In an earlier article, I considered the merits of five players who I believe should exit Anfield this summer. The five players I mentioned here are not the only ones to come under fire this season, and with the rumour-mill about to kick into overdrive over the next couple of months, it is likely that we will see the following five players linked with moves away from Merseyside. I believe that the following five players should be retained at Anfield this summer.
Name: Alberto Aquilani
Perhaps one of the more puzzling signings in this Premier League campaign, the sparing use of Alberto Aquilani since his £17m move from AS Roma last summer has baffled Liverpool and non-Liverpool fans alike. Signed as a replacement for the Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso, no-one really seems to have a clue as to why ‘Il Principino’ has yet to establish himself as a first-team regular.
The Roman playmaker was injured upon his arrival at Anfield, but doubts have emerged as to whether the player dubbed “too injury-prone for Arsène Wenger” will ever be able to handle the rigours of Premier League football. Struck down by a series of niggling injuries and illnesses since recovering from his initial ankle problem, manager Rafa Benitez has even suggested that Aquilani’s woes may stem from his “state of mind”.
Benitez has proven himself to be a ruthless operator in the transfer market and has shown that he isn’t afraid to cut his losses on a signing that has failed to measure up at Anfield. Some rumours are now suggesting that Aquilani may be given the ‘Robbie Keane treatment’ and sent back to Italy.
Aquilani was signed last summer on a five-year contract, and surely both player and manager will have envisaged allowing the Italian international time to fully recover and adapt to the nature of English football. In the brief glimpses of Aquilani we have seen so far he looks to be a quality player, gifted with a sumptuous touch and an eye for a killer-pass. Indeed his seven Premier League starts for the club have yielded six wins and one draw, with the Italian notching up six assists and a goal in those games. Compare this to the regular central midfield-pairing of Lucas and Javier Mascherano, who in a combined 60 Premier League starts between them this season have managed a pitiful two assists and no goals at all and it is clear that Aquilani is a highly-effective player. In a season where a woeful shortage of creativity has rendered Liverpool impotent at times, it is apparent that Aquilani’s forward-thinking creativity has been like a breath of fresh air.
Whilst Aquilani isn’t Xabi Alonso Mk II, it seems evident that his unerring ability to play that killer-ball is the closest thing Liverpool currently have to the departed Spaniard. I believe the regular inclusion and use of Aquilani will be key to Liverpool’s hopes next season, and for this reason I really hope that he stays at Anfield.
Name: Ryan Babel
Probably the player that divides fan-opinion like no other at Liverpool, there is no doubt than Ryan Babel is in the last chance saloon at Anfield. The Dutch winger-cum-rapper, described by Marco van Basten as “[having] all the potential to become the next Thierry Henry”, was voted Liverpool’s Young Player of the Year after a terrific debut season on Merseyside. However, Babel has consistently failed to deliver upon this early promise and many believe he is likely to exit this summer after a January move to Birmingham City fell through.
Babel is clearly in possession of all the raw attributes required to become a top attacking player – he has an abundance of pace, skill, power and technique, as well as possessing an absolute monster of a shot (if you don’t believe me ask Olympique Lyonnais keeper Hugo Lloris; I believe his goal is still shaking from Babel’s thunderous strike at the Stade de Gerland earlier this season). Unfortunately, we’ve only seen sporadic flashes of his brilliance since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2007. His spell at Anfield has more frequently played host to frustratingly insipid performances, characterised by poor tactical awareness and decision-making, as well as a visible lack of passion and effort.
Many have attributed Babel’s failure to progress to Benitez’s managerial style, suggesting that Babel would have flourished under a ‘man-manager’ such as Arsène Wenger or Harry Redknapp. In addition to this some have suggested that Babel hasn’t been given the fairest crack of the whip by Benitez, with statistics amazingly revealing that Babel has yet to start three games in a row for Liverpool – how can any player make an impression and develop when his first-team playing time is as broken-up as this? In fairness to Benitez though, Babel’s appetite to succeed has been questionable at times, with his January twitter outbursts testament to his petulance and naivety.
Since returning to the first-team in the latter half of this campaign, Babel has shown more of the form and skill that persuaded Benitez to splash out £11.5m on the Dutchman in the first place. I believe that Ryan Babel should be given one more season to prove himself at Anfield. In my opinion, he is a rough diamond waiting to be polished and I would hate to see him prematurely sold off, only to blossom at another club.
Name: Yossi Benayoun
Allegedly on the verge of a move to Dynamo Moscow in January, the mercurial Israeli is another player rumoured to be packing his bags and on his way out of Anfield this summer.
As the only player in history to score hat-tricks in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League (trivia buffs take note), Benayoun is evidently a player with a good eye for goal. Aside from Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, Benayoun is the most creative player in the squad, with his tricky displays reminiscent to those of Peter Beardsley in the late ‘80s.
