What’s the story?
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has hit out at the club’s owner John W. Henry and the board for failing to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window.
While speaking on Sky Sports the pundit said, “A major disappointment, whether it was down to the manager or the board, was not getting any reinforcements in in January. The players are there. I am not saying panic buy.”
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“I am talking in terms of numbers, Liverpool needed something. If you look at their bench, they haven’t got anything like what Manchester United have got, the teams they are trying to compete with,” he said, pointing out a lack of quality in the Liverpool squad. “They don’t have the squad to match the other teams,” he added.
In case you didn’t know...
John W. Henry has been the owner of Liverpool since October 2010. He also owns the American baseball team the Boston Red Sox. The Reds did not sign any players in the January transfer window reportedly due to Henry and the Liverpool board’s instructions, even though they knew Sadio Mane would take some time to be eased back into the squad after his exertions in the AFCON.
The Reds started off brightly, leading the Premier League initially, but then capitulated in the month of January this year.
The heart of the matter
Sky Sports pundit Carragher has criticised the Liverpool owner and board for failing to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window. He suggested that the funds were there for the club to buy quality players to match up to their competition in the Premier League, but they didn’t act swiftly enough.
Also read: Three alternate formations Jurgen Klopp could employ to drag Liverpool out of their misery
He further added that they have ‘fallen away’ as a result of the decision. While ex-Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann concurred with Carragher saying that he felt the Reds ‘are too soft in midfield’, the former German midfielder also highlighted the worrying situation with Liverpool’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
What’s next?
With the transfer window now closed until the summer, the Anfield club will have to make do with their current squad as they look to salvage their season. Liverpool cannot sign any players until the summer so they will probably look back at this window as a wasted opportunity.
Mane is back from his AFCON stint and should be in contention for a starting berth sooner rather than later. The Reds have sorely missed his presence in the attacking third and have struggled to score goals in their past few games.
Also read: EPL 2016/17: Analysing Liverpool in the absence of key players
Liverpool play host to Tottenham in the next round of fixtures before travelling to the King Power to take on the champions Leicester.
Sportskeeda’s take
Carragher and Hamann are right in pointing out that Liverpool probably should’ve strengthened their squad this past window. With heavy reliance on players who have more or less started every game of the season, fatigue is beginning to kick into the squad.
Further, Mane’s involvement in the AFCON also dented Liverpool’s title challenge. Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool board must assess the team at the end of the season, depending on where they finish, and add some world-class players in the summer since they have stayed quiet in January.
