We do have class players. Look at Gerrard, Torres, Masch, Carra, Agger. Still, we need more class players compared to the other top teams. As while we have those 5/6 if we include Reina, the others have 11 or almost. That is the main difference. What we lack especially is in the attack. Torres solved problems but we need a good partner plus class wide players with him.

Posted by: Ragish | January 29, 2008 3:29 PM

i think we need 8 maybe 7 if agger improves

i think torres gerrard and reina are the ones who are the world class players the others i dont think are good enough

Posted by: David - scouser | January 29, 2008 3:35 PM

he did say that we had world class players but it was an average side blessed with a few world class players

Posted by: jamark | January 29, 2008 3:41 PM

we have five class players currently, gerrard, mashcarano, torres,carragher, and reina. We need someone like david villa, michel richards, daiel alves, quesamer(excuse spelling TO make us world clas. And have the likes of babel to impove their game untill they are world class.

Posted by: dan | January 29, 2008 3:52 PM

i'd say 3-4 another striker from the torres level, a right winger and a left sided defender the bare minimum requirements. But when you look at the depth of utd and chelseas bench its not just about a world class eleven thesedays you need 15-18 of these type of players to win the league.

gerrard, torres, mash and alonso (at his best) would be the 100% nailed on world class players we've got, with the likes of carra, babel reina and agger in the "could be" world class level. The rest are a very mixed bag of the good, bad, terrible and voronin.

Posted by: JJ | January 29, 2008 3:59 PM

I wasn't implying that we didn't have any world class players... But you need a team of them not just a handful.

Torres, Masch, Gerrard, Reina, Alonso, Carra and sometimes Babel are all class, but when you've got players around them destroying moves all the time, it brings them down.

Posted by: Pies Dan | January 29, 2008 4:12 PM

Personally i belive we need 2 out and out wingers, Given the fact that Stewart Downing has expressed to Middlesborough he does not wish to sign a new contract i would have already made an offer b4 everybody else does, I would also try to buy David Bentley (English pattern emerging here)both of theses players could probably be bought for around 20 Million total, better than trying to bed in 2 foreigners who have never played in the Premier League. We also need 2 class full backs, Philip Lahm would be my first choice left back, this guy has class in both feet and knows how to play the 'Give & Go'. My choice of right back would be Andreas Hinkel, Both of these players could be prised away for around 20 Million so we have a total of around 40 Million pound being spent but with it comes a squad that can gel for years to come and can grow together like all the great teams of the past have done. Mr Hicks if you will write a personal check to me i will make sure you have 4 world class additions to the squad, Please do not issue any more money to Prick Parry or Rafa as they will just buy complete and utter unproven SHITE !!!!

Posted by: Brozzo | January 29, 2008 4:20 PM

We need some help, that's for sure...What is our best 11 at this point? Even in trying to accomplish that, I find some holes where it's a toss-up...
Reina
Arbeloa Carra Agger Aurelio
Pennant Gerrard Masch ????
???? Torres

Posted by: Django | January 29, 2008 4:56 PM

Babel should be in that group by next season (in terms of world class players). I only think he needs more time on the pitch to really start shining.

Posted by: Jonathan | January 29, 2008 5:00 PM

1. Striker (eg. David Villa, Defoe etc) - sell Kuyt and Voronin and promote Babel to a more central, perhaps supporting role, also maintaining the winger option.
2. Winger/s - Out and out players who have pace, and run the channels, beat defenders and cross the ball accurately. Kewell is loved by Benitez, but is too injury prone and I can't see him returning to top form. I would question the mentality of Quaresma and Bentley concerning the rotation policy and their first team opportunities, plus their consistency of form. Another possible Valencia player would be Silva, and Simao from Atletico.
3. Full Back/Left Back - Sell Riise (£6.5million is a great price to sell him to Newcastle) and Aurelio is always improving.
4. Pablo Aimar - He is currently at Real Zaragoza and is a good attacking/creative midfielder option. Has played under Rafa at Valencia and was pivotal in their success (approx. £10million).

