After a turbulent season where off-the-field events have taken precedence over events on the field, a majority of the fans are happy to write this season off as a season of progression towards the longer term. Following the departure of the onerous owners, Messrs Hicks and Gillett followed the immediate arrival of our new American friends, John W Henry and Tom Werner. With results on the field not up to scratch, Roy Hodgson was removed from post and replaced with fan favourite, Kenny Dalglish. And following Fernando Torres’ departure in January in came Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll to plug the gap.
After a season of instability, Dalglish along with the help of Steve Clarke and Sammy Lee, have transformed the fortunes of the club and Liverpool now sit in a respectable sixth in the table. Although some distance away from where we would want to be, it is a sign of progression after we were flirting with relegation during Hodgson’s tenure in charge.
So onto the topic in hand. Over the next few weeks I will be concentrating on the summer carnival which is the transfer window and talk tactics and formations which we are likely to adopt with our new recruits and existing incumbents. It is an exciting time for the club and it really is now a case of looking forward to the future. This week, we will begin with the goalkeeper and defence as a starting block.
GoalkeeperIn Jose ‘Pepe’ Reina, it is fair to say we have the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. This is justified as both Manchester United and Arsenal (currently sitting atop of the table) are both looking at the custodian to either replace the retiring Edwin van der Sar in United’s case or filling a problematic spot in the team in Arsenal’s case. This season it is difficult to ignore Reina’s body language and performances which have looked a little iffy on occasions (the fumble on the opening day of the season, the spillage against Steaua Bucharest in the Romanian capital and the lacklustre display against West Ham United this Sunday where he could be blamed in part for two of the three that passed him by in the defeat).
He has already expressed on Spanish radio that he needs to be playing Champions League football and with that being unlikely next season at Liverpool, it would not be a huge surprise should he decide to jump ship for new horizons. If he does decide to leave, you would expect Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli to look to the continent for a replacememt where there is no shortage of brilliant young goalkeepers who you would feel could fill the void. Out of the current crop at Anfield, you could say Hungarian international, Peter Gulacsi could be a contender although, being so young and untested at this level, it would be a huge gamble to stick him between the posts as the Number 1 next season. Arsenal have done likewise with Wojciech Szczesny and it seems it was to their detriment as we all saw what happened against Birmingham City in the Carling Cup Final on Sunday! However, for the moment he remains a Liverpool player.
Right-backThe signing of Glen Johnson to replace the outgoing Alvaro Arbeloa the season before last was seen as a fantastic purchase albeit at a high price. Possibly the best attacking right-back in the Premier League in a struggling Portsmouth side, Johnson was seen as a more than able replacement for Arbeloa. He started the season very well scoring a few goals and looking like a shrewd buy despite the £18m price tag on his head. However, as the season progressed it became evident that he struggled with the defensive side of things and his frailties were exposed on more than one occasion. This season, Johnson has continued to struggle and has been bailed out on more than one occasion by a covering central defender. There were calls for Johnson to be moved over to the right side of midfield aka Gareth Bale at Tottenham Hotspur but that has not materialised under Hodgson or Dalglish.
Fast forward a few weeks and following the brilliant emergence of Martin Kelly into first choice right-back under Dalglish, Johnson was moved over to left-back where there was a vacant position following Paul Konchesky’s demotion to Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the season. Surprisingly, the move worked out better than expected as Johnson looked far stronger defensively on the left than the right. There have since been calls to make that transition permanent but I still feel he lacks the defensive skills to play as an out and out full back and his natural knack for having to cut back on his right foot all the time does temper the move as a permanent solution to the problem.
It therefore seems Johnson’s best position is as an attacking right full-back in a wing-back system which Dalglish has deployed on a few occasions this season. Although Kelly has excelled in the right-back and right wing-back position this season, his natural position is still centre-back and in a wing-back system I would prefer to shift him into central defence alongside two further central defenders with Johnson overlapping. However, if playing a flat back four, I would have Kelly as the right back with Johnson on the bench.
