Lot's of talk about how close we are to the top 4 in quality, if not points. Not without continued further investment I say. Where? Here are my thoughts; CB - Carra going and Coates...well...suspect, We need AT LEAST one top quality CB, ideally with pace and height! I don't think either Kelly or Wisdom are ready to move into these roles on a permanent basis yet. GK - Reina will leave, I'm more sure of it than ever.....even without him going, we are light so 2 keepers will be required if he goes! DM - Lucas is coming back to his best and we are slowly improving as a team with him. If he gets injured again, we are seriously fooked. LB - I'm talking about a first teamer here.....Enrique blows hot and cold for me Striker - Someone with pace an power and perhaps some arial ability. Wouldn't mind actrually scoring from a corner once in a while or, indeed, a plan B AM - Just someone with a bit of individual flair to open defences up R/L Winger - Pace and trickery form wide....Coutinho perhaps, maybe one more. Players who need to step up and could possible fulfill some of these roles; Sterling, Shelvey, Suso....all of whom have had their chances this year but failed to offer consistency....which may not be surprising given their ages! So, the squad is still 7-9 high quality players short from top 2 imo, perhaps 3-4 short for top 4. BR has already rightly stated that depth of squad is the difference between us and Utd....and he's right. Argue away
We will need two keepers, two CB's, a LB, a DM and one more attacking player. Thats seven. Since managers never get 100% success rate, expect two or three to succeed!
I think we have to be careful because the likes of Sterling, Suso, Kelly, Wisdom and Shelvey all need to play, they may not be quite ready yet but unless they play they never will be. Wisdom is great cover at RB with Johnson as first choice. Enricky does a job and is a good player so that position is not a priority for me especially as Johnson can cover. At Center Back, Coates does need to improve and Kelly needs to show he can stay fit bit early for them both so I agree we need a replacement for Carra. A front 3 of Sturridge Suarez and Coutinho is good and we have cover for the wide forwards in Sterling and Borini and of course Super Stu. Adding another out and out striker would make sense. Midfield is also full, Allen, Lucas, Gerrard, Hendo, Shelvey, Suso but we need cover for Lucas. So for me it's 1 center back 1 DM and a Striker anymore and it will restrict the playing time and development of others it also means we don't have to spread our money too thin.
I hear that lad down at West Ham is pretty good... I'd look to move Robbo up as first choice LB backup, Enrique is quality when he's on form and not injured. Robbo has a bright future, just needs game time. Need a CB badly though. Possibly 2 if both Coates and Carra move on/retire. Need a keeper. Need a quality wide player who can beat a man. Need a decent backup to Lucas. 4 players imo and we'll be knocking on top 4.
First write out two full line ups. See where the holes are. Fill the holes (with top 4 quality talent). Then see if any positions are weak even though filled in both teams. ------------Reina Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique ---------Lucas Gerrard -----------Henderson ----Coutinho-----Suarez ------------Sturridge -----------Jones Wisdom Kelly Coates ???????? --------?????-Allen ----------Shelvey -----Sterling----Borini -----------?????? For me the priorities are left back, defensive midfielder and a striker and to replace any players who leave. Left back is obvious. A left version of Johnson would be great. If they can chip in with the odd goal that would be fantastic. I still feel we need more goals in the team. Goals from the bench especially. A player who can be like Dzeko for City and Hernandez for United. Those two players must have earnt their clubs so many points from impressive sub performances. They also allow their managers to comfortably rotate there strikers. A defensive midfielder is obvious for cover Lucas, but also for coming on in games where we are desperately hanging on to a lead or clean sheet, when the opposition is really getting at us but our players are tiring. A player who adds steel and fresh legs in both midfield and defense. If Coutinho proves to be good as an AM and does not play wide we have to look for a goal scorer in that position to. If he only plays wide I think a 'number 10' type is worth a look as there are questions over whether Shelvey is ready or right for that role. Kelly is good enough to replace Carragher. To summarize: A left back A striker A defensive midfielder Replace players who leave
"So for me it's 1 center back 1 DM and a Striker anymore and it will restrict the playing time and development of others it also means we don't have to spread our money too thin." agree with this. isn't this what most of us wanted for the Summer anyway, only worry now is short at CB so maybe 2 needed and may have a goalie problem as well, hope not.
Not sure we'll get 7 players in, unless there's a mass exodus! Can see us def. going for.. 1 GK (even if Pepe stays, which I think/hope he will) 1 CB to replace Cara, Coates may leave and the likes of Kelly and Wisdom with be able to fill in. 1 LB to challange Jose 1 DM to backup Lucas And should we get rid of Downing, then a RW. If the above signings are of the Sturridge quality, we continue to improve, can see us be a serious force for a top four, not the title mind!
Right this second, to have a realistic chance at top 4 we need a LB, CB and a keeper if Reina doesn't improve eventually. We can get by with what we have in centre mid and there is no way judging by BRs comments recently that he will consider buying a DM when we have Allen and he believes there is no need for a Diame-style DM so unless its a promising kid like Will Hughes it won't happen. With our current form and team and the current form and squads our rivals have, we are a better LB, CB and an on-form Reina away from taking 4th. A lot will come down to how our rivals strengthen in the Summer also.
