After the recent failure to sign Dnipro attacker Yehven Konoplyanka on transfer deadline day, many Liverpool fans were wallowing in doom-and-gloom scenarios, predicting that the Reds' season would quickly implode, and the team would plummet out of the top four. Well, Several weeks later and that clearly isn't the case, and Anfield legend Mark Lawrenson suggests that Konoplyanka may not have even made it into the starting XI.
In his column for The Mirror today, Lawro observed:
"Even if Brendan had brought in winger Yevhen Konoplyanka from Dnipro, I don’t think he would have got into the side ahead of [Raheem] Sterling, who has improved beyond recognition"
Prior to the end of the transfer window, Rodgers claimed that the failure to bring in any new players would 'galvanise' the squad, and that certainly appears to be the case, especially with Raheem Sterling, whose performances improve with every passing game.
I Lawro right, though? If LFC had somehow pulled off the Konoplyanka deal (in a Seinfeldian bizarro-world, perhaps, where Ian Ayre is the world's greatest deal-closer), would the attacker be on the bench right now?
Doubtful, IMO. If Rodgers had splashed out €19m on the Ukrainian winger, he would be undoubtedly feature in the team. You don't spend that amount of money on an attacking player and leave him on the bench.
Having said that, this is Rodgers we're talking about, and he hasn't been shy to leave his own big-money signings on the sidelines in the past. Joe Allen warms the bench on a regular basis, and earlier this season, Mamadou Sakho spent quite a bit of time out of the team.
If Konoplyanka had signed, who's to say he wouldn't have made an even bigger impact than Sterling? He might've made the difference against West Brom and Arsenal, and LFC could conceivably be in the FA Cup quarter-final right now, and only two points off the top of the Premier League table...
Or, he might've flopped. And given Rodgers' middling performance in the transfer market over the last 18 months, the latter is the more likely probability.
Author: Jaimie K
In his column for The Mirror today, Lawro observed:
"Even if Brendan had brought in winger Yevhen Konoplyanka from Dnipro, I don’t think he would have got into the side ahead of [Raheem] Sterling, who has improved beyond recognition"
Prior to the end of the transfer window, Rodgers claimed that the failure to bring in any new players would 'galvanise' the squad, and that certainly appears to be the case, especially with Raheem Sterling, whose performances improve with every passing game.
I Lawro right, though? If LFC had somehow pulled off the Konoplyanka deal (in a Seinfeldian bizarro-world, perhaps, where Ian Ayre is the world's greatest deal-closer), would the attacker be on the bench right now?
Doubtful, IMO. If Rodgers had splashed out €19m on the Ukrainian winger, he would be undoubtedly feature in the team. You don't spend that amount of money on an attacking player and leave him on the bench.
Having said that, this is Rodgers we're talking about, and he hasn't been shy to leave his own big-money signings on the sidelines in the past. Joe Allen warms the bench on a regular basis, and earlier this season, Mamadou Sakho spent quite a bit of time out of the team.
If Konoplyanka had signed, who's to say he wouldn't have made an even bigger impact than Sterling? He might've made the difference against West Brom and Arsenal, and LFC could conceivably be in the FA Cup quarter-final right now, and only two points off the top of the Premier League table...
Or, he might've flopped. And given Rodgers' middling performance in the transfer market over the last 18 months, the latter is the more likely probability.
Author: Jaimie K
If me aunty had balls would that make her me uncle.. All these boring ""what ifs"" live in the now not the what if ..YNWA
ReplyDeleteHaaaaaaaaahahahahaha....Love this comment...Literally rolling on the floor in tears with laughter...!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI read the Lawro article, he makes a valid point. I was angry we did'nt complete the Plyanka deal, as were most on here. But Sterling has improved immeasurably, hope its not a "flash in the pan" period for him, re last season, when he tailed off after a good start,
ReplyDeleteIrishred, Jamie is a provacateur of kind, and it starts debate etc, dont take it too seriously.
If your Auntie had balls, she'd probably be a right pain in the Bollox.
ReplyDeleteHe did great when pushing Howard Webb hahhaahaaa
ReplyDeleteKonoplyanka would give us options up front. We have a great forward line and Coutinho behind it to put them in position but if two of them get injured/suspended we fall back on guys like Aspas and Alberto. Konoplyanka whether he would play or not would just add to the options to keep our forward line productive.
ReplyDeleteI'd hate to jinx our chances...but signings like Kono and Rakitic would be in anticipation of needing a consistent level of performance across a full PL/LC/FA/CL schedule. I don't think anybody beleieves we presently have the quantity and quality to foulrish in that kind of schedule...but we need to or we'll start with the slow degradation we have seen since 2005.
ReplyDeleteLets see what this guy is all about against Spurs on Thursday night. I've heard a few people say he is as blind as a bat and never looks up. I'd rather use the 18m Euros on buying a worldie DM
ReplyDelete