Rafael Benitez's decision to sell Robbie Keane back to Tottenham Hotspur could come back to haunt him.
It is one thing to sell a £20 million striker at an £8 million loss after six months, 28 games and five league goals. It is quite another to sell a £20 million striker at an £8 million loss and not bring in a replacement.
Robbie Keane's short, unhappy stay at Anfield may have seen him relegated to backup for Fernando Torres, but at least he indicated a strength in depth to Liverpool's squad missing since 1990. Now he has returned to White Hart Lane, every Liverpool fan will be asking the same thing: what happens if Torres' hamstrings go again?
The Spanish international has already suffered three muscular injuries this campaign and a fourth cannot be ruled out. Where, exactly, would that leave Liverpool? Who would lead the line as Rafael Benitez's side bid to end their 20 years in the title wilderness?
Benitez essentially has three options. Dirk Kuyt was brought to the club as a striker, thanks to his prolific record for Feyenoord, but his early promise has worn off. He manages a dozen or so a season, mainly in the Champions League, from his new berth on the right flank and it is hard to see Benitez undoing all his work in converting him into a wide player now.
Kuyt's compatriot, Ryan Babel, also enjoyed a bright start to his Liverpool career in what might be termed the Henry position, the right-footed left wing spot the Frenchman exploited mercilessly. But Babel has always insisted he sees himself as a forward and, thanks to patchy displays and the form of Albert Riera, could now find his wish granted.
The young Frenchman David Ngog, a £1.5 million signing from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, is now the only member of the senior squad who could be considered an out-and-out striker, but despite evident power, height and pace, he remains raw. His presence on the bench signalled the end for Keane, but he is not yet ready to step into the breach full-time.
In an emergency, no doubt Benitez could look to the prodigiously gifted youth team striker Dani Pacheco, or even draft in midfielder Lucas Leiva as an emergency forward. Steven Gerrard is the best right back in the league, so why could he not be a top class striker?
Liverpool are short on firepower, suddenly, should Torres's hamstrings buckle under the strain of Anfield's expectation. What looks like a power play by Benitez is one injury away from backfiring. The fans, though, remain upbeat. After all, as several forum visitors mentioned on Monday, the club could always recall Andriy Voronin from Hertha Berlin.
It is one thing to sell a £20 million striker at an £8 million loss after six months, 28 games and five league goals. It is quite another to sell a £20 million striker at an £8 million loss and not bring in a replacement.
Robbie Keane's short, unhappy stay at Anfield may have seen him relegated to backup for Fernando Torres, but at least he indicated a strength in depth to Liverpool's squad missing since 1990. Now he has returned to White Hart Lane, every Liverpool fan will be asking the same thing: what happens if Torres' hamstrings go again?
The Spanish international has already suffered three muscular injuries this campaign and a fourth cannot be ruled out. Where, exactly, would that leave Liverpool? Who would lead the line as Rafael Benitez's side bid to end their 20 years in the title wilderness?
Benitez essentially has three options. Dirk Kuyt was brought to the club as a striker, thanks to his prolific record for Feyenoord, but his early promise has worn off. He manages a dozen or so a season, mainly in the Champions League, from his new berth on the right flank and it is hard to see Benitez undoing all his work in converting him into a wide player now.
Kuyt's compatriot, Ryan Babel, also enjoyed a bright start to his Liverpool career in what might be termed the Henry position, the right-footed left wing spot the Frenchman exploited mercilessly. But Babel has always insisted he sees himself as a forward and, thanks to patchy displays and the form of Albert Riera, could now find his wish granted.
The young Frenchman David Ngog, a £1.5 million signing from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, is now the only member of the senior squad who could be considered an out-and-out striker, but despite evident power, height and pace, he remains raw. His presence on the bench signalled the end for Keane, but he is not yet ready to step into the breach full-time.
In an emergency, no doubt Benitez could look to the prodigiously gifted youth team striker Dani Pacheco, or even draft in midfielder Lucas Leiva as an emergency forward. Steven Gerrard is the best right back in the league, so why could he not be a top class striker?
Liverpool are short on firepower, suddenly, should Torres's hamstrings buckle under the strain of Anfield's expectation. What looks like a power play by Benitez is one injury away from backfiring. The fans, though, remain upbeat. After all, as several forum visitors mentioned on Monday, the club could always recall Andriy Voronin from Hertha Berlin.
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