Everyone from owner John W Henry to most pundits to fans in general seems to generate this notion that Liverpool will definitely be finishing at least fourth this season, but without mounting a serious threat for that elusive record 19th Premier League title. I tend to think that we can do better than just acquiring 4th place, however there are those who think we will miss out on the Champions League yet again next season.
First of all, Arsenal. Arsenal are now seen as much less of a threat simply because they seem to be about to lose two of their best players - Samir Nasri to cash-strapped Manchester City and captain Cesc Fabregas to the club he played for in his youth, Barcelona. But in my opinion, of all five clubs who finished above us last season, Tottenham have always been a team capable of entering the top four but definitely the least likely to do it. Arsenal on the other hand, can never be truly written off because they do play some VERY eye-catching football and they have a resilience that Tottenham certainly do not have. This leaves Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United as the teams who could battle for the Champions League places and/or title in the 2011-12 season.
Liverpool have been the most active English team in the transfer window after Sunderland (who've brought in a remarkable EIGHT players this summer). We've signed young midfielder Jordan Henderson from Sunderland, delivery specialist Charlie Adam from Blackpool, backup goalkeeper Alexander Doni and clever winger Stewart Downing from Aston Villa. This week, we announced the signing of Newcastle United's Jose Enrique who'll fill the left back position that has been an absolute headache for us since John Arne Riise was sold to Roma by Rafael Benitez some 3-4 years ago. Fabio Aurelio, the intelligent but injury-magnetic Brazilian, will provide the necessary backup in that position - not to mention the young and feisty Jack Robinson.
When I consider the the large and talented squad at Liverpool’s disposal now, I wonder why King Kenny’s side are being written off.
Goalkeepers:– Reina, Doni, Jones
I'm just gonna say it - Pepe Reina is one of the best goalkeepers in world football and undoubtedly the best in the Premier League. Chelsea's Cech comes close and certainly started out in England better than Reina did, but Reina is now indisputably the best in England. In his hands, Liverpool are safe. And in Alexander Doni, they have a capable back up on the bench; with Brad Jones providing even further cover for the most crucial position in the game.
Right back:– Johnson, Kelly, Flanagan
The right back position is well taken care of. Glen Johnson is, in my opinion, the best right back in the league when going forward; but defensively, there are one or two better players like Arsenal's Bacary Sagna. But after Dani Alves and Maicon, Johnson has to be the biggest threat from right back in world football. The emergence of Martin Kelly however, has seen us possess a right back who is defensively sound and an equally good threat going forward. Keep an eye out for his pace and size, which gives him an advantage over most opponents. Johnson is the better man now, but Kelly is honestly not too far behind. Kelly's fellow Academy graduate John Flanagan impressed when called upon last season (his first team debut against Manchester City was particularly outstanding, as was his performance at the Emirates Stadium) and he looks absolutely ready to fill in if either of the aforementioned suffer from injuries or losses in form.
Left back:– Enrique, Aurelio, Robinson
Signing Jose Enrique has solved the left back problem. The Spain national is blessed with blistering speed which is coupled by strength on the ball. This makes him difficult to get past or bully. Fabio Aurelio, I fear, may not be the first choice; but his contributions will be crucial with his insightful passing, smart off-the-ball movements and mastery of the dead ball. Emiliano Insua is still with the club right now, but it looks like we're going to either sell him or loan him out before the transfer window closes.The energetic and sharp Academy graduate Jack Robinson will be third choice and given the right amount of games to give him first team experience.
Centre back:– Carragher, Agger, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Coady, Wisdom
The centre back position, despite a majority of Liverpool fans being concerned, is not one that troubles me personally. Club vice-captain Jamie Carragher is still one of the best last men / sweepers in the game, but he may have lost half a yard of pace. Regardless, his sheer experience, organization abilities and leadership skills are still crucial at the back. Anyone who thinks Carra is past his prime should look at his incredible performances against Chelsea both home and away last season. Daniel Agger is a player who's accurate in the tackle and elbows traitorous Spaniard strikers in the face without giving away a foul, but he does tend to spend time on the treatment table. But when he's fit, he also provides great passes and composure from the back and has a fierce left foot that can score a goal or two. Martin Skrtel epitomises consistency, having played in all 38 league games for Liverpool last season, and is equally great with the tackle. What he lacks in attacking talent (compared to Agger) he makes up for in sheer strength / solidity. Like Carra, he also makes a fantastic last man. Sotirios Kyrgiakos is someone who may score the occasional goal and is good at defending high balls and set pieces, but he tends to be more of a liability than an asset in my mind. I wouldn't mind selling him for superior cover. Expect us to throw England U19 captain Andre Wisdom and Academy graduate Conor Coady into a few games for first team experience. Coady is also captain of Liverpool's reserve team and was captain of the England U17 team that won the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.
