Craig Bellamy and Andy Carroll failed to net in Luis Suarez’s absence against a resilient Stoke City.
Liverpool now sit in seventh place in the Premier League; they need at least fourth, and were many pundits’ tip for the title.
So what has gone wrong? Players failing to gel, new signings struggling for form, and a lengthy injury to Steven Gerrard all play a part.
Liverpool’s achilles heel has been their failure to win against the so-called smaller teams.
At Anfield they drew 0-0 with Swansea, 0-0 with Stoke, and 1-1 with both Norwich and Sunderland. Add in away defeats to Stoke and Fulham and its clear to see the side has a problem.
Luis Suarez, now banned of course, has been wasteful rather than prolific far too often.
Andy Carroll, to be polite, has never got going, Bellamy has been positive and reliable without being electric, but at least emerges with some credit.
Suarez’s ban is showing how threadbare the strikeforce at Anfield is, and has been for a number of years.
So should they go and sign another striker?
Dalglish has been non-committal on the matter, only offering specific denials over certain players.
He denied the club were after Darren Bent, a good thing considering the extortionate price Aston Villa would likely charge.
A returning Robbie Keane on loan could have been a stopgap solution, but one they can equally live without.
Could they go for Ricky van Wolfswinkel, a reported Manchester United target, available for around £10 million? Today’s papers link Tottenham’s Jermaine Defoe.
Any new striker would need service, another issue and a good winger or creative midfielder would not go amiss either.
Stewart Downing has been a disappointment so far, and the wisdom of Dalglish permitting the creativity of Raul Meireles to leave has to be questioned.
So yes Liverpool should look for a new striker, but also a new playmaker. Alberto Aquilani anyone?
The 0-0 draw with Stoke should be another wake-up call to Dalglish and the board.
There are two weeks left of the transfer window, the club need to act wisely and shrewdly if they are to mount a late challenge to earn the fourth Champions League qualification spot.
– If Liverpool could sign one player who would you sign?
image: © wonker
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