KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Transfer Strategy - The Summer Window - Title Challenge?

Just read on football365.com that Rodgers believes Liverpool will challenge for the league next season and also believes that this season, despite spending £117m on new players, he never expected us to challenge for the league title.

There are a few points i want to make about this statement. Full media story is here if you want to check it out. >>> http://www.football365.com/premier-leagu...lenge-next-year

Firstly, this is a dangerous comment to make, one we've been on the receiving end of for many years as Liverpool fans. The cliché "this is going to be our year" springs to mind, then to only go onto to watch our chances of silverware dwindle away at the earliest possible hurdle.

Another point i want to make is the transfer strategy and the strength of our squad come the end of the summer and would also like to hear everyone's thoughts and frustrations on this.

I'm not expecting us to make any additions in this window, i think the club will look to see wether the players they brought in during the summer can start to improve.

I believe things will only get tougher for us in the transfer market if we fail to make fourth place this season, something we should have taken advantage of in the summer but very much failed to do so. I believe the players we brought in could all have been signed without champions league football. The emphasis seems to be on paying big bucks for potential (Markovic) when another £10m/£15m would have gotten us a top class proven player. Then theres also a case for trying to money ball transfers like Balotelli. Hopefully the club starts to see sense and begins to recruit the quality players needed to improve the 1st team, right now we have the depth... we're just lacking the quality, especially up front.

Come the summer we'll be going through another transition period with Gerrard departing and the likelihood of Balotelli, Borini and Lambert following too. This is leaving space for important players, quality players to step in and settle into the shoes of the ones leaving and thats something i can't see us getting right without champions league football and without changing the transfer strategy significantly.

Potential Outs:
Gerrard
Johnson
Jones
Touré
Coates
Balotelli
Borini
Lambert
Aspas
Luis Alberto

Gerrard Replacement
Gerrard is irreplaceable but you'd expect us to try and bring in a quality player to ease his departure. I'd like to see us go for someone like Schneiderlin who obviously wouldn't come cheap. We have to get this one right because I just don't see Allen and any of the other first teamer's being capable of filling Stevie's boots.

New strikers to replace Balotelli, Borini and Lambert
Then theres obvious one of bringing in at least one quality striker. Origi will be joining us next year who i'd expect to replace Borini. We're still lacking a top class forward to partner Sturridge so i'd look at Lacazette would be a good fit for us but the owners have got to be prepared to spend big in this position. You get what you pay for with strikers and if you take a look at the money spent on Suarez and Torres then compare that to Borini and Balotelli theres clearly a stark contrast in quality. Unless you're stupid enough to spunk £35m on Andy Carroll that is. I'd also look at some more flamboyant striker players in a similar mould to Suarez capable of playing as a False 9. Vietto of Villareal springs to mind but i'm sure there will be some other good options out there come the summer.

Johnson Replacement
With the current formation we're deploying it would be nice to sign a top quality right back who has similar ability to Moreno going forward. I feel we'd be much more dangerous with better balance in attack as Johnson has been off the boil for years and Flanaghan and Manquillo aren't ready to terrify opposition defences... at least not yet anyway. Players like Clyne, Montoya and De Sciglio would certainly prove an upgrade on what we currently have at our disposal.

Misc
This section is all if and but's really. Will the club start to integrate the likes of Wisdom and Tiago Silva into the first team to cover the departures of Touré and Coates? Will Lovren start to prove his worth between now and the end of the season? Will we look to bring in a better more proven Goalkeeper to challenge Mignolet or will we end of up with a youngster like Matt Ryan?

All in all i think the club could do with spending a similar figure to what they did in the summer but without a major sale like Suarez will it be possible?

Also there are some key positions that need strengthening but hopefully we look to recruit the right kind of players ready to fit into the system we're going with next year. Theres potential for next season to be just as much of a transitional period for us as this year has proven to be.

Lfc abt to turn another corner for a serous title challenge ...next season

Only way Lfc will be serous title contenders .. If...

Br is replaced with a proven manager that has won trophies

Fsg let the manager buy players

Fsg pay top quality players .. The wages they demand

Keeper to replace mig... Not give him competition

Right back
Quality commanding CB... Leader
DM , & a ACM
Top quality striker

6 top quality players needed to have a very very strong starting 11

do i sense a lack of faith in Brendan there? I know he's a young manager but we did come close last year so maybe with the right players its possible. Plus he could potentially win his first piece of silverware between now and the end of the season.

also, if adopting your mantra then rodgers can't be judged on the players the club have signed during his tenure.

why so little faith in him? or do you just not think its possible without a proven manager?

Misc

Do you mean Tiago ILORI ?????

Yeah I just read on another site about Rodgers aims for the rest of this season / next season....


If we continue to improve this season then next year might just be a decent season after all - even with Rodgers still in charge. This season we pulled a Spurs and spent the best part of 4 months trying to find a formation, fit players in and no less play without a striker... if we are to succeed next time out, we need to start the season with the main core of 9 players or so from last nights 11 & slowly intergrate any new personal...

We need another striker and we need a keeper to either replace, or at best challenge Migs. A lot still depends how we progress this season, before a ball is even kicked next term..

no point in replacing rodgers i dont want another 3 year cycle, give him until the end of his contract to prove he can win us trophies

It's just a ridiculous statement from Rodgers and makes him look an idiot...AGAIN (que what is he meant to say blah blah).

Some points spring to mind:
- Don't buy so many average players, buy class ones. Usually quality over quantity is easier to incorperate.
- Last summer he specifically spoke about us improving with a larger squad without suarez.
- 'Next year will be our year' has made us look stupid for about 20 years.

2 class players is all we need right now: A striker and a GK. Maybe a right back if Johnson is leaving and we aren't keeping Manquillo.

With the new additions having a full year to settle, if we can add a couple of top quality players, we could have a good go at atleast putting in some sort of challenge for the title, but I think that depends on us getting top 4 this year and then buying the right players.

Definately need another quality striker, and a top CM to take Gerrards spot, then competition for migs at least, but the purchase have to be quality over quantity.

haha yep, apologies for that