The symptoms were very easy to spot: I'm searching "Liverpool" on Twitter with borderline obsessive compulsion; I'm 'YouTube scouting' each whisper of that promised "marquee" signing; I'm susceptible to unsubstantiated beliefs that players I had only vaguely heard of the previous day are the missing piece of the jigsaw. As the close of the window approaches it might seem as though the only cure to this disorder is another signing, but the wrong signing - if you follow my flippant metaphor - would be akin to a prescription for the wrong medicine.
The cause of my anxiety, I believe, is the knowledge that time is slipping away; it evokes the same feeling of panic you get when you are 1-0 down in the final minutes and their striker takes it to the corner flag. As it runs into extra time he shields the ball and you feel the alarm and agitation swell up inside of you. It is difficult to keep your head in such situations, but if you panic then you will inevitably make a mistake. I am not for a moment suggesting we are trailing in the games of this window - indeed, far from it - but I am, in an attempt to ease any anxiety, focusing upon the positives.
I believe the biggest success of this transfer window is the fact that we, as a club, have kept out heads. It is clear that a distinct philosophy underscores every decision we make, and it is impressive that our resolve has not been swayed by external factors, that our belief in the long-term plan and the correct way of conducting our business has not wavered. Transfer fees are dictated by the market and we of course must be competitive when pursuing targets, but we must also assign a fair value to such targets and we cannot allow ourselves to be exploited, and consequently pay over the odds, when faced with competition. It is clear we have learnt from our mistakes in previous windows and to rectify our mistakes when going forward can only be seen as a sign of progression.
It is easy for fans to assemble a shopping-list, but in truth we are all far too removed to know how players will truly fare in the red shirt. Talent alone is not enough to play for Liverpool; you need the correct mentality, attitude and desire to be a success here. Plenty of talented players have arrived at Anfield and not reproduced the form they have shown elsewhere because playing for Liverpool is not like playing for any other club. It requires a strength of character that many talented players simply don't possess. In short, to say we need to buy X or Y might be fun, but we need to make transfers based on more than ostensible footballing ability alone.
What I'm about to say may seem to some as a justification of failure, but if a player rejects the opportunity to come to Liverpool then surely we must see the positive in that for clearly they are not the right player. The only players we should want - the only players who deserve to wear our shirt - are the ones motivated by passion and desire and not by money or location. After all, it is passion that sets our supporters and our club apart from our rivals. What pleases me most about our signings so far, aside from the ease in which they have settled into our system, is that they all play with pride and hunger. Kolo Touré is one of the most celebrated defenders of the last ten years yet he plays with the enthusiasm of an academy player breaking through into the first team. Iago Aspas has shown not only flashes of brilliant creativity and an uncanny knack for finding himself in the right position at the right time, but also a dogged desire to work. And the smile on Simon Mignolet's face when he saved that penalty was absolutely irrepressible. It is clear Brendan Rodgers is not just attempting to assemble a collection of talented players but build a fantastic team, and truly the difference between the two is absolutely crucial.
It is of course too early to assess the quality of the signings we have made so far, but given that the first window was inevitably restricted by the process of transition (with the full scouting team not yet in place) then we can only measure the success of our new transfer philosophy by our actions in January, and no one, not even the most ardent of rival fans, could say the signings of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho were anything other than inspired.
I have decided that I'm having a detox: I have removed the Twitter App from my phone; I have stopped 'YouTube scouting' (for the inevitably awful dance tracks alone are giving me headaches); I have stopped willing us to buy certain players and instead only wait to see who the club will announce. And if more signings come then whoever they are I have faith they will make us better as a team. In short, I will follow the example of others and make sure I keep my head...
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