The seat of Brendan Rodgers is warming. The job of the embattled Liverpool manager is most likely safe through the whole season, but he can’t handle another bad transfer window. The Reds have major issues everywhere: up front, in the back, the mid, goalkeeper. They’re balanced in that every area has been subpar thus far. It just goes to show you how important, and club-changing one event can be.
Liverpool didn’t spend the financial windfall they received for Luis Suarez wisely. Or even at a serviceable level.
Their summer transfer window bombed. The acquisition of Mario Balotelli was a tremendous bust. The attack is depleted. The injury to Daniel Sturridge has been devastating. The Raheem Sterling contract situation has been a distraction. As has the departure of club icon Steven Gerrard. Simon Mignolet has disappointed; Brad Jones is no better. The defense, a major problem last season, has not improved much. All in all, there are only so many things that Rodgers can fix this winter transfer window. He’ll need a big overhaul in the summer.
Just over halfway through the 2014-15 Premier League season, Premier League Live’s Rebecca Lowe, Robbie Earle, Kyle Martino and Robbie Mustoe look back on the first half of the season and what to expect going forward:
Lowe: “The first half of this season has been, as it always is, riddled with storylines: Liverpool’s poor start; Chelsea’s moment of appearing invincible and Tottenham’s hard-to-decipher progression; whilst lower down it’s been about which club held its nerve long enough before firing their manager.”
Martino: “in Merseyside, both Liverpool and Everton well below their high-water mark from this time last year, have been a head scratchers for most.”
Here’s the Liverpool TV info, as well as the rest of the schedule:
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 7:45 a.m. | Sunderland v. Liverpool | NBCSN, mun2 |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 10 a.m. | Chelsea v. Newcastle | NBCSN, mun2 |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 10 a.m. | Everton v. Manchester City | Extra Time |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 10 a.m. | Swansea City v. West Ham | Extra Time |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 10 a.m. | Leicester City v. Aston Villa | Extra Time |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 10 a.m. | West Brom v. Hull City | Extra Time |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 10 a.m. | Burnley v. Queens Park Rangers | Extra Time |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 12:30 p.m. | Crystal Palace v. Tottenham | NBC |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 2:30 p.m. | Goal Zone | NBC |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | 11 p.m. | Match of the Day | NBCSN |
| Sun., Jan. 11 | 1 a.m. | Match of the Week | NBCSN |
| Sun., Jan. 11 | 7:30 a.m. | Premier League Live | NBCSN |
| Sun., Jan. 11 | 8:30 a.m. | Arsenal v. Stoke City | NBCSN |
| Sun., Jan. 11 | 11 a.m. | Manchester United v. Southampton | NBCSN, Telemundo |
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2