What would you do if you were Liverpool manager?

[hector]

If you took over in the summer as Liverpool manager, what would you do?

Clearly, a huge clear-out is needed. I'd start off with a teamsheet that just said:

Reina
Gerrard J.Cole
Torres

And go from there. Straight away I'd sell:

Paul Konchesky
Fabio Aurelio
Milan Jovanovic
Maxi Rodriguez
David Ngog
Christian Poulsen
Lucas Levia
Ryan Babel

And consider offers for any other players who weren't on my 4 man teamsheet.

And then I'd go to the board with this list of transfer targets:

Adebayor
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Micah Richards
Gary Cahill
Steven Ireland
Carlos Vela (season-long loan)

All of whom would be broadly realistic - I'd like to go for bigger/better players like Benzema or Pato, but Liverpool is hardly a massive draw for a player nowadays.

Say I could get most of those, you could be looking at a team which was:

Reina
Richards Skrtel Cahill Agger
SWP Gerrard Ireland J.Cole
Adebayor Torres

Bench: Carragher, Vela, Meireles, Kuyt, Shelvey, Glen Johnson, Kyrgiakos

Now that may not be a top 4 team but it's probably a top 6 one if you could get them playing well, and a hell of a lot better than the one they have now.

[Dougie07]

Jan 7, 2011 1:25:04 GMT hector said:

If you took over in the summer as Liverpool manager, what would you do?

Clearly, a huge clear-out is needed. I'd start off with a teamsheet that just said:

Reina
Gerrard J.Cole
Torres

And go from there. Straight away I'd sell:

Paul Konchesky - Agree
Fabio Aurelio - Cheap back-up. Would cost more to buy a replacement than to keep him for another year or two.
Milan Jovanovic - Agree. Someone abroad would pay for him.
Maxi Rodriguez - You wouldn't get any money for him and if the team played the ball on the deck, he'd do alright. Potential squad player but not going to take Liverpool forward.
David Ngog - Horribly hit and miss. There would be clubs wanting him but how much does a replacement cost? Liverpool have no depth as it is. It might take 2 years to get enough depth in that department to let him go.
Christian Poulsen - Agree. Horrific signing.
Lucas Levia - No. Liverpool's best outfield player this season by a mile.
Ryan Babel - Agree. Someone would pay.

And then I'd go to the board with this list of transfer targets:

Adebayor - Causes trouble wherever he goes but on ability, agree.
Shaun Wright-Phillips - No. An out and out winger is needed but not one as dreadful as him.
Micah Richards - Agree but unlikely.
Gary Cahill - Agree but expensive. Big competition.
Steven Ireland - No. A player who will fade to nothing due to a poor mentality.
Carlos Vela (season-long loan) - Liverpool have a player like him in Pacheco. Vela is further into his development but the same type of player. They need good players now. Not ones who are inconsistent. There is a squad of those.

A good thread and fair suggestions. My comments are just my own opinion. I don't think Joe Cole is all you make him out to be though. He's not a left winger and currently, hasn't been very good.

For me:

Shortlist of players to look at:

Huge signings:

Edin Hazard (big competition for him)
Steven Defour (MUFC likely to win the race to sign him)
Romelu Lukaku (huge competition for him. I'm being optimistic)

More likely targets:

Sylvain Marveaux (out until the summer through injury)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (youngster)
Eljero Elia
Keisuke Honda
Yann M'Vila
Per Mertesacker
David Santon
Matt Jarvis

All of those players have been linked with Liverpool at one stage or another.

Liverpool will be limited in their potential acquisitions in January but sorting the shape out is the first major problem. Teaching the backline to defend is the next.

I think Glen Johnson could be sold to fund the rebuilding of parts of the side. He is a poor defender and for all of his attacking exploits, if Juventus or Real Madrid really want to pay £18 million then you'd be mad not to snap their hands off.

-Both full back positions need strengthening.

-Agger MUST be one of the central defenders.

-Two out and out wingers in January. Players that will maintain width and look to beat a man. Elia is that kind of player. The play is unbelievably narrow at the moment and proper wingers would make life a lot easier. It also makes the life of Torres much easier. For a more realistic option, Matty Etherington or Matt Jarvis. Both keep wide. Both beat their man. Both have good delivery. Liverpool have none of those things.

-A quality back up for Torres. However, you'd have to convince them that playing two up front is a possibility if their performances merit it. Nobody good enough to fill this gap will come to sit on the bench until Torres is injured. This is why N'Gog is the immediate back-up.

-Keep Meireles central. Excellent while Gerrard was out. Poor when shifted out to the wing. He's a good player. Get him on the ball and let him play. He's not going to give the service Gerrard got from Alonso but he's the best bet Liverpool have in there.

