Closing Out the Transfer Window

By: Ed | August 31st, 2011

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Noel’s gone ahead and capped a busy summer by churning out some unparalleled deadline day coverage, and if you’re just coming back into the fray, scrolling down is an absolute necessity. From Tuesday’s confirmation that Sebastian Coates had arrived to the exit of Raul Meireles last night, the club’s transfer activity was covered incomparably. And, given the amount of activity in the past 48 hours, it’s no small task.

Recounting the ins and outs of the last few days, let alone the entire summer, is a tall order, particularly with the final move being one that left a discernibly sour taste in the mouths of most. The contrasts to last summer are too easy, and they’re made simpler by the sheer number of faces previously arrived that are now departed—all traces of the front office failures are gone, with Joe Cole, Paul Konchesky, and Christian Poulsen finding other places to ply their respective underachieving trades, and Raul Meireles, the lone positive addition of Roy Hodgson’s tenure, finalizing a last-minute move to West London in favor of higher wages.

In many cases the moves on the way out were a long time coming; David Ngog’s exit had been discussed since the Jordan Henderson deal became a legitimate possibility, Milan Jovanovic never quite found his feet during his two seasons in England, and Emiliano Insua’s spot in the squad was always in question after being shipped out on loan to Turkey as a solution to last summer’s efforts to move him permanently. Further exits for Daniel Ayala and Sotirios Kyrgiakos, despite the former’s youth and a contract extension earlier in the summer for the latter, were also met with collective acceptance.

The move for Meireles, then, is really the only bitter pill in a summer that’s otherwise been largely excellent. And, as someone who’s trumpeted the ability of the Portuguese midfielder nearly since his arrival, it’s an especially difficult transfer to deal with. He seemed integral to the brand of football that Liverpool in the post-Hodgson era were trying to play, and his commitment to the club never seemed in doubt, first stating that he’d gladly stay with Liverpool for the better part of a few decades, and more recently responding to speculation about his exit that he’d “of course” be with the club for the coming campaign.

But it didn’t turn out that way, and once again Liverpool supporters are faced with the reality of losing an impact player to Chelsea. In January the situation seemed much more severe—Fernando Torres had been idolized since his arrival on Merseyside, and while the arrival of Luis Suarez had some promise, it didn’t seem like anything could take away the sting from a club hero requesting an exit.

As it turned out, though, the signings of Suarez and Andy Carroll, coupled with Kenny Dalglish’s return to the helm, were more than enough, both practically and emotionally. The opening of the summer continued the positive trend, with Jordan Henderson and long-term target Charlie Adam quickly signed up, and later moves made for Doni, Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique, and, as the transfer window came to a close, Sebastian Coates and Craig Bellamy.

Those arrivals don’t erase the fact that Raul Meireles’ move to Chelsea is a tough one to take, and, along with the departure of Alberto Aquilani, it rightfully causes some questions about the depth in quality in the once comically overstocked Liverpool midfield. For a side that looked starved for ideas at various points throughout the season gone by, and even early in this campaign, expunging two of the more creative players in the squad is reason enough for concern. Aquilani’s exit was more or less a foregone conclusion, but for many (myself included), Meireles was viewed as an integral part of the club’s future.

So it’s okay to panic, or cry, or drink heavily, or question your own existence in the wake of the departure of a well-liked player. But, as much I wished he’d have stuck around, I don’t know that life without Raul Meireles signals any sort of end to the positivity or optimism that’s accompanied the start to the new season. He’d obviously have made the club better, and certainly deeper in midfield, but if he had his sights set elsewhere, there’s little sense in fighting to keep him.

At current, we’ve witnessed an absolutely blistering debut for Jose Enrique, who’s all but claimed his spot as first-choice left back in only three appearances, one of which came only hours after his arrival. At times it seemed like there would never be an adequate solution to the club’s troubles on the left side of defense, but the former Newcastle man has settled quickly and proved to be a revelation. There’s been similar success for Stewart Downing, who’s instantly become a vital cog in the Liverpool attack and has adapted to life at Liverpool seamlessly.

The starts for Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson haven’t been as white-hot, with both experiencing some growing pains on their way to becoming first-team regulars. They’ve both shown steady improvement, however, with Henderson turning in a terrific shift in the win against Bolton on Saturday and Adam finding his feet in a more reserved, contained role deeper in central midfield alongside Lucas. They’ve also been subject to plenty of criticism—especially Henderson, given his transfer fee–and handled it remarkably well, and both seem to fit well in the mold of Dalglish’s Liverpool.

