thing which will help.

On the plus side, 4 more points and we're guaranteed premier league football next season!
YNWA

Where we stand.

Its been a while! When I last posted, we were facing ending the season in 6th place, out of the European places. So what has changed? We are currently in 7th place, and seemingly can't score a goal for our lives! It would appear that our situation has deteriorated, but do the stats tell the true story? Are squad has improved, massively. Signings like Charlie Adam, who has a range of passing to rival, yes, Xabi Alonso, and Jordan Henderson, a great player now, who could be a world beater in a few years have improved our midfield, while Craig Bellamy has brought dynamism to our forward line. Daniel Agger's prolonged fitness has effectively given us a new centrehalf, and his partnership with Martin 'Hard as nails' Skrtel has given us the leagues best defense. Up until Suarez's lengthy ban, we looked threatening at every break, and now, we are clearly missing him. Andy Carroll has, without a doubt, failed to live up to expectations. But we all must remember, he has just turned 23. At his age, Robin Van Persie had scored less goals in more games, and look at him now! Our league position is deceptive, as the overall standard of the league has improved drastically,

So less of the negativity! King Kenny is the right man to lead us back to our previous lofty heights!

YNWA

Winds of Change

I would like to start be apologising for my lengthy absence. I would also like to inform my readers that i will nolonger be just writing about Liverpool, but about the wider world of football! Watch this space... something epic this way comes.

So Whats Next?

As the season draws to a close, we are sitting comfortably in 6th place. We are far enough ahead with the remaining games to be confident of ensuring 6th, but 5th seems a bit too far away. Although we are out of the European places, sixth is something to be proud of, considering our awful start to the season, and the fact that administration wasn't far off in October. The players and management feel we can still get fifth, but unless Spurs really suffer a European hangover, were out of Europe next year. This could be a blessing in disguise.

With the games we have left, and the injuries were currently plagued with, I think we should take this rare opportunity to blood some of our younger players. The likes of Coady, Suso and Sterling could benefit from being involved with the squad, and i don't think there is anything to lose. The lack of strength and depth in the squad has been revealed in our last few matches, especially in defense.

Soto just does not seem to be LFC standard. His cameo's last season and the the earlier part of this one were impressive, but his lack of pace has cost us in recent matches. He is being played more then I'd hoped due to Agger's fitness (or lack thereof!). Although he is rarely fit, Agger is undoubtedly our best footballing defender and  gives us a completely new dimension to our game. When he is fit he is the first name on my teamsheet, so we need to accommodate him. We do this by having good quality back up. Jamie is getting older, Skrtel has improved this season, but Soto is becoming a liability. A new center-half is needed. Preferably someone from our youth set up, such as Wilson or Ayala, but if they are deemed not good enough, I think we should look towards young English talent. Scott Dann is a cheap option, but Gary Cahill would suit the role best. Either would be suitable. Cahill would become first choice alongside Carra, whereas Skrtel would start as first choice if Dann was to arrive.

We also badly need a left full back. Konchesky was never good enough, and although Insua showed promise, the current staff don't seem to see anything in him. So options for the slot? My choice would be Leighton Baines of Everton. He is an experienced, English player and exactly what we need. His club and price tag are big obstacles, but miracles can happen! Other options include Aly Cissokho of Lyon, Fabio Coentrao of Benfica and Jose Enrique of Newcastle. Enrique would be my second choice, his marauding runs up the left provided Andy Carroll with inch perfect crosses for Newcastle and is coming into the last year of his contract. He should be available for around £8m.

A versatile winger is a must for the summer, to provide ammunition for our new look strike force. Ashley Young seems to be the preferred option, as he is coming into the last year of his contract and is highly rated around Anfield. Balázs Dzsudzsák of PSV is another option. He is untried at the top level but is cheaper and looks like a great prospect. Whatever winger they bring in must have pace, a good cross and be versatile. 


These are only signings to improve our current squad. All other sales must be replaced as our squad is small and weak. Dalglish will hopefully get the job and we can look into the new season. With this squad I am confident of a European place, and possibly a run at the title. Well, we can hope can't we?


You'll Never Walk Alone!

