Do you agree with the PFA Team of the Year?

By Laurie Fitzgerald

On Sunday night, the Professional Football Association revealed the recipients of their numerous annual awards as the Premier League season draws ever nearer to its conclusion.

Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie received the PFA Player of the Year after his 27 league goals have helped keep the Gunners on course for a Champions League spot.

Tottenham full-back Kyle Walker was awarded the PFY Young Player of the Year following his impressive displays at for Harry Redknapp’s side.

Also announced was the PFA team of the year, where the best players in their respective positions are recognised for their efforts throughout the campaign.

As always, this has drawn plenty of debate from football lovers as to those that deserve to be in the XI, and those that have been unfairly ignored for their performances over the past nine months.    

Will Spurs claim a top-four finish?

By Laurie Fitzgerald

Tottenham Hotspur’s season took another blow last weekend, when their FA Cup dreams were crushed at the hands of a rampant Chelsea at Wembley stadium last Sunday evening.

While Chelsea’s second goal was wrongly adjudged to be over the line and has rightly brought up the never-ending issue of goal-line technology, it doesn’t excuse a Spurs performance that simply didn’t live up to the occassion.

For Tottenham fans it compounded a worrying run of form that has seen the North Londoners go from potential title challengers at the turn of the year to facing a real struggle to achieve a top-four finish come the end of the season.

The first half of the season drew deserved acclaim for Harry Redknapp’s side, as the Lilywhites lit up the Premier League with some dazzling attacking football, as well as developing a consistency that had them breathing down the necks of Manchester giants United and City.    

Are the PFA Player of the Year nominations correct?

By Tony Alvarez

Yesterday the shortlist of players who are in with a chance of winning the PFA Player of the year were revealed, the lucky six include three Manchester City players in Sergio Aguero, David Silva and goalkeeper Joe Hart, the other nominees are the Premier League’s top two scorers Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie who has scored against every club besides Man City and Fulham. Manchester United Wayne Rooney and finally Tottenham’s midfield destroyer Scott Parker.

Shortly after the nominations many were questioning the shortlist especially the inclusion of Tottenham man Scott Parker. Unfortunately for Parker he plays a role which is not often appreciated by fans but even aside from that I don’t think his nomination is justified.

Parker to his credit played very well for the first half of the season when Tottenham were a breath of fresh air in the Premier League with their style, however it wasn’t only Parker who was good in that spell Gareth Bale at spells was unplayable, Adebayor was a constant menace either through his goal scoring ability or as a provider of goals.     

Team GB selection policies confirmed…do you agree with the criteria?

 

By Tony Alvarez

It was announced yesterday that no player that is selected for the Euro 2012 championships will be selected for the London Olympics due to fatigue and also to keep relations strong between the clubs and the Football Association.

Of course initially this only effects English players as none of the other home nations qualified for Euro 2012, however there is still some disagreement whether players from other nations will play and the FA has contacted players to see if they would like to be considered for selection.

It is thought that Welsh players Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey of Tottenham and Arsenal respectively are both interested in being part of the tournament next summer.

The squad will consist of 18 men 15 of which must be under 23 and the other 3 can be of any age.

The manager of the GB men’s squad Stuart Pearce said about today’s announcement “It’s a sensible football decision when you consider the demands on players, and it now leaves no room for doubt for players and their clubs about next summer and the two major tournaments”

Although it will come as a relief to many managers and fans who primarily focus on club Football it will mean that the team GB side will be a lot weaker than initially thought, players such as Chris Smalling, Jack Wilshere, and Phil Jones to name just a few look likely to be selected for the Euro 2012 squad fitness permitting meaning they will not be in consideration for London 2012.

It had originally been thought before yesterdays announcement that no player would be made unavailable for selection and that players were likely to compete in both competitions much to the dismay of managers throughout the Premier League.

I personally think the decision is a great decision for the game inEnglandwhere many fans are proud in calling their league the best on earth. For me it is also a sensible decision and should mean there is a good balance between the standard of the Team GB squad and the Barclays Premier League.

It will also please managers such as Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger who could of lost stars such as Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere. However it will not all be joy for Wenger who could lose Ramsey until September should team GB progress through the tournament.

What are your thoughts? Is the decision to not select players for both tournaments the correct one? Will the decision help to raise the level of the Premier League? Will Team GB still have a chance of Olympic gold without the players who go to Euro 2012

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Is a team GB football team at London 2012 a good idea?

