Jay Spearing

[Exiled_red]

That's true.

It's not just as simple as getting in a winger and then all of a sudden our worries are over in terms of providing service for Carroll. It'll take much more than that.
When you look at our full backs, apart from Aurelio who's constantly injured, we don't have a good crosser of the ball in that department.

- Johnson rarely delivers a killer ball. Kelly who i'm a big fan of needs work on his crossing - both players are strong runners and get forward but they're reluctant to fire in a cross.
Flanagan and Robinson are great prospects but you wouldn't think either will be starting regularly for us next season.

Then there's Gerrard and Meireles, both have been very poor when it's come to set piece delivery.
They need to take some responsibility as well - unless they're taken off set piece duty next season.

For me this is a chicken and egg type situation, For the majority of the games they played we had Torres as a lone unmotivated striker. Most of the season where they played Torres was the main striker, this being the case it seems that we are judging their ability to cross on this time. If we weren't getting goals in this period was this because their delivery wasn't up to it or because the strikers weren't making the runs and there were so few bodies in the box? To be honest I don't know the answer.

Carroll is much more of a target man and we are getting more bodies in the box under Kenny so we will have a better change to judge what the problem really is.

[Rudo]

Absolutely. We need as much support for Carroll as we can get and in addition to a wide player and playmaker type of CM we definitely need a LB that can deliver good crosses.

Agree with your assessment of GJ and Kelly in terms of their crossing skills but I think Enrique and/or Baines would be a good shout (Coentrao would be ideal but I don't we'll spend 20m+) to do the job on the left side.

Yeah it's slightly annoyed me when everyone has been bleating on about bringing in a winger (or wingers) and then we'll all of a sudden see the best of Andy Carroll.

Of course it'll help, and hopefully go along way to providing Carroll with the crosses he needs but wingers aren't the only players that can cross a ball.
It's up to the full backs to push on at the right times and deliver a cross, and the same with whoever's taking our set pieces
- need more than one or two players to chip in and deliver quality ball into the box.

[Rudo]

For me this is a chicken and egg type situation, For the majority of the games they played we had Torres as a lone unmotivated striker. Most of the season where they played Torres was the main striker, this being the case it seems that we are judging their ability to cross on this time. If we weren't getting goals in this period was this because their delivery wasn't up to it or because the strikers weren't making the runs and there were so few bodies in the box? To be honest I don't know the answer.

Carroll is much more of a target man and we are getting more bodies in the box under Kenny so we will have a better change to judge what the problem really is.

Prob a bit of both i would say dude. In fairness to the Traitor he scored some great headers for us too, more than capable in the air.
Two headed goals from Torres last season came with pinpoint delivery - Babel in the away game with West Ham, and Kuyt's cross for Torres at Old Trafford.

Although last season his movement and work-rate was much higher even if he did have a stop/start season due to injuries.

Overall though, i think we've been lacking 2 or 3 good crossers of the ball for quite some time and now with Carroll in the ranks it would be disappointing if this part of our game wasn't improved. I'm sure it will be.

[Exiled_red]

Prob a bit of both i would say dude. In fairness to the Traitor he scored some great headers for us too, more than capable in the air.
Two headed goals from Torres last season came with pinpoint delivery - Babel in the away game with West Ham, and Kuyt's cross for Torres at Old Trafford.

Although last season his movement and work-rate was much higher even if he did have a stop/start season due to injuries.

Overall though, i think we've been lacking 2 or 3 good crossers of the ball for quite some time and now with Carroll in the ranks it would be disappointing if this part of our game wasn't improved. I'm sure it will be.

I think that under Roys tactics earlier in the season and to a lesser extent under Rafa last season we weren't getting numbers into the box, if you only have one striker in there against 3 or 4 defenders, even with excellent delivery you are unlikely to score many goals. Having someone like Carroll rather than Torres would increase your chances as he has a much greater physical presence, but having other options to pick out there will not only provide more options but will mean that from good delivery the striker only has one defender rather than 2 or 3 to worry about. That being the case I will reserve judgement on the crossing ability of Johnson, Kelly etc

[cled the red]

Has signed a new contract.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/lates...w-anfield-deal

[Shanks]

Next season we'll have Gerrard, Lucas, Meireles, Spearing and most likely a summer signing in centre mid....with that in mind, wouldn't it make sense to loan Shelvey out?

Maybe to a QPR or someone?

League, Fa Cup, Carling Cup, Europe?

We will need strength in depth, if we are going to mount a decent challenge next season..

Probably the reason we are were we are now..

[JohnDoe]

It took Kenny 4 months to turn Spearing from a joke into a legitimate squad player. I've been genuinely shocked with how he has progressed in such little time. Fair play to him, I really didn't rate the lad at all and gave him stick. He has a lot to improve still but there's a place for him here.

[Tee]

Well deserved new contract and tbf he has been playing consistently well for some time now.

[Rudo]

League, Fa Cup, Carling Cup, Europe?

We will need strength in depth, if we are going to mount a decent challenge next season..

Probably the reason we are were we are now..

Fair enough you need a big squad, no doubt about that.

However if we bring in another centre mid then there'll be 5 players ahead of Shelvey so imo it would make sense to loan him out for a season with the option to recall him if we have serious injuries in that department.

Shelvey coming on and playing 10 minutes every half a dozen games, then getting a full 90 in a cup match or whatever, then not starting again for months and so on will only hold him back. It's no good to anyone.
Be much better for everyone if he could head out to another Premier League side and play regularly.

[Rudo]

Oh and good news on the Spearing front with this new contract.

Before he got his chance under Kenny(a proper chance this time), i never thought he was as **** as most people were saying, but at the same time i didn't think he had much of a future at Liverpool tbh.

He's not fully established or anything, far from it, but if he continues playing the way he has been in the last few months then there's no reason why Spearing can't be a valuable member of the squad.

[Shaggy]

It took Kenny 4 months to turn Spearing from a joke into a legitimate squad player. I've been genuinely shocked with how he has progressed in such little time. Fair play to him, I really didn't rate the lad at all and gave him stick. He has a lot to improve still but there's a place for him here.

Word for word

[RedReet]

It took Kenny 4 months to turn Spearing from a joke into a legitimate squad player. I've been genuinely shocked with how he has progressed in such little time. Fair play to him, I really didn't rate the lad at all and gave him stick. He has a lot to improve still but there's a place for him here.

What areas would you say he needs to work on? Not saying he doesn't obviously, just wondering your opinion.

[Shaggy]

Passing for me. Big time.

[RedReet]

Really?

I've never actually checked his chalkboard stats but never really had reason to as it never stood out either way when watching.

[Glenn Hysen]

Passing for me. Big time.