Liverpool’s Rodgers says he will have transfer funds for January

By Kevin Koczwara

Brendan Rodgers has been short on options with his thin Liverpool squad. This week in the team’s 3-1 loss in the League Cup to Swansea, Rodgers played midfielder Jordan Henderson at right back and was forced to play 18-year-old Samed Yesil as the team’s lone forward because there weren’t any other options. Luis Suarez is Rodgers only choice for a first team forward at the moment, and he desperately needed some sort of rest after the grueling 2-2 draw with Everton from the weekend and with Newcastle coming-up in only a few short days. Henderson was played at right back because Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson are both out injured and Andre Wisdom desperately needed to recover from his knocks.

Thankfully for the manager, though, he has been apparently reassured that he will have funds to add to his slowly depleting first-team during the January transfer window, which is still weeks away.

Summer Transfer Rumors – Part One

By Justin Fitzgerald

As Liverpool fans in Boston sweat out the summer heat in anticipation of a July friendly match against AS Roma, across the pond club brass is undoubtedly doing a little sweating of their own in the latest transfer window. It’s certainly no secret that recent personnel changes were made as a direct result of the previous signings failing to live up to their billing. It’s a results driven league and transfers made under Dalglish and Comolli simply didn’t get it done, so don’t be surprised if wholesale changes are made under the new reign of Brendan Rodgers. If nothing else, the teams Rodgers put out at Reading and Swansea had a certain fluidity and creativity about them that the Irishman will definitely be looking to recreate.

He certainly has his work cut out for him. With Lucas and Charlie Adam coming off serious injuries, and Dirk Kuyt moving on from Liverpool to pursue the next chapter of his career, the first order of business for the new skipper will undoubtedly be to shore up an aging and depleted midfield. Steven Gerrard turns 33 next season and will need to have his playing time managed in order to avoid serious recurring injuries. This most glaring deficiencies however lie in the wings and not in the central midfield. With Gerrard, Shelvey, Spearing, Henderson and the potential returns of Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani there are options and a bit of depth, yet aside from the skipper there are also doubts that these players can re-create the same free-flowing pass and move style of football that Rodgers’s sides have implemented in the past. Look for the Reds to add some creativity, a bit of guile, and hopefully a touch of class to the middle of the pitch.

Andy Carroll’s Burden Breaking His Back

Andy Carroll's had a miserable start to his Anfield career since transferring to Liverpool from Newcastle in Jan. 2011.

 By Kevin Koczwara

Andy Carroll didn’t put the £35million price tag around his neck. He never valued himself on the transfer market. Liverpool and Newcastle United did that for him. He didn’t even turn in a transfer request — as so many players do this day to force a move. He was a 21-year-old misfit with bad hair, wide shoulders and a drinking problem, who had the ability to score from crosses. Yet, we view him as a £35million waste of space with bad hair, a pubic hair beard and the ability to not score.