5 Ways for Liverpool to Return to the Top
Now that pride and belief appears to be returning for Liverpool Football Club, I will discuss the next steps that the club can take to re-establish themselves as a leading force again.
A disaster of a season under Roy Hodgson is being steadied by Kenny Dalglish, whilst confidence is in the players, it is not always supported by quality performances. Liverpool are a squad of three-five top-class players, teams currently in the top four have this same amount of top-class players available on the bench.
Liverpool have owners that are proving that they can be trusted. Considering this was made much harder for them by the legacy left by the previous regime it is a positive sign that people who care about the club are running the club.
Players like Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres who no longer wanted to be at the club are now out, and a squad of committed players is the perfect base on which to build. Liverpool look likely to return to the Europa league for the second straight season, three seasons in that competition is not going to attract top players or keep the few that are currently in the squad.
Give Kenny Dalglish a Long-Tem Contract
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This was always a likely option when King Kenny initially took up the reigns, but with results and fans plus players reaction it is a necessity that he is handed the job on a permanent basis. The two stalwarts of the Liverpool team, the two players who connect best with the fans have both gone public in saying they want Kenny to stay.
When Gerrard (captain) says "I want to do everything in my power to ensure that he stays here for a long time, beyond the initial six months," and Carragher (vice-captain) saying something similar "obviously I'd love him to be the manager" you get the picture of what Dalglish means to the players. Keeping your most important players on and off the field happy is a must for every owner and keeping Kenny on a permanent basis is a very easy and simple way to do so.
When the new owners (Fenway Group, previously named New England Sports Venture) came in they said they wanted to establish a better relationship with the fans. In appointing Kenny they will find themselves in a win-win situation, no matter what happens on the field the fans will NEVER turn on Kenny.
Steve Clarke the assistant manager brought in by Kenny Dalglish has had an immediate impact. Players enjoy his training sessions and it is believed he was the tactical mastermind behind the 1-0 victory at Chelsea. It will be hard to persuade him to stay if the man who brought him into the club is no longer there.
Buy Some Premiership Proven Wingers
2 of 5Liverpool don't need just one proven winger, they need at least two. Currently in the squad there is NO legitimate wide player, Dirk Kuyt, Maxi and Joe Cole are steady in that position, but none of them have the ability to play like a true winger.
Liverpool's lack of any genuine width makes Plan B difficult. While Kenny appears to have negated the problem using wing-backs, it is hardly a long-term solution. Dirk Kuyt is a tireless worker on the right, but I'd prefer him in a cover role for Suarez and Carroll, rather than a wide-player starting every game.
There was a desperate need for wingers before Andy Carroll signed, now he is a Liverpool player it becomes a more pressing need. One of the main strengths of Carroll is his ability in the high, and apart from set-pieces he is not going to get good service coming into the box. When you spend £35 million on one player then you need to adapt the team to cater for his strengths. It will also help Suarez in that he can feed off the knock-downs from Carroll and spend more time further up the pitch.
Ashley Young was linked in last months transfer window, in the summer he will only have 12 months left on his contract so pushing Villa to try and sell the player may be a good option. Young would fit perfectly into the Liverpool team, a young hard-working player with plenty of quality on the ball, who can also play on the left-hand side. Stephen Downing or Charles N'zogbia are other players that fit into the Fenway Groups model for new signings if Ashley Young cannot be brought in.
Find a Solution to the Left-Back Problem
3 of 5Liverpool have not had a consistent left-back for many years, this is an area that needs to be addressed to provide balance for the team. Often this season when Daniel Agger doesn't play there is no left-footed player in the team, whilst it is not imperative to have left-footers it does help to provide balance.
John Arne Riise was probably the last successful left-back, although his talents were more suited to attack than defence and even then he was one-dimentional. Players like Andrea Dossena, Paul Konchesky and Fabio Aurellio have failed to provide consistent performances or balance to the defence.
The new owners have made youth a priority in any new signings. Luis Suarez is 23 years old and Andy Carrol is 22 years of age. So any new left-back needs to be young and the owners will fully back the purchase of that player, Fabio Coentrao fits this bill perfectly. Coentrao is a 22 year old full international, youth plus experience is exactly what is needed.
The problem for Liverpool here is that there is likely to be fierce competition for Coentrao, with clubs in the champions league like Barcelona, Real Madrid and even Chelsea possibly in the market for a left-back. Although with no major debt on the club and ambitious owners price shouldn't be a problem. Raul Meireles, his fellow Portuguese international can help to persuade the player to join the club.
The lack of champions league football may be a factor that Liverpool cannot get past in the summer in trying to sign Coentrao so players like Maynor Figueroa from Wigan or Stephen Warnock from Aston Villa are cheaper options the club can pursue.
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Make a Decision on Future Stadium
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Liverpool have needed a new stadium for about 10 years now. In fact one of the reasons David Moores (ex Liverpool owner) decided to sell the club was because he felt he couldn't finance the new stadium Liverpool need.
When Tom Hicks and George Gillett came in they made an infamous promise regarding a new stadium in Stanley Park saying "The spade needs to be in the ground within, what, 60 days". The designs for the stadium were complete, permission from the city council was obtained in 2003 but eight years on and Stanley Park looks relatively the same.
The only positive left by Hicks and Gillett is that they proved so inept at running the club that fans will be pleased with just small signs of encouragement from the new owners. John Henry (the head of Fenway Sports Group) promised to analyse all avenues regarding a new stadium, even proposing a redevelopment of Anfield instead. His history and undoubted success in redeveloping Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox suggest he is a man who can be trusted and knows what is required.
Ideally in the summer a decision will be announced, the limbo that Liverpool are left in is not helping the fans or the finances. It is hard to imagine the club returning to the top whilst lingering questions remain about the stadium. The sooner a decision is finalised the quicker Liverpool can become a footballing powerhouse again.
Improve Squad Quality
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When you look at the bench this season it rarely breathes confidence into the Liverpool fan. Players like Maxi, Lucas, Kuyt and Skrtel are capable of being good squad players, but not starters every week. The lack of squad depth is putting too much pressure on the top players. Steven Gerrard and Raul Meireles need to play 90 minutes almost every game otherwise the chances of three points are quickly diminished.
I am not suggesting that Liverpool need to buy players solely to provide cover from the bench, instead replace those who start every week. In an ideal world when a player comes off the bench it is to improve the team and provide a different option, rarely does that happen for Liverpool. There is a strong core running through the team in Reina, Carragher, Meireles, Gerrard, Suarez and Carroll, but outside these players the quality lessens and the team suffers.
The areas that need to be improved upon are largely but not exclusively in midfield. Brad Jones is suitable cover for Pepe Reina, there are four able centre-backs and Glen Johnson or Martin Kelly at right back. Johnson or Daniel Agger can also cover the left-back slot so only one addition is needed there. The midfield area is not so well stocked in quality.
I have covered the need for wingers in a previous slide, but there is also a need for depth in the centre midfield area. Christian Poulsen is not even good enough for the bench and while Lucas' game improved this year, he still panics and loses the ball, coming off the bench to see out a game is a better role for him.
However, before any midfield players are brought in I would hope that Alberto Aquilani is given a better chance to prove himself in midfield than he was by Rafael Benitez. Aquilani is one of the standout players for Juventus this season and deserves another chance when he comes back from loan. He is a creative goal-scoring player who was never backed or given a proper run in the team by Benitez. Sadly all signs point to the player staying in Italy, with Juventus and Aquilani stating a wish for a permanent move.
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