Liverpool FC: Grading Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and the Anfield New Boys so Far

By (Correspondent) on August 22, 2011

22,231 reads

16Icon_comment

Previous
1 of 8
Next
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20:  Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish looks thoughtful during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on August 20, 2011 in London, England.  (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Michael Regan/Getty Images

Liverpool have splashed a load of cash since their new owners took over from Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

With more than £100 million having been invested, if you combine their summer signings with those brought in during January there are many, many high hopes for Kenny Dalglish's side.

The primary goal for the club has to be Champions League qualification, but Dalglish will surely be aiming as high as possible, as a weekend victory against Arsenal proved the Reds could grind out a win in a difficult situation.

Granted the Gunners are in a bad spot, but it is still Arsene Wenger's club, and they have achieved more with less at different points during the Frenchman's brilliant reign.

That being said lets take a quick look at the Red's five newest signings, and how they have shown their worth so far.

Alexander Doni

LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 03: Liverpool FC present new signing Alexander Doni at a press conference at Melwood Training Ground on August 03, 2011 in Liverpool , England. (Photo by Clint Hughes/Getty Images)
Clint Hughes/Getty Images

Alexander Doni arrived from AS Roma at the same time that Stewart Downing arrived from Aston Villa. He has yet to really have a go in the top flight, but I expect he will make his debut against Exeter City this week in the club's League Cup tie.

He has years of experience in Serie A, at international level with Brazil and the Champions League, and is an excellent man to have supporting Pepe Reina should something go horribly wrong for the Spaniard.

Rating So Far: N/A as he is yet to debut in the campaign.

Jordan Henderson

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06:  Jordan Henderson of Liverpool in action during the pre season friendly match between Liverpool and Valencia at Anfield on August 6, 2011 in Liverpool, England.  (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Jordan Henderson was the first arrival of the summer for Liverpool in a deal agreed with Sunderland. He has multiple years of experience in the English Premier League. He started the last two seasons in the first team on Wearside, despite his young age.

He looks to be a promising young talent, but truly needs more time to develop into his full potential. His performances against both Sunderland and Arsenal show signs of both talent and inexperience.

Grade so far: C-

Charlie Adam

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20:  Charlie Adam of Liverpool celebrates victory after the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on August 20, 2011 in London, England.  (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Michael Regan/Getty Images

Charlie Adam has been the saga of the Red's transfer speculation since January, as they spent seven months trying to pry him away from Blackpool.

Now that he is finally here, he has already chipped in with an assist to Luis Suarez on the opening day. Though while his free kicks in the first game showed promise, those from the Arsenal game were terrible in most cases.

He has a lot to prove, especially as he is still giving the ball away too much.

Grade so far: C.

Stewart Downing

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06:  Stewart Downing of Liverpool in action during the pre season friendly match between Liverpool and Valencia at Anfield on August 6, 2011 in Liverpool, England.  (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Most fans called for the signing of Ashley Young from Aston Villa, but Kenny Dalglish seemed to have his eyes set on the versatile right-of-left wing player Stewart Downing.

The Englishman made some great runs against Sunderland, and his ability to build the play with Luis Suarez in the late stages of the Arsenal game showed that he is building a relationship with his new teammates.

The biggest thing missing from the game on Saturday was Suarez. Had he been on the pitch, and at full fitness, Downing's crosses that were won by Carroll might have amounted to much more.

Rating So Far: B.

Jose Enrique

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18:  (THE SUN OUT) In this handout photo provided by Liverpool FC, Manager Kenny Dalglish of Liverpool (L) with new signing Jose Enrique during a press conference at the club's Melwood training ground on August 18, 2011 in Live
Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Jose Enrique made his Anfield debut to great reviews only a day after he was officially signed to the club. He showed great cover and ability to go forward against Sunderland, while keeping his mark in check.

However, the Arsenal match at the weekend proved the quality of the new signing as he put in a Man of the Match performance against the Gunners.

Enrique was clearly the best defender on the pitch at the Emirates, and he looks a great signing for the Reds. 

Rating So Far: A.

Conclusion

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20:  Martin Kelly of Liverpool gives the thumbs up during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on August 20, 2011 in London, England.  (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Michael Regan/Getty Images

Liverpool have a mixed set of reviews for their new boys, and time will tell what will come from all the money that has been spent.

Today's announcement that Sotirious Kyrgiakos has left for VfL Wolfsburg on a free transfer after having joined Liverpool two years ago for a £1.5 million fee. He has signed a two year deal with the Bundesliga outfit which may yet prove that the Reds have another player on the way in.

Links with Gary Cahill, Scott Dann and Ryan Shawcross might be bearing fruit behind the scenes that we are yet to hear about.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check me out further on Bleacher Report and at the links below. You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook or visit my Website.

Begin Slideshow
Keep Reading
Flag
Props (1)
This article is

What is the duplicate article?

Why is this article offensive?

Where is this article plagiarized from?

Why is this article poorly edited?

Flag This Article
Liverpool Liverpool: Like this team?
Default-user-icon-comment
or to post a comment

16 Comments

There are no comments yet. Get the conversation started by leaving the first comment
Big
Loading comments...
just now posted just now
  • Loading...
  • Nobody has liked this comment yet
Cancel

This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete

Follow the Liverpool from B/R on Facebook

Follow the Liverpool from B/R on Facebook and get the latest updates straight to your newsfeed!

Fans of

Icon_subscribe
Icon_youtube
Icon_google
Liverpool

Subscribe Now

We will never share your email address

Thanks for signing up.

We're Scouting Top Writers

Greatest Moments from 2012-13 EPL Season Hint: you can use arrow keys to navigate through this channel.