After years of toil this might just be Gerrard’s last chance to add the elusive league title to his trophy cabinet
Brendan Rodgers
It was a story of so close yet so far for Liverpool last season. Flamboyant football and plenty of goals from the Reds forced neutrals to pick them as favourites for the title before they blew it towards the end. But their performance showed that the Merseyside club are back to the standards that are expected of them after years of toiling in mid-table mediocrity. Brendan Rodgers had revived the sleeping dragon and will be looking to build on last year’s performance.
Although pundits might dismiss the performance as a one-off, a closer look shows how Rodgers has transformed the club that outplayed Manchester City and Chelsea with a squad that didn’t have the depth and names that the two giants had. With high pressing, quick and versatile attackers, complementing Steven Gerrard’s dynamic presence in midfield, the Reds were a formidable force with their free-flowing football.
Their transfer market activity over the summer also has been methodical and precise. While the loss of Luis Suarez — whose ability to score and bring his teammates into play was key for Liverpool — to Barcelona will leave a gaping hole, Liverpool have added to their creative centre with midfielder Emre Can, winger Lazar Markovic and Southampton’s Adam Lallana adding more power to their already competitive midfield consisting of Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson. Lallana’s teammate Ricky Lambert has also been recruited to add teeth to their attack.
Meanwhile, Dejan Lovern (Southampton) and left back Alberto Moreno (Sevilla) have come to shore up defence, their weakest link last season. Liverpool have copied Tottenham Hotspur’s model of buying multiple players to fill the void left by Gareth Bale, but with more smartness.
While the London club brought in multiple players of similar style, Lambert will add physical presence up front and provide Liverpool a dimension different from the one offered by Daniel Sturridge. Lovern, who was one of the most quietly impressive players in the league last season, will add solidity and composure to defence. His ability to carry the ball forward will be a valuable asset.
Liverpool fans are hungrier than supporters of other clubs for the title. After years of toil in the middle this might just be Gerrard’s last chance to add the elusive league title to his trophy cabinet. Winning is a habit and Liverpool acquired last season. But with Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal gunning for the title, the race is sure to go down to the wire but anything less than top four will be unacceptable for the Kop crowd.
Next Story
