The new manager does not need to reinvent this squad. He needs to tweak it - a change here or there.
I think we also need to define "passenger" first. The only real passenger we have is Charlie Adam - ymmv.
We have any number of players who are "squad level" players, which I think of as players who will be on the bench until someone gets hurt or who will play cup games against trash opposition, eg Spearing, Coates, Kuyt, Bellamy, Henderson, Shelvey, Flanagan, Carragher, Maxi, Doni. They may be called on if we need to adjust our system, and you'll note they are either young or old (a 25 year old on the bench is probably a passenger unless your squad is very deep).
The players we'd pick every time at LFC are:
Reina, Johnson, Kelly, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Lucas, Gerrard, Downing, Suarez.
Obviously that leaves one of the fullbacks to act as cover, but having 3 quality players that can rotate is to our benefit, especially since Johnson plays well on the left.
That leaves one: Carroll. If a manager is to be successful at LFC he needs to work out what to do with this guy. Suarez needs help up front as he's not the kind of player who can lead the line by himself the way Torres did. He needs someone to play off him, to allow him to be the creative outlet. That player could be Carroll, but it often seems he's just not fast enough to react to what Suarez is doing - as opposed to, say, Gerrard who tends to pop up in the right places or provide the right balls. Gut feel? Sell Carroll and move all in for a poacher (perhaps Moussa Sow, who is in the wrong league to demand high wages and CL qualification). Then go out and find a backup striker, or push someone like Morgan up to the first XI.
That leaves RM - maybe Hoilett from Blackburn. But I'd be wary of players just breaking through at clubs at the wrong end of the table.
The next primary weakness is that with Agger injury-prone and Carra past it, we have a shortage at CB. We need another squad player here, because Coates seems to be making decent progress. No idea who - I was all for signing Cahill, but that ship has sailed.
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Hoilett Gerrard Lucas Downing
Sow Suarez
I honestly think that 4-4-2 suits our present squad best, as we just don't have the midfielders or striker to pull off 4-5-1/4-3-3 variants successfully over a period of time. Depth at CB could allow us to switch to 3-5-2, though that would only be for emergencies and against sides that come to park the bus. I think we need to treat other clubs with less rather than more respect - Kenny's defensive approach has cost us a lot of points this season, even though it has allowed us the chance to learn how to pass and move.
I'm not sure this side as listed can win the title. But I do think it can get into the top 4 (with a fight), and from there anything becomes possible.
Very well written but I'm just so not in agreement. Adding hoilett and a striker can get us top 4? Mate come on. Look how far we are from top 4, adding another player or two of mid table quality isn't going to make up 12 points. Especially since all the teams above us will strengthen again. I'm so so tired of us kidding ourselves (I did it for a long time too). We are massively far away from 4th, and the players you're talking about adding I don't think will gain us more than a place up the table. Because they are like the rest of kennys signings, big fish in small ponds. We need genuine quality. Not hoilett. He's a good player, but he isn't top 6 quality. Leave them where they should be. i can't bare to see this club dragged down by dross any further.
Obviously the quality of a player is subjective and hoilett may step up his game massively and be a liverpool legend one day. But what is the liklihood of that? We are desperate for quality. Absolutely desperate. Hoilett is not quality, he is good, for a lower side.
