"The principles of your game are based on the players you have and there is no doubt I'll have a look at that and see if there is anyone I need to bring in to improve that."
Brendan Rodgers 6th of June 2012
For all the talk of honesty and integrity promised by Brendan Rodgers it would seem, his own ideology has changed since he made the statement above. There are few people that would disagree that Liverpool needed to bring in a few quality additions, another striker, a backup to Lucas, possibly a right sided attacker and a backup for Jose Enrique. That was it, that was all that was required, no major surgery, just a few quality additions to the squad that was already there replacing the spaces left by Maxi, Bellamy and Kuyt.
Soon after the comments made above something changed, someone at the club was briefing the media that they wanted to remove all the “English Shite” that had been brought in. And they did, or they have been trying.
Carroll gone on loan and potentially being sold for half of what was paid for him. Henderson bought for 16 million almost swapped for the value of 5-6 million. Charlie Adam may have been chauffeured to Melwood by Kenny Dalglish himself and signed for 6 million but was dispatched off to Stoke for 4m before he could even retweet someone that called their dog Charlie. That leaves Stewart Downing the 20 million pound man newly converted left back as the only English player left from last season’s signings.
Hardly basing the principals of your game around the players in your squad is it ?
Where improvement was promised, a fire sale and a wage cutting exercise prevailed. By commentating on where players didn't suit what now appears to be a very fixed template, every single player was devalued, not only that Jordan Henderson who most thought would be perfectly suited to a short passing shuffling style of play under Rodgers and who possesses a work rate most managers would dream of having in their team has, by the actions of an ineffectual incumbent on deadline day potentially destroyed any of his remaining confidence and reduced his will to fight for a manager that doesn't even see him in his plans. Why not offer Joe Cole and 4 million for Dempsey and pay half his wages? Surely that’s better than paying his full wages while he does a Darren Anderton and chills out on the treatment table.
Andy Carroll is a weapon that can be unleashed to strike fear into the majority of defenders in the league especially in Europe where there are few players that possess his attributes and against teams that have a more cultured playing style, ironically that is now Liverpool.
When Rodgers first came in everyone knew about the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1systems he likes to use. Why then was Carroll not given the opportunity to act as a fulcrum for others to play off. One of the biggest issues Liverpool had last year was not getting enough players around Andy for his knock downs, which he was almost always guaranteed of winning, in a 4-3-3 system that extra player plus the added ability of having different options was never even given a chance to work. Instead Rodgers decided big Andy was never going to fit in his system rather than trying to create a system that got the best out of Andy Carroll. He may not be a 35m player but he could still become a 20-25 million player if used correctly and tactically gives defenders a whole different thing to worry about.
All I have been hearing after the first three games is that the style of play, pass and move etcetera etcetera will take time to work, why?
Is this not what they were doing quite successfully last year where, in the majority, they played teams off the park, only to concede on the break or by Liverpool being too stretched or missing the countless chances that were created and wasted or by hitting the woodwork more times in the entire history of football.(1992) Liverpool were unlucky, that was all, they needed no major surgery, just a couple of quality additions and a bit of luck. Instead the baby has not only been thrown out with the bathwater, the entire en suite has been ripped from its foundations and thrown Superman style into the sun.
If Liverpool are to rectify the errors that haven been made since the summer than it must try and do the following:
Talk up every player, in public at least..
Nothing can be achieved by telling the world how a player “knows where he stands within the group” Not only are they instantly being devalued, you are knocking any confidence they may still have and creating the perception in the public that they player can be gotten on the cheap. You never know, some of these “cover” players may surprise you and want to prove themselves as being capable.
Attempt to complete transfers quietly..
Apart from Assaidi, who has yet to kick a ball but was bought as quietly as anyone all summer, not one of Rogers targets this summer was a surprise. Each one was talked up, discussed and possibly even tapped up before a pen touched a contract. Not only did these mean their value increased, it also alerted other clubs to their availability. Sahin was almost lost to Wenger, and Spurs who probably don’t even have a scouting team or at least the need for one, just wait to see who Liverpool are after and swoop in at the death.
Bench Gerrard..
Now this may be drastic but he is clearly not the player he once was, nor will he ever be, but would you prefer to see a tired Gerrard trying to keep up with play in the last half an hour giving the ball away or would you prefer to see him coming on for the last 30 minutes to scare the pants off the opposition full of energy and verve giving everything he can to drag the team up to his level or even to kill games off when Liverpool are winning 1-0 using all his experience and ability. I know what I would rather, especially when Lucas comes back. Henderson and Shelvey are both decent replacements that would offer more in attack and defence from midfield anyway.
Play Borini through the middle..
Even my dead granny could see that Suarez although is world class and scorer of incredible goals is extremely wasteful. He takes more shots than anyone to score and this has been apparent from before he even joined Liverpool. Borini was brought in to help share the responsibility to score goals but he is not going to do that running to the right corner flag where he doesn't have the speed or skill to beat a man, unlike Suarez. If not do this why not rotate the front 3 every 30 mins and see what works best against each opposition, it will at least keep the centre backs guessing as to who to mark. Gerrard could also be tried through the middle, he can clearly finish and may relish the option with less defensive duties.
Back the manager..
There is no doubting that Rodgers is talented and potentially our best signing of the summer along with Joe Allen but the gamble he took in trying to force the hands of the owners on deadline day backfired spectacularly. By assuming the owners would have to sanction the deal for Dempsey by allowing Carroll to leave on loan for 1million (A month ago it was 3million and would have covered the shortfall) he believed the owners/ self appointed Director of Football John Henry would have to act, they didn't and not only that publicly laid the smack down to him in an open letter. They would not be held hostage, they would not deviate from their plan, a plan which was followed last year albeit at inflated prices and yet a year later players with potential have been removed like a crusty scab.
It is this plan that may cost Liverpool another year of Champions League football, but not only that, players like Suarez, Agger even Reina (if he ever gets back to form) all crave the larger stage, one that the plan may cost them in the short term at least. In the meantime the new top 6 all get that little bit stronger.
The embodiment of what FSG want Liverpool to become is Arsenal, a self-sustaining but continually unsuccessful club since they began the model Liverpool are now trying to copy. Surely something must be learnt where others have failed, mistakes can be made along the way as long as they are not repeated. Fans may see glad to see Carragher and Gerrard getting less playing time as their powers diminish but if FSG are at Liverpool for the long haul like they say they are then the days of stalwart players getting anywhere near the caps these two have will be lost forever. The self sustaining model that FSG crave and
apparently depend on would have seen these players sold off as soon as a decent price was reached, forget about home grown talent being brought up through the ranks of the club from the under 5's.
The one thing that is for certain is that time and patience that FSG had earned for saving Liverpool from administration is running out and faster that it should have, perhaps in January they might prove the doubters wrong. I for one hope so.
