Transfer Round Up #1

Rounding up transfers and determining their likelihood is a simple task of judging the frequency and source of the rumour, along with a little instinct. As a matter of fact any football fan who follows rumours will, more often than not, be able to distinguish between the rumours that have some truth to it and those that don't.

I hope to round up the transfer rumours that have been surrounding our club of late and determine their probability.

1. Xabi Alonso:


We'd all love to see the Spaniard back, but how likely is it? Well, judging by the sources and the frequency of the rumours, it looks like there is hope yet. Since he left, he's made it very clear that he still holds a soft spot for the club where he won a Champions League medal. Many Reds fans consider his transfer to Real Madrid to have been the reason for our decline since the 08/09 season where we finished 2nd. A return would be magnificent for us, and I'm sure all Reds fans are hoping the transfer takes place, but given our constrained transfer budget and the fact that Real Madrid are desperate to cling on to the playmaker; the plausibility of the rumours would be a 7 on 10.

Latest Source: Caughtoffside

2. Mobido Diakite:


While he may be a relevant target of ours, it is yet to be seen where Diakite's heart lies. The Lazio man is much wanted and has already attracted the likes of Fiorentina, AC Milan, Tottenham and Manchester City. If we were to get him, it would be a real coup. We are desperately in need of a reliable replacement for Jamie Carragher and he could just be the man we need. The chances of this transfer taking place would be 5 on 10.

Latest Source: TalkSport

3. Iker Casillas:


Believe it or not, the Spanish international is actually linked with Liverpool. Considering his "world-class" status and the fact that we're not going to qualify for the Champions League next year, Casillas' transfer is simply out of the question. Obviously I hope I'm proven wrong, but as it stands I'd give it a rating of 1 on 10.

Source: Caughtoffside

4. Christian Eriksen:


He is one of the most sought after midfielders in the world at the moment, and rightly so. Given the Ajax midfielder's unquestionable talent it's no surprise that he's got the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Man Utd all scampering after him. If rumours are to be trusted, Liverpool have been keeping a very close eye on the Ajax man, and though there seems to be stiff competition to land the midfielder, we seem to have marched ahead. Should any deal go through, it would take a real chunk out of our budget; but it would be well worth it in my opinion. Thus, the probability of this transfer really depends on the interest Rodgers has of bringing in the Dane. But, one can only dream of a midfield with the likes of Gerrard, Eriksen and Coutinho. Surely it's too good to be true? The possibility of the transfer in my opinion would be 6 on 10.

Latest Source: Sports Mole

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

It's been the story of yet another season. Just when we seem to be on the verge of making progress, following a string of decent results it looks like we are descending into a downward spiral. 



The general hope among fans seemed raised after our victories over the past three games. The Tottenham game in particular, seemed to raise hopes and aspirations when we saw ourselves come back from a goal deficit to win 3-2 when it was seemingly impossible. We were harshly dragged down to Earth when we were outclassed and outperformed by a Southampton team that has been under performing this season. 

Having said that, this was probably one of our worst performances of the season if not the worst. And we haven't performed this badly on too many occasions. The last time I remember our play being this bad was probably against Arsenal at the start of the season. There was bound to be a blip in performance somewhere along the line and here it is. The question that remains is how are we going to bounce back from it?

Reds fans across the world are in eager anticipation to see how we finish the season. With the arrival of Coutinho and Sturridge in the winter transfer window, things were looking bright. We had an attack consisting of a world class striker in Suarez, an in form striker in Daniel Sturridge, and a magical Brazilian in Philippe Coutinho who started of brilliantly. And lets not forget Stewart Downing, who seems to have thrived on the criticism meted out to him by Rodgers at the start of the season. Why is it that when we finally had the team that the majority of the Reds fans wanted to see, we lost? 
Here's the answer; 

1)This was our formation:

2)This is our current formation:


In the first formation (1), we cannot maximize Suarez' potential and threat. Where as in the second one (2) we can. Because he is best at picking up loose balls and anticipating second balls. By doing so, he is immediately able to look forward to his strike buddy and send him through. With the pace of Sturridge and the world class set of skills that Luis Suarez possesses this seems far more dangerous. But, this leaves a two man midfield consisting of Lucas and Gerrard. We all know that Gerrard loves to surge forward. This leaves Lucas struggling to get a foothold in midfield. While we are playing well and dominating possession this shouldn't be an issue. However, if we do not have possession as was the case with Southampton, we may be in for a tough day on the field. 

So, in my opinion our best solution would be to drop Downing or play the attacking quadrant in a rotation policy and play an extra midfielder instead. Rumours of a Xabi return are rife. His return could possibly be the missing key to our team's success. 

Agree with the article or disagree? You can always share your views in the comments below.