First of all the strikers, Daniel Sturridge is a cracking player who came to us with a point to prove and has proved it well resulting in a strike rate anyone would be proud of. However to me he's a six months a season player, we knew going in he wouldn't always be there and as expected he's got injured a few times. The best compliment I can pay a striker is that he's got us three points when it looks like we'd only get one. I think he's been a cracking player for us but he should be a third choice striker. Brilliant when he comes in and pushing two starters for a place but its squad weakness when a six months a player season is now first choice. I think Brendan should have looked at his fitness record and acted accordingly towards making signings. It has to be said I do rate him but he's only made over 30 appearances in a season twice.
Mario Balotelli, I won't beat around the bush, I want this move to work. However he's playing bloody awful at the moment and is not the player who got 14 league goals in an average AC Milan side last season. He isn't using his pace, his shots are weak and forget not doing what Suarez does well Mario isn't doing what he does well. Considering the effect he's currently having on our game I say stick him in the reserves until he's worked through whatever his problem is. In all honesty I'd rather have him as someone pushing two established strikers for a place and not a starter.
Ricky Lambert, I viewed him as a squad purchase for the cups and to bring on in the final fifteen minutes. A good pro in the lower leagues with two decent premiership seasons, however given form and fitness the question has to be asked why has he been bought if he isn't going to be used.
Fabio Borini, yes it looked like he was going and the club was happy but the fact is he refused to move and is here to fight for his place. I want to see the Borini of his loan spell to Roma where he looked like he could set the world alight. However that was two and a bit seasons ago and he's shown no sight of that form since. He showed he could do a job for Sunderland but hasn't shown anything in his cameos so far this season. I wanted him to work for us but it looks like it wont happen and he's now a fourth choice striker and looking like he will be moved on in January unless he breaks into the first team and does something.
In short the striker situation at the club is dire, ladies and gentle readers we have ourselves two 3rd choice strikers and two 4th choice strikers.The only short term solution imo is to play Lambert, he's the only one of our strikers not crocked or in bad form. Long term Origi will be arriving next season, I can't see Aspas coming back, I think Borini will be gone and its a case of getting Sturridge fit and Balotelli interested. That means bringing in at least one striker and if Balotelli doesn't work out two.
We move onto the midfield, which in this bloggers opinion is where the major strength of our squad is at the moment. We have pace, skill and a strong passing ethic however we do have certain weaknesses, we're lacking a proper "bully" player who can rough the opposition up, win the ball and break down attacks. In short when we're attacking we look fantastic but when the opposition have run at us this season we've looked like headless chickens. I have a pet theory as to why and will address this player by player.
Jordan Henderson is vastly underrated despite being vice captain and lynch pin of our midfield. He tracks back, goes forward, creates chances and is rarely not an influence on the game. However so far this season he hasn't reached the heights of last year but as the adage goes form is temporary. As an aside he's completely changed from the player who arrived and has shown himself unafraid to adapt to different systems.
Philippe Coutinho, the little magician! I can't believe its less than two years since he arrived. A gem of a find arriving in January 2013 he's fast become one of the first names on the team sheet. He can play in the front three and secondary three, he has an eye for a chance and pace to burn. He's also yet to find last seasons form however has had his moments.
Adam Lallana, has looked decent since arriving finding his feet after the move and an early injury but the jury's still out on weather he improves us or will be another body for the squad.
Raheem Stirling, bags of pace and a good old style winger to throw at the opposition and watch them panic. I think Stirlings improved this season already, he looks like he's spent time in the gym bulking up and isn't being thrown off the ball as easily as he used to. He gets a thumbs up from me.
Joe Allen, coming back into the starting team after an injury Allen has looked fine in his appearance so far. Adding to his game in the last year or so he's ventured into the the oppositions box more often and is a player who does the little things the casual observer doesn't notice.
Lucas, I'm aware that he's a cult favourite but I think its time for Lucas to move on. He's still only 27 and is capable of finding a spot elsewhere but in recent seasons he's become known for giving away daft free kicks and picking up dafter bookings. I don't think he's a viable option for defensive midfield and I think its time he left.
Emre Can I'm aware of from last season where he was brilliant for Leverksen. I expect him to play more and more in the defensive position as the season goes on, in particular against Madrid when he came on all of a sudden Madrid weren't getting the time and space they had previously.
