First Weekend Ramblings

 So the first weekend of the season has come and gone and it's good to start with a win after last season's disappointing opening result. There were good and bad points from our performance but overall it was encouraging and a good way to begin our campaign.

 Firstly the obvious, Simon Mignolet. Our new 'keeper looked a bit nervy early on but that's understandable and his save in the last few minutes from Walters' penalty will help him settle in no end. It's the second time in a row our season has begun with a 'keeper saving a penalty conceded by Daniel Agger, but this time it led to a far happier ending. 

 I'd also like to mention Kolo Toure. When we announced his capture I didn't think he would be first choice but it seems he is, and he looks to have found his feet within the group very quickly. He's good in the air and very forward thinking and will be a good addition to Liverpool Football Club. It was interesting to see how a player who has been there and seen it all before slots in compared to the less experienced youngsters we've recruited over the last few years. It wasn't just his performance that impressed me but the way he was the first to congratulate his team mates when they did something good, it looks as if he will be a strong and positive personality within the squad.

 I'll be the first to admit I was slightly underwhelmed when we shelled out £12 million on Daniel Sturridge but so far he's been worth every penny. Fast, persistent and confident with a much better long range shot than I'd previously thought, he is more than capable of leading our attack.

 Stoke are a team we tend to struggle against and it was nice to beat them, and in truth it should have been by more. There's no denying we were far better than they were and that Asmir Begovic was the best player on the pitch, but the one goal margin of victory was slightly concerning. We should have had four or five but weren't as clinical as we will need to be over the coming months. Stoke hit the bar, had one cleared off the line and failed with a late penalty. We got the thoroughly deserved three points but only by a matter of inches, if we continue being so wasteful in front of goal there will be times when we don't get the points our dominance will deserve.

 Elsewhere it was interesting to see Arsenal go down at home to Villa, this will surely spark a reaction from Arsene Wenger in the transfer market. Will the come back in for Suarez? Personally I'd be surprised if they don't. I'm not saying they'll get him but they're sure to try again, it's a saga that isn't over despite it going quiet over the last few days. If you're going to buy a player and pay him £150,000 a week but he's suspended until October why wouldn't you leave it until the last minute to sign him? Every three weeks you wait to buy him would save you almost half a million pounds, and for that reason I still expect more bids for him as the transfer deadline approaches, and possibly not just from Arsenal.

 It's also interesting to see Everton turning down £28 million from former manager David Moyes for Baines and Fellaini. Personally I think that is a fair price, £12 million for a 29 year old full back sounds about right, anything more would be excessive. And £16 million for Fellaini also sounds about right. He could have gone for £24 million before his release clause expired but nobody bid, suggesting his market value is well below that figure. Of course it's Everton's prerogative to turn down any bid the feel makes the deal not worthwhile for them, I think it's more a measure of Man Utd's desperation if they have to come back with a higher bid. It's frustrating that we've not managed our marquee signing yet despite targeting Mikatarhyan, Costa and Willian but we've still fared better in the transfer market so far than Man Utd and Arsenal.

 It's rumoured our pursuit of Brazillian Willian for £30 million (a poet's dream...) will either succeed or fail in the next couple of days, with Spurs also interested. I've not really seen him play so I'm not getting too excited about his potential arrival but he's reportedly a very talented player. Right now there's not a lot to choose between us and Tottenham but they can offer him life in London, something that appeals to many foreigners so in my opinion I'd have them as favourites over us for his signature, though it would be nice to be wrong.

 Anyway, that's more than enough of my ramblings, will leave it at that for now. Bring on Villa away at the weekend, let's hope their midweek game at Chelsea takes plenty out of them and we can take full advantage on Saturday.

Welcome To The Jeremy Kyle Show Luis Suarez And Brendan Rodgers.....

JK – Good morning ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Jeremy Kyle show. Today we have with us Luis and Brendan. Luis desperately wants a baby but so far Brendan hasn’t been able to give him one, Luis claims Brendan promised him a baby and after a year of trying without success he wants to end the relationship. Luis has also said he’s had enough of the neighbourhood gossips and wants to move to a new estate. Let’s not wait any longer and bring out Luis.

