At the end of the day...

Year by year the transfer windows get more and more hyped up by the media. Its a great spectacle to witness but can be nerve wrecking for fans. For example Liverpool FC, two main targets for the winter transfer window but didn't sign anyone. Disappointing? Yes, do  I blame the club? No. Why you may ask? Well, if you're a fan, you wouldn't know the goings on in the background during these "talks" so its difficult to pass comment on what transpired but I know that the club would have done everything in its capacity to sign the player otherwise they would not have bothered.

First up was Mohamed Salah, it started off with the rumour mill, then worked its way to being mentioned a lot, then it was open in the media that we were after him. A price seemed to have been on the table that both parties accepted but we were out bid by Chelsea. Yes, I'm sure we did have the money to out bid them but why turn it into a bidding war? We have a value that we think the player is worth, if what is demanded is more than that, leave it out. That's just good business practice. You won't go pay R50 for a packet of Marie biscuits, even if its the last one, would you?

Then came the deadline day drama which involved Ukrainian winger Yevhen Konoplyanka, Ian Ayre and the players stubborn owners. What annoys me is why it had to wait till the last day, there's 30 days, to do business, get it over and done with but in any case, the club couldn't reach an agreement with the owners so the deal couldn't go through. Cue the angry fans swearing the club, the manager, the owners and poor old Ian. The club flew in to Ukraine for lengthy discussions with the player and his current club, they took a freaken doctor so he didn't have to fly to England for a medical if a deal had been reached! Then you get some morons that say the club didn't try their best What else would you wanted them to do? Send the Queen?!

Like in life, they say some things aren't meant to be, in the case of Konoplyanka it could be very similar. Brendan Rodgers doesn't rule out a summer move for the player but I feel it might not happen given the tough time they put us through. End of the day ,the poor player suffers the most, not anyone else. The manager went on to say that he isn't disappointed that we didn't sign anyone as he thinks the players we have are more than capable of seeing us through to the end of the season. Do I agree? Yes but at the same time I will admit we have some problems in the team.

Out defence has been shocking, we're lucky to be in the position we are in due to a solid midfield and the best damn attacking duo in the Premiership. Agger and Sakho both having lengthy injury spells isn't ideal then add to that the absence of our first choice wing backs, Johnson and Enrique it doesn't paint a pretty picture. In order for us to continue with this form, we need our first choice players fit and need to keep them fit till May. I've always maintained that this seasons goal was to finish in the top 4, it is achievable and long as the players keep the basics right, we can get back into Europe's greatest competition.

Striker crisis

Headache for Brendan

Okay maybe the heading is making it sound more dramatic than it really is but with the departure of Carroll and management not being able to secure a 3rd striker before the summer transfer window closed, its fair enough to admit that Liverpool FC do have a problem up front. Brendan Rodgers obviously had a plan as all good managers do before the start of the season and Andy Carroll wasn't ideally involved in it so he was mainly benched and only thrown on when desperately needed. I agree 100% with Rodgers when he said he cant afford to have a striker of Andy's price tag being the 3rd choice and also with such a high salary, so it was a no brainer to palm him off else where but the idea was to get a suitable replacement, unfortunately that didn't happen and as explained by club owner John W Henry, its not only the fans whom were disappointed.

Linda Pizzuti and John Henry

Realistically speaking it wasn't a bad window for LFC, they secured to signings of 3 top players namely Sahin, Borini and Allen all of which found their way into the starting 11 and we cut off the highly paid players who weren't featuring that often, Carroll mentioned earlier being one of them and Charlie Adam being the other along with Maxi, Kuyt and others. Carroll, Adam and Kuyt whom we must give credit to for holding the team last season as they all provided valuable contributions and I wish them success at their new clubs for the season.

Andy Carroll on loan at Westham

Back to the problem in our strike force, in terms of 1st choice players there is only Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini for the boss to choose and sometimes like last Sunday against LeArse that combination just didn't do anything, Suarez being wasteful with possession whilst Borini was lucky to get a touch at times. We controlled the game well but much like last season the finishing just was not there. The stats were in our favour for most of the match but the important one being goals was not.

So what are our options?
 

Dani Pacheco

• We could always dig into our reserves where we have the likes of Morgan who impressed in our tour to the USA and there's Pacheco who I feel hasn't been given a decent run in the team. I've seen glimpses of the kid with the various managers we've had in the past 3 seasons and I really think if given the chance he could do well. He has great vision, he is pacey and knows where the goal is, perhaps he needs more confidence and being given first team chances will give that to him. 

