Youngsters Making A Telling Impression

By KP

Martin Kelly and John Flanagan’s impressive performances have helped the club on two counts. First, the club now have enough cover with Glen Johnson in the right-back position and second, in tandem with Jack Robinson and Jay Spearing they are provided a template for other youngsters to follow.  In the last week alone Pacheco and Amoo have scored for the respective loan clubs and Ayala has been impressing in the middle of the Derby defence.  Dalglish knows he has a well-rested Johnson at his disposal for next season, as he does Gerrard and Agger, in addition to the bolstered confidence of Lucas Leiva and this season’s top class buys of Meireles, Suarez and Carroll.

As has been well documented throughout the season, there are key areas which Damian Camolli and Kenny Dalglish need to confront head on. The cry is that a centre-half needs to be one of the first transfers and no fan would say no to Gary Cahill or Ryan Shawcross. If Glen Johnson is to stay at the club and with Flanagan looking a safe bet, why not move Martin Kelly back to his number one position as centre-half.  He possesses all the potential attributes of a top class centre-half; pace, good in the air, strong and he is a good footballer.  An experience left-back is definitely the order of the day, with Robinson only just coming through and sadly, Aurelio as has been his wont throughout his Anfield career, cannot be relied upon to maintain fitness for any discernible amount of time.

The midfield is now well stocked with combative midfielders, but creativity and pace are obviously the key elements which need to be added to the blend.  At the moment Liverpool are pressing high and working hard all over the pitch, with the team working as one.  Bringing in a player like Charlie Adam or João Moutinho (or even Aquilani’s return), with a Downing or Ashley Young,   gives Dalglish the ability to set up with different formations, whether it’s with wingers, a deep lying play-maker or an extra striker - a striker to play on the last man to get in the area poaching goals would create different options to those already available with Suarez and Carroll.  Dalglish is obviously fully aware of the lack of creativity, speaking after going out to Braga he said, "You need to be really strong creatively if you are going to break down a very organised side or you need a bit of luck and we certainly have not had much fortune over two legs - but I guess everyone says they should have more luck then they get.

"Like every other team in the world we could do with a bit more creativity but we are no different than anyone else."

We need an injection of pace into the team and the players mention above or players of that ilk would give us the added dimension we are craving for, especially wingers allowing Carroll to operate in the last third where he is at his potent allowing Suarez, Gerrard, Meireles and Kuyt to pick up any crumbs falling from carnage his attempts on goal can cause.

There’s been a lot chatter recently about whether missing out on Europe would be such a big deal.  If Liverpool does not qualify, Champions League qualification in 4^th place should be the minimum requirement for the 2011-12 season.  With no European football and hopefully a vastly improved squad, Dalglish would have the latitude to field his strongest side for all Premiership games without the threat of succumbing to tiredness from mid-week European matches. 

On the flipside, it does not leave much room for manoeuvre for the manager to blood new youngsters as he would surely have done in the early qualifying stages of the Europa Cup next season.  We have seen Flanagan, Robinson and Spearing breakthrough in the last few months of this season with relatively through games to go, but this has only happened due to injuries and the manager having the strength of character to trust his belief in the players.  Next season with a bigger squad youngsters may find it more difficult to breakthrough, but at least with King Kenny at the controls they know if there is a chance it will remain open to them.

By KP