Quality thread starter that pretty much sums up our position I think. I think we all know there will be no major overhaul this summer. Technically (as has already been stated) it has already taken place but we've had a shocking season in the league so clearly they need to spend some cash in a few areas.
Defence
I fully agree on the assessment of our defence. Agger and Skrtel have been a formidable partnership this season but once again Agger's brittle health comes back to haunt us so the question has to be asked of whether we can afford the drop in quality when he gets injured again next time. I think Jamie may well move on in the summer and Coates still doesn't convince me if i'm honest. If Agger was out for a long period would anyone be truly comfortable knowing Coates would be playing week in week out as things stand? Not sure I would. We are well and truly stocked at full-back and knowing we have European football in the bag next season means young Robinson and Flanagan will get the senior football they need to further their development. I think both could have done with more senior football (mind you Robinson has had injuries) this season given how well they fared last season but we simply didn't have enough to offer without Europe. Keeper could be a worry though, I'm not so sure Reina will stay yanno. It will be 3 seasons out of the Champions League in a row next year and given that he misses out for Spain I wodner if he will be looking enviously at Europe's top club competition this summer. However, if he does go i'd expect the fee to be pretty high and you'd back the club to find a decent replacement. He'd be a massive loss though.
Centre Midfield
Obviously we're sorted with Lucas and Gerrard both being top players. Young Spearing is still developing and I think he will always be Lucas' first reserve and a regular in the Europa League side next year. It gets a bit tricky after that though. Adam has done alright this season but given Gerrard's fitness concerns I think Kenny might look to upgrade the position and I think we'd comfortably get back what the club paid and maybe even turn a profit on the lad. I've got no idea what will happen on the Henderson front. My own opinion is that i don't see it as yet, he shows flashes but I think he has been the poorest of our regular players this season. Kenny has faith and must be happy with his form because he plays every week but it's a concern and we need him to improve by 30 odd % next season if he's a regular. I'd also like to expell this myth that he has played really well when given the chance to play in the middle this season. It gets put out there quite often but it simply isn't true. I'd like us to buy another player for the middle. I would absolutely love to see a player like Banega at the club. He likes a tackle, he's a great passer (both simple and creative) and can play in a two or a three. That is the sort of player we need I think. To sum up our centre midfield. We've got lots of industry, hard work and power but we lack that bit of guile. Charlie was bought to provide it and I can see the thinking there but he doesn't quite have what we need.
Wide Players
Weakest position at the club by far. Our biggest problem area and has been for years and years. Have got bored of shouting about it. It's the difference between us and the teams that have been winning the title for the past 22 years. We haven't had a great one since McMananaman legged it to Madrid all those years ago. We've spent large sums of money on other positions (see Torres, Masherano, Carroll, Suarez) and have generally tried to get by out wide with modest fees for modest players (see Riera, Nunez, Gonzalez, Babel) and then last summer we finally spent a big fee, but on another modest player (see Downing). To be fair to Downing he has actually come in and played the way he has for most of his career, one really good game followed by a couple of average ones, a poor one and then back to really good again. I'm confident he will improve next season as he learns to cope with being under the microscope at LFC. However, the truth is to be a great side we NEED to find a Gareth Bale or a Christiano Ronaldo from somwhere. I don't know where he's hiding but we need to find him. Arsenal look like they might have found a gem in Chamberlain and it seems to me that that is the best way to go about it (ie. gamble with a big money bid for a player who is unproven but promising). I think Kuyt and Maxi are likely to move on, Downing will get better, Sterling will get some playing times next season, Bellers will play a few but we desperately need to find someone to play on the right. Downing would actually be a lot more effective IF we had a decent player on the oppostie flank.
Forwards
Carroll is obviously the £35 million elephant in the room. All depends on how confident Kenny is that he can become the player he hoped he would be. I think he has to play him or spend big on another player. I'm not sure I can see Carroll being this expensive plan B who is often left out of the big games. Can anybody else? Atleast with European football you can argue we need another player in the position but I fear it will be not be a top top drawer player. We're set with Suarez, I don't think the club will let him go anywhere even if he fancies a move. The fans love him and he has received a lot of support this season so I think he will be content to stay unless Barca or Madrid come calling. You can't argue with Bellers as a change-up player and i'm hopeful we can get another decnet season from him.
Based on the assumptions that the club keeps faith with Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing next season.
We need:
1/ To spend a decent fee on a right winger. My knowledge of European football isn't great so I won't make any suggestions but we need to spend a good chunk of money on a young (potentially blue-chip) player. No champs league football rules out the likes of Hazard but I'm sure there is plenty of quality out there.
2/ Spend another decent fee on a forward who plays on the shoulder. Clearly they need to be a natural finisher, they need to have pace, they need to have strength. That's what we need in order to get the best out of Suarez who does all his best work between the lines.
3/ We need another quality centre-mid. A good passer, who can tackle and who offers more creativity than Adam, Henderson, Lucas and Spearing.
4/ Some cover at CB if Jamie moves on. Perhaps a veteran player with quality. A Sylvain Distin type of player if he's out there.
I think Kenny will have to move a few on in order to buy but i'd hope there is £25 million in the chest for him to spend as well. If the owners are serious then there needs to be. I think Kuyt, Maxi, Carra, Aquilani and Adam may move on myself. We'll no doubt have to stiomach paying another year of Cole's wages for him to bplay at Lille.
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