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!

Adam In, One Out!

6 days of the transfer window remain. No activity yet. LFC have been publicly linked with Luis Suarez and Charlie Adam. Other links have been Stephen Warnock and Charles N'Zogbia, both proven Premier League players.

I can see what our plans are. Buy proven premier league players, and then try with an imported 'Marquee' signing. A new striker is a must, Luis Suarez, a new winger is important, Charles N'Zogbia, a new left back would also be useful, Stephen Warnock. The only transfer that intrigues me is that of Charlie Adam. He has performed heroically for Blackpool this season, inspiring them. Adam has undoubted ability, spraying passes around the pitch all season, something we have been missing since Alonso left. The interesting part though, is that we already have numerous center midfielders. Gerrard, Lucas, Meirelles, Spearing, Cole, Poulson and Shelvey. Dalglish has already played all of these, bar Joe Cole. In a previous post, i explained my thoughts on Joe Cole, and his failure to perform. Poulson has featured regularly under Kenny, which i disagree with, as i feel he is too old and without the quality for our team.

With the acquisition of Adam, i feel we will have too many in that position. Solutions? Well either Adam is brought in and one player is frozen out, likely to be Cole or Spearing. A more positive solution is that Poulson or Spearing would be loaned out, possibly in the deal for Adam. Either way, there will be a casualty with us buying Adam, and an expensive casualty at that. The deal can be profitable though, if he performs well, he is worth the money, and if he fails, he can be sold to a low premier league club. I vote we sign him though, and sell Poulson!

You'll Never Walk Alone!

Bye Bye Babel?

Last nights breaking news that Ryan Babel would be sold to 1899 Hoffenhiem was met with enthusiasm from most reds. LFC's official website stated that they had agreed a fee, rumoured to be around £7 million, and that Babel was left to agree personal terms.

When Babel arrived from Ajax in the summer of 2007, for a fee believed to be around £11.5 million, he was being heralded as the next big dutch star. During his time at Liverpool, he has failed to live up to his reputation. Moments of glory were contrasted with moments of shame. I would, though, like to thank Ryan for his time at Anfield.

In my opinion, his departure must mean that we will bring in a new striker. Kenny has played Babel as an attacker in his appearances under his tenure, and with the departure of Nathan Eccleston on loan to Charlton, we are very light up front. We have been linked with a move for Ajax hitman Luis Suarez, who has scored goals wherever he has been, and would command a fee of about £17 million.

Babel has, today, thrown a spanner in the works. His agent has claimed that he would prefer a move back to Ajax. Hoffenhiem is still an option, he said, but only if Ajax do not want him. A swap deal has been touted, with Babel and cash going to Ajax in exchange for Luis Suarez. Ajax have confirmed they are in talks with Babel, but say no deal has been reached. There is a chance this deal will go through, although swap deals often throw up issues. I hope a deal can be reached for Suarez, as his record speaks for itself, but whether Babel will be included in this deal is unknown. Tom Werner, our chairman, gave a very interesting interview today, and i strongly suggest you read it, http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/the-tom-werner-interview

Have Faith

You'll Never Walk Alone!

Kenny At Wigan?

Anybody watching Wigan vs Fulham on Saturday may have noticed Mr. Kenny Dalglish in the stands. This in itself in not strange, as many managers watch other matches when they are not playing. What is interesting though, is that Damien Comolli, our Director Of Football Strategy was also at the DW Stadium for a Wigan match a few weeks ago. This cannot be a coincidence, because Wigan are not known for their entertaining football. I believe they were there to watch either Charles N'Zogbia, an energetic winger, or Maynor Figueroa, a veteran left back. N'Zogbia would be a fantastic signing, but Figueroa could only ever be a short term solution

Have Faith

You'll Never Walk Alone

Blackpool and Transfers! What Next?

Keep the faith! Yes, we may have lost to Blackpool, for the second time this year. Yes, we did not perform to a standard worthy of our great club. Mr. Dalglish told journalists that he feels our problems can be fixed on the training ground, unlike comments from Roy Hodgson, who declared he did not inherit a top four squad. Whether Kenny is telling the truth or not, we cannot know, but he has gained the respect of the players, whereas Hodgson lost this after a series of statements about the quality and form of star players.

