There’s been a lot said this summer – good and bad – about the Reds’ seven new arrivals – questions about whether they’ll fit the Liverpool style, whether we’re getting value for money and whether they’ll be able to perform with the consistency that so many of our players were lacking last season.
However, one of the most important questions has often gone overlooked – are we better off than we were this time last year? Have we brought in enough quality to ensure that there is no repeat of the trouble we found ourselves in last season, when a disastrous start and finish to the season saw us finish in sixth place.
In the list below we compare each of our new signings with the man they have replaced – or realistically will replace – in Brendan Rodgers’ squad. This includes looking at the strengths and weakness of both players, the amount of money that it cost us to do the deal, and whether or not we’ll be better off for the change.
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Click through the pages below and see if you agree with our observations…
Adam Bogdan – Brad Jones
Brad Jones never looked quite good enough during his brief foray into the Liverpool first-team last season. A couple of forgettable performances against Manchester United and Arsenal – in which he conceded five goals – were probably enough to ensure he wouldn’t be getting a new contract. He was a loyal servant to Liverpool down the years but was never anything more than a back-up player, as his lack of top flight experience elsewhere proves.
In contrast, Adam Bogdan comes to us having been a regular for a solid Championship club and with plenty of top flight experience to his name as well. The 27-year-old is a Hungarian international and proved against us last season, in the FA Cup, that he’s a more than capable shot-stopper. He’s far more agile than Jones and his reflexes have always looked excellent. The only question mark is whether he can get to grips with communicating with a shaky centre-back pairing.
Yes, we’d all have liked a bigger name who could really challenge Mignolet for his spot on a consistent basis. But Bogdan was brought in on a free and will be on similar wages to Jones – so this one is a win all round.
Transfer Approval Rating – 8/10
Nathaniel Clyne – Glen Johnson
Glen Johnson won’t be missed by many at Anfield. Despite making 200 appearances in all competitions, after signing from Portsmouth in 2009, he’s never truly lived up to the huge potential he had upon arriving at the club. His much maligned defensive abilities are something that Clyne must correct, while the former Southampton man will also be expected to deliver a better quality of cross – particularly with Christian Benteke waiting to pounce.
In many ways, you could be forgiven for thinking that Clyne is simply a younger version of his predecessor – a quick, attacking full-back who loves to get forward. However, he won’t leave the back-line anywhere near as exposed, as the statistics will tell you. The 24-year-old won 3.3 tackles per game and made 1.8 interceptions per game last season, compared to Johnson, who carded 1.6 and 0.9 respectively.
This could well prove to be our most important signing of the summer. We needed a full-back who will play regularly and that we can rely on to turn in consistent performances, something we just didn’t have last year.
Transfer Approval Rating – 9/10