Despite good form, Benayoun has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular under Rafa Benitez. Whilst at times the Kop has been mesmerised by his jinking, slalom runs and dynamic through-balls, the Israeli has also exhibited a tendency to drift out of games at an often-alarming rate. 30 next month, it is likely that this upcoming transfer window will represent Liverpool’s last chance to command a reasonable fee for Benayoun; for a player signed for £5m three years ago, selling him for £9m this summer would represent a good profit. It’s also argued that selling Benayoun would pave the way for Benitez to blood some of the club’s youngsters, such as the highly-rated Spanish playmaker Dani Pacheco.
Despite this, I would be sad to see Benayoun depart this summer. Along with Torres and Gerrard, Benayoun is the only other player Liverpool who can seem to create something out of nothing, and his dribbling ability is second to none at Anfield. A multi-linguist, Benayoun is a player with a first-class attitude and I do not believe that Liverpool would be able to find an adequate replacement for the Israeli on such a limited budget. For a team so bereft of creativity, I believe that maintaining Benayoun is key to launching an assault on the top-four again next season.
Name: Emiliano Insúa
Aside from Lucas Leiva (see below), Argentine Emiliano Insúa has been the player most susceptible to the wrath of his own fans at Anfield this season. Having made his debut aged 18 during the 2006/07 season, Insúa made a favourable impression upon Liverpool fans with a string of mature displays at left-back whilst deputising for Fábio Aurélio last season.
Unfortunately at times this season, Insúa has looked woefully out of his depth. His lack of positioning sense and tactical awareness has undoubtedly contributed to Liverpool’s leaky defence this term, and the ease with which many wingers have been able to get past him has been worrying. Some have suggested that he may be overweight, and his sluggish displays down the left-hand side have suggested that he does not have the pace required to competently play at full-back. Capped by Argentina, critics have argued that this says more about Diego Maradona’s policy of selecting anyone in possession of an Argentine passport. With Villarreal rumoured to be sniffing around the player, many believe that Liverpool should cash in on a player who simply isn’t good enough to play at this level.
It is likely that Insúa was intended to be used in a rotation system this season, but Aurélio’s inability to stay fit has meant that the little Argentine has had to play week in, week out. As such he appears tired and burnt-out. At only 21, it is clear that Insúa is still learning, and increased game time and experience is likely to speed up his development. Insúa’s repeated inclusion in the first-team is also a good indicator to fellow Liverpool youngsters that they too can make the grade at Anfield.
The imminent departure of Fábio Aurélio means that Insúa will be the only first-team left-back in the squad at Liverpool – for this reason alone he must remain at Anfield. However, the club are crying out for a new player to fill this position. Should this player arrive, I have no doubt that Insúa will act as an able deputy for this position, with the potential to re-stake his claim for a first-team berth in a few years time.
Name: Lucas Leiva
It would not be unfair or unjust to suggest that Lucas Leiva might be the most ‘maligned-by-his-own-fans’ player in Premier League history. Now shorn of his once-flowing locks, the Brazilian midfielder has at times this season borne the brunt of ire normally reserved for Gary Neville.
The chief scapegoat for Liverpool’s season of mediocrity, Lucas has been the biggest victim of Liverpool’s slide from second-place last season. With Aquilani injured for the first three months of the season, Lucas was the player required to fill the big, big boots of departed favourite Xabi Alonso. Bereft of Alonso’s vision, passing ability and presence, Lucas has admirably toiled away in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield, but has failed to show the creativity exhibited by his predecessor. As such, Liverpool’s midfield this season has appeared toothless and one-dimensional; many have claimed that Steven Gerrard’s dip in form has stemmed from him being starved of service since Alonso’s absence.
Lucas’ reputation amongst Liverpool fans began to wane after a sending-off in last season’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, which was swiftly followed by his conceding of a penalty in a key league clash at Wigan Athletic. Previously a bit-part squad player, this season has witnessed Lucas’ ascension to first-team regular, with many believing that the Brazilian typifies manager Benitez’s idea of a good player; one who works hard and obeys his manager’s instructions, but fails to exhibit any creativity, skill or technique (a criticism also levelled at fellow Benitez favourite Dirk Kuyt). Opta statistics reveal that Lucas has one of the highest pass and tackle completion rates in the Premier League, but detractors will argue that this says more about Lucas’ inclination to play a simple sideway or backward pass, content to keep the ball at the expense of creating a goal threat.
In defence of Lucas, he too has suffered from Rafa Benitez’s tactical rigidity. Signed as a box-to-box midfielder from Brazilian side Grêmio, Lucas’ attacking instincts have been curbed by being forced to play as part of a two man defensive-midfield pairing with Argentine Javier Mascherano. His recent goal against Benfica in the Europa League indicates that playing in such a restricted, holding position may not be playing to his strengths, and that playing further up the field with more licence to roam may be where he is most effective.
It is evident that he is not as strong as Steven Gerrard in an attacking capacity and not as effective as Javier Mascherano in the holding role. As a player who gives 110% in every game, Lucas would make a fantastic squad player. He is only 23, and as the youngest ever player to win Placar magazine’s ‘Golden Ball’ award it seems that he is a player with great potential, potential that I hope will be fulfilled at Anfield.
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