Four reasons behind Liverpool's fall from grace (part-1)

Before Sir Alex Ferguson had arrived on the EPl scene, Liverpool was THE team to beat. They had everything that a club can ask for – legendary players, consistent results, a bagful of trophies. Life was good for the fans, who were assured a positive result on most of the occasions they played. Their last League trophy came in 1990, under the stewardship of Kenny Dalglish. Things were looking rosy back then, and the Reds were expected to continue their dominance in the newly-formed EPL.

They need help,and fast!

Fast-forward 22 years, and the situation is as bleak as it could ever get. The same old King Kenny has returned at the helm to steer Liverpool into the Utopia of Champions League football and EPL trophies, but sadly, that is not happening. A look at the league positions that Liverpool have achieved over the last five seasons reveals a grim story :

2006-07 : 3rd

2007-08 : 4th

2008-09 : 2nd

2009-10 : 7th

2010-11 : 6th

2011-12(current) : 7th

There is a serious problem at Anfield, and it needs to be rectified, immediately. Lets look at some possible causes for their sudden dip in form, and how it can be corrected.

1. TRANSFERS

This is a major, major cause of Liverpool’s alarming downfall. Many managers like Benitez, Hodgson, Dalglish have failed to make optimum use of the transfer market. Although, there have been a few notable signings, most of the new players have either ended up as flops, or are still struggling to find their feet.

Significant transfers over the past years:

OUT: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Barca), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Raul Meireles (Chelsea)

IN: Alberto Aquilani (Roma,currently at AC Milan), Christian Poulsen (Juventus), Charie Adam (Blackpool), Luis Suarez (Ajax), Andy Carroll (Newcastle), Craig Bellamy (free agent), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland), Sebastian Coates (Nacional), Stewart Downing (Aston Villa)

Sorely missed…

So you can see that there has been an influx of talented youngsters as well as experienced players. But sadly, they have NOT been adequate replacements for the players who departed Anfield. Andy Carroll commanded an enormous 35 million, but has been a flop throughout this season. Although there has been no denying that Henderson possesses talent, 20 million seems to be a tad too high for him to shoulder. He has found it hard to cope up with the pressures of being at a top club, and his game has suffered. Stewart Downing has not performed well, with a return of only one assist and zero goals so far, a meagre tally for a 20 million man. There have been major flops, like Poulsen (astonishingly brought in to replace Xabi), Konchesky, Kyrgiakos etc. They failed to live up to the expectations, and played a major part in Liverpool’s bad form. The club has failed to replace the good players with equally good, if not better, players.

SOLUTION: Invest wisely. Do not spend huge amounts for a player unless he is worth the money. Young upcoming talent should be bought in for reasonable sums, so that if they fail to make the grade, Liverpool should not be at much of a loss. Scout extensively to search for players who are value-for-money. Even experienced players should be bought at nominal fees to balance the budget. Craig Bellamy is one notable example. Ignore the hype around a upcoming talent, say Eden Hazard, and make deals based on his talent and consistency, not on his current form. Kenny made that mistake when he signed Carroll for 35 million based on a stellar six months for Newcastle. It should not happen again.

2. FLAWED FINISHING

How many times have Liverpool dominated the entire match, wriggled their way past the opposition, pumped in countless crosses, played in several delicate through-balls…only to see the ball either roll out of play. In most of the matches this season (examples inlcude the 1-0 losses to Stoke City and Fulham, 3-1 loss to Bolton), they have had the lion’s share of the ball, but frustatingly there has been no end product. Thus the opposition has duly punished them either at the counter or during open play. The Reds have a conversion rate of 0.16 (16 goals per 100 shots at goal), which is one of the lowest in the league. Only Wigan have managed to outshine them. This is the main cause of their inconsistent performances. They play briliantly at Stamford Bridge, and then go on to lose to Fulham. This inconsistency needs to be corrected, and soon.

Bright prospect for the forward-line!

SOLUTION: Kenny sould buy a natural forward, one who is born for scoring goals. There is certainly no lack of options there, with Olivier Giroud of Montpellier, Roberto Soldado of Valencia, Iker Munian of Bilbao all being excellent forwards who can regularly bang in the goals. Or else, on grounds of economy, he can promote the fabulous Raheem Sterling into the first team. Adam Morgan (dubbed the next Robbie Fowler) is also a hot prospect, whose awesome performances for the youth teams can be a stepping stone towards a bright Liverpool career. And most importantly, sell Andy Carroll.

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