 

By Tony Alvarez
Since the announcement that there will be a team GB Football team competing at the Olympic Games in London, there has been dismay and negativity from many different parties.
In the last week Dai Greene a World championship gold medallist and one of Britain’s top gold medal hopes spoke out against the idea.
Greene explained that he felt it unfair that athletes train for four years, with the games being the pinnacle of the athlete’s careers in many cases, where as footballers will go into the tournament on the back of a prolonged break and will not be in peak condition for the games.
I can understand Greene’s point of view a star studied football side is not in the spirit of the Olympics whilst athletes like Greene grew up dreaming of Olympic glory, the footballers who will be playing never had the Olympics in their minds at all on the road to stardom.
Many clubs are also against the inclusion of star players in the team, with many players expressing an interest in playing should they be selected the clubs will be powerless to stop them.
The concerns for the clubs is that the tournament comes on the back of Euro 2012 meaning players participating in both will barely get any rest during the summer and my suffer burnout during the season.
The other major concern for clubs is that the Olympic football tournament will run alongside the premier league meaning the players selected will miss fixtures for their clubs whilst on duty with team GB.
The welsh FA are believed to be strongly against being part of a British team, however star players Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale have both been pictured in official 2012 merchandise adding fuel to the speculation that both will compete should they be selected.

I am not particularly against a team GB side I think it will be nice to see them compete for medals and to be honest I will be attempting to get tickets to watch them play, I can understand the athletes frustration as this for them is their time in the lime light there chance to be on the back pages, they are over shadowed by Footballers on a daily basis and with a team GB side it is possible that the Olympics will now follow that trend.

I can also understands the clubs frustration, more games means more risk of injury and even if the players come back form both the Euro’s and Olympics injury free they will still of missed a fair amount of club Football all while the clubs are still paying their wages.

What are your thoughts? Is a team GB Football team a good idea? Can you understand athlete’s and clubs frustrations? Will you be happy if your side are missing players so they can represent team GB? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts

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How far can Gary Speed take Wales?

By Tony Alvarez

Yesterday Gary Speed’s Walesside took apart a Norwayside who are currently ranked 24^th in the World thanks to goals from Craig Bellamy, Gareth Bale, and a Sam Vokes brace.

It is the first time since 2008 that Wales have won three consecutive matches, while they have now been victorious in four of their last five outings. With the other being a 1-0 loss toEnglandat Wembley where a draw would not of been an undeserved result.

Although the final score line of 4-1 did flatter the Welsh it does show a huge improvement on their recent performances and from sides of recent years who were not coming close to challenging sides in the top 25 of the world rankings.

The key seems to be that the side have found a solid core of international class players who are playing their club football at the top level too.

Led by Aaron Ramsey who for some is an unlikely captain has led by example but has hugely grown in stature since donning the armband, alongside Ramsey Tottenham’s Gareth Bale who set the Champions League alight last term and Liverpool’s Craig Bellamy have all put in performances of real quality.

Of course Wales have had star players before who have played and won honours at the top level most notably Ryan Giggs but the difference now seems to be rather than having  one star man they have a few star men.

As mentioned above many were sceptical when Speed handed Ramsey the captains armband, he was a young lad with a little Premier League experience who had just came through a horrific leg break and was not fully back into first team Football with club side Arsenal when Speed appointed him captain.

Despite that Ramsey has truly led by example and has looked every inch a player with World Class potential,  against England in the one game Wales have lost in the last 5 Ramsey was clearly the best player on the pitch, receiving the man of the match award for the opposition side away at Wembley is unheard of, but that he did.

Of course in mentioning Ramsey, Bale and Bellamy I am highlighting their attacking prowess but Wales also have a solid base, Ashley Williams is a very good defender and is now proving himself at Premiership level, keeper Wayne Hennessey has shown real potential and has games when he is outstanding.

It is also my opinion and some may disagree that in their left back Neil Taylor they have a potential star who could go on to bigger and better things and make a real name for himself.

Wales are currently at 45^th in the World ranking after a steep rise due to impressive performances in the last 12 months or so.

It is my opinion that Wales can go beyond this from what I have seen and I don’t claim to of seen every national side but Wales are at least a top 25 or a top 20 side, with the player they have they are capable of upsetting a lot of nations.

The problem always comes with making more than one side, there would be no use this current side reaching new levels if when a few players retire they fall apart the development of young players is a key toWalessuccess.

