Attacking Spark is there – Need Defensive Reinforcements

Liverpool have been relatively active in the transfer market very early on this summer – which is not a bad thing. However, Manager Brendan Rodgers needs to be wary of the risks involved with making wholesale changes to his squad. Last summer, Tottenham Hotspur went on a spending spree (mostly funded by the eventual sale of Gareth Bale on deadline day to Real Madrid), and only one of a whole host of new players really impressed: Christian Erikson. The others faded in and out of form and Spurs struggled because of it. Rodgers needs to make sure he isn’t making the same mistake.

The Reds have already signed Rickie Lambert from Southampton and Emre Can from Bayer Leverkusen, with Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren – also of Southampton – and Belgian youngster Divock Origi of Lille seemingly a matter of when rather than if they join. Liverpool have also been heavily linked to Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri who plays for Bayern Munich, Benfica winger Lazar Markovic, and Barcelona duo Alexis Sanchez and Pedro.

Most of these players are attackers. Liverpool scored 101 goals last season in the Premier League – their best tally since the Premier League began in 1992. Surly attackers should not be a priority if everything clicked last season. Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling were all prolific in front of goal, helped by the supporting cast of Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Phillippe Coutinho.

While depth is an important factor with Champions League football back in the equation – and Liverpool cannot be relying on the likes of another Victor Moses or Iago Aspas off the bench to try and change a game – stockpiling quality attacking players does not seem like a wise move. Tottenham did it last season and only showed flashes of quality. Jose Mourinho has done it at Chelsea and several players are getting disgruntled, culminating in the sale of Juan Mata to Manchester United in January.

It is true that some of these signings will only come to fruition should Suarez leave the club this summer, with Barcelona believed to be extremely interested in him. Suarez’s most recent bite scandal has put him in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons once again – and this time it may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. A bid of £80mil has been mooted by Barcelona, as well as the possibility of a player-plus-cash deal including Sanchez.

What is worrying is that Liverpool’s defense essentially cost them the title last season. Glen Johnson was subpar for much of the campaign, while Martin Skrtel would cancel out his own attacking contributions with costly defensive errors. Daniel Agger looks to be out of favor with Rodgers at the helm – with Mamadou Sakho seemingly more trusted in the bigger games. Finally, with Jose Enrique out for most of the season, young scouser Jon Flanagan and Valencia loanee Aly Cissokho alternated at left back.

Johnson isn’t a young player anymore and any drop in form could prove to be permanent. Skrtel looks likely to retain his place despite numerous defensive mishaps, but Agger will likely be shown the door should a suitable offer come in. Sakho has shown glimpses of his potential in a red shirt, but has a habit of picking up niggling muscle injuries – most recently while playing for France in the World Cup. Flanagan looks likely to be a big part of this Liverpool side in the foreseeable future, but will probably be shifted back to his more natural position at right back. That leaves solely Enrique at left back with Cissokho heading back to Valencia at the end of his loan spell.

The worrying aspect is that the only two defenders Liverpool have been seriously linked with are Lovren and Sevilla left back Alberto Moreno. Both seem overpriced at £16mil and £20mil respectively, with recent reports stating that any Moreno deal is off as Liverpool are refusing to go above £16mil and Sevilla are demanding £20mil. Lovren has long been talked about as a rising star in Europe, but he showed inconsistency at Lyon which put off the bigger clubs from making an offer. He ended up at Southampton and while he did have an excellent season, he has not shown the kind of form that warrants a £16mil transfer figure. A dodgy World Cup campaign for Croatia hasn’t helped his stock either.

Bringing in exciting attacking players is all well and good when the team needs an offensive spark. As it is, that was the one thing Liverpool had in abundance last season. Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling and Coutinho all have the ability to create something out of nothing and stun the opposition. That being said, it seems unwise to spend a significant chunk of any transfer budget on more attacking spark when the back line is looking weak.

Rodgers captured everyone’s imagination last season with his policy of “win by outscoring the opposition.” It got Liverpool so close to their first title in 24 years. What speaks volumes is that Chelsea – a side notorious for playing extremely drab and defensive football – only finished a few points behind the Reds in third place. That shows what an excellent back line can do for a team.

If Rodgers invests wisely and brings in the right defensive players while maintaining that popular attacking mentality, results will take care of themselves. Do that and maybe, just maybe, Liverpool will go one extra step this coming season and end that painful title drought.