18 May 2015

Redknapp raves: 'Liverpool' should sign 'unbelievable' £20m striker with 24 goals and assists in 35 games

The Danny Ings transfer is reportedly already in the bag, but Liverpool are also linked with QPR striker Charlie Austin, another British goalscorer playing for a relegated club, and according to ex-Hoops boss Harry Redknapp, Austin would be a great signing for LFC.

Discussing Liverpool transfers, Redknapp - who previously hailed Austin as 'unbelievable' - told the Daily Star:

“Charlie’s had an excellent season. They’re talking about Liverpool taking him. He’ll score goals anywhere"

QPR Director of football Les Ferdinand is aware of the transfer interest in Austin, and in a Saturday interview with TalkSport, he insisted that any interested club will have to pay through the nose to seal a deal:

“We would love to keep Charlie Austin at QPR...but someone scoring 17 goals in this division, you’re looking at £15-20million at least.”

Liverpool were linked with Austin back in 2012, and at the time, the Daily Mail claimed:

"Austin has been watched by an increasing number of Premier League scouts over the past five games. Newcastle have a long-held interest while Liverpool have also taken a look".

In January, I argued that Austin is a better option than Ings, for the following reasons:

* More prolific in the Prem: 17 goals/7 assists (24) in 35 apps, compared to Ings' 10 goals/4 (14) assists in 36 apps.

* Older and more experienced.

* 47 goals/assists in 72 apps for QPR overall.

* Goal/assist every 1.5 apps (vs. Ings' 1 every 2.3 apps)

* No significant injuries in the last four years.

If Rodgers is intent on bringing in a British striker, then Austin is clearly the superior option. The proof is in the pudding: 24 goals in 34 Premier League games is a fantastic achievement, especially for someone playing in a relegation team.

None of Liverpool's alleged strikers got anywhere close to Austin's record this season, which is embarrassing considering Lambortelli play alongside the likes of superior quality players like Coutinho, Sterling, Henderson, and Lallana.

Like Ings, Austin is also the subject of regular transfer speculation, but it hasn't affected his ability to score goals for QPR, which suggests that is mentally tough enough to deal with the pressure of playing for a top Premier League club. Indeed, Arsene Wenger suggested as much in a recent interview, when he told reporters:

"It's good to see that an English striker who had played in lower divisions has managed to come up. That shows mental strength and tenacity, and that is important at the top level"

Liverpool need players who won't fold under the pressure, and of the two, Austin seems better equipped to deal with the
step-up. The striker is certainly confident in his own ability. In an interview this week, he told reporters:

"If you're a natural goalscorer, a real goalscorer, you back yourself nine times out of 10 to score. You're confident, you always back your ability as a centre-forward".



Ferdinand is a fantasist if he believes that QPR will get '£15m-£20m' for Austin, though. After being relegated, the club has zero bargaining power, and Austin has any ambition, he'll inevitably want to leave, and there's no point keeping an unhappy player.

Austin did his part for QPR; Like Sterling, and several other Liverpool players, Ings went AWOL when the going got tough.



Author: Jaimie K


53 comments:

  1. Nicolas Chamberlain4:49 pm, May 18, 2015

    ''QPR Director of football Les Ferdinand is aware of the transfer interest in Ings, ...''



    Austin, that is.
    I wish we signed neither one of these two...
    Vietto, Lacazette. You could sign Ings or Austin as a back up striker or so called plan B, but that didn't work out so well for Lambert...
    Every striker needs minutes and confidence, we can't give that to Austin or Ings. We should aim higher.

    ReplyDelete
  2. WE ARE A JOKE OF A CLUB,WE HAVE BRENDON THE CLOWN AND IAN THE MOUSE WHAT ELSE COULD WE NEED

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hate to suggest it really but a cat possibly

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mike Aitcheson5:02 pm, May 18, 2015

    i would rather buy Ings for 4m than spend £9-10m on Austin - but ONLY if we spend the money on a no 1 striker. NEITHER of those two can be that for us going forward, and we need to spend every penny we have to get a top level goalscorer

    ReplyDelete
  5. Saw Austin's last few games and he does have skills and deft finishing touches..... Get both.... If money is too tight to mention

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mike Aitcheson5:04 pm, May 18, 2015

    Not overplaying things a tad there, are we?


    How would you describe yourself as a fan after such a tantrum?

    ReplyDelete
  7. A dog suggesting a cat.
    this just highlights how worse things are at the moment

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nicolas Chamberlain5:06 pm, May 18, 2015

    I rate Austin higher, but I agree we need a top level goalscorer. That should be our main priority.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mike Aitcheson5:07 pm, May 18, 2015

    Me too, but we will need to pay serious wonga to get a top player both fee and wages...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nicolas Chamberlain5:10 pm, May 18, 2015

    Selling Aspas, Borini, Balotelli, Lambert and Alberto could help us to fill the transfer kitty and clear the wage bill. When you see all those failed strikers it becomes clear that there is something wrong with our transfer policy. We sign way too many expensive gambles

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ian Rush P660 G3465:14 pm, May 18, 2015

    Liverpool need a striker with pace. We're better off putting most of our budget into one good striker and offer him good wages.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Now, now Mike...temperance will get you nowhere when people/fans are in the mood to kick sh** out of stuff to allay their frustrations...... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I knew that no problem

    ReplyDelete
  14. fsg....eggs......basket......one.....not havin' it......sorry.......