What are your thoughts? How high up the rankings can Wales climb? What is the reason behind their recent success? Will they be able to build on this current success? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts

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Anniversary- SFTS is a year old today….

By Tony Alvarez

A year ago today I published my first article on this website, never as a sat at home on my laptop with an idea for a website could I of imagined the amount of viewers and followers id have just 12 short months later.

Of course the success is not al my own and id like to thank everyone who has contributed to Shouts From The Stands, from the guest bloggers to the sports men who have taken part in interviews for me, of which hopefully there is many more to come ( we have some Olympians in the pipeline) of course my biggest thanks goes to Laurie Fitzgerald, who you will know is the other half of SFTS and I’m sure you enjoy reading his articles.

We both realise without you our audience this website would be nothing and for that we are truly greatful.

A true sports website wouldn’t mark its anniversary with a thank you and good night so for today’s piece I will revisit the very first article I ever wrote and see if my feelings have changed.

For those of you who were viewers then you may remember the article was about Gareth Bale, it was an article expressing my beliefs at the time that he was over rated and very limited.

The article focus around a statement a friend made “Bale is the best left sided midfielder in the World” the problem was although I did not rate him Bale highly, I couldn’t think of a name to disagree (this was after his Champions League hat trick at the San Siro.)

In a four man midfield at the time I couldn’t think of a better left midfielder, would he of broke into Barcelona’s or Real Madrid’s front three, personal opinion not a chance.

A year on and Bale has since been named PFA player of the year (in my opinion unjustified) has helped propel Wales to a huge leap in the World Rankings, pushed Tottenham to the Champions League quarter finals and again impressed on the domestic front.

I based my article on Bale despite being a good player ( I am not debating that I am not that biased) only having two strengths, he has incredible pace and excellent striking of a Football.

A year on and although Bale does have other attributes, such as stamina and upper body strength I really don’t think Bale has improved, he is too reliant on his knock it past the defender and run policy, something which for me sees him shut out of games all too often when the opposition don’t play with a high line.

For me Bale impresses in the big games due to the teams attacking Tottenham and leaving space in behind but baring Stoke away last season I can seldom remember him tearing apart a small side they way you would expect from a player labelled as World class.

The one improvement I would say Bale has made to his game is versatility on a few occasions I’ve seen him switched to the right flank and perform, a year ago he would of stuck out like a sore thumb.

For all the negative press some one like Theo Walcott receives and all the positive press Bale receives you would think that Bale trounces him on all stats when in reality its always close if not Walcott ahead, there is not even the remark about Bale being in a better side as Tottenham fans are constantly telling me there’s been a power shift in North London.

In conclusion I do think Bale’s improved but not vastly and he certainly is not the World class player the press make him out to be, he seems to be the darling of the media he is an exciting player which makes him interesting but World class in my opinion he is not even close.

 What are your thoughts? Has Bale improved in the last year? Is he truly World class? Why does he seem to be a media “darling” Can you name a better left sided midfielder? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

If you re on Twitter please follow us @sfts1

Again thank you for your support over the last year

Anniversary- SFTS is a year old today….

By Tony Alvarez

A year ago today I published my first article on this website, never as a sat at home on my laptop with an idea for a website could I of imagined the amount of viewers and followers id have just 12 short months later.

Of course the success is not al my own and id like to thank everyone who has contributed to Shouts From The Stands, from the guest bloggers to the sports men who have taken part in interviews for me, of which hopefully there is many more to come ( we have some Olympians in the pipeline) of course my biggest thanks goes to Laurie Fitzgerald, who you will know is the other half of SFTS and I’m sure you enjoy reading his articles.

We both realise without you our audience this website would be nothing and for that we are truly greatful.

A true sports website wouldn’t mark its anniversary with a thank you and good night so for today’s piece I will revisit the very first article I ever wrote and see if my feelings have changed.

For those of you who were viewers then you may remember the article was about Gareth Bale, it was an article expressing my beliefs at the time that he was over rated and very limited.

The article focus around a statement a friend made “Bale is the best left sided midfielder in the World” the problem was although I did not rate him Bale highly, I couldn’t think of a name to disagree (this was after his Champions League hat trick at the San Siro.)

In a four man midfield at the time I couldn’t think of a better left midfielder, would he of broke into Barcelona’s or Real Madrid’s front three, personal opinion not a chance.

