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End Of Term Grades: Forwards

 Posted by on May 16, 2013 at 10:37 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
May 162013
 

For those of you who haven’t been following along so far, I’m grading the 2012-13 campaign for individual Liverpool players using the O.W.L. rating scale from Harry Potter.

Here’s a quicker refresher…

Passing

O = Outstanding

E= Exceeds Expectations

A = Acceptable

Failing

P = Poor

D = Dreadful

T = Troll

 

Let’s get going!

Luis Suarez: O (Outstanding)

This one is pretty obvious.

Putting aside his extreme case of the munchies against Chelsea, the Uruguayan striker had a phenomenal season practically carrying Liverpool on his back throughout the season. He finished in the top five in terms of league goals and continued to show that he may just be the third best player in the world behind Messi and Ronaldo. He did struggle against better competition, but more than made up for it with his performances against the lower half.

The important people continue to say he’s not going anywhere, but we can’t help but wonder if he isn’t becoming more trouble than he’s worth. This won’t isn’t about to play itself anytime soon.

Daniel Sturridge: E (Exceeds Expectations)

Sturridge was pretty much on his last stop when he came to Anfield from Chelsea in January after washing out with Manchester City. Infamous for a piss poor attitude and a very selfish, “me first” game on the field, Sturridge has turned out to be a wonderful addition. In half a season he managed to score 10 goals and will be expected to fill the void up top whether Suarez returns next season or not.

I’m still not 100% convinced he’s a good fit for what Brendan Rodgers wants to accomplish, but there’s no denying he has revitalized his career at Anfield.

Fabio Borini: A (Acceptable)

Borini missed a decent number of games in his first season at Anfield, but he has shown a bit of a nose for goal and he’s still very young with lots of playing time ahead of him. Rodgers loves former players of his so expect to see the young Italian  a lot more next season, perhaps with an increase in responsibility if Suarez and/or Andy Carroll depart permanently.

Oussama Assaidi: P (Poor)

The Moroccan winger also saw little playing time with the first team in his first season at Anfield. He has shown flashes of the skill needed to play under Brendan Rodgers, but he did not capitalize on his chances to impress nearly as much as Fabio Borini; especially in terms of goal production. We’ll see if he can break out and snatch a more favorable role from his biggest positional competition, Stewart Downing.

Raheem Sterling: A (Acceptable)

He seemed poised for a massive break out in the first half of the season, but his form and playing time tapered off as the season wore on. He still has some growing up to do, but he’s got some time to do so and if he continues to develop properly, he can be a major contributor in a few years.

Football And Star Wars: A Match Made In Liverpool

 Posted by on May 2, 2013 at 8:04 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
May 022013
 

Unfortunately for you, this weekend’s Merseyside Derby is being played on Sunday May 5 instead of Saturday May 4. The latter has become an international holiday for nerds (like me) all across the globe.

But a single day won’t stop me from having some galaxy-hopping fun!

Here’s a preview of Sunday’s match with some inspiration from one of the greatest films of all time.

Philippe Coutinho = Luke Skywalker

In the film, Luke winds up becoming the “hero” (more on that in a moment) at a fairly young age after discovering his aunt and uncle were murdered by the evil Empire. Eventually he winds up resurrecting an ancient religion that had almost been completely wiped out, but not before some trials, tribulations, and one really awkward kiss from his sister.

Coutinho is the “Luke Skywalker” of this match because he’s young and ultimately holds the key to Liverpool’s success. He’ll need to weave his way down the Death Star trench that is Everton’s back line and set up his teammates to try and beat American keeper Tim Howard, who is so good you only get a two meter window to score against him.

Steven Gerrard = Han Solo

Much like Han shot Greedo first, Steven Gerrard would never hesitate to pound the DJ who dares play a song he hasn’t approved.

Han Solo is the real hero of Star Wars. He’s the one who came back and took a shot at Darth Vader that ultimately freed up Luke to take the game winning shot. Captain Fantastic will emulate the performance of the Millenium Falcon’s Captain and free up Coutinho to do his thing by tracking back more in defense and playing as a true box-to-box midfielder.

It’s not as sexy, but don’t tell him that (or the odds of Liverpool winning for that matter).

Marouane Fellaini = Chewbacca

This one is about the hair more than anything else; stature too that I think of it.

Yes, Fellaini is technically a “bad guy” in this rivalry and Chewbacca is Han’s loyal best friend, but I’m trying appear neutral because I’ll never truly hate Everton the way native Liverpudlian supporters in red do.

