Stop being fooled by the homegrown line being thrown around. We've currently got a 21 person squad so we're using youngsters to make up the numbers anyway. Prior to this transfer window opening (before Benayoun left and working under the assumption that Jovanovic was still coming) we had 6 HG players in a squad of 29.
Cavalieri, Johnson*, Aquilani, Agger, Aurelio, Gerrard*, Torres, Jovanovic, Riera, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos, Maxi, Kuyt, Babel, Mascherano, Lucas, Insua*, Carragher*, N'Gog, Reina, Spearing*, Degen, Plessis, Nemeth, Itandje, El Zhar, Darby*, Skrtel, Brouwer.
News of Benayoun out and Cole in meant 7 HG players in a squad of 29. Brouwer and Itandje were never going to get registered (both their contracts run out at season's end incidentally) and with Riera's imminent departure and the news that Degen was being farmed out on loan the squad is now 25 players (7 of which are HG).
Cavalieri, Johnson*, Aquilani, Agger, Aurelio, Gerrard*, Torres, Jovanovic, Cole*, Kyrgiakos, Maxi, Kuyt, Babel, Mascherano, Lucas, Insua*, Carragher*, N'Gog, Reina, Spearing*, Plessis, Nemeth, El Zhar, Darby*, Skrtel.
If at this stage of the transfer window, a decision to not register Plessis but instead use Martin Kelly as the 25th player, the 8th HG and the 6th club trained player in anticipation of him requiring registration next season. Life would've be good.
We could have moved Plessis on and given El Zhar, Spearing, Darby, Nemeth and Insua one more season to prove that they've improved enough.
If indeed player power was responsible for Insua needing to leave and for arguments sake Carragher and Gerrard said they'd quit the team if he wasn't sold, we could have simply bought a HG LB to compete with Aurelio or taken a gamble on Salcido and not registered El Zhar this season and given him one final season in the reserves to prove he's improved his game enough to potentially become a squad player.
Players who need to be registered next season or face becoming ineligible for first team action:
Irwin, Kelly, Gulacsi, Bouzanis, Hansen, Mendy, Simon.
Call me crazy, but I actually think El Zhar will be a late bloomer who will peak around 27 or 28 (similar to Jovanovic) unlike most midfielders who peak about two years earlier than that. He could be a handy squad player in the future.
Then I realised who our owners were