Failure To Lure Any Striker

     Warning May Cause Depression!       

Liverpool Profits as Roy Hodgson Ridiculously Fails To Lure Any Striker

By kaustav bose (Liverpool Featured Columnist) on August 31, 2010


It's official, Liverpool FC have been out spent by Birmingham and Sunderland. Liverpool fans have every possible reason to be frustrated. Even after days of speculation and a lot of names doing rounds, the Anfield outfit managed nothing more than a consolation gift for the fans on the deadline day of the summer transfer window.

Liverpool manger Roy Hodgson has been a media darling in England for quite some time now. However, even after all his hapless efforts, he did not endear himself to the fans by signing no striker for the Reds, even after stating the obvious need.

The Reds even managed to sell Damien Plessis on the deadline day, thus making almost £10m profit in player sales in this window itself. Clearly, it is impossible to be convinced that any club which ended seventh last season will move ahead after such a window.

In a day which was shrouded by just one hopeless rumor of Carlton Cole for Ryan Babel, Liverpool only managed to unveil the signing of one first team probable, Paul Konchesky. Konchesky is a reliable, but by no means an extraordinary, left back.

Although there were initial reports of Mario Gomez and a few others like Wolfswinkel and even the ridiculous link to Zamora, none really materialized.

Quite ridiculously, the club’s official website came up with news like ‘what Lucas said about Torres,’ when reports quoting Lucas as ‘clueless’ about his own future were doing the rounds.

The signing of Adam Hajdu and Suso also does little to ease the ever so gaping problem at the club currently. Maybe we have two talented youngsters in them, but we also had two more mature ones departing in Lauri dalle Valle and Kacanicklic in the Konchesky deal.

The only credible reports suggested that Ryan Babel was summoned upon by Mr. Hodgson and was asked to really look forward to a career of a centre forward at the club.

Now, it is well known (and even Babel himself has reportedly tweeted) that Ryan Babel is at best a winger. It is alright to think that he can at times even change the flanks, but to ask him to be a centre forward and especially in Torres’ absence makes less than little sense, especially considering his erratic spell of brilliance at the club.

Now, with the transfer window closed, it has all boiled down to the fact that Liverpool FC needs the improbable to happen at least up to the next transfer window. In simple words, they need an injury free Torres through and through, somewhat like what Drogba has managed for long spells at Chelsea. But then, Drogba had partners and even now there is the experienced Anelka, and Liverpool have N'gog. Hardly a satisfactory option yet.

But going by Torres’ injury record, which is pretty similar to that of Robin Van Persie’s, Hodgson should have been careful.


Sorry El Nino, you are all on your own..again!!

Given the fact that the Liverpool manager promised that he could use every penny of player sales towards strengthening the squad, it was only agonizing to find him stating that he would not add "bodies" to the club. Such a process was so very needed, even if the quality of players available may have been a little lower.

Although most would agree that the signing of Raul Meireles was quite a coup for the club, it would be perfectly reasonable to agree that getting a quality striker after that would have summed up a good transfer window for the club. As much as all the fans love Torres, they can’t ignore how injury prone he is, which almost cost Liverpool a place in any European competition last season.

After all the drama, Roy Hodgson seems to have pulled off a Rafa Benitez of last season, who too erred in going for just a quality mid-fielder when signing a striker was of utmost priority. Maybe Meirles is a far fitter and stronger player, but knowing the extremely physical nature of the premier league remains to be seen.

Liverpool fans are understandably disheartened that even after the weak performances of the team in recent weeks, Hodgson has not considered signing a striker a necessity and has resorted to lame reasons like no quality players in the market.

Well, even if there weren’t quality players to match Torres, there sure were better people than what a yet to develop N’gog and make-shift Babel is expected to manage!

The Reds needed players, not just cash. As the window ends, Hicks and Gillett will, however, be happy at Hodgson's inability to spend the money, as they would look to direct the entire sum to the fines which they must pay for being unable to sell the club before August 31. In fact, they have reduced to half the sum.

As things stand, Mario Gomez is ready to warm the bench at Munich again, which is clearly the best job for a 125k wages per week deal. Carlton Cole is pleased to continue at West Ham, which may have to battle relegation by the looks of things now.

Ricky Wolfswinkel is preparing to teach Uncle Roy a lesson in the Europa, when Liverpool take on FC Utrecht in the group fixtures. The Liverpool fans will have to await at least  another four months before the transfer window re-opens again.

Seems a long wait from now, and if Liverpool are exposed to injuries just like last year or they undergo administration, their fate may already be sealed by then.

Surely, it seems a long season for the club at the moment.

Well, I feel much better reading that... 

Could be worse, could have kept Voronin at the club.

Well that was not a nice read,poor torres left on his own again to get the goals.We need the midfielders to start piching in with a few goals this season.

