The Summer of ’08

Liverpool bought six players in the summer of 2008 for a total of roughly £39m. With the sale of Dossena to Napoli, two of those – the first and third most expensive – are no longer with the club. The other four – Riera, Cavalieri, Ngog, and Degen – have made a combined 64 league appearances (100 games in total) in a season and a half, with Riera accounting for 37 (58%) of those.

I’m far sadder to see Dossena leave than I was the back of Keane. In retrospect, neither proved good business, but Dossena kept his head down, worked hard, didn’t complain, and chipped in those two memorable goals against Madrid and the Mancs. Keane couldn’t hit a brick wall with a shotgun at six paces, missing chance after chance and unable to come to terms with anything Benitez asked. And then he whined about Rafa’s man-management to the press. Tomkins’ most recent piece is an incredibly thorough review of Keane’s tenure (and Benitez’s dealings, and the English media’s idiocy), while results demonstrated that Liverpool were far better after the Irishman’s exit even though Benitez wasn’t allowed to buy a replacement.

Liverpool lost somewhere in the region of £5.5m from the Keane and Dossena deals. Every manager does some unsuccessful business, but the summer of ‘08 couldn’t have come at a worse time. Not only was Liverpool arguably on the precipice of greatness – and still came in second despite the summer’s business – the club was also apparently on the precipice of financial collapse. Benitez would probably kill someone to add £5.5m to his coffers at the moment. Even after recouping £6m from the sales of Dossena and Voronin, rumor has it that Benitez will only be given £1.5m for Maxi Rodriguez at best.

This isn’t a condemnation of Rafa’s transfer dealings, like I’ve seen far too often of late. Again, Tomkins’ piece magnificently dispels the myths, but the majority of his buys have been successful – Reina, Torres, Mascherano, and Agger should form the spine of this team for years to come, while Liverpool made a profit on Alonso, Crouch, Bellamy, Sissoko, and Arbeloa, among many others. The ones that haven’t been hits were usually the budget signings. Of the “failures,” only Keane cost more than £10m (Cisse, bought by Houllier, doesn’t count). I’d willingly compare Benitez’s flops to Ferguson’s (Veron, Kleberson, Taibi, Forlan, Djemba-Djemba, Berbatov).

Unfortunately, Liverpool doesn’t have the means to accept failures the way United does, thanks to two owners who piled debt on the club prior to a worldwide recession, who finally gave Benitez full control last season only to seal the purse strings. And thanks to an egregiously disappointing first half of the season, I truly fear we’ll look back on the summer of 2008 as we do 2002 for Houllier.

On Liverpool’s left flank… again

Back in early March, I took a look at Liverpool’s record depending on who started on the left. I reckon it’s worth updating that post, given the continuing emergence of Insua, more starts for Benayoun, and much less of Babel and Dossena. Fair warning: this is long, even for me.

The previous post went up to Sunderland on 3/3. Those numbers are here, and the new additions are above in red for comparison. There were 13 matches over this stretch.

Aurelio/Riera:
2-1-1; 14 goals for, 8 against
4-4 Arse; 1-3 Chelsea; 5-0 Villa; 4-1 United
9-4-0; 20 goals for, 6 against
1-0 Real; 2-0 Chelsea; 1-1 Everton; 0-0 Stoke; 1-0 Marseille; 0-0 Fulham; 2-0 Bolton; 3-0 West Brom; 1-1 Atletico; 1-0 Chelsea; 3-2 City; 3-1 PSV; 2-1 United

Aurelio/Benayoun
3-1-0; 13 for, 5 against
3-1 Spurs; 3-0 West Ham; 3-0 Newcastle; 4-4 Chelsea
1-0-0; 1 for, 0 against
1-0 Liege aet

Insua/Benayoun
2-0-0; 5 for, 1 against
2-0 West Brom; 3-1 Hull

Insua/Riera:
1-0-0; 4 for, 0 against
4-0 Blackburn
3-1-0; 8 for, 1 against
2-0 Sunderland; 2-0 PNE; 3-0 Bolton; 1-1 Arsenal

Aurelio/Babel:
1-0-0; 4 for, 0 against
4-0 Real
1-1-1; 2 for, 3 against
0-2 Boro; 1-1 Wigan; 1-0 Pompey

