Stoke show LFC the way forward

I don't like Stoke City very much. I find them boring and uninspiring to watch. I don't appreciate constant long diagonal punts up field. Watching the clock tick away dozens of time per match as balls are wiped with towels and set pieces are prepared meticulously isn't my bag either. I don't find their physical approach easy on the eye, but most importantly, I don't like it when Liverpool have to play against them because I know it will be a tough game for the Reds to win. Say what you will about Stoke (I often do), but they are a team you can set your watch by. Liverpool conceded three times against them on Boxing Day. The first goal came from a long punt and flick on, the second from a corner and the third was from a long throw. Quelle suprise. The fact that Liverpool seemed ill equipped to deal with such obvious tactics was alarming but more frustrating still was the Reds inability to impose their contrasting style of play on their opponents throughout the game. Was that really a shock though?

Stoke are a team that have been pieced together in their managers image over several years. Tony Pulis knows how he wants his team to play, he knows what is effective and he has purchased footballers who will carry out his instructions consistently. The fact that these instructions are winning headers, being first to second balls, hitting percentage 'diagonals' and generally working as hard as humanely possible rather than attempting to play dazzling one touch pass and move football doesn't matter. The point remains that over a period of time Tony Pulis has assembled a squad that is able to successfully implement his preferred style of play. It doesn't matter that his team play unattractive football, all that matters is that they are doing exactly what their manager wants them to.

Pulis has a team in his image...minus the baseball cap

Conversely, Brendan Rodgers' group of players contains many who seem at odds with his football style. Whether or not his philosophy will ultimately be successful remains to be seen, but calls for his sacking (and there have been some, lets not kid ourselves) and the growing lack of faith in his management at such an embryonic stage in his Liverpool career is depressing and unfortunately symptomatic of the modern day game. Time is hard to come by for managers these days, especially at Anfield.

Liverpool haven't done as well as they should have this season in terms of league position, no one can dispute that and Rodgers has made mistakes, sometimes very important ones that have cost his team points (in my opinion). But cast your mind back 6 months and most Liverpool fans were applauding the notion of having a young manager with a vision. Excitement surrounded the appointment of the softly spoken Northern Irishman who had a definitive idea of how he wanted Liverpool to play going forward. 6 league defeats later and the goodwill and talk of steady progress over time is quickly evaporating.

Rodgers needs more time

Rodgers inherited a club that had been outside the top 6 under the stewardship of Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish over the past 3 seasons and then lost important players like Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy in the summer. Is it any wonder Liverpool are barely hanging on to the coat tails of the teams fighting for fourth place when you look at it like that?

It's hard to swallow for Kopites but under FSG there is going to be no quick fix no matter what manager is at the helm. Joh Henry and co are apparently unwilling to sanction the huge transfer fees and ludicrous wages that would give Liverpool an opportunity to immediately begin to challenge the top clubs again. Whatever reservations are held about the clubs American owners, in the summer they appointed a manager who they believed could bring success within their business model. They didn't move for a Harry Redknapp style manager and seek a quick fix, they appointed a 39 year old with a clearly defined plan for the future which (like every manager in world football) was not guaranteed to work.

They put their faith in Brendan Rodgers and so did the supporters of Liverpool. So, given that most reds on Merseyside this summer embraced the notion of introducing more youth team players and building for the future with slow steady progress under a new manager is it not just a little short sighted for people to be condemning Rodgers as a failure after half a season and only 2 first team additions to the playing staff (one of whom has been injured for most of the season)?

Liverpool are a team who have finished between 6^th and 8^th for the past three seasons. A return to the Champions League is their obvious objective but the chances of it happening this season were only remote to begin with and with the criminal loss to Aston Villa and the surrender at Stoke it now seems outlandish that Liverpool will finish in the top four. But would it be asking too much to give this new manager another transfer window or two to actually bring in players to the club who actually fit his style of play and to wait and see if improvement occurs?

Daniel Sturridge is on his way from Chelsea, and while he may not be everyone's cup of tea, does anyone seriously think that he wouldn't have provided more league goals than Raheem Sterling (one), Stewart Downing (one), Jose Enrique (one) or Suso (zero) have this season? Joe Cole, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and the like aren't players that fit Rodgers system right now and he must be given time to acquire players who will before he is judged. Like Rodgers, Liverpool supporters want to see their team playing attractive, passing football and winning games. Why not give the man who intends to make this dream a reality the time and players to do it before getting on his back?

If you buy into a philosophy and a long term plan then you have to accept that it is likely going to take a while to perfect. Stoke are one of the best defensive sides in Europe this season and that didn't happen over night. It happened because Tony Pulis, a man whose footballing philosophy I wholeheartedly disagree with, was allowed time to work with the players at his disposal and gradually mould a team in his image over numerous transfer windows. Giving Brendan Rodgers the same opportunity might just be an idea.  

Ten January targets for Liverpool

Rumours are rife and January is right around the corner. Time, then, to take a look at some of the players linked with Liverpool Football Club this winter.

Tom Ince – Left the club only last year for £225,000 but has since shone at Blackpool and established himself in the England Under 21 set up. His 13 goals in the Championship already this season shows he has an eye for goal and he fits the model of young, talented home grown players that FSG are interested in. A fee of around £6m (minus the 35% sell on clause that Liverpool implemented in his transfer to the tangerines) has been muted in the press and he seems a likely signing. Looks to have improved significantly since he left the club and has added an end product that was lacking during his time on Merseyside. Whether or not he could replicate his Championship form in the Premier League remains a question and one that seems increasingly likely to be answered in the new year.

Daniel Sturridge – Like Ince, reports suggest that Liverpool have all but agreed a £12m fee with Chelsea for the England forward. His ability to play wide or centrally in a front three seems tailor made for Brendan Rodgers' system and his goal output has been relatively impressive at Chelsea (24 in 93) despite his limited opportunities. Doubts regarding his attitude are well known but Liverpool and Rodgers seem willing to take the risk on a player with undoubted potential.

Sturridge seems to be heading to Anfield 

Theo Walcott – The boyhood Liverpool fan seems to want out of Arsenal but competition for his signature will be fierce. Liverpool could probably offer him more game time than other rumoured potential suitors Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Whether the club would be able or indeed, willing to offer Arsenal and the player financial packages that would be accepted could be a question mark but purely in footballing terms, interest in the winger is understandable. Walcott offers the pace, penetration and goals that Liverpool's front line currently lacks.

