SIGNING players because we need ‘someone’ has been something that Liverpool has specialised in in recent years.
It has been maddening. On deadline day, the Prosecution’s number one piece of evidence made his way to the Cote D’Azur to sign for Nice after two utterly miserable seasons as a Liverpool player. Well, one really.
I was in favour of the signing of Mario Balotelli in August 2014 in theory. He’s a talented footballer, and if someone somewhere ever manages to unlock it they’ll get a very useful player although it’s looking increasingly unlikely that will happen. For £16million, it was worth the gamble.
With hindsight, it turns out we backed a loser but you live and learn and you get things wrong. It was a terrible idea. Brendan Rodgers sanctioned the signing because he needed a striker, seemingly any striker (Samuel Eto’o was also mooted). It’s a bad approach. When we get things wrong as a club we need to learn from them.
The main problem was Rodgers didn’t believe in him. This wasn’t the reason Balotelli failed at Liverpool — I’m not pinning that one on the former manager — but given how clear it was that Rodgers didn’t fancy him in the slightest it was a completely pointless signing.
The Italian started a few games in the early stages, got injured and wasn’t really seen again. He started three games after November 8 of his first season. Balotelli was basically done at Liverpool after just three months.
If Rodgers believed in the player he would have lasted longer than three months. If that’s all he was prepared to give him, then what was the point in signing him?
The story goes that Balotelli was what Rodgers was offered in the end — a him or no-one situation. He would have been pilloried if nobody arrived to boost the squad following the departure of Luis Suarez, so away we went — £16m plus £5m-plus a year in wages for a player that he wasn’t really fussed about; a huge financial burden placed on the club.
Mario Balotelli might not be the worst player we’ve ever signed for big money, but broken down, on so many levels, the transfer has to be a definite contender for the worst we’ve ever done.
I don’t blame Rodgers for saying yes — given the choice it would have been incredibly bold for him to go in to the season with a front line of Daniel Sturridge, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini. Or stupid. Or even both.
We’ve taken the complete opposite side of the coin at left back this season. If you don’t think Alberto Moreno is good enough then that’s fine. If you don’t like James Milner stationed there then that is also fine. But the argument that any left back should have been brought in isn’t for me.
I’ve seen that happen before. In the summer of 2010 Emiliano Insua was booted out of the door and was widely viewed as not being good enough, which he wasn’t as we can easily see with the benefit of time.
The issue was the ‘solution’ to this problem, a problem which wasn’t even close to being the biggest one that Roy Hodgson inherited.
Liverpool’s answer to the question in this circumstance was to give Insua away (while probably still paying his wages), and sign Paul Konchesky. We paid money to get a worse player at a time when we didn’t actually have any money.
We weren’t in great nick at this time for a variety of reasons, but we paid £5m to downgrade in a position when our second-choice striker was David Ngog. A player of Ngog’s level wouldn’t get in our 25-man squad this season and he was our go-to option when Fernando Torres wasn’t firing.
Decisions like these have hindered us over the last 10 years and I’m glad to be able to look at this summer and see it as the first step towards not being lumbered with dross that aren’t going to help us in the long term.
A new left back would have been great, but only the correct one. Signing a left back because Moreno is perceived as rubbish is all well and good, but if you’re spending money on something that isn’t making you better than it’s a waste of time, you’re just creating another problem as opposed to solving one and you’re paying for the privilege.
Moreno is frustrating and Milner clearly has his limitations but believe it or not, there are worse left backs out there. If the manager didn’t feel he could buy an improvement in the window just gone then stick, don’t twist to twist again.
Doing just that has contributed towards holding us back for too long. Players like Jermaine Pennant might have seemed like a good idea at the time but he was second choice to Daniel Alves and look at how it turned out in the end.
We would have been better off just pocketing the money and waiting to sign someone who could actually contribute. We needed someone who could deliver from wide so we signed someone who could just do that. He just couldn’t do it well enough. It was a waste of time.
You can carry the stick or twist thing over for a number of things that Liverpool have done this summer.
It would have been foolish to let Joe Allen go and sign another midfielder if you didn’t replace him with a better player. The jury is clearly out on Georginio Wijnaldum but his mobility and eye for goal are more in keeping with what Klopp wants from a player than Allen’s neat and tidy control and possession-based game. A specific horse for a specific course if you like
Klopp couldn’t find an appropriate left back, so we didn’t just fill the squad with one we’d have to get rid of in 12-18 months. I’m fine with that. Moreno or Milner simply aren’t going to be the reason we do — or don’t — finish in the top four, win the League, or whatever.
Ragnar Klavan is going to be a better option than Kolo Toure on the grounds that his legs work, and Joel Matip a better option than Martin Skrtel because he doesn’t appear to think that a key element of defending is trying to take your opponent’s shirt off him when the ball is in the air.
Loris Karius’s style is better suited to Klopp’s football than Mignolet, while Mignolet then becomes better than Adam Bogdan as an option on the bench.