Of the youngsters like Suso, Rossiter, Markovic and co I've liked what I've seen and despite knowing most are for the future would like to see more of them hopefully this season.
Steven Gerrard, right I'm going to say off the bat most people reading this aren't going to like what I say about Gerrard. Yes he's been a club talisman whose performances and goals have done wonders for us over the years. However there is a cardinal sin in football; getting old. I've cheered him, commiserated him and laughed with him as he's gone through the seasons with us. However the facts are that Gerrard is currently playing in defensive midfield because it was getting to stage where he was disrupting our attacks. When the opposition have the ball they run through our midfield - he wasn't able to always do much about it last year and he's doing even less this year. In particular Jordan Henderson spends a shocking amount of time covering for Gerrard when he's out of position - incidentally if you haven't noticed this you will now not be able to unsee it. We moved Gerrard back because he became a problem. He's become a problem again and we need to solve it, without Suarez we aren't going to be able to score enough goals this season to compensate for it.
In short we're good in midfield going forward but crap when the opposition has the ball. When Brendan joined us he had a decision with Gerrard, either get rid of him or manage the end of a club legends career. Brendan its time to start phasing Stevie out of the team, personally I'd say start rotating him with Can. This problem has been evident for a season and we need to fix it.
We move on to defence and if you think the above was brutal I'm pulling no punches here. Lets face it, we're talking about our weakness.
Glen Johnson is a major weakness, he is one of life's coasters. He'll put in a good performances then spend a few weeks living of it before he can be bothered putting in another. I'm relieved by our full back purchases this summer as hopefully they will push him for a place and then displace him. I say move him on and if he wants to sit his contract out force him out on loan as I don't want his attitude in the training ground.
Dejan Lovren, he's only just arrived after a good previous season but he looks nervous. He needs to stop running around like a headless chicken and run the defensive unit. Its worth noting that considering the amount of starts he's had it looks like Brendan views him as a mainstay of our starting team.
Martin Skrtel, I've said for years the man is a walking disaster zone. I've lost count of the amount of cock ups people are willing to overlook and I'm getting sick of it. He only seems to play well when he has someone forceful to order him around, he's a foot soldier not a general. One of my major criticisms of him was his fitness which he has improved in the last few seasons. But he just hasn't got a footballing brain, he gets himself out of position constantly and as I've said for years his set piece play is a joke. He needs moving on.
Jose Enrique, a decent pro, a good little player, by no means a certain starter and will be in and out depending on form. Due to his injury last year his arrival back in the squad feels like a new signing.
Sakho, a beast when fit but only 19 games last year along with being in and out when fit this season tells a story. Personally I think he's looked well with Lovren but he needs to stay fit as we don't need another "sick note" like Daniel Agger.
Moreno & Manquillo have impressed me and improved the squad, still early days but a good start is a good start. Kolo Toure is good cover for the central defenders, he had some high profile ricks last season but if he's played along someone who can play around his lack of pace there is a spot for him in the squad.
Brad Jones is too soft to be a realistic option as a goalie, if he moves like a spice-boy and acts like a spice-boy he's a spice-boy.
Simon Mignolet, lets not beat around the bush Pepe Reina was big boots to fill. I went into last season accepting Mignolet would have different strengths to Pepe and to get behind him. Hell saving a penalty in your first game is a cracking start. But after a season I've come to the conclusion he's not up to scratch, his distribution is awful, he lets in goals I expect him to say and the one thing I personally can never forgive from a keeper is timidness. He has the air of a librarian and reminds me of Sander Westerveld or Juventus era Edwin van der Sar. That third goal against Madrid being a case in point of what I'm talking about.
In short ship out Skrtel, Johnson, Mignolet and Jones. Get whoever built the 6 Billion Dollar Man to fix Sakho and replace accordingly.
This has very much been me in a bad mood being highly critical of the team who I'll be cheering on next time the whistle blows. Its worth noting that despite playing some ruddy awful stuff we're not doing to bad in the league and in with a shot of getting out of our European Cup group (I will never call it the Champions League) so imagine what we'll be doing when we start playing well.
I'll certainly raise a toast to that future...
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