(Some applause, some booing)

JK – Now Luis, this seems a fairly common situation, tell us your side of the story.

LS- I’m very happy with Brendan but I’ve had enough of the gossips on the council estate and I need to move house. They say things about me that aren’t true and I need to get away from them. They don’t treat me the same way they treat everyone else and it’s not fair.

JK- Is that the real reason? It strikes me that if you’re happy in your relationship you can get past that.

LS – OK, the real reason is that I’m 26 and I want a baby now, I can’t wait any longer. Last summer Brendan promised me a baby within a year and we haven’t had one so I want to leave him and find someone else who can give me the child I want so badly. I’d be a great parent, I really deserve a baby.

JK – What’s your relationship like with Brendan? How does his family treat you?

LS – I’ve had a great year with Brendan, probably the best year of my life so far, but we haven’t managed to have a baby yet. And I really want a baby. His family have been really good with me, even when I wrote horrible things on Facebook and embarrassed them they stuck up for me and always ‘liked’ my status updates. But I’ve had enough of the gossips on the council estate and I want a baby.

JK- We’ve heard from Luis, now let’s bring out Brendan.

(Muted applause)

JK- Welcome to the show Brendan. We’ve heard from Luis, now let’s hear your side of things.

BR- I’ve never promised Luis a baby, I’ve told him we’ll try really hard for one but I’ve never promised he can leave if we don’t have one. I really want a baby too and I want that to happen with Luis.

JK- So you’re saying you’ve never promised him he can leave if you don’t have a baby?

BR- That’s exactly what I’m saying. Luis will be a great parent and deserves a baby, but if he’s patient I can give him that.

JK- And what about all this stuff about the gossips on the council estate?

BR- He’s saying that, but it turns out he now wants a baby with someone else on the same street!!

JK- Is this true Luis?

LS- So what? It’s not like it’s with our next door neighbour or that lot across the road that we don’t get on with, it’s all the way down the other end of the street. And Brendan promised me a baby and I want to leave him.

BR- I never promised him a baby.

JK- Have you been trying much lately?

LS- I tried really hard to get us a baby.

BR- Luis hasn’t tried very hard lately as he’s had an STI for the last few months and it won’t clear up until October time.

JK- Now that is a revelation! Luis, how has Brendan and his family treated you since you’ve had your STI?

LS- They’ve been really good with me, always saying nice things and trying to make me feel better.

JK- And you don’t feel you owe them anything in return?

LS- I want a baby, Brendan promised me a baby. I want someone else to give me a baby now.

JK- So how are you going to find someone else?

LS- I’ve told the neighbourhood gossips that I want a baby with someone else and now I’ll see who comes over to chat me up next time I’m in the pub.

JK- The same neighbourhood gossips you say have been making your life miserable?

LS- Yes, those ones. And Brendan promised me a baby.

BR- I never promised a baby.

JK- Ladies and gentlemen, I think it’s time for a lie detector test…………………

Pepe Reina's Emotional Goodbye Proves Brendan Rodgers Right

 Liverpool have today confirmed that our long term goalkeeper Pepe Reina has joined Rafa Benitez' Napoli on a season long loan deal. Reina has released a  lengthy statement via his website on his time at Liverpool, making it very clear how much he loved being here and how much he will miss the club. 

 It's a very sincere statement and in this day and age of players moving on for money it's refreshing to see someone, especially a foreigner, take a club, it's fans and it's culture so much to heart. Pepe Reina loves Liverpool and Liverpool loves Pepe Reina, he'll miss us and we'll miss him.

 What he also mentions in his statement is Barcelona. The Catalan club also have a long term goalkeeper but Victor Valdes has announced he will not be signing another contract at the club, meaning he will leave for free next summer and Barca will need a new number one. Top of the list? Pepe Reina. The Spaniard admits to having talks with Brendan Rodgers about a move to Barca, saying he is happy to stay at Anfield but would seriously consider a switch to the Camp Nou if the opportunity arises. Basically Reina wanted Barca, Barca wanted a 'keeper, what was Rodgers supposed to do? 