Alexis Sanchez – One tenuous link from the Daily Mirror is all it takes for people to start dreaming. The Chilean winger has struggled for fitness and regular game time at Barcelona this season and unsurprisingly it seems that the Reds are monitoring his situation with view to a possible loan deal. Whether the Catalan giants would be willing to allow the £28m forward to leave remains to be seen and even if they did decide to move him on, a great many Champions League clubs would be interested. Alexis playing on Merseyside seems more than a tad unlikely, but we can all dream once in a while, right?

Cristian Tello – Brendan Rodgers tried to sign the young winger on loan at the beginning of the season but Tello elected to stay with Barcelona. He, like Sanchez, has found time on the pitch difficult to come by this season and he could be looking to get some regular games elsewhere. A loan deal would appear more likely than a permanent transfer given that he is held in high regard at Barca, but Tello's blistering pace and penchant for leaving defenders trailing in his wake makes him obvious target. Like Sanchez though, the chances seem remote that Barca would be willing to lose the player mid season with their Champions League campaign still ahead of them. Perhaps one to revisit in the summer.

Liverpool tried to sign Tello in the summer 

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – The Schalke star is out on contract at the end of the season and is the ultimate 'fox in the box'. His cool head in front of goal has been evident again after difficult spells at Milan and Real Madrid and he has scored 42 times in 70 appearances for the German side. He has bags international experience and is more clinical than any striker Liverpool currently posses. The fact that he can only really play centrally may put Rodgers off though, given his apparent lack of desire to move Luis Suarez from that position. The 'Hunter' did strike up a great partnership with Suarez at Ajax though, and the potential reuniting of that partnership is an exciting proposition.

Demba Ba – A proven Premier League striker who has 10 league goals already this season and is available for £7.5m. Sound too good be true? Perhaps it is. Ba's knees are apparently in a bad way and liable to give way at any moment (reports suggest that has been the case for a while now) but his fitness record at Newcastle has been good and his goalscoring exploits cannot be ignored. His get out clause is cheap and he has been a stand out performer for the Geordies in a difficult season thus far. Liverpool have been linked with the player numerous times and he seems to be an attainable target should the club wish to pursue him.

Ba's low release clause is tempting 

Jack Butland – Aged just 19 and already England's back up to Joe Hart, the imposing Birmingham stopper could be seen as a potential long term replacement for Pepe Reina. He could also be seen as an immediate replacement for the Spaniard who has suffered a chronic lack of form over the past couple of seasons. Hugely talented, confident and a great prospect, Butland will soon be in demand and won't be playing his trade in the Championship for much longer. Whether Brendan Rodgers and his scouts are sufficiently impressed to steal a march on their rivals and attempt to snap up the highly rated keeper in January is another question. Assuming Reina can recapture his form, then chances for Butland would probably be hard to come by despite his extraordinary potential.

Mohamed Diame – Liverpool missed out on Diame in the summer when Kenny Dalglish was lining up a free transfer for the French born midfielder, but his performance against the Reds at Upton Park recently may well have reignited interest. Diame dominated the midfield as he did against Chelsea for the Hammers and offers the kind of physicality that Liverpool's squad lacks in central midfield right now. A reported £3.5m buy out clause in his contract also makes him more than affordable but his recent form means that interest will be there from other Premier League teams.

Keisuke Honda – The CSKA Moscow play maker is entering his final year of his contract and has long been linked with a move to the Premier League. The Japanese number 10 offers guile, technical ability and experience and aged 26 probably has his best years still ahead of him. Honda has the ability to play wide or as a deep midfielder but given his natural play making position is something that Liverpool sorely lack right now, the midfielder could be a curve ball signing this January. Apparently he also a has a good engine on him (sorry).

For Wenger read Benitez

Arsenal is not a happy football club right now. Fans appear, for the first time, to be seriously in favour of a change of manager. Fed up with perennial underachievement, a lack of trophies and ambition in the transfer market, many supporters have finally had enough and turned some of their scorn away from the boardroom and onto their legendary manager Arsene Wenger. Is it time for a change at the Emirates or will change only serve to facilitate their downfall?

It's been a repetitive cycle over the past few years. Arsenal lose a top player or two in the summer, replace them with players who aren't quite at the same level, struggle in the league and then Arsene Wenger somehow manages to guide the team back into the top four and secure Champions League football for another season. Despite a wretched start again this term, if this writer was asked to put his money where his mouth is regarding Arsenal's eventual league position, I'd say history will repeat itself once again. The Gunners lie only 2 points off 4^th place and still have a squad that boasts enough quality to sustain their European adventures in UEFA's money spinning competition once more. However, fourth place just isn't enough for supporters these days.

Not when you are paying exorbitant and ever increasing ticket prices. Not when your team hasn't won a trophy in years. Not when you have to see your best players leave every summer. And certainly not when your side are eliminated by a fourth tier team in a competition that you badly wanted to win. With each annual sale of another top player, Arsenal grow weaker and the breaking point is looming. Whether it's this season, next season or the one after that, without considerable improvement, it's conceivable that Arsenal will eventually slip out of the top four. You can only weaken your squad so many times before others catch up and over take you. Chelsea, United and City have three of the four Champions League positions locked down, Everton and Spurs continue to improve, Liverpool are gradually waking from their slumber and the fight for fourth is growing ever more fierce. If and when Arsenal do eventually miss out and are no longer in the Champions League then things really become hard.

Wenger is under pressure like never before at Arsenal

Gooners need only look at Liverpool's decline for an example of how damaging slipping out of the Champions League can be. Liverpool were ranked as the number one team in Europe less than four years ago and since missing out on the top four in 2009/10, they haven't seriously threatened a return to Europe's top table since. A succession of managers have come and gone, top players have left the club and their replacements were overly expensive risks, the majority of which have failed miserably. At the time of Rafa Benitez's sacking, many Liverpool fans were in favour. 'He's lost the dressing room' 'His methods have gone stale' 'His signings have been poor' (sound familiar?) were common reasons cited for his departure. There was some truth in all these comments, but when Roy Hodgson took control at Anfield you'd have been hard pressed to find a Scouser who didn't yearn for the return of the Spaniard who brought far more triumph than disaster. Liverpool gambled on a new manager and it backfire spectacularly. Now the club yearns for and dreams of fourth place. What was once a pre-requisite is now the main target.

Time ran out for Benitez at Anfield

Wenger is in a similar position to the one Benitez found himself in. His group of players seem demotivated, important first team players like Walcott and Sagna are seeking pastures new and his signings (which, while not in the Chelsea/Manchester City financial bracket, haven't been cheap) are on the whole, failing. Finally, almost unthinkably, a significant portion of his once adoring fan-base want to see him replaced. It's a position that is easy to sympathise with. Arsenal should be doing better. They should be winning trophies more regularly and perhaps the Wenger of ten years ago would have them in a more competitive position despite the financial disparity with City, United and Chelsea.

