Liverpool are in need of a revamp and
Rodgers is set to task on this front before anything else. Gaston
Ramirez, Adam Johnson, Juan Manuel Vargas and Victor Moses are a few
names which make sense when it comes to new faces.
“I’m
looking forward to bringing in three or four players that can really
affect the group. The reality is there are very few players who can come
and make a difference to Liverpool.” – Rodgers
It all begins here. The appointment of a
new manager is done. The man has already won the hearts of several
Liverpool fans through his style of speech and the philosophy he aims to
implement at the club. That was the honeymoon period though. Now, the time has come to act for Brendan Rodgers.
It is time to see why the owners put faith in a 39 year-old manager who
became famous within the confines of England for his work at a
relatively smaller club. Is Brendan Rodgers as well prepared with his
Liverpool targets as he is with his words?
Let’s take a closer look at a few
potential targets and the ones who are most likely to see the sun set on
their Liverpool careers.
[Potential Targets]
Gaston Ramirez (Bologna)
Belgium has emerged as a nation brimming
with talent that has been catapulted across Leagues. On the same page,
Uruguay is another nation which can boast of a highly potential talent
pool. The Reds wasted little time in acquiring the services of Luis
Suarez and Sebastian Coates. Now, the next Uruguayan player on their
radar is
Gaston Ramirez.
Ramirez, who currently plies his trade
at Bologna has emerged as one of the hottest properties across Europe.
He joined Bologna in 2010 for 2.5 million euros but after guiding the
club to a top 10 finish, few have failed to identify this man who played
a pivotal role in the club’s rise.
Ramirez surely fits the bill if you take
into account the kind of philosophy Brendan Rodgers aims to preach at
Liverpool. The player has vision, good ball control and is quick in
identifying a good pass at any point on the pitch. All this, with his
bag of tricks, will surely make Ramirez a Kop favourite sooner rather
than later.
“You’ll see that within two years, he will be on Alexis Sanchez’s level” – Bologna Sporting Director Carmine Longo on Ramirez
One of Liverpool’s main concerns last
season was the lack of goals from midfield amongst other things. The
arrival of Ramirez will immediately alleviate any such fears amongst the
Liverpool diaspora. Also, now that first preference Gylfi Sigurdsson has agreed to join Tottenham Hotspur, chances are that the Reds will pursue Ramirez with a stronger intent.
Adam Johnson (Manchester City)
The case of Adam Johnson is quite simple
actually. He is at a big club which won the Premier League last season;
started just ten games, came on as substitute in sixteen more,
eventually led to his omission from the England squad for Euro 2012. No
matter which club is interested in him,
Johnson must be thinking of his future now.
Liverpool’s need for a younger winger
with comparatively more flair than Stewart Downing is not something many
would disagree with. Johnson is equally effective on the either side of
the wings. In fact, he is more effective when he starts on the right
and cuts in to whip in a cross and take a shot on goal.
Johnson also has decent dribbling
abilities which can help him pair up well with Suarez within the
eighteen yard box. His crossing power will only benefit Andy Carroll who
thrives on such deliveries. The presence of Johnson will also help in
effective counter-attacking since he is faster than Henderson and
formerly, Kuyt.
With age and pace on his side, Adam
Johnson ticks the checkboxes FSG are looking for and would be a good fit
at Liverpool. The only area of development for Johnson would be to work
on his defensive play; given that Brendan Rodgers demands an equal
dedication to attack as well defend on the pitch, Johnson will have to
up his ante and contribute to defending off-the-ball which demands a
high work rate from the player.
Juan Manuel Vargas (Fiorentina)
At 28 years of age, Juan Manuel Vargas
has become one of the key players at Fiorentina alongside Stevan
Jovetic. The left-footed Peruvian international has built up his
experience at Serie A having previously played at Catania for two
seasons and now at Fiorentina for four seasons.