 A replacement was targeted and signed, Simon Mignolet coming in from Sunderland. By all accounts we weren't the only club interested in the Belgian international and we had to move quickly to secure his services. He has Premier League experience and youth on his side and if he settles and develops as we hope he could potentially be our first choice for the next decade. The catch? Victor Valdes has decided to stay at Barca and see out the final year of his contract rather than make a move to Monaco or PSG meaning Barca have decided against making a big money goalkeeping signing this summer.

 If we had decided to stick with Reina and Barcelona come in for him next summer we would most probably lose him and be stuck. The way things have panned out we've managed to acquire our first choice as his successor, something that may not have happened if we'd waited twelve months. He's on a salary of around £5 million a year, something we simply cannot justify for a reserve goalkeeper. It's different for outfield players as they can come on for the last twenty or thirty minutes of a match and make an impact, goalkeepers sit and watch unless there's an injury or a sending off. We couldn't keep him, and letting him out on loan for a year benefits all parties.

 I have a lot of time and respect for Reina as a man and as a footballer and I wish him well, to be honest the sentimental part of me really doesn't want to see him move on. But his idea that he would wait for Barcelona to come in for him and keep Liverpool as his back up option smacks of someone who wants to have his cake and eat it, something we just can't entertain.

 It's easy to remember just how good he was two or three years ago and say that allowing him to leave the club is a mistake, but the way everything has happened we've taken the only option realistically available to us. Pepe Reina's goodbye statement confirms exactly why we love and respect him so much, and also explains exactly why Brendan Rodgers had no choice but to bring in Simon Mignolet and let Reina go.

 Good luck Pepe, YNWA. 

I Didn't Want To Talk About Luis Suarez But...........

 I'd made a promise to myself that I wasn't going to write about Luis Suarez until the whole 'will he stay or will he go' saga was resolved one way or another, but I've read so many opinions about it all I just had to contribute my thoughts. And to be honest I've got more views on how everyone else feels than I've got on the Uruguayan himself.

 Arsenal fans - some of you seem to be against the idea of signing Suarez, if you'd actually watched him closely you would be prepared to move heaven and earth to get him to your club, he is that good, he would bring you far closer to being title contenders than you are now. You call him a diver, remember Robert Pires, Patrick Viera, Eduardo? You don't have any problems with divers at your club, you've proved it. You call Suarez vile, well, he's had a couple of unsavoury incidents on the football pitch, but off it he's a normal, decent guy. You worship the likes of Tony Adams and Paul Merson who have been guilty of far more serious things in life than Suarez, get over it, stop being so hypocritical. You want your club to spend big, Suarez is the best player you have any chance of getting, you should back your manager and embrace the possibility of one of the best players in European football joining your club.

 Liverpool fans - I'm hearing the word 'loyalty' a lot, and it's very appropriate. But be completely honest, have we stuck by Suarez because we stand by each and every one of our own, or simply because he is such an incredible player? Imagine Jay Spearing had caused us the same controversies Suarez has, a hard working local lad but with limited ability, would we stand so fiercely behind him or would we be happy to let him go to Blackburn or Bolton or some such club? And look at Stewart Downing, he's worked twice as hard to stay at the club as Suarez has at trying to leave the club, are we loyal to him? Does he get our unwavering support? I think not. Yes, Suarez has been in situations where we could have quite rightly taken a different view and cast him aside, and yes, it would be nice if he showed some commitment in return, but that's not how the world works, and if we were the chasing club in a similar transfer story would we be thinking the player should join us or not? Not difficult is it.

 Another thing a lot of Liverpool fans are saying, why would he move to Arsenal? Man City, Chelsea, even Man Utd we could understand as they are challenging for the title but Arsenal are content with their '4th place trophy' every season. Well, lets be realistic about what we are aiming for, we want to break into the top four. In short what we want for Liverpool over the next few seasons is exactly where Arsenal already are and have been for the past decade. Our medium term ambition is Arsenal's current reality so calling Suarez unambitious for considering moving there is a little strange. And why wouldn't Arsenal be looking at Suarez? If we'd been playing Champions League football for the last ten seasons in a row and a team finishing seventh had a player as good as Suarez we would be screaming at the board to go out and try to buy him. Tottenham fans didn't want to see Robbie Keane leave for Anfield but I don't remember any Liverpool fans giving them a second thought when he came to us.