A striker! With our current squad we would be doomed if two of Suarez, Sturridge and Borini got injured. We also lack rotatability and goals from the bench.
I think our main priority should be a big, mean bastard at DM. If Joe Allen plays a lot next season (and he will), we need some strength to breakup play and let others move the ball around. Remember, Gerrard will be another season older and will track back even less.
GK - I think Reina will be leaving so we need a replacement. I also feel Brad Jones has been very steady for us since his shaky start against Blackburn. He's been reliable in every game up until Oldham. He won't complain about being on the bench either. I can't remember the name but there is a highly rated keeper in the Bundesliga who is only 20 years old. Also, Jack Butland was a potential target and the fact that we didn't go in for him suggests that we have another name lined up in the summer ... LB - Enrique is our first choice LB. I'm not sure Robinson is good enough yet, although I do see a lot of potential. However, we need a player who is good enough to cover for Enrique instead of using Johnson, because then we lose one of our best attacking outlets. CB - With Carra leaving and Coates potentially leaving, I would like to see Kelly and Wisdom being given more opportunities as CB. Kelly is struggling physically on the right wing and I think this could be down to the fact that his body isn;t used to bombing up and down the flanks all the time. A potential replacement for Coates could be Mirin who is highly regarded. DM - We've been calling for one for a while. There will be days when our passing isn't up to scratch and we struggle to keep the ball. On such days, we need a physical presence to bully the opposition and win the ball back, and ultimatey, send out a message to the other team. Kevin Strootman would be perfect - whilst he may not a natural DM, he's a well rounded midfielder. AM - A classic number 10. Coutinho/Suso are capable of playing in this position and out wide but they are still young and raw. We need a more mature player - Eriksen would be ideal. Winger - Similar to the AM position, we have the likes of Sterling, Suso and Coutinho who can play there. But they are very raw and we need more impact now. Coutinho could hit the ground running but he's only 20 and I'm not expecting him to make a massive impact so soon. Striker - Another Sturridge required. Maybe not the same ability wise, but a young but experienced player who is sharp and can make an immediate impact. It lessens the burden on players like Borini who can develop naturally and without pressure.
GK: I think this is needed and I think we'll go young. Rui Patricio would be my choice. 24 years old, has played for Portugal and has 100+ apps for Sporting. The perfect blend of experianced AND young CB: with no Coates or Carra next year this is essential. Ashley William's name has been banded about but Rodgers will have to do a lot to convince Ayre that a 29 year old centre back will be the way forward. I'd quite like us to sign Tom Lees from Leeds DM:Victor Wanyama is the obvious choice imo, young and a real challange for Lucas Striker - providing we sell Andy Carroll (I'd be tempted to keep him if it weren't for his wages). I reckon Conor Wickham might be available cheap or if we're looking for someone a little more establish then Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ideal
Ideal for me... Mertens Diame Leno (GK - Bayer Leverkusen) The likes of an Eriksen would be sensational. ...and a centre back and left back. Not sure who.
Goal.com but with direct quotes... Dinamo Moscow have revealed that Liverpool failed with a loan bid for winger Balazs Dzsudzsak during the January transfer window. The Hungary international recently revealed that Brendan Rodgers was interested in bringing him to Anfield, only for the Premier League side's advances to be turned down by the Russian club. "I am staying but it wasn't up to me," Dzsudzsak told Nemzeti Sport on Tuesday. "Dinamo didn't let me go, not even to Liverpool. I can't say any more because it is not my position to do so. "I am not that disappointed. What I couldn't do during the winter transfer window can be done in the summer" Dinamo's sporting director, Dmitry Galyamin, has now confirmed that an offer was rejected, as the club were only prepared to let the winger leave on a permanent deal. "We received an offer from Liverpool for a loan deal but not for a permanent deal," he told Sky Sports.
We have been linked with Diakite ( free from Lazio), Fazio ( Sevilla), De Vrij ( Feyenord). Sakho has just come out and said he wants to play in the prem ( should look into this). LB could maybe look at Jetro Willems ( PSV), Cricito (Zenit, will get a first hand look soon), Coentrao ( seems to be left out at Madrid), Radu ( Lazio). These all range from 20-26 years old so should fir the bill.
I've heard the names, but apart from Coentrao I haven't seen enough of any to know if they'd hit the ground running in red. On reputation/general knowledge I'd pick De Vrij and Willems (if not Coentrao - what a signing he'd be). Maybe Wijnaldum?
A top number 10 or wide player ( £15m - 25m quality ) ,Eriksen,Douglas Costa,Gaitan,James Rodriguez, Mhkitaryan,Isco A top right side CB - Id pick Alderweirweld
KENNY_KOP_KING... To avoid having loads of different transfer target threads, would you like me to change the title of this thread and make it the official summer one?
