The 2014 FIFA World Cup™ is currently in full swing. And since my country is not, and probably will never be, represented in this supposed premier football competition, I fell asleep in the few times I tried watching the matches.
The truth is, nothing quite excites me as Liverpool football does. The pride swelling inside of me when I hear Anfield sings YNWA in unison, the roller-coaster ride we experienced last season, and the annual disappointment of not winning the only title that counts. These sensations are not always hunky dory but they sure are always exciting. But alas, the World Cup still has some legs to run and I might have to wait just a wee bit more before we can get back to more entertaining matters, i.e. the 2014 summer transfer window.
In the meanwhile, we can always indulge in a little fantasy, a little Football Manager. Back in early June, I took a look at our squad from 2013-14, added six realistic targets who were linked to our club, and gave some of my personal views. I asked around my friends, albeit fellow Reds, and the verdict was the squad should at least keep us in top-four. Here goes…
Position | Player | Remarks | |
22 | GK | Simon Mignolet | Need to handle crosses better; great shot-stopper |
1 | GK | Brad Jones | No fuss backup |
2 | DR | Glen Johnson | Extremely overrated but still a serviceable squad player |
38 | DR | Jon Flanagan | Still has some flaws in his game but should start as XI |
? | DL | *Alberto Moreno | £16m – We seem to have hit a brick wall in this pursuit |
3 | DL | José Enrique | It is about time he gets back to action |
5 | DC | Daniel Agger | Elegant but weak; still our vice-captain |
17 | DC | Mamadou Sakho | Has to improve his passing, especially when under pressure |
37 | DC | Martin Škrtel | Strong but error-prone |
? | DC | *Dejan Lovren | £10m – Not much news on this front |
8 | DMC | Steven Gerrard | Hope he can maintain last season’s standard of play |
21 | DMC | Lucas Leiva | Does not seem like someone who will complain |
14 | MC | Jordan Henderson | Please continue to improve, especially your shooting |
? | MC | *Xherdan Shaqiri | £15m – Could be the marquee signing this window |
? | MC | *Emre Can | £10m – Hope he can contribute significantly next season |
24 | MC | Joe Allen | His confidence is coming back |
? | AMC | *Adam Lallana | £25m – Possibly the most Rodgers-like player in the league |
10 | AMC | Philippe Coutinho | Amazing talent; needs to improve shooting |
31 | AMC | Raheem Sterling | Probably overrated, unless he continues to improve |
7 | ST | Luis Suárez | World-class; need to stop biting |
15 | ST | Daniel Sturridge | Awesome; seems to have lost a bit of his shooting accuracy |
? | ST | *Rickie Lambert | £4m – 15 goals next season will be great |
On top of having 22 players of decent or better quality in our squad, we have some fringe players who may yet come to the fore in the coming season:
Position | Player | Remarks | |
26 | DC | Tiago Ilori | He should at least get a chance, no? |
34 | DC | Martin Kelly | Hope injuries have not crippled his career |
47 | DC | Andre Wisdom | One dimensional but could still be a useful squad player |
6 | AMC | Luis Alberto | Season-long loan to Malaga |
30 | AMC | Suso | Immense talent but could lack consistency |
33 | AMC | Jordon Ibe | Should become better than Sterling |
53 | AMC | João Teixeira | His cameo last season gave me much hope |
Our defence is probably still suspect. But this squad is significantly deeper than what we had to make do with last season. We have already signed Lambert and Lallana, while Can’s signing should be finalised anytime now. The other three signings on my speculative squad list will likely be more difficult propositions. With our increased depth, we should be able to remain in the top-four, if not contend for the title yet again. Yes, I think it is possible for us to contend for the title again, despite the added Champions League fixtures and the fact that we probably punched above our weight last season.
On the other hand, some of our players no longer have a place in our squad. They are:
Position | Player | Remarks | |
4 | DC | Kolo Touré | £0m – Nerves got the better of him |
9 | ST | Iago Aspas | £2m – Complete rubbish |
11 | AMC | Oussama Assaidi | £4m – We need better players than him now |
16 | DC | Sebastián Coates | £1m – Unlikely to come good |
25 | GK | Pepe Reina | £3m – Goodbye (letter) |
29 | ST | Fabio Borini | £9m – Big heart, but just not good enough |
36 | ST | Samed Yeşil | £1m – Where has he been? |
49 | DL | Jack Robinson | £0m – Wasted talent |
Ideally, we should be able to raise another £20m from these sales. With the much talked about £60m transfer kitty that we now have as a result of qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League, the combined £80m war chest could be spent on the players added to my proposed squad list above. And the estimated cost, with a high margin of error, is coincidentally also £80m.
Please indulge me in this fantasy as I struggle through the dreaded offseason. The lack of football, or my kind of football, has no doubt driven me nuts. I cannot wait to see Lallana and Lambert combine for the winner against Southampton at Anfield! And I hope you feel the same too!