Liverpool, Foundations For The Future.

Liverpool are currently going through a transistional period, whilst expectations are lower there may not be another time LFC can build a team for the future. I believe Liverpool fans will give Brendon Rogers one more season before they expect to be challenging for the top four again. At the moment I don't think Liverpool are able to attract or afford Europe's top players. So the new direction will be the recruitment of the best potential from across Europe. These players will form the foundations for a new era of LFC. The board have changed the transfer policy from the Comolli era, big money signings are out, as are players who are over 25 (Exemptions may apply). I think Luis Suarez requesting to leave will be a blessing in disguise, releasing a large amount of funding for rebuilding the squad and relieving themselves of the circus that follows him. (I actually think Brendon Rogers is doing a good job and has a long term plan, I am just speeding it up!).

So here's my plan. Out would go;

Pepe Reina, I think his time has come to an end at Liverpool. £5m (Probably Barcelona). Brad Jones, average player. £1m. Glenn Johnson, maybe controversial however I've never been convinced by him, also brings in transfer funds. £12m. Martin Skrtel, seems to have fallen out with Rogers, also poor season. £12m. Sebastián Coates, has failed to make an impression. £3m. Jamie Carragher, retired (should be given a coaching role). Jay Spearing, good player but not top quality. £3m. Jonjo Shelvey, good player but not top quality. £4m. Raheem Sterling, £5m. Pacey but I don't see much talent, reminds me of Shaun Wright-Phillips, rumoured bad attitude. Maybe insert a buy back clause incase he comes good. Oussama Assaidi, don't think he will make the grade. £3m. Andy Carroll, it's obvious BR does not rate him, or he doesn't fit the style of play. £13m. Luis Suarez, requested to leave, £35m.

Total raised £96m plus the transfer budget £20m, grand total £116m.

In would come;

Thibaut Courtois, loan. Alex McCarthy, £2m. Sime Vrsaljko, £6m. Brede Hangeland, £6m. Lucas Digne, £7m. Benedikt Howedes, £15m. Inigo Martinez, £8m. Kevin Strootman, £12m. Chris Brunt, free. Christian Eriksen, £15m. Kevin de Bruyne, loan. Antoine Griezmann, £12m. Erik Lamela, £25m. Shane Long, £7m.

Total cost £115m.

This would create a new young talented squad full of talent and much potential.

Team to kick off the new season

GK Courtois
RB Kelly
LB Digne
CB Howedes
CB Hangeland
CM Strootman
CM Gerrard
AMR Lamela
AM Eriksen
AML Downing
CF Long

So the new team would have 3 players from last year?

12 players leaving as well?

This would be unrealistic even on FIFA or Football Manager.

The team doesn't need a complete overhaul at all, there is a decent spine and for me only needs to increase the quality in depth to start challenging for the top 4 places.

I wouldn't sell Reina unless we had a genuine top keeper to replace him, I still think Reina will get his form back, goalkeepers tend to peak in their 30s which Reina has only just entered, so I expect him to get back to his best. He was looking good at the end of the year. Chelsea would not loan Courtois out to Liverpool. Same goes for De Bruyne.

For me, the key is keeping Suarez, if he does go we need to get £45m+ for him which would give us the funds to buy two or three top quality players.

If we keep Suarez, then I think the team should be fine. Toure is in to replace Carragher, Agger is a top centre back who seems to be over his injury troubles, Skrtel is a good centre back who is just a confidence player, if he wants to leave then Papadoupolous looks to be arriving for about £12 million and he's a good young centre back or we could even try Martin Kelly out who I think naturally fits in at centre back. Johnson and Enrique are good full backs, and I wouldn't bother spending money on replacing them.

I think midfield we're fine, I'd like to see one or two wingers be brought in where Downing and Sterling are our only true out and out wingers. Coutinho is a top talent, Henderson is finally coming good, Gerrard had an excellent year, Lucas will hopefully be back to his best now he's got half a season under his belt back from injury, Allen and Shelvey is decent cover as well.

