There had to
be more than just intent in this summer’s window because the club had reached
crisis point. If you think it’s not
possible for a great club like ours to fall away then think again. At end of the last Serie A season, Inter
Milan finished eighth and AC Milan tenth, the first time in 60 years both clubs
failed to qualify for Europe.
In fact
recognising the possibility of not qualifying for the Champions League AC Milan
Director Umberto Gandini said in October 2014 “I would like to see
opportunities for wildcards or different routes for clubs who have the ability,
the prestige or the size to compete in the Champions League."
For both clubs the ignominy goes further. The 2016 Champions League final will be
played in the San Siro. Gandini’s
desperate plea for wildcards was rebuked by UEFA General Secretary Gianni
Infantino.
Buy-ins and
loans out left us devoid of class. We saw
flashes of class from Lallana, but injuries impaired his progress and of the
five top signings only Emre Can showed progressively top class ability which he
continued into the European Under-21 Championships adopting his preferred
holding midfield role.
Key matches
were lost to most of our competition and we were ignominiously beaten twice by
Crystal Palace for the first time in a Premier League season.
Devoid of a single
world class player and possibly dropping away from the elite, the ownership were
just as responsible as the manager and questions needed to be asked as to
whether the transfer committee should be disbanded and if so could the manager
be trusted in the transfer market?
The fact
that Rodgers then lost two of his most trusted lieutenants in Marsh and Pascoe
having been ruthlessly sacked points the finger of blame directly at him and it
remains to be seen just how long he has left in the job.
The
spotlight is firmly on Rodgers if this not be his last transfer window let
alone season.
No lesser
thinker than Albert Einstein said the simplest explanation tends to be the most
accurate and in this case Brendan Rodgers failed the litmus test.
At the time
of writing, James Milner, Danny Ings, Adam Bogans, Adam Bogdan, Nathaniel Clyne
and Joe and the marquee signing of Robeto Firmino from Hoffenheim for £29
million. The shackles are firmly off
with strong rumours that Christian Benteke will be the next signing for
Rodgers.
Review of
personnel
Brendan Rodgers – Cut a ghostly figure as he was
pictured leaving his meeting with the board and then in the next breath he
behaved like a ‘spin doctor’ giving the impression that he was not to blame for
transfers.
The feeling
gained traction with the removals of Pascoe and Marsh after which he somehow
remained in post, lacking the moralistic fibre to follow.
The transfer
committee took a huge gamble in bringing in Mario Balotelli at the last,
gambling on Rodgers well publicised relationship with Suarez as the template in
which he would bring the Italian World Cup striker to heel. Time and time again in the absence of Daniel
Sturridge we were left short upfront with strikers either left to kick their
heels on the bench or left out altogether while Sterling was left to plough a
loan thorough in a position he lacked experience in.
Aspas,
Alberto and Ilori were all sent out on loan with only Aspas gaining relative
success in the Copa del Rey.
Sixth place
in the League and two semi-finals would be deemed a success in some quarters,
but the performances in Europe were nothing short of a disgrace. Barring Real Madrid, we should have skated
through our Champions League group, but instead were ignominiously dumped out
of the competition. In my opinion
Brendan Rodgers had every right to change his team against Real Madrid at the
Santiago Bernabéu if only for the reason that he was changing a losing team,
but where he fell down was to pick most of the dropped players against Chelsea
for the weekend game which made his decision feel like a failed psychological
attempt to shock his team into a winning mentality after being well beaten by
Chelsea.
After the
second loss to Man United the season derailed in spectacular fashion which was
disappointing with possible Champions League qualification in the offing
through the Europa League. We lacked the
necessary drive or inspiration to stay in the competition and the dismal
performance in the the FA Cup semi-final where we failed to turn up saw him
outcoached by Tim Sherwood and led to many Liverpool supporters scratching
their heads and wondering whether last season was purely down to Suarez with a
little help from his friends, particularly when one sees the galvanising effects
he’s had at Barcelona.
Rodgers presided
over a woeful season in which Liverpool were only in the running for little
over a third of it and finally ending up being cannon fodder for all and sundry
culminating in the tanking by Stoke. At
pivotal moments in the season, just as with the Chelsea game the season before
his lack of experience was apparent and is ultimately the reason why his
coaching staff were dismissed.