Sadio Mane is sensible because we didn’t have a player of his type. We bought a threat that previously didn’t exist in pace and trickery.
Similar can be said of Marko Grujic; he’s arrived and boosted midfield — an area that needs boosting. It arguably still does, but if the correct central midfield partner for Emre Can in the eyes of Klopp isn’t available then I don’t believe we should buy one just because it’s area we’re a bit short of quality in.
He wants Mahmoud Dahoud and he’s prepared to wait, so for now Jordan Henderson is fine. Not great, and something we should look to improve on in the long term, but he’s fine. Managers at both club and international level pick him for a reason — they can’t all be wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IjTcWUnomQ
Signings don’t always work out, but ones that everyone knows won’t work are a problem. Gambles are also problem. I don’t see this summer having any gambles, and I see plenty of areas of improvement.
It isn’t a perfect Liverpool squad but it’s been streamlined in a way that will help us to push on. We don’t have a single player that I would classify as not being good enough and by that I mean at least provide some form of contribution. Slag Moreno all you want but he’s still better than most of the left backs in the league. So is Milner. Henderson is the same in the middle of the park.
I think it’s the best summer we’ve had for a while. We haven’t lost a single player that I’m in the slightest bit disappointed about and the best player we lost was Joe Allen on whom my feelings are well documented.
We have plenty of players who could step up a level, and that’s where we should be. If you want Liverpool to be the best, you have to put up with things like Coutinho being linked with Barcelona. He came in six months after Charlie Adam went to Stoke. I don’t want players that Stoke could sign at Liverpool.
A Champions League finish this season is vital. Do that, and we’ll have a squad next summer set up in such a manner that we can go out and buy two to three players to really kick on.
Listen to the latest *free* Anfield Wrap podcast here:
https://audioboom.com/boos/5012770-home-front
There are players Liverpool can improve on, but awful footballers? No. We aren’t looking to the bench and asking someone like Nabil El-Zhar to come off and change a game, or wondering if Milan Jovanovic can provide something.
Not happy with our squad? Have a look at the bench that Spurs had the other week. That’s a direct rival. They’ve got two strikers and three centre backs in their squad by my reckoning. Look at some of the players Arsenal played against us the other week — they wouldn’t get on our bench.
These are teams we’re competing with. Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are in a tier above and Liverpool’s aim in the next few years should be to consistently punch at their weight, not match it once every fifth season like we have done the last 10 years. That needs the owners to want that, and the manager to be able to implement it with what he’s given.
We’ve done well in the transfer market this summer and given Klopp a good base. There have been a lot of bad decisions around this club in the last decade, decisions that it hasn’t taken a genius to see were ridiculous: sacking Rafa Benitez and replacing him with Roy Hodgson, spunking money on players that managers didn’t want, panic buying. You name it, Liverpool have done it.
This summer, though, could Liverpool have done more? Probably. Have we got a lot wrong? I honestly don’t think so.
I find it interesting the discussion around Moreno/milner and even Henderson and whether they are good enough or can adapt to slightly changing roles. Lets be honest, a normal midfielder converting to a DM role shouldn’t be that hard if you’re in any way a smart footballer and the coaching is decent. Morenos faults aren’t that he cant kick a ball, they are more around his game management – that’s simple discipline coaching to drive that out.
Yet, it never really gets mentioned that United have a winger at RB and a DM at CB. In fact, after Smaling and Bailley all of Uniteds CB cover is utility players – Blind, Carrick and Jones.
Spurs have a winger at LB and a CB as DM. Chelsea have, for 3 seasons, not addressed a RB playing LB (Conte finally did this this summer). Fernandino will no doubt end up at CB for Guardiola – he likes to convert DM to CB as seen at Barcelona and Bayern with Mascherano and Martinez.
Football is changing and players need to adapt. As such, it makes perfect sense for managers to use what they have been working with and understand the requirements until the right player is available rather than panic buy some lad who simply who plugs a “need”
Great stuff mate. After a bit of toing and froing I’m of the same conclusion.
The best thing about it is by you saying some players are not that bad and all are good enough to play some part it leaves scope for us all to have a big fight in the comments. Excellent.
We can start by debating the players then incorporate are FSG ok or not, perhaps scousers v wools and out of towners, should Klopp be given a free ride for a year or two based on his Dortmund achievements, Rodgers or Suarez, should Sturridge be an automatic starter, did we do ok in the window, the transfer committee again, should Henderson be captain. With the new stand opening it’s also a perfect opportunity to verbally attack our corporate fans. If all else fails we can attack TAW for submitting opinions.
If anyone can think of any other reason for us to fall out, hate each other and divide the fan base further let us know. After all, this is what being a modern Liverpool fan is all about.
Ha ha! Nailed it there, Robin. Had a lovely bloke tell me there today he’d met women with tougher skin (which wasn’t sexist apparently) then he proceeded to talk of ‘working for a fanzine, begging for subscribers’. Gotta love the internet. Robbo.