Up front, if we keep Suarez and Aspas is brought in, I think the forwards is good. I think Carroll is pretty much gone now, so you have Suarez, Sturridge, Borini and Aspas with Yesil and Morgan in reserve. In a formation that tends to use only one real out an out striker, that is sufficient.

Laughable that you think Shane Long is a better forward than Sturridge, or that Hangeland is better than Agger.

The squad for me is getting there and a huge overhaul like this would set us back two or three years. Little tinkering is what is needed, a couple of good wingers, a new centre back if Rodgers doesn't want to use Skrtel and Aspas and keeping Suarez would constitute a good season for me.

You want to keep Downing but get rid of Sterling?

Rodgers isn't gonna get you Top Four ever.

I'd also say there is not a chance Chelsea will loan Liverpool two of there brightest young talents in Courtois and De Bruyne

Crimey
12 players to go but only 3 from the first team.
I rate Reina highly but if Barca want him then he'll leave.
I really do think Chelsea would loan Courtois and de Bruyne, neither would get in the first team at CFC and LFC could provide them both with Premier League experience. Win, win situation.
I get the feeling Luis Suarez wants out and LFC would be better off with the money in the bank.
Agree Agger is a very good defender but I worry about his injury record, Toure has seen better days, Hangeland is dependable and provides experience.
Inigo Martinez is the best young defender in Spain where he is compared to Carlos Puyol.
Sturridge is injured for the start of the season hence Shane Long.
Henderson has really improved and would definately feature heavily in the first team.
Sterling, Assaidi and Yesil are unproven and Aspas seems an underwhelming signing.
Lamela, Griezmann, de Bruyne and Downing would create very good attacking threat from the wing, it provides depth also.
Lamela, Strootman and Eriksen would improve any team and signing these players would show LFC can still compete for the best talent in Europe.
Increasing the squad depth and quality is one of my main aims.
There is still a big step up to make the top 5, this gap won't be bridged with a bit of tinkering.
I may start a game of fm13 and see how this lot get on!

I would love it if this Liverpool team rocked up at the Boleyn next year. We'd rip that lot to shreds. Combine the fact this team has the backbone of a snake with the fact a lot would take at least half a season to adapt to the football, let alone to each other and Liverpool as a club, well I'd fancy a bottom half finish.

The idea is lovely, building a team on youth and potential that grows together to great things. The reality is that no manager has a record of buying 100% youth that makes the grade, let alone hits the ground running. Hangeland is on the way down and Long is not a top seven striker.

Wellington wrote:Crimey
12 players to go but only 3 from the first team.
I rate Reina highly but if Barca want him then he'll leave.
I really do think Chelsea would loan Courtois and de Bruyne, neither would get in the first team at CFC and LFC could provide them both with Premier League experience. Win, win situation.
I get the feeling Luis Suarez wants out and LFC would be better off with the money in the bank.
Agree Agger is a very good defender but I worry about his injury record, Toure has seen better days, Hangeland is dependable and provides experience.
Inigo Martinez is the best young defender in Spain where he is compared to Carlos Puyol.
Sturridge is injured for the start of the season hence Shane Long.
Henderson has really improved and would definately feature heavily in the first team.
Sterling, Assaidi and Yesil are unproven and Aspas seems an underwhelming signing.
Lamela, Griezmann, de Bruyne and Downing would create very good attacking threat from the wing, it provides depth also.
Lamela, Strootman and Eriksen would improve any team and signing these players would show LFC can still compete for the best talent in Europe.
Increasing the squad depth and quality is one of my main aims.
There is still a big step up to make the top 5, this gap won't be bridged with a bit of tinkering.
I may start a game of fm13 and see how this lot get on!

Yeah, but only two first team players from this year are left in your final first eleven. It's just not realistic, it doesn't happen in real life. It would be a total disaster.

Maybe Chelsea wouldn't considering the rivalry, the fact that hopefully we'll be challenging for a top four place that they want and De Bruyne is probably on his way out of Chelsea anyway. Those signings make very little sense when you're saying it's a young side to build for the future, if two of them would be leaving after a year.