His
man-management skills were found wanting particularly with his treatment of
Gerrard, in dropping him at the Santiago Bernabéu and then at Wembley with the
player finding out from other sources (regained his place with the injury to
Lucas). And finally, allowing the club
Captain to start his send-off before the Palace game when technically, however
remotely, it was still possible to catch Man United. Liverpool should have been mentally attuned
to the situation until it was no longer statistically possible to catch United.
The jury is
out on Brendan Rodgers. Does he have the
ability to ignite the transfer window and entice top players to Anfield and can
he prove that the 2013/14 season was not an anomaly. Right now he seems to be doing that, but the
proof lies ahead.
In fact will
he survive up until Christmas? No lesser thinker than Albert Einstein said the
simplest explanation tends to be the most accurate and in this case Brendan
Rodgers has failed the litmus test last season.
4/10
Simon Mignolet – Strong performances throughout the
winning run were long overdue. Finished
his first season with questions marks hanging over him after a few ropey
performances and continued to be suspect under the high ball looking flimsy
against the challenge. In a side where his
defence offered very little protection he eventually lost his place to Brad
Jones only to regain it due to the latter’s injury. Mignolet remains a shot-stopper of the
highest order and finally grew into the role in the second-half of the
season. Remains suspect under the cross,
punching almost everything in front or above him and for a team which plays its
football on the ground his kicking is sub-standard. With Brad Jones leaving the club, increased competition
from Adam Bogdan will hopefully push him on to further heights. 5/10
Glen Johnson – As a senior player Johnson failed
to pick up the mantle. Had a less than
stellar campaign struggling defensively and adding very little in offensive
which was always his ‘get out of jail free card’. His season was also blighted by injury. If Jon Flanagan had remained fit it’s debatable
whether he’d have remained in Rodgers thoughts. Given his size, skillset and experience it’s
disappointing that Johnson wasn’t able to fit into the centre-half position
taken on by Emre Chan and would have given Rodgers the option of moving the German into midfield
as the season drew to a close. Johnson
made a paltry 28 appearances (6 as a substitute) with 1 goals and no
assists. A sad end to a Liverpool career
which flattered to deceive. 2/10
José Enrique – His season ruined by his recurring long-term
knee injury the ex-Newcastle defender appeared more on social media with his girlfriend
than on the pitch. Just nine
appearances, followed on from nine the previous 2013-2014 season leaves his
future hanging in the balance. Having
splashed out £12 million on Moreno, Rodgers may feel a more defensive minded
left-back a better option as a back-up than the defensively suspect and frail
Enrique whose Anfield career appears to have run its course. 9 Appearances (3
as a sub) with no goals and 1 assist. 1/10
Dejan Lovren – Aside from Balotelli the single
most disappointing player over the season.
Arrived as the saviour with the praise of club favourite Jamie Carragher
ringing in his ears, but lacked the presence and leadership qualities he was so
lauded for at Southampton. By the season’s
close his confidence had all but disappeared and was roundly destroyed by
Yannick Bolasie at Anfield and Benteke at Wembley. It’s probably too early to give up on his
Anfield future, but he will go into the new season behind Martin Skrtel and
Mamadou Sakho as the first choice combination should Liverpool move to a back
four which looks likely with the arrival of Nathaniel Clyne. 38 Appearances (6
as a sub) with 1 goal and no assists. 4/10
Martin Škrtel – Far and away Liverpool’s most
consistent defender over the past two seasons.
Enjoyed arguably his best season defensively and had it not been for the
brilliant form of Phillipe Coutinho may well have been Liverpool’s player of
the season. The Slovakian Captain was
the only defender who enjoyed anything approaching the consistency we craved in
front of Simon Mignolet. Often worked
overtime covering his colleagues. His
goal output like Liverpool’s depreciated somewhat only mustering one Premier
League goal, down from seven the preceding season which was systematic of the team’s
ineptitude in front of goal. If
Liverpool are to get back among the top four one suspects Škrtel will be a key
figure. 48 appearances with 1 goal and no assists. 7/10
Emre Can – Undisputedly the best of Brendan
Rodger’s summer buys. The midfielder
enhanced his reputation playing out of position adding poise and control to the
defence particularly during Liverpool’s winning run. Often the link between defence and midfield
stepping out and striding forward.