There’s more to look for from the summer’s additions, with both Sebastian Coates and Craig Bellamy joining the squad in the last two days. Coates is likely to be brought along more slowly but carries more promise, with Bellamy expected to provide cover up front as part of an attacking contigent that, when on form, could be mighty difficult to deal with.

It’s not blowing smoke to suggest that Liverpool are much better off now than they were three months ago, and that’s including the unexpected and disappointing departure of Raul Meireles. By all accounts the club have the players they wanted, offloaded those they didn’t (or that didn’t want to be around), and, despite being less than a year removed from talking seriously about relegation and administration, are well placed to make a run at returning to the Premier League’s elite.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:

Category: Miscellaneous, Team News, Transfer News

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Deaconsdadgowaaawaaa

Anyone know where I can find a Meireles Liverpool jersey on the cheap? I'm sure some fool must have purchased one recently, I'd certainly take it off their hands (at a discount of course).
bstaff

I dont know if anyone has brought this up there has been so many posts in the last 24 hours havent been able to read them all, but with the departure of Meireles has all the acquistions of the failed Hodgsen/Purslow era come to an end? This is pretty much Kenny's hand-picked team now, right?
Tropics Reds

Only the Keeper Brad Jones remains; and with both our young keeper's loaned out, it's no suprise that we've kept him on board.
CharlieAdamsBuckteeth

Seems like the Bellamy transfer has fallen to the wayside a bit with all of this. He is pacey as hell, but he is also the only transfer from the summer that makes me a bit nervous. Getting a ton of money, aging, spotty character... Hope I am wrong, for sure.
Tropics Reds

Pacey adaptable and tenancious. I think no more than cover for 'wee Luis or an option out wide if Kenny wants pace out on the flank. could be good in a 4-3-3 as well.
Suarez from the car park...

Bellamy's 32. I can still see the sense in bringing him in though surely it's a risk when we're relying on his pace.
Rumour's that we were after Jelavic from Rangers.
Hysterical Hoosier

I'm a half-full type and like to think when one door closes, another opens.
Adeus Raul. Thanks for the memories.
Welcome to the first team Jesús Fernández Saez.
Latortillablanca

Comolli made mention of the pace in our team - huge facet - but we've got quite the lil ironman team all of a sudden... (wikipedia disclaimer, but how wrong can they be, right?)
total games played over the past two seasons:

jose enrique - 70
pepe reina - 76
dirk - 70
hendo - 70
adam - 78
lucas - 68
suarez - 59 (most of those missed games are cuz he got hungry in that derby game in holland)
carra - 65
bellamy - 67
downing - 63 (had that foot problem when he arrived at villa, admittedly but last season was nothin)
we all know squirtel didnt miss a match last year, and even stevie and his constant groin muscle problems has put together 54 the past two seasons.

obviously we've got our share of glass men (ahem *#2*, #6 COUGH! #5 cough! cough!...), but they come with talented, hungry and mostly homegrown replacements, so really, how much of a hit did we honestly take in lettin the imaginorium of dr. meireles walk...? and what does all this have to do with the cost of dolphin meat in taiji? jus sayin, if it was as cheap as it is delicious, we'd all be born with mercury poisoning...
... ...

i kid, i kid, sheesh...
AustinRed

Makes you wonder if durability is the primary asset FSG values, and not, as others have suggested, chance-creation. I must say that building a squad consisting mostly of guys who are both indestructible and want badly to be at Melwood isn't the worst idea.
Tropics Reds

you would suspect that durability is a key asset THIS year because its clear that the intention was to trim the squad - no europe this year means a lot less games, and trying to keep a big squad happy with playing time is difficult. As such a smaller sqaud WOULD need durability.
Latortillablanca

oh, and in case ur wondering, coates put together 54 games the past two years, but he was breakin into the squad that first year, so that's pretty flippin skippy if u ask me...
JPR

It's interesting to see how we were all so emotionally invested in Meireles playing a big part in this campaign. His quality on the pitch and what he brought to the team was much appreciated by most of us. And no doubt we are a bit weaker without him and Chelsea a bit stronger. What I am really going to miss is his special personality that was a force in bringing players together; anytime he was involved in a goal the celebration just seemed that much brighter. The guys seemed to rally around him. He would have been a positive force in creating a dynamic around the club that FSG and KK always mention - getting everyone on the same page all pulling in the same direction.