Insua/Dossena
1-0-0; 1 for, 0 against
1-0 Fulham

Dossena/Riera:
N/A
3-5-2; 13 for, 10 against
1-1 City; 0-1 Everton (FA); 2-2 Hull; 3-1 PSV; 0-0 West Ham; 1-2 Spurs; 1-1 Atletico; 3-2 Wigan; 2-0 Everton; 0-0 Stoke

Dossena/Babel:
N/A
2-1-1; 8 for, 8 against
3-2 Pompey; 1-1 Everton (FA); 2-4 Spurs (CC); 2-1 Marseille

Dossena/Benayoun:
N/A
2-1-0; 3 for, 1 against:
2-1 Boro; 1-0 Sunderland; 0-0 Liege

Insua/Babel:
N/A
2-0-0; 8 for, 2 against
5-1 Newcastle; 3-1 Blackburn

Insua/El Zhar:
N/A
1-0-0; 2 for, 1 against
2-1 Crewe (CC)

Dossena/Keane
N/A
0-1-0; 0 for, 0 against
0-0 Villa

• Dossena didn’t start at left back after the 1-1 draw against City on 2/22. He started once – as a winger against Fulham after two goals in two substitute appearances against Real and United. And he played a grand total of about 30 minutes in three trips off the bench after that.

• Liverpool won every game Insua started from late December on, and only dropped points in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal. 11 matches: 10 wins, 1 draw. Amazing… even though admittedly that stat’s a bit misleading. The updated matches were against Fulham, Hull, West Brom, and Blackburn (no disrespect, but not quite a murderer’s row) and Liverpool won 10 of these last 13 matches anyway. But still. 10 wins, one draw.

• On first glance it’s surprising that Babel only started one match, Liverpool won 4-0, and he still rarely featured. But that’s evidence that stats aren’t the end all, be all. Babel hasn’t impressed this season – I’m struggling to pick a star moment outside of the winner in the 2-1 victory over United in September, despite over 40 appearances (most as a late sub). Maybe the assist for the third goal in the Real rout. And that’s why he seems the most likely departure, especially since he should still recoup a fair bit of his original fee.

• Benayoun didn’t start on the left from the 8/27 late win over Liege until the second CL leg against Chelsea on 4/8. From there, he was the most frequent starter on the left – probably thanks to Benayoun being in outstanding form as well as Riera fading as the season went on.

Either way, the number of players deployed at this position shows it’s one of Liverpool’s main weaknesses. Liverpool used five different left wingers – six if you count Keane’s cameo against Villa – and only Benayoun and Riera came close to making the position their own.

And as much as I like both, they’re probably squad players in a title-winning team. That comes off much harsher than I mean it to; both have been important in a very good Liverpool team, and both merit a place in the squad. I certainly wouldn’t sell either. Riera’s definitely had some highs, but his inconsistency means that competition’s needed. And Benayoun, while in fantastic form, is not a left-sided player. He’s best as a backup for Gerrard in the hole and competing with Kuyt on the right. And deployed on the left as a last resort.

Aurelio has been the better partner for Yossi because of Fabio’s ability to get forward and stay wide while Benayoun cuts in and operates centrally. And that’s why it worked a treat against the likes of West Ham and Newcastle, where Liverpool was on the front foot for long stretches, and less so against a team with the firepower of a Chelsea.

Insua’s not bad at getting forward in his own right, but due to his age (and, I’m assuming, Benitez’s instructions), he’s a bit more conservative and restrained in attack. But, and again, no disrespect meant, it’s not easy to get a good handle on his and Benayoun’s capabilities when the pairing’s only been deployed against West Brom and Hull.

Yes, Benitez doesn’t often play with ‘out-and-out’ left wingers, especially in the 4-2-3-1. You can see it in the way Riera hugged the touchline less and less as the season went on. The fullback usually provides the width, and I don’t disagree with that. But, at the least, Liverpool needs a player that’s predominately left-footed, if not at least capable of whipping in crosses with his left. The player has to be able to cut in, but also able to stay wide if the fullback’s penned back, which will happen against the top clubs. The need for versatility is one of the drawbacks inherent in Benitez’s preferred fluid style, I guess.

And, although I doubt this inference will be welcomed by all Liverpool fans, it would explain the continued pursuit of Gareth Barry. Which wouldn’t be bad business, although I still think there are better options; whatever the fee, it’d be less than last summer, and probably cheaper than other rumored targets. However, I think it’s just as crucial the player be able to run at and beat his man. Which is why Babel’s inability to progress is so frustrating. On paper, he’s the type of player Liverpool needs – only he cannot deliver on anywhere near a consistent basis. And it’s not as if players like that are ubiquitous.

