Liverpool Risking Champions League Place with Transfer Window No-Show
Brendan Rodgers will be delighted at getting his Liverpool side back to playing positive football and picking up good results of late, but the improvement at the club doesn't extend to capitalising on the opportunity to add more quality or depth in the team during the January transfer window.
The Reds have not brought in any new faces during the month and, with Rodgers expecting a "quiet" end to the window, per the club's official website, it seems the only addition to the first-team squad will be the recall from loan of Jordon Ibe.
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While not signing anybody won't necessarily stop the Reds from continuing their upward trajectory and sealing a Champions League spot come the end of the season, there are two positions which will surprise plenty that no moves were made to strengthen.
If the current incumbents stay fit and in form, the Reds have a great chance of making the top four. With neither of those things holding true for the campaign so far, though, perhaps the club are taking a great risk with not investing now.
"Looks like a quiet day ahead for #LFC. No incomings/outgoings expected in terms of senior squad. Few youngsters could head out on loan.
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) February 2, 2015"
Goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet is back in the first team, reinstalled as the Reds' No. 1 stopper after Brad Jones' injury. Over the last two or three matches, he has been superb. Not just in his shot-stopping, but also in his fast distribution from his hands, his excellent aerial aggression and command and, importantly, in keeping clean sheets in the three most recent 90-minute games—only Chelsea during extra time in the League Cup semi-final second leg managed to breach him.
However, this run has been a long time coming.
So poor was Mignolet's form, manager Rodgers had to drop him against Manchester United back in December, with the intent at the time on keeping Jones in goal. The Australian's form wasn't any better, and an injury forced the return of the Belgian.
With the regular No. 1 usurped so close to the opening of the window, it looked a certainty the Reds would be in for someone. Despite plenty of rumours surrounding the likes of Neto (per the Mirror) and Mattia Perin (per Metro), the Reds will close out the current season with Mignolet still in place.
If the assured, confident and reliable Mignolet of the last two weeks lasts until the end of the season, all will be well. If not...well, Danny Ward has yet to make his debut, despite the calamitous nature of the two seniors earlier in the season. Jones is still out injured.
Attack
At the opposite end of the field, it took Daniel Sturridge precisely 12 minutes to return from injury and score against West Ham United on Saturday.
After five months on the sidelines, he came back and showed exactly what the team has missed: his terrific movement inside the penalty box and a dead-eye finish to go with it. That was his second league goal of the campaign: Despite playing just four times this term, he is the Reds' joint-highest scoring forward in the league with Rickie Lambert. Fabio Borini has one, Mario Balotelli, none.
If....if Daniel Sturridge stays fit, Liverpool have one of the best strikers in the league. His strike rate is excellent, and he can be relied on to hit the net when he plays. But, he has to remain fit and on the pitch. Without him, Liverpool struggle far more—not to create (although there was a spell where that was affected, too), but to finish reliably.
So why, after enduring a long spell of fruitless attacking play without a true backup for Sturridge, has no move been made to remedy that in January? Danny Ings is the only credible forward target being linked at present, per James Pearce at the Liverpool Echo, but that isn't for now.
"Aston Villa have made an inquiry for Rickie Lambert but Liverpool showing no signs of wanting the forward to leave.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) February 2, 2015"
"Liverpool looking to agree a deal with Burnley for Danny Ings that would avoid the need for a tribunal when his contract ends in June.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) February 2, 2015"
"Any deal for Ings would be for the summer transfer window, not this one.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) February 2, 2015"
Between now and the end of the season, Liverpool have to be prepared for the possibility that Sturridge will miss more game time through injury. It simply isn't feasible to expect him to remain free of strains and knocks over that period of time, when he hasn't done so until now. His goals can fire Liverpool closer to the top four... but his absences could make the gap, even shrinking as it is, near-impossible to overcome.
Compact Squad
The size of the team last season probably contributed to Liverpool's surge toward a title challenge; everybody was on a roll, and the team changed little. A core group were very tight-knit, fought for each other and knew their roles inside out.
An expanded first-team squad this year took some time to jell, but again we are witnessing a smaller core group emerge: perhaps 15 or 16 players, more than last year but still not a huge group, who play the vast majority of minutes between them. That can work in Liverpool's favour again in the league, but it will depend in part on how much Rodgers values the cup competitions. So, adding new faces could work in different ways there, too.
Liverpool face an FA Cup replay against Bolton, with Crystal Palace to come if they win. The Europa League sees a double-header against Turkish side Besiktas, and there's a lot of games to play if the Reds are to reach the final and a chance for silverware—as well as Champions League qualification next term.
The league remains the priority, regardless, and everything has to be geared toward success there in chasing down the top four.
The hope now has to be that not upgrading or replacing in key positions isn't going to cost the chance of that.
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