Defensive Concern

With the announcment from Jamie Carragher that he will retire from playing football at the end of the season, Liverpool must start to prepare for life without one of their most experienced players, who has been a stalwart of the Reds first team for the last decade.

Liverpool's Mr. Reliable in defense

Replacing Carragher will not be easy. He had a difficult start to his career at Liverpool as he was used in a variety of positions in defense and midfield, making it hard to settle into a role and make it his own. His versatility was his own worst enemy.

It was only when Rafa Benitez moved him to central defense that Carragher was finally able to shine, and he formed a formiddable partnership with first Sami Hyypia and then Daniel Agger, and his influence in the side was recognised as he was made club vice-captain. His performance in the Champions League final against AC Milan in 2005 epitomized his work ethic and willingness to put his body on the line for the sake of the team, with some last minute blocks in extra time despite suffering from cramp.

When he retires this summer he will leave behind a legacy that will be very difficult to follow. He has won every domestic and European competition with Liverpool, apart from the obvious exclusion of the elusive Premier League title. He has made over 700 appearances for the Reds, placing him second in the club's all-time appearance list behind Ian Callaghan (who played 857 games, a record which will likely never be beaten in the modern game), and holds the record for most appearances by a Liverpool player in European competition.

So how do you replace such an iconic figure who seemed to demonstrate the qualities that the Reds fans demand of all their players?

It is a very difficult question to answer. Assuming Daniel Agger will retain his starting place in the Liverpool first team, a look at the current squad shows the potential partners in central defense to be either Martin Skrtel or Sebastián Coates. Skrtel has put in some good performances for the Reds, but remains prone to errors of judgement, with a slight tendency to lunge for the ball when it might be better to stay on his feet. This season has also seen a dip in form from Skrtel, which ultimately lead to Carragher regaining his place in the team. It would seem that Brendan Rodgers is not overly confident in Skrtel's abilities, although this has not prevented him from signing a contract extension this season. Skrtel is also the captain of the Slovakian national side, so his leadership qualities are there for everyone to see. If he can step up his game and cut out the errors that have marred parts of his Liverpool career so far, he could be a potential long-term replacement for Carragher.

The other option is Sebastián Coates, a young Uruguyuan defender who signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2011. Plenty of promise for this guy, including the fact that he plays for the national team and won the best young player at the 2011 Copa America tournament. However, he has only made 22 appearances in all competitions for the Reds in 1.5 seasons, of which just 10 have been in league games. He recently played against Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup and looked completely out of his depth, unable to cope with the physical presence of Oldham striker Matt Smith. That performance did not impress the Liverpool faithful, and one can only assume it had the same effect on Rodgers.

Even if Skrtel could be considered a replacement for Carragher - provided he ups his game - there would then be a serious lack of depth in defense, with only Coates as a real backup to Agger and Skrtel. Liverpool need to strengthen in this area, and they need to get someone with experience.

It's all very well recruiting youngsters to prepare for the future, with the Academy and youth teams producing some very promising talent with the likes of Andre Wisdom and Jack Robinson (both of whom play as left/right backs), but they will not be ready to plug the gaping hole that Carragher's retirement will leave this summer.

Rodgers needs the Reds owners, Fenway Sports Group, to open the purse strings this summer and give him a sizeable kitty to bring in reinforcements. Before then, BR will have drawn up a list of his top targets.

He might dream of landing one of the defenders regularly considered as the best in the world, such as Gerard Pique, Thiago Silva or Nemanja Vidic, but realistically none of these names could conceivably make a home on Merseyside. Even if their clubs would be willing to sell them, Liverpool couldn't afford the transfer fees for such superstars of the world game.

Instead, Rodgers needs to look at those who might actually be achievable transfer targets, those who could be available to buy and within the Reds' budget.

One of the names on his list might be PSG's Mamadou Sakho, a highly rated defender who plays regularly for his national side but is currently warming the bench with Thiago Silva and Alex the first choice partnership. As PSG can splash the cash from a seemingly bottomless wallet, they might be willing to let Sakho go without too much of a fight and buy a more expensive, better known replacement. If Liverpool land Sakho they will get a player who has pace and power, who could potentially form a formiddable central defensive pairing alongside Agger.

Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund is another rising star in German football, helping the club to win the Bundesliga title for the last 2 seasons, and in doing so also becoming a mainstay of the national side. Big, strong and pacey, Hummels also has a great ability to read the game and make key interceptions, making him an excellent addition to any side. He is contract to Dortmund until 2017, so any move for him would not come cheap. It is unlikely that Dortmund would be willing to part with such a quality player as well, so unless Liverpool are able to offer a ridiculously high fee, Hummels won't be looking for a house along the Mersey any time soon.

Another powerful, dominating figure would be Adil Rami of Valencia, who previously played for Lille where he won the French Ligue 1 and cup competition before leaving for Spain. Rami has many admirers around Europe, and has put in plenty of impressive performances to justify the reported 10 million euros that Valencia paid for his services. At 27 years old, he could be considered to be at the peak of his career, performing at a high level whilst also have a good few years of service ahead of him to help shape the team. He has only played for Valencia since the summer of 2011, however, so much like Hummels would cost Liverpool a lot of money if they go for him, in the unlikely event that the Spanish team would be willing to let him go.

Alternatively, BR could focus on getting someone with a wealth of experience, knowledge of what it takes to win and a sizeable medal collection to prove it. Someone like Rio Ferdinand. The Manchester United defender is out of contract at the end of the season, so could be tempted to make the switch to Merseyside where he would line up alongside some former England teammates in Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Stewart Downing. Ferdinand has the tactical awareness and positional sense that made Carragher such a success, and possesses good feet for a big central defender. On the downside, his loyalty to United would make him unlikely to choose Liverpool as his next destination should he decide to leave Manchester, and the Reds fans might not be too welcoming to a former United player. At 34 years of age, Ferdinand is only a year younger than Carragher, so can probably only expect to play for another 1 or 2 seasons, meaning Rodgers might prefer to go for a player with a longer future in the game who would be around for years to come.

The are plenty of candidates out there, but Liverpool's owners will undoubtedly want to keep the purse strings tight ahead of UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules coming into force with the Premier League stating that total club loss cannot exceed £105 million over the 3 seasons from 2013-2016.

This might force BR to look towards the future and sign a player classed as a "promising prospect", but this could ultimately backfire as a leaky defense next season could end up costing Rodgers his job as boss.

One thing is for sure, whoever Rodgers lines up as a replacement for Carragher will have a tough task ahead of them to fill his boots, first in terms of performance and reliability and then to win over the fans for him Carragher was an idol.

Good luck with this one BR.

#YNWA