Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers wants quality not quantity Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers insists that he will be looking for quality over quantity this summer when he tries to add to his squad. Rodgers snapped up eight players last summer, but he does not anticipate such a busy time this time around, insisting he would love to add a couple of 'top players' to his squad, which finished second in the Premier League. Rodgers, who was named LMA Manager of the Year earlier this week, already knows what he wants in terms of improving his squad, with Liverpool known to have already lodged an offer for Southampton skipper Adam Lallana. "I don't want to put a figure on how many but I would rather have one or two absolute top players than seven that might not help us," he told Liverpool's website. "It's about the quality. We can't be going into the Champions League this year with doubts about players. "We have to be going in knowing what the players' capacity to play is and their capabilities." ... http://www1.skysports.com/football/...er-brendan-rodgers-wants-quality-not-quantity Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers wants "multi-dimensional" signings Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will target "multi-dimensional" signings this summer as he looks to bolster his squad for a return to the UEFA Champions League. ... He has already targeted Southampton and England midfielder Adam Lallana as a priority and he is interested in Sevilla's Europa League-winning left-back Alberto Moreno. "Our criteria that we look for is players with strong technique and football intelligence," said the Reds boss after their 4-0 friendly victory over Shamrock Rovers in Dublin on Wednesday. "They need to mentally have the attitude and the capacity to learn and they have to be so hungry to fight for every ball on every day in training and in the game. "You'll get some players who are specialists and who need to play in particular positions, but if we can get players in who are multi-functional, and can play in different roles and are multi-dimensional in their work, it sets us up and gives me more options as a coach." http://www1.skysports.com/football/...ndan-rodgers-wants-multi-dimensional-signings
Are these comments above and beyond replacing the outgoings though? If we sign four players then we aren't going to see the reported seven leave are we?
He needs both, quality and quantity, if we're going to mount a serious challenge on several fronts. If we get just 2 top players, will that be enough or better than getting the 7 he mentions, not quite top players but giving us more options. If those 2 players get injured or suspended, they can be as good quality as you like but with nobody to step in for them, leaves us exposed.
Same here. But if we can't get those 2 quality players, I'd happily take 7 of Coutinho-quality over missing out altogether.
We came close with the squad we have and adding 3 top quality players would be enough imo. Take our best 11 improve it fantasy footy style with 3 top players which then takes 3 out and puts them on the bench plus add our good loan players back to the squad and we have a very good squad.
Coutinho type signings where you get quality for peanuts don't come along every day! I'd rather only get a few new signings in and compete on one front, Premier League, (if we do well in Europe, so be it)- than bring in a many crappy players and try on compete on four. After three or four years of doing this- we can compete on multiple fronts with a squad of sheer Derek-Asamoah-like quality.
But surely that'll be the players that didn't play anyway? So Fantasy Footy like this....... ---------------Mingo---------------- Flanno--Kompany--Sakho--Enricky Hendo ----- Gerrard -----Yaya T Costa -------Suarez------Studge Subs. Skrtel Allen Sterling Coutinho Jones Lucas Agger So a good starting 11 with plenty on the bench and if you then look beyond that at Suso Wisdom Borini Ibe etc etc then those 3 quality players improve the overall squad.
Going with the three positions you suggest there; Johnson played 29 games last season but he's strongly suspected to be going. Needs replacing. You've used Flanno, he needs competition. Most believe at least one of Agger or Skrtel will go, they played a combined 56 games. Needs replacing. Toure possibly going too. Enricky has managed just seven all season. Needs competition. I agree with you that two or three quality recruits would be best but I'm thinking of the outgoings since they need replacing.
It depends on how much faith we put in the lads coming through, is McGlaughlin good enough to cover? Can Widom step in at CB? Is Borini enough cover up front? You can go on and on Rossiter, Tex, Kelly, Dunn, Smith. I'd still go three quality even with the players going.
We shouldn't be putting that much faith or pressure on the youngsters. If the are good enough they will come good; cream always rises. We can't be going into the season with one recognise RB and LB (Flanno and Enrique). Sure, we have Kelly (most think will leave), Wisdom and McGlaughlin but we wouldn't stick with anyone of them if Flanno wasn't here so why take a risk? If Flanno picks up a broken leg or ligament injury (touch wood) in the first month of the season, we'd be ****ed. Enricky is bound to breakdown at some point too. Borini is slightly different. He's been with us two years and he's just had a pretty good season at Sunderland. We also have Sterling and Coutinho that can play in the front three too.
So would I - but we will be competing on several fronts however many signings we make. Which means more games, which means if we only have a small core squad as we've had this season, we won't be challenging as strongly as we'd like on the PL front due to not having adequate cover.
Only listing players in the first choice position... GK: Migs, Reina & Jones RB: Johnson, Flanno, Wisdom, Kelly & McGlaughlin LB: Enricky CB: Skrtel, Agger, Sakho, Toure, Ilori, Coates DM: Gerrard & Lucas CM: Henderson, Allen & Alberto AM: Coutinho & Suso WG: Sterling, Assaidi & Ibe CF: Suarez, Studge, Aspas & Borini The ones in bold are presumed likely to leave. If we only add two or three to that, we will remain very short on players IMO
Ahhh the old "We are looking for quality players, not quantity" that Arsene Wenger uses every year. Read as "I have no money to sign anyone, so will say I am looking for quality not quantity, and when I sign no one, will say the right players werent available". Hopefully BR is not pulling that same trick. But I would doubt it.
I think BR has an identikit for players and if they don't fit it, then they're not for him. Don't know what AW's criteria is.
AW's criteria is......"Are they cheap and are they French, African or Eastern European? Yeah? Sign him up"
