Our squad for now

Only three players over 30 - its a young mans game for sure!

Squad has yet again been trimmed.  I'm a little sad to see that carrying on although lets face it, not like we've got some long cup campaigns ahead.

I look at that squad now and think its the bare bones - probably only Downing I'd be massively keen to offload and get a few bob for.  The summer has got to be about building the squad with genuine quality.

We haven't done that bad in this window, buying Sturridge and Coutinho as well as trimming the squad down in a few areas. Summer will be a big transfer window for us with rebuilding the squad and hopefully keeping Reina & Suarez.

Only three players over 30 - its a young mans game for sure!

Squad has yet again been trimmed.  I'm a little sad to see that carrying on although lets face it, not like we've got some long cup campaigns ahead.

I look at that squad now and think its the bare bones - probably only Downing I'd be massively keen to offload and get a few bob for.  The summer has got to be about building the squad with genuine quality.

Carroll also. I'd happily take 20m for the pair.

That wage bill looks boss now.
Must be ready for a solid build in the summer, mustn't it?

We hope so Racer. We hope.

Lucas Gerrard
Coutinho
Suarez Sturridge Bellamy

That would have been fantastic.

Lucas Gerrard
Coutinho
Suarez Sturridge Bellamy

That would have been fantastic.

Don't know what BR was thinking letting him go....of course he asked to go...lost his best friend...lost his marriage and was contemplating suicide.....oh well another screw up by the gaffer.

Would love to see us play with this team using diamond formation. 

                         Reina

Johnson     Skrtel          Agger          Enrique

                          Lucas             

                Hendo          Gerrard

                        Coutinho
 
            Sturridge            Suarez
                         

Luis Suarez --- Daniel Sturridge --- Stewart Downing
Oussama Assaidi --- Fabio Borini --- Philippe Coutinho
Raheem Sterling --- Samed Yesil --- Jesus Fernandez Suso

Steven Gerrard
Jonjo Shelvey
Krisztian Adorjan

Lucas Leiva --- Joe Allen
Conor Coady --- Jordan Henderson
Yalany Baio --- Joao Carlos Teixeira

Jose Enrique --- Daniel Agger --- Martin Skrtel --- Glen Johnson
Jack Robinson --- Sebastian Coates --- Jamie Carragher --- Martin Kelly
Brad Smith --- Stephen Sama --- Andre Wisdom --- Jon Flanagan

Jose Reina
Brad Jones
Peter Gulasci

On loan: Andy Carroll, Jay Spearing, Dani Pacheco, Danny Wilson, Michael Ngoo, Adam Morgan.

Gulacsi (22), Jones (30), Reina (30)

Agger (28), Carragher (35), Coates (22), Johnson (28), Enrique (26), Kelly (22), Skrtel (28)

Allen (22), Assaidi (24), Downing (28), Gerrard (32),  Henderson (22), Lucas (26)

Sturridge (23), Suarez (26)

U21 Players:
Borini (21), Coutinho (20), Shelvey (20), Robinson (19), Suso (19), Wisdom (19), Sterling (18)

18 (17) Over 21 players now.
15 (14) Over 21 outfield players.

Injured players.
Kelly and Borini.

We were due to call up Yesil and Pelosi.
Both are now out for the season. ACL and broken leg.
Ngoo and Wilson gone to Hearts.

I know I keep coming back to this but people need to see our squad written down to appreciate we can't keep letting
so many players go every window.

Carroll
Spearing
Pacheco

All three on loan and likely to leave in the summer.

Average age of the squad 25.3.

That drops to 23.9 if Carragher is gone.

We need to keep the core of our squad together and we need to bring in experienced players.

Centre Back
Left Back
Midfielder
Wide forward

That's before we have to replace anyone else who leaves.

Gulacsi (22), Jones (30), Reina (30)

Agger (28), Carragher (35), Coates (22), Johnson (28), Enrique (26), Kelly (22), Skrtel (28)

Allen (22), Assaidi (24), Downing (28), Gerrard (32),  Henderson (22), Lucas (26)

Sturridge (23), Suarez (26)

U21 Players:
Borini (21), Coutinho (20), Shelvey (20), Robinson (19), Suso (19), Wisdom (19), Sterling (18)

18 (17) Over 21 players now.
15 (14) Over 21 outfield players.

Injured players.
Kelly and Borini.

We were due to call up Yesil and Pelosi.
Both are now out for the season. ACL and broken leg.
Ngoo and Wilson gone to Hearts.

I know I keep coming back to this but people need to see our squad written down to appreciate we can't keep letting so many players go every window.

Carroll
Spearing
Pacheco

All three on loan and likely to leave in the summer.

Average age of the squad 25.3.

That drops to 23.9 if Carragher is gone.

We need to keep the core of our squad together and we need to bring in experienced players.

Centre Back
Left Back
Midfielder
Wide forward

That's before we have to replace anyone else who leaves.

