After an impressive finish
to last season, which saw Liverpool unbeaten in their final eight Premier League
games, Brendan Rodgers would have been hoping for a summer of strengthening and
serenity in preparation to mount an assault on the top four in 2013/14. A
certain Uruguayan has somewhat scuppered those plans.
Additions
Liverpool were assertive
in the early stages of the summer transfer window, swiftly bringing in four new
faces. The first, and in my opinion shrewdest signing, was Kolo Toure on a free transfer from
Manchester City. The two-time Premier League champion will help install a
winning mentality at Anfield and having racked up over 300 English top flight
appearances at the age of 32, the Ivory Coast international will go some way to
filling the void left by retired club stalwart Jamie Carragher.
Next to arrive was Luis Alberto, the least familiar of
Liverpool’s four additions. The reds new number six is a creative midfielder
and looks adept playing in a deep role or just off the striker. Steven Gerrard
recently said the Spaniard is “one for the future”, however if Alberto can continue
to build on his dazzling performances for Barcelona B last season, there’s no
reason he can’t make an immediate impact at Liverpool. His arrival reminds me
of when a fresh-faced Xabi Alonso was brought to Anfield – let’s hope those
comparisons don’t end there!
26-year-old Iago Aspas soon followed Alberto from
Spain to England as Liverpool’s recruitment continued. The enigmatic frontman
scored 12 goals in 33 appearances for Celta Vigo in La Liga last season and has
impressed in pre-season for the reds. His versatility and personality mean he
fits the blueprint of a Brendan Rodgers’ signing perfectly. Because of his dogged
style off the ball and comfort to slot into any role at the top end of the
pitch, comparisons are sure to be made of Aspas with Luis Suarez - let’s hope we
see them on the pitch together.
The last of Liverpool’s
four early signings was talented Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, from Sunderland. It was thought in some quarters
that Mignolet was bought to challenge longstanding reds’ number one Pepe Reina,
but the departure of the Spanish stopper to Napoli on a season-long loan
quashed those beliefs. The loss of Reina has upset some fans but it is clear
that he has not maintained the standards he himself set at the beginning of his Liverpool career. In my opinion, Reina’s lack of stature was becoming a problem
and at six-feet-four, Mignolet has a three inch height advantage over the
Spaniard. Brendan Rodgers must be given licence to put his own stamp on the
team and if his last two years (behind a porous Sunderland defence) are
anything to go by, Liverpool’s new goalkeeper will prove a big hit on
Merseyside.
Despite a proactive start
to the transfer window, Liverpool have not done any business since. And with
less than a week until they begin their Premier League campaign, the reds are
still light in some areas. An attacking left-back, who is comfortable in
possession, is a must for me; Jose Enrique is solid enough defensively but is
often exposed with the ball. A left sided player with a better final product
would reap the rewards in a Brendan Rodgers’ system which lends a lot to
attacking full-backs. Names like Cissokho and Siqueira have been mentioned.
Elsewhere, a bit more quality in the final third is needed. Someone who can
play from either side as well as through the middle would be perfect. The reds lodged
a bid for Diego Costa of Atletico Madrid last week so it is clear that Rodgers
is keen on recruiting in this area.
Pre-season performances
Liverpool have had an
encouraging pre-season, visiting Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Norway and
Ireland. The reds have played seven friendly matches, with an impressive goals
aggregate, scoring 17 and conceding just two. Although opposition hasn’t been
the strongest, each game has been well contested, and Brendan Rodgers’ side
look in good shape. All four new signings have seemingly settled in well, with
Toure and Aspas particularly prominent on the pitch. Lucas Leiva has looked
more like the player he was before picking up his ACL injury in 2011 and Joe Allen
looks revitalised after a shoulder operation at the back-end of last season.
Having the two midfielders back to their best will be a huge boost for
Liverpool.
Tactics
In my view, Liverpool are
blessed to have a manager as tactically aware as Brendan Rodgers. Performances
improved markedly as the season progressed last year but it was clear that some
players that the Northern Irishman inherited from previous managerial reigns did
not fit his tactical framework. Rodgers has now had more time to shape his
squad; buying/selling players that are/weren’t comfortable playing in his
system. He wants Liverpool to control games, with all players comfortable in
possession of the ball – from goalkeeper to striker. Attacking full-backs are
also key to Rodgers’ way of playing, as I touched on earlier. But don’t be
mistaken: he does not promote senseless, irresponsible attacking football;
he wants balance. Rodgers likes his team to be dominant centrally, so he will
often play a 4-3-3 formation, meaning Lucas (or another of the central
midfielders) can deputise for raiding full-backs. Pressing will also be a
feature in the reds’ play when they don’t have the ball; Rodgers believes in
pushing the opposition backwards before they reach his team’s defensive third and
winning the ball high up the pitch. Expect plenty of goals for Liverpool
throughout the season but at no compromise in defence, as the team will be
compact and organised.
Key man
Should Liverpool hold on
to Luis Suarez, it is clear that he will prove to be a vital part of the reds’
team. Everyone knows that. But whether he will stay is a fairly tired and
laborious debate, so I’m not going to get into it. And I’m going to pick
another player.
Daniel Sturridge joined Liverpool in January 2013 and had an immediate impact for the
reds, forming an affiliation on the pitch with fellow new arrival Philippe
Coutinho. Sturridge scored an impressive 10 goals in 14 Premier League
appearances. The Englishman’s sparkling form earned him an international call up
from Roy Hodgson in May, where the striker unfortunately picked up an injury.
The injury has kept Sturridge out of the majority of Liverpool’s pre-season but
he returned on Saturday (a week before the reds’ first Premier League game) in
his club’s final friendly against Celtic in Ireland. Having been side-lined for
two months, Sturridge understandly wasn’t selected to start the game but was
brought on to play the full second half by Brendan Rodgers. The striker looked
in fantastic shape and was his energetic self, causing the opposing defence
problems with his pace and power. After the game Sturridge, buoyed by his
return to action, said, “I'm fit and good to go. If I'm selected against Stoke
then I'll be ready. I didn't think I'd be as sharp as I was, to be honest, so
I'm happy!” Brendan Rodgers will have undoubtedly been encouraged by Sturridge’s
performance on Saturday and will be tempted to throw him straight back into
action on the opening day of the season against Stoke.
Regardless of whether he
takes part against Stoke, I’ve seen enough to convince me that this will be
Sturridge’s season.
Target
Liverpool’s ambition has
to be a place in the much coveted top
four. Whether it is a realistic desire at the moment is another issue; I am
doubtful. There are at least four Premier League squads better than ours at the
current time – it’s as simple as that. The reds’ recruitment team will have to
work tirelessly in the remaining weeks of the transfer window and bring in some
undeniable quality should we have any serious chance of sitting in the top four
in May 2014. A committed Luis Suarez staying at the club would also help.
Please comment/share. Follow on twitter @whatahitsonlfc
No comments:
Post a Comment