 Fans of other teams, especially our rivals - those of you saying you just want to see the back of him should be honest about your reasons.. 'He's a cheating racist cannibal and Liverpool should get rid of him', I'm sick of hearing that. If a team I didn't like (Everton, Man Utd) had a player that caused them as much controversy and negative publicity as Suarez causes us I'd be desperate for them to keep him and hopefully drag their name through even more mud. Unless he was a world class talent who singlehandedly made a massive difference to their performances and results. You all may not like Suarez, that's your personal choice, but the only reason you want to see the back of him is because you would rather face a Liverpool side without him than with him.

 Luis Suarez himself - well, where to start? He signed a new contract last summer when we weren't in the Champions League. At that time we had a new manager, a new project and a new philosophy at the club. When he signed his new contract he will have been fully aware that we were unlikely to break into the top four in Brendan Rodgers' first season so he can't be surprised to find Liverpool where we are. The second half of last season showed a lot of promise and if he stays he has every reason to feel optimistic about our chances for 2013/14. He has made plenty of mention of the English media influencing his desire to move on from Liverpool which I find a little bit soft but still understandable, to a degree. So why then move to the capital of England where the majority of the media is actually based? Very strange. In fairness I don't think Suarez has courted Arsenal, I think they're his only real option so far, but if he did decide to move to the Emirates he would have a lot of questions to answer. I wonder if he and his agent are using Arsenal to try to get Real Madrid's attention? Maybe Madrid are letting Arsenal do all the negotiating and will then jump in if a fee is ever agreed.

 The £40 million clause - apparently this clause states that any bid in excess of this figure allows the player to speak to the bidding club, but doesn't mean Liverpool have to accept the bid. That sounds very strange to me and if it's true then the players lawyers haven't really served their client very well when that was drawn up. And as for Liverpool, if we were short sighted enough not to include some sort of 'not to a rival English club competing for the top four' note in his contract then we've left ourselves wide open to a situation like this.

 Luis Suarez moving to Arsenal would be a double blow for us, decreasing our chances of returning to the Champions League while at the same time improving the team we could most realistically catch. Selling to Real Madrid for £40 million would make more economic sense than selling to Arsenal for a significantly higher sum. I still feel there will be twists and turns in the whole ordeal before it is over though and I doubt Arsenal will have a clear unchallenged path to the player.

 I'm going to try not to make much more mention of the saga from now until it is resolved as I'm beginning to find it repetitive and boring, I just had to vent my feelings today. Do I care whether he stays or goes? Of course, I'm a dedicated Liverpool fan and I want our best player to stay. Can I be bothered with the whole soap opera? Not really. Come on Luis / Liverpool / Arsenal, get on with it, make a decision one way or the other and get on with life.

Loaning Pepe Reina To Napoli Is A Clever Move By Liverpool

 It's been a while since I've put anything on here, to be honest not a lot has inspired me to write. The whole Luis Suarez saga is boring me and I'm not going to go into that until it reaches a conclusion one way or another. We've brought in four players but to be honest, Kolo Toure aside, I don't know much about any of them so I'll make my judgments on whether or not they're decent signings over the course of the season.

 What does look likely though is that Pepe Reina is heading out to join up with Rafa Benitez at Napoli on a season long loan deal, which is something of a surprise. Players of Reina's age and standing within the game don't often move on loan but looking at it a little more closely I think it's a really good idea for all concerned. 

 A few months back Barcelona 'keeper Victor Valdes announced he wouldn't sign a new contract at the Camp Nou, Reina was immediately linked to being his replacement. I've been a Liverpool fan all my life and even I would love to play for Barca (unlikely to happen but I can dream......) so for someone like Pepe who already has ties to the club it must have been more than interesting. Some clubs can offer high wages (Man City), some can offer tradition and reputation (Liverpool) and some can offer Champions League football (Napoli) but Barca can offer all three, making them a dream destination for almost any player. Valdes later announced he will stay at Barca for the coming season, the final one under his current contract. Barcelona need a new 'keeper NEXT summer, not this one.

