With just four days until Liverpool’s opening fixture of the Premier League season, against Southampton at Anfield, it would appear to some that we have in fact replaced the world’s third best player – arguably the best last season, with a 32 year old English target man. That man of course being Rickie Lambert, for £4 million. This would seem somewhat absurd, given the £75 million fee received from Barcelona, especially when considering the hefty spending spree thus far, of close to £90 million on 7 new additions. Given this amount of money, you’d expect a higher caliber replacement for a player of Suarez’s quality, surely?
Well, first of all, we must dispel the myth that Rickie Lambert is the replacement for Suarez. It’s virtually impossible to directly replace a man who scored 31 goals in 33 appearances last season, not to mention his 13 assists. Rodgers has not – and will not – attempt to buy a like for like, world class replacement, contrary to the reports of tentative and ultimately futile ‘inquiries’ for Falcao and Cavani. Not only would these types of players be extortionately priced, but also unlikely to choose a club like Liverpool, who, despite an extraordinary showing last season, are not yet established consistently in the top tier of European football at this moment in time. That may change, if top 4 is achieved once more this season, but to lure the world’s greatest players to Anfield currently is not realistic – nor is it financially sensible. The transfer funds may be available, but the wage demands are not feasible.
Instead, the plan seems to be to share the goal burden throughout the side, with emphasis on goals from midfield. The likes of Sterling, Henderson and Coutinho are due big seasons and Rodgers will hope they will all significantly boost their respective goal tallies, whilst new recruits Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic will chip in with a fair few. Fortunately, we still have the second highest scorer in the league last season in Daniel Sturridge who we know is top class, and is more than capable of stepping up and assuming the central striking role. The issue with him is fitness – a frustrating tendency to pick up knocks and strains means we cannot simply rely on Sturridge to remain fit all season long. Rickie Lambert has hit double figures in terms of goals and assists for two consecutive seasons now, yet the feeling remains that with the added pressure of Champions League football, another forward is essential, even more so assuming the expected departure of Fabio Borini to Sunderland.
The question is, if it’s not a world class striker, what kind of player should Rodgers be looking to bring in before the transfer window closes? Some have suggested a versatile, wide forward, yet we already have numerous options there. For me, the answer is very simple indeed. We just need a proven, capable goal scorer. They don’t have to be flashy, scoring magnificent goals as Suarez regularly did, but able to put the ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis when Sturridge is not available. Rodgers is likely to deploy a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, so the new striker wouldn’t necessarily accompany Sturridge on a regular basis. The diamond formation used last season was largely to accommodate SAS into the same side. Bony and Eto’o are the names mentioned at the moment – neither are marquee signings, but they are both sound finishers. The former is younger, and a longer term option, strong in the air and clinical in the box, whilst the latter adds experience and established quality, albeit more likely for just one season.
With the rich array of creative talent in the squad, either of these two strikers would do the job for the upcoming season as a deputy to Sturridge. Liverpool do not need to be as prolific up top as last season. Instead, a rebalancing of the team with emphasis on conceding fewer at the back, which will be aided by the acquisitions of Dejan Lovren, Javier Manquillo and the imminent arrival of Alberto Moreno, and scoring more from midfield can compensate for the loss of Suarez.
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