The question that Arsenal's fans must ask themselves though, is who is capable of replacing Wenger and doing a better job with the same resources at their disposal? Would a new man really be able to reinvigorate the squad and restore their competitiveness in the upper echelons of the league with a similar transfer budget and this squad of players? In short, could Arsenal attract a manager who is more qualified to improve the club than Arsene Wenger currently is?

Certainties in football are few and far between and changing a manager who is as immersed in a club as Wenger is at Arsenal is a monumental decision. It is possible that a new manager could improve Arsenal but it is just as easy to envisage their current malaise becoming even more pronounced if a new manager didn't hit the ground running and God forbid, needed a little time to improve things. Patience at Arsenal is understandably thin on the ground and would a new manager be afforded enough of it should his methods fail to yield immediate improvement? Wenger's future is uncertain but with or without him, so is Arsenal's. Whatever decision is made, be it in the summer or further down the line, Arsenal as a club must get it spot on. If they don't then today's perceived underachievement might be tomorrow's target. Just ask a Liverpool fan how that feels.

Seven games from contention?

Gerard Houllier once claimed that his Liverpool side were 'ten games from greatness'. Less enthrallingly but just as significantly, Brendan Rodgers Liverpool are now seven games from contention.

More possession kept, more spirit shown, more chances created, more chances wasted and depressingly, more dropped points. A familiar pattern played out for the Reds at White Hart Lane in their 2-1 defeat. Losing away at Spurs shouldn't be seen as a disaster, especially given the resilient nature of the performance after a terrible opening ten minutes, but the defeat now places extra significance on Liverpool's next seven league games between December 1^st and January 2^nd.

Southampton, Aston Villa, Fulham and Sunderland visit Anfield in that time. Away from home West Ham, Stoke and QPR lie in wait. All are games that Liverpool can and will be expected to win. 21 vital points are available in total over the next 33 days and it is the perfect opportunity to for Liverpool to start climbing the table.

Rodgers needs results now

The problematic start thus far has been (rightly, in my opinion ) excused to some extent given the paucity of depth in the squad, the difficult fixture list and the fact that high performance levels have failed to be rewarded in the form of points on several occasions. Now though, Brendan Rodgers has seven league games where, on each occasion, he will be in charge of the stronger team. He isn't facing the might of City, United or Chelsea. He isn't taking on the much more evolved and settled squads of Everton, Spurs or Arsenal and this period of back to back Premier League games will give fans, owners and players alike a clear picture of what Liverpool can achieve this season.

Despite only 3 league wins thus far, the potential for relative success (4^th place isn't good enough, but it is all we can hope for at the moment) still remains. Currently 10 points off 4^th placed West Brom and only 4 points above the drop zone, December looks like being the measuring stick for Liverpool. Come the final whistle on January 2^nd when Sunderland visit L4, Liverpool will have played 21 league games and their position in the table will be more telling than it is at present. It is crucial then, that when the players in red make their way back to the Anfield dressing room that day, they do so in significantly better shape than at present. Excuses will be harder to come by after this batch of winnable fixtures and if the players can squeeze out a good points total (17 points or more) then the season's aims will be being reassessed in a more positive manner.

Home is where the hurt is right now for Liverpool

Amazingly, if Rodgers can guide his team through this period while accumulating the requisite amount of points expected, then his side will probably be placed well enough to make an assault on 4^th place. It is unlikely, of course, given that stringing just 2 wins back to back has been impossible for Liverpool this season, but on paper, it is eminently possible. Every team the Reds face over the next 4 weeks are weaker and should be vanquished. The woeful home record will need to be finally eradicated and consistency must be found during this period. Drawing at home to Newcastle and Man City is bearable when the performances are good. Losing to Spurs and Manchester United after being the better team in both fixtures can be put into context and digested easily enough. That will not be the case if results against the likes of QPR, Villa and Sunderland are not favourable. Promise has been shown this season, but now is the time for delivery.

Seven games to get back in contention. Seven games for Brendan Rodgers to haul his side back up the league table and if that is achieved then Liverpool will likely be within touching distance of the Champions League place that they desire. If anything would persuade FSG to loosen their purse strings significantly in January then surely it would be the potential of a quicker than expected return to Europe's premier money spinning competition.

Fourth place is, unfortunately, the most that fans can dream for Liverpool right now and despite an underwhelming opening to this season, the lack of consistency exhibited by rival teams fighting for this coveted spot means that, incredibly, a good December is all it would take for the Reds to be genuine contenders for the position again. Then it would be over to FSG to show us how serious they really are about making this club a force again.

'Greatness' is a long way off but come the new year, fourth place shouldn't be.

Sparkling Suarez puts FSG in the Spotlight

Every supporter of Liverpool Football Club has been hoping since September 1^st that when the January transfer window arrives, owners Fenway Sports Group will dip their hands in their pockets and allow Brendan Rodgers to bolster his squad. Liverpool need more quality players and more experience in their ranks. They have done all season, but now fans have a new reason to hope that their American custodians spends some significant money in 8 weeks time: To keep Luis Suarez at Anfield.

Suarez is without doubt Liverpool's leading light these days. Indeed, he's probably the Premier League's leading light right now. His skill, inventiveness, work rate and recently his terrific output of goals means that the prospect of a Liverpool team taking to the field without him is a terrifying proposition (and I certainly don't mean for their opponents). Despite receiving a new contract this past summer, his happiness with his life on Merseyside and his mutual love with the clubs fan base, Suarez's departure seems more likely every time he shines like a diamond amongst the dirt for the Reds.

Liverpool have been here before. It was just shy of two years ago that a world class foreign striker seemingly in love with the club, paid handsomely and idolised by Kopites the world over eventually decided that he could leave all that behind to seek trophies at pastures new. Fernando Torres' move to Chelsea hasn't been plain sailing for the Spaniard but nearly 2 years on, Torres still hasn't been effectively replaced (Suarez was bought as a foil for the Spaniard, not as a direct replacement) and his qualities are desperately missed at Anfield. Meanwhile, in that time, his new club have won an F.A Cup, the Champions League and currently sit just a point from the top of the Premier League table. In short, they are miles in front of Liverpool.

Why Fernando Torres left Liverpool

If Suarez continues to perform to the extraordinary levels that he has reached thus far this season and then, just as happened with Torres, Champions League clubs with deeper pockets and better trophy prospects will be lining up down Anfield Road to try and tempt him away. Be it Chelsea, Man City, Barcelona, PSG or Real Madrid, Suarez is likely to have enticing offers come his way when this season is in the record books. Liverpool must do everything they can to retain the services of their only world class forward and that process must start in January.

