Liverpool benefit from a steady transfer approach
As revolutions go, the metamorphosis of Liverpool under Roy Hodgson has been more measured and considered, than rapid and sudden.
You would expect nothing less from veteran coach Hodgson, who has built a respected reputation around the globe for his deft hand in the transfer market, supreme wisdom and diplomatic approach to football management. As one of the game’s elder statesmen, the 63-year-old has the knowledge and experience needed to fashion a Liverpool side capable of challenging for the top honours once more. Hodgson has not rushed his business in the transfer market and Liverpool have benefited from this steady approach in their summer re-building programme.
The revolving door at Anfield has been spinning throughout the summer with no fewer than eight new arrivals on Merseyside, set against the departure of four. In total, former Fulham manager Hodgson has generated around £30m through player sales and spent in the region of £23m on moulding and re-shaping his squad ahead of the new campaign. You would imagine the final £7m was earmarked for a new striker, yet Hodgson was left frustrated in his efforts to capture West Ham striker Carlton Cole on deadline day.
Effectively, taking into account the club’s enormous £350m debt, failure to find fresh investment and Hicks and Gillett’s imminent departure, Hodgson was not given any funds to transform the club from the league’s seventh best side into prospective Champions League contenders. Hodgson clearly knew this before taking the job and was forced to fund his spending by offloading the likes of want-away Spanish star Albert Riera and the aging Yossi Benayoun for a combined £10m. Javier Mascherano’s prolonged exit into the arms of Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp boosted the club’s coffers by a further £18m. The £2m sale of French midfielder Damien Plessis to Greek side Panathinaikos brings Hodgson’s total income to £30m.
Liverpool’s first new recruits were signed courtesy of former manager Rafael Benitez. Highly-rated England youngster JonJo Shelvey was signed in April for £1.7m and this did not use up any of this summer’s budget. Serbian forward Milan Jovanovic also arrived as a free transfer from Standard Liege and he showed at the World Cup and in his opening games for The Reds that he could well be an astute addition to Hodgson’s squad as a replacement for Riera on the left of midfield.
Hodgson’s first signing was England international Joe Cole from Chelsea, persuading the 28-year-old to snub the advances of Tottenham Hotspur, amongst others, to make the switch to Anfield. Cole should prove to be a fantastic signing for the five-time European champions and as a free transfer represents minimum risk. Persuading star players Fernando Torres and captain Steven Gerrard to stay is also a testament of Hodgson’s future vision for the club and keeping the pair could well be Hodgson’s best business of the summer.
The new Pool boss got ‘two for the price of one’ when he offloaded troublesome Argentine Mascherano to Barcelona, bringing in the experienced former Juventus star Christian Poulsen and cultured 27-year-old Raul Meireles from Porto for just under £18m. With Alberto Aquilani leaving on loan, the presence of Meireles and Poulsen in the heart of the Liverpool midfield will be a big bonus this season. Left-backs Paul Konchesky and Fabio Aurelio will add depth to the squad, as will new goalkeeper Brad Jones from Middlesbrough. Scottish Young Player of the Year Danny Wilson, who arrived from Rangers, is one to look out for in the future.
Hodgson’s failure to purchase a new striker, after admitting it was his priority just a few weeks ago, will leave fans frustrated however. Liverpool struggled without a proficient back-up striker for prolific Spanish international Torres last season and the pressure will again be on youngster David N’Gog to perform. The emergence of the highly-talented 19-year-old Daniel Pacheco could ease these concerns however and Jovanovic and Dutchman Dirk Kuyt can fill in when needed. Cole and Gerrard can also be used as support strikers.
Liverpool have built well over the summer and have increased their first-team options, as well as their youth prospects. Hodgson will be pleased with his business and fans should be comforted by their manager’s refusal to sign a forward just to make up the numbers. Despite this, Hodgson will know his failure to add a striker to the club’s ranks could cost his team in their hunt for honours this season.
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what total rubbish we have lost quality player after quality player this summer and replaced them with rubbish Jovanovic and kuyt will offer nothing going forward Pulson is nothing special we dont have enough players to fill our 25 man squad and poor Torres will be lumbered with the task of scoring every goal for us, if he gets injured we are f**ked!!!!! Americans Out Now!!
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What an absolutely terrible article. Is this some kind of wind up?
No one is blaming Roy Hodgson for the failings in the transfer market and Meireles and Cole are good signings. But to make any of this sound like a strategic plan is just laughable. The simple truth is he had no money and was left scrambling about on deadline day trying to buy a striker at the last moment. Thankfully he failed in his attempts to sign some pretty mediocre players. I’d rather Ryan Babel was given a shot at the striker role until Christmas than we waste money on mid-table mediocrities like Carlton Cole or Bobby Zamora.
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Are you Tom Hicks in disguise? This transfer policy is nothing short of crazy – touting about the likes of West Ham for an underpar striker and then failing to make one deal on the last day and scrabbling about for players who in previous years would not have made the LFC bench – its not Hodgsons fault but the money grubbing scum suckers who are in charge – about time Pacheco had a run instead of trying to show us what he can do in 4 minutes at the end of a match….YANKS OUT
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Absolute garbage we are going to the dogs. Where did we strengthen the youth squad, the first 11 may be better we will see. One thong for certain our squad is worse. We don’t even have 25 players over the age of 25.
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Interesting points. Hodgson has done well this summer given his lack of funds. Like you point out, we will struggle without another striker this season
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JJ Shelvey, Suso and Wilson are the future of Liverpool. Hodgson did well with no funds considering the club are currently searching for new owners. J Cole, Jovanovic and Merieles are quality additions to the squad
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what a load of bollocks!! While i think we should all give roy a chance and he has made a great signing with cole you must admit we are weaker as a team than last season, mas did end up to be a unloyal dog but he was a fantastic player and i dont see poulsen filling that role, also the big problem last year was no striker when torres is injured (we know he cant play 4 games in a row) has that been addressed? NO. hodgson spent days putting together a transfer for a so so left back and then on the last day seemed to make move for a forward, stupidity. jovanivic seems hard working but he is just like kuyt on the other wing and we cant afford two of them in the same team. Also benni ageing?? i think he is 30 aint he (same age as gerrard) he shouldnt hav gone either. Long hard season in store and with spurs and city there could be a costly one.
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Gentlemen, stop slagging off the geezer for putting a positive spin on things. The truth is we lost two great midfielders and replaced them with 2 good midfielders, the portuguese bloke could be excellent and more what we need. We have strengthened LB with Konchesky in for Insua, we have Cole in for that tosser Bennonion which is i would say an improvement in that he is happy to be with us. We got Jovanovic who seems to do his job and will only improve and I think this is the year Insua comes into his own. So forgive me for not wallowing in self pity like you lot. We should get behind our team and manager. Lets continue the pressure on H&G, those 2 wankers, but lets not go manic depressive
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Sell liverpool to Huang 50% and Mukesh Ambani 50%
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