Alessandro Del Piero

•  The other option is we look at a free agent, the thought did cross my mind at 1am on September 1st "what about Michael Owen?" then my brain kick started and I smacked myself for thinking such a thing. Anyway that wont happen seeing that he has signed with Stoke City. There were other rumours of recent linking Drogba to LFC, I'd take him in a heart beat but there is no way we could come close to matching the pay he's getting in China! Another one mentioned in the mill was Del Piero, the Italian legend who spent most of his career playing for Juventus was let go at the end of last season and looked certain he was going to play for Sydney FC but talks collapsed early this week. There's no doubting his quality and his experience will be invaluable to the players at the club but we all have to wait and see if Rodgers opts for any of them.

Didier Drogba

Until then there is really nothing us fans can do but hope and pray. The start of the new season does look like a disaster but its only been 3 games and not the easiest of fixtures too. We've shown we have the quality and there is a significant improvement by most of the players it just needs to start going in our favour in the final 3rd of the pitch.

You'll Never Walk Alone

Time to build

The preseason has begun and with it we've seen Liverpool FC play 3 friendlies so far. We haven't won any of them but its a good insight into what Brendan Rodgers has planned and for him to see what he has at his disposal. There have been the youngsters who will do their best to impress the new boss, hopefully trying to force their way into the first team and then there are the players who have been out on loan or have been laid off on the sidelines for long periods due to injuries that are coming back into the team.

Young stars: So far I'm pleased from what I've seen in the games against Toronto and AS Roma, the youngsters are full of energy as always. Suso and Morgan being the stand out for me in the games I've watched. I agree with some when they say Suso seems to be a bit over eager and tends to be selfish but sometimes you need that type of player in your squad, granted that there isn't someone in a better position than he is in. His technique is good, he has speed and doesn't shy from having a shot at goal. Another youngster I want to see more this season is Raheem Sterling, certainly a crowd favourite and for good reason too. Pacheco has always been a favourite of mine, hard worker and good player, he has been given a break into the first team, I hope to see more of him as well this season.

Players coming back from long injury spells are like new players as well, especially with the likes of Lucas who was sorely missed last season. Seeing him back in the red of Liverpool was a comforting sign as the new season approaches, he has come through in leaps and bounds over the years with LFC. From one of my most disliked players when we first bought him, to one of my favourite players in our squad now. He is a team player and one of the best defensive midfielders in the EPL. Adam, over hyped when we got him and a bit of a disappointment last season also has been out for a while and is back now. I really hope he comes good as we've seen bits of his quality, no one can forget that lovely long ball from him to Glen Johnson to set him up for that goal against Chelsea. I hope to see more of that this season!

Players returning from loan: Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani have been decent so far. I am a massive fan of Aquilani and felt he has been given a raw deal by LFC for most part of his stay at us. Being an attacking midfielder is his best position and given the freedom to roam around the field but we already have Gerrard playing that sort of role in the team so its pointless having 2 players doing the same. He has great vision and a lovely range of passes and he can score goals too! Cole, to be honest I even forgot we still had him after last season. I think he still has some magic left in him, he just needs to rediscover it. Maybe Rodgers will help him with that.

New signings: so far Borini is the biggest name to be added to the LFC squad. Made his debut for us against Spurs in Baltimore, although the game ended 0-0 it was good to see him make his bow. From watching videos on youtube, he looks like he has a lot to offer us going forward and personally from his style of play I reckon he and Aquilani could make a good partnership. There have been mentions about James Allen to be added to the side from Swansea, one of their star players last season, I cant see them letting him go for under 15 million.

Players going out: coming back to the potential partnership of Aquilani and Borini, that all depends if Alberto wants to stay. He seems pretty keen on moving back to Italy, if the boss sees the possible potential maybe he can help change his mind. Lots is being mentioned about Carroll, many sports websites seeming to have first hand info that Rodgers has told Andy that he isn't in his plans for LFC and he should seek a move elsewhere. The big thing with Carroll is his price tag, we've paid a big amount for him and many expected a decent return from him, its taken a while for him to find form but I personally think he had a strong end to last season. He is a player that's full of talent and maybe that price tag has put pressure on him. If the manager really feels he isn't needed then maybe its better for us to bite our tongue and let him go, doubt we'll get 30 million for him though. Aurellio, many might say since he is injury prone we might as well sell him, I still think he is one of the best left backs out there, pity he is made of glass.

Now much has been said about our preseason performances, many judging us just by our results. Its a stupid thing to do given that many of our first team players haven't played, some still on break and some competing in the Olympics. Guaranteed come the start of the season, we will not be playing like this. Rodgers will be using these games to experiment and to see what he has. Also one must be careful not to raise expectations before the season. Yes, we are the  one of the biggest name in English football but we've gone through an extreme bad patch and we need time to build. With a new manager, a new mind set, new tactics and most importantly new confidence in the team, things can only get better.

You'll Never Walk Alone!