After the performance at Anfield yesterday, a couple of voices have started to question the necessity of Liverpool’s pursuit of Clint Dempsey. Fulham have obviously stood their ground through the Summer, and the price for the American is a little high for a player of his ability and age.
What probably attracts Brendan Rodgers to Dempsey, is the player’s versatility in the attacking third – he’s being pursued to provide a broader range of options and increase the squad’s flexibility. The beauty of someone like him, is that he can occupy every position within Liverpool’s attacking system and provide a pertinent contribution.
There was some variation through the ninety minutes yesterday, but Liverpool lined-up roughly as per the above graphic. With the exception of the most advanced position, those are all positions Dempsey is capable of occupying. Steven Gerrard is not of an age where he can be expected to complete 30 games in a season anymore, Raheem Stirling needs to be used sparingly as he develops, and Fabio Borini doesn’t carry a particularly significant goal-threat – adding Dempsey into that mix would allow Rodgers to shuffle that forward three as and when necessary, adding certain attributes to the offensive mix as and when necessary. That’s also why Oussama Assaidi has been signed, because he’s able to operate off either flank – and he has the technical ability to make himself relevant in a multitude of attacking situations.
The prospect of Dempsey may underwhelm the Liverpool fans, but without him – or someone of a similar skill-set – names like ‘Stewart Downing’ and ‘Charlie Adam’ will start reappearing on the team-sheet, players who look increasingly redundant within Rodgers’ philosophy.
Whether or not Rodgers ends up getting Dempsey is another matter, time and rival clubs are both conspiring against Liverpool – but that does at least justify the determination with which they’ve pursued the American this Summer.
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Let liverpool go 4 demseny b4 wenessday if not they will lose him
if Rodgers fail to buy Clint Dempsey to flame up our attack then its going to be another season of wood work because in every game it always shows that Lfc lack a finisher in the squad and if Rodger can not bring Dempsey to Lfc then its going to be a problem these season.