Blog: What Happened?!

Our resident Fan Blogger Nick Sudbury lets rip on how he feels Liverpool handled the transfer window… He’s not happy!…

As a Liverpool fan this transfer window had me excited. Although just speculation, the names linked with a summer move to Anfield had me really excited. Early on in the transfer window I was expecting to see Gaston Ramirez sign, according to the media it was practically a done deal, instead he ended up joining Southampton f.c in a deal worth £12 million and on a reported £30,000 a week. The fee and wages would not exactly have bankrupted Liverpool, Ramirez could have been ours.

What I and seemingly every one of Anfield’s faithful thought was that we were in need of a class striker, a player who can turn our possession and passing into goals. Up until deadline day our first team’s strike force consisted of Borini, Suarez and Carroll, an expensive lineup but not one capable of banging them in left right and center. Three players who between them struggled to score goals with 24 league goals between the three of them last season, Van Persie scored 30, rooney 27 and Aguero 23. Even if we would have kept hold of Carroll we needed more goals from somewhere…

We let our £35 million signing join West Ham on loan for £1 million set to rise if West Ham stay in the premier league at the end of the season. A whole day left of deadline and Huntelaar, Llorente, Sturridge, Walcott and Dempsey all linked with deadline day switches to Anfield. During press conferences Brendan Rodgers mentioned players and potential signings, always plural giving me reason to expect two or three signings to bolster our ranks, what really excited me was that all these players had goals in them. Instead we let our £35 million signing leave without replacing him.

This was bad business, we now have one top forward in Suarez, meaning that Borini will have no time to grow into the role he will be dropped in at the deep end this is far from ideal. The lack of proven forwards worries me, if either Borini or Suarez gets inured or heaven forbid both then we are in trouble, with only really having Adam Morgan available as back up, a promising player from the academy but by no means a player ready to guide our way to the top of the premier league.

Up until deadline day I believed that our new owners had the clubs back, i thought they understood that to get Liverpool back among Europe’s elite the had to invest, now im looking at them realizing that we have a diminished squad which is in dire need of investment to put us alongside of City, United or Chelsea. I am also noticing no investment where they originally promised, the stadium it appears that it is unlikely that we will move to a new, bigger stadium and it appears they are in no rush to make any stadium changes happen.

They did invest, and invest big last season spending over £100 million bringing in the likes of Carroll, Adam, Henderson and Downing, yet now they fired the man charged with building that team and hired Rodgers who cant find space in his squad for any of these players. Surely the owners and Rodgers discussed this before he took the job, surely they understood one another and surely the only way safely invest the money is too keep the manager who planned to use these players or to reinvest in the new manager and realizing that it can’t be fixed in one season.

This is Liverpool football club where we have a squad strong enough to push for the title and win European titles, well it was in my eyes Liverpool is no longer a place beacon for football, a place which can lure players in with its rich heritage and exciting future. What we have no is a history that many teams would be jealous of and a future which many teams wont envy. This team will find it very tough to finish above of United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle meaning that seventh is a realistic finish, then when considering the manager and investment Sunderland have done I would consider them for a top half finish and the same for Fulham (Berbatov is an amazing signing for them), then considering that QPR have made some astonishing signings that leaves 10 teams pushing for Europe this season…

I understand that this has been a scathing write up and that it seems like I have given up hope, I am just venting my frustrations. Brendan Rodgers is a fantastic manager and his knowledge of football is awesome, I also love the style of football he plays. The only thing for me is you can pass the ball around until the cows come home but if you don’t put the ball in the net you’re gonna have problems, we needed a striker, we didn’t get one, I am upset.

Follow me @NicholasSudbury for updates.