A year on and Bale has since been named PFA player of the year (in my opinion unjustified) has helped propel Wales to a huge leap in the World Rankings, pushed Tottenham to the Champions League quarter finals and again impressed on the domestic front.

I based my article on Bale despite being a good player ( I am not debating that I am not that biased) only having two strengths, he has incredible pace and excellent striking of a Football.

A year on and although Bale does have other attributes, such as stamina and upper body strength I really don’t think Bale has improved, he is too reliant on his knock it past the defender and run policy, something which for me sees him shut out of games all too often when the opposition don’t play with a high line.

For me Bale impresses in the big games due to the teams attacking Tottenham and leaving space in behind but baring Stoke away last season I can seldom remember him tearing apart a small side they way you would expect from a player labelled as World class.

The one improvement I would say Bale has made to his game is versatility on a few occasions I’ve seen him switched to the right flank and perform, a year ago he would of stuck out like a sore thumb.

For all the negative press some one like Theo Walcott receives and all the positive press Bale receives you would think that Bale trounces him on all stats when in reality its always close if not Walcott ahead, there is not even the remark about Bale being in a better side as Tottenham fans are constantly telling me there’s been a power shift in North London.

In conclusion I do think Bale’s improved but not vastly and he certainly is not the World class player the press make him out to be, he seems to be the darling of the media he is an exciting player which makes him interesting but World class in my opinion he is not even close.

 What are your thoughts? Has Bale improved in the last year? Is he truly World class? Why does he seem to be a media “darling” Can you name a better left sided midfielder? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

If you re on Twitter please follow us @sfts1

Again thank you for your support over the last year

Can revitalised England secure one foot in Euro 2012?

By Laurie Fitzgerald

After a disappointing draw in their last qualifier back in May against Switzerland, England rediscovered their early form shown in qualification for Euro 2012 on Friday night.

Their 3-0 win over Bulgaria in Sofia was impressive not only in it’s clinical nature but also in its professionalism.

A first-half brace from Wayne Rooney following Gary Cahill‘s first goal for his country put the game beyond doubt before half-time.

Fabio Capello‘s side could have shown a sign of complacency thinking that the game was won, but they didn’t give Bulgaria any chance of getting back into the game, seeing the second half out with consumate ease.

Of course, it should be noted that the Bulgarians provided feeble opposition – a stark contrast to the brilliant side of the mid-nineties that was spearheaded by the excellent Hristo Stoichkov.

But England can only beat what’s put in front of them, and it was pleasing to see them not only win but win with a real cutting edge.

The 4-2-3-1 formation functioned properly and effectively because everyone knew how to perform their roles within the team.

Joe Hart had very little to do with a defence that was relatively untroubled, although much credit should go to the holding midfield duo of Scott Parker and Gareth Barry, who protected the backline admirably.

This also allowed the attacking midfield trio of Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and Theo Walcott to wreak havoc with their pace and delivery, while Rooney led the line with the finesse that we always expect of him.

However, despite the renewed optimism, Capello will be only too aware that they should expect to face a greater test against Wales at Wembley on Tuesday evening.

At the very least there should be a greater contest than the one provided by the Welsh at the Millennium stadium back in March.

Gary Speed’s side were hugely disappointing in front of a passionate home crowd as two early goals from Frank Lampard and Darren Bent gave England a 2-0 win.

That was Speed’s first competitive game in charge and it has been tough going since with the side bottom of Group H.

However, there will be a buoyance within the squad following an impressive 2-1 home win over Montenegro on Friday night.

Goals from Steve Morrison and Aaron Ramsey gave them their first win of qualification, and it was a win that highlighted the importance of their influential trio.

Both Gareth Bale and Craig Bellamy missed the match against England back in Cardiff, but they along with Ramsey pull the strings in the Welsh team.

They can cause anyone problems on their day with the pace of Bale, the creativity of Ramsey and the work rate and threat of Bellamy.

All three are expected to line-up against what should be an unchanged English 11, although Young’s knock sustained in Sofia could see Frank Lampard recalled after he was dropped from a competitive match for the first time since 2007.

Wales’ win on Friday also gave England a stranglehold on the group, as it meant they gained a three-point lead over nearest rivals Montenegro.

A win on Tuesday will give the Three Lions a six-point lead with Zlatko Krancjar’s side left with just two more games to play.

For Capello and England, the need to build on what they did in Bulgaria will be crucial to quell the threat of the Welsh and put one foot in the qualification door for Poland & Ukraine next summer.

