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Liverpool manager has spent a lot of money on players but it is necessary to compete with Chelsea and Manchester United

The Kop lives in mortal fear of the mediocre buy, the non‑Liverpool signing: a dread that dates back to Phil Babb, Neil Ruddock, Julian Dicks and Jimmy Carter. These unwitting souls are among those blamed for the dilution of the great Anfield tradition of recruiting only aristocrats capable of maintaining the lustre of the Shankly‑Paisley era.

zThis understandable defensiveness is a problem for modern Liverpool managers because each new acquisition undergoes an especially fierce scrutiny, especially if he is British and therefore known to the Anfield jury. Buying an average player to perform a specific function stirs the anxieties of supporters who can reel off the duds of the past 10 years, from Paul Konchesky to Salif Diao, Fernando Morientes and Andrea Dossena, who still guarantee a rueful shake of the head on Merseyside.

Supporters who have witnessed five European Cup wins are within their rights to demand the highest possible standards, but in the current phase of mass transition there is little prospect of instant elevation to the Premier League’s top spot. Kenny Dalglish is rebuilding not for a title push but a solid top-three place from which a proper challenge can then be mounted.

Unless my eyes fail me, Dalglish is organising a staged recovery. And it could be no other way, given the sheer number of passengers and stowaways who packed the squad over a decade of experimentation under Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benítez. The legacy of that transfer trawling still confronts Dalglish, who has so far managed to cull only Konchesky in his summer dealings.

The Englishman, bought by Roy Hodgson to perform a limited service at left-back, was perhaps the unhappiest of all recent temporary Anfield residents. His mother’s brief declaration on Facebook that Liverpool fans were “scouse scum” was unlikely to endear her to the locals. This miserable relationship ended when the son trudged off to the King Power Stadium and Sven‑Goran Eriksson’s Leicester

• Liverpool open pre-season tour with 4-3 win in China
• Adam made first appearance since move from Blackpool

Charlie Adam made his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt as the club opened their pre-season tour with a 4-3 victory over Guangdong Sunray Cave in China.

Two goals in quick succession from Christian Poulsen and David Ngog midway through the first half put Kenny Dalglish’s side in control, and youngster Conor Coady scored a third in the second half after Guangdong pulled one back.

When Andy Carroll scored five minutes from the end that looked to be that but there was still time for the hosts to make it a tight finish with two well-taken goals.

The visitors dominated the early stages, with Ngog seeing his shot blocked by keeper Yu Yongzhe, and they took the lead in the 19th minute when Joe Cole’s deep cross was tucked away by an unmarked Poulsen.

Less than three minutes later Liverpool doubled their lead through Ngog, who seized on Jonjo Shelvey’s pass before sliding his shot under the keeper. Dani Pacheco should have made it three but shot past the post from 10 yards out, and Guangdong slowly began to come into the match.

Peter Gulacsi just managed to prevent Mahama Awal’s shot going through his legs and into the net, but the Liverppol keeper was beaten in first half injury time by a powerful header from Ricardo Steer.

Dalglish changed his entire team at half-time, sending on the former Blackpool midfielder Adam plus the likes of Carroll, Dirk Kuyt and Alberto Aquilani.

Adam showed off his range of passing but Liverpool found themselves on the back foot for much of the second half and it was against the run of play when 18-year-old Coady drilled in their third in the 72nd minute.

Carroll had set up his young team-mate, and he then got on the scoresheet himself with a deflected finish from Maxi Rodriguez’s pass.

Guangdong kept battling and got their reward with Lu Lin’s lovely curling finish in the 90th minute, which was swiftly followed by another stylish effort from Yin Hongbo, who beat Daniel Agger before firing into the corner.

Liverpoolguardian.co.uk

Liverpool’s new owners have rewarded their old hero for transforming the club’s fortunes and pointing the way to glory

“It was obvious to us very early on that the atmosphere surrounding the club had been transformed by his presence. No one else could have produced such a