Yep, my feelings as well.
The only other question I have is… What will happen to the remaining transfer kitty that wasn’t spent this window? Is it being kept in a high interest savings account (not that such a thing exists at the moment) ready for January/next summer? Or is it heading for stadium payment/owners pockets?
Time will tell.
As I say, this article and your comment sum up my feelings exactly, just unsure of what’s around the corner.
in 6 years the one thing you simply cannot accuse FSG of doing is taking cash out of the club. Pretty sure 30-40m divvyed up between the billionaires that make up FSG isn’t worth the bother.
and what’s round the corner? 40 or so games of footie mate.
You cant accuse them of winning anything either.
I’ll tell ya what’s round the corner mate, lots of shiny things, 3 day parties and bus parades through the centre.
KM’s right but forget the owners and forget money. It’s all about 5.30 on Saturday. I think this is the biggest game since the last one.
Karius ruled fit to play but Mignolet starting on Saturday as Klopp happy with his form.
Seems this might be missing from your list Robin….
You’re kidding me? What a bastard! We should get down Melwood with our pitchfolks and let him know what we think of that.
Actually though, as one who quite likes confrontation, I’d say Mignolet has down ok recently. He’s made some good saves and done some good punches. It’s just a shame that every shot on target seems to go in.
Good article. It’s reassuring to know that there are sensible, level-headed supporters out there, who are prepared to look at the bigger picture and appreciate that LFC should be playing the long game. They’ve spent too many years, and too much money, trying to buy quick success, and frankly it rarely works. The teams that HAVE made a success out of it – Chelsea and more recently Man City – have spent absolutely staggering amounts of cash to do it, sums that LFC simply does not possess (and, it should be noted, sums that the new manager wouldn’t be prepared to spend even if the club did possess it).
The problem, however, is there is a very vocal contingent of fans (I’d like to say vocal minority – but I’m not sure….perhaps a vocal minority of match-going fans, but elsewhere….) that have no patience whatsoever, and come the end of the season will be calling for Klopp’s head if the club aren’t in the top 4. And you can be sure that they will point to the lack of arrivals at left back as a key reason for this ‘failure’.
“appreciate that LFC should be playing the long game”
What is this “long game” and after six years, what has the club got to show for this “long game”?
You think other clubs are playing a “short game” just for our benefit?
Playing the long game probably would have been easier if Suarez and Sterling stuck around.
Suppose the £100’000’000 profit on those two would be seen as good business though.
The other option is buying Costa and Fabregas in the summer of 2014.
Enjoyed that, Phil. Stuff I could see sense in. Stuff I disagreed with slightly:
– wasn’t Pennant after failing to get Simao as opposed to Alves? Why would Rafa go from right back to winger? Or was the plan to play Alves ahead of Finnan rather than instead of him?
– he was overplayed as a young player having some torrid games 09/10 but in hindsight Insua probably was good enough to play left back for Liverpool relative to what we’ve seen since (says more about what we’ve signed tbf).
You’ve mentioned the konchesky disgrace already but we spent more money again the year after on Enrique. Think Insua was part of Atletico’s 2013/14 la liga winning/champions league finalists squad; again, better than Aly Cissokho on loan. And maybe I’m misremembering but I don’t think Insua’s weaknesses were as blatant as Moreno’s are now.
– think you’ve been a bit unfair on Allen with your Stoke theory. Could understand that argument when Pennant, Crouch and Adam were all getting a game for them but the likes of Bojan, Bony and Allen (who literally was) could all be good squad players for Liverpool. Stoke are buying differently and better now is what I’m getting at.
– I’m incredibly not arsed about Hodgson or Allardyce picking Henderson in their England squads as an argument for whether or not he should be playing for Liverpool in that role he’s occupying currently. Allen plays that deeper role for Wales and they just had a better Euros than England have ever had.
Good article, thanks. The squad looks massively improved
Interesting to see which positions are improved upon in the next few years.
Saw a piece by Marcotti where he reckoned he’d been told by someone itk that Klopp only fancied a handful of the players he inherited- Firminho, Lallana, Origi , Can.
He’s brought in Matip, Karius , Mane and Wijnaldum as first -teamers . Presumably the other positions will be seen as upgradeable, from within or by transfer , in the fulness of time.
Hi Phil, Thanks for the article and a balanced view at one, compared to the see-saw articles of late.
For me this sums up my expectations as well:
“It isn’t a perfect Liverpool squad but it’s been streamlined in a way that will help us to push on.”
It allows for me to think about the games ahead without prejudice towards player, manager or owner, and what further improvements can be made, as the Reds take on each game.
If Klopp can continue in the vein you’ve described, perhaps we get to see the Red Machine back in full effect!
Up the Reds!!!
don’t think I’ve agreed with something so completely in a long time.