"Would Ashley Williams be a good signing?"

There’s an ongoing problem with us at the back at the moment and it’s only going to get worse when Carra takes his early (I’m calling it early, he could still play dammit!) retirement in the summer. Sktrel almost certainly seems to be out of here after his weak displays against anyone with an ounce of strength so we’re almost certainly looking at two new centre backs. Factor in uncertainty about whether Coates is the long term solution and it’s really becoming the number one issue for us as a team.

It’s not as if we’ve been solid defensively this season. Even when we’ve kept clean sheets in games it seems the opposition always miss a couple of gilt-edged chances. When we’ve lost it’s often been through our own stupidity more than the other team’s attacking nous. 

Carra is a leader, an organiser; he sorts out our back line better than anyone else at the club. At this point I would say that you can always hear him yelling at Anfield, even when the crowd is loud but Carra’s so loud that sometimes the TV microphones pick him up as well.

So we’re looking for someone who’s not going to get bullied, is a leader, a good organiser and can slot straight in. Rodgers thinks he has that man, or at least had him when he was Swansea manager.

I’ve seen Ashley Williams play numerous times for club and country and I think he’s a fine player. It’s something to be admired that he’s made his way to the Premier League the long way round and years of playing lower league football tends to keep a player grounded in the way that some of younger players could benefit from. I assume that’s what Rodgers was alluding to when we were handed our arses by Oldham and Dr. Who. 

Williams certainly has the grounding, he’s captain for club and country so you could say he’s the leader at the back we’re looking for. He’s also not a player willing to get bullied easily. He sounds like he’s a good fit so why am I saying no?

There are couple of reasons behind this. The first is I think his age versus his price means that we won’t get decent value for him. I would imagine that, if he wanted to leave Swansea, they wouldn’t exactly sell cheaply. Secondly whilst I think Williams is a good player, I’ve seem him make a few gaffes for Swansea and Wales. He’s not what I would define as an error-prone player but he does have mistakes in his locker. That leads me to my third point, Rodgers just can’t sign anymore Swansea players unless they’re called Michu; he just can’t.

I don’t advocate signing (or not signing) players on what some sections of our increasingly reactionary fan base think but unless Williams came in and hit the ground running, there’d be a section of the support frothing at the mouth. Hell, Joe Allen came in and played great for the first couple of months of his career here but he’ll never escape being known as teacher’s pet by the fans that aren’t sure about Rodgers. I’ve seen enough of Williams to know he will make errors and if that happens then he’ll be given a tough time by some people, and that will trickle down to Rodgers. It’s a problem he doesn’t need to create.

If Brendan wants to sign a centre back then I would recommend he uses the scouting system we’ve got. Even if Williams isn’t brought as Carra’s direct replacement that’s how he’ll be compared, add that to him being a former Swansea player and I just think it’s too volatile a mix to sanction a deal. If Williams isn’t Carra’s direct replacement then I don’t see him wanting to come here to be on our bench and nor should he accept that. 

There’s too many marks in the minus column for me and not all of them are football related but you have to consider the big picture sometimes, and I think buying Williams would be a decision Rodgers doesn’t have to make. Look elsewhere, Brendan.

Julian Richards

Our current method of play with its unflinching focus on attacking football that deploys the full backs very much as midfielders-cum-forwards exposes the slightest deficit in organisation and focus at the back and in a Carra-free Liverpool team such exposure will be stark. 

When that factor is combined with the lack of a mobile midfield screening player and the collective inexperience of the squad then, to my mind, this team is screaming out for an injection of mental fortitude, leadership and organisation. 

For my money, we simply don't have enough men in the team and especially those that feel the very real pain of defeat like the fans and are therefore prepared to do anything and everything to avoid it - including demanding more of their teammates. And, from what I've seen of Ashley Williams, he ticks all those boxes.  

Now I should make clear at this point that he's not a player I've studied in depth. However, it is obvious that he's a vocal organiser who doesn't seem to have any obvious flaws to his game.  I'm not suggesting he's a world beater, but he can play a bit, has reasonable pace, is decent in the air and is a proper defender. 

So far, so mediocre I hear you cry. However, he is a player who has fought for everything he's achieved in the game and, leaving aside the growing snobbery increasingly associated with some of our support, there's no question that it is a massive achievement to fight your way up through all four divisions to find your feet in the top flight, en route winning the captaincy of your country (the same one Ian Rush represented, by the way, if you're still turning your nose up). 

Williams' age and possible fee are often touted as the main justifications for not signing him and it would be ridiculous to ignore such arguments as they clearly have some merit.

However, we've already shown since Rodgers arrived that we won't be taken for a ride over price and in my view his age is actually a reason to sign him rather than not. As long as we get the fee and wages right, then value is eminently possible in any new signing providing he delivers on the pitch, no matter what his age. 

Gary Mac's two seasons aren't questioned by anyone so why should the signing of a man five years younger be, assuming the money side is right?

My one hesitation in signing Williams lies not with the player himself but with the reaction of the cynical anti-Rodgers minority of the internet fan base (because fans at the match have been exceptionally tolerant of the troughs that have accompanied our handful of peaks this season). 

Of course I have no problem with those who've asked genuine questions of the new regime - you'd be a fool not to.  My problem is with those who are already slagging Williams off and calling him a lazy target; the ones who will instantly leap on any perceived fault (because every conceded goal has to be someone's fault these days) from the minute it's identified. 

To question his potential signing is not only sensible in my opinion, it's right. To slag it off is something totally different however. 

That said, I think both Rodgers and Williams are strong enough to roll with such criticism and prove it wrong. I would though like to see a second centre half signed alongside him, both to offer further competition and quality, but also to assuage the prejudices of those who are ready to pounce. 

Ashley Williams offers us plenty that we lack but he should not be the sum total of our ambitions and, assuming that's the case, I'd be delighted to welcome him to Liverpool in the summer. 

As for the notion that comments in a book should preclude his purchase, I'll offer two responses: one, he's apologised to Luis like any adult should and also had his apology accepted; and two, our greatest years carried internal feuds along with all the trophies (most of them involving Tommy Smith) and it was never an impediment to success then, so why should it be now?

No, it was handbags stuff that's old news and is therefore irrelevant. I'd be more than happy with Ashley Williams in Liverpool Red. 

Paul Natton