Despite all the ‘Brenton’-themed criticism which Brendan Rodgers has received this season, he has made a good start at Liverpool and the club are unquestionably – finally – heading in the right direction.
While there are areas in the squad which clearly need improvement, this Summer should be more about incremental development rather than wholesale changes. Two or three smart signings, and Liverpool will be a very credible threat to the Champions League places next season.
A goalkeeper is on the list, as is a centre-back to replace the retiring Jamie Carragher and the declining Martin Skrtel. Beyond that though, Rodgers can get creative.
Someone you may have seen last night if you watched PSG vs Barcelona, was Jeremy Menez – the former Roma attacking-midfielder.
Menez is an interesting one, because although he was one of the marquee signings when the Qatari Investment Authority bought the Parisian club, he has subsequently fallen down the pecking order with the arrival of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lucas Moura, and Javier Pastore. Naturally, he’s now rumoured to be looking for a way out of the Parc des Princes, and will almost certainly be available in the Summer.
That’s a player who would improve Liverpool. A skillful, direct, two-footed winger, who can be used on either side of the pitch or centrally, if needed. Brendan Rodgers has the makings of a really fluid forward line, with Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, and Daniel Sturridge all being fairly versatile, and Menez would accentuate that. Having lots of players who are capable of interchanging with one another makes a side very difficult to defend against, and that should be the MO at the top of the pitch. Lots of flexibility, lots of options, lots of ways to win games.
Menez is physical enough for the Premier League, and probably affordable enough for Liverpool – he’s also 25 years-old, and with his prime theoretically ahead of him, so there would be very little downside to pursuing him.
He wouldn’t be a priority, but he would be worth a second glance at the end of the season.
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