LIVERPOOL’S NEEDS IN LAST WEEK OF TRANSFER WINDOW

photo from the Telegraph

The big clock is counting down, it’s late August, and the mad scramble will be here before you know it, with all the pushing and shoving and a few arguments thrown in for good measure—but who’ll get what they want?

The transfer window closes on the 2nd September and with all the speculation being thrown around, you have to wonder; have Liverpool fans forgotten what the club actually needs?

Most of the players that have been chased by Liverpool have been forwards: Diego Costa, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Willian to name just three.

Whilst discussions between supporters have had the likes of Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Etienne Capoue linked for central defence and defensive midfield respectively, there has been little movement on the part of the club to fill these roles.

Few would argue that the latter is required on an urgent basis. The arrival of Kolo Toure has been an assured and shrewd signing by the Reds, and will only continue to cement himself as one of the best defenders the club has had in recent times.

Toure is a colossus at the back and attacks every ball on his radar and Liverpool haven’t had an attacking presence from the back four like this since the Sami Hyypia days.

Toure and Daniel Agger in the heart of defence should—on paper—be a solid partnership, but with the attacking style of play Brendan Rodgers favours it requires the support of a solid midfield. Also, the lack of support deeper in the squad, should an injury occur, is a worry.

Lets face reality, despite last season’s improved fitness it’s likely to be Agger that suffers an injury, but who fills in? Martin Skrtel will need games to get up to speed and Seb Coates is already out injured.

The only alternative at present is if Rodgers has outlined bigger plans for Martin Kelly, whose build is staggering for someone playing right-back, or Andre Wisdom.

Aly Cissokho’s arrival will add much needed strength and pace to the left hand side where Jose Enrique has tried and, at times, succeeded while failing at the same time and managing to confuse everyone as to what he was actually trying to do in the first place.

In fairness, he does have the odd good game, but consistency is an ever present issue and you can’t expect consistency on a team level when you can’t get it individually.

In midfield it’s hard to work out which Lucas Leiva is going to turn up on a match day.

He’s had an up and down few years after scaling the heights of player of the year in 2010-11 to suffering a terrible injury to his knee in a collision with Juan Mata the season after, only to make good progress in rehabilitating his knee, making a comeback, and then suffering a thigh injury a few games into his return.

This is a midfield that needs to be physical and tenacious while having the guile to thread the needle. Lucas, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen have held the fort well, but in a system that requires only one out and out centre forward and relies on three out of five experienced midfielders, an injury in the first two thirds of the pitch could be costly, while in the final third it could be covered.

The jury is out on whether this midfield can be good enough to take us to the next level.

Is Lucas’ mobility and harrying enough for a defensive midfielder and does he have the stamina to combat game in, game out, like Javier Mascherano did? What you lack in size you can make up for in technical ability and reading of the game for sure, but again it’s a matter of doing it on a consistent basis.

chalkboard from LiverpoolFC.com

Looking at the Liverpool vs. Stoke chalkboard on the official club site, Gerrard (8) played mainly central with Lucas (21), while Henderson (14) played further forward.

If that’s so, you have a case for wanting another DM alongside Lucas. If Henderson goes forward, and Gerrard follows his natural appetite to abandon his midfield position to push up, it leaves Lucas open to attack—and if he isn’t enough, then the threat is a constant thorn in the side.

It’s clear that Liverpool need reinforcements in defence and midfield not only to cover but to pressurise the first teamers, they need to know their place isn’t a given.

Agger can at times play like he is assured of his place as the best defender in the squad; had the Reds had a beastly centre-back awaiting a call-up into the first team, would Agger have gotten away with the handball against Stoke as lightly as he did?

Sometimes you have to wonder whether the YNWA tattoo on his knuckles clouds people’s thoughts and opinions on the Dane.

That handball came from a defensive frailty that was present last season. A set piece crossed into the heart of the defence causing trouble and a collection of players with a set up that has no idea of its requirements.

Liverpool have changed goalkeepers, bringing Simon Mignolet in for Pepe Reina, yet it remains to see how much of an impact this change will have—but already the Begian has saved Agger’s blushes twice. It begs the question; If the Reds changed all of the personnel that has been highlighted, would the same frailty exist?

If yes, then the personnel isn’t the issue, a defensive coach is still needed, or, Rodgers et al need to actually coach some set piece instructions into the players.

If no, then the players have got some serious work to do if the club is to qualify for the Champions League, switch on and be consistent.

Do Liverpool actually have money?

Some say, yes! Some will say that the club has spent every summer under FSG so why wouldn’t they spend this summer? But others will say that we have no money, already set for a loss with no Champions/Europa League money coming in, despite the rise in TV money.

The hope for any Liverpool fan–just like a fan of any other club–is that all your hopes will be fulfilled and your fears will be quashed, the club will sign the defender it needs, the club will sign the defensive midfielder that’s going to anchor the midfield.

It could well happen.

What the club really needs is for no sneaky bids to come in that they simply cant refuse on September 2nd. An 11th-hour £60 million bid for Luis Suarez could prove tempting for the owners, while leaving the options for replacements scarce in supply.

Fans need to hope the club has learned from the Andy Carroll debacle and not rush in head first should a mouth watering bid come in. Resigned to losing Suarez earlier in the summer, now an apology-of-sorts for his behaviour has smiles all around the club as he is staying put, but they could all turn sour if the club accepts a bid.

Where to go to replace Suarez if the bid comes in?

All of the players of the same ilk as the Uruguayan will be tied up with their clubs and Liverpool will be held to ransom over transfer fees again, over-paying for a replacement.

No thanks.

The nervous twitch would evident in the eye of every Red upon reading the ticking yellow banner bearing “Breaking News: Luis Suarez…”

While Carlton Cole waits for a call from someone, anyone, and Scott Sinclair twiddles his thumbs over at City in the hope that Ian Ayre has one of his lesser moments of sanity, Liverpool fans hope that he has one of his moments of more clarity.

Sat on a kitty of £60m and knowing the club needs to replace an outward striker, keep those hands away from that cheque book Mr Ayre unless you’re 200 percent sure about the replacement.

What the club wants is two centre backs and a defensive midfielder.

What the club and fans need is everything to stay as it is; you sir, do not go anywhere.

What Liverpool Football Club wants and what it needs are two very different things.