Also, the Belgian midfielder looks like the sort of guy who would pull your arms out of their sockets if you beat him in a game of cards.

David Moyes = Darth Vader

Perhaps the greatest villain of all time, nothing is more synonymous with the Empire than Darth Vader. Moyes is second only to Sir Alex Ferguson in terms of the longest tenure at one EPL club so he has become synonymous with Liverpool’s hated rivals.

Moyes is also incredibly terrifying to watch on the sidelines and his quiet intensity allows him to get the best out of what some would consider “less than stellar” individuals. The only thing that sets the two apart is Vader’s ability to choke the life out of those who fail him without lifting a finger.

Jamie Carragher = Obi Wan Kenobi

Carragher is the grizzled veteran of Liverpool Football Club. He’s a shining beacon of what it means to represent Liverpool in the same way Kenobi was a shining example of what it means to be a Jedi Knight.

Jamie Carragher is looking possibly riding off into the sunset before taking up a career in management. Obi-Wan rode off into the twin sunset before eventually fading into oblivion in the middle of a duel with Vader. Perhaps Carragher will wither in front of David Moyes on Sunday if he is fortunate enough to score the game winner.

Kevin Mirallas = Boba Fett

Despite being an evil bounty hunter, Boba Fett was kind of a badass. He had a cool ship, cool weapons, and a cool suit of armor.

Although he plays for the Enemy, Mirallas is lots of fun to watch and seems to have all the right tools to score goals. Of all the players on Everton’s squad, Mirallas might be the one whose services Liverpool would most like to acquire.

Liverpool fans can only hope he turns  his back to Daniel Agger at some point during a set piece and falls into a Sarlaac Pit.

Daniel Sturridge = Lando Calrissian

I know, I know! I’m being racist!

But in all seriousness, there’s a legit comparison here. Lando has a ton of swagger and he briefly worked for the bad guys (in this case, Chelsea) before coming to his senses and joining the good guys. Lando was easily the coolest and suavest character in Star Wars and I think it’s pretty obvious Sturridge has the coolest and suavest goal celebrations of anyone in this match.

Stewart Downing = C-3PO

Annoying. Easily Mocked. More trouble than he’s worth. More expensive than he’s worth.

Next!

Jordan Henderson = R2-D2

Henderson came over to Liverpool in the same summer as Downing. R2-D2 was purchased by Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Ben at the same time as C-3PO.

Much like the little droid who could, Henderson has been finding ways to make himself useful when needed most lately.

 

Okay, I’m out of steam at this point and I need some dinner before I explode like the Death Star.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Everton

 

 

 

To Recall Or Not Recall Andy Carroll

 Posted by on April 8, 2013 at 8:31 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Global Football Today, Liverpool
Apr 082013
 

That was the question being asked ahead of Sunday’s clash with West Ham.

The scoreless draw has put Liverpool’s Europa League hopes in jeopardy. It also served to highlight just how inconsistent the Reds have played this season.

But it did not answer “the question”. In times of such doubt, I find it best to make a pros and cons list.

Con: Dribbling

Ready for some shocking insight?

Andy Carroll is NOT Luis Suarez!

The towering English striker has little to no technical ability to speak of whatsoever. As a result, he is not a good fit for the style of play that Rodgers wants to see out of his team.

Pro: Aerial Prowess

Carroll is more than capable of scoring with his upper half. While his technical ability (or lack thereof) hinders his chances with Rodgers, his tactical ability to play as a lone striker could be of great assistance.

With natural wingers like Stewart Downing, Raheem Sterling, Suso, and Oussama Assaidi on either side of him, Carroll would be ideal starting alone up top in a 4-3-3 formation.

Con: Attitude

Age and time away from Anfield haven’t exactly caused Carroll to mature. He still carries off the field baggage and Brendan Rodgers has made it quite clear that he will not tolerate dissent among his ranks.

Pro: Depth

If nothing else, Andy Carroll is one more true striker to add to the roster. If Luis Suarez leaves this summer then suddenly Carroll looks like a good option with only Daniel Sturridge and a hobbled Fabio Borini to compete with.

By my tally that’s a 2-2 draw. Ultimately it remains to be seen if Andy Carroll can in fact provide any benefit next year. The deciding factor could end up being financial. Carroll won’t fetch the same fee that Liverpool paid for him, but Rodgers may have to take what he can get if he lacks transfer funds this summer.

As of right now, I say he gets sold. And I’d say that’s the right move.

Riding The Roller Coaster

 Posted by on February 19, 2013 at 9:33 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
Feb 192013
 

Consistently inconsistent.