John Henry and co need to get Liverpool back into the Champions League and they need to do it as quickly as possible. With their current squad that just isn't a realistic proposition. It will only become a realistic possibility if serious investment in the playing staff is allowed. The longer you are out of Europe's elite competition, the harder it is to attract top quality players and get back in there. Not being in the Champions League means your Champions League quality players will start to cast envious glances at clubs in the competition and their services become increasingly difficult to retain. Torres left Liverpool because he didn't think they had a short term route back to the top table of Europe's elite clubs. Sadly, he was right. How long before Luis Suarez starts to feel the same way? How many games must he carry almost the entire attacking threat of his team while surrounded only by promising youngsters, fading former stars and downright mediocrity before he decides that enough is enough and he can get a better deal elsewhere?

Suarez showcased his genius with this goal against Newcastle

It would be surprising if these thoughts aren't already forming in the Uruguayan's mind. Like all Liverpool fans, he will likely be waiting with baited breath when January comes around to see how serious FSG really are about restoring Liverpool to their former glories in a timely fashion. It's all well and good having a long term plan and appointing a manager to carry it out and youngsters like Sterling, Wisdom, Shelvey and Suso might be fantastic players in a few years time but for a world class striker in his prime right now, a few years down the line probably matters little. He will want success as soon as possible and progress needs to be made in the forthcoming transfer window to facilitate that progress. If FSG can give their manager the funds to significantly improve his squad this winter then it will at least be an assurance that short term, the club are attempting to take serious strides forward and make a significant effort to get back to where they believe they should be. If they don't offer Rodgers a fistful of dollars and he has to continue to rely on kids from the academy and players like Downing, Cole and Enrique week in week out then could anyone really blame Luis Suarez for considering his future?

Suarez is an elite footballer who has the qualities to play in any side in the world. A new contract with a big pay rise only goes so far. He, like the clubs fans, needs reassurances that players of his ilk will be coming through the Shankly Gates soon to help him get Liverpool back into the Champions League and prevent them becoming a perennially mid table outfit. FSG need to bite the bullet, financially back the manager that they appointed and keep their best player happy. If they don't then Liverpool can forget the Champions League and they will probably have to forget Luis Suarez too.  

Suso and Sterling need time but Liverpool need goals

The recent news that Fabio Borini is out for a few months with an injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Liverpool. While the Italian has only scored once this season, his absence means that the Reds now have just one senior striker in Luis Suarez to see them through until the January transfer window opens. It is time for the rest of team to start chipping in with some goals to ease the burden on the mercurial Uruguayan, but with two of the three forward positions currently being taken up by inexperienced teenagers Raheem Sterling and Spanish starlet Suso, is that a realistic proposition?

It has to be assumed that, form and fitness permitting, from now until January at least, Suso and Sterling will be playing regularly in the Premier League for the Reds in two of the three forward positions that Brendan Rodgers selects. The only viable replacements for their starting positions right now are Oussama Assaidi, Stewart Downing and Joe Cole. Assaidi has been understandably hit and miss so far as he tries to get up to speed with English football. This leaves Downing and Cole. The funny thing is that given their age, pedigree, experience and expense to the club, Cole and Downing should be in the starting eleven every week for Liverpool with the likes of Suso and Sterling providing the back up rather than the other way round.

Suso doesn't look like a regular goalscorer yet

Cole should be ahead of Suso in the pecking order given his standing in the game and what he has accomplished, but his woeful injury record, lack of any match fitness what so ever and his form when compared to Suso's, suggests that the former England international will have to be content with being understudy to the kid from Cadiz who is 12 years his junior. On the opposite flank of Liverpool's attacking trio, it is equally hard to see Downing displacing Sterling despite his extra experience in the Premier League and his numerous England caps. Downing should be a prominent player for Liverpool right now. He cost £20m, he is in the prime of his career, he has scored goals for his previous clubs on a fairly regular basis and Liverpool need goals and experience desperately at this moment. However, he has proven himself so unwilling to take responsibility in a red shirt that it is inconceivable that he could start ahead of Sterling in the first team as things stand. It is a damning indictment on two players in their prime who have cost Liverpool so much money, that two relatively unknown kids are who the goal scoring burden for such a large club is now going to fall on. The reds need goals and regardless of age, lots of people are going to expect them from players in the forward positions.

Sterling has shown at youth level that he can score regularly from wide areas and even scored for the first team in pre season. This season in the Premier League though, he has only attempted 3 shots, which were all off target. It's easy to expect that as his confidence and experience continue to grow, his efforts at goal will become more frequent and accurate, but regular goals in the senior side still seem a way off.

Suso, since his introduction to the first team, has shown that keeps the ball exceptionally well and is technically proficient but goals or even serious attempted shots have evaded him for the most part. He has though, only played 171 Premier League minutes so far and to judge his potential as a goal scorer on such a small sample isn't fair. However, when we look at his record at reserve level, he scored just 8 times in the last two seasons and that does not suggest that we can expect a regular stream of goals from him either. In short, neither of the two young prodigies seem likely to to enrich the current Liverpool team with an influx of goals in the near future. But that really isn't their fault.

Sterling has the potential to add goals to his game, given time

It is unfortunate for Suso and Sterling that because of the circumstances they find themselves in, pressure is going to be on them almost immediately to provide Liverpool with a decent number of goals. In an ideal world, both teenagers would be introduced into the first team in a way that would limit the pressure on them. Playing the odd Premier League game and making appearances in the League Cup and Europa League is presumably how Brendan Rodgers would have preferred to acclimatise his two young stars to the trials of first team football. However, because of the failings of players like Downing and Cole, the injuries to players like Borini and the lack of summer signings, Suso and Sterling are now not only players that Liverpool fans will expect to see in the team every weekend, but a pair of players who will be expected to get on the score sheet.

This is the downside to seeing such exciting talent emerge at Anfield these days. Suso and Sterling need to be playing free of pressure and allowed to express themselves without the burden of the teams results weighing too heavily on their inexperienced shoulders. Instead, these two rookies will have major expectations from the clubs fans almost right away. It is not ideal and it could be detrimental to their progress if too much is demanded too soon.