Possessing excellent vision with both short and long range passing and
as such it was disappointing not to see him moved into the midfield role once
Liverpool began to struggle. Has an
obvious future in midfield with the ability to drive forward with his height
and power giving an extra dimension to a midfield lacking power and stature
with Allen and Lucas. Moving him into
the midfield will also present Rodgers with the option of moving to a four man
midfield on occasions. Interestingly, Can
impressed many in the European under-21 Championships in a holding midfield
role. 40 appearances with 1 goal and 1 assist. 6/10
Mamadou Sakho – Another whose Anfield career has
reached a pivotal point having struggled throughout with injuries. He often appears ‘leggy’ on the ball, but in
fairness to him his short passing is underrated and when in tune can often set
up attacks from the back by moving onto the edge of midfield before
offloading. His injury in the FA Cup tie
win over Blackburn robbed the defence of his physical presence just as he
appeared to be getting up to speed. If
Sakho can rid himself of his nagging injuries he is the logical candidate to
become the long-term partner to Martin Škrtel with his performances for France
alluding to a top class defender and leader in the making. 27 appearances (2 as
a sub) 0 goals and 0 assists. 5/10
Kolo Touré – Was more of a squad player than the
previous season. Although Touré
played a useful part in filling in where injuries and lack of form permitted,
his reduction in pace and movement highlighted his shortcomings and his
relative absence during the unsuccessful final stretch of the season emphasized
his struggles. Hence it was a huge
surprise to see him given a year’s contract extension and one can only surmise
the decision is purely down to his influence and experience off the field with
the departures of Gerrard and Johnson rather than sentiment. 21 appearances (8
as a sub) 0 goals and 0 assists. 4/10
Alberto Moreno – The
left-back/wing-back exploded on the scene with a flourish unleashing a superb
solo goal against Spurs in only his second game. Unfortunately, he rarely reached those
heights again tending to lack composure in the final third, often short on
accuracy. More worrying is his lack of
defensive prowess frequently hanging out a leg or his positional sense being
awry at critical moments. It will be
interesting to see him in a conventional left-back role and whether he has the
patience to time his forward runs and concentrate on defending. Showed enough promise to warrant the feeling
that further progress is not beyond him if he can restrain his carefree
approach into the team ethic. 41 appearances (4 as a sub) 2 goals 1 assist 4/10
Javier Manquillo
– Despite promising displays was another who suffered with Brendan Rodgers indecision. Notwithstanding being the only available pure
full-back in a team struggling defensively, was openly criticised for not being
able to play in the wing-back role which was a strange comment particularly as
by the end of the season Emre Can was being targeted relentlessly because of
his lack of mobility covering the right hand side of the defence. Funnily enough, he had a strong game in the
4-1 drumming of Swansea before being cast aside. It’s doubtful whether the club will pick up his
option for a second year loan extension for a player with the highest tackle
and interception count in the team which says a lot about Rodgers mindset
regarding defending. 19 appearances (1 as a sub) 0 goals and 2 assists 5/10
Lucas Leiva – The Brazilian made enough of an
impact in another injury laden season to show just what he brings to the
table. With Gerrard out of the team, he
rose to the occasion, producing top class performances in protecting the
defence and it was no coincidence that with his application and organisational
skills the goals against column looked decidedly healthy until injury struck
again. There have been persistent
murmurs that Brendan Rodgers will look to ship out the Brazilian International
in preference to Joe Allen preferring the latter’s more rounded game. To my mind that would be a mistake as the
Welshman struggles physically in the trench warfare of central midfield and the
intricacies of breaking up attacks from the holding role. 32 appearances (6 as
a sub) 0 goals and no assists 6/10
Steven Gerrard – There was no doubting that the
2014-15 version of the Liverpool captain showed signs of slowing. His lateral movement and the raking stride
were not as evident as they once were which meant that no longer could we rely
on him to constantly dig us out of the holes.
Even in decline Gerrard remained the clubs top scorer with 13 goals even
though his season was somewhat curtailed with injuries. The fiasco over his contract led to a
long-goodbye and helped to destabilise the club on and off the pitch. His free-kick goal in the dying embers
of Liverpool’s Champions League against
Basel, flaunted his quality, but also emphasises just how much we’ll miss the brilliance
of arguably the greatest ever Red. Gerrard
proved the old maxim that form is temporary and class is permanent and we must
replace their captain if they are to stand any chance of reviving our fortunes.