Central Midfield:- Gerrard, Meireles, Adam, Lucas, Aquilani, Henderson, Spearing, Shelvey
If Liverpool’s midfield was a swimming pool, it would be overflowing because of the sheer amount of talent accumulated in it. Jordan Henderson is young with plenty of time to improve on his already impressive abilities - which include physical strength balanced with sufficient pace, passing range and a fierce shot. The England U21 international also has a high capacity to adapt - being adept in both central midfield and right midfield positions. Alberto Aquilani, considered to be one of Juventus' star players last season, has come back injury-free and with a thrilling variety in his passing abilities. He recently scored the winning goal for Italy against world champions Spain and has demonstrated far better shooting techniques in recent pre-season games. Lucas Leiva's wonderful new ability to break down opposition attacks and his great eye for interceptions saw him voted as Liverpool's Player of the Season for 2010-11, and you can expect him to do more of the same this season. Charlie Adam, the big fish in a small Blackpool, is another great deliverer of dead balls and possesses a cultured left foot that has been missing in our central midfield for quite many years. Raul Meireles is a star acquisition for Liverpool and has fabulous technique in his volleys. He has an energy that's infectious and he tends to be everywhere, mostly right where you need him. Enough has been said over the years about our captain Steven Gerrard, so all I will say is this - the day he comes back from injury will be the day opposition teams should prepare themselves twice as well as they would otherwise. His world-class passing, trademark shots, powerful tackles, skill with set pieces and overall dynamism will take the whole team up to another level entirely. Jonjo Shelvey and Academy graduate Jay Spearing will get games to enhance their first team experience. Shelvey has everything an attacking midfielder must have - intelligent passing, destructive shots, crisp movement; whereas Spearing has the abilities all class holding midfielders have - a crunching but fair tackle, well-time interceptions, ball distribution and a fire in the belly. It's interesting to note that save for Spearing and Lucas (who play the more defensive, destroyer roles), each of our central midfielders also have a world class eye for a killer pass, long or short. Our midfield options are so plentiful that die-hard fans themselves have no exact idea as to which 2 or 3 players make up the best central midfield partnership. By the way, expect danger man Christian Poulsen to be phased out of Anfield.
Wingers:– Kuyt, Maxi, Henderson, Cole, Downing
Dirk Kuyt is like the Duracell bunny because he just keeps on going. His tireless efforts on the right, coupled with a striker's eye for goal and a wealth of crosses make him a very dangerous attacking threat for Liverpool. He's quickly built up a rapport with both of our winter striker signings, Suarez and Carroll (especially Suarez, as noticed versus Manchester United, Newcastle and Sunderland), and that bodes well for the future. Maxi Rodriguez is a capable backup to Dirk Kuyt because of his passing, crossing and seemingly newfound eye for goal. While he's no Kuyt, he also has energy, can play on either flanks equally well and has a capacity for quick thinking. Stewart Downing is the signing of the summer, for me. Blessed with more pace than most defenders, some trickery, an ability to weave through a few opposition players and a knack for near-perfect crosses, Downing will prove to be one of the club's top assist providers and can score a few mean goals as well. He is yet another player with fantastic dead ball abilities; and all in all, is my summer signing to watch out for this season. In contrast, i feel Joe Cole has basically become very much a shadow of the player he formally was at Chelsea and in pre-season has looked susceptible to yellow cards and tussles. I would much rather have sold him and brought in a proven winger to provide backup to Kuyt and Downing. Jordan Henderson's flair on the wings makes him a viable option on the right hand side of the attack as well.
Strikers:– Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Dirk Kuyt, David Ngog (?)
If Downing is the summer signing to look out for this season, Luis Suarez must be THE player to keep an eye out for in 2011-12. The catalytic Uruguayan forward has just returned as the top scorer and Player of the Tournament from the Copa America, having helped his home nation to their record-breaking 15th Copa America title. Suarez scored one and set up another goal in the final against Paraguay after scoring in the semi-finals as well, following a fruitful six months at Liverpool. His blistering pace, impressive trickery, sharp ball control and energetic displays led to a handful of goals and even more assists for Liverpool. To top it all off, he's yet another one who is great at set pieces (even though he's yet to prove that at Liverpool). Andy Caroll is the sort of striker who will feed off defender's errors and the fruits of his fellow forwards' labours. His significant height and bulky physique makes him a prime candidate for finishing off the crosses provided by Kuyt and Downing, and any loose balls and assists generated from Suarez's magic. David Ngog looks set to be sold before the transfer window closes, but IF he doesn't, I believe he is still a decent finisher when he's having a good day. He'll just be a backup option though, and would not really be considered a threat to any opposition yet. The aforementioned energy of Kuyt sees him as the much more obviously preferred backup striker, with a decent knack of scoring goals and providing crucial final passes. Having said that, it would be a lot better if Dalglish and Comolli could sign another proven striker into our ranks, to bolster our resources up front in case of emergency, suspension or loss of form.
All in all, Liverpool Football Club have bought very good players who all have a role and a gap to fill, and for the first time in a few years, there will be more football than problems higher up. With the return of the King, a club legend is in charge - one who seems to have once again instilled the foundations of our famous pass-and-move policy which served the great teams of Shankly, Paisley and Fagan so well. Confidence has returned and the fans are more optimistic. The club is finally stable, and the players seem raring to go and, for now, have little pressure to deliver the title. The club's Academy is churning out many good players, to become one of the best youth systems in the world. Things are looking up! Let the 2011-12 season begin.
Written by Govind Nayar, who blogs at Football (soccer) – The air I breathe
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