It’s something you hear a lot of in sports. Sometimes it’s just members of the media and people like me who have too much time on their hands and not enough things to write. But in the case of Liverpool’s 2012-13 season it’s pretty darn accurate.

Saturday’s 5-0 win over Swansea was just their second over a team in the top half of the table this season. It also came on the heels of a 2-0 defeat to Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia in the first leg of their Round of 32 Europa League match. Luis Suarez (who had another fantastic performance Sunday) went into Sunday having scored 13 of his league goals against clubs in the bottom half and just four against those who reside in the top half. Manager Brendan Rodgers seems to be doing the exact opposite of Kenny Dalglish last season. The latter’s team struggled against the bottom dwellers and thrived against the top while the former continues to beat up said dwellers and struggled against his toughest competition. It’s a testament to their two styles really. Dalglish was all about motivating his players properly but had no sense of tactics while Brendan Rodgers is on the brink of a significant culture shift at Anfield in terms of his tactics, but fails to get the best of his players in the most crucial of matches.

You could even extend the analogy to a fringe player like Jose Enrique. The Spanish left back scored on Sunday, but has been wildly inconsistent this season and has led some to believe he needs replacing. Daniel Sturridge got off to a hot start but has since cooled. Philippe Coutinho scored a clever goal in his first league start, but obviously more time will be needed to evaluate him.

And with all of that being said, Liverpool STILL find themselves just nine points away from a Top 4 finish. Hell, even in the Europa League group stage their results were inconsistent and they managed to advance on a tiebreaker. It’s absolutely maddening trying to figure out if they are any good. And we probably won’t for the rest of the season. If they make a run and finish Top 4, we’ll all say they’re not THAT good and if they stumble and finish 8th or 9th we’ll scratch our heads and wonder how they wound up there.

So don’t expect to find out any more about this team for the rest of the season. And if you think you know one way or the other…just know that you’re wrong.

 

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Liverpool Song Of The Week: Bleed It Out (Linkin Park)

 Posted by on February 5, 2013 at 9:05 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
Feb 052013
 

Doesn’t matter how hard I try

Half the words don’t mean a thing

And I know that I won’t be satisfied

There’s a lot of happiness out there among Liverpool supporters after several 2-2 draws with Arsenal and Manchester City. But much like this song’s lyrics, I feel nothing but teenage angst right now.

Both matches were very entertaining. For the first time, we saw Liverpool carry out Brendan Rodgers’ true vision. They possessed the ball with short, smart passes. They moved the ball forward with pace and zeal. Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez looked like they were capable of great things. And mixed in there was some throwback Captain Fantastic as well. Everything was coming together. Life as a Liverpool supporter was great.

And then leads were squandered. The back line faltered. Pepe Reina briefly lost his mind. Just like that, six points became just two. Had Liverpool won both matches and all other results remained the same, the Reds would be just five points out of a Champions League spot.

Now that deficit is nine.

This is why I can’t get as excited as most fans. Yes, it was great to see Liverpool take the fight to Arsenal and Manchester City. They played two of their best matches of the season. And yet that still was not enough to get the job done. If the goal is in fact a Top 4 finish (and it should be) then results like these last two cannot be considered acceptable. And yes, it is okay to have such high expectations. We’ve seen what this team is capable of. Now it’s time to start capitalizing on the team’s good form and grab as many points as possible.

In my last post I spoke at length about how Luis Suarez could depart for Bayern Munich this summer. Regardless of who could be purchased for such a transfer fee, losing Suarez would be a huge step back. Suddenly the expectations cannot and should not be Top 4. They become Top 8 as was the case this season.

I’m not all “gloom and doom” though. I look at the schedule and I see a lot of winnable matches the rest of the way and very few that are cause for concern. Daniel Sturridge isn’t wrong when he says making up nine points isn’t impossible.

But it’s a much more difficult task than it could have been with two wins instead of two draws.

 

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Identity Crisis

 Posted by on January 24, 2013 at 8:54 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
Jan 242013
 

It’s not a pun, but it still feels good to write a cliche headline again.

So last week it was announced Pep Guardiola will take over as Bayern Munich’s new manager this summer. Several days later the rumors started to fly that Luis Suarez was high on the former Barcelona manager’s wishlist.

Suarez has never complained publicly about much of anything during his time at Anfield. Despite his unsavory (and not entirely undeserved) reputation, the Uruguayan forward has always worked hard and produced goals regularly for a club so desperately in need of offense on a regular basis. Even the most stubborn of haters can’t deny that Suarez is currently one of the world’s finest players. There’s no reason to think he’s unhappy with Liverpool.