 If Pepe is to join Barca next summer Liverpool don't want to wait until then to replace him so we've been out and signed one of the most promising young goalkeepers in Europe, and we've got him on approximately half the wages we're currently paying to Reina. It's a good deal, especially when you throw Simon Mignolet's Premier League experience into the mix. Reina has been loyal to Liverpool and the various managers of the last few seasons have always chosen him as their number one, and the fans have supported him even though there has been a small but noticeable drop in his performance levels over the last three years. If he wants to move to Barcelona he'll go with our thanks and our best wishes.

 So why loan him to Napoli if he wants to go to Barca? Well, a season sitting on our bench will see his transfer value drop, and a year as a substitute leading up to a World Cup is not what a man like him deserves. Napoli will offer him regular football, Champions League football and the chance to work with a manager and goalkeeping coach who get the best out of him. They will also, presumably, pay Liverpool a loan fee. Assuming Reina's transfer value is the same next summer as it is now then adding a loan fee on top of that means in the long term we get more money for him (see Andy Carroll). If he does well under Rafa and they want to keep him there's a chance a bidding war for his services could start, leaving us in a position where we can get more money for him. And if Mignolet doesn't settle as Liverpool's number one 'keeper then we will still have the option of not selling Pepe at all.

 It will be sad to start the season without Pepe Reina at the club, and losing him at the same time as Jamie Carragher puts a lot more pressure on the likes of Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger as senior players in the dressing room. We have a relatively inexperienced manager and a young squad by Premier League standards so losing long term servants could hit us hard, but Brendan Rodgers is aware of this and will have plans in place. Signings like Toure are clever and will hopefully fill more than just the void left at centre back by Carragher's retirement.

 I don't want to see Pepe Reina leave Liverpool as a man or as a goalkeeper but it's football and these things happen. In many ways the whole thing makes a lot of sense, and as long as Mignolet settles it's a good move all round. Reina currently costs us around £5 million a year in wages and that's too much for a substitute. The loan deal has many advantages over a straightforward sale and I think Liverpool have made a clever decision. Good luck to Pepe and, more importantly, good luck to Simon Mignolet.

So How Would It Really Feel To See Luis Suarez Leave Liverpool?

 With all the quotes attributed to Luis Suarez over the last couple of days it’s looking increasingly likely he’ll be heading out of Anfield and into the Bernabeau this summer. I’m not happy he’s leaving and I can’t say I’m overly gutted either, I’m finding it hard to feel anything either way over the probable transfer.

 Liverpool have released a short statement saying Suarez is not for sale and neither the player nor his agent have contacted them about him seeking a move. Statements like this are normal in this sort of circumstance and 99% of the time the player still gets his move so I'm not expecting the club's desire to keep our number seven to win out. If we're lucky it may add a couple of million on to the transfer fee we receive. To those saying Suarez making public his desire to leave weakens our negotiating position I disagree. If he wants to leave his agent would make potential buying clubs well aware of this so just because it's now public knowledge I doubt Real Madrid know something they didn't yesterday.

 As a club and as a set of fans Liverpool could not have shown the Uruguayan any more support than they have done, but if he doesn’t feel comfortable in Britain then what can we do about it? Yes, his problems are largely of his own making, but that doesn’t mean any human wouldn’t be tempted when offered a very attractive way out. If you had caused yourself issues in your own workplace and were offered a better paid job in a sunnier climate would you take it or would you show your bosses loyalty? The fact that Real Madrid are challenging for the league title and the Champions League would be very hard for Suarez to ignore.

 Steven Gerrard is a top player but he’s not the force he was a few years back, Coutinho has genuine potential but the fact remains that Suarez is currently our only world class player, and nobody wants to lose someone like him. Any Liverpool fan who says they’re happy he’s going obviously isn’t bothered about us improving our league position.

 Comparisons are already being made between Suarez’ imminent departure and Fernando Torres leaving us a few years ago, the majority feeling Torres walking away hurt more. In my opinion it probably did, but not because our affection for the player was any stronger. Choosing Chelsea over Liverpool was a clear sign that the newly rich London club are a better prospect than us, something that’s not easy to stomach. The fact that a South American fancies Real Madrid more than he fancies Liverpool isn’t really a big deal and I’ll accept it, though in a perfect world it wouldn’t be true.