Even Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't a prolific goal scorer as a teenager

Cristiano Ronaldo scored just 3 goals in his début season at Sporting Lisbon and in his first Premier League season he only scored 4 goals in 29 appearances for Manchester United. Andres Iniesta at Barcelona scored 2 goals in his first 2 full seasons despite making 70 starts in La Liga for the Catalan giants. Ronaldo now scores a goal a game and Iniesta scores between 5 and 10 a season. End product is seldom consistently evident in young attacking players and while Reds fans are desperate for their team to starting winning and scoring goals, frustrations must not be aimed at 2 talents who need nurturing.

If goals are still at premium over the coming weeks and months then the blame will lie with whoever's decision it was not to bring in an experienced striker to replace Andy Carroll. The blame will lie with under performing expensive players who have scored goals in the past but now seem happy to sit on the side lines and pick up their wages. The blame may even lie with the managers tactics. But the blame should not be attributed to a pair of talented kids who are finding their feet in the Premier League. Patience is a virtue, after all.  

Tony Pulis - The Capped Crusader

There has been much hysteria on these shores this past week about cheating in football. Luis Suarez's latest theatrics have sparked outrage in the English football world again. People want the cheats like Suarez to be punished. Or rather, they want people who cheat in a way that is seen as under handed to be punished. Because after all, cheating in an obvious manner that doesn't include falling over an imaginary leg or exaggerating contact in the penalty area is infinitely more palatable in England.

Football is, always has been, and always will be, a game where cheating is not just omnipresent, but pretty much a pre-requisite. Examine any game of football at any level and the number of times the rules are broken will be exhaustive. You will see players appealing for corners and throw ins when they know they have kicked the ball out of play themselves, players pulling shirts and 'tactically' fouling with no other intention than to stop their opponents scoring, time wasting from players when their team are wining a match, the list goes on and on. So why is all this seen as acceptable and 'part of the game' while a dive is seen as the ultimate sin?

In this country we love nothing more than throwing tomatoes at the pantomime villains who are seen waving their imaginary cards, falling to the ground when people breathe on them and exhibiting their Tom Daley style double pikes (providing they are from shores afar, of course). It is to be cherished then, that we have a man who stands up for the integrity of the English game whenever he must and embodies the English resistance to underhand tactics that people like Luis Suarez exhibit. A man whose love for the beautiful game is matched only by his hatred for those who attempt to soil it with their dishonest ways. Step forward Tony Pulis.

The Capped Crusader 

Just a couple of weeks back after his team had been beaten by Chelsea, Stoke City manager Pulis was demanding that Chelsea players be retrospectively punished for diving. He unleashed a tirade during his post match press conference about how simulation was damaging the game and how those at fault must face the consequences. It is cheating and it is wrong, he claimed. He made a stand. He stuck by his principles and let the wider world know that he was against cheating in football and wanted the authorities to back him up. He put himself up there as a pioneer for the integrity of football. After reading his comments, something came to my mind. I remembered that Pulis' team had benefited from a piece of cheating just a week earlier. I decided to investigate and see what this bastion of truth and justice had made of this indiscretion from one of his own. Surely he condemned the action from the offending Stoke player and kept true to his principles? Not quite.....

Against Manchester City, 7 days before Pulis laid into Chelsea players for cheating, his striker Peter Crouch scored a goal against the champions that was preceded by two obvious hand balls. Essentially, Crouch cheated by controlling the ball with his hand twice and got away with it. Tony Pulis' reaction when questioned about the illegal goal that earned his side a valuable point? "I've been told Crouchy handled ball - if we've got a decision go our way I'm delighted." Not quite the same levels of righteous indignation there from the Stoke manager, eh? Come on Tony! Mind you, the club crested capped crusader has redoubled his efforts since then so let's not judge him too harshly just yet, for Pulis was at it again this weekend.

Pulis' team we're away at Liverpool on Sunday and Tony sent his Stoke side out on to the turf at Anfield with the primary objective to consistently disrupt the game of football that their hosts so desperately wanted to partake in. This was achieved by any means necessary including monotonous, cynical fouls from most of his players, Robert Huth stamping on Luis Suarez's chest and unfathomable amounts of time wasting from his goal keeper that resulted in a £25,000 fine for his club for accumulating 6 yellow cards (and referee Lee Mason could and should have dished out a lot more). It was, as most games involving Stoke City are, depressing fare. Content with his teams hard earned point, Pulis again got on his soap box after the match to protest about the cheating that is spoiling the game of football.

This is okay, diving isn't

He condemned Luis Suarez for diving to try and win a penalty for Liverpool and demanded that the Uruguayan be punished for it. To Tony it seems that diving is the cardinal sin, but cynically chopping down opposition players whenever they are mounting an attack or pulling shirts inside the penalty area is just part of the game. Maybe he is right. After all, we didn't see endless replays of John Walters nearly breaking Glen Johnson in half with a mid air assault this weekend, did we? And the F.A didn't ban Robert Huth for stamping on the chest of an opposition player, did they? And no penalty was awarded to Martin Skrtel when his Stoke City marker nearly tore the shirt off his back at Anfield, was it? Instead we've had an inquest into what a massive, ungodly cheat Luis Suarez (the guy who is lucky to have his ribs in tact this weekend after being stamped on) is again because he took a dive that he quite correctly didn't receive a penalty for.

It would be easy to dismiss Pulis as just another hypocritical football manager but in reality, he is more than that. Pulis embodies the English mentality when it comes to football. Cheating is fine unless the perpetrator attempts to disguise it. That's sly. That's a foreign thing. And we don't like it.

Hillsborough: Why Today Matters

'I reckon is was a 50/50 thing. Mistakes obviously happened with the Police, but fans were drunk and trying to force their way in without tickets, so it was partly their fault too.'

A former work colleague of mine once made this remark to me during a conversation about the Hillsborough disaster. Like the vast majority of the public, he had never read the findings of the Taylor report. He had never poured over the excellent book by Phil Scratton or read Anne Williams' publication about the evidence regarding her son Kevin's death that contradicts the 'official' verdict on his passing. He had never visited the eternal flame, watched documentaries on the disaster or listened to those who were there and suffered the ignominy of the ensuing, slanderous cover up. He wasn't a bad person and his comments weren't laced with venom or hatred. He was merely a supporter of another football club, young, and didn't really care enough about the disaster to have educated his obvious ignorance. Hillsborough wasn't his thing. He was just another football fan, just another person who thought he knew enough about what transpired on April 15 1989.

In reality, he knew nothing. He had formed his ideas upon the notion that 'where there is smoke there is fire'. The Sun newspaper, the lies of some Police and the government's subsequent cover up of the tragedy meant that, even after all these years, all the half-hearted retractions buried on page 7 of Murdoch's tabloid and the investigations exonerating fans of any wrong doing, my former colleague, just like a healthy portion of the public still believed that somehow, innocent people were to blame on that fateful day in 1989.

