Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool Facing Make-or-Break Point

Liverpool’s lack of action in last month's transfer window has certainly been under intense scrutiny, and this month it will show no sign of subsiding.

February could be a crucial month in deciding how the club will end the season, with Kenny Dalglish’s misfiring troops facing four big clashes.

Tonight, Tottenham Hotspur turn up at Anfield, with a trip to Old Trafford and Wembley to take on Cardiff City that sandwiches an FA Cup at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

A top-four finish is of course the target, with a trophy or two a potential added bonus, but as has been said all season, the ball needs to start hitting the back of the net on a more regular basis.

Many will point to the returning Luis Suarez as the man to turn around his side's fortunes, but his presence in the first half of the season didn’t result in a flurry of goals.

Indeed you can also point to a poor goals-to-shots ratio to highlight this point, with five goals scored by the Uruguayan coming from 69 shots, of which 28 have been on target.

It is hoped £35 million front man Andy Carroll will take huge confidence from his goal at Wolves last week, but the need for more firepower last month seemed to be glaring reality.

Craig Bellamy has been the fulcrum of the side in recent weeks, either when starting as a striker or on the wing.

The Welshman’s direct and incisive style has panicked defences, relieving some of the pressure from Stewart Downing.

An alarming lack of both goals and assists have followed the England international from Villa Park, where he earned plaudits for increasingly impressive performances.

However, distribution throughout the squad has on the large part not been the problem—the chances have been created.

Which brings the argument full circle and last month's lack of action, with a lot of the Anfield faithful thinking certain a new forward was on the way.

In ex-Ajax man Suarez, Liverpool have their enigmatic hero.

All that is lacking is a selfish striker to stand up front and basically do nothing else but score goals, this is after all the crux of the beautiful game.

Of the three teams currently occupying the relegation places, only one has scored fewer times than Liverpool this season, an alarming statistic.

A better return than 28 goals in 23 league games is expected after the money that has been ploughed into the squad, although the saving grace is perhaps that the club is still in contention for a top-four finish.

After a tricky February, however, March kicks off at home to Arsenal. With such big games on the horizon, this could be the make-or-break point for Dalglish.