After succeeding much more than what was expected last season, you'd think that it would be difficult to pick out any flaws in a year that saw Liverpool finish runners up in the Barclays Premier League. However after even coming so close to winning the title, you have to look at what could have been for Brendan Rodgers` side and unfortuntely, ignoring the huge number of goals we scored across the 9 month campaign, goals conceded at the back ultimately cost us, especially in the final weeks.
It wasn't too bad at all on the overview. Jon Flanagan was phenomenal. Skrtel was immesne on many occasions. Sakho often impressed too. However, you can't help but feel that the only difference between 2nd placed Liverpool and champions Manchester City was their captain, Vincent Kompany.
Add Kompany into Liverpool's starting XI and the Reds are crowned Champions last May, and I believe it is as simple as that. And by adding in a top quality centre half with £20-£30m of the Suarez funds to our squad, I feel we would see even bigger improvements, even if our Uruguayan talisman has departed.
Dejan Lovren, Southampton's Croatian defender, looks set to move to Anfield, and maybe this is what we are after, maybe not. A commanding centre half, strong in the tackle, dominant in the air, dangerous in set-piece situations and reliable in times of desperate need. That is what is necessary for a team looking to lift the Premier League after 38 hard-fought games, and whilst Agger and Skrtel can offer many attributes to a 'squad', a starting XI needs that something extra. Lovren and Sakho could be the solution, maybe somebody else such as Benatia or Hummels would be more suitable to our credentials, but the matter on the whole is subjective and very much opinionated.
It seems Kolo Toure and Sebastien Coates are not what we need in a squad looking for domestic and European success, and maybe Lloyd Jones and Tiago Ilori can fill any spaces on odd occasions when chances come by. But goals aren't going to be a problem with the way things are going so far this summer, with regards to players we already have in Sturridge, Coutinho, Sterling and Borini (should the move to Sunderland fall through) and new signings Lambert, Lallana, Markovic and possibly Remy in the next few days, plus any more made with the remaining large amount of money available to the club. There are threats all over with the potential of goals all across the front line. Therefore, centre back needs to be addressed to make the Liverpool starting XI more complete, and stronger than ever.