With the pre-season rapidly approaching Liverpool supporters have a lot of reasons for being optimistic about their team’s chances of finally breaking into the top four, having missed out on Champions League football for four consecutive seasons.
On December 9, 2009, Liverpool lost 2-1 away to Italian Serie A side Fiorentina and were knocked out of the Champions league. That defeat ended Rafael Benitez’s run of guiding the club to the knockout phases of the prestigious competition every season he had been at the dugout.
Under the tutelage of the Spanish tactician, the Reds won the competition in the 2004/05 edition and two seasons later, reached the final again. Over the course of a five-year period, the Reds were a European force that waved the English flag high and proud all over the continent.
And when that final whistle blew on that fateful night in Florence, not even the pessimistic of Liverpool supporters had the slightest idea that it would be the last time fans would be humming to the tune of the competition. Since then, Champions League has been an elusive dream for England’s most successful club in Europe. What is even more hurting is the fact that the club has not even come close to qualifying for it.
Four years since that encounter, a lot has changed for the club. Benitez departed, there was a change in hands (new owners), Roy Hodgson came in only to make way for a second coming of Kenny Dalglish. However, those changes never transformed the club’s fortunes.
Now with Brendan Rodgers in charge, there is still hope that the club can finally return to where it performs at its best. Rodgers task is to return the club to the loftiest of heights of European football, a task that will not be accomplished overnight.
With a three-year contract and owners willing to dig deep into their pockets, the former Swansea City manager does have time on his side. However, fans might not be that patient. There have been signs of gradual improvement but the way the progress was shown last season, Liverpool were never going to battle the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham for a top four spot.
Not being able to be on the cusp of European qualification is a frustrating thing for Liverpool fans. However, there should be more optimism among the locals due to the fact that the club’s transfer activity has been very neat this time around. It may not be an impressive one but it is interesting all the same.
Carrying on from where he left of during the January transfer window when Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge arrived at Anfield, Rodgers has not wavered from his policy of making shrewd signings.
The latest additions of Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto prove that the club is willing to spend the money on players who are willing to adapt to the philosophy of the manager. Alberto might be a young and unproven player on the big stage but is bound to come good due to the young Spaniard’s ability to be unselfish and making sure that the team’s rhythm is not hampered.
With Pepe Reina looking to make full use of Victor Valdes’ eagerness to seek a fresh challenge, Rodgers made the right move by bringing in Simon Mignolet from Sunderland. The Belgian international has already proven to be one of Premier League’s finest and there is no question why he would not do well for the Reds.
Now remains the case of Luis Suarez. The Uruguay international is keen on leaving England for Spain. However, if Liverpool manage to hold on to him for one more season, a top four place is not out of the question. If they really are in control of the player’s fate like they say to the press, Liverpool must do everything they can in order to make sure that a player who literally carried the team last season, stays for another season where he might have a few teammates who would gladly share the goal scoring burden with him.
As it stands Liverpool have already strengthened their squad with the arrival of four new players and are certainly still dwelling in the transfer market in search of other players who could benefit the squad.
Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan is one of the players hotly linked to the reds this season. If Liverpool continue to bring in quality players, it might convince Luis Suarez to remain faithful to the club for one more season which will surely enhance their chances of finishing in the top four next season.
Under the tutelage of the Spanish tactician, the Reds won the competition in the 2004/05 edition and two seasons later, reached the final again. Over the course of a five-year period, the Reds were a European force that waved the English flag high and proud all over the continent.
And when that final whistle blew on that fateful night in Florence, not even the pessimistic of Liverpool supporters had the slightest idea that it would be the last time fans would be humming to the tune of the competition. Since then, Champions League has been an elusive dream for England’s most successful club in Europe. What is even more hurting is the fact that the club has not even come close to qualifying for it.
Four years since that encounter, a lot has changed for the club. Benitez departed, there was a change in hands (new owners), Roy Hodgson came in only to make way for a second coming of Kenny Dalglish. However, those changes never transformed the club’s fortunes.
Now with Brendan Rodgers in charge, there is still hope that the club can finally return to where it performs at its best. Rodgers task is to return the club to the loftiest of heights of European football, a task that will not be accomplished overnight.
With a three-year contract and owners willing to dig deep into their pockets, the former Swansea City manager does have time on his side. However, fans might not be that patient. There have been signs of gradual improvement but the way the progress was shown last season, Liverpool were never going to battle the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham for a top four spot.
Not being able to be on the cusp of European qualification is a frustrating thing for Liverpool fans. However, there should be more optimism among the locals due to the fact that the club’s transfer activity has been very neat this time around. It may not be an impressive one but it is interesting all the same.
Carrying on from where he left of during the January transfer window when Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge arrived at Anfield, Rodgers has not wavered from his policy of making shrewd signings.
The latest additions of Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto prove that the club is willing to spend the money on players who are willing to adapt to the philosophy of the manager. Alberto might be a young and unproven player on the big stage but is bound to come good due to the young Spaniard’s ability to be unselfish and making sure that the team’s rhythm is not hampered.
With Pepe Reina looking to make full use of Victor Valdes’ eagerness to seek a fresh challenge, Rodgers made the right move by bringing in Simon Mignolet from Sunderland. The Belgian international has already proven to be one of Premier League’s finest and there is no question why he would not do well for the Reds.
Now remains the case of Luis Suarez. The Uruguay international is keen on leaving England for Spain. However, if Liverpool manage to hold on to him for one more season, a top four place is not out of the question. If they really are in control of the player’s fate like they say to the press, Liverpool must do everything they can in order to make sure that a player who literally carried the team last season, stays for another season where he might have a few teammates who would gladly share the goal scoring burden with him.
As it stands Liverpool have already strengthened their squad with the arrival of four new players and are certainly still dwelling in the transfer market in search of other players who could benefit the squad.
Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan is one of the players hotly linked to the reds this season. If Liverpool continue to bring in quality players, it might convince Luis Suarez to remain faithful to the club for one more season which will surely enhance their chances of finishing in the top four next season.