The problem with Roy is that he never really fit in, but Kenny is a living legend, and the impersonation of Liverpool Football Club. The players already hold great respect for the man, and comments like these can only improve on that. Yes, some of our players are substandard, but I believe youth and some astute signings can combat this, and will not cost the world.

 Players like Charlie Adam of Blackpool, who would be a great signing. He is comfortable on the ball, is versatile, cheap and would also fit into any new managers plans. I do not think we will sign any world class players this month, with the owners intentions to replace Kenny in the summer, that would just not make sense. Any new manager may not like these players, and it may prove to be a waste of money. That said, if an extraordinary opportunity arises, there is a good chance we will take advantage. The main positions i think we need to strengthen are:
                       -A goalscorer
                       - A versatile winger ( possibly Charles N'Zogbia of Wigan)
                  
With these reinforcements, I think our squad will challenge for a Europa League place this season. Torres is not on form and we need goals. A winger will offer us an outlet on counter-attacks, as Kuyt tends to defend and not get forward.

Have faith in the King!
We will rise again!

You'll Never Walk Alone

King's Troops Fight Bravely To The End

There is something about this fixture that evokes pride and passion in every true red around the world. The old enemy. And once again, we were led into battle by our King. As kick off approached, i could feel my heart beating and was confident of a win!

The team Dalglish selected was our best, and I was pleased to see our full-backs changed. Although Glen Johnson was unavailable through the birth of his child, the exclusion of Paul Konchesky from the squad signaled a change from Hodgson's conservative tactics and with the inclusion of Fabio Aurelio, who can pass the ball around, our return to our historic passing play. 

The penalty given in the first minute was controversial , with Berbatov appearing to dive. Although I feel he did go down easily, Agger gave him the opportunity by lunging in unnecessarily. Steven Gerrard's dismissal was borderline. He did go in two footed and off the ground, but made minimal contact. By the letter of the law that is a sending off, whether contact was made or not, which may leave many fans aggrieved because of Rafael's tackle only minutes before. These two events cost us the game.

I think we should all take pride from the performance. The team played well and looked much more comfortable  on the ball then we have recently. After Gerrard's dismissal, the team were particularly impressive in defence, although in attack we seemed to lack a cutting edge. The introduction of Babel and young Jonjo Shelvey in the second half added pace and enthusiasm to our attack. Shelvey seemed capable of running all day and his imagination proved to be an asset. Another notable performance was that of Martin Kelly. At such a young age, and playing out of position, he did extremely well against the likes of Giggs and Evra.

Although the result wasn't what we had hoped it would be, it may prove to be a blessing in disguise. With our squad lacking in quality, our team can now focus on the league and European competition, without midweek matches tiring our already depleted first team. I think we did ourselves proud today considering our current circumstances, when most people expected us to roll over, he fought bravely.

Have Faith!

You'll Never Walk Alone!

Roy Says Goodbye As The King Takes Charge

First of all I would like to thank Roy Hodgson for his time as the manager of Liverpool Football Club and wish him all the best for the future. I think this change was necessary to improve the clubs current situation and to preserve Hodgson’s reputation. Roy’s problems during his reign were mixed, some of them his fault and others not.

 When Hodgson arrived at Anfield, the club was in turmoil. The club was up for sale, Fernando Torres was injured and Mascherano wanted to leave. Benitez had left a good first team but with little or no strength in depth. Hodgson did not have a big budget to improve this, and was also without vital Champions League finances, estimated to be £20 million. Hodgson did well by bringing in Meirelles, a very classy player, but other signings such as Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulson failed to instil confidence.

Another thing working against Roy is the loyalty of many players to Rafa Benitez. Fernando Torres had credited Rafa with turning him into a world class striker. Glen Johnson prospered under Rafa’s tactics and did not fit into Roy’s 4-4-2. Luck also had a big part to play, with Joe Cole being injured and the other big players struggling to find form.

Having said all of that, Roy did not do himself many favours. He criticised the fans and players publicly. His tactics left a lot to be desired. I think the job was too big for him. Having been manager of the year at Fulham, with the team being hard to beat, but without really playing football, he was a big fish in a small pond. At Liverpool, we demand good football and results, neither of which we got. I also think Roy lacked the charisma to be a manager of a big club. We respected Rafa for taking on Ferguson and Mourinho, but Roy did not have this quality, and this affected our respect for him.

