Filed under: Liverpool, Premier League, Football
Well this is not quite going according to plan is it?After ther £16m acquisition of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland a fortnight ago, a section of Liverpool's fans expected even more signings to come in thick and fast.
The theory went that Liverpool should spend big, buy quickly and get a settled and confident squad in place for a positive pre-season from which Kenny Dalglish could start to build the side that would return Liverpool to the top four next season.
But it is not quite working out as Liverpool's supporters had hoped.
The club have been pipped at the post for Phil Jones, who joined Manchester United earlier this month, as well as Connor Wickham who is now on his way to Sunderland after Ipswich Town agreed a £12m fee and further deals for Blackpool's Charlie Adam and Aston Villa's Stewart Downing are also taking longer than anticipated.
On top of that, attempts to bring in left-back cover in the guise of either Jose Enrique and Gael Clichy appears to have cooled.
So is it time for Liverpool's plans to panic?
In a word: no.
Dalglish, alongside director of football Damien Comolli, have set two golden rules since Dalglish returned in January and they are that firstly Liverpool's squad does not need a massive overhaul and secondly that any business will be done at their pace and at their convenience.
Other clubs would have baulked at Blackpool's delaying tactics over Adam and offered an open chequebook just to get the deal completed or would have entered a financial battle with Sunderland for Wickham's signature but Liverpool are refusing to do that.
Some may say they paid over the odds for Henderson and although he is a gamble at least he has Premier League experience unlike teenager Wickham.
As far as Dalglish and Comolli are concerned it is a case of taking things steady, conducting business calmly and making sure the players who do come in help to aide and assist those already at Anfield.
If that takes until the clock is ticking down on the transfer window then so be it.
That may make for uncomfortable reading for Liverpool fans desperate for marquee signings but Dalglish and Comolli should be trusted - and respected - for not being strong-armed into conducting any frantic transfer action.
And if Liverpool's fans want prove of that patience they only have to remind themselves of Dalglish's words back in May before the transfer window even appeared on the horizon.
He told liverpoolfc.tv: "The squad only needs tinkering.
"If people want to see the best players and assets of the football club wearing a red shirt, that's what we want to try and provide.
"We want to get the highest quality of player in that we can. That's what position we have been put into, and that's what we will try to do.
"Whether it is massively or cheaply, it doesn't make any difference as long as you spend well.
"Budgets are all very well and good but it doesn't guarantee you anything.
"Like every other club there will be movement in and out and I am sure there will be plenty of speculation - some we might even recognise the names of.
"We will be doing business but the better we do the business the more successful we will be."
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