Pass and move, pass and move, pass and move, pass and move,
Pass and move, it’s the Liverpool groove…

Well, it was… Until recently.

Kenny Dalglish’s 8^th place finish in the 2011-12 Premier League in his first full season back in charge of Liverpool did little to prove that the Fenway Sports Group’s revolution was in full swing. A lot has been talked of the expensive signings made (Carroll £35million etc), and many comparisons with cheaper and more successful acquisitions have since been made, but where exactly did Liverpool fail and why is Brendan Rodgers seen as the right man to reignite the Liverpool of old?

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Signings

Hindsight is a fantastic thing in football. If Kenny Dalglish could take himself back in time to the end of the January transfer window in 2011, then do you think he would sign Andy Carroll? Probably not, but then again, he would have looked weak if after selling Fernando Torres, he chose not to sign a replacement.

Another Dalglish signing, Stewart Downing is well regarded as the flop of last season, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t eventually turn good. Jordan Henderson has only just turned 22 and is still learning his trade. Carroll, who may be sold/loaned out in the coming days or weeks, is again a young English talent (23) who I’d like to think hasn’t yet reached his peak.

Brendan Rodgers has a lot to work with here, but he also has a lot of work to do. He’s a keen advocate of playing attractive football with a young and talented squad. I’m sure Henderson and Downing will have a place in Rodgers’ plans for next season but they will need to prove themselves, as this year, passengers will not be allowed in the Anfield first XI.

Luis Suarez should slot in up front alongside new signing Fabio Borini, whereas one of Liverpool’s star men from last season, Craig Bellamy, looks to leave for pastures new. Maxi Rodriguez has also left the club for Newell’s Old Boys.

It’s not all bad news for Rodgers though, as he should be looking to welcome back Joe Cole after his loan spell at Lille last year, as well as Lucas after an unfortunate injury ended his season prematurely in December.

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Tactics

If Dalglish had played a system that incorporated the strengths of Andy Carroll, then would Liverpool have won more games last season? Maybe, but then again they would have been accused of playing a one-dimensional system.

King Kenny founded his league winning Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers sides on a basic 4-4-2 system in the late 80’s to early 90’s. We later found out through Capello’s England in 2010, that this old fashioned style of play was somewhat redundant in the modern game.  Unfortunately for Liverpool fans, Dalglish still found great comfort in setting his team out the same way he would back in the day when Thatcher ruled the country.

Rodgers is a different man; his tactics aren’t clouded by what used to work, they are carefully structured on what will work based on the strength of the players on the pitch. His first signing, Fabio Borini, has clearly been brought in for the system, a system which has seemingly left Andy Carroll behind.

Rodgers’ Liverpool will not be a place for sloppy play, and a lack of possession will be punished. I expect Liverpool to try and control games next season, Rodgers’ tiki-taka and totaal voetbal will be key too.

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Belligerence

The new man at Anfield cannot afford to make the same mistakes as his predecessor did. Dalglish was not the man who you’d want to face post-game last season; his media interviews were at best fractious and generally gave less away then Arsene Wenger at the Emirates.

Rodgers is a warmer character then King Kenny and still has the media on his side; this should help him out a lot. He has a certain style and flair that Liverpool players and fans should appreciate after last year.

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Andy Carroll

The £35 million man. What next for Andy Carroll? We’ve so far heard stories from Milan about a possible loan move (all because Silvio Berlusconi’s son commented, that ‘he liked’ him as a footballer), West Ham have not ruled out a move and Newcastle have firmed up their interest with one rejected bid.

It’s becoming clearer by the day that Carroll is not a part of Rodgers plans, but what should he do?

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