This is why left winger is the position I’m watching all summer. It’s the one place I think Liverpool definitely needs improvement to win the title. A back-up striker would be nice, as would a right back to compete with Arbeloa. But, worst-case scenario, N’Gog will be a year older (and Voronin could always come back from loan!), while Degen might get fit (*snicker*) and Darby’s been touted for a step up in the past (plus, he’s English!). I’m not even suggesting replacing Alonso because I’m not even contemplating him leaving.

But Dossena and Babel are seemingly on their way out, and will probably be pushed to increase Rafa’s budget. Neither are lost causes – Babel is still young and it was Dossena’s first season in England – but neither have been good enough and money’s most likely needed. Would I be disappointed if neither went and Liverpool kept basically the same squad? Probably, but I don’t think that’d mean a title challenge is impossible. But, as this year proved, it’ll be very, very difficult, and it’s not likely that Liverpool will take 12 points off United and Chelsea in subsequent seasons.

Long story short, more damage must be done against teams content to sit back, especially at Anfield, and improving this position is probably the best way to remedy that problem.

Liverpool’s left flank

From the comments in the last post:

Marlon said...

I thought it was interesting that while Aurelio might still be a better technical player than Insua, when Insua plays it seems to make Riera play better

Very interesting. The flanks have arguably been Liverpool’s longest-standing concern, so the records of each pairing would seem a meaningful stat. It doesn’t tell the whole story, as there were nine other players on the pitch, but there are a few trends.

Aurelio/Riera:
9-4-0; 20 goals for, 6 against
1-0 Real; 2-0 Chelsea; 1-1 Everton; 0-0 Stoke; 1-0 Marseille; 0-0 Fulham; 2-0 Bolton; 3-0 West Brom; 1-1 Atletico; 1-0 Chelsea; 3-2 City; 3-1 PSV; 2-1 United

Insua/Riera:
3-1-0; 8 for, 1 against
2-0 Sunderland; 2-0 PNE; 3-0 Bolton; 1-1 Arsenal

Dossena/Riera:
3-5-2; 13 for, 10 against
1-1 City; 0-1 Everton (FA); 2-2 Hull; 3-1 PSV; 0-0 West Ham; 1-2 Spurs; 1-1 Atletico; 3-2 Wigan; 2-0 Everton; 0-0 Stoke

Dossena/Babel:
2-1-1; 8 for, 8 against
3-2 Pompey; 1-1 Everton (FA); 2-4 Spurs (CC); 2-1 Marseille

Aurelio/Babel:
1-1-1; 2 for, 3 against
0-2 Boro; 1-1 Wigan; 1-0 Pompey

Dossena/Benayoun:
2-1-0; 3 for, 1 against:
2-1 Boro; 1-0 Sunderland; 0-0 Liege

Insua/Babel:
2-0-0; 8 for, 2 against
5-1 Newcastle; 3-1 Blackburn

Insua/El Zhar:
1-0-0; 2 for, 1 against
2-1 Crewe (CC)

Aurelio/Benayoun
1-0-0; 1 for, 0 against
1-0 Liege aet

Dossena/Keane
0-1-0; 0 for, 0 against
0-0 Villa

• Liverpool hasn’t lost when Insua’s started. I couldn't be happier to see him establishing himself this season.

• Aurelio/Riera is the big game pairing, but we knew that. They’re also seemingly better for the team in the “big games” than against the likes of Stoke and Fulham.

• Those stats don’t bode well for Dossena.

• Riera’s first game was against United on 9/13. Benayoun hasn’t started on the left since Riera arrived.

On Dossena, fullbacks, and the 4-2-3-1

While we’d seen the media treat Dossena like a done deal since his medical, the first hint we’d gotten about it from the official site came yesterday morning in an article where Finnan says he’ll fight for his place. A couple of hours later there’s a statement from Rick Parry saying that the signing should be confirmed next week. I imagine we’ll get the usual parade at Anfield with both Dossena and Degen soon after the official opening of the transfer window.

So now seems as good a time as any to write more about why the upgrades at left and right back could be the most important part of the summer transfer business. I started to hit on this in the Degen post and the ‘season review,’ but with the second signing of a fullback most often described as “attacking,” some elaboration is warranted.

These signings assume that Benitez will stick with the 4-2-3-1, a formation that got the best out of Torres and Gerrard in the second half the season and ended up leading to the most Liverpool goals scored in a season in seven years.

