This piece by Evan Fanning, posted on The Sports Blog on 26th March 2012, sums up the general feeling and consensus of the situation at Anfield right now. let's look at the main points.
Firstly, it is quite established now that Liverpool paid too much for almost all their new players last summer. What has been consistent about them has been their level of underachievement and inconsistency. They sometimes just don't look interested.
Secondly, the naivety of tactics and team selection is increasingly being laid bare and exposed. Dalglish has to do something radical to change that. If he can't, then he has to defer to someone else, Steve Clarke perhaps. It's painful to watch at times.
Thirdly, it is noticeable that Liverpool only play well in the Cups and big league games, and the players have to take the blame for this. Apart from a few, the rest just don't feel bothered, leaving Kenny flustered and disappointed. Not coincidentally, most of this lot are the new buys, with Charlie Adam being the biggest culprit.
Something radical needs to be done soon. I just don't know what.
"There is not an awful lot new in the team that wins the Carling Cup falling away in their remaining league games after European qualification has been achieved. Liverpool's current malaise – five defeats in their last six games and only eight points in 2012 – can, in part, be seen through this prism, but that does not mean there are not real areas of concern at Anfield.A lot of money has been spent since John W Henry assumed control of the club but a lot more will need to be splurged this summer if Liverpool are to push for a top-four spot next season. If the spending of last summer was meant to provide the nucleus of a squad that can push for big honours over the next few seasons, then you would have to think the buying strategy has failed. At the very least the club need to get all their transfer moves spot-on this summer.The nonsensical hysteria around modern football dictates that any criticism or questioning of a manager implies that you think he should be handed a cardboard box and told to clear his desk but Dalglish and Liverpool's director of football, Damien Comolli, are moving closer to forfeiting the benefit of the doubt.The performance in Saturday's defeat at home to Wigan was the worst in the league at Anfield this season. Dalglish's claim that his players were tired after three games in seven days has some validity but the lack of cohesion in Liverpool's play, coupled with the manager's team selection, is something that has been evident throughout the season.If Liverpool finish sixth, it will equal or better the best ever Premier League finishing position for Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, José Enrique, Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson – a sizeable chunk of the Liverpool squad. While this does not necessarily prove anything, it does temper somewhat the notion that Liverpool are under-performing. There is an argument that hovering in seventh or eighth position is exactly where Liverpool should be, given the make-up of their squad.This season was, in many ways, a transitional year for Liverpool and, with one trophy already secured and another a real possibility, it has been a lot better than many might have expected. But, given how weak the league has been at times and how much money the club has spent on players, this was a glorious opportunity to sneak back into the top four. Instead, just as when a great chance has presented itself on the pitch, Liverpool have fluffed their lines."
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