In the past few weeks, transfers have been an issue for Liverpool, with a few targets being cited, and there has been an overall indication of where we’re looking to strengthen in the summer.
Reflecting upon the season, Liverpool had a few glaring issues that cost us dearly on many occasions.
For the opening months of the season – especially with Lucas Leiva out – we lacked compactness in midfield, and a sizable amount of energy within our midfield. Whist these issues have been addressed to an extent with the return of Lucas, and the subsequent change from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1, with Gerrard supplementing the defensive side of the midfield, we have next to no compactness when Lucas is not in the team. Furthermore, there is the issue of physicality in midfield: we suffered greatly against Stoke in the League and Oldham in the FA Cup because of a lack of grit and strength in the middle.
Until the regular inclusion of Jamie Carragher to partner Daniel Agger in the defence, the team lacked commanding leadership on the pitch. Carragher’s approach to the game as an aggressive stopper that would throw himself into opposition forwards complemented Agger’s more stand-offish, covering nature. The team benefitted from Carragher’s participation, and opposition attacks were quelled effectively.
Another issue we have is the lack of depth when it came to the role of the player. Whist we did have players to fulfil positions within various areas of the pitch, what we definitely do not have are players that can come into the starting XI and slot in comfortably in the role of the replaced player.
It appears that no two players in the Liverpool team are similar in terms of their style and strengths. We notice this deficit in games like the 3-1 loss to Southampton, when Joe Allen’s inclusion for Lucas forced us to completely change our approach to the game. As a result, the team looked incoherent.
We have also seen examples of this lack of depth when Andre Wisdom has come in for either Glen Johnson or Jose Enrique – Wisdom was not able to effortlessly contribute the prowess of Johnson or Enrique, and the team suffered going forward.
Liverpool have got to be practical in this coming transfer window. If the ramblings are anything to go by, transfer funds will be limited and prioritizing is a must.
There must be players brought in need to simultaneously fit the profile needed for their position, and go towards addressing on of the aforementioned issues that our team has. One of the more prominent targets for the summer is Swansea center-half Ashley Williams to replace Jamie Carragher who is retiring at the end of the season. With regards to this particular transfer, it does make sense when considering what Williams can bring to the party.
Ashley Williams is coached in Rodgers’s style of playing and is very much capable in facilitating a high defensive line. Whether or not he will bring the kind of leadership qualities of Carra is debatable, but he is an influential part of the Swansea team, and appears to be a no-nonsense defender.
The Williams transfer speculation is in itself a microcosm of what our transfer window would be like. We as fans have to accept pragmatism over idealism and know that we are not in the position to attract world-class talent.
A transfer like Williams is for the here and now and fits the bill – however well he compares to the cream of the crop in Europe is a different issue all together. We have to look at our realistic options in terms of how well they fit in our system.
Another point is the ages of the players we are looking at: all season we have had issues with inexperience. The players we are looking to bring in in this widow must have some modicum of maturity and experience and perform to their best immediately. Hunting down potential stars – whist a great idea – would be a misuse of funds in this particular window.
I would like nothing more than to be able to make grandiose speculations for Liverpool, we are in a period where we have got to be sensible and look to use whatever funds we have in a wise manner. We have to look to prioritize and be completely practical, and perhaps put off the ideal transfer targets until we are in a better position both financially and in terms of our status as a club.
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