For the second half of the season this would be better than what is there now:

Reina

Johnson Carragher Agger A Left Back (Any ideas?)

Lucas Meireles

(Jarvis) Gerrard (Elia/Etherington)

Torres

Subs would include Kuyt as a back-up striker (not a winger).

Wolves wouldn't want to let Jarvis go. Stoke wouldn't want to let Etherington go. However, the point is that by signing two proper wingers, Liverpool would be better. Make the pitch wide, make space for Gerrard, Meireles and Lucas, get crosses into the box and pile bodies forward when possible.

It's going to be a big job but I think that is Liverpool's main area of immediate concern. In the summer it would be a different matter. That's where you lose the excess and make the really key decisions for the future.

FSG don't have tons of money and Comolli will play a huge role in hunting for some bargains and ensuring value for money on the players that are signed.

[Toeby]

Hazard, Defour and Lukaku all look as if they have excellent careers ahead of them. Belgium will be a very good team in the future. Lukaku's stature is incredible for someone so young and rightly so these 3 have a lot of Europes top clubs after them. For this reason, I don't think Liverpool have much chance in getting any of them because they're not exactly the most attractive proposition right now.

So because of this, I agree that Liverpool should look at options such as Jarvis and Etherington (both of which have been in good form this season). They could do a lot worse than going down this road, do they even have the finances to compete for the worlds best prospects?

Potential left backs if the money was there:
Fabio Coentrao
Aly Cissokho
Michel Bastos

All attack minded but I doubt any of them would fancy Liverpool too much at the moment.

[sihath]

I'd send Agger to Oxford on loan to get some match practice (back up to Jake and Harry).

Torres as well perhaps, but with Jack back he might have to make do with the bench)

[Gavin Archery]

Have to say I feel sorry for Hodgson as he is a good manager, and should have stayed at Fulham, however, he hasn't done enough at Anfield and there expectations are not going to be fulfilled under his stewardship.

Difficult to know what to suggest teamwise as wholesale changes are required. Would go along with Adebayor though as he and Torres would make a brilliant partnership.

[Gavin Archery]

Jan 7, 2011 1:25:04 GMT hector said:

If you took over in the summer as Liverpool manager, what would you do?

Clearly, a huge clear-out is needed. I'd start off with a teamsheet that just said:

Reina
Gerrard J.Cole
Torres

And go from there. Straight away I'd sell:

Paul Konchesky
Fabio Aurelio
Milan Jovanovic
Maxi Rodriguez
David Ngog
Christian Poulsen
Lucas Levia
Ryan Babel

And consider offers for any other players who weren't on my 4 man teamsheet.

And then I'd go to the board with this list of transfer targets:

Adebayor
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Micah Richards
Gary Cahill
Steven Ireland
Carlos Vela (season-long loan)

All of whom would be broadly realistic - I'd like to go for bigger/better players like Benzema or Pato, but Liverpool is hardly a massive draw for a player nowadays.

Say I could get most of those, you could be looking at a team which was:

Reina
Richards Skrtel Cahill Agger
SWP Gerrard Ireland J.Cole
Adebayor Torres

Bench: Carragher, Vela, Meireles, Kuyt, Shelvey, Glen Johnson, Kyrgiakos

Now that may not be a top 4 team but it's probably a top 6 one if you could get them playing well, and a hell of a lot better than the one they have now.

Good post btw.

[amarillo]

personally I wouldn't touch Adebayor with a bargepole.

[Gavin Archery]

Jan 7, 2011 12:29:22 GMT amarillo said:

personally I wouldn't touch Adebayor with a bargepole.

Is that anything to do with not understanding a word he says?

[junior1]

Jan 7, 2011 12:32:51 GMT Gavin Archery said:

Jan 7, 2011 12:29:22 GMT amarillo said:

personally I wouldn't touch Adebayor with a bargepole.

Is that anything to do with not understanding a word he says?

He's being linked with real madrid anyhow

[baldy]

Cash in on Torres. I'd sell Gerrard and retire Carragher. Of their top class players Reina is the only one I would keep. Torres and Gerrard are great players but I think Liverpool could still find a buyer willing to pay stupid money for Gerrard and his best days are behind him. Torres' heart simply isnt in the club and they could make a tidy profit on him.

I would target Tiote at Newcastle (£8m), Gary Cahill (£12m), Pavlyuchenko (£10m), Adam Johnson (£15m), Chris Brunt (£6m) and I would take a gamble on Danny Graham (£3m) at Watford - the most natural striker outside the Premiership.

Liverpool used to have a great reputation for unearthing a real diamond from the lower leagues and while that has gone a bit out of fashion I still think there are some great players down there. They could get that lot (£55m) for Torres' and Gerrards fees and the sale of about 6 ordinary foreigners currently blighting their squad would reap another (£10m).