Of course, as things stand now we are a strong side in the league. Certainly much stronger considering all the recent transfer dealings. And FSG will be ready for January, based upon how the team is performing through Christmas. But Raul would have been a force in helping push us into those top 4 spots.

I still can't help feeling like I was just hit in the head with a hammer. Especially considering the last minute transfer request and very late notice to all of us. Never thought for a second that he could go. Suspect the deal was done well before and FSG agreed with all parties that it would provide the first comment at the 11th hour and Raul would have to agree to submit an official request only at the very end. This way Raul looks like the bad guy. And everyone then looks at this transfer as a very small piece in a much bigger picture.

Not critical to the teams success, but would much rather be watching him celebrate with us.
ejbauer11

Agger knows what Meireles needs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Jack

What!? I go to sleep and Raul leaves!? Can't say I was happy this morning, but at least it isn't as bad as the one I had on Feb 1st when I had to change all my passwords. Generally a very pleasing window.

Can someone tell me what happened to Pacheco? I can no longer keep track
Ed

Loaned to Atletico and farmed out to Rayo Vallecano immediately. Still on Liverpool's books, but very much looking like there's a view to a permanent move.
damu

Hey everyone. I have been loyally following this site for some time. I got hooked on by the quality articles available here and the educated comments. This was the second transfer window that I have been following closely and just like the first, got a sucker-punch right at the end (read January, He Who Must Not Be Named). It certainly is a roller-coaster journey following such a great club and I am thoroughly enjoying it (the heights of depression that I hit today notwithstanding). Hoping that this season remains an ascent all the time and we reach back on to our effing perch soon!
Suarez from the car park...

It's a revolution, hang on and enjoy the ride. It's 6 months since the close of the January window.

That's a serious rate of change and 3rd game into the new season the new look team has thrilled. We've got cover just about everywhere and have moved to a fast paced penetrating style of game. The club has a hierarchy totally committed to success and working together without compromise.

The deadwood has gone from the training ground (19 players out) so there's no pretending that those present deserve to be there on merit. The youth know they'll get every chance to wear the shirt if they come up to scratch, but the club doesn't have to lean on them too heavily. They can develop in the perfect environment. Competitive and successful.

The achievement in such a short span of time is remarkable and done in an atmosphere of positivity and purpose.

The last job is to get Carroll firing (yes, every thing else has been done!), but that's just a matter of time. I think he was genuinely surprised at the quality of crosses coming in against Bolton, where he was a step behind the whole time. It won't be long.
RedDownUnda

RM wanted to go - for whatever reason. Kenny won't hold anyone who wants out in his squad. I really get the sense he's set on putting a team together that are about the shirt and nothing but the shirt. He's sticking to our mantra, "No-one's bigger than the club". So even though we've lost a smart-ish player (though despite the aggressive ink, tended to go all nancy in a tackle) it'll be the team and their commitment to LFC that'll close up the wound he's left in midfield.
Suarez from the car park...

yeah, the txfer request suggests that the club didn't want to lose him. Can't blame him for getting a great contract at 28 (lfc would have had to reneg his next summer), I'm just annoyed it's strengthened Chelski who were clueless about fixing their problems.
NotTooXabi

Here's another chicken nugget I chewed on last night whilst researching on-line gin-and-tonic gift cards so I could buy Ed a drink or three: "The January Corollary."

FSG invested heavily in the squad this summer with a clear objective to strengthen the team's foundation with an eye on domestic football and long-term acquisitions (i.e. Downing, Carroll, Hendo, etc. are not going anywhere soon). They also cleared the degenwood, balanced the squad/books, and ushered in old/new Liverpool Way. Once the holiday football orgy wraps up in 4 months, if/when we are battling for at Top 4, still in contention for domestic cup honors, and in need of Suarez-like injection of el pistolero - do you really think FSG won't pull the trigger?

The squad right now is plenty good enough to cement LFC's return to the forefront of English football. Not European football, not yet. That discussion/debate/dissertation will start, Fowler willing, next May. In the coming weeks, I'm excited to see Jonjo & Coady cut their teeth in the League Cup, give Coates & Wilson a good run of games, and support some of our Sterling prospects at NextGen. And looking at our 1st team, only Sue and George Castanza would argue this is not one of the top 4-5 teams in the country.

I'm off to the shrine to pray for an injury free international break. Single-malt meditations, not too xabi.
Suarez from the car park...

"....degenwood....", love it.

