Borini’s Injury Highlights Liverpool Transfer Policy

So our summer transfer policy has come home to roost.  In a window which saw Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt and Andy Carroll, on loan, leave the club with only Fabio Borini bought in for £10.5 million, the last named has now been confirmed as having broken a bone in his foot on international duty leaving Luis Suarez as the club’s only recognised top flight striker.

In a season which has seen the club again struggle to convert chances, Borini has shown an appetite to lead the line, if not as yet fully adjusted to the rigours of the Premiership football at one of the world’s greatest clubs.



Fabio Borini could be out for months

We have been constant in this blog that Brendan Rodgers has two ways to go.  First, to bring an experience striker before January on a free, but given the time frame he would be unlikely to get a striker capable of filling the breach.  The second is to promote either Adam Morgan or Dani Pacheco as a replacement for Borini.  Of the two Morgan seems the most likely candidate fitted to leading the line although should Pacheco fulfil his early promise Liverpool could yet save themselves millions in the transfer market.

It was folly for a top flight club to come into the season with just two strikers, one of whom is unproven in the Premiership, when the club’s main aim was to be challenging for a Champions League place.  In addition, with the added incentive of Europa League football it was obvious that two strikers would leave us someway short.
 
The lack of depth has seen the likes of Raheem Sterling, Suso and Andre Wisdom break into the first probably sooner than Rodgers would have preferred, even given their their relative success.  And it’s allowed others like Jack Robinson to manoeuvre themselves into contention and for Jonjo Shalvey who more than likely was bound for another loan stint if Rodgers transfer policy been allowed to flower, has become an intrinsic member of the squad.  His marked improvement has been at such a rate that he is now a deserved addition, as his club club captain pointed out recently, of Roy Hodgson’s England World Cup squad against San Marino.

Brendan Rodgers will be offering up a prayer than Luis Suarez comes through Uruguay's World Cup qualifiers unscathed or Liverpool’s season already under some pressure could unravel in spectacular style.
 
Hopefully the board will  be already be looking ahead to the January window and working with the manager to bolster a late Champions League run should we be a position to mount such a challenge.
 
If Rodgers can leverage Liverpool into a holding position he will have pulled a rabbit out of a very deep hat.