Roma and Liverpool Kings of Summer Transfer Window

This summer transfer window has been fairly generic. We've seen Fabregas go to Barcelona, Atletico Madrid lose De Gea, Aguero and Forlan, along with a myriad of other deals which we all expected and knew were going to happen. There have been very few big surprises regarding signings, and instead we mostly got what we were waiting for as football/soccer fans.

While many clubs made the signings we all knew were going to happen, there have been a few which decided to build things a little differently. Liverpool bought a brilliant list of new players including Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique, and finishing the window off with the arrival of Craig Bellamy. Of course, while experienced players are important, Liverpool have also kept an eye on some younger players. The 20 year-old Uruguayan central defender Sebastian Coates will have time to bed in, play some games as a substitute, and slowly become essential to the Red's backline.

What will also help is the abundance of versatile players Liverpool have signed such as Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam. These new signings strengthen Liverpool's midfield and secure any holes there might be in case of injuries or suspensions throughout the season. A willingness to spend accompanied by an intelligent plan of selling unneeded players have led to a much stronger squad which looks ready to compete on many different levels.

In the Serie A, there was a similar revelation in Roma's financial freedom on the transfer market. The new owner, Thomas Di Benedetto has brought cash and a new coach, Luis Enrique. The Dutch international keeper Maarten Stekelenburg has been bought, along with Heinze, Kjaer (on loan from Wolfsburg), and Jose Angel to solidify what was once a weary defence. Yet what has been even more impressive is Roma's new and improved attack.

From Barcelona's Bojan Krkic to the Argentinean wonderkid Erik Lamela (along with Pablo Osvaldo and Fabio Borini), the new attack looks ready to score plenty of goals. The midfield has also been bolstered significantly thanks to Fernando Gago on loan from Real Madrid and the signing of Miralem Pjanic from Lyon. Mixing these new players with the likes of Totti, Pizarro, and De Rossi should create a very solid midfield, and a formidable attack.

Both Liverpool and Roma have gone about their business to completely replenish their squads with astute signings while keeping the best of the old guard. The new owners brought some fresh air for everyone, making quick and surprising signings which will stir up the pot as the season progresses. Sadly, these are two anomalies in the many European clubs which either don't need to surprise fans with great unexpected signings, or clubs that don't have a board/directors which will make these bold decisions.

While some clubs don't particularly need to strengthen, or need only a couple of smart signings to taper the cracks of the squad, others continue with a very conservative transfer policy regarding signing new players. Instead, Roma and Liverpool have realized that to climb up the Premier League and Serie A tables they'd need to spend, and spend wisely. I expect great things from these two clubs, the two kings of the summer transfer window.

Raul Meireles Shines Against Troubled Wolves

It wasn’t all bad under Roy Hodgson. Despite the former Fulham man’s troubled time in charge of Liverpool coming to an abrupt end earlier this month, his presence was felt in a game which ironically signified the club moving on from his time as manager.

Kenny Dalglish’s first win in charge of Liverpool was somewhat of a departure from the manner that Liverpool fans have gotten so used to this season. Desire was the name of the game as his side looked to harass a Wolves side as short of points as they are luck.

Although the 3-0 score line represents a fair result, Mick McCarthy’s side can count themselves slightly unlucky not to have found the net; they troubled the Liverpool defence, particularly in the second half, and the arrival of new signing Adam Hammill did much to boost the home side’s attacking prowess.

But the man doing most of the damage in the game was to be found in red rather than gold. Although Hodgson’s time in charge will be quickly forgotten by the Anfield faithful,  Raul Meireles provided a fitting final goodbye to the man that signed him.

The absence of Steven Gerrard meant that someone new was needed to put their hand up and take control of the game, and that someone turned out to be the former Porto man. Feeding the fired up Fernando Torres for Liverpool’s first goal, Meireles displayed a clear head where plenty others would have fired a shot into to side netting, Meireles selflessly teed up the Spaniard for an easy tap in. His second contribution to the game was somewhat more spectacular. A Wolves half clearance dropped to the Portuguese international; technique and timing did the rest as he volleyed home a contender for goal of the season.

But his contribution went beyond that. His work rate set the tempo for the rest of the team to follow and his range of passing looked as though his personal mission was to exorcise the ghost of Xavi Alonso. Blackpool’s Charlie Adam may be the man to take up that challenge in the long term, but Meireles's delightfully chipped pass to play in JonJo Shelvey gave an indication of his passing ability. If Dalglish can accommodate him into a midfield alongside Gerrard, the returning Liverpool boss will have a midfield which big free bet will back to match most teams in the league.

