World Soccer: Review of the 2007-08 Premier League season

Liverpool

Final position 4th (76 pts)

---------------------Reina----------------------------------
--Finnan/Arbeloa--Carragher--Skrtel/Hyypia--Riise/Aurelio--
---------Mascherano------------Alonso----------------------
-----Kuyt-----------Gerrard------------Benayoun/Babel---
--------------------Torres------------------------------

Other key players: Voronin, Lucas(HM), Pennant(RW).

When they played 4-4-2 Kuyt usually partnered Torres up front with either Gerrard or Pennant on the right.

Liverpool yet again disappointed the vast majority of their fans by failing to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title. On paper they have at least as strong a centre as anyone else - Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano, Carragher & Reina - whilst early indications are that Martin Skrtel is a very good addition to this central core.

They also have players of great promise - primarily Ryan Babel & Lucas Leiva - already heavily involved in the first team. But somehow something is missing. Maybe Benitez does tinker too much. Maybe the fringe players either aren't good enough or aren't quite experienced enough. On paper - yet again - it will be difficult to discount Liverpool from the title race next year (at least as long as their core remains - & I see no evidence that it wont). But for many years now: "on paper" & "on the pitch" have been very different things - at least domestically.

For the future:

Damien Plessis - a defensive midfielder bought from Lyon last summer and Emiliano Insua - a left back who originally came on loan from Boca Juniors - both received first team opportunities towards the end of the season.

The transfer activity in the summer will tell us more but - with Alonso apparently to be sold - Plessis could be vying with Lucas for the second defensive midfield slot alongside Mascherano when Liverpool play that way. And perhaps Insua could share left back duties with Aurelio & Arbeloa (who seems to play on either side) if the Liverpool fans who want Riise gone get their wish.

Otherwise - Liverpool - like Chelsea & Arsenal have been scouting far & wide for their reserve & youth team players. Again I'll try to be selective:

Krisztian Nemeth - Hungarian attacking midfielder/striker who top-scored for the reserve side (9 goals). Ought to be one to get a first team chance pretty soon & might be more content with a subordinate role in the first team hierarchy than either Crouch or Voronin.

Jordy Brouwer - second top scorer for the reserves (8 goals). Dutch striker signed from Ajax in the 2007 January transfer window.

Sebastian Leto - left-sided Argentinian bought from Lanus last summer. He's already 22 so I'd expect him either to be sold on soon or to get more first team opportunities.

Mikel San Jose Dominguez - Spaniard who came from Athletic Bilbao. A centre back who also plays in midfield. Almost an ever-present in the reserve side and made it as far as the first team bench.

Jack Hobbs - another centre back & perhaps one of Liverpool's brightest local hopes. Did make it into the first team before being shipped off to Scunthorpe on loan.

Daniel Ayala - Spanish centre back from Sevilla, Gerardo Bruna - Argentinian attacking midfielder from Real Madrid, Daniel Pacheco - Spanish striker from Barcelona. Three 17-y-o's whose signings received relatively high publicity for the game at youth level. And perhaps show where Liverpool's youth policy is pointing under Rafa (as Arsenal goes French - Liverpool goes Spanish). All three players are deemed far enough along in their development to spend a fair amount of time in the reserves this season.

Marvin Pourie - 17 y.o. German striker who came from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Prolific for the U18s early in the season - he looked set to step up to the reserves (he's made one substitute appearance for them) when he was sent off in an U18 game. His stats are much less impressive since then.

Nathan Eccleston - Maybe another local hope. Top-scored for the U18s with 15 goals. Only one substitute appearance for the reserves so far though.

Lauri Dalla Valle - Finnish attacking midfielder from JIPPO & Pajtim Kasami - Swiss defensive midfielder/centre back from Grasshoppers. Two more recent "high profile" youth signings - both still equivalents of schoolboys - so will be first year scholars for next season.

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