I think it highlights very well how weak our squad is when it's written down like that mate. 

You can't plan for injuries but when you don't even have maximum numbers in the squad in the first place it makes the job even harder.  We lost Kelly and Lucas early on for the season,  Borini now out for the season, Yesil and Pelosi the same.  With Ngoo and Carrol out on loan that's 4 strikers we're without.

Not only will be losing players you've mentioned this summer but as we've already discussed we will need to send quite a few of the U21's out on loan to help their development.

We will still be a work in progress next season but hopefully with a much more settled 1st team.

I think it highlights very well how weak our squad is when it's written down like that mate. 

You can't plan for injuries but when you don't even have maximum numbers in the squad in the first place it makes the job even harder.  We lost Kelly and Lucas early on for the season,  Borini now out for the season, Yesil and Pelosi the same.  With Ngoo and Carrol out on loan that's 4 strikers we're without.

Not only will be losing players you've mentioned this summer but as we've already discussed we will need to send quite a few of the U21's out on loan to help their development.

We will still be a work in progress next season but hopefully with a much more settled 1st team.

I think we've probably taken the youth development too far.
I mean that in the sense that it shouldn't blind you to any other options.

We will need some young signings in the summer.
In fact I've been surprised at the lack of youth signings we've made lately.

There should be a mix though. Coutinho and Sturridge are great signings imo,
but there is experience needed in the team also.

We seem to address things as they become critical.

1) Massive dead wood and wages - Check
    In the process of addressing that we created two problems.

A) No attacking options.
B) Lack of experienced heads.

Suarez being on fire might have masked A until we could somewhat address it in January,
but B hasn't been addressed. I gather that will be the purpose of the summer. Only question
is, will it be the only thing we need to address or will something else crop up.

I think we've probably taken the youth development too far.
I mean that in the sense that it shouldn't blind you to any other options.

We will need some young signings in the summer.
In fact I've been surprised at the lack of youth signings we've made lately.

There should be a mix though. Coutinho and Sturridge are great signings imo,
but there is experience needed in the team also.

We seem to address things as they become critical.

1) Massive dead wood and wages - Check
    In the process of addressing that we created two problems.

A) No attacking options.
B) Lack of experienced heads.

Suarez being on fire might have masked A until we could somewhat address it in January,
but B hasn't been addressed. I gather that will be the purpose of the summer. Only question
is, will it be the only thing we need to address or will something else crop up.

Which reflects my post in Brendans thread the other day mate, our transfer policy resembles trying to repair a leaky roof.  We wait for the damage to be done before any action is taken.  Also backs up my posts of being reactive rather than proactive.

I've also been surprised that we've not signed more youth players too mate although those that have come have been real quality like Teixeira and Yesil.  Maybe Alex just wants to see what we have and then decide who stays and who goes. 

We could see a big clearout from the Academy this summer.

Which reflects my post in Brendans thread the other day mate, our transfer policy resembles trying to repair a leaky roof.  We wait for the damage to be done before any action is taken.  Also backs up my posts of being reactive rather than proactive.

I've also been surprised that we've not signed more youth players too mate although those that have come have been real quality like Teixeira and Yesil.  Maybe Alex just wants to see what we have and then decide who stays and who goes. 

We could see a big clearout from the Academy this summer.

Robinson gone to Wolves on loan.

Link

Gulacsi (22), Jones (30), Reina (30)

Agger (28), Carragher (35), Coates (22), Johnson (28), Enrique (26), Kelly (22), Skrtel (28)

Allen (22), Assaidi (24), Downing (28), Gerrard (32),  Henderson (22), Lucas (26)

Sturridge (23), Suarez (26)

U21 Players:
Borini (21), Coutinho (20), Shelvey (20), Robinson (19), Suso (19), Wisdom (19), Sterling (18)

Yesil, Pelosi, Ngoo, Wilson

17 Over 21 players now.
14 Over 21 outfield players.

5 U21 players.

Good move for Robbo that, I'm sure Dean will make sure he get's the necessary game time to make it worthwhile.

A very interesting read that a few of us on here have been talking about all season.  I've also posted it in a few other topics as it's pertinent to more than just this one.

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2013/02/liverpool-fc-are-we-really-full-of-talent/

At the age of eighteen years, two months and eight days Raheem Sterling has made thirty-eight appearances for club and country this season and it’s not even March. At the same age, Lionel Messi made eight appearances for Barcelona. Andre Wisdom has played twenty-four times, Lilian Thuram at the same age played just once. Suso so far has made twenty-six appearances; at his age, David Silva hadn’t even made his debut.



Found this part particularly telling.
The club has swung from one extreme to another.

We've gone from have a club full of deadwood to a club dependant on youth.
That's not allowing the likes of Sterling and Suso to develop as they should.

We spoke about the fall off in recruitment at youth level before debs.
There are quite a few players that desperately need loan deals in the summer.

Sama, Coady, Adorjan, Morgan, Suso.

