This article is aimed at Liverpool fans and Swarbs. What do Liverpool need to compete for honours?Okay the obvious things are we need two wingers and a left back.John Aldridge said that Liverpool need a minimum of 5 top class players to compete for honours.He also believes that not being in Europe isn't a bad thing as it will give Liverpool room to manoevre in the domestic cups and an assault on the top four. He made the point that both Chelsea and Man City will both possibly change managers in the simmer.Its looking more likely that Kenny will be appointed Liverpool manager permanently.Thats stability.Will Chelsea and Man City have that if as expected they change managers.He also reckons there is no outstanding team currently in the premier league and this will make it easier for Liverpool to progress.He's right there isn't.Man Uniteds overall position is due to that.This isn't a dig at Man United,but I believe they are not the force they were in 2009,not by a long way.Will they improve significantly to an extent that nobody will be able to touch them next season?,I personally don't think so.Liverpool have more room for improvement than they do. This is just my opinion that when Liverpool do sign wingers,they also need to sign a passing play-maker or it will be no use.Someone that can spread the play and stretch it as much as possible and add another dimension.The more options you have tactically the more success you'll have. Is there anything else.Tell me if I've left anything out.
If it were me,I would like to see Ashley Young and Matt Jarvis on the wings. Gary Cahill at Centre back. Taye Taiwo at left back. Diego in the centre of midfield. With Poulsen. Jovanovic. Aurelio. Konchesky. Maxi Soto all leaving. Who do I think we'll sign. Good question.Liverpool are strongly linked with Jose Enrique.(Thats the left back covered) As for the others.I haven#t a clue.
We need wingers and a left-back. They are the most important positions at the moment. I'd agree with the wingers being Ashley Young and Matt Jarvis. Two quality wingers who can provide the balls into the box for Carroll and Suarez. Left-back is an important position as well and Taye Taiwo would be a an excellent signing. Gary Cahill would be a cracking signing as well. He's British and young which would fit in with FSG's strategy. Let's hope them players see we are re-building and see the future is going to be bright with Liverpool.
I wouldn't be so eager to sign Diego, he hasn't been the same since he went to Juventus 2 years ago. Gourcuff would be a much better bet, especially as he has been turned in to a deep lying playmaker now.
Gary Cahill is linked with a few clubs and would he want to go to Liverpool, when he could get Champs league football?
He wouldn't if the Liverpool manager was anyone except Kenny.Kenny has that charisma that very few managers have.Ferguson has it,Mourinho has it.He will make players buy into his ideas.He will make players believe that although they aren't at a certain stage.....they will be at a certain stage.He couldn't offer Alan Shearer European football in 1993,but he managed to sign him.Some people just have an aura about them,that makes players sit up and take notice.Again Ferguson and Mourinho both have this.Its the ''When they walk into a room the room goes quiet'' thing or the ''When they speak the players listen''.Top managers say a lot by saying very little.Kenny fits into this grouping.
If this is so how come Roy Keane failed to sign for Blackburn in the 90's? If this is correct how come after pundits and Liverpool fans kept saying oh the players all respect Kenny, did Torres go and leave for a rival club?
Torres leaving in some way was a blessing.Torres has stunk for the last 18 months.Well at least we know now it wasn't Liverpools fault for his poor form.He been awful for his ''dream club''. Torres is going to get bitten on the arse in the same way Michael Owen did in 2004.He left Liverpool to win the champions league..He would have if he stayed.
We need a RW and a CB i'm sticking with my opinion that Sterling should be thrown in next season. I'd like Haangeland to sign with us at CB and don't know about RW!
Haangeland maybe 3 years ago.Not now. As for Raheem Sterling being ready.Nah he needs a year in the reserves.If he can light up the reserves and prove he's too good for it in the same way the best of our academy players have done over the years ie Carra,Stevie,God,Macca,Judas,Dom,Dave Thompson did,then He'll make it.
Personally i think the job to turn us into a premiership winning side is a lot bigger than most care to admit. Leftback, wingers and center halves are the big requirement. I like the look of Enrique at Newcastle as a left back, Cahill (depending on price), Arda Turan and Matt Jarvis. I don't subscribe to the Ashley Young fan club, think there's alot better and cheaper around. Are 4 i think we should target. Then a back up striker, Conner Wickham? Maybe given the BN's money worries, Leighton Baines. Whatever happens, i have no doubts Mr Henry wants results from his investment.
Backup striker I'd like someone like Ricky van Wolfswinkel - I don't reckon he will ever be a world beater; but he has got talent and we could grab him for an easy 8-9m. Then we'd be able to choose between Wolfswinkel, Kuyt, Suarez and Carroll as our strikers; I'd love to have that choice. It's that type of things we're looking for: Strength in depth.
Great call.That would be mean letting Ngog go,that in itself wouldn't be a bad thing as he hasn't progressed,he seems to have gone backwards.
Gourcuff? How bad has he been lately? This isn't the same guy who was at Bordeaux, same thing with what was said about Diego. I will say it again and again, banega. That should be our CM. As for the wings, Vargas, who has been linked to us and according to KPR Comolli is said to be trying to wrap the deal up at around 12 mil. There is a solid LM/LB for us.
I think the five positions you've mentioned will give you a top class first team KPR. But you still look a little light squad wise. Would your ideal first team be: -------------Reina Kelly----Carra---Cahill---Taiwa Young--Gerrard---Diego--Jarvis --------Suarez---Carroll Subs: Gulacsi, Agger, Skrtel, Lucas, Meireles, Kuyt, Cole Reserves: Wilson, Spearing, Shelvey, N'Gog That's a good line up, but you're a little light on impact subs and very low on reserve players. Cole could do the business of the bench, but if you're struggling for insipration it doesn't give you a whole lot of scope to make dramatic switches to turn the game around. And an injury to a key player like Suarez or Gerrard, or a loss of form, would leave a big hole you could struggle to fill. That team could win the FA Cup, but over a long PL season injuries and losses of form are likely to stop it challenging for the title without additional depth. You're also reliant on the whole team clicking and players settling in. If all five of your signings (six if you include Carroll who's still settling) work great then you'll be sorted, but experience tells us that no matter how well you choose or manage them, at least one of the five is going to struggle for form at first and end up being fairly average, and one of them is likely to flop. MG posted an article earlier showing that Wenger, SAF, Benitez and Mourinho all had at least a 25% flop rate with signings and many of their signings ended up being average. Dalglish has already had one big success in Suarez, but that doesn't mean other players will fit in as easily. So ultimately, I still think the main thing you are going to need to compete for honours is time and patience. Like Molby says, becoming a PL winning side is going to be a big job.