As I reeled off some facts about the disaster and tried to set him straight, I could see that my words were only partially heard and viewed with scepticism. He wasn't going to go home and research the disaster any further and even my impassioned argument and obvious disdain for his comment wasn't going to change that. I was exasperated and frustrated. I have no idea how I'd have felt if I'd been directly affected by Hillsborough. If I'd lost a loved one, knew someone that had been injured or even been present myself that day, I can't imagine the pain, disgust, anger and helplessness I'd have felt as a person I liked and worked with let out such a statement as 'it's partly their fault too'.

This is why the documents that will finally be released later today are so important and this is why it matters to me and you.

Today could be the moment that the vast majority of doubts, misinformed ignorance, prejudice and spiteful lies finally vanish into the ether. The families affected by the tragedy are hoping that the Hillsborough Independent Panel's (HIP) report today will finally shed light on the cover up regarding the disaster and that that will ultimately lead to a retraction of the 'accidental death' verdict and an official apology from the government. Some hope for prosecution for those who were responsible for the inadequate treatment that their loved ones received during their last moments. For all the good that thousands of people have done to aid the cause of the families and the survivors, those two disgusting words 'THE TRUTH' that Kelvin McKenzie allowed to be splashed across the Sun's front page and the lies that spread like wildfire from the Police all those years ago still speak loudest to the uninformed, the uninterested, the wilfully ignorant and the prejudiced people of this nation. Today represents the best chance yet to right some of these many wrongs.

The families are as close now as they have ever been to exposing the lies that have blighted their existences over the past two decades yet they are also nervous and wary that another fudge may take place and they will again be left in limbo with nowhere else to turn (23 years of fighting unsuccessfully inevitably brings with it a huge dollop of cynicism). They have been here before and been sent packing but this time it feels different. Hopefully today they will receive a huge part of the peace that they deserve. It isn't right that people have had to live with the added pain of the Hillsborough lies, cover ups and the lack of accountability for those at fault for all this time. Losing their loved ones was pain enough.

If the report from the HIP today exposes the lies and cover ups of Hillsborough to the masses, then it will be headline news and will provide vindication for the families' campaign for Justice that has lasted far too long. Only then will people like my former work colleague stop unashamedly peddling the hurtful myths created in the aftermath of the disaster.

Liverpool's 3 stars yet to shine

After his side's dismal start to the league campaign, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has a lot on his plate and numerous problems to rectify. The form of his 3 star players is perhaps the most pressing concern  (aside from the off-field problems of course). Pepe Reina, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez are fundamental players in Liverpool's squad and so far, the three leading lights at Anfield have yet to ignite. Rodgers must get them firing again, but is it possible and if so, how?

Liverpool need to get more out of their Captain

Steven Gerrard – Phenomenal player though he is, Steven Gerrard appears to be struggling to adapt to Rodgers' 4-3-3 system more than most. He has been positioned regularly as the most advanced player in the midfield 3 and hasn't looked at ease very often. Against Arsenal, as he did on the opening day at West Brom, Gerrard gave a slack ball away in the opposition half and within seconds Liverpool found themselves 1-0 down. When he was at his best under Benitez, Gerrard played predominantly as a second striker behind Fernando Torres where his starting position would be similar to what Rodgers is asking of him these days, but under the Spaniard he was allowed to neglect his defensive duties a lot more. At Anfield against Arsenal, he frequently left Sahin and Allen alone in midfield and noticeably took a long time to get back into position when the reds lost the ball. Perhaps it was down to fatigue after 3 games in 7 days but in general Gerrard hasn't yet hit top form for Liverpool and is not fitting into the new system very impressively. Countless times this season already we've seen Liverpool work themselves into an attacking position with patient build up play only for Gerrard (and Suarez) to play a careless, rushed pass and surrender possession in a hasty attempt to create a chance. Gerrard's game has always been about dynamism, pace and power but in Liverpool's new formation he has to start using his brain more and his ageing legs a little less. His natural instinct is to try and drag Liverpool by their bootstraps into a game and create something out of nothing but while he has been the saviour so many times in the past he now needs to adapt and use his bursts of energy less and more intelligently. He isn't the 25 year old tornado that he was in Istanbul and he needs his team mates to share the burden of winning games with him. He has all the tools to succeed in pretty much any position on the pitch but he needs to step his game up a few levels and quickly.

Reina reflects on another poorly conceded goal

Pepe Reina – The 2 poor mistakes in a week against Hearts and Arsenal were symptomatic of the last few years for Reina. While he is still regarded as one of the finest goal keepers in Europe, this is a reputation based on his performances from a long while ago as, since Rafa Benitez exited Anfield, the keeper's form has generally fluctuated from the poor to the mediocre with some horrendous aberrations thrown into the mix. Reina is doing well with his distribution, as expected, but in terms of shot stopping, concentration and positioning, the Spaniard is a long way short of his best. Reina has several times publicly yearned for the return of his former goal keeping coach Xavi Valero and maybe that would help him to regain his former glories, but the problem for Rodgers is that while his number 1 is out of form, there is no viable replacement. Brad Jones simply isn't up to it and Doni seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. All this leaves Rodgers with a goalkeeper who has been sleepwalking his way through the past few season and who looks low on confidence and, at this moment, an accident waiting to happen. The manager has little choice but to persist with the Spaniard and hope he can shake off his current malaise and recapture his form. It is risk, but Rodgers has no other choice but to trust in Reina.

Frustration has been etched on Suarez' face for most of the season 

Luis Suarez – Suarez is not a number 9. Suarez doesn't hold play up and Suarez is not a clinical finisher. Unfortunately for both player an manager, Suarez is being positioned as Liverpool's most forward central attacker and, unless Fabio Borini can fill the void with Suarez moving out to the right hand side, nothing can really change. The Uruguayan has started the season as most would have expected. Beguiling one moment, astonishingly wasteful and frustrating the next. Suarez is Liverpool biggest threat and opposition teams know it. He is consistently double marked and is trying to do too much. Like Gerrard, he is guilty of playing this season in fast forward mode. Every time he receives the ball, his first instinct is to attack defenders or play a difficult first time pass regardless of his chances of success. The burden of being the only player in his squad likely to score upwards of 10 league goals is obviously weighing heavily on his shoulders and his agitation and frustration are there for all to see. Silly bookings, petulant outbursts and bad decisions have all been evident thus far. The problem is, unless someone steps up to the plate to ease the pressure on the mercurial number 7, nothing is likely to change. Suarez is Liverpool's only regular match winner and he needs help. Perhaps altering his role in the side to play from a wider position with Borini through the centre would help but Rodgers has resisted that temptation so far and will have his reasons. Either way, Liverpool need more from Suarez and Suarez needs more from Liverpool.