41 appearances (5 as a sub) 13 goals and no assists 6/10
Phillipe Coutinho - Came into his own in the
second-half of the season and by the close was without doubt the club’s
pre-eminent player. Where previously he’d
drifted out of games on the hour, he has matured becoming the main instigator
of our attacks able to probe from deep, adding an ability to finish from long
range to his game scoring some glorious goals from distance. His play reached a crescendo during
Liverpool’s winning run. The temptation
must be to build the side around his world class ability in tandem with compatriot
Roberto Firmino and move away from the propensity for Coutinho to work back and
use his brilliance in critical areas of the pitch as with David Silva. Liverpool need to surround him with the support
his talent deserves throughout the team or risk losing him should we fail to
qualify for the Champions League. He
earned a well-earned call-up to Brazil’s Copa America squad eventually
replacing the banned Neymar. 52 appearances (5 as a sub) 8 goals and 5 assists 8/10
Jordan Henderson – This was the season when the ex-Sunderland
man solidified his place as a leader in the side, demonstrating character and
leadership alongside and in the absence of Steven Gerrard. Often sacrificed for the good of team he
played in a multitude of positions allowing others to play and flourish around
him. Added goals to his repertoire
(although he needs to get more), but the improvement in his awareness and his
passing can be seen in the assists charts which he topped with ten. Like others his play dipped in the last
knockings of the season, but there’s a lot more improvement to come
particularly if he is allowed to build a partnership with Emre Can or a new
world class incumbent in the engine room of Liverpool’s midfield. 54
appearances (2 as a sub) 7 goals and 10 assists 6/10
Adam Lallana – After his big money move endured a
disappointing season where he appeared unable to pick up any momentum picking
up finicky injuries hindering his progression.
His ability to ghost into the penalty area was unbowed, but with his
undoubted quality will be disappointed with a return. Lallana has the ability to influence games at
his best and with knack of scoring vital goals could eventually be a valuable
addition if he returns to anything like his Southampton form. Rodgers will want the ex-Southampton captain to
establish himself as one of the senior figures.
With the addition of Firmino his starts in the side cannot be assured
and may have to adapt his play to break into the side. 41 appearances (9 as a
sub) 6 goals and 3 assists 4/10
Joe Allen – The jury is well and truly out for
this midfield schemer who has so far failed to establish himself in the side
after by lumbered with the moniker of the “Welsh Xabi” by his manager. Allen has previously given the impression of
a man swimming against the tide of expectation and this last season was no
different. There were pockets of games
where Allen in the absence of Gerrard seemed about to pick up the mantle, but the
perception is that he is not top class or at least he hasn’t shown the ability
to control games. Personally, I think he is short of the required quality. He will be disappointed that for a third
season in a row he has failed to back he’s managers faith in him and will go
into next season knowing that failure will see him back among the rank and
file. 32 appearances (5 as a sub) 2 goals and 1 assist 4/10
Raheem Sterling – By the season’s half-way point was
the pre-eminent player in the absence of Sturridge and looked to be on his way
to enjoying his finest season as a professional. The club sought to protect him from burn out
by sending him away to Jamaica for a week, but by the seasons close both he and
his agent, the now infamous Aidy Ward, created a nightmare scenario and brought
the relationship between the player and club into disrepute and arguably into
an untenable position. The club’s stance
on contract negotiations across the board did not help, but Sterling alienated
fans in an ill-advised attempt to use the media for his own ends. The player chose to air his grievances in
public, doing his bit to the derail the club’s attempts to qualify for the
Champions League a competition which he claims he wants to play in. At Wembley he was poor and his season petering
out as if he was a man with his mind on other things. If this was to be last season it ended on a
pretty sour note. 52 appearances (3 as a sub) 11 goals and 7 assists 5/10
Jordan Ibe – Spent the first half of the season
at Derby enjoying great success scoring 5 goals in 20 appearances becoming a
firm favourite. Returned to Liverpool
in January and in flashes showed enough to have many feeling that he will
easily step into the breach should Sterling move on. Adapted better than any of colleagues to the wing-back
role, but with his dribbling ability his future lies further forward and
possessing skill and pace to burn he has the capability to become a regular goal
scorer. 14 appearance (5 as a sub) 0 goals and 1 assist 4/10
Lazar Marković – Joined the club on the back an ultra-successful
season with Benfica, winning the domestic treble and runners-up in the Europa
League Final. He suffered from not being
deployed in attacking areas and as such gave the impression of going into his
shell thrown by the responsibility of having to take on a defensive mind set. Will be interesting to him in a more familiar
attacking role as Liverpool fans have yet to see the talented youngster in full
cry. 34 appearances (11 as a sub) 3 goals and 1 assist 4/10
Mario Balotelli – The expectation after the 3-1 away
victory to Spurs and his performance levels in tandem with Sterling and
Sturridge led us to believe that the new dawn post Suarez had arrived. Sturridge was soon injured and the
expectation made way for disappointment as time after time “Super Mario” failed
to hit the heights. He tailed off dramatically and not unlike Enrique could
sometimes be found more easily on social media than by a team mates pass. 28
appearances (14 as a sub) 4 goals and 3 assists 1/10
Disappointingly,
a player of undoubted talent whose work rate failed to get anyway near the
previous incumbents and as a consequence his stock now lies at rock bottom. Toward the end of the season appeared to be
self-diagnosing against his own medical team in making himself unavailable and
one sensed the disappointment of his manager.
