The Debate: Does Benitez need to buy again in January?

Richard Neale

Liverpool went back to the top of the Premier League on Monday night after an unconvincing goalless draw with West Ham United at Anfield.

With Fernando Torres again sidelined with a hamstring injury, it is clear they are struggling to find the net. Stoke City, Fulham and now West Ham have all come to Merseyside and gone away with a share of the points despite having failed to score themselves. In the days of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley that would have been unthinkable.

Liverpool have scored 21 goals in 15 Premier League outings this season, compared to 33 by Chelsea, 26 (in one fewer game) by Manchester United and 27 by Arsenal. Robbie Keane has not yet settled with just two league goals to his name and although Dirk Kuyt has five to his credit this season, the Dutchman generally tends to be played on the flanks and is always likely to be a scorer of important goals rather than a prolific marksman.

It will be 19 years in May since Liverpool last won the title (it was not even called the Premier League in those days) and the red half of Merseyside is simply desperate for another one.

Yes, Robbie Keane cost £20.3 million in the summer. Yes, nine times out of ten Steven Gerrard dons his superman cape when a goal is desperately needed and bails out his team-mates. Yes, everything will be alright again when Torres is back. But injuries come in bunches and what happens if the Spaniard is crocked again?

With all due respect to David Ngog, a 19-year-old Frenchman with no Premier League goals to his credit is not the man you should have to turn to when you are in desperate need of breaking through stubborn visiting defences. That’s what happened against West Ham.

Debate: Rafael Benitez and Liverpool needs to speculate to accumulate and must buy another top-class striker in the January transfer window if they are to end their wait for a Premier League title. What do you think?

Comments

[Alex]

No.

Just play Babel upfront.

To the lad who said sell Alonso, please support a different club.

[steve]

Just dont play Ngog at all, thats a start

[edwin]

he should buy a striker like valencia

[burt landcruiser]

Michael Owen? Never, ever. He made his bed. Let him lie in it.

[Errol Morales]

If liverpool continue to pander to Steve Gerrard's whim, of playing as a luxury centre midfielder (thus having to subliment two holding midfielders as BABYSITTERS). Its leaves no flexibility in the attacking position. Other than playing 3-2-3-2. Or playing Gerrard out wide, re: F Capello's ascertion of Gerrard's position in the England team. Isn't the team the most important star?

[Silogan Chinappa]

Liverpool has to reduce the Spanish content of the team, Alonso and Keane really must be sold and young local talent brought in to the team. It really is painful to watch a team that costs a fortune put on such an amateurish display of football, Whilst other fans were hoping for a win against Westham, I was praying we did not lose.

[Thom James]

Babel is a striker, not a winger. If Benitez played him in his proper position, at least in Torres' absence, there wouldn't be a problem. Because you can guarantee, that were Benitez to be given more funds (unlikely), he'd only blow it on the type of mediocre player he seems to specialise in picking up.

[Stu]

Heskey would be brillant with Keane or Torres, we need Keane to start firing and looking at his class it's not if but when.
We are top of the table with a team that is no where near it's best,I think it could more dangerous to bring in another striker what we need is time to gel and we will start firing.Another striker could backfire.
Is'nt it wonderful to see the mighty mighty reds top.
Walk on boys.

[Debbie]

Some of what I am about to say will most certainly rile some folks up and possibly elicit some disagreement.

First, I have never been sold on Rafa. Yes, some will say he delivered us a miracle in Istanbul, but other than that, what is there? How, how, HOW can a man of his supposed talent NOT KNOW HIS BEST SIDE? Seriously, the carousel 'o xi has got to stop and the posers need to get off! Every match it is something new with someone new and PLEASE stop with the 4-5-1....it does NOT work!

I am a great fan of Benayoun and if you really pay attention, he is like a little attack dog all along the pitch - even one of the annoncers commented how he is willing to go forward and play the fringes unlike Riera. I am NOT as convinced on Mascherano. His errant passes, dangerous tackling and propensity to explode and chatter with the refs are too much of a risk, regardless of his talent. I would rather play Benayoun who can score when given the chance and in bunches and whose passing is superb versus an oft out-of-control Mascherano (here come the howls).

There is something rotten in Anfield and if we Kopites are really serious about winning the title and preventing Manure United from snatching it away then we must begin to pressure both the Yanks and Rafa to shape up or ship on out. Plus, I am worried El Nino, despite his brilliant talent is more like a Yugo (always breaking down after a hard drive) and less like a strong, sustained wind. Oh, and enough on Kuyt - he has been our savior this season more than once. Without him and his goals (remember Wigan?) we may well be in 4th or lower....

[Rita Cocking]

I think the best option is to bring back Michael Owen on a one or two year contract,giving him an option for an extention if he does really well.

[Adrian]

please be serious;
kuyt has been outstanding all season, not only in terms of contribution and consistency, we have seen important goals and assists as well.
everyone wanted him out last season, right?
like everyone, i felt dossena would not deliver but the boy got the job done very well yesterday with agressive runs, good crossing and decent defending.
it will be the same with robbie, he is a class striker and must not prove anything. he WILL come good.
what concerns me is that rafa is bringing in youth talent year after year - and none has pushed through the ranks yet.
did babel really have the chance to deliver in attack? as a striker? not yet.
what can you expect from ngog, pacheco, brouwer, nemeth? with 0 to 5 premier league minutes to their record?
lets RAISE talent.
how much did we pay for owen? gerrard? fowler? mcmanaman?
rafa needs backing to throw in good young hungry players, there are enough at his disposal.
we dont need to buy a striker, point blank.
lets be patient, are we top of the table yes or no?

