Tom Oldfield


Despite the anti-climactic finish to the Premier League title race, Liverpool and Chelsea can both say they challenged Manchester United strongly at times this season. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side came out on top due to consistency, composure and squad depth and so this summer both Chelsea and Liverpool must build on what they have, making the necessary adjustments to come back even stronger next season. So, what must they do?

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez knows exactly what he must do this summer; he must strive for ‘almost perfect’ recruitment, spending £40M-£50M on three or four key players who will support Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, rather than eight or nine players who will simply bolster the squad. Quality over quantity is certainly the order of the day for Liverpool this summer and this quality should come in the form of a striker, a midfielder and a right back. Benitez must stick to these aims and not become distracted.

Benitez’s first target must be a striker, or perhaps two. Liverpool played the second half of the season with Torres as their only recognised, world class striker. With the failure of Robbie Keane, Benitez must look for a striker that can complement Torres if Liverpool are chasing the game, and complement Liverpool if the Spaniard is unavailable. Torres is a complete striker, comfortable with his back to goal or running on to through balls; he has both pace and strength. Finding a partner for the Spaniard is difficult but Valencia’s David Villa seems to work very well with Torres at international level and he could prove an inspired signing if available. The other player linked with Liverpool is, of course, Man Utd’s Carlos Tevez, who would perhaps be the best choice of all, with his power, energy, unselfish nature and knack of scoring crucial goals. If Benitez is unsuccessful with these targets, the answer might be to buy two strikers – one pacey finisher, one target man – and options include Thierry Henry, Grafite, Sergio Aguero, Karim Benzema and Samuel Eto’o.

A versatile, attacking midfielder is also a priority for Liverpool. Despite the re-emergence of Yossi Benayoun, Benitez’s side needs another attacking threat who can play through the middle in the absence of Steven Gerrard, but also out wide when the Liverpool captain is available. Ryan Babel is still too inconsistent, Albert Riera is decent but rarely spectacular, and Dirk Kuyt works incredibly hard but could not be described as a regular match-winner. Defensive-minded Gareth Barry is not the answer and neither is the unreliable Aaron Lennon. Valencia’s David Silva and Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery look to be the best signings in this role, with their creativity and ability to play anywhere across the midfield.

In terms of defensive additions, much depends on whether Daniel Agger leaves to join AC Milan. If so, then a central defender such as Raul Albiol will be a priority; if not, then Benitez must buy a right back to challenge Alvaro Arbeloa and replace the disappointing Andrea Dossena. Emiliano Insua is growing into the left-back role but an attacking right back such as Glen Johnson would be a good signing. Liverpool’s midfield would give Johnson the freedom to make his overlapping, forward runs and deliver crosses, adding an extra dimension to the team’s play. Other options include Inter Milan’s Maicon and Manchester City’s Micah Richards, though he looked badly out of sorts this season.

Whereas Liverpool’s summer involves real precision with the chequebook, Chelsea’s summer must involve serious change. Chelsea must first find a replacement for Guus Hiddink but while Carlo Ancelotti is the favourite, there are some doubts as to whether he wants the job, and whether he is the best man to take the club forward. Ancelotti has enjoyed success through getting the best out of senior pros but Chelsea need to look to the future, as well as coaxing more consistency out of players such as Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba and Deco. Since Abramovich’s takeover, Chelsea have spent vast amounts of money on already-formed players, ignoring the idea of development. Now, Chelsea are left with a team where the average age increases every year, and an injection of youthful energy and drive is desperately required. The new manager must trim and re-energise the existing squad, while bringing in young, exciting options in defence, on the wing, and up front.

The first task for Chelsea is to reduce and motivate the squad. Players such as Juliano Belletti, Claudio Pizarro and Paulo Ferreira are simply not needed at Stamford Bridge. Also, the drive of players such as Michael Ballack and Deco must be questioned, along with the attitudes of Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel. The club has too many egos and there needs to be a renewed focus on teamwork and harmony.

Even if Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho do stay at Chelsea this summer, the Blues must re-jig their defence, which is leaking too many goals. Neither Alex nor Branislav Ivanovic have done enough to cement a permanent place alongside John Terry, while Michael Mancienne must be given a more prominent first-team role. Chelsea must look to the future and players such as Lazio’s Lorenzo de Silvestri, Inter Milan’s Maicon, Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and Porto’s Bruno Alves.

If Chelsea continue with one striker and two attacking wingers then better wide options are needed. With Joe Cole injured, Chelsea only had Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda to fulfil these roles this season. Though Malouda was brilliant in the latter stages of the season under Hiddink, this is still an area of concern. Ribery would be an expensive but valuable signing here, as would Aston Villa’s Ashley Young or Sevilla’s Diego Capel. At the moment, a central playmaker such as Kaka or Yoann Gourcuff is not a priority unless either Ballack or Deco leaves.

The new manager must also sort out the striking situation. Drogba and Anelka are two of the best but most temperamental strikers in the world, and so far they haven’t played well together in enough games. Drogba may leave this summer but, even if he stays, Chelsea must sign a young striker such as Atletico Madrid’s Aguero to put pressure on him and Anelka. Other options include Benzema, Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Wolfsburg’s Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko.

Ultimately, Liverpool and Chelsea both have work to do this summer if they want to end Man Utd’s domestic and European dominance. Benitez must stay calm and focused with his transfer dealings while the new Chelsea manager must refocus his players and bring in some much-needed youth. Chelsea arguably have more work to do, but neither club can afford to sit back and wait. It promises to be an intriguing summer.
 

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