Look at how well Ngoo and Wilson are doing now at Hearts.

We can't just have them fill spaces on the bench.
It's important that they develop.

Like the article says though, we have so little strenght in depth
that the club may be reluctant to let them go as we risk rushing
the development of the next generation of players.

It's something we have seen this year with the likes of Coady being
in the Europa League and then the Next Gen team suffers because
we promote youngsters rather than having another alternative at the
same age level.

Having said all that it could be that, having strayed too close to the
other extreme in our squad, we might start to see that addressed in
the summer.

We are the only club to have started 3 teenagers together.
I think it was something like 6 times this season.
Sterling, Suso and Wisdom.

That was a massive risk. One taken out of necessity by
Brendan because we had the squad stripped bare.

With the arrival of Sturridge and Coutinho we have seen
the pressure taken off Sterling and Suso. Hopefully now
they will be allowed to develop without the huge pressure
that was beginning to mount on them.

Even my United mates were raving about Suso this year.
We don't need them thrown into the spotlight too early.

The injuries to the likes of Yesil and pelosi have highlighted
that the club has slowed recruitment in the last year.
It's good that we have seen Ngoo go out on loan.
That shouldn't mean that the U21s get out of jail because
Morgan's loan collapsed.

There would be no harm in letting Suso and Sterling drop
back to reserves for some game time now that they will
only feature on the bench.

That's a step back to how it should be and I can only hope
that Rodolfo is being given the backing to ensure the overhaul
continues at youth level.

I agree those stats for Raheem were a shock when you compare it to Messi and Silva.  We have a tendency in this country to want to push people too hard, too soon and then wonder why they can't sustain it.  How many times has it been said on here "if they haven't broken into the 1st team now they never will", yet these stats prove how big a difference there is in development.

I've mentioned a couple of times that Suso and Raheem could do with a spell back in the U21's, I even suggested that Raheem should play in the next Next.Gen game.  I think it would do him the world of good to be able to play with a bit more freedom and less pressure.

As we've discussed many times mate, it's ok playing the odd game, give them a taste if you will but it's totally wrong to be relying on them.  It's not fair on them and won't benefit the Club in the long term.

I agree those stats for Raheem were a shock when you compare it to Messi and Silva.  We have a tendency in this country to want to push people too hard, too soon and then wonder why they can't sustain it.  How many times has it been said on here "if they haven't broken into the 1st team now they never will", yet these stats prove how big a difference there is in development.

I've mentioned a couple of times that Suso and Raheem could do with a spell back in the U21's, I even suggested that Raheem should play in the next Next.Gen game.  I think it would do him the world of good to be able to play with a bit more freedom and less pressure.

As we've discussed many times mate, it's ok playing the odd game, give them a taste if you will but it's totally wrong to be relying on them.  It's not fair on them and won't benefit the Club in the long term.

Wisdom we can't take out of the squad now.
He is the only cover we have for Johnson and Enrique. How crazy is that?
He's also probably the only one of the three I'd leave in. He's a beast.

Suso and Sterling on the other hand need to be rested.
They could probably both play in the Next Gen matches
and it would seem like a weight was lifted from them.

That's why I get so wound up over how thin our squad is.
The implications reach further than just the first team.

Wisdom we can't take out of the squad now.
He is the only cover we have for Johnson and Enrique. How crazy is that?
He's also probably the only one of the three I'd leave in. He's a beast.

Suso and Sterling on the other hand need to be rested.
They could probably both play in the Next Gen matches
and it would seem like a weight was lifted from them.

That's why I get so wound up over how thin our squad is.
The implications reach further than just the first team.

Out of the 3 Wisdom has the physique to play for now but when you look at the injuries of Micah Richards since he's burst onto the scene he barely plays now.

Similar players, so we don't want to do any unnecessary harm to Andre.

We both feel the same about the squad mate, we knew months ago it was an issue and were concerned about how few youth signings we've had in the last couple of years.

Out of the 3 Wisdom has the physique to play for now but when you look at the injuries of Micah Richards since he's burst onto the scene he barely plays now.

Similar players, so we don't want to do any unnecessary harm to Andre.

We both feel the same about the squad mate, we knew months ago it was an issue and were concerned about how few youth signings we've had in the last couple of years.

I hope we put it right soon.
Right I'm off to study.
Going to have to cut back on here for the next few weeks.

Goodnight.

I hope we put it right soon.
Right I'm off to study.
Going to have to cut back on here for the next few weeks.

Goodnight.

Night mate.

our spine of the team of Reina Agger Gerrard and Suarez is as good as anything in the league and hava a good squad but nothing more! i Think we need to centre halves with carra retiring coates and skrtel aint good enough and i would have wisdom as a CB were he likes to play best. Another Creative CM such as Eriksen would be immense and a winger and striker to put pressure on Sturridge and we could be a very goodsquad next season but thats a lot to ask of! Patience needed1 In rodgers we trust! YNWA