Did Liverpool miss the chance to stake claim for the Top 4? 

Ian Ayre: Will the lack of transfers in January hurt Liverpool?

This was a question on most LFC fans lips all over the world after a terrible Deadline Day for Liverpool. As usual, the armchair critics were out in full force on social media platforms criticizing the club for their lack of awareness towards what was required, and sighting the example of MUFC and the other big clubs for showing ambition.

My question to the fans is have the other clubs pushing for the top 4 places really strengthened. Let us look at each of clubs Liverpool is competing with and look at the pros and cons of their transfer dealings this January.

Manchester CityDid they really need to strengthen? No, with the squad Pellegrini had at his disposal there was never really a need to dip into the transfer market to add to the already big squad.

What did they need? Nothing really, they have cover in almost all positions and I cannot see beyond them for this year’s Champions

Who did they get? None

Will it haunt them? No way

ChelseaDid they really need to strengthen? Yes

What did they need? A striker to support the endless list of creative players at Mourinho’s disposal, the lack of centre forward was exposed during the draw with West Ham.

Who did they get? Nemanja Matic, Mo Salah, Bertrand Traoré & Kurt Zouma

Will it haunt them? Maybe, Hazard’s form is crucial in this, if he can continue his good form through the rest of the season they could get 2nd place behind Man City.

ArsenalDid they really need to strengthen? YesWhat did they need? A striker (is Bendtner still considered a striker?), and midfielderWho did they get? Kim KallstromWill it haunt them? Yes, Arsenal’s fixture list from February through March is full of tough fixtures and they really needed a cover for Giroud and a midfielder as cover for the injuries to key midfielders. If Arsenal can come out of the tough fixtures with little loss of personnel & points I can see them finishing in 3rd place.

We move on to the interesting part, till now we viewed the transfer dealings of teams who I thought could finish above Liverpool. We will now have a look at teams that I believe will finish behind Liverpool

Manchester UnitedDid they really need to strengthen? YESSSS

What did they need? A centre back to support Vidic, a combative midfielder, a positive manager

Who did they get? Juan Mata

Will it haunt them? Definitely, I believe Juan Mata could bring some cheer in the short-term but was he the missing link in this united team? Not really. Juan Mata could bring the team a short-term lift but it doesn’t mask the deficiencies of this United team. He is not the defender or midfield general that they were looking for.

Juan Mata: good fit at United?

What United really needed was a midfielder who could dictate games and play alongside Carrick. Their current midfield of Cleverly/Jones doesn’t really terrorize opposition teams. On top of that their current manager is not the same as the old one, and teams have sensed this and are playing with more freedom than before.

Was David Moyes the best Man Utd (Sir Alex in particular) could come up with, a manager who had not won a trophy at Everton for more than a decade. For people saying he did not have the finances to challenge for trophies I give you Roberto Martinez, Michael Laudrup. Did these guys have the finances to help Wigan and Swansea win a domestic trophy that has eluded Moyes?

Winning breeds confidence, and positive approach. Man Utd are currently afflicted by Moyes’s negative attitude and it is showing in their overall play. Where they grasped the opposition by their throat, and played expansively the current United are a shivering mess who are afraid of their own shadows.

EvertonDid they really need to strengthen? Yes

What did they need? A striker, a centre back

Who did they get? Aiden McGeady, Yindrick Stanic, Lacina Traoré

Will it haunt them? Yes, I cannot see Everton finishing above 7th place. Roberto Martinez has been superb for Everton but they have had some unfortunate injuries which could take its toll on a thin squad and see them dropping more points in the second half of the season. However, if they continue to improve I am sure they could challenge in the coming seasons, but not this one my dear Everton fans.

Spurs

Did they really need to strengthen? Not really

What did they need? Gareth Bale and his goals back

Who did they get? None

Will it haunt them? Yes, at the start of the season they sold their prized asset and assembled an expensive team that on paper looked like challenging for the title. If only, football is played on paper, the team has had trouble playing as a unit. Tim Sherwood has done a decent job with the team but I fear they do not have the cohesiveness that is needed for a team to really challenge for a top 4 place.

Finally, we come to the team that has frustrated and excited us in equal measures for a long time now. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the team that is going to finish in the last Champions League position, our beloved

Liverpool

Did they really need to strengthen? Yes

What did they need? A left back, a defensive midfielder as priority

Who did they get? None

Will it haunt them? Not really. Everyone supporting Liverpool know that left back has been a problem position for some time, and a DM was needed to do the dirty work for our exciting forwards. However, we have recently acquired an attitude of we would score more than the opposition. This should help us out in tight games (e.g., Stoke away). With most of the tough fixtures at home I am sure the Anfield crowd would give us the impetus needed to finish the job. If you are still skeptical I suggest you to look at the stats which speak for it.

Though the transfer window was a disaster, I am quietly confident that we have what it takes to clinch a Champions League place this year.