What Happens Now?

A tweet from my friend Jonny summed up last night's performance. How can a Liverpool team with still a fighting chance of Champions League Football put in such a horrific performance against Hull City?

On paper have we already got a top 4 team? and as it stands with the squad we have available now; would a different manager be able to achieve more success from these individuals? Alternatively, is it a major change of personnel on the field that is needed as we simply currently have too many average players at Liverpool?

These are the questions I'm pondering over right now. While Rodgers in three years has already spent £212,380,00 million on 25 players, with no trophies won. Therefore, should he be trusted with another transfer kitty? Or has he proved that he will just never get it right and straightforwardly, he just isn't good enough to manager Liverpool Football Club.

Looking at the graphics below would you agree with me that when all these players are fully fit and on form, not many players that we "realistically" could sign would take their place in the starting XI?

GoalKeepers: 

Simon Mignolet, for me, should keep the number one jersey going into next season. It's obvious that he had a dip in form before Christmas. However, I strongly believe he has redeemed him himself. He looks a lot more confident between the sticks and his clean sheet record is one of the best in the league. As well as making strong and important saves in almost every game, simon has the potential and ability to be our keeper for many years to come. Liverpool would struggle to sign a better keeper than him this Summer. Saying this though, I would replace Brad Jones with Peter Cech, as providing the squad with an experienced top quality goalkeeper would only add healthy competition to this position.

Defenders:

We currently have the 5th best defence in the leauge only conceding one more goal than Man City who sit currently in 2nd place. Therefore, strengthening our central defenders shouldn't be a priority this window. However, if we continue to play the wing back system , I'd definitely bring in an experienced right wing back to replace Glen Johnson. Nevertheless, strong pre-seasons for young Jon Flanagan and Jordon Ibe could also put them in contention to start in this Role.

Midfielders:

This area will need strengthing as Steven Gerrard is obviously moving on. In addition, with Lucas's future also in doubt, we only could have Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen's services in the central midfielders areas.

Attacking midfielders, such as, Raheem Sterling (if he decides to sign and stick around) Coutinho'o'o'o, Lallana, Marković and even young Ibe are very talented young footballers. However, one of our problems this season has been our inability to be clinical in the final third. Apart from Coutinho, we have been lacking that extra bit of quality, which makes the difference. Yes, Lallana and Ibe have struggled with injuries and you could argue Raheem and Lazar have been played out of position by Rodgers. Resulting in, these lads failing to reach their full potential this season.

Forwards:

This is where our main problem has been all season and needs to be adressed as a matter of urgency. It goes without saying, no team wins anything in football without players who can put the ball in the net. Liverpool, have played all season basically without a striker. We've scored 54 goals less than last season and 12 less than 4th place Man United.

Daniel Sturridge has been injured for practically all of the season and needs to be replaced as our "number one" striker. I don't mean sell him, but how can an injury prone player be our number one goal scorer? impossible!

Ricky Lambert, Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli aren't good enough to play for Liverpool. One will be replaced with the arrival of young Origi from France. However, even still, with Sturridge always injured, we need to prioritise signing two top quality strikers if we want to have any chance of challenging for anything next season.

On the other hand. What if these three gentleman below were replaced? Not only would this bring in new signings, but also with a change in management brings fresh ideas, methods and a whole new philosophy. After three years' of Brendan, Pascoe and Marsh, is this what is needed?

In a previous  article "To be the best we have to beat the best" and Rodgers and his team's record against top four opposition in the three seasons he has been at Liverpool (As you can see from the graphics below) has been abysmal.

Liverpool Football Club need to be playing Champions Leauge football year in, year out and I'm not convinced Brendan has the capabilities to achieve this. His European win percentage at 35% (7/20) after three seasons and that simply isn't acceptable for a Liverpool manager.

Brendan himself wasn't anyway near a top manager when he joined Liverpool. He did have a successful spell at Swansea but that was it. He was brought in because "potentially" he could become a top manager. Liverpool Football Club can't be waiting around to find out if a manager will be successful or not. We are in need of a Top European manager someone like Klopp or Benitez, someone who's CV fits the role to manager a club as big as Liverpool.

Finishing this season trophyless and a 1/3 Champions League qualification record, witnessing our club underachieving, fighting for Europa Leauge qualification is simply not good enough. If FSG don't act now, how many seasons do we have to wait until we start reeping the awards of this so called "progress" Brendan keeps banging on about? I appreciate, Brendan has always put the club first and I'm not saying he hasn't tried at this job. Instead, I feel he simply hasn't got what it takes to be the manager of Liverpool Football Club and the dire, effortless lacklustered performance last night at Hull was the final straw for me.

@anfieldeurope

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