It will necessitate a David Blaine type magic trick in the transfer
market for Liverpool to recoup anything approaching the £16 million they
shelled out for the striker. 28 appearances (14 as a sub) 4 goals 3 assists 2/10
Fabio Borini – Rejoined the club after a strong
season with Sunderland where he played a key role in helping to keep up the
Wearsiders. On the back of this Borini
turned downed a chance to remain with Sunderland after Liverpool accepted £14
million bid, expressing his wish to stay and fight for place and play in the
Champons League. He managed just one
goal in 18 appearances, all but signalling the end of his Anfield career. In his defence was given unfair ride by his
manager over the season and throughout his career at the club, although he came
out of the Champions League match at the Santiago Bernabéu with much credit. 17
appearances (12 as a sub) 1 goal 1 assist 3/10
Daniel Sturridge – It was going to be the season where
Daniel Sturridge leapt to prominence on the world stage with the loss of Suarez
and as the leader of Liverpool’s attack for the first time. Unfortunately, injured on England duty his
season ravaged by injury became a tale of woe with the former Chelsea striker
unable to extricate himself from the depth of despair. Even in a season truncated by muscular
injuries he still managed 4 goals from 7 League starts which suggest had he
stayed fit there is no doubt Liverpool would have at the very least challenged
for third place. If he can regain some
assemblance of fitness and with the addition of new strikers the 15/16 season
could see him vying among the top strikers in the League. It’s a season critical to his career going
forward as another injury hit season will see him left in no man’s land. 18
appearances (6 as a sub) 5 goals and 1 assist 4/10
Rickie Lambert – His acquisition was felt to be a
clever bit of business as the support act to Sturridge and Balotelli. With his reliability over past seasons in
addition to his prowess in the air, technical ability and expertise at dead
ball situations many thought he would provide the missing ingredient for a plan
b option which we so lacked the previous season. In effect, Rodgers appeared hamstrung not
knowing how to fit Lambert into his pressing game and as such the player was
often used as a substitute at the end of games with very little time left or
strangely attempting to adapt to the teams style rather than the other way
around as he was bought to provide an alternative. 33 appearances (21 as a sub)
3 goals and 5 assists 5/10
Loanees
As much as
it would be please one to see the gifted Joao Teixiera make the breakthrough,
particularly after his promising season with Brighton it will take a fantastic
pre-season for him to force his way into the squad with the likes of Coutinho,
Markovic, Lallana, Ibe and Firmino already on the roster.
Andre Wisdom
returned almost certainly to provide cover right across the backline which is
surprising given Rodgers hanging on to Kolo Toure, but the ex-Bantam youth
player will add depth to Liverpool squad particularly if used at centre-half.
Tiago Illori
seemed on course for an early exit after relatively unsuccessful loan to
Granada and Bordeaux respectively, but standout performances for Portugal in
the European Under-21 Championship brought the talented youngster back to the
fore to which ends he has been offered a new contract and a chance to make a
pitch for the first team during the pre-season tour of Far East, Australia and
Finland.
Of the
younger players Jordan Rossiter, returning from injury (ruptured ankle
ligaments), looks to have a strong chance of being included in the first team
squad, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding the future of Lucas Leiva,
Sheyji Ojo,
Jerome Sinclair, Jordan Williams and Lloyd Jones will almost certainly be sent
out for another loan stint as will Cameron Brannagan, Jack Dunn, Kevin Stewart
and Rafa Paez.
Will be
interesting to see whether Harry Wilson is a peripheral member of the squad or
sent out on loan given his strong performances for the under-21s
With Iago
Aspas and Sebastian Coates sold, the exit door will stay open for the likes of
Luis Alberto.
