Liverpool's plight has been well-documented, from the new owners NESV taking over to the poor performances of the first team to the mounting pressure on boss Roy Hodgson.
Whether or not Hodgson remains in charge of the Reds by the time the January 2011 transfer window rolls around remains to be seen - but what is clear is that significant investment will be required if Liverpool are to have any chance of rescuing their season.
Early on in the campaign though it might be, it is already looking like Liverpool's route to European football next season might have to come by way of an FA Cup victory - something which looks completely unattainable right now given the recent performances against the likes of Blackpool, Utrecht and Everton.
At the beginning of this season Hodgson added Raul Meireles, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Paul Konchesky, Danny Wilson and Paul Jones to Liverpool's squad, plus the re-signing of Fabio Aurelio. The additional signings of Jonjo Shelvey and Milan Jovanovic had already previously been arranged.
But few of those new faces have shone at Anfield so far this season and Liverpool's squad, if anything, looks weaker than it was last season.
So what are the main areas Liverpool need to look at strengthening in January?
Goalkeepers
Pepe Reina is one of the Premier League's best goalkeepers, if not one of the world's best. He needs no replacing and is one of the few in the current squad who can be relied upon to produce consistently good performances. Brad Jones is his understudy, and while he is no world-beater, he will likely be reduced to less than half a dozen first team performances.
This area is fine for Liverpool.
Central Defense
In terms of numbers, Liverpool are fine here. Carragher, Skrtel, Agger and Kyrgiakos are the senior players while youngster Wilson is waiting in the wings, along with the more versatile Martin Kelly. While this depth would hint at no strengthening required, Liverpool have shipped in 17 goals in 15 games this season and something needs to be done soon to stop the rot.
In my own opinion, taking Skrtel out of the team for now would go some distance to improving this statistic. The Slovak is well out of form and has been consistently at fault this season for allowing chances to the opposition. The injury prone Agger would be first choice but for his niggles, so I would prefer to see Greek monster Soto Kyrgiakos given an extended run in the first team.
Again, no reinforcements should be needed for Liverpool in this area.
Full Backs
Liverpool's right back Glen Johnson seems to split opinion. Talented in attack but limited in defense, say some. We're an attacking team and his powerful surges forward are a huge bonus, say others. Stick him right midfield and let a defender defend, say still others, forgetting that they themselves argued against a sitting full back when the likes of Carragher occupied the position.
For me, Liverpool are supposed to be an attacking team who control the majority of each game, so Johnson at right back is a necessity and a plus. However this season's diabolical displays have exposed - not only Johnson's - limitations and Liverpool are suffering from it. Kelly has provided back-up in this position; I see no need to change here specifically.
On the left, quite the reverse.
Last season Emiliano Insua, Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena all failed to nail down a first team spot with any distinction. This season, Aurelio again and new-boy Paul Konchesky have even more epically failed to impress. Indeed, Carragher, Kelly, Agger and Stephen Darby have all also had to fill in due to injuries, unavailability and lack of impression.
Liverpool have for a long time failed to find a left back with good attacking qualities, a solid defensive mindset and the ability to sustain a run in the team for most of an entire season.
Evra at Manchester United and Cole at Chelsea are streets ahead of what Liverpool can offer in this position, but surely a player of the calibre of Assou-Ekotto, Gael Clichy or Aleks Kolarov should be able to be found? After all, we've been looking for one for about ten years.
Liverpool could do worse than look at Juan Vargas of struggling Fiorentina (bottom of Serie A, having knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League last season - at least the Reds aren't the only ones to have fallen), Aly Cissokho of Lyon or Vurnon Anita of Ajax. All these players possess good crossing abilities and the physical prowess to support both attack and defence adequately, something at which the current incumbents have proved desperately wanting.
New signing needed, badly!
Central Midfield
I'll be perfectly honest here. Roy Hodgson's decisions with Liverpool's central midfield this season have nothing short of baffled me. (you and me both, bb. you and me both)
Pairing Lucas and Poulsen together is just asking for trouble - we could see that the first time they started and played alongside each other. Neither can dominate a game, neither are great with their passing - Poulsen is yet to prove himself merely 'adequate' at passing - neither inspire fear or awe in the opposition midfield and together they look lost in a big expanse of green.