I would also like to say that I do not agree with the behaviour shown by a section of the supporters towards Roy Hodgson. Graffiti stating ‘Hodgson Out’ written on the wall of Melwood and singing ‘You’re Getting Sacked in the Morning’ at our home matches is not the Liverpool way. Our fans have always supported the team and voiced our opinions in different ways. Having said that, I am pleased that Roy has gone.

As previously said, I wish him all the best for the future. Bringing Kenny in as interim manager will appease the fans, and hopefully inspire the players. I would imagine any transfers that will be completed will be those of Damien Comolli. I feel today we are more dangerous than we were yesterday, and I think we will give United a run for their money. Hopefully we can now push on, finish the league in a respectable position and appoint a promising manager in the Summer.

You'll Never Walk Alone!

The Cole Conundrum

What to do with Joe Cole? Hailed in the summer as the signing of the season, he has so far failed to perform. Although his game time has been limited by injuries and suspension, his time on the pitch has been less then spectacular. There is no doubt of his effort though, which is clear for all to see. This failure to live up to expectations is caused by many aspects.

When Joe Cole signed for Liverpool, it was not for the money, or the chance to live on merseyside, but for first team football, a chance to regain his place in the England team and also a chance to play in his favoured playmaker role. Despite Cole's undoubted ability and determination, he is injury prone and occasionally tempermental. During his best days in the West Ham team, he had a free role, able to roam about the pitch and influence the game. Steven Gerrard has the same role in the Liverpool team when they are playing well. In no successful team in the world do two similar players have a free role as they tend to come in and out of games. Joe Cole is usually deployed on the left-wing, which does not suit his abilities and he is not effective. He naturally cuts inside, leaving us without width on the left flank.

There is a solution to this positional problem, in which the new Liverpool team is to be built around Joe Cole, and other players to play around him. Cole is not nearly as dynamic as Gerrard, who can change a game instantly, and can also play all over midfield. The problem with Joe Cole as the focal point of our team is that he is injury prone and would leave a gaping hole in this absence. His injury record speaks for itself.

Although i am enjoying having this problem of having to many quality players, Joe will not be happy to warm the bench for long. His is on high wages which could be redistributed throughout the squad. I am not in favour of selling him, but to give him another season and then consider our options. I am hopeful that Joe will prove us all wrong and become a huge player for us, and a new formation will fit all of our stars in. I would like to wish Joe all the best in the future!

You'll Never Walk Alone!

Proposed Transfers Out!

The way forward for Liverpool Football Club is to remove a lot of the dead weight in our squad. A lot of these players are on far too high wages for their ability (or lack thereof!). So I propose the following players are sold:

-Glen Johnson, doesn't wear the jersey with pride and makes far too many mistakes, also is on reported £100,000 a week!
-Milan Jovanovic, runs and runs but no end product, on reported £60,000 a week
-Paul Konchesky, just not LFC quality.
-Christian Poulson, not LFC quality.

These sales in January will provide the Gaffer with funds, wages and places in the squad. My proposed sale of our two full-backs need no replacements, as youth is more than capable of stepping up. The funds from these sales should be redistributed throughout the squad, with a new Striker the priority!The red shirt should be worn with pride or not worn at all.

You'll Never Walk Alone

Liverpool vs Blackburn 05/01/11

After watching todays match, i have come to the conclusion that the squad is lacking in both quality and passion. Players like Johnson, Konchesky and even Torres were a disgrace to the red jersey. Now i have always been a fan of Fernando and he has given us fantastic memories, but recently his heart has not been in his performances and it is both a shame and a disgrace. This is Liverpool Football Club, built by Shankley and Paisley, built with pride and passion. Hodgeson, although an honest man, does not live up to this legacy. His tactics and his man management skills are just not up to a job of this size. Glen Johnson, Englands right-back, also has had no heart. He has been at fault for many goals and does not seem interested. We have an extremely promising replacement in Martin Kelly, who is much more solid defensively and is more then capable going forward. This solution is evident in other positions too. A centre-half, Skrtel and Kyrgiakos are experienced, but do not have the quality to warrant a start. Danny Wilson is only 18 and won young player of the year in Scotland last year. The same can be said of Chris Mavinga at left-back and Dani Pacheco up front. I feel youth should be given a chance as they will have more desire and hunger. Overall, things must change if we are to go forward! It is January now and i would like to see a young, promising manager such as Owen Coyle appointed. We may be down, but we are not out!

You'll Never Walk Alone!