That really does cause depression reading that

It seems as though the Gomez deal was done until Bayern pulled out at the last minute leaving us with no time to get anyone else. However, we should have been making moves earlier in the window and left it too late. That for me is Purslime's fault. He seems to have 'Rick Parry' syndrome.

On the plus side though.....thank god we did not sign Carlton Cole, definetely something to smile about!

It is criminal we did not buy a striker, whether it is Purslow fault or Hodgson.

Hodgson was never going to be given enough money to buy a striker. I actually don't blame Roy at all for not signing one this summer. He said, and rightly so, that we should not rush into a signing players without exploring every avenue. Obviously there wasn't a lot of quality on the market this year, and much less so within a realistic price range for us. So I think Roy had a look at the squad, and realised if he does move Babel up top, which despite what everyone else thinks is where Ryan wants to play, and then uses N'Gog, Kuyt and perhaps Jovanovich up front we might have a forward line that's capable of getting us through till the (cross fingers*) investment comes in, whereupon Roy can set about competing for better players. Perhaps we won't be so bemused at our lack of activity next year when we have a quality striker to support Torres. (We can hope right? )

That is if Torres is still here, they way we are going as a club we will buy a decent striker next season but it will be to replace Torres.

Where is that taken from? It's really poorly written.

I hate that picture, it's like a knife to the heart for Torres during the final.

Hope we don't regret not getting another striker

I don't want to read it as I don't want to be depressed.

My heart sunk when Torres lay there in the final.

I'm disappointed that we didn't sign a striker.

But when Kuyt returns from injury he'll provide an option in the role where he made his name in Dutch football. Also, Ngog is a year older and showing signs of improvement.

But I expect the gaffer to be back on the market in January.

Roy in the echo today on buying a top striker before the end of the window ....

The money that we would have needed to sign that type came to the club very late. Only after we had received the Mascherano money could we have done a transfer at a high enough level.

“I would have been a little concerned that we were jumping into something without researching it and, quite frankly, I didn’t see the players out there that made me want to spend.

“I prefer to put my weight behind David Ngog, Ryan Babel, who has never really been given a chance as a striker. We have good players who can operate behind a lone striker.

“Until Christmas, we will have ample quality and possibilities to see us through that period. In the mean time, we will have chance to do thorough scouting. So maybe then if money was available in January, we would be able to take a look at the situation once again.”[/center]

I would rather us do it this way than panic buy tbh!

Roy in the echo today on buying a top striker before the end of the window ....

“I prefer to put my weight behind David Ngog, Ryan Babel, who has never really been given a chance as a striker. ...

I would rather us do it this way than panic buy tbh!

Would that be the same Ryan Babel that "we" were trying to swap for Carlton Cole, in a "panic" on the last day of the window, Roy?

The same one.

Or the one who was offered in exchange for Pavlyuchenko/Crouch.

Would that be the same Ryan Babel that "we" were trying to swap for Carlton Cole, in a "panic" on the last day of the window, Roy?

I think Babel has until xmas to prove himself or he will be shipped out in January!

Would that be the same Ryan Babel that "we" were trying to swap for Carlton Cole, in a "panic" on the last day of the window, Roy?

To be fair, Babel is pish, but since we couldn't flog him, Roy isn't going to say 'We have Torres, Kuyt, Ngog and if the worst comes to the worst I'll have to play Babel up front.

Will tell you now, whoever we sign in Jan for up front (if we do) will not be an exciting striker, Roy will be looking for a target man.

Heskey anyone?

To be fair, Babel is pish, but since we couldn't flog him, Roy isn't going to say 'We have Torres, Kuyt, Ngog and if the worst comes to the worst I'll have to play Babel up front.

To be fair fields'; I've always thought and said Babel was pish. I have no problem with Roy trying to get shot of him, none what so ever. ...but

...I don't make Roy say the things he does. The man contradicts himself left, right and centre and to be fair; Ryan Babel has probably read Roy's comments and thought the same as me - Quit with the bull-sh*t boss.

You know he was looking rid of Babel, I know he was looking rid of Babel, Roy knows he was looking rid of Babel and Ryan F***ing Babel knows it too. So who, in the name of sweet F**k, does Roy think he is kidding? Think about it.

If all he can do is come out with fuzzy P.R. spin, (in my opinion), Roy would be better saying F**k-all.

If all he can do is come out with fuzzy P.R. spin, (in my opinion), Roy would be better saying F**k-all.

Agreed it's kind of like the Aquilani but in reverse.

Roy commends Aquilani and says he's looking forward to working with him over the coming season, then loans him out.

Roy tries to flog/exchange Babel for a striker, when it doesn't work out, He prefers to put weight behind Babel, who's never been given a chance as a striker.