Raul Meireles, Liverpool's most expensive signing of the summer, a central midfielder, has been continually played out of position, out on the right flank or, only marginally better, playing off the front man.
Not good enough.
Gerrard and Meireles should have been paired together from the start and given a run of games to make their partnership work. They are the two who can run, pass, tackle and get forward - and would allow Joe Cole to get his chance playing in the centre as he wants to.
It says quite a lot when Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is a better passer of the ball than most of the Liverpool midfield.
Jay Spearing, local born midfielder, has done well when given the chance but is yet to earn a sustained run in the side. Plenty would counter he has done more to warrant inclusion than Poulsen, but it takes a lot of guts these days to throw in rookie players in the hectic Premiership world, possibly even more so when a team of Liverpool's stature is languishing at the wrong end of the table.
Lucas is hard working and has ability, but also has limitations. And in the current climate of the team, those limitations are being exposed. I was all for keeping Lucas this season, on the impression that Meireles and Gerrard would be first choice and Lucas and Poulsen the back ups. It hasn't happened that way, and Liverpool have paid for these decisions.
Changes needed. Poulsen
Attacking Midfield
Lets face facts: Joe Cole has not shone. But I put that down in part to the entire team being ridiculously bad this season. Hard for one new-boy to be the shining light when the rest of the side have suffered a breakdown of their game of epic proportions.
Kuyt has suffered injuries this season and hasn't played all that well when been fit, Maxi Rodriguez must be close to setting a new League record for the most number of minutes on the pitch without touching the football, Jovanovic has been in and out the side and has alternately impressed and disappointed within a few minutes of each other, and Cole's own season has been stop-start with suspension and positional changes.
In all honesty only one player in attacking midfield has impressed the majority of time he has been on the field for, and unfortunately he has only managed ten or fifteen minutes here or there: Dani Pacheco.
Restricted to several cameo roles thus far in the season, Pacheco should right now be being told by Roy Hodgson that he is taking Maxi's place in the team on Thursday night against Napoli. (OMFG THIS SO HARD PLZ TY ) Deft touches, surging runs, complete lack of fear unlike most of the seniors at the moment and a burning desire to prove himself. Doesn't sound like many of the "bigger" players at the moment in all honesty.
Pacheco is a precocious talent and needs to be given game time, especially as the more regular players are not delivering.
Aside from him, Liverpool have been crying out for a talented and pacy winger or attacking midfielder for years now. Kuyt is a favourite of much of the Liverpool crowd, but it could even be time to say goodbye to some of the old faces now to reshape this falling team. (NO WE'LL KEEP KUYT, TYVM)
One signing minimum is a must. Maxi should be allowed to leave. Jovanovic, Kuyt and Cole all need to improve significantly over the coming months and Pacheco should be given much more game time.
Forwards
No discussion even needed here: Liverpool need another forward.
Fernando Torres is lacking in confidence and goals, Ryan Babel is clearly not trusted to play up front (or anywhere recently it seems) and David Ngog, despite being top scorer this season, is also seen as only a backup.
Torres is the best forward in the world. But he is so far off the pace of the game, his touch, his sharpness, his pace, his confidence and his reliability at the moment make him look like it would be touch-and-go for him to make the team if we had Sean Dundee back at the club.
Alright maybe that is taking it a bit far.
But Torres needs a goal or two, and quickly. For his own sake as much as the team's.
Babel wants to play up front but for whatever reason is never given a run there. When Babel's sitting on the bench, I often think to myself, just stick him on, he can't do worse than what's out there now! But when he starts, when he plays, all too often I am reminded of why he can't get in the team in the first place.
He's too unreliable and this must be his final season to nail down a starting spot at Liverpool.
Ngog on the other hand must be wondering what more he has to do. Seven goals thus far sees him ahead by six of Torres, and yet 20 minutes as a sub is about the best he can do right now. Maybe he and Torres should get a few games together, and maybe not. Either way, it is clear Liverpool need someone else to come in and shoulder the scoring burden - and be able to play both with and without Fernando Torres.
Signing needed, big time. Could be the difference between Liverpool having a not-successful-but-at-least-satisfactory season and having an absolutely disastrous one.
SOURCE
I agree with almost every point made on this list, tbqh. Who would you like to see Liverpool get rid of / acquire in the January transfer window? Personally, these mother fuckers GOTTA go:
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