LFC World Class players:
- Gerrard
- Torres
- Mascherano
- Carragher
- Reina

Posted by: Mark | January 29, 2008 5:24 PM

we need a left winger if harry kewell does not recover and rise leaves, two strikers to replace those who are leaving at end of season ie if crouch and another striker go.

liverpool need to sign other ppl who can come in like anelka and take over from drogba at chelsea.

with torres scoring and then resting and you need a good player to score the goals with a very good goal scoring reputation so no can say dick if torres doesnot score.

when liverpool play then you have 2 players who have great reputation and also can score in the team which mean the liverpool have a greater chance of scoring because he has two men marking instead just one or maybe three marking him and also some one you can a bit like ronaldinho but who is younger and cheaper.

Posted by: salman | January 29, 2008 6:27 PM

I hate to say it, but as the question is how far away are we right now from being a world-class side, then the answer might be 10 players. If this season's displays are the measurement, Torres is the only player who would qualify. All the other alleged world-class players - Gerrard, Masch, Alonso, Carra, Reina - have been either poor or - at best - inconsistent by world-class standards. I think any or all of them if surrounded by other world class players might drastically improve; unfortunately for us, we look to that group to improve the remainder of our squad, and they're not doing it.
There are times when we are like United pre-Cantona; on paper, a very good side, but on the pitch, vastly under-performing. Cantona arrived, changed the focal point of the attack, and created the space, movement and distribution that they needed to flourish as an attacking force. We need top class - if not world class - pace, flair, technique and creativity in the two wide positions, and somewhere through the middle, be it attacking midfield or up front. If we fill these positions, it will allow everyone else to fulfill their potential. We might only be three players away from world class - but if we don't get those players, we might as well be eleven players away.
(I know I'm being a bit harsh on Carra, Masch and Reina, but they make unforced errors at times, and the criteria is WORLD class!)

Posted by: Crinso | January 29, 2008 7:03 PM

@ Crinso -- Mate, how can you call Torres the only class player this year? I'll agree that most of those names haven't been this season, but Gerrard has won two games at the death (Villa and Derby) that we should have lost. He has also been pure class for a majority of the season. I think he should be added into the mix. Just my opinion...

Posted by: Jonathan | January 29, 2008 8:16 PM

Yes we need some world class players, but they should also be young alla Torres, Masch, Babel, Lucas, Agger, Reina, even Arbeloa has shown good class this year. Players who need to go are Kewell and even Aurelio as both are too injury prone like Kirkland and King at Spurs. Riise stays as he deserves it based on his time at Liverpool, like Hyppia, Crouch and Kuyt, all been criticised but been good players for us before, if they want to leave thats different. Voronin to go. Players to bring in bearing in mind age and being realistic:
- Sergio Auguero - Torres old Athletico partner up front
- Lorenzo di Silvestre - full back at Lazio
- Gareth Bale - full back at Spurs looks good
- Fabio Coentrao - left winger like Robben
We could do with a right winger but Pennant will improve I think given a run of games and Benayoun is a good option. Lets not forget the army of young players Rafa has out on loan at the moment who could become world class.

Posted by: Andrew | January 29, 2008 9:40 PM

I reckon we're about 3 players short...
It seems that Barca are keen on Xabi, I'm thinking that a swap for Ronnie may be an interesting option... We could put in some cash 8-12million pounds. That may get us a left-sided superstar. Imagine gerrard, lucas, mash and Ronaldiniho as our starting mid feild combo to play against Manure! Would feel sorry for mash as he'd have to work over-time ala Makalele...I can't see mash and Xabi gelling together as they both sit too deep in the field why not try to get Ronnie in a Liverpool Shirt???
For me that would change our team so much that Riise would no longer have the pressure of "trying" to pass/cross that he currently has...
The two other players would be a supporting striker and a Ashley Cole like (I hate Cole!) left back...

Posted by: lance | January 30, 2008 1:49 AM

Not sure about world class, but Anderson and Hammill strike me as the best among our kids coming through. Both seem to be the kind of player we currently lack - could they do a job for a big club like Liverpool?

And what happened to Nabil El Zhar this year? He looked like he might have a breakout year after his effort in the Carling Cup but he's slid off the radar again. Shame really, but I think we've got some other top kids at Liverpool at the moment.