But it’s hard to tune out completely when you hear talk of a transfer fee upward of 40 million.

No one can definitively say right that whether or not Pep wants Suarez with him at Bayern to the extent that he’d pay 40 million of any currency. But if that is the case and such an offer were to come through, Liverpool would be foolish not to at least listen. The mere thought of things playing out like that has led me to wonder just how far Liverpool’s stature in the international community has fallen. They’ve seen numerous world class players depart over the last few years for places like Barcelona (Javier Mascherano), Real Madrid (Xabi Alonso), and Chelsea (Fernando Torres). Steven Gerrard is the last remnant of the group that captured our hearts in Istanbul in 2005.

But Gerrard is growing old and weary. Luis Suarez has become the only other truly world class player to populate this new Liverpool squad trying to form a new identity under Brendan Rodgers. That identity is starting to take shape on the field. But what about off of it? Are Liverpool still one of the premier destinations in Europe? Or are they falling by the wayside? The answer will reveal itself if Bayern come calling for Suarez this summer.

It’s somewhat appropriate timing for such a question given the latest deals completed in the last week or so. Swansea City locked up their diamond-in-the-rough strike Michu to a new four year contract. Newcastle United continue to pillage the youth ranks in France. Queens Park Rangers are trying to spend their way out of relegation with the purchase of Loic Remy. Tottenham have snatched up Germany U-21 captain Lewis Holtby, who will join Spurs in the summer. Most recently we’ve seen Southampton defeat Liverpool head-to-head for the services of Vegard Forren and the Saints are reportedly about to outbid the Reds for Inter Milan maestro Philippe Coutinho. Oh, and I’m just now mentioning the Clint Dempsey fiasco.

If Suarez is sold this summer, is anyone convinced about the remaining talent at Liverpool going forward? Do we trust in Daniel Sturridge, Jonjo Shelvey, Jordan Henderson, and Fabio Borini to lead the charge back to European glory? I, for one, do not. If the goal is to ultimately get back to competing in the Champions League, then Suarez’s departure would make that task seem almost impossible.  I’m not convinced Brendan Rodgers and John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group can come together and spend a significant transfer fee properly. I’m still not convinced Sturridge is worth 12 million pounds and he definitely can’t be the one who takes the torch from Gerrard.

But at this point everything is just speculation. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Suarez will stay and continue to try and carry this new Liverpool squad back to European competition. If does go, however, expect Liverpool to take a huge step back in terms of quality on the field and stature off it. A step so large, they may never be able to recover from it.

 

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

 

Jury Still Out On Sturridge

 Posted by on January 16, 2013 at 8:53 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
Jan 162013
 

He has said all the right things. He has scored twice in his first two appearances.

But I’m still not convinced Daniel Sturridge is a long term solution for Liverpool’s woes.

First he scored against Mansfield in an early round FA Cup match. Yes, it was away from Anfield but that’s hardly a true “test” of his ability. Jonjo Shelvey set him up brilliantly and I would EXPECT a player of lesser skill to finish that particular chance. He also had another one on one with Mansfield’s keeper later on, only to take way too much time deciding what to do and ultimately fluff his chance.

Then came his performance in the second half of a match at Old Trafford. Certainly a bigger stage for the young striker to shine. But once again Sturridge scored a goal that any halfway decent striker should score. Steven Gerrard did all the hard work and Sturridge simply buried the rebound.

It’s still too early to form an opinion about Sturridge’s fit at Anfield, but I did not like what I saw in the second half of that Manchester United match. When Sturridge came on, Liverpool seemed to lose their shape. Everyone ahead of the back four seemed to drift in and out of various positions. Not only did the team’s shape look poor, but there were several occasions where Sturridge showed us why Manchester City and Chelsea gave up on him by demonstrating his propensity to keep his head down and look for his own shot when it’s not there. This would be a problem on any team, but it’s an especially large problem for Liverpool because Luis Suarez needs to have the ball at his feet as much as possible in order to be successful. Sturridge, on the other hand, needs a lot of service. Despite the results, I’d rather have the former scenario.

Yes, Liverpool have had issues scoring, but when Suarez is the focal point of the attack everyone’s role is that much more defined. The team is able to hold its shape much better and the attack looks more fluid. Liverpool need an attacking player to complement Suarez; not clash with him. Fabio Borini struggled early in the season, but he’s on his way back to being 100% healthy and I still think he’d be a better option. He can play on the wing in Rodgers’ 4-3-3 and complement Suarez much better than Sturridge can. If the ManU game showed us anything, it’s that Sturridge and Suarez (at first glance) appear unable to co-exist on the field at the same time.

