In Dickens’ ‘Bleak House’ the moneylender Mr Smallweed is frequently seen repeating “rubbish, rubbish, rubbish”, he is looking at a pile of letters, but could quite easily be looking at Liverpool FC’s recent signings. Take Andy Carroll, £35,000,000 from Newcastle, the 8th most expensive footballer of all time. Since his signing in January 2011, he has appeared 35 times and has scored just 5 times. His performances disgust football fans far and wide with his horrific headers and shocking shots. Pre-Liverpool he was considered to be the quintessential number 9 with his aerial ability and strong shots but his form has disappeared since he arrived at the Merseyside club; his flop is one Tom Daley could not match. Despite a League Cup winning campaign this year, it has been 22 years without a top division league trophy. The club have never won the Premier League in its current form. Seventh in the league for a club of Liverpool’s stature is just not good enough.
Since “King Kenny” has returned to the Kop, Liverpool has flushed millions upon millions down the drain on transfers. Another monumental disappointment (as well as Carroll) this season has been midfielder and supposed long term Steven Gerrard replacement, Jordan Henderson. Affectionately known as “Halfwit Henderson”, this dunderhead set Liverpool back around £20,000,000 and he has made no measurable impact to the club. Liverpool’s best summer signing was one that cost owner, John W. Henry, nothing. Welshman Craig Bellamy was a free transfer.
My message, is that the Carling Cup is not enough to please the trophy hungry Liverpudlians, neither is being 28 points adrift of rivals Manchester United. Liverpool needs to invest widely and splashing out on a wolf man (Carroll) and a schmuck (Henderson) is not helping. What will help is showing fans progress in the league and in cup competitions. But above all, Liverpool need to be back at the forefront of football, back into Europe and back into winning. That is the way.
