Winter is Coming

Two months ago I was convinced that our winter window would be a quiet one, mostly featuring departure of players who would confirm to be surplus after the initial months of the season. Now I’m convinced that we must act with extreme diligence & foresight, during the winter window, to make something out of our floundering season. I believe in addition to the lack of form or fitness of some players and the lack of tactical astuteness & flexibility of Rodgers, the lack of right & quality players is also at the root of our disastrous (so far) season.

In my opinion there are seven players eligible for our starting lineup; Mignolet, Moreno, Manquillo, Henderson, Coutinho, Raheem and Sturridge. You may add Balotelli but only if you are willing to opt for two-up-top formation. Lallana is also a strong contender but I fail to see how these nine can lineup in a functional formation unless we are playing 433 with Sturridge up top. For me there’s two options where we can optimize our key players: Mignolet; Manquillo, Moreno, two CB; DM/defensive-minded CM, Henderson, Coutinho/Lallana; Raheem, Coutinho/Lallana, Sturridge or Mignolet; Manquillo, Moreno, two CB; DM/defensive-minded CM, Henderson, Coutinho/Lallana, Raheem; Balotelli, Sturridge.

First thing I notice is a Sturridge-size hole up top. There’s absolutely none to score with some semblance of regularity during his absence. We might have thought Origi will mature further, with regular & competitive games, during his loan at Lille and Lambert to do the job meanwhile; but that hasn’t happened.

Further down, Gerrard’s age and/or physical limitations has been brutally exposed (so far) this season. While things have been made look worse with the presence of to inapt CB behind him, he has been wanting in his defensive abilities as well. While Lucas has been earmarked to be shipped-off, I wonder if Emre has been brought-in as the long-term replacement.

Skrtel-Lovern will keep conceding, Sakho will barely play and Kolo is Kolo. Unless we acquire two quality CB who can flourish in Rodgers philosophy/system, I don’t see any practical chance in revival of our fortunes. In fact things are so bad that I’m tempted to give the likes of Wisdom, Ilori, Coates a chance over our current crop of CB.

I don't think the winter window is going to be a fix to our problems, really. I also think that it's possible to get much more out of the players we have already. Finally, I don't have that much faith in our transfer business right now. We just spent a lot of money in the summer, brought in a handful of players. I'm looking to get those players play better rather than go out buying new ones.

agreed, the problem cant be entirely solved unless you are getting someone top class player, who can change the game on his own...we have spent so shit load of money already!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11214876/Fabian-Delph-deals-fresh-blow-to-Aston-Villa-after-revealing-he-is-unlikely-to-sign-new-contract.html

15m bid in winter please, get Rodgers main man. Back the manager. He's quality. El Cujo might remember him from FM08, or FM09 when he was wonderkid, so I'm sure he'll back the signing too. Win win situation or all.

Delph's legit

We aren't going to achieve anything with Skrtel-Lovern. Balotelli can't play lone-forward and Sturridge isn't going to last the entire (what remains) season.

Signing more players in the winter window will only make things worse. There's nothing more that we can do aside from counting on and expecting more from this pile of horseshit we bought in the summer. Unless a really top top player is interested in joining us, I doubt any signing is going to change our prospects. And even then we'll end up overpaying for that hopeful signing since it's the January window, and we, well, are Liverpool.

*bleep* NO!!!

I wouldn't trust Rodgers and his *bleep* committee with $5 to buy me an ice-cream let alone with millions on further horseshit.

You should never say no to ice cream.

Unless its tutti frutti.

ffs keep that pos away from me

On topic, Need a GK, CB, DM and ST. Any of the latter 3 would do in the January window. He should fit this criteria:

-He should be above the age of 24
-He should come in and perform instantly, I dont want to give *bleep* 3 years to start putting in above average shifts.

Every bone in body is rightly telling me we won't be signing anyone in January.

But just to entertain the idea, realistically. You say we need GK, CB, DM, ST Hank, well...

Rodgers needs to use his frickin friendship with Mou and the fact that we're shit this season as an excuse to get Cech from them.

I doubt they'd even want money for him and he would gladly come to play here instead of sit on the bench there. Baaam, just like that we get Cech for very little and the GK situation is fixed for a bit.

Sturridge comes back and we somehow get lucky where he doesn't get injured any more this season, baaaam ST situation fixed until the end of the season.

Gerrard is injured for the rest of the season by hurting his wrist for wanking off too much (I know really evil) and we are forced to go with Lucas and Can in that position for the rest of the season. Baaam at least we are saved the misery of watching poor old grandpa Stevie get run over by other teams midfielders for the rest of the season.

Both Lovren and Skrtel get season ending hang nail injuries as well and we are forced to recall Ilori. Baaam we play with Ilori and Sakho for the rest of the season.

All the while Glen Johnson has been kidnapped by ISIS.

Season is saved when we get 4th and and win the cup treble.

I'm tired of our interests in mediocrity. Being second in the league with 100m+ in our pockets Summer was a disaster. . . can't really see a drastic improvement in our January targets either (if there are any that is)

dont sign anyone, not even a CB, seriously, Rodgers had the summer for himself and he doesnt have a sporting director. So he performs horribly this season, I would off course blame him. Sturridge's entire hostory tells us that he is injury prone so to be honest if BR is planning that he will manage to push us when Studge is back that is so naive from him.

I think even if we sign a god of defense, our defense will be still shit, shit and just shit. From the past 3 windows, posting the same thing and will post it again, our defenders are not WC but they are no scrubs either so, it is Rodgers who is absolutely clueless about defense. He needs to fix it and right now I can only pray for that.

I agree with everything Heil said there. It's just so hard to trust these people with any sort of money again.

But tbh I would love a DM. REALLY REALLY BADLY.

Would Sami Khedira be an option for us? Does anyone want him?

Specifically I'd look at Bernd Leno, Oliver Sorg, Mateo Kovacic and Alexandre Lacazette.

Kevin de Bruyne would be an amazing luxury, but we don't have room for him and Wolfsburg likely won't sell him at a price we could afford right now.

There needs to be a few players offloaded as well, but I doubt that happens. Johnson specifically needs to go.

El Cujo wrote:Specifically I'd look at Mulumbu, Beharino, Fonte, Ward Prowse.

Fixed.

Nishy wrote:

El Cujo wrote:Specifically I'd look at Mulumbu, Beharino, Fonte, Ward Prowse.

Fixed.

Nishy

Nishy wrote:

El Cujo wrote:Specifically I'd look at Mulumbu, Beharino, Fonte, Ward Prowse.

Fixed.

Ward Prowse is the only realistic option on the list.

Not needed (already stacked in his position), young (so one for the future), plays for Soton so is easily LFC standard and is English so his value will be very high. Get him in.

Hank

I can really see us signing Berahino from that list unfortunately. English player having great 3 months at a midtable club. Probably gave our scouting department a hard on.

Wisdom's going to talk Berahino into joining us

Some of the name we've been linked with for January:

Patrick Roberts - Fulham
Dele Alli - MK Dons
Will Hughes - Derby
Martin Odegaard - Stromsgodset

So basically we'll be a cool team in 2025. When Markovic and these guys have the time to settle and putting in above average shifts.

^^I would take only Andre Schürrle from that list