Of course, it’s only been two matches. As the second half of the season unfolds we’ll learn more, but for the time being I’m still not impressed with the man who consumed 90% of Liverpool’s January transfer budget.

 

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone”

Weekly Transfer Update (January 4)

 Posted by on January 3, 2013 at 10:42 pm  Breaking News, Global Football Today, Global Headlines, International
Jan 032013
 

For those not familiar with this bit, these are CONFIRMED deals only. There will be no “Tevez To Columbus!” rumors here.

Alexandre Pato

The young Brazilian striker has completed a 15 million pound ($24.4 million) move to Corinithians in his native country after he failed to impress with AC Milan at the San Siro.

Lucas Moura

Moura will join Paris-Saint Germain on a four and a half year, 40 million Euro ($52.7 million) transfer that was pretty much done last summer.

Daniel Sturridge

Specific details are not known, but the embattled young striker has completed a move from Chelsea to Liverpool in an effort to help the  correct the latter’s scoring woes.

Demba Ba

Newcastle’s powerful striker has completed a move to Chelsea for undisclosed fee and signed a three and a half year deal.

Mathieu Debuchy

The French Lille right back has joined Newcastle for a five and a half year deal.

Jan Kirchoff

The Mainz center back will join Bayern Munich on a free transfer.

Carlo Cudicini

After falling to third on the depth chart at Tottenham, the Italian keeper has signed a two year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Cris

The veteran defender has been released by Galatasaray and will join Brazil’s Gremio on a free transfer.

Phil Jagielka

Everton scored a huge victory after the English international signed a new four year deal to remain at Goodison Park.

Ryan Shawcross

In another victory for the “little guy”, Stoke City have signed their starting center back to a new deal as well.

Joe Cole

The 31 year old midfielder will depart Liverpool and join West Ham United for a new two and a half year deal after a weak stint with the Reds.

Chris Wood

The 21 year old Kiwi striker had been on loan at Millwall, but West Brom have decided to sell him to Leicester City instead.

Federico Peluso

The 29 year old Atalanta defender has signed a six month deal with Juventus.

Danny Higginbotham

The Stoke defender will join Sheffield United on a free transfer for an initial six month deal.

Zeki Fryers

The former Manchester United defender will join Tottenham from Belgium’s Standard Liege.

Daniel Carrico

The Sporting Lisbon defender/captain has completed a 600,000 ($975,000) pound move to Reading to help them in their relegation battle.

Angel Henriquez

The 18 year old Chilean will join Wigan on loan from Manchester United until the summer.

Ji Dong-Won

The Sunderland striker will join Germany’s Augsberg on loan until the summer.

Joshua King

The 20 year old Manchester United forward has completed a two and a half year move to Blackburn Rovers.

Mathis Bolly

The Norwegian winger has completed a move from his native Lillestrom to Fortuna Dusseldorf until 2016.

Ibrahim Rabiu

The Nigerian attacking midfielder has completed a two year move from Celtic to Kilmarnock.

Vadim Demidov

The Norwegian center back will join Celta Vigo on loan from Frankfurt until the summer.

Maza

The Stuttgart defender has completed a move to Club America in an effort to prepare to make the Mexico squad for the 2014 World Cup.

Alan Tate

The Swansea defender will remain on loan at Leeds until January 26.

Sean Maguire

The Waterford United striker has completed a move to West Ham United.

Nathaniel Chalobah

The 18 year old Chelsea player will remain on loan at Watford until the summer.

Round Hole, Square Peg

 Posted by on January 3, 2013 at 10:05 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
Jan 032013
 

After all that I work I may or may not have put into compiling a list of forward targets for Liverpool, they go and sign Daniel Sturridge right out of the gate!

None of the details were officially revealed, but the young English striker will join Liverpool immediately and was in the stands for Wednesday’s thrashing of Sunderland. Sturridge first broke onto the scene as a teenager at Manchester City, but failed to make a lasting impression. From there he went on to underwhelm at Chelsea; a team also desperately seeking the services of a true forward.

Sturridge is certainly a big name and he’s still very young so he has time on his side. But if he wasn’t good enough for City or Chelsea, then why would he be good enough for Liverpool? The young striker has a history of taking one too many difficult shots and no one has ever accused him of being a great teammate. He’s always played in a traditional striker role and he hasn’t even been able to catch Demba Ba in terms of league goals in the past 365 days.

