\t\t\t\t\tWhile Liverpool made a few signings fans can get behind, they left themselves short in other areas, as the transfer window comes to a close\u2026<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
AND that\u2019s that. Well, pretty much.<\/strong><\/p>\n Welcome Victor, Bradley, Ronald and Jeremy. Farewell Mo, Ibou, Robbo, and Curtis. Welcome to a weird halfway house\/Schrodlinger\u2019s Cat territory, Cody. The club seemingly want you, but only if there\u2019s no one else about.<\/p>\n Ask Steve McManaman for advice on that.<\/p>\n It\u2019s another period of enormous churn and that alone marks the summer as something of a failure. The whole point of last year\u2019s window was to buy the stardust in Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz and then tweak the squad accordingly. Maybe two or three in for cover this summer. Nice dream.<\/p>\n The problem with that model was the emerging problem of Mo Salah\u2019s eventual departure, the full-back cover and the inevitability of injuries. None of that was news to the club last Christmas, yet here we are.<\/p>\n Liverpool currently have no direct replacement for Alexander Isak. Cody Gakpo maybe, but he\u2019s hardly a prolific number nine.<\/p>\n Liverpool\u2019s first-choice right back is 5ft7 and 9st12lbs. Any muscular winger worth his salt can knock him off the ball. See Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The backup right back hasn\u2019t played a minute since January 8.<\/p>\n The best fullback on the pitch this past weekend was one we gave away.<\/p>\n Another window closes, and we\u2019re still playing Dominik Szoboszlai as an emergency right back. The club seem fine with that, as we were mostly linked with wingers and auxiliary strikers, but that can\u2019t be the long-term solution.<\/p>\n Unless it is. But. There\u2019s always a but.<\/p>\n Bradley Barcola is genuinely a coup. His signature took time and dominated the summer, as it was never going to be easy. The club have done well there. That needs saying. Credit where it\u2019s due. Bradley Barcola plays for Liverpool now.<\/p>\n The two centre backs already look comfortable, and their ability is already making a difference to me at least (Ibou scared the hell out of me). Victor Munoz made his home debut on Saturday and walked away with the man of the match award. Absolutely walked it. We\u2019ve done well there.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth bearing in mind that transfer windows are hellish for clubs and overall we\u2019ve bought pretty well. The problem is that we simply haven\u2019t bought enough. We\u2019re still a striker, a central midfielder and a right back short. These are issues we faced at the start of the summer, and they haven\u2019t been addressed.<\/p>\n Maybe this can be fixed in January? I don\u2019t know, but next summer already looks tricky. It looks like being the final one for Alexis Mac Allister, Allison Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo. That would leave us seven players short before a manageable equilibrium can be reached. All those players are big hitters. All expect to start games.<\/p>\n There\u2019s more churn to come. We\u2019ve got to replace two of J\u00fcrgen Klopp\u2019s and the club\u2019s most significant signings. One of them is a captain.<\/p>\n The whole thing speaks of a lack of planning. A lack of organisation. That\u2019s deeply concerning.<\/p>\n A poor transfer window can so easily bleed into another one.<\/p>\n But it is what it is. When everyone\u2019s fit, we\u2019re still someone to be reckoned with, but there\u2019s seldom a minute when we have an embarrassment of riches.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll have to wait and see, but I can\u2019t help but feel that we\u2019ve been unprepared for the vagaries of the market and it\u2019s not the first time.<\/p>\n Finally, I\u2019d just like to add to the sentiments expressed on yesterday\u2019s show at the passing of Pauline Cox.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t support Liverpool and didn\u2019t even care much for the game, but if you\u2019ve been around the city you\u2019ve probably had dealings with her or at least recognise her name.<\/p>\n She had an energy which lit the room and improved any mood. An absolute one-off and I\u2019m so pleased that I was her friend.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll miss you, Coxy.<\/p>\n