 I have a feeling that if we’d qualified for next season’s Champions League Suarez might have chosen to stay, but we didn’t so we’ll never know. It would be nice if he’d come out and say he wants to play in the Champions League rather than blaming the media but he’s not the first and won’t be the last player to avoid the honest truth when seeking a move. Real Madrid are one of the biggest and most prestigious clubs in world football and it would be quite easy to say 'I'd love to stay at Liverpool and be part of their future but from a footballing and a financial perspective this move was just too good to turn down'. I don't think there is any real need for Suarez to blame the British media for his exit, even though I'm sure they have certainly helped speed up his departure.

 I don't believe it was particularly the reaction to Suarez biting Branislav Ivanovic that bothered him, he was clearly in the wrong and apologised for his behaviour and subsequently accepted his suspension that most judged to be at least a little harsh for the actual offence. I think it was the reaction to the incident at Mansfield that really hurt the Uruguayan. The ball ricocheted upwards and hit his hand, and he then put the ball into the net. To any seasoned football observer it was quite clearly unintentional but large sections of the media reported that he had basically ruined the entire FA Cup competition. He seemed to be made into the poster boy for all that is wrong in football on the back of an accidental collision between the ball and his hand. This was where the press had the opportunity to report the facts rather than aim more arrows at an easy target and we all know which path the majority of them took.

 There is something a bit off if Suarez leaves Liverpool of his own desire, after all the controversy he has caused the club it seems that it should be them who tell him it's time to go, not the other way around. Liverpool supporters and management rallied around Suarez after he bit Ivanovic when they had the chance to condemn him. To allow everybody to come out so strongly and publicly on his side when he probably already knew he wanted to go isn't classy behaviour.

 For his ability on the pitch Suarez deserves to be playing in the Champions League and challenging for titles. If one game summed up his time at Liverpool for me it was when Newcastle visited Anfield earlier this season. Suarez scored probably the goal of the season, ridiculously controlling a long ball from Jose Enrique before rounding the keeper and slotting calmly into the net. But the team didn't win, a fixture we were strong favourites to take all three points from ended in a 1-1 draw despite our main striker's man of the match performance.

 If, as now looks virtually certain, he moves on this summer I hope the money we receive is invested wisely in new attacking talent. If he goes to Real Madrid then good luck to him, and good luck to Liverpool too, I think all parties involved may need it.

What Sort Of Signing Is Kolo Toure?

 Liverpool have confirmed that a deal has been agreed in principle with Man City's central defender Kolo Toure, stating that the Ivory Coast international will join once he becomes a free agent at the beginning of July.

 Toure is 32 years old and will come with a hefty wage packet though the lack of transfer fee for an experienced Premier League player is an obvious plus point. Only time will tell if he proves to be a good signing or not but there are arguments that could be made both for and against us adding him to our squad.

 The retirement of Jamie Carragher leaves the squad short of both a central defender and an experienced professional, Toure ticks both of those boxes. He's played in England for over a decade, won trophies and been a solid, consistent performer. On the face of it you'd have to say it's a sensible signing, not spectacular or exciting, but sensible. 

 He's older than any of FSG's previous signings but I don't think they've particularly broken their transfer policy to bring him on board. A measured approach to recruiting new squad members has been their trademark so far, only buying players they feel will hold or even improve their values, and signing somebody on a free clearly fits into that category. 

 I don't see Toure being a first team regular, I think Daniel Agger is our first choice centre back and it remains to be seen whether Martin Skrtel is trusted to play alongside him or if we bring in another defender (Shalke's Greek Kyriakos Papadopoulos has been strongly rumoured to be on our radar) to partner the Dane. Giving a regular starting berth to a 32 year old signing would be against everything that Brendan Rodgers has done so far and I don't see him changing his policy any time soon. Where we have struggled this season has been with our 4th choice centre back. Sebastian Coates has potential but there was no way you could put him into the starting XI and be fully confident he would deliver, meaning he wasn't genuine competition to the established Agger/Skrtel partnership. When Skrtel's form dipped it was Carragher who was brought in, not the young Uruguayan. 

