No Need to Panic after Missing out on Mkhitaryan

Liverpool’s well publicized pursuit of then Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan came to a disappointing end with the player instead signing for Champions League Runners-Up Borussia Dortmund. It is hard to argue that Dortmund were not the more attractive option, especially for one of the most promising up and coming midfielders in Europe. As frustrating as it was for the Reds to miss out on one of their top summer transfer targets, signing Mkhitaryan was not the be all and end all of Liverpool’s transfer plans.

While many fans are bitterly disappointed to have missed out on a player that seemed destined to sign for the club a short time ago, there was always the question of where Mkhitaryan would play in the team, and whether the potential signing impacted Luis Suarez’s future in any way with many believing that Liverpool could only afford Mkhitaryan if Suarez was sold.

2012/13 Season Review - Progress Has Been made

Liverpool signed the season off in style with a 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the season to give Jamie Carragher a fitting send off as he prepares to put his feet up in retirement. It was yet another season of magic moments and blunders, culminating in a 7^th place finish for the Reds, which was suitable due to their consistency issues throughout the season. Last summer important players left that needed to be replaced, with the small factor of a new manager at the helm as well in Brendan Rodgers. This article seeks to explore every facet of what went right and what went wrong throughout the 2012/13 campaign.

Shy Reds Still in Dire Need of Experience

Signing young players with huge potential is an extremely exciting avenue to take in the transfer market. This is what Liverpool under Fenway Sports Group and Brendan Rodgers have attempted to do, however fans are starting to voice concerns over the lack of experience and leadership in what is a very youthful squad.

Players such as Andre Wisdom, Raheem Sterling, Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson have all received regular playing time throughout the season, with other youngsters such as Suso and Fabio Borini also seeing significant time on the pitch.

Liverpool’s January transfer activity saw Rodgers bring in 23-year-old striker Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea, and 20-year-old attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan.

Fickle Fans Need Longer Memories

In the wake of Liverpool’s exit out of the FA Cup at the hands of League 2 side Oldham Athletic, fans were quick to criticize the team, the manager, the owners, and just about anyone associated with the club.

Fans called for certain players to never wear the Liverpool shirt again, for Brendan Rodgers to be sacked, and also condemned the American owners for not putting in adequate investment into the side despite the imminent arrival of Inter Milan’s Philippe Coutinho for £8.5mil, which will take Liverpool’s January spending up to £20.5mil.

Valid concerns were raised regarding the progress of the club, the readiness of certain youngsters, and the quality of both the overall squad and the man in charge.

Sturridge Provides the Reds with a Wealth of Options

Liverpool finally confirmed an early contender for worst kept secret of 2013 when they announced the signing of Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea for a reported £12mil on January 2. Ever since manager Brendan Rodgers was shortchanged by owners Fenway Sports Group on transfer deadline day back in August, the squad has had little to no support in the attacking department for Luis Suarez, especially with Fabio Borini sidelined for the past three months. The signing of Sturridge has gone some way to correcting that.

Sturridge comes to the club with mixed reviews. While there is little doubt surrounding his talent and potential, many concerns are raised over his attitude and his ability to cut it at the top level. He made defenders look like fools on a regular basis throughout his youth career at Manchester City, and there were a number of clubs waiting to snap him up when he ran down his contract with the Citizens.

From 17-year-old Reserve Player to Household Name

The diabolical conclusion to the transfer window which saw Brendan Rodgers thoroughly starved of financial support from the executive side of the club in his pursuit of Clint Dempsey – who eventually found his way to Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day – was a huge cause for concern for Reds fans. It was clear that Rodgers would be forced to dip into the gold-mine that is the Liverpool academy to fill his first team squad until he can bolster his options in January.

Three youngsters have gone straight from the U21’s side to the starting XI this season. English winger Raheem Sterling, defender Andre Wisdom, and Spanish playmaker Suso have all been drafted into the first team to fill the gaps left by the departing Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez and Andy Carroll, as well as the injuries to Fabio Borini, Martin Kelly and Jose Enrique.

Game Recap of Fixtures with Anzhi, Everton and Swansea

Liverpool 1-0 Anzhi Makhachkala

After finally getting that illusive first home league win of the season against Reading, Liverpool welcomed Russian super-spenders Anzhi Makhachkala to Anfield in the Europa League. Brendan Rodgers recognized the strength of the Dagestan outfit and fielded a strong line-up of his own including the likes of Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.

The Reds were on the front foot for most of the first half but struggled to make a breakthrough. Jonjo Shelvey missed an excellent opportunity to give Liverpool the lead but could only scoop his shot over the bar from 18 yards with only the keeper to beat after great work from Suarez. Liverpool were also denied a host of penalty appeals, the most forceful being when Glen Johnson was tripped from behind just as he was about to pull the trigger from six yards out.