Prior to the signing of Danny Ings, Liverpool were heavily linked with fellow Brit Charlie Austin, another striker whose team suffered relegation to the Championship this season. With Ings now on board, Austin is arguably no longer needed, but new reports claim that Austin is inexplicably back on the club's transfer radar.
According to Sky Sports today:
* Liverpool are planning a 'shock bid' for Charlie Austin.
* Austin is 'not a primary transfer target' for Liverpool this summer, but Brendan Rodgers is still allegedly 'weighing up a move'.
* Austin is aware of Liverpool's interested, and has consequently 'stalled on his exit from QPR'.
Gosh, where to start with this one?!
* If Austin - dubiously described recently described by Harry Redknapp as an 'unbelievable' striker - is 'not a primary target', then what is the point of signing him?
* Ings OR Austin, but both? It speaks volumes about Rodgers' judgement in the transfer market that Ings clearly *was* a primary target ahead of Austin, who is far more prolific in the Premier League.
* In May, I conducted a poll on the site, asking fans to choose between Ings and Austin. A whopping 75% of fans preferred Austin over Ings, and it's not hard to see why:
- More prolific: 25 goals/assists in 36 apps, compared to Ings' 15 goals/ assists in 38 apps.
- Goal/assist every 1.5 apps (vs. Ings' 1 every 2.3 apps)
* After Ings, the clear priority is (or should be) the aggressive recruitment of a top-class, experienced striker with a history of consistently scoring goals. If Rodgers' answer is to stack the team with British players who recently graduated from the Championship, then there are serious problems at Anfield.
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol is against the signing of Austin. When asked recently about the Reds' interest, Nicol admitted that Austin 'has talent', but argued that he'd probably follow the same underwhelming trajectory as Adam Lallana, another British player with alleged 'ability, skill, and a little something different':
“Lallana...hasn’t worked [and] he [Austin] is going to be another player that falls into the category. Liverpool need to sign players that from the get go we know what we are getting and [will] drive the club forward from the situation.”
Last summer, I argued that Liverpool would not move forward with the likes of Lallana and Lambert, and it's exactly the same this year: Milner, Ings, Austin et al will NOT push the Reds to the next level, and it's endlessly depressing to see the club linked with and/or signing such (comparatively) average players.
Additionally, Austin may now be too expensive to justify. According to QPR Director of Football Les Ferdinand
"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.”
Granted, after being relegated, QPR don't have much of a bargaining position, but Austin will still (probably) cost £10m+, and for that money (combined with the eventual fee for Ings), Liverpool could've signed Luciano Vietto, or Roberto Firmino, both of whom are more prolific that Austin and Ings.
It's positively bone-chilling to think that Liverpool's chances of returning to the Champions League next season may rest on the shoulders of Ings, Austin, Lambert, and Balotelli. *shudder*
It seems that Rodgers is hellbent on turning Liverpool into a facsimile of the England team; Perhaps FSG should go the whole hog and get Roy Hodgson back in charge, too?
Author: Jaimie K
According to Sky Sports today:
* Liverpool are planning a 'shock bid' for Charlie Austin.
* Austin is 'not a primary transfer target' for Liverpool this summer, but Brendan Rodgers is still allegedly 'weighing up a move'.
* Austin is aware of Liverpool's interested, and has consequently 'stalled on his exit from QPR'.
Gosh, where to start with this one?!
* If Austin - dubiously described recently described by Harry Redknapp as an 'unbelievable' striker - is 'not a primary target', then what is the point of signing him?
* Ings OR Austin, but both? It speaks volumes about Rodgers' judgement in the transfer market that Ings clearly *was* a primary target ahead of Austin, who is far more prolific in the Premier League.
* In May, I conducted a poll on the site, asking fans to choose between Ings and Austin. A whopping 75% of fans preferred Austin over Ings, and it's not hard to see why:
- More prolific: 25 goals/assists in 36 apps, compared to Ings' 15 goals/ assists in 38 apps.
- Goal/assist every 1.5 apps (vs. Ings' 1 every 2.3 apps)
* After Ings, the clear priority is (or should be) the aggressive recruitment of a top-class, experienced striker with a history of consistently scoring goals. If Rodgers' answer is to stack the team with British players who recently graduated from the Championship, then there are serious problems at Anfield.
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol is against the signing of Austin. When asked recently about the Reds' interest, Nicol admitted that Austin 'has talent', but argued that he'd probably follow the same underwhelming trajectory as Adam Lallana, another British player with alleged 'ability, skill, and a little something different':
“Lallana...hasn’t worked [and] he [Austin] is going to be another player that falls into the category. Liverpool need to sign players that from the get go we know what we are getting and [will] drive the club forward from the situation.”
Last summer, I argued that Liverpool would not move forward with the likes of Lallana and Lambert, and it's exactly the same this year: Milner, Ings, Austin et al will NOT push the Reds to the next level, and it's endlessly depressing to see the club linked with and/or signing such (comparatively) average players.
Additionally, Austin may now be too expensive to justify. According to QPR Director of Football Les Ferdinand
"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.”
Granted, after being relegated, QPR don't have much of a bargaining position, but Austin will still (probably) cost £10m+, and for that money (combined with the eventual fee for Ings), Liverpool could've signed Luciano Vietto, or Roberto Firmino, both of whom are more prolific that Austin and Ings.
It's positively bone-chilling to think that Liverpool's chances of returning to the Champions League next season may rest on the shoulders of Ings, Austin, Lambert, and Balotelli. *shudder*
It seems that Rodgers is hellbent on turning Liverpool into a facsimile of the England team; Perhaps FSG should go the whole hog and get Roy Hodgson back in charge, too?
Author: Jaimie K