[amarillo]

Jan 7, 2011 12:32:51 GMT Gavin Archery said:

Is that anything to do with not understanding a word he says?

nope, he just seems to be a trouble maker and all about money

very good player on his day if someone can get the best out of him though

[chris1986]

They shouldn't be looking at players outside of the premiership.

They need to stabilise a rebuild from a solid foundation and the only way to do that is with English players or players used to the premiership.

They have a team built of too many weak foreigners at the moment who may have some technical ability but don't have the work ethic and are taking too long to settle in England.

Players like Aquilani, Poulsen, Riera just aren't the answer.

I'd be after players like Parker or Samba and if they need some more flair get someone like Nzogbia who you know can play in the premiership.

The 2 Belgian boys mentioned Hazard and Lukaku look fantastic talents and would be ok if they already had a solid team to come into but at the moment there is no point signing players like that.

Not saying they need to play like an Atkins side they just need players who are happy and settled and don't feel they automatically deserve a top 6 finish. Moody players coming from overseas and getting home sick is the last thing they need at the moment.

[Wright for England]

am i lost? Where has the OUFC forum gone?

[The Resurrection]

Nzogbia would be a quality signing for Liverpool.

[amarillo]

Jan 7, 2011 13:16:22 GMT Wright for England said:

am i lost? Where has the OUFC forum gone?

It hasn't gone anywhere...

Theres a matches section for OUFC matches

A players section for OUFC players

A management section for OUFC management

even a ground section for discussion about OUFC's ground

This section is for discussion about any other football i.e any football except OUFC

Get it?

[amarillo]

Jan 7, 2011 13:06:24 GMT chris1986 said:

They shouldn't be looking at players outside of the premiership.

They need to stabilise a rebuild from a solid foundation and the only way to do that is with English players or players used to the premiership.

They have a team built of too many weak foreigners at the moment who may have some technical ability but don't have the work ethic and are taking too long to settle in England.

Players like Aquilani, Poulsen, Riera just aren't the answer.

I'd be after players like Parker or Samba and if they need some more flair get someone like Nzogbia who you know can play in the premiership.

The 2 Belgian boys mentioned Hazard and Lukaku look fantastic talents and would be ok if they already had a solid team to come into but at the moment there is no point signing players like that.

Not saying they need to play like an Atkins side they just need players who are happy and settled and don't feel they automatically deserve a top 6 finish. Moody players coming from overseas and getting home sick is the last thing they need at the moment.

Good post.

Parker, Samba, Nzogbia are exactly the sort they should be after

[cookox]

Jan 7, 2011 12:37:45 GMT baldy said:

Cash in on Torres. I'd sell Gerrard and retire Carragher. Of their top class players Reina is the only one I would keep. Torres and Gerrard are great players but I think Liverpool could still find a buyer willing to pay stupid money for Gerrard and his best days are behind him. Torres' heart simply isnt in the club and they could make a tidy profit on him.

I would target Tiote at Newcastle (£8m), Gary Cahill (£12m), Pavlyuchenko (£10m), Adam Johnson (£15m), Chris Brunt (£6m) and I would take a gamble on Danny Graham (£3m) at Watford - the most natural striker outside the Premiership.

Liverpool used to have a great reputation for unearthing a real diamond from the lower leagues and while that has gone a bit out of fashion I still think there are some great players down there. They could get that lot (£55m) for Torres' and Gerrards fees and the sale of about 6 ordinary foreigners currently blighting their squad would reap another (£10m).

It might cost abit more than 8m for Tiote seeing as he has been exceptional all year, but agree he is a fantastic player nd i would be extremely ****** off is AP sold him.
I would also try and target Andy Carroll (would cost ALOT but offer 25m and still have around 30m from Torres sale) as he consistantly performs and is a top top player who can only get better. (As a life-long Newcastle fan i would be livid to see AC sold).

[Gavin Archery]

Jan 7, 2011 13:53:02 GMT amarillo said:

Jan 7, 2011 13:16:22 GMT Wright for England said:

am i lost? Where has the OUFC forum gone?

It hasn't gone anywhere...

Theres a matches section for OUFC matches

A players section for OUFC players

A management section for OUFC management

even a ground section for discussion about OUFC's ground

This section is for discussion about any other football i.e any football except OUFC

Get it?

Well put.

[Wright for England]

Ok, but do you really give a shit about Liverpool?

[Gavin Archery]

Jan 7, 2011 16:54:48 GMT Wright for England said:

Ok, but do you really give a shit about Liverpool?

There wouldn't be many posts on this forum if people only posted on what they give a shit about......

People like to comment on things they don't care about as well as OUFC.

Oh and i don't care about Liverpool and enjoy them suffering. Is that ok?