That man seems like he's been there forever with a contract outlasting entire civilisations.
poorscouserbobby

"Once the holiday football orgy wraps up in 4 months, if/when we are
battling for at Top 4, still in contention for domestic cup honors, and
in need of Suarez-like injection of el pistolero - do you really think
FSG won't pull the trigger?"

yeah his name is Eden Hazard.
AustinRed

Here's to waking up January 1st to find that Lille has crashed out of CL already, and is positioned 7th in League 1 table.
Guest

I'm something of a Hulkamaniac myself. Though Hazard would be fine by me.
Tropics Reds

I like both. Hulk as a forward/wide forward, Hazard as a attacking midifelder/winger. Two slightly different skill sets.
lfc80uk

With a fit Gerrard to return, Meireles' first team opportunities would have been limited
anyway. In the end we have got rid of a player that didn't want to stay
at the club. An unhappy player can cause disharmony in a dressing room,
as I am sure Spurs found out when Modric arrived this morning. The silver lining here is that we have an plethora of midfield option to choose from anyway.

So, like many LFC fans I would have preferred Meireles to stay, but
hopefully with a fit squad and no European football as a distraction, we
should still have a very good season. And as with Torres and Yossi
before him, the pattern seems to be that players careers take a turn for
the worse when they leave Liverpool and join Chelsea. Good luck Raul.....
Suarez from the car park...

only thing is he's smarter than the other blue shirts and might be important to get them playing again along with Mata. the rest of their midfield is pants.
lfc80uk

Hope not :S
JPR

Yea he's smarter and is brings that vibrant personality which should lighten the mood for the team (he'll lighten stuffed shirts like Terry) which could translate to a renewed confidence in their play. Don't like this move at all.
KC

I was depressed for the whole morning...Then I got over it. There's no use getting depressed for too long over a player. What's done is done. No player is bigger than the club. Its more important to look to the (pretty bright) future and get depressed there's an international break before the next game.
jim

Kenny knows what he's doing. It seems to me he's taken a look at Meireles and seen that he doesn't work for the high intensity tactics that he's putting in place. His reluctance to put his foot in means that in the Premier League he will be targeted by the opposition all too frequently. And, let's not forget, it was Meireles who requested a transfer...you're either with us or against us.
Nic

Agree with pretty much everyone here.

Raul was quality, he handed in a transfer request [bit of politics there - from club & player!?], we got more for him than we spent a year on, he's a Chelsea player, which hopefully means like most LFC to Chelsea transfers as Geza27 said will be a gigantic waste of the Russki's money.

I'm just please that Cole, Poulsen, Degen, Jovanovic [only played 1 season in the PL, Ed!?] and although i liked his effort Ngog are all gone.

Seems the last remnants of those who cannot be named have finally been excreted from the club.

This is very premature but the way the club has handled it's business this transfer window and set a base for the future seriously does make me excited about next summers...i need to go get a drink :)
Nic

Oh and i'm also pleased that KK & DC have stuck to the line of 'only buying players that improve the squad' not like a certain other desperate Frenchmen who's bought 4 players that could all potentially fail miserable.
Suarez from the car park...

Can you believe Wenge had no plan in place for replacing the heart of his team? Clueless. Arteta hasn't put a through ball in since his injury.
Geza27

This one should not go unnoticed :)

Liverpool Football Club have tonight confirmed they have cancelled the registration of Philipp Degen by mutual consent.
justin

Really liked Meireles and he'd surely played a good part of the campaign had he stayed.

The current trend of success gained by players who swap merseyside for the blue parts of london have literally been a downward spiral and perhaps, that might just give some reason for optimism on that particular transfer, still wishing him well though.

Perhaps what this transfer window really pushed through was significant signs that the club is now moving wholly in one direction. We've brought in players who want to play for the success of the club and the fans, we're shifted out those previously labelled deadwood and others who sought greener pastures. After the hell from last season, this window has been very refreshing. Most transfers were tied up early on instead of the deadline day panic deals. Personally, the whole set up now also vindicates the role that Damien Comolli now plays. The work that he's done and the speed that things are done as well as how he's worked with Kenny Dalglish has been really positive.

It's somewhat discouraging to see the "more creative" players such as Meireles and Aquilani leaving the club, especially when it is quite clear that we are pretty reliant on Suarez at the moment for that spark.

