When you sell your best player for a huge chunk of cash, what do you do with it? This is a question that has plagued the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the recent past. While the Red Devils never quite replaced Cristiano Ronaldo, Spurs went in the completely opposite direction as they spent all the money they got from the sale of Bale and a little more as well, so as to bring a flurry of new signings last summer.
In hindsight, one can certainly say that neither United nor Spurs manage to get it right when it came to their transfer dealings. The loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona was always going to be a tough one for the Reds to cope with. The Uruguayan striker was not only the club’s leading goal scorer last time out, but also led the assists’ chart as well. He was the man through which the entire attack went through and hence the process of replacing him was never going to be easy.
However, the Reds have taken a leaf out of Spurs’ books and ensure that they have adequate cover, to cope with the absence of Suarez. Liverpool have already signed four players and are looking to add a couple more before the transfer window slams shut. Let us take a look at whether they did the right thing by moving for the players that they did.
The club’s first summer signing was that of Rickie Lambert from Southampton. At 32, it is clear that the Reds have brought him for the present and not the future. Throughout his time at Southampton, the English striker continued to demonstrate his prowess in front of goal.
Although he is big, strong and physical in stature, Lambert has shown that he is adept with the ball at his feet as well. His dead-ball ability, both in terms of his free-kicks and penalties will certainly add a different dimension to the Reds who never quite had a physical presence up front in the recent past.
The second signing that was brought in was again from Southampton. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder Adam Lallana was brought in to provide more attacking impetus from the midfield, which at times last season, looked a little lost, while going forward. The versatile Lallana played in eight different positions for the Saints last season and is one of finest technicians in England right now.
The addition of Lallana will ensure that the Reds have someone who is not only versatile, but is also capable of both scoring an creating lots of goals from midfield. Although Steven Gerrard essayed this role last time around, it is fair to say that the Englishman is on his last legs and will need replacing, so the addition of Lallana is a signing not just for the present but also for the future as well. Although he will be out with until early October, once he is fit, the Reds will have in their ranks, a versatile and creative player, who is capable of running the game, either from deep or from near the attacking-third.
The third signing the Reds have made, in a bid to replace Suarez is someone, the side has been crying out loud for. If there was one thing that was clear from Liverpool’s performances last season it was that their left flank was a weakness. Although they had the likes of Coutinho and Gerrard to attack centrally and Sterling to make inroads from the right, what they lacked was someone on the left to instigate attacks.
Far too often, Coutinho was forced to play on the left, in a bid to compensate for the lack of a genuine left-sided attacking player. Although the Reds have brought in Lallana, who can certainly play there, the addition of Serbian winger Lazar Markovic means that they finally have someone who is at home on the left wing. The 20-year-old was widely tipped for great things by everyone connected with Serbian football. So the fact that Liverpool have managed to get their hands on their highly-talented youngster only shows that the Reds are still a force in the transfer market.
While all three signings have addressed areas that need strengthening, none of the aforementioned three players are marquee signings and none of them are really going to strike fear in the hearts of their opponents. While Liverpool have made all the right noises so far, they still need a star signing to fill in the void left by Suarez.
But the simple truth is that even if they do sign someone of that ilk, it remains to be seen how well the team gels. For, it is far more important that the team functions properly, with or without another major signing. That is certainly something that Spurs struggled with last time around and only time will tell whether Liverpool will as well.
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