Allen and Sahin can negate Lucas' absence

When Lucas Leiva trudged disconsolately off the Anfield turf just 3 minutes into Liverpool's match against Manchester City, an audible air of concern was detectable from the home fans inside Anfield that was surely mirrored by the club's supporters watching around the globe. Lucas' absence from the side last season had an astoundingly detrimental effect on the side then managed by Kenny Dalglish and the notion of him again being injured seemingly presented the same problems that Dalglish ultimately failed to resolve last season to new manager Brendan Rodgers. Or so we thought.

Despite no signing of a like for like back up player for Lucas and the ever expanding dossier of evidence displaying Jay Spearing's inability to reach the levels required in that role, Liverpool managed the rest of the game against the Champions without a 'natural' defensive midfielder in an admirable manner. Step forward Joe Allen.

Lucas can't hind his despair at his latest injury setback 

When Brendan Rodgers splashed out £15m for the Welshman, it was assumed that he would occupy the 'second volante' position in Liverpool's new midfield trio. Essentially he would be the playmaker, slightly advanced of Lucas and behind Steven Gerrard. Lucas would be the player charged with more of the defensive responsibilities, thus allowing Allen to concentrate of getting on the ball and dictating Liverpool's play from a slightly more advanced position. It was in this particular role that he excelled for Swansea last season with Leon Britton doing his defensive work (playing the 'Lucas' role, if you like) and while Liverpool lost convincingly to West Brom on his league début for his new club, Allen produced an accomplished personal display in that position.

However, with Lucas likely to miss up to three months of the season with his thigh injury and Jay Spearing seemingly on his way out of the club, Allen will most likely now be required to be Liverpool's deepest and most overtly defensive central midfielder. Admittedly this isn't ideal, but against City, the little maestro's performance showed that he is capable of filing the void left by the unfortunate Brazilian.

Joe Allen tussles with Yaya Toure 

Aside from the outstanding retention of possession and smart, accurate passing on display from Allen last weekend, it was his interceptions, tackling and tenacity that eased the fears of losing Lucas to injury. Allen was imperious against the likes of Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri while positioned just in front of Liverpool's centre halves and never looked overawed at the complicated and slightly different role thrust upon him. For a player at a new club, in a new role in a game of that magnitude, he exuded maturity and tactical abilities that belied his tender years.

Allen's apparent versatility is looking likely to benefit Liverpool in Lucas' absence, but it is also offset with the astute loan capture of Nuri Sahin which also eases the headache that Lucas' injury has given Brendan Rodgers. Rather than having to compensate for the lack of a world class defensive midfielder with the introduction of a player of lesser quality like Jay Spearing (as Dalglish did), or trusting in the relatively unproven, inexperienced Jonjo Shelvey and Jordan Henderson, Rodgers now has the option to bring in an experienced and potentially world class player like Nuri Sahin into the side while readjusting the role of Allen slightly. Essentially, Allen can play where Lucas was meant to and Sahin can fill the gap that Allen's repositioning creates.

Nuri Sahin is an exciting prospect for Liverpool's fans

While a deep lying midfield duo of Sahin and Allen does not, on the face of it, offer quite the defensive solidity of that of Lucas and Allen in tandem, it does allow two of Liverpool's most technically gifted players to play alongside each other and help set the tempo for the side by dominating possession even more than with Lucas in the side. It is probably not the pairing that Brendan Rodgers would have preferred to have been able to select early in the season (especially with may difficult games on the immediate horizon), but the signings of Allen and Sahin now look even more inspired as it offers Liverpool greater flexibility and more options to deal with the unfortunate loss of Lucas. Rather than simply finding a less talented replacement for Lucas, Liverpool can now alter their tactical ethos slightly to incorporate a midfield trio with the outstanding technical qualities of Gerrard, Sahin and Allen. It may not be perfect and it may not click straight away but it is a mouth watering prospect that could ignite Liverpool's season.

If Allen had failed to re-assimilate himself impressively in the deeper role he was forced to undertake against City, then panic would now be sweeping the club and it's fan base. Instead, Allen's man of the match performance means that while he doesn't have the experience of Lucas at being the predominant holding player in midfield, Liverpool at least have a young man ready to step into the Brazilian's hitherto unfilled shoes and aid the midfield from the same position, albeit in a slightly different way.

If Nuri Sahin can integrate himself into Liverpool's system in the way fans hope, then Lucas' absence may not be as devastating as first feared. Allen and Sahin is a risky pairing in central midfield, but it is also a combination that cannot fail to evoke some excitement. Both players have wonderful technique and are famed for their passing styles. While Allen is busy and generally keeps play ticking over with short, simple passes, Sahin is capable of supplying much needed imagination to the team. He has an extraordinary passing range and will hopefully excel with a player like Steven Gerrard to constantly feed the ball to. If Allen can consistently replicate his performance against City with a fit and firing Sahin alongside him, then Liverpool may find themselves with a new midfield partnership that could be the envy of the Premier League.

Luis Suarez +/-

Opposites attract and for Luis Suarez's negatives, Liverpool must find a positive.

As Liverpool fans reran the horrifying opening day defeat to West Brom in their minds, they could be forgiven for silently cursing their wasteful centre forward who missed at least 3 very presentable opportunities against the Baggies. I submit, however, that this is no new phenomena and Luis Suarez will forever be the kind of player who will miss chances that his talents demand he should take. It has been evident for 18 months at Anfield and was even on show during the Olympics for Uruguay. For all his qualities and his Eredivisie exploits with Ajax, the little number 7 is no clinical finisher. Perhaps it is a problem that can only be rectified indirectly.

Rather than lamenting Suarez's near misses and shanked sitters, Liverpool should be focused on finding a solution to the profligacy of their star player from another source. Suarez will have games where he will gobble up three wonderful goals from relatively difficult chances (i.e. Norwich away last season) but then follow it up with a string of misses in the following games that lead to Liverpool firing blanks. And there is the main obstacle that Liverpool must overcome. If Suarez isn't scoring, who is?

Opening day anguish for Suarez at West Brom

For a long time Liverpool have been bailed out by clinical front men who, regardless of how they were playing in a match, would more often than not stick the ball in the net given half a chance. From Torres to Owen to Fowler to Rush to Aldridge, Liverpool have always had someone in their team that guaranteed goals no matter how peripheral they were during a game. Luis Suarez is the antithesis of this. He guarantees sparkling performances week in week out (did anyone think, finishing apart, that he performed anything less than brilliantly at West Brom last Saturday?) but he does not guarantee goals. His finishing is as unpredictable as his bamboozling twists and turns.