All of these are reasons why John Henry and Co. have once again gotten things all wrong in the transfer window. Assuming Sturridge cost more than 10 million pounds (and let’s be honest, he did) this was not a great move financially either. Henry capped off a massive fire sale last summer by failing to secure the services of Clint Dempsey on Deadline Day after Andy Carroll had been sent to Upton Park on loan for the season. All of that on top of the Charlie Adam/Andy Carroll/Stewart Downing/Jordan Henderson mess and Liverpool have had a disastrous two years in the transfer market. So how did their new, financially wary owner(s) react? By immediately splashing a bunch of cash on a big name signing 48 hours after the window opened.

Then there’s the question of how he will fit in with the team on the field. Yes, only Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez have scored more than one league goal this season. But there are tons of cheaper options out there at striker who would probably fit in with this team better. My opinion of Sturridge is that he has the same selfish, score at all costs mentality as Suarez but with none of the Uruguayan’s natural ability. The former wishes he could shoot from the same kind of angles as the latter. Sturridge cannot create on his own like Suarez; he requires a lot of service. Brendan Rodgers may want to pass the ball into the net, but at some point a striker has to be able to EFFECTIVELY get his own shot off.

So no, I’m not thrilled with this particular signing. Sturridge has burned a lot of bridges and this is last opportunity to make a big impression at a big club. There’s a reason he’s in such a position and it isn’t a good one. Brendan Rodgers is finally getting this squad to come together at the right time and Sturridge can just as easily mess all of it up in a heart.

But here’s hoping I’m wrong!

 

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Liverpool Song Of The Week: The Way (By Fastball)

 Posted by on November 25, 2012 at 7:50 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool
Nov 252012
 

“But where were they going without ever knowing the way?”

 

Fastball-The Way

That’s right, the Liverpool Song Of The Week now comes with a link to the actual song! Special thanks to my wonderful girlfriend for showing me how to not screw it up!

And now for an explanation…

Liverpool were held to a scoreless draw against Swansea in Wales over the weekend. It was a fairly typical Liverpool result: lots of possession and no goals to show for it. Steven Gerrard was especially listless in the attack. Whether it was his own doing or his position on the field, the Liverpool captain continued to show signs that old age are constantly slowing him down. This shouldn’t come as news to anyone, least of all the club’s most loyal supporters. However, it does present a good opportunity to discuss the direction in which are headed in now that their iconic captain is headed towards the retirement sunset.

Perhaps it’s not coincidence that Ian Darke and Steve McManaman (of the USA ESPN broadcast) brought up some of the latest transfer rumors surrounding the Reds during the Swansea match on Saturday. Daniel Sturridge of Chelsea has been brought up quite a bit regarding the January transfer window and now there are rumors of Arsenal’s unhappy winger Theo Walcott joining Brendan Rodgers’ squad next summer.

What do these two players have in common? Both seem to be incredibly with their current situations. Both are attacking players who have a tendency to want the ball to themselves. And finally, both figure to be very expensive purchases. Let’s skip the unhappiness issue and go straight for their selfish tendencies on the attack. Brendan Rodgers’ style of play has absolutely no room for selfish players. It is designed to get everyone involved and give just about anyone the opportunity to score. Sturridge in particular has shown a strong tendency to want to ignore his teammates in an effort to get his own shot off.

But even more disconcerting than the selfish tendencies of both players is their projected price tags. We all saw Brendan Rodgers get an unexpected freeze on his spending account, even after Andy Carroll went on loan to West Ham. We also heard John Henry speak as if Liverpool will be a team that will be relying upon their younger, homegrown talent in the future rather than proven star power. And on top of all that, two weeks ago the general manager of the Boston Red Sox (Henry’s other major league investment) publicly stated his team would be big spenders in their off-season this winter; which I believe is a hint that there won’t be much money for Liverpool in January. There have also been rumors of a 100 million pound move to Manchester City for Luis Suarez; the one man saving Liverpool from relegation.

Of course a lot of this is heresy and conjecture. We are dealing in ghost whispers. None of this is concrete. But it does cause me to raise my eyebrows a bit. And it makes the future even more cloudy. In the meantime, Liverpool are stuck in the bottom half of the table and continue to struggle to string together the wins that are necessary to place them in contention for another Europa League spot.

So for now the question remains: Where are Liverpool headed? Only time (and the upcoming January transfer window) will tell.

 

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

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