However, what this window sets up is really a very solid foundation on which the club can continue to build on its philosophy and direction that we're heading in for every other transfer window that follows on. What we have now is fundamentally a very solid team, with depth and space that will allow some youths to make the stepup.

With a successful campaign, it will only be a matter of time when even better creative players than those we might've lost today will be at the club in time to come and that won't be too far away.
Latortillablanca

supporter's fantasy = meireles + suarez was a magical combo dalglish envisioned for the rest of the season, while gerrard, adam and hendo would somehow magically be accomodated/on the bench.

today's reality = gerrard + suarez is the magical combo dalglish envisions for the rest of the season with adam an unchallenged starter and hendo being afforded ample opportunity to develop.

I would be lying if I said I wasnt going to miss that scratchy sweater/novelty tee/skinny jeans/trucker hat wearing, be-tatted portuguese, but hopefully he will maintain the newfound chelsea tradition of paying a premium for liverpool players who hit heights against them in red, but look hopeless in blue...
Suarez from the car park...

he was a cool dude that's for sure. Can't quite imagine him rapping or up on an E though!

Here's hoping Gerrard's recovery is progressing. It's all a bit too silent for me.

I'm not expecting an entirely trouble free recovery, I'm sure there will be niggles that need to settle down. I think realistically it'll be December before he's got over all of them and can start playing regularly.
Geza27

Well, I have to say that overall I feel very good about this transfer window (despites Raul’s departure – see below). NESV have backed their words with action and as a result we are a better team than last season (anyone suggesting the contrary needs a serious health-check) . Importantly we improved structural financials by getting rid of the deadwood from the wage-bill which will most definitively enable further investments in the up-coming windows.

Now to Raul… I think that he is an excellent player and I would have loved to have him at LFC for the next few years. I don’t think he went to the chavs for money but simply to get more 1st team football as it became very clear that he was not a starter in Kenny’s mind (even with Gerrard injured). And in Kenny we should all trust. Let’s respect his choice, we certainly do not need anyone who does not genuinely want to wear the red shirt.

Good luck to you Raul but I do hope that your transfer turns exactly out as Benayoun’s(5MM) and Torres’ (50MM)… a waste of Roman’s cash.
fastrail

No one is bigger than the club. Having said that, with the exception of Suarez lol kidding ;)
AustinRed

Thank god the window's closed. Now I can un-bookmark all those idiotic newsfeeds I was too weak to avoid.
brother jon

it's hugely disappointing that you can't throw putrified vegetables at websites. but if i ever see anyone wearing caughtoffside gear...
Suarez from the car park...

It's the same weakness that makes you eat all that pizza and look at blondes.
fastrail

Wait, you may want to prepare for the early rumors of the January transfer window!
Suarez from the car park...

We're going to need pills to keep us going.
mardia

Ugh, thank you for this. I'm not trying to dismiss Meireles' departure, or claim that he's not a good player, but when you take our transfer business as a whole, the depth we've managed to add and the deadwood we've shipped out, it's ridiculous not to still feel optimistic about the general direction of the club. I don't want to pooh-pooh the feelings of those that were really attached to Meireles (I liked him a lot myself, to the point where I was shaking my fist at Rory Smith from the Telegraph for consistently insisting Meireles would be sold) but losing him isn't a complete disaster, either, particularly when he wanted to leave.
Jerod

Considering the horribly melodramatic timing, the player involved, the oft-offending club involved, and Liverpool's otherwise shrewd dealings throughout the summer, I think many were ill-prepared for such an audacious, well-placed sucker punch right at the end, and reactions were understandably ... visceral.

I've been calling him, "that talented hipster douchebag," for hours.

But, once a few Boddington's have been downed for comfort and grudgingly slept off, it'll be hard to argue against a transfer window with so many right moves and so few missteps.

Of course, you knew all this. ;)
Suarez from the car park...

Hey, it's worth the odd good value transfer to Roman to con him into overpaying for 'future needs'.
Shame we couldn't persuade him to take Jova and Poulsen aswell.
mardia

"and reactions were understandably ... visceral."

Heh, I DO understand that, truly. I left the computer for less than an hour and when I came back, BAM--"Meireles transfer request" was the first thing I saw on the screen. Not fun. And I was coming up with some creative insults for Meireles myself.

But yeah, in retrospect and with some perspective, it's very hard to find fault with this transfer window, and how Liverpool have conducted themselves through it.
redtrev73

Well in Jerod...except for the Boddington's...what are you thinking man?
Jerod

It's too late for me, Trev. I'm a lifer.