Lucas Leiva- Midfield General

Recent reports have been linking midfielder Lucas Leiva with a move away from Anfield, ant there is a lot of fans who support the idea. I honestly believe if we let Lucas go, we would be making a huge mistake. I will admit that I was no fan of his during his first few seasons, constantly criticizing his every move. Over the last season however, he has matured tremendously into the lynch pin of our midfield, and although he does make the occasional mistake, he is still young and is improving rapidly. Yes, we would love a midfield of playmakers, artists with the football, but lets not forget, even the best team in the world, Barcelona, has the holding midfielder. This player allows the likes of Gerrard and Meirelles, Xavi and Iniesta, to work their magic, without worrying about their defensive duties.

Lucas was brought to Liverpool as an attacking midfielder, possibly Gerrard's successor, but Rafa, in his infinite wisdom, decided he was more suited to being a holding player. After Alonso left, and Aquilani failed to make an impact, Lucas was our only remaining option, and had to learn on his feet. He has done terrifically, and has even become a starter for Brazil. So, give the lad a break. He stayed when Alonso and Mascherano left. He has never once made trouble and is a passionate player. Our other options? Poulson is not worthy to lace Lucas' boots, and Spearing isn't ready yet.

The Raul Revolution

Raul Meireles, by far the best signing by Roy, and has recently become our key man. When Meireles arrived in the summer, it was somewhat a shock signing. Arriving after the departure of Mascherano, the captain of Argentina, there were big boots to fill. Meireles had recently stared at the World Cup for Portugal, and his move from FC Porto was largely unexpected. Meireles immediately came out and claimed that he was not a replacement, but was his own player.

His early form was uninspiring, as he was utilised on the right flank, where he performed reasonably well. He showed glimpses of brilliance during the Hodgson era, especially in the absence of Steven Gerrard, when the central midfield berth was vacated. It is no coincidence, that since the departure of Roy and the return of the King. Kenny has given the team a license to thrill, and he is not afraid to play more than one footballing midfielder. Under Hodgson, the team was very restricted, and I do not mean any disrespect to Roy, as his tactics have been very successful with other clubs.

Under the King, our style of play has changed radically, and Meireles has benefitted greatly. In a more attacking role, Raul has discovered the golden touch! Goals, Goals, Goals! His technique is there for all to see, especially in his strikes against Wigan and Wolves. Meireles is fast becoming a key player for LFC, with his penetrating runs from midfield making him a nightmare for defence. Kenny seems to see his midfield as being Gerrard, Meireles and Lucas, which should strike fear into the hearts of many a defence. With their wide range of passing, attacking prowess and their undoubted determination, our midfield looks set to dominate the possession in most matches, providing opportunities for our new look strike force.

So, to summarise, Meireles is undoubtedly our player of the month, possibly our player of the year, and in my opinion, Roy’s biggest contribution to our great football club.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Cheerio 'Nando

Firstly, I would like to apologise for my absence this last week, as i have needed time to gather my thoughts. What a deadline day! Torres out, Thomas, Suarez and Carroll in.

I'll start with Torres. I would like to thank Fernando for his time at the club, and for some of the memories his goals have created. I do have a big problem with his departure from the club though, for a number of reasons. To start, Fernando said at the beginning of January that he was happy at the club and wanted to help get us out of our current predicament. Now this moves clearly proves that he was not being honest, which is something Liverpool should never stand for. He has also previously said that we were his only English club, which has also now been proved false. I would also like to point out that, had he requested a move to United or Arsenal, who are title contenders, we would have detested but understood. Instead, he has moved to Chelsea, whose players are past their best and have won their titles. This Chelsea move stinks of money, and that is what annoyed me most. He also never said goodbye to the fans, like nearly all of our ex players have!

£50m is a lot of money though, and overall i think we have spent wisely. Yes, £35m is a lot of money for Carroll, who has only made a handful of premier league appearances, but there is no doubting his quality. Standing at 6ft 3, he is a powerhouse, and can lead our line in a different way to Torres. Suarez will prove to be a good signing in my opinion, and will provide the flair in our new look forward line. Altogether, i think the two will more then replace Torres.

I would finally like to give my congratulations to Liverpool on their fantastic win over Chelsea today. Fernando's debut was destroyed by the Red machine, with our player of the month, Raul Meirelles, getting the goal. 4 wins out of 4, without any goals conceded, a champions league spot his not impossible!

Have Faith!

You'll Never Walk Alone!