Although his presence can spread across
several areas on left midfield, Vargas’ potential is best witnessed when
he plays in left central midfield – a role previously handled by
Gerrard and Alonso at Liverpool. This heightens his vitality on the
pitch even further. However, one cannot be entirely convinced on whether
Vargas is really a value-add at Liverpool..
Vargas is known to succumb to lapse in
concentration while on the pitch which consequently affects his passing.
Now this is not something that will go down well with someone like
Brendan Rodgers whose Swansea side was ever alert and present with the
slow but continuous passing build-up. Hence, it is unlikely that a fax
from Liverpool will reach the Viola, asking them to name a price for
Juan Manuel Vargas.
Demba Ba (Newcastle United)
Who wouldn’t pounce on a player whose
release clause is just around 10 million pounds, has notched up 15 goals
for his club the previous season helping them to a fifth place finish?
Demba Ba has risen to become a Toon
favourite in just his first season at the club. He was earlier the star
striker for West Ham when he joined the Hammers in the winter of the
2010/11 season. In just twelve appearances that season, the French-born
Senegalese footballer scored seven goals, attracting attention from
Everton and Newcastle United.
At 6 ft 2 in, Ba has an imposing
physical presence on the pitch and makes it difficult for defenders to
get around and win the ball back. His height and body structure also
allow him to hold the ball up the pitch, allowing the midfield to enter
the frame of play.
Demba Ba is a no-nonsense finisher who
is good with either foot. Hence, his ability to link up with Suarez
could yield richer rewards than the pairing of the Uruguayan with Andy
Carroll.
Newcastle will surely not let go of Ba
this easily though. His partnership with Pappis Cisse showed some
promising signs last season and Alan Pardew will fight tooth and nail to
keep both the players at the club while he plans to make further
additions of his own.
[Possible Departures]
Maxi Rodriguez
After two seasons at Liverpool,
Maxi Rodriguez could be the next player
to depart the club before the start of the 2012/13 campaign. Rodriguez
shone for Liverpool when Kenny Dalglish took over in the winter of the
2010/11 season with ten goals and 28 assists. However, last season saw
him take the bench more often than not albeit his arrival on the pitch
sure did add a spark to Liverpool’s attack every single time.
The only reason Rodgers would see him
out would be because of his age. Yes, 31 is not considered too old by
many, but at this point in time, it is more likely that Rodriguez will
once again warm the benches than get some substantial playing time.
It is rumoured that he could make a
return to Argentina, back to his first club – Newell’s Old Boys. If it
is true, then we could well see the promotion of someone like Raheem
Sterling from the Academy to take over his role.
Charlie Adam
The return of Lucas Leiva once again
reaffirms the midfield to the Liverpool captain and the Brazilian
midfielder. Now, the presence of Henderson, Spearing, Aquilani and
Charlie Adam only means Rodgers will have a tough time deciding how to
utilize these players week-in week-out.
With the 4-3-3 system that Rodgers
prefers, coupled with the fact that between Henderson, Spearing and
Adam, Henderson and Spearing could be given one more season at the club,
chances are Charlie Adam will be the man who is sacrificed.
Liverpool Liverpool Liverp
Adam didn’t really have a memorable
first season in a Liverpool shirt as he sat out through much of the
second half of the last campaign due to injury. His lack of defensive
discipline also makes him a candidate who could go up on the transfer
list.
Stewart Downing
On the 22nd of this month, Stewart
Downing turns 28 years old and if he is playing for Liverpool next
season, then don’t expect much of an improvement from the winger.
Even after creating the most number of
goal-scoring chances after Luis Suarez, Downing still failed to notch up
assists under his belt. This is not something that will make one smile
especially after learning that that Downing started in 28 games last
season and came on as a substitute for eight games.
This will be one signing for which
Liverpool will have to take a hit. It will definitely contribute to the
loss when the numbers are out but more importantly, Downing’s sale would
make room for a new and younger winger (Adam Johnson maybe) who can
help add that Spanish flair that Brendan Rodgers was talking about.
p/s: mesti malas nak bacakan? :)