With Babel and Kuyt both better at cutting in than supplying crosses, it’s essential for the fullbacks to add to the attack, especially from wide positions. And having the fullbacks supply crosses with the outside attackers cutting in means there should be enough men in the box to confuse defenders and make targets for said crosses. Having more men in the box and getting the fullbacks forward is essential against the 16 or so teams that usually pack their own half when they come to Anfield, where Liverpool drew six games this season.

Even though Benitez has consistently bought wingers (Nuñez, Gonzalez, Pennant, Zenden, Leto), he’s never spent big money on the position and usually seems to use those types as squad players. That in addition to Liverpool hopefully using the fullbacks for width makes me think the club won’t spend big on a Silva-type this summer. Which means the fullbacks will be that much more important.

Then there were Liverpool’s problems in defense last season. To be fair, the injury to Agger hurt more than anything else, but Finnan, Arbeloa, and Riise didn’t play to their capabilities either, and the combined result was Liverpool’s worst defensive record since Benitez’s first season.

I realize complaining about the defensive record while praising the signing of an attacking fullback seems contradictory, but the more consistently Liverpool attacks, the easier it will be to defend. Especially if you’re adding a quicker defender who can play a high line, as Liverpool often does. Plus, I’m going to be stereotypical here and assume that all Italians are bred to be excellent defenders, some Euro 2008 performances not withstanding.

For all the attacking Riise did, he still shot from distance where passing could have opened up the opposition (and retained possession) more often than not and was shockingly one-footed. I realize I’m trashing JAR a week after writing a fond farewell, but it was what it was.

With Dossena, Liverpool hopefully have a better passer, and more importantly, crosser to help make better use of their possession. In addition, Dossena’s also played in left midfield when Udinese’s gone 3-4-3, so he’s seemingly as versatile as Aurelio and Riise.

I admittedly haven’t seen as much of Dossena as I’d like, catching parts of a few Udinese games on FSC this season and watching the requisite YouTube clips. Much of my optimism comes from the reports in media and various forum posts, my favorite being:

A description of him from a Milan fan: ''Dossena is absolutely tough as nails, left footed, highly skilled but still thuggish in terms of tackling, certainly tactically astute, pace, power, puts in a great ball with his left foot, extremely accurate passer, gets forward, runs all match, etc ... just a top player tailor made for your league.''

Of course I can’t promise it’s true, but it’s ever so much fun to read.

These reviews, the fact that £7m is a record fee for a defender, and that AC Milan, Juventus and Fiorentina were rumored to be in for him, while I’ve wanted Liverpool to sign quality at left back, is enough to make me so optimistic.

Besides, with the sale of Riise to Roma and the fee for Dossena quoted at £7m, it’s only a net £3m for a player that, at the age of 26, should just be hitting his peak.

Italians are rarely renowned for their travels. Only three from this year’s Euro squad (Grosso, Zambrotta, and Toni) ply their trade outside Serie A, there have been few in the Premiership (outside of Chelsea around the turn of the century), and the only other Italian to play for Liverpool was on-loan goalkeeper Daniele Padelli, who started the last game of the 06/07 season at Charlton. However, that Dossena turned down interest in Italy to sign for Liverpool shows the scope of his ambitions and his belief that he can succeed abroad.

Chances are it’ll take time for the player to settle. Those like Torres (and Skrtel for that matter) are aberrations; most foreigners take time to adjust to the style and speed of the English game. Which makes Aurelio of the utmost importance for Dossena’s first few months.

With Arbeloa/Finnan/Degen and Aurelio/Dossena, Liverpool have at least two players for both fullback slots, and Benitez can use each as opposition, injuries, and playing style dictates. Each player brings a different dimension to the team, and creates “possibilities” for Benitez. Plus, having two viable options at left back is a necessity given Aurelio’s injury history.

In addition, I obviously can’t forget Insua, but at 19 he’s still more likely to get starts in the Carling Cup or even go out on loan (although I’ve seen nothing rumored). As much as I like the little Argentinean, 19 is almost always far too young for a Premiership left back. But when Insua is 23, Dossena will be 30 and Aurelio 32.

Granted, I won’t be satisfied if Dossena is the biggest name brought in this summer. But with Dossena and Degen signed, the fullbacks are taken care of for the summer. If both players can add the attacking dimension hoped for and gel with Carragher, Agger, and Skrtel, that alone will make Liverpool more competitive than they were last season.