Liverpool today unveiled new signing Robbie Keane, from Spurs, to complete their striking incomings.

Since the sale of Peter Crouch the pressure has been on for Benitez to bring in another known striker. Keane, however, is a very different type of footballer to Crouch so it is interesting to note that Benitez also added 19 year old French striker David Ngog.

At the time of Ngog’s signing many thought he would be another player for the future but Rafa has confirmed that he will be involved in the first team games in the season ahead, much like Lucas last season.

“Normally he will be available for the first team next season. He is a player who wants to improve quickly, so he will learn and then settle down.”

Benitez went on to confirm that Ngog will be asked to do a similar job to Crouch’s last season

“He can play as a target man, but he is not strong because he is still very, very young,” said Benitez. “He has quality, though. He can keep the ball and pass it, and he has good movement.”

The signings of Ngog and Keane give Liverpool many options up front! I believe that they will continue with the 4-2-3-1 system from last season. Torres will naturally play the lone role again but for the 3 behind him Rafa can now call on last season’s preferred option of Kuyt, Gerrard and Babel as well as Pennant, Benayoun and Keane. Of course Pennant has been strongly linked with a move to Blackburn so that could change a little yet.

I expect the season to start with Kuyt, Gerrard and Keane playing behind Torres as Babel is away at the Olympics. As the season progresses I expect Kuyt to be the one pushed out, probably leading in his sale next summer. To have a front 4 of Torres, Keane, Gerrard and Babel would make any manager happy as it is 4 players you can count on to score goals. Kuyt’s lack of goals is what will ultimately cost him.

I expected Keane to play left or centre in the 3, but Benitez’s comments today suggest he’ll play right. Sounding the death knell for Kuyt?

“I think he also played out on the right-side at Tottenham as well as up front. As I said before, he is a clever player and as I said before, if you have this type of player it makes it better for the manager.”

So what happens if Torres is injured, suspended or rested? The Liverpool squad suggests that there would have to be a change in system unless Ngog can do the lone role. At 19 I think that’s a big ask. Babel is another who might be able to do a job, but I don’t think his goal scoring is ready for it yet. If Benitez feels he needs to stick with the 4-2-3-1 it is Keane that will go up top, and while that’s not ideal he could do a job.

Relying on Torres to be able to play the favoured system is not ideal but Benitez can not fix all the problems at once. He has Nemeth and Pacheco coming through from the Reserves who can play this system also, so perhaps he has decided to wait for them rather than splash the cash now. Worst case scenario he has to switch to 2 up top with Keane and Kuyt.

For this summer I believe the striker purchases are over. That is not the end of the spending though. The Defence and the Goalkeeping have been sorted, and now the striking department. The midfield was one of Liverpool’s strongest areas last season but there is still the chance of Barry in and Alonso out. That would bring more goals to the team and that was needed last season. It would also sort the Champion’s League problem of 8 ‘home grown’ players in your 25 man squad.

The arrival of Keane brings another regular goal scorer to Liverpool. The statistics from last season show that had Liverpool killed off the games they took the lead in they would have won or at least challenged for the title last season. Another regular goal scorer might just be the solution to this problem.