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ian Rush P660 G3465:24 pm, May 18, 2015

    Hopefully they'll realize what they're doing isn't working. If that £120m was spend on 2 or 3 top players last year we would've been much better off.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Austin is the better option but neither of them are going to get the fans going, we as fans have consistently been left dissapointed with Rodgers and FSG's signings, we need to make a statement and sign proven quality as we have enough young players with potential and the addition of world class players will encourage the younger players to progress and help them as a team unit. So we need to aim high when we sign players if we are going to even challenge for a top four spot as all the other teams above us have and will do the same.

    ReplyDelete
  17. i'd take Austin.. as a backup, but you never know, we might end up signing the both and maybe milner...then Mr. Brendan will tell us "I thought they were outstanding" . Fingers crossed

    ReplyDelete
  18. Mike Aitcheson5:32 pm, May 18, 2015

    you'd think we'd finished 10th listening to some of them.


    I say get a grip. It can be fixed, we're 4-5 players away from where we need to be, not 8-10.


    They need to be proper players though, not this potential cr@p

    ReplyDelete
  19. Mike Aitcheson5:33 pm, May 18, 2015

    Is your middle name Logan?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Mike Aitcheson5:36 pm, May 18, 2015

    If we had done that and two of them were injured people would be saying why didn't we strengthen the squad

    ReplyDelete
  21. ANIMALS HAVE BEEN RUINED

    BR OUT

    ReplyDelete
  22. Maybe he and Logan are distant relatives

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ings has more game than Austin, and he looks fitter and quicker, with more flair and intelligence. I don't mind Austin, though he's not got the game for LFC. There's something Italian about the way he plays that I quite like. Bullish with a fine touch in the penalty box. But we need a bit more than that. For me, Ings is a *very* promising striker. I wouldn't rate him far off Sturridge at the same age.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I went to vote and found someone had already decided for me.

    ReplyDelete
  25. 'soy` su• `hermano

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'll take that as a yes

    ReplyDelete
  27. I don't believe it. You can't be siblings with the same views. It's physically impossible ;)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Didn't Bill Murray describe something similar as a sign of end of days.

    ReplyDelete
  29. ...exactly.....^^

    ReplyDelete
  30. how come you're so adept at thinking outside the 'word police' box.....


    ....cr@p....!..nice one...

    ReplyDelete
  31. I thought it was only me who thought bill Murray was a legend...until I started checking out 'the chive'.......
    .....only for the intelligent articles on world politics.....honestly......no, really....


    ...oh okay then...'slumped shoulders'...for the lovely females too....;-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. This chive sounds interesting.

    I like politics too

    ReplyDelete
  33. Yeah, Jay Jay....especially when they come dressed in a bikini.....


    ....or with the picture tagline.....burn your bra tuesday.....

    ReplyDelete
  34. Agreed, I won't be unhappy with either of these players taking Borini's place in the squad, as long as we target another main striker as well

    ReplyDelete
  35. ..also for many reasons, they at the chive hold bill murray up as their 'avatar'...


    .....must be all the sensible stuff he's done...;-)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Not sure if Ings and Austin are interested in a bit part role at Liverpool, they are both young lads and being backups won't raise their chances for a place in the England squad

    ReplyDelete
  37. ...trouble is I doubt any big team (where they need to show they can play under real pressure for the england places) will make them number one....

    ReplyDelete
  38. True. To be honest im just thinking about it from Liverpool's point of view, not what the player would want

    ReplyDelete
  39. The Italian duo may refuse to leave and rather stay put on the bench to enjoy their fat salaries until their contracts expire.

    ReplyDelete
  40. In that case: lets get both for cheap ;-) certainly upgrades to our current stikers

    ReplyDelete
  41. They should be privileged to play for LFC and also it only takes injury/loss of form to be accelerated up the ladder - especially with BR in charge who is not averse to throwing youth/inexperience into the mix......

    ReplyDelete
  42. Signings will be poor and mediocre. BR will fail next year. He cant get a team to defend its as simple as that!!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Lambert went to the world cup while he was at Southampton

    ReplyDelete
  44. I get it with Lambert and knew some anomaly would come and bite me on the butt.....but...


    ..he'd already got to a certain age and experience and shown a certain amount of consistency....these guys are a bit younger and probably would want to get into the England team at a young age....

    ReplyDelete
  45. ...limpets on rocks come to mind...

    ReplyDelete
  46. You came to Montenegro elections?

    ReplyDelete
  47. *but can you somehow figure out which language is? Or translate? You are believing it now

    ReplyDelete
  48. Since when is more game time more important than scoring more goals?

    Austin: 24 goals/assists in 35 games.
    Ings: 14 goals/assists in 36 games.

    Having 'more flair and intelligence' doesn't win games. Actually contributing to goals on a consistent is what makes the difference, and in that respect, Austin is streets ahead of Ings.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Ours are much the same whoever you vote for you get Tory

    ReplyDelete
  50. If you look at it in terms of immediate impact then it has to be Austin...


    ...but in terms of FSG and their agenda for a strict business code then £0-£5 mill with possibility of recuperation of £10-£20 mill in the next 5-6 years looks like that's the way business flies...


    ...whether we like it or not...

    ReplyDelete
  51. Very much agree. We need a reliable #1 striker with an attitude and a killer instinct. If we had a reliable 20+ goal scorer this season we'd already be talking potential CL group pairings. We could use a thumping DM, another good CB which we may already have on loan and apparently a new #2 keeper.

    ReplyDelete
  52. ...whose the CB on loan...?

    ReplyDelete