The sight of Liverpool’s two holding midfielders betrayed the intent with which they set out to play, and alongside Meireles, Dalglish would have been happy with the contributions of the much maligned Christian Poulson as well as Fernando Torres. Although glimpses of defensive frailties were evident, Dalglish will look back fondly on an almost perfect weekend. Bigfreebet will likely see a shift in punters supporting the Red’s late push for a European spot if they continue in this manner.

The emergence of Meireles will be an added bonus to the feel-good atmosphere surrounding Anfield since “The King” returned to the hot seat. Although Hodgson’s time at the club will be remembered for its failure, he can find comfort in bringing the talented Portuguese midfielder to Anfield. The win at Molineux closed the chapter on his time with Liverpool, and now they will look forward to an altogether more successful period. It just so happens that the man to usher in the new era, is a man from Liverpool’s darker days.

Was Roy Hodgson Destined To Fail At Liverpool?

Roy Hodgson's presentation

After Roy Hodgson left Liverpool, this question sprung immediately into my mind: was Roy Hodgson destined to fail at Liverpool? If you look at it, there are few other jobs which entail a bigger revival needed than Liverpool's. When Roy first joined the Liverpool project, there were fans burning American flags to spite the incompetent owners, there was a shattered group of players searching for a saviour, and there was Roy. Looking at Roy, he seemed out of place in the disaster setup that was going on. A calm and experienced manager, looking to do his best with what he could. Wasn't he exactly what Liverpool needed? So, like a sane man joining a group of lunatics, Roy soon found it difficult to cope with the multiple troubles which sprung up.

While last season the Liverpool train wreck was entertaining, this season I found it a little bit sad. I saw Roy, doing his best to permeate a sense of order throughout the club, even if the players weren't even of his choice. Roy Hodgson had to do his best with a group selected by the previous manager Rafa Benitez, with some of the key players like Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano gone. Roy tried to do the sensible thing: bring in the best players he could with the limited financial resources at his disposal. Hodgson signed the dependable defender Konchesky, swapped Yossi Benayoun for Joe Cole, and did his best with what he could, getting Poulsen and Raul Mereiles to strengthen the midfield, along with Jovanovic at no cost. Roy also managed to keep the two talismans (Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard), therefore having two players he could count on in times of trouble (but not really). I don't think I could've done a better job myself with the poor resources given, and the fact that Liverpool weren't in the Champions League made it even harder to attract top-quality players.

Throughout his career at Liverpool, it seems to me that Roy has always tried to do the sensible thing. He tried to make a disorganized group into a strong team, teaching them about "cooperation" and "working together". Roy tried to build from the bottom up, the foundations first, with the individuality and star-power of the players coming second. At Fulham it worked, so why wouldn't it work at Liverpool?

The darker times for Roy Hodgson

You could say that there is a difference in the expectations at Fulham and at Liverpool. Strangely enough, Liverpool fans seem to ignore the fact that the majority of their squad is made up of average players, with a couple of more notable ones littered around here and there. So while the fans should be expecting a season to rebuild, regroup, and refocus, they expected a season of glory and trophies. And while the high expectations of the fans weren't being met, the Liverpool ownership was like a pendulum sustained by a thin and frail string.

Ultimately a distraction came for Roy Hodgson. New England Sports Ventures (NESV) bought the club, giving Roy about a month in which the head honcho (John W. Henry) was being questioned by the media about his plans for Liverpool. The new owners seemed like a sensible bunch, and they realized that this shambles of what was once a great side couldn't be rebuilt overnight. Roy got the vote of confidence, and was allowed to continue his work with one less thing to worry about.

But Roy didn't realize that he had a stone wall, impeding his progress in managing Liverpool. While he did his best to get his players to work hard and execute his plans, the players didn't seem to understand Roy. My theory about managers is: a manager can tell, teach, and motivate all he wants, but in the end it's the players who will do what they want. Yet no matter what, the manager will always be blamed. This sad truth was the real reason behind Roy Hodgson's and Liverpool's "mutual consent". Maybe the players aren't completely to blame, but they certainly had their part in Roy's unemployment.

Liverpool's appointed caretaker manager, Kenny Dalglish

As things have become slightly steadier at Liverpool now, the owners (NESV) felt that there wasn't enough unpredictability among the club. So they got rid of the sensible Roy Hodgson, and they appointed the sprited fan favorite Kenny Dalglish. I can't say how things will go now for Liverpool; maybe Dalglish will get more out of this group of players, but in my humble opinion, Roy was best left alone. Roy Hodgson came in at the worst of times, took the abuse, and left when the good times looked ready to start. There's a man to admire.