Left-backMoving over to the left and it’s a different story altogher. Although there are three left-backs on the books in Fabio Aurelio, Paul Konchesky and Emiliano Insua, Dalglish has preferred Glen Johnson over the lot of them since he took over the reigns in January. It is fair to say Aurelio’s injuries have hampered him ever since his move from Valencia and has been used by Dalglish as an option off the bench in midfield. It is likely he will be one of those who will be released from the club come the end of the season. Another who will be released is Paul Konchesky. One of Roy Hodgson’s signings, the former Fulham man was not up to the job as far as the fans were concerned. Dalglish took the same view and it was one of the first tasks on his to-do list as he duly shipped him off to Nottingham Forest – and I do not see Konchesky returning to Anfield any time soon.
And that leaves Emiliano Insua. Last season the young Argentine was thrust into the spotlight as first choice left-back due to the injury stricken Fabio Aurelio missing most of the season. Playing in a faltering team, Insua was made the scapegoat by the fans and media alike which was unfair. We have to consider that this was a player who had been thrown into the deep end without a paddle. Having to defend behind the defensive-shy Maxi Rodriguez and Albert Riera, Insua was often left exposed having to handle two right-sided players double-teamed against him. I still believe the 22-year-old has a future at Anfield – perhaps moreso as a wing-back rather than left-back in a flat back four. He suffers from The Johnson Syndrome for me – far better attacking than defending.
As a result, a new first choice left-back will be top of Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli’s shopping list this summer. Jose Enrique and Fabio Coentrao of Newcastle United and Benfica respectively have been the names branded around. Out of the two, Coentrao would be the more expensive but with the ability to play both left-back and attacking wing-back he would be the perfect signing for the troublesome position. Jose Enrique on the other hand is a solid left-back and would probably be first choice left-back in a flat back four with Insua perhaps being favoured in a wing-back system as he seems to be more adventurous than Enrique from an attacking sense of view. There are other options with Taye Taiwo of Olympique Marseille being a free agent at the end of the season and a possible alternative – I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Centre-backMoving to central defence and things look a lot rosier.
Jamie Carragher continues to excel alongside the new pretenders, Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger. In either a flat back four or wing-back system, Carragher would still be the first name on Kenny Dalglish’s team sheet. It was fairly evident that during Carragher’s injury earlier this season, the team missed his presence at the back. His leadership and constant vocal throughout a game keeps the defence on its toes and positionally sound. Without him, the defence looks a lot less disciplined with no real organisation or leadership. In a three man backline I would flank Carragher with Martin Kelly to his right and Daniel Agger to the left with Johnson as right wing-back and Coentrao or Insua as left wing-back. The three man backline would work with the right footed Kelly and left footed Agger covering the forays of Johnson and Coentrao respectively. Of course, in a flat back four Carragher would partner Agger with Kelly moved to right-back and the more tactically astute Coentrao or Jose Enrique preferred to Insua at left back.
As cover, there is the aforementioned Martin Skrtel. Although he is prone to the occasional error where he can be outmuscled at times by stronger strikers, he continues to be tactically astute alongside Carragher. However, when paired with either Agger or Sotirios Kyrgiakos he appears to miss the vocal help he receives from Carragher and his positional sense seems to suffer. However, with Daniel Agger prone to injuries, Skrtel provides good cover in the centre of defence. And finally we come to the big Greek, Kyrgiakos. Signed from AEK Athens for a miserly £1m, he has been an absolute collosus when called upon. Although slow on the ground, he makes up for being posititionally astute and powerful in the air. Where he may struggle against quick strikers, he is masterful against larger lumps and you can count on the fingers on one hand where his error has lead to a goal.
I do not see any arrivals in the summer as far as central defence is concerned. With Carragher, Kelly, Agger, Skrtel and Kyrgiakos, there is also further cover available from the young but talented Danny Wilson. The problem position seems to be left-back and you can see at least one quality signing this summer; possibly two if Dalglish deems Emiliano Insua surplus to requirements.
Onto the deadwood and Philipp Degen continues to demand a wage. On loan to VfB Stuttgart until the end of the season, you can see that move becoming permanent or at the least being sold on to another team on the continent. Following him out of the door will probably be young Spaniard, Daniel Ayala who was close to being loaned out this January. Both seem surplus to requirements and look to join Fabio Aurelio and Paul Konchesky in leaving Anfield for pastures new this summer.
Read the full article HERE
