Anfield owners NESV are aware of the poor value in the January transfer window.
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Fernando Torres may have to shoulder much of Liverpool’s attacking burden for the rest of the season should the club’s new owners decide against recruiting immediate reinforcements because of the lack of value for money in the January transfer window, according to manager Roy Hodgson.
“Up front – and, as we saw [against Chelsea], at the back – we’re definitely short of players to give us the cover we need,” said the Liverpool manager.
“I do not know what we will be able to do in January, because we could even find a situation where the owners, because we know it is a bad market to buy in, prefer us just to see this season out and make a really big effort in the summer.
“I believe Torres will play well in all of our games between now and the end of the season. I know he wants to, I know he realises how much we as a group of people believe in him. I think he is the type of person and character who will not want to let anyone down.” (Daily Telegraph)
Roy Hodgson is right. The January transfer window is a notoriously difficult market to find a good bargain, a gem in the overpriced rough.
However, while the Liverpool starting XI is up there with some of the best in the league in terms of quality, the Reds do not boast quite the same squad depth as some of the other top sides.
As the season grows old, fatigue begins to become an issue for overworked players, and niggly injuries become more prevalent. This explains why Liverpool under Rafa Benitez often had a shaky start as manager but enjoyed a good second half to the campaign – despite all the early-season criticism of his squad rotation.
When Liverpool finished 2nd in the Premier League in 2008-2009, they acquired an astonishing 31 points from 33 available from March until the end of the season.
Impressive stuff, but Roy Hodgson has a different approach.
With no lucrative Champions League games to worry about, Hodgson has elected to play his strongest XI in the Premier League where he can, leaving cup competitions to his squad players.
Incredibly, on October 31st against Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool fielded an unchanged side for a third consecutive Premier League match for the first time in around 6 and half years.
Liverpool are in good form at the moment domestically, having won their last three league games, but if they are unable to keep their form up throughout the season and fail to qualify for Europe it will be a tough task to attract the best players in the summer.
NESV might take a calculated gamble to save a few million in January, but if investment at the earliest possible opportunity brought Champions League qualification, it would surely result in long term gain.
Buying players in the January transfer window is also a gamble, but one that may be required if Liverpool are to prosper.