My name is Stephen Duckers & I'm a normal bloke who loves football and Liverpool Football Club in particular. My ideal job would be to write about football but as that doesn't seem te be happening any time soon I thought the next best thing would be to set up a blog of my opinions and general observations in the wonderful world that is football. My blogs are going to be focused mainly on Liverpool but I'll also be providing general comments on things that have drawn my attention.
Liverpool
The main thing that has caught my attention this week is the discussions about where Liverpool should be playing their football in the not to distant future. Should we rejuvenate the legend that is Anfield, keeping with tradition and maintaining out sense of history? Or should we move with the times and go with the obvious and more cost effective Stanley Park? My option would be to move to a new stadium in Stanley Park and there are many reasons for this. We have the planning permission required and although it would be a hefty outlay to start with I believe a club of Liverpool's stature would more than reap the benefits in the future. We only have to look at what the Emirates Stadium has done for Arsenal and even though it would be hard to leave Anfield, I think the time has come to move on and start creating new memories at a new home. Fenway have already said that if the club moved to a new home we would have to sell the naming rights to make the move viable and I for one would be saddened but realistic. Yes we are a club heaped in tradition and yes we are proud of were we have come from but to risk further development for the sake of 'history' would be very short sighted. To have the Joe Blogg's Arena or the Tesco Express Stadium isn't ideal but to be at the pinnacle of world football in the modern era requires sponsorship for both players and clubs.
Charlie Adam finally joined the club this week 6 months after the club tried and failed in a bid for the ex-Blackpool player. Adam displayed signs last season in his first year in the English top flight as a very clever player capable of picking out that killer pass and with his set pieces he could be real weapon. I think the addition of Charlie is going to be nothing but beneficial to Liverpool and Andy Carroll in particular. Carroll only played a handful of games since his record breaking £35 million move from Newcastle United but what we do know is with the right delivery from midfield he can cause all sorts of nightmares for the oppositions defence. I believe Charlie Adam can provide that much needed service to the big man upfront but also chip in with a few goals himself along the way. Adam has been accused of being lazy at times but if being surrounded by superstars at Liverpool doesn't change that then nothing will. Add to the fact that King Kenny seems to have a vested interest in Adam's progression will only help in his development in what could be another Alonso-esque player pulling on the red shirt.
Stewart Downing's move or lack of a move to Liverpool is another hot topic this week. Downing is a player who has vast Premier League experience who could really settle into a Liverpool side desperate for an out and out winger. Downing has been playing more in the middle over the last season for Aston Villa but his arrival at Liverpool would surely mean a move back out to the wing where he made his name in the Middlesbrough team. Downing isn't the quickest winger by any means but with a great cross and his undoubted work rate he could really benefit a Liverpool team seriously lacking players who are comfortable out on the wings. Whether the £20 million Villa are after for their number 6 is justified, Downing is a player who could give Liverpool another dimension.
It seems like a long time ago that Liverpool were announcing the arrival of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland for a reported £16 million. Henderson was instrumental for Sunderland in the first 6 months of the season but was quickly pounced upon for his lack of influence in the second half of the season. The departure of Darren bent must surely be taken into consideration as without Bent, Henderson didnt have a target in which to focus his fine passing along with the fact that Henderson running past the lone striker into the areas defenders struggle to pick up was a key to his game. Without a recognised striker available after Bent left the club, Henderson struggled and the Sunderland fans were quick to point the blame at their new 'local hero' whereas at Liverpool, surrounded by a far better quality of player he will be given the opportunity to settle in and Kenny will hopefully unlock some of that potential for which we have seen glimpses.
Liverpool started pre-season training this week and the pictures from www.liverpoolfc.tv only highlighted how much deadwood the club still harbours. Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen, David Ngog, Fabio Aurelio, Joe Cole, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Nathan Eccleston, Philip Degen, Emiliano Insua, Milan Jovanovic and Nabil El Zhar must all be considered dead weight. Many of the players listed not only take up valuable breathing space but they are also draining the club of wages that have quite simply astounded the football community. I realise its easier said than done when it comes to offloading some of these players but surely steps must be made to rid the club of this calibre of player and continue to place faith in the youth of the club. With the likes of Raheem Sterling, Suso, Danny Wilson, Jonjo Shelvey, Martin Kelly, Connor Coady, John Flannagan and Jack Robinson looking to break their way into the first team over the next few years, lets hope the era of packing our squad with overpaid and under-skilled players is over and we start giving the youth players a chance to cement their place as Kenny allowed at the end of last season.