Agger has now had two full seasons where he has had barely any injury problems, he seems to have put them behind him. Toure is fine as a back up, he's likely to be only used in cup competitions and the odd Premier League game. Hangeland is only a year younger than Toure and hasn't been a top class centre back for a the last couple of seasons anyway. Inigo Martinez will likely go to Barcelona.

The club has said that Sturridge should be fit for the new season, and you don't sign a player just to cover another for a couple of weeks. Shane Long is a nice little striker, but he's not really a striker who should be considered a top replacement.

Sterling is a full England international and for half of the season was Liverpool's best player alongside Suarez. He's not unproven at all, he's a little raw but that will go with more experience. He was only pulled from the team because he was playing a ridiculous amount for a 17/18 year old because he had become such a key player. Assaidi might well leave, but like I said I'm hoping for a couple of wingers to be brought in, not an overhaul of the squad. It's hard to criticise the signing of Aspas before he's even signed on the dotted line, he's scored double figures in Spain last year and is still only 25.

The Lamela, Strootman and Eriksen signings are just unrealistic. There are much bigger sides in for these players who can offer a lot more than us, of course signing them would show we can still compete in the transfer market, but we can't. They're unrealistic signings.

Tinkering slowly is the best way right now, the second half of the year was much better than the first, if Suarez can be convinced to stay and a couple of good players, hopefully wingers be brought in then there is a decent chance of competing for top 5 football. Huge overhauls like you're proposing would be ridiculous, it'd be like starting a whole new club. Almost all your signings have no experience of the English game and are fantasy football dreams.

Sorry, but this is not a realistic idea. Clubs don't just off load 12 players and then bring in another 10.

chris.wilkerson13

The 'backbone' of that team is strong, Hangeland 6'6 captain of his club, Howedes 6'2 captain of his club, Kevin Strootman captain of his club, Stevie Gerrard captain of his club, there are some great characters.
I think a top 10 finish is the aim next season, then after that watch them go!
I think Shane Long is a very underrated player, he has a very high work rate, eye for goal and a real team player.
Hangeland, whilst is not the fastest player I've seen, knows his trade well.
Courtois, Howedes, Strootman, Eriksen, Griezmann and Erik Lamela have all played over 100 games for their respective clubs in Europes top leagues so whilst they need to adjust to the EPL they are all proven to a high level and so come with a reduced risk.
West Ham may give them a game next season but in the long run LCF will be the stronger team.

Can I ask what do you think of Sam Allardyce? What is the football like?

Crimey
1st LFC will not be competing for the top 4 next season. End of conversation.
Lamela, Strootman, and Eriksen why not? Show some ambition! Liverpool are still a big name.
Eriksen, make a fuss of him, I think he could be persuaded to join, guarenteed starter in his favoured position, team built around him, number 7 shirt (if Suarez leaves).
Lamela, Roma only finished 6th and didn't qualify for Europe, money talks, go for it! This would be a stellar signing.
Strootman, no one went for him last year so again go for it! Nothing ventured...
Inigo Martinez, I think Barca will go for Hummels.
Thibaut Courtois and Kevin de Bruyne loan deals would help keep costs down. Chelsea are not direct rivals with LFC at this point in time anymore than West Brom are who signed a gem in Lakuku.
"Sterling is a full England international" so is Michael Ricketts.
Sterling played for England to stop him playing for his coutry of birth Jamaica, where did he go after October? I've never heard the excuse of fatige for a 6 month lay off, if he had "become such a key player" why did Downing regain his place? Sterling played well against City and wanted £50k a week.
Sturridge is first choice but he's not going to play every game so Shane Long is seen a more of a squad player. Same as Chris Brunt and Brede Hangeland.
Hangeland is a means to an end, he'll provide Premier League experience and help the team transition. Ok if Agger is fit play him instead he's a good player.
I do understand that a large turnover in players is unrealistic (has it ever been done? Maybe Man Utd with "the you never win anything with kids" season) but, It's a vision of building a team on youth and potential that grows into a top 4 team (with a few more signings next summer).
I do really rate BR and I can see his vision for the team. I do hope he breaks into the top 4 in the future.

Can I ask which wingers you like to see arrive this summer? and what would you do if Luis Suarez joins say Real Madrid for £40million?

You make a good sparing partner!