However, Liverpool's lack of goals is not all his fault. Suarez is what he is. He's a magician, a conjurer, a creator who people rejoice in watching and he needs a sidekick to take the weight of Liverpool's goal scoring duties from his shoulders. Perhaps a slight reshuffling of the front line would help. Maybe Fabio Borini playing centrally with Suarez filling one of the wide attacking berths would provide more for Liverpool in terms of goals. Borini is a player who does finish chances as we have seen at Roma, but he is also a player whose work rate, knowledge of Rodgers' system and game intelligence are perhaps better utilized from one of the wide forward positions that Rodgers' has placed him in thus far. If that is the case then Liverpool must find another regular source of goals, and quick.

Stewart Downing started in the other forward position alongside Borini and Suarez at the Hawthorns, but is anyone expecting more than five league goals out of him this year? It simply isn't enough for a wide attacker to contribute when the man leading the line is unreliable in terms of his finishing. Oussama Assaidi will hopefully add some much needed firepower to Liverpool this season, but that is again a huge gamble on a young player who must first find his feet in the Premier League before becoming a first team regular. Whichever way you dress it up, Liverpool don't look like a team that are going to be significantly more clinical than they were last year when they recorded just 47 league goals. It is a concern that seeing otherwise good performances being undone by wretched finishing could again be an all too common occurrence this season.

Dejected: Suarez laments another missed opportunity 

Just imagine for a moment, if you can without being sick in your mouth, that Fernando Torres had stayed at Liverpool and was currently playing alongside Suarez. Presuming that they could have dovetailed as effectively as their talents suggest they would have, how many goals do you think the Spaniard would have scored? I'll venture a guess at significantly more than the 11 that Andy Carroll has scored in his 57 Liverpool appearances thus far. The space that Suarez creates for his strike partners is immense. He is forever pulling defenders out of position and gliding past them, but too often he won't have a partner waiting to profit from his beguiling movement or the composure to finish his excellent build up play himself. Torres would have benefited hugely but alas, he is long gone from Merseyside. Liverpool need a new goalscorer. If they had a 'fox in the box' (not Franny Jeffers, mind), they would be an infinitely more frightening attacking proposition.

With Carroll still kicking his heels on the touchline so far this season and the likes of Adam, Cole and Spearing seemingly only taking up space in the bloated midfield portion of the squad, perhaps Brendan Rodgers would be best served by moving these fringe players on (admittedly at a huge loss in Carroll's case) and bringing in a proper foil for his best player to work off. Luis Suarez is a number 7, not a number 9. He's a Peter Beardsley in need of a John Aldridge to work off.

Who knows, with someone else taking the goal scoring burden off his shoulders, maybe Suarez would loosen up a bit and finish a few more of the chances that he gets. Finding an out and out goalscorer could even unlock more potential from Suarez. Just nobody mention Michael Owen. He's a negative force too far.

Sterling show brings Cole into focus

Following Raheem Sterling's fantastic goal for Liverpool in their friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen, Brendan Rodgers offered his thoughts:

"I like wingers to play with width, and by the time the ball got to Jose Enrique, he (Sterling) was in a great position. His movement off the ball was very impressive - he's made a great run and the rest was that imagination and creativity that I love when he cut inside and scored with a wonderful finish. He's shown over pre-season that from a young guy who just worries about himself, he now worries about the team and the responsibility within the team."

Raheem Sterling celebrates his first goal for Liverpool

While this may be taken at face value as a glowing endorsement of a talented youngster at Anfield, it was also a clear indication of why a vastly experienced, highly paid former England international must leave Liverpool as soon as possible. Step forward Joe Cole.

Rodgers' assertions with regards to Sterling in his post match comments should have rang like a deafening alarm siren in the mind of Cole. Essentially, Rodgers outlined exactly what he wants from his wide forwards (realistically the only position Cole would be able to play in for Liverpool) and his description was in stark contrast to what Joe Cole of 2012 can offer.

Where Cole likes to come in off the flank and play centrally, Rodger's “likes wingers to play with width”. Where Cole comes alive with the ball at his feet as is, shall we say, economical in his off the ball movements, Rodgers requires perpetual motion. Where Cole is often indulgent and lacking in work rate (and crucially, fitness) Rodgers demands “responsibility within the team.".

There is little doubt that Cole still has something to offer in his career but there is less doubt still that he can no longer regularly function in the Premier League for a team with Champions League aspirations. Despite a mildly successful season playing on loan for Lille in the more ponderous Ligue 1 last term, no one at Anfield was licking their lips with anticipation at seeing Joe Cole reborn this summer. His pre-season outings we're typical of his time at the club. He flitted in and out of games, looked tired, had the odd moment of technical brilliance and then got injured. He is simply too far gone to be considered anything more than a squad player for Liverpool these days.

A familiar sight 

Aside from the fact that his style of play is not suited to Rodgers' ideal of how his forward players should operate while his team are in possession, the main problem with Cole is his inability to work when his team don't have the ball. Since his arrival on Merseyside, the most common feature of his play hasn't been his tricks, close control or passing. It has been his propensity to drop his hands to his knees and gasp for air whenever the ball goes out of play regardless of how old the game is. His lack of physical fitness is alarming and Rodgers charges his players to consistently pressure their opponents. It is just another example of how ill suited Cole is to the new manager's plans.

In a summer when the far more productive talents of Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez have been released by Liverpool, it is surely just a matter of time until Cole follows them out of the Shankly Gates. The playmaker still offers the imagination and technical ability that he always has and, perhaps in the right side, could yet be an effective player. Indeed, it is not too hard to imagine him flourishing at a club with lower aspirations that Liverpool. While he remains at Anfield though, he is draining Liverpool's coffers to the tune of over £100,00 per week (hello Mr. Purslow) but also losing precious time in what remains of his career. It is time for him and his club to accept that things just haven't worked out the way they wanted and agree to write off their adventure together as a failure.

Joe Cole remains an exceptionally gifted footballer but unless he finds pastures new as soon as possible he will likely be warming the substitutes bench and find himself behind the likes of Raheem Sterling in the pecking order at Anfield. If that situation is allowed to come to fruition then he will not be able to demonstrate his considerable talents any more and that would be a shame for all of us who have taken great delight in his skills over the years. Most importantly though, for a man who loves his football as obviously as Cole does, it would be a shame for him.