 This is where my doubts over Kolo Toure come in. He hasn't played much football for Man City over the last couple of seasons and at this stage of his career he has two choices - go somewhere and play every week for the love of the game, or move somewhere else as a squad player and take the nice salary on offer. A player happy to take his money without contributing can be disruptive so there is an element of a gamble in signing him. I'm not saying Toure is definitely like that, but it's a possibility and one hopefully Rodgers is fully aware of.

 It remains to be seen who else we bring in this summer but it's good to see us acting swiftly, having a settled squad enjoying a full pre-season together can only help come the start of the next campaign. Let's hope for a few more new faces at Anfield over the coming weeks, there are still a few positions on the squad that need sorting (left back) and getting the players in early can give the manager a more relaxed summer and more time to prepare for next season.

What Should Liverpool Look To Achieve Next Season?

 I think the general response to Brendan Rodgers from Liverpool fans this season has been fairly positive, our new manager has made changes and the majority of them for the better. With the spate of sackings and retirements this year he will begin his second season in charge at Anfield as the sixth longest serving manager in the Premier League.  

 We finished seventh this season which isn't good enough for Liverpool, but the performances over the last few months have left most Kopites with a feeling of optimism for our future. One thing came back into my head from our reasonably recent history though - didn't Gerard Houllier get the sack for actually finishing fourth?

 Yes, he did. So what's changed, why was finishing fourth not enough and now finishing seventh is considered a promising start? Well, there's a few reasons. I think the main factor is beyond the club's control, that being the huge financial backing given to Chelsea and now Manchester City. Back in 2004 when Houllier was let go there was still a genuine belief we could challenge for and even win the title. Now that looks much harder with too many clubs above us who can simply go out and buy the best players from all around the world, something that we can't do to the same extent. To win the title in the early part of the century we would have had to finish above Arsenal and Man Utd, now we would have to overtake the same pair, plus Man City, Chelsea and an emerging Spurs side. 

 I've had a look at the league table from 2003/04 and it's interesting to compare it to this season -

2003/04 Played 38, won 16, drawn 12, lost 10, goal difference +18, points 60
2012/13 Played 38, won 16, drawn 13, lost 9, goal difference +28, points 61

 So, almost identical then, one more draw this time around and a better goal difference, and a solitary point better off, and yet we finished three places lower than in 03/04. In 2003/04 60 points qualified us for the Champions League (which we then went on and won) and this season Spurs reached 72 and had to settle for Thursday night football next term.

 The conclusion from that is that qualification for the Champions League is harder to achieve now than ever, making Brendan Rodgers' task an extremely difficult one. I think most Liverpool fans are realistic enough to realise that winning the title will only come with a strong financial input allowing the club to compete with everyone else when it comes to transfer fees and wages. And the only way to strengthen the club's finances is to regularly qualify for the Champions League.

 We want to get back to the top of the table, back on our perch, but it has to happen a step at a time. In modern Premier League football teams simply don't leap from seventh to first, nobody suddenly one season manages thirty more points than they did at the previous attempt. Brendan Rodgers needs to move us up three places and approximately twelve points. Only once that step has been taken can he consider the next step of targeting another league title.

 Much has been made of our lack of victories against the top six teams this season but I'm not totally convinced it's as important as it has been made out to be. We have dropped vital points in winnable games and I think that has cost us more. If we'd won at Southampton and Reading, at home to West Ham and beaten West Brom home and away (all games we went into as favourites) we would have finished in the top four. 

 We are capable of getting the number of points needed to achieve our short term goal of returning to European football's big stage, we just need to turn it on week in week out and let the belief build within the squad. We have no European football next season and we simply have to take advantage of this. We have to turn it into a positive and use the free midweeks to prepare properly for every game no matter who the opponent is. Chelsea have played 69 competitive matches this season, we have 38 plus the domestic cups next season. Taking advantage of having fewer games than the other contenders is something that we cannot fail at. 

 Next season may be bigger for Liverpool than any of us realise, it's our best opportunity for a while to climb back up the table. For me if we don't get top four next season then serious questions will have to be asked. I don't mean I'm expecting it, I just mean that if we can't make it when the fixture list is on our side then we may need to re-evaluate our approach. I have faith and our manager has my full support, let's just hope we deliver.