So what do you think? Will the Welsh trio of Bale, Ramsey and Bellamy cause England real problems? Or will Fabio Capello’s side prove too strong and take a big step in qualifying for Euro 2012? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Who does your club need in the transfer window?

Premiership bound?

By Tony Alvarez

Before Shouts from the stands winds down for the summer where instead of a daily article we will be just be dealing with the issues with 2 or so articles a week we will look into who each Premier League side should/needs to sign this summer.

This is similar to an article created around the January transfer window which can be found on the links below:

http://shoutsfromthestands.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/who-does-your-club-need-in-the-transfer-window-a-l/

http://shoutsfromthestands.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/who-does-your-club-need-in-the-transfer-window-m-w/

Today is the turn of the sides that finished in the top 6 in the Premier League in the season just finished.

Manchester United:

With the retirement of Edwin Van Der Sar it is clear that United need a keeper, all of this seemed to of been cleared up when Alex Ferguson announced that the club was very close to the signing of David De Gea however that situation no longer seems so clear with De Gea’s camp saying there has been no formal agreement between there man and United.

The only other major issue with United is an attack minded midfielder which has seemingly been a problem for a last couple of seasons, with the omission of Paul Scholes from initial next season squad list it would seem his retirement is inevitable, even should he continue he in incapable of a full season meaning United still lack a goal scoring threat from midfield. The Champions have long been linked with Dutch maestro Wesley Sneijder who would seem the ideal signing not only would he add goals to the side but he also adds creativity to the side and is a dead ball expert which United lack at the moment in my opinion.

They have also been linked with a somewhat shock move for Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri who would fit the bill perfectly however a move to Old Trafford for Nasri seems unlikely.

Previously I stated that I thought United needed a winger but with the return to form and fitness of Antonio Valencia and Nani having his best ever season United are not lacking in this position especially considering Giggs and Park are both also very good  out wide as well as in the middle of the park.

Chelsea:

 Following the star signings of Fernando Torres and David Luiz Chelsea’s squad does look very complete and maybe who ever is brought in to replace Carlo Ancelotti can get the players to gel and Chelsea will once again be a threat throughout Europe.

Despite originally being a centre back Ivanovic has proved to be a very good right back but I feel they struggle when he is either out of the side or needed to cover at centre back, Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira may be good full backs but both seem unable to cut it in the Premier League.

Whilst they don’t need a first choice right back good, quality and dependable cover for Ivanovic is needed.

 Should Torres and Drogba be able to form a partnership upfront it would appear it would only be in a 4-4-2 system should that be the case you would assume that first choice centre midfield paring would be Essien and Lampard with Malouda playing as a left winger, which leaves a hole on the right, Nicolas Anelka is ok on the right as part of a three but in a four man midfield he would not be the answer.

Who to sign in this position is a difficult decision no outstanding right wingers on the world stage come to mind, knowing the way Roman Abramovich likes to work I would not be shocked if he makes a marquee signing probably upfront such as Neymar or Aguero and just tells who ever is employed to some how fit the players into a working team, this unfortunately has long been the problem that Chelsea managers have suffered.

Manchester City:

 This is a tough one for me to call, with seemingly unlimited funds the World is City’s oyster.

Noises from Carlos Tevez suggest he is set to leave the Eastlands club which will be a huge blow for the club, although they currently have players in the squad capable of replacing him and the funds to bring in others if necessary Tevez is clearly the focal point of City’s attack which makes replacing him a lot more difficult.

Due to the big signing of Dzeko inJanuaryCitycould potentially not replace Tevez however it seems unlikely.

A whole in the City first 11 seems to be at left back where Kolarov just hasn’t cut it defensivly and although Zabaleta has done a decent job there he is by trade a right back. Big noises are being made that City are after Portugal and Benfica left back Fabio Coentrao, I must admit I have seem limited amounts of Coentrao but he looks very good and would be a good signing for City.

Another player it is apparent City are after is Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez, I think this shows Mancini is trying to add creativity to his squad and a player of Sanchez’s quality would give them another option in there already talent packed selection of wingers.

Again I would not be surprised if a marquee signing was made just so City can announce themselves inEuropehowever with the prices being touted for Sanchez it could be him.

Arsenal:

For a long time now many fans have been calling for Arsene Wenger to invest in a new spine but it has long been my opinion that besides some changes at the back Arsenal will find it very difficult to improve with Cesc Fabregas in the side.

