Liverpool, Time for Patience and Perspective

Last year, Liverpool FC had one of the worst seasons in their history. It was not just the position they ended up in, but more that the average on-field performances in no way reflected the vast amount of money they spent. The year began as one of optimism but it turned very quickly into a season to forget. Their league cup victory provided only a fleeting moment of joy that wasn’t enough to mask the subsequent disappointment in their FA cup final defeat. Finishing below their Everton rivals only further affirmed the dismal end to a poor season. Trust in Daliglish has taken Liverpool back to the 90s - Hodgson laid the foundations, but Dalglish really cemented it.

Roll on season 2012/2013 and Liverpool decides to dispense with the services of Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli and appoint a young manager in the form of Brendan Rodgers. Taking a new view on transfers, those at the top begin looking for a specific type of player that would fit into a system similar to the one Brendan Rodgers adopted during his time at Swansea City.

Things have not started brilliantly however, losing Andy Carroll and missing out on Clint Dempsey can hardly be deemed a master stroke. Results have not gone the way Liverpool would have wanted either but I feel that may be more due to bad luck and timing, rather than the on-field performances. A 3-0 spanking at The Hawthorns was not the best way to kick off the season for Liverpool, but this could be forgiven, considering that West Bromich Albion remain unbeaten and there was two very soft penalties against Liverpool. A draw with Manchester City a loss to Arsenal, are hardly reasons to panic, in the grand scheme of things.

Liverpool on paper has the makings of a good squad. Starting at the back, Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool had the fourth best defence in the league and I think under Rodgers, that could be set to continue. Pepe Reina is one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. Daniel Agger and Martin Škrtel built a great defensive partnership last season and that could remain, if they can adapt to Rodgers’ new system. Glen Johnson was one of England’s top performers at the Euros, proving all the doubters (myself included) wrong with a string of solid performances. Enrique started life well at Anfield but faded away (like most of the squad) towards the second half of the season, but Liverpool’s signings suggest they are going to keep faith in the back four that for the most part served them very well.

The midfield is where Liverpool were let down last season, as they relied too heavily on players such as Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing, and for the start of last season, Lucas Leiva, who seems to receive plenty of critical acclaim, but every time I watch him he never looks anywhere near the player they talk about in the media. The purchases of Nuri Şahin and Joe Allen will give Liverpool an extra dimension - Şahin in particular, who after an injury dogged time at Real Madrid, has the chance to reinforce his improving reputation, following his impressive season at Borussia Dortmund in their Bundesliga winning season of 2010/2011. Stephen Gerrard played fantastically in the Euros (he was probably England’s best player) and if he can adapt to Rodger’s new system and stay fit, he will always pose a threat.

Up front is where Liverpool still lacks real goal scoring threat, but they do have a lot of potential. If Luis Suarez can change his ways and finish his Messi-esque runs with a goal instead of hitting the post or hoofing it straight at the keeper, he could be looking at the Golden Boot this season. Fabio Borini is a young player with a decent free kick ability and he has also played under Rodgers before. Sterling looks like he could be quite the player if nurtured correctly - he possesses skill and blistering pace which could worry a lot of defensive flanks in the Premier League.

Liverpool also have a lot of youth in their squad. The previously mentioned Raheem Sterling is only seventeen and Martin Kelly, Jon Flanagan, Jack Robinson and Jonjo Shelvey, who are all on the fringes of the first team, are not much older. These players will be given more of a chance to impress this season in the extra games from the Europa League. In addition, we could see potentially great performances this season from Joe Allen and Fabio Borini who are still only twenty-two and twenty-one years old respectively.

Overall, I do not think it is all doom and gloom at Anfield and I think this season will be a successful one. Perhaps they will not manage top-four or any silverware, but a strong fifth to sixth place finish will show that Liverpool have improved and under Rodgers they will continue to improve. All that is required is patience from the Liverpool fans and the board - they need to give Brenden Rodgers time and look the Club’s growth in years rather than months. On the face of it, he is a very talented manager and I have no doubt that if he is the Liverpool manager in ten years time, they will have a lot more silverware in the cabinet.

~John Lavery