Since Benitez joined the club we have seen progress in the squad. A high turnover in players has occurred with one aim – ‘constant improvement’. Having a net spend over just over 80 million over four years, spending 20 million per season is not a vast amount compared to some of our rivals. The ‘poorer’ signings have gone in a ruthless yet quick manner – some for a profit after doing a decent job (Bellamy and Sissoko). The good signings has stayed, are at a good age to play for 5, 7 maybe even 10 years in some cases. As they can play for a number of years this makes the investment in stars such as Torres, Agger and Mascherano shrewd investments.
Every transfer window Benitez has had one aim – to improve the squad. Upgrades in positions have occurred – such as upfront with Cisse getting upgraded by Bellamy and the later being improved upon by Torres. This has occurred all over the pitch with centre midfield being improved with Diao – Sissoko – Mascherano again a sign of progress.
So where is Benitez taking this team?
Benitez is a control freak and a perfectionist. He’ll always focus on where to improve and next season he’ll want more clean sheets, more goals, more points and more control in games.
For arguments sake let’s say Benitez does sign two of our clear targets in Barry and Keane, with Crouch and Barry departing. What is that going to do to our team? Personally I think it will give the side more balance, more threat, more ‘possibilities’ and therefore more chance to improve and hopefully challenge for the title.
Barry, regardless of how much people think he’s worth, is a very good player. He’s not flashy, but he’s a good passer, has good positioning, versatile, good defensively, gets assists, goals and given his professional approach seems a perfect Benitez-type signing. Alonso is a beautiful footballer, but hand on heart I don’t think he’s been playing to his potential the last two years. Barry is more suited to the physical nature of the Premier League and could be another decent upgrade – certainly defensively alongside Mascherano shielding the back four.
Keane I think we’ll be an upgrade on Kuyt. He works hard, willing to track back, he’s versatile – able to play left or right of Torres, as a leading striker or a supporting one. But the difference is he’ll offer more threat than Kuyt. More goals, assists, can beat a player and this is what we need more match winners to help Gerrard and Torres. He’s more what Jol described Kuyt – a true ’20/20’ player getting close to 20 goals and 20 assists in a season. In a better team, with quality around him who knows he could thrive.
Both Barry and Keane are used to the Premier League. They have proven they can play to a high standard week in, week out. This is what you need to win leagues, consistently high standards – 7 or 8 out of 10 performances week in, week out.
Next season our team could have a side capable of changing formations with the same XI. In the past changes would usually have to be made for this to occur, but now I think Benitez can make subtle changes through out games making us harder to stop:
4-4-2 - Standard
----------------------------Reina--------------------------------
Arbeloa--------Carragher---------Agger-----------Dossena
Gerrard--------Mascherano-------Barry--------------Babel
-------------------Keane----------Torres-----------------------
Even this can be changed with Barry going left, allowing Dossena to overlap more, knowing Barry will cover. With Babel switching to right and Gerrard in the centre to get more possession:
----------------------------Reina--------------------------------
Arbeloa--------Carragher---------Agger-----------Dossena
Babel----------Mascherano-------Gerrard-------------Barry
-------------------Keane----------Torres-----------------------
4-2-3-1
----------------------------Reina--------------------------------
Arbeloa--------Carragher---------Agger-----------Dossena
------------------Mascherano-------Barry---------------------
Gerrard---------------------Keane---------------------Babel
-------------------------------Torres----------------------------
Keane, Babel and Gerrard can all inter-change as all comfortable in each position.
4-3-3
----------------------------Reina--------------------------------
Arbeloa--------Carragher---------Agger-----------Dossena
-----------Gerrard------Mascherano-------Barry--------------
-----------Keane-----------Torres-----------Babel--------------
3-5-2
----------------------------Reina-------------------------------
---------Carragher---------Agger-----------Barry-------------
Arbeloa----------Mascherano-----Gerrard-----------Dossena
----------------------------Keane---------------------------
------------------Babel-----------------Torres-----------------
Which can obviously being changed with subs to include Skrtel at the back, Degan as a with back – giving Gerrard a free role behind two strikers.
The side is evolving all the time. With more players able to play in a number of positions, offer more formations and most importantly more threat as they have quality. This is what Benitez wants a free flowing team than can switch between formations giving the opposition more problems as the movement with be fluid and knowing which players to mark will be a struggle.
I think it is an exciting team filled with players who have performed in this tough league. A side that is balanced between defending and attack – with threat all over, rather than just centrally as seen in the past.
- Add to this the return of Sammy Lee and Pellegrino.
- Agger back to help the defensive record and the distribution from the back.
- More attacking fullbacks to offer width up the field.
I think we should feel quietly confident about our chances next season. The best team wins the league, not the flashiest. I think if we lineup with Barry and Keane next season – there will be few teams more effective than ours. The Kaizen approach is working.
Where to you think Benitez is taking this team and how it is evolving? I will be interested to hear your thoughts…
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