Reiterating comments there will be little Liverpool activity this transfer window, manager Brendan Rodgers spoke at length on-air with talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast earlier today and updated Reds fans about the club, as well as players Daniel Sturridge, Jon Flanagan, and Divock Origi.
The gaffer bookended his thoughts about any new signings, “I think it’ll be quiet. We won’t be doing much over the course of January. There’s players linked with Liverpool all the time. That player maybe looking to make a move and by association with Liverpool looking to get a better deal, but for us it’ll be pretty quiet.“
Focusing on the number of new players already brought into the team Rodgers explained some of the first half challenges. “The biggest difficulty this year has been because we had so many new players in. We’re not a group that has stayed together and just added two or three…We brought in a lot of players. And then when you don’t have the coaching time, it’s very difficult to look at it in the games.”
He added, “These are young players, these are players of 19-20 years of age. You can’t just, without preparation, put in a system into your big game and just flip a coin and think it works. You need to work on it.”
On Sturridge returning to Melwood last week, the Red’s boos briefly said, “It has obviously been very difficult for us, because he is a top-class player and he has been out since August, But he is working very hard on his rehab, and we’re hoping that somewhere near the end of this month he should be back. He is back here in the final stages of that and doing very well.“
Rodgers also mentioned Flanagan’s recovery, “It has been difficult for Jon, because he was brilliant for us last year. He was absolutely superb. It is just unfortunate he has picked up this injury. He has been out for a little while. But we’re hoping that in time, in the near future, he’s going to be back fit and playing because he’s a very important young player for us.“
Despite swirling rumours, Rodgers removed much notion Liverpool would move to bring their summer signing to Merseyside early from his year-long return loan to Ligue 1 side Lille, “There were a few discussions in January between the clubs, but it was merely to see where it was at in terms of Divock. But the likelihood is that he will stay at Lille.”
When asked about how good Origi can be Rodgers glowed, “He is a really exciting young talent. You saw him at the World Cup. He has got everything suited for the Premier League.”
“He is fast, got great feet, is tactically very good and works very hard. He can play through the middle or from the side. His stature and everything is set up for him to come to the Premier League. And he’s a really good kid as well, very humble and wants to work well. His father was a very good player as well, a national team player…We’ll get him in the summer and he’s another exciting young player.“
With the Red’s recent run of form and growing integration and impact of new signings, Liverpool’s conservative approach to midseason’s transfers may also have as much to do with the surge of spending during the summer.
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