Liverpool’s 25 man squad – who makes Roy’s FINAL CUT?
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has just over a week to decide on the 25 players he will choose to assist him in his Anfield re-building project as the fallen giants look to re-gain a place in the top four this season. However after Monday night’s sorry display against Manchester City at Eastlands, it will certainly be an unenviable task.
While the strength-in-depth of Liverpool’s top four rivals City is highlighted by some expected big name casualties failing to make the cut, including striker Roque Santa Cruz and samba star Robinho, Hodgson’s task looks set to be considerably easier. The Reds do not have a luxury of stars to choose from and there looks certain to be no major shocks when the manager’s bare-bones squad is announced when the transfer window slams shut on 1 September.
The new ‘home-grown’ (HG) rule being introduced to the Premier League this season is designed to help young English players develop while also limiting the amount of foreign players in Premier League squads. Each club must register at least eight home-grown players under the age of 21 who have been with a Welsh or English club for at least three years.
Club stalwarts Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher make up a quarter of the HG quota, while England internationals Glen Johnson and Joe Cole bring the total up to four. Goalkeeper Brad Jones, a new sigining from Middlesbrough, also qualifies as home-grown, leaving three more HG spaces in the squad which need filling.
Former academy duo Stephen Darby and Jay Spearing, who have been on the fringes of the first-team in recent seasons, both also look set to be named in the first-team squad as home-grown players. Both players turn 22 in the next few months and therefore have to be registered to play. The final spot remains a problematic one however and Liverpool may find themselves registering less players than the 25 permitted by the Premier League.
Players under the age of 21 do not have to be registered and clubs can call on these players at any time throughout the season. Highly-rated talents such as Martin Kelly, Danny Wilson, Dani Pacheco, JonJo Shelvey and Peter Gulacsi all fall into this category and therefore do not have to be registered in the squad. David N’Gog and Emiliano Insua also do not have to be registered due to the date their respective birthdays fall on.
Taking into account the expected departure of Argentine skipper Javier Mascherano to Barcelona, Liverpool’s squad looks somewhat depleted. Arsenal star Aleksander Hleb has been tipped to head in the opposite direction as a makeweight in the deal to increase the squad numbers further. Hodgson is also keen to conclude a £9m deal for PSV striker Ola Toivonen, however the Dutch side have so far refused to negotiate the player’s sale. A deal for veteran Mexican defender Carlos Salcido, whom Hodgson is also rumoured to be interested in signing.
These deals all remain a long way from being completed however and you have to question the manager’s decision to allow £18m signing Alberto Aquilani to leave on loan. It may leave the 63-year-old coach relying on the likes of unproven Nabil El Zhar and Damien Plessis throughout the season. Unless some moves are made in the transfer market Liverpool could be up to four experienced players short of the Premier League’s recommended amount.
The likely squad is listed below, while these numbers will be further boosted by any new signings and the club’s u-21 players.
GK: Pepe Reina, Brad Jones
FB: Fabio Aurelio, Glen Johnson, Stephen Darby,
CB: Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Soto Kyrgiakos
MF: Steven Gerrard, Christian Poulsen, Lucas Leiva, Joe Cole, Jay Spearing
AMF: Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Maxi Rodriguez, Milan Jovanovic
F: Fernando Torres
Hodgson certainly has a great deal of work to do in the final few days of the transfer market as he makes the last-minute additions and finishing touches to his squad of players.
Do you think Hodgson will complete any other signings? Comment below-
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This is another stupid list about the 25-man squad.
Why can’t everyone read the rules before posting?
N’Gog and Insúa doesn’t need to be in the 25 man squad as they where under the age of 21 at the start of the year.
There are only 18 non homegrown players at the club. That menas thta we only have to leave one out of the squad. They include el Zhar, Plessis, Itandje and Brouwer.
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Roy has to make more signings, he needs to sell mash fast cuz time is agains him and get in a midfielder van der vart, LB bostos and a stricker ola. That’s about 35 mil worth of players. We can sell mash for 25 mil.
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The club MUST include eight home grown players and Insua does qualify as HG so this is a bonus. Ngog has to be registered in the 25
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The article points out that Hodgson’s job is made easy by the fact he has very few options to choose from. It’s more a case of who he needs to bring in and what HG players to select
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Roy Hodgson not a manager for the Top Teams…He only can manage middle class team…And he also always try to sign middle class players…So…Pls kick out the old man from my lovely team REDS before he spoil the team…His idea also like STUPID Bustard…!!! SON OF THE BITCH!!! And always said he want to sign this player….that player…this player …that player only with his mouth… Until now he didnt do anything…He just want to show that he is good…Stupid blady old man..!!!
Spoiling the team!! The worst manager in liverpool history since 1892…
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just back from my holidays, no Martin Kelly? or have i missed something?
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Kelly is u-21 so does not have to be registered in the official squad. Insua will be named to boost the club’s HG quota.
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still don’t understand why Plessis has been frozen out (aside from the fact that he doesn’t have a British passport). Imho he had far more potential than Spearing and Lucas also – with the right opportunities and team he could’ve grown to become someone close to Yaya Toure, with his size, composure and reading of the game. What a waste of a player…
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Read the rules before commenting FFS.
http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2094341,00.html
The comments about “MUST include”/”boosting the HG quota” with Insua are stupid, even if he does stay at the club. Insua and N’Gog are both born in 1989. Players born that year or later do not have to be named in the 25-man squad and it would be completely pointless to do so.
The squad rules allows you to have a MAXIMUM of 25 players born 1988 or earlier. 8 of these are reserved for HG. No one is forcing the clubs to use all 17+8 slots.
Liverpool do not have any problems with having to cut senior players from the squad (considering the players Marcus mentioned are gone or on the way out anyway). In fact they seem to have several slots available, *if* they want to sign further players.
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Roy Hodgson not a manager for the Top Teams…He only can manage middle class team…And he also always try to sign middle class players…So…Pls kick out the old man from my lovely team REDS before he spoil the team…His idea also like STUPID Bustard…!!! SON OF THE BITCH!!! And always said he want to sign this player….that player…this player …that player only with his mouth… Until now he didnt do anything…He just want to show that he is good…Stupid blady old man..!!!
Spoiling the team!! The worst manager in liverpool history since 1892…
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LETS PLAY 4-3-3 Attacking Game…..
Reina
Johnson-Carragher-Skrtel/Agger-Aurelio
Gerrard-Mascherano-Cole
Kuyt-Torres-Babel/Jovanovic
Play…
Attack-Attack-Attack and Attack..
Kill Every Team That We’re Meet.!
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