[Chris Taylor]

People need to get off Keane's back. He's a proven quality striker and will come good.

Plus he's scored the same amount of league goals as Berbatov this season yet cost 10 million less and there's seems to be little or no debate regarding whether Man United need a further striker to replace him

[hitman fyne]

Liverpool has the personnel to win the league. The problem is that Rafa doesn't spend time to improve his players. Give Wenger Babel and in one year you will have another Henry. El-zhar would also have been playing in Arsenal because his talent is obvious. Kuyt always scores for Holland but not for Liverpool. And who says we cannot try Gerrard as a no 9? Agger in ManU or Arsenal would have been moved to a midfield position where he will have sight of goal. Pennant will always do well against small teams. For all the complaints against Dossena, it is clear that he will do well in a more advanced left position. Our problem is that we don't take risks with our players. Once a players comes in as a full back, he keeps playing in that same position until he leaves the club. We do not need any new personnel to lift the league, although we shouldn't say "No" to a free Owen. If Skrtyl is fit we should push Agger forward and Gerrard more forward. Lets give Babel more playing time particularly at home. I like Riera, but at home I will definitely play Babel ahead of him. We just need to play with more aggression and confidence. Sometimes from the beginning of a match you notice that the team is clearly not ready for football that day. A psychologist and proper utilisation of our personnel will do the trick

[joe]

torres, keane, kuyt - if there is a goal scoring problem (it's hard to say there's too much of a problem when the team is top of the league) then i don't think buying another striker will solve it

of course there is team is weakened when their star striker is out, but they've shown they can cope

[Richard]

Liverpool don't need to buy another striker; they already have. His name is Robbie Keane. They spent £20m on him this summer. This decision was based on his having previously formed the hard working half of a successful strike partnership. Why they chose to do that when they already have Kuyt who does the same thing I really don't know. It's not like they needed the extra debt.

So instead of buying another player what they need to do is go back in time and spend the money on someone who can play as a foil for Torres or as a goal scorer in his own right. The purchase of Keane has left them in exactly the same position they would have been if they hand't bothered- unable to score when Torres is injured.

Oh, and while we're on the subject, is it just me or is anyone else getting tired of gerrard playing those pointless long range efforts from the middle of the park. I know he scores one occasionally but most of them are pointless and selfish. Really poor decision making.

[Simon]

Great comment Tom, couldn't agree more

[Anthony (Glasgow)]

Did i just read someone suggest Liverpool buy Heskey!! The stricker who took 14 seasons to score 100 goals? This surely isn't the kind of attacker goal-shy Liverpool need during a baron spell, is it?
Heskey has always been vastly overrated & i know a Liverpool fan who was desperate to see him leave wehn he did; buying him would surely be a step backwards?

[Mike]

The answer is already at Anfield. Kristian Nemeth. Blood him and Ngog over Christmas in the hectic period and one of them will come good. Or throw Babel in from start up front.

[Julian Glantz]

Yes we need another option up top - simply because we don't have the depth of resources needed with the 'business end' of the season looming. Keane's been disappointing, but then so was Crouch up to the start of December. There's still time for him to come good.

The thing that's prevented Liverpool from being 6-8 points clear is not lack of effort, it's a form of panic borne of wanting it so much.

Having said that, a fox-in-the-box type of predator would be useful - like Owen used to be for Liverpool, or Kevin Phillips in his pomp. But would Rafa sacrifice the team shape and work ethic for such a 'luxury'?

[Tom]

Help me out here. This is Liverpool we are talking about, right? The one at the top of the table? The one that beat Man U? And Chelsea? At Stamford Bridge?

Yes, I can see the need for another striker. Absolutely. But show me one person who thought Liverpool would be at the top of the table in spite of playing nearly all season without Fernando Torres. Any takers?

Last night's game was certainly a disappointment, but to this fan, I do not see a single manager out there that has done more with less than Rafa.

[Mark]

Heskey is our only feasible option and if we're going to be honest with ourselves we might not be able to even afford him in January. If we do manage to buy him then he could be very useful as, as much as I like Keane, he cannot do Torres job. However put a big target man next to him then think it would definitely bring out the best in him.
But hey, for now, we are top of the league and not playing well yet. That'll do for me.

[Ed Black]

We need quality out wide, not strikers. The paucity of service from Riera, Dossena and Benayoun was glaringly obvious last night. All of them simply opted for the short pass back to a central player, shifting responsibilty to the likes of Gerrard and Alonso. Keane touched the ball 3 times in the first half according to stats on TV.

Benitez had the oppotunity to strike fear into our rivals but turned it down - I'm afraid 4-5-1 at home against mid-table opposition when we are finding it hard to score does not make a lick of sense. Nor does prefering Ngog to Babel...

having said that we are top of the league, it is still a fantastic start, calling for Benitez to go is ludicrously premature but I still think results like this illustrate why we won't we it this year.

[Phil]

Just play Keane up front with Kuyt with Alonso and Mascherano holding the midfield...Gerrard on the right and coming in and Riera/Babel on the left..and problem solved!!!

[Harry Boulton]

Does Tony Amadi really believe that Barcelona or Va;encia are going to take Robbie Keane in exchange for their star strikers and any pocet change Liverpool have going? Ha ha ha ha!!

[jim]

"Michael Owen on a two year contract. End of debate."

Surely at his age with only a two year contract that means he can buy it out, similar situation Arsenal had with Hleb this summer so when he wanted to go we had to sell him.