This is not me saying Fabregas is a bad player far from it for me he is in the top three midfielders in World football but he also causes a problem for Arsenal.

As in their attacking unit who would you replace no one is going to come in and replace the likes of Nasri Walcott, Van Persie, Song, Wilshere or Fabregas from the first team meaning any high profile signings become unlikely, should Fabregas depart the squad would shuffle around a bit allowing star names to be signed.

Back to who the side need and who I feel they need to sign, at centre back I feel both Vermaelen and Djourou are both good defenders however I am unsure if they are a good pairing, form what I hear Jagielka is being targeted by Wenger but personally I would like to see a towering presence at the back such as Chris Samba, Jagielka has all the hallmarks of a typical Arsenal defender but it is clear Arsenal need a change from their typical players.

  I also feel Arsenal do need a striker because despite Van Persie’s unbelievable goal return in this season he is a) known tobe inury prone meaning you can never rely on him and b) so creative but currently Arsenal have no one else on the end of his creativity, there are strong rumours that Karim Benzema is being tracked, I think he would be the ideal signing as he is a poacher but can score all type of goals and also link up with the rest of the side in general play.

I no longer think a goal keeper is a necessity, Szczesny whilst being far form the finished article has shown enough potential and enough current ability to be considered number 1.

Tottenham:

Who Tottenham need will largely depend on whether any of their current squad jump ship due to not having the opportunity to play Champions League Football at White Heart Lane.

I am of the opinion that the likes of Van Der Vaart, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale will stick around for another year at least, which gives Tottenham a solid base to build around.

It is clear to all that Tottenham have two areas they need to largely improve in. The first being in goal where despite being an unreal shot stopper at times Gomes has often proved to be a liability and made some high profile point costing mistakes.

It is rumoured that the likes of Manuel Neuer and Ajax keeper Stekelenburg are both available in this transfer window however it is very unlikely that either will move to a side who is not involved in Champions League Football.

The favourite to start the season in goal for Tottenham and I believe to be the most likely isBirminghamkeeper Ben Foster,Birminghamwill require the funds having been relegated and Foster could command a £7 million plus transfer fee.

The other problem area for Tottenham is their complete lack of goals from strikers Defoe and Crouch have barely troubled the Premier League scoring charts and Roman Pavlyuchenko does not seem to get the chances the others do despite scoring more, however he is not the answer, the problem is for a striker who guarantees goals you are looking at paying top notch prices as proved by Darren Bent’s January move to Aston Villa.

It is widely reported that Tottenham are looking to take a gamble on one of two strikers that are unproven in the Premier League. Both Kevin Gameiro and Gervinho have had strong seasons inFrancewhich has led to them being linked to a whole host of clubs, they could be ideal for Tottenham as they would not command crazy transfer fees but could be the answer to their strikers lack of goals.

Liverpool:

Liverpoolspent big in January to try and find a replacement for Fernando Torres and bring some goals to a side that overly relied on two men to get them.

Unfortunately for them since the signings of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez talismanic captain Steven Gerrard has been absent a lot of the time meaning the trio have rarely been played together.

Despite the signings Liverpool seem to need the same players year in year out and never seem to fill the voids, a left winger has been needed pretty much since Steve Mcmanaman departed for Real Madrid, Maxi Rodriguez has played his part in the last month or so notching a few goals but I personally don’t think he is up to the job especially not over a full season.

They thought they had filled the void with the signing of Joe Cole but that has not worked out and they will need to rethink, the are rumours the club are keen to make an approach for Valencia’s Juan Mata, although he would be a good signing he would cost the club over £20 million and I’m unsure if the club will spend that considering the amount they spent in January.

The only other major problem I see is at left back, unless Dalglish is intent on keeping Martin Kelly at right back and shifting Glen Johnson to the left a full time left back will need to be signed, similar to Manchester City Liverpool have been linked with Fabio Coentrao but similar to Mata he would cost over £20 million.

The more sensible and more likely option seems to beNewcastle’s Spanish left back Jose Enrique who has been linked with the Merseyside club all season and it was even reported that a deal had been agreed in some sections of the press earlier in the season.

There are other areas where Liverpool are not particualry strong but no team is strong in every position and with 2 signings on the left who can gel with the rest of the side Liverpool could be a real forced to be reckoned with next term.

 What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the players I have said are needed for the particular clubs? Leave a comment and let us know who you would sign for the clubs mentioned above and check back regulary to see who I think your club should sign.