Posted by: Grubb | January 30, 2008 5:22 AM

First i wonder why rafa not using the young players he bought look at ARSENAL most of his players are in 17-18-19 years old also ManU and Fergie using young players y we not using them ?y we let them go om loan to other teams that get use of them?and we find that they r good players ?we must use them all in our team.I think that we need to:
Players out:
1-Kuyt,2-Hypia,3-Crouch,4-kewel,
Players in:
1-Daniel Alves (right back)
2-Quaresma (right wing)
3-Aimar or Diego or Emre or SAmir Nasre as attacking medfeilder
4- Adriano and Hountelar we need a forward beside Torres.
5-David Silva or Simao (left wing).

Posted by: Ali | January 30, 2008 6:31 AM

Since we should look for the future as well, I've being watching the African Nations Cup and the South African RB Bryce Moon looks a real prospect.. some world class coaching and time to adjust, will develop into a world class player similar to Cafu

Posted by: Al | January 30, 2008 7:59 AM

We need someone like C.Ronaldo done for Mancs. We need to play two strikers, rather than one main striker, with another assisted striker.

Posted by: ThomasT | January 30, 2008 9:13 AM

actually i tink we nid a new goalkeeper as reina is not good enough.when there r no shots on target due to fantastic liverpool defenders, liverpool dun concede,but once there are, reina will concede.his reactions are slow and he can only save shots that are straight at him.carson will be good enough to replace him.

Posted by: ttw | January 30, 2008 9:30 AM

I think most are agreed that Reina, Carra, Agger, Masc, Gerrard and Torres are good enough to compete for the league consistently.

You can argue that a truly world class central defender is needed but in actual fact most teams are gambling on an unproven player these days and hoping they develop (see Skirtel) because of the dearth of talent. So I feel Agger and Carra are consitent enough to do a job.

However I would also add Babel to this group because he has the talent and just needs time to develop. Where you play him is debatable but I will discuss this a bit later.

Therefore we need 2 full backs and 1/2 wingers and 1/2 strikers dependsing on where Babel plays.

In my opinion these players shuld be Alves at RB, Lahm at LB, Aimar at SS (behind Torres and play Babel at LW) and Manchini at RW

Therefore our fist team would be

Reina

Alves Carra Agger Lahm

Manchini Gerrard Masch Babel

Aimar
Torres

Players to come in if required

????

Arbeloa ??? Skirtel (needs time)Aurelio

Pennant Alonso Lucas ???

Benny
????

So in addition to the 1st team players we need several squad players of better ability too. These positions are more open to debate but include a GK, CB, LW and 1 or 2 strikers.

Which means the following are not good enough or too old for LFC

Carson (wants 1st team football), Itandje, Finnan, Hyypia, Hobbs, Riise, Kewell, Leto, Crouch, Kuyt, Voronin.

Admittedly we have several young players in reserve but I am not sure if any are good enough to break through despite some big investment here. Some do have potential, however, and these include Bouzanis, Spearing, Insua, Guthrie, Anderson, Hammill, Eccleston and Pourie. However potential counts for nothing and much depends on whether Benitez will be given time to develop them by playing them in the 1st team. It appears this wont happen though.

So in conclusion I believe LFC need 4 more international class 1st team players and 4/5 high class squad players. Or in Hicks language about £60m (taking player sales into account).

Not going to happen...

Posted by: Dom | January 30, 2008 12:39 PM

I think liverpool could keep some first team players as reserves but i would like to have lahms robinho dos santos and downing and hope skrtel and babel can be valuable most of these 4 are reasonably versatile and would strengthen the side.

Posted by: deboy | January 31, 2008 6:01 AM

Liverpool are definately in need of 5 or 6 world class player with youth. we need 2 new wing backs 2 new wingers and a striker.the reason we cant break teams down is no penetration on the wings and an over reliance on torres or gerrard to score.My suggestions Left back Bale very promising left back at spurs. Alves sevilla right back say no more.Left wing Capel sevilla out and out left winger future star.Right wing Quaquin Valencia. Benzema Lyon top scorer in france another future star brilliant finisher wicked shot also lokes to drop deep to link play something that waster kuyt tries to do.Finnan Riise Kewell Pennant Bebayoun crap wouldnt get near top 5 in any league

Posted by: Femi Fakinle | March 7, 2008 1:37 PM