IN the not too distant past, you would be hard pressed to find a Liverpool fan satisfied with a position outside the illusive Premier League top four.
However, after such a mediocre season last campaign under Kenny, what should we be requesting from Brendan Rodgers?
If our brand of football becomes more exciting to watch, would a similar league position really be disastrous? Should we gauge the quality of the new man at the helm not on his first season at a high profile club, but on his overall ambitions for the future of Liverpool?
Ian Ayre described the search of Dalglish’s successor as “the most critical appointment in Liverpool’s recent history”. No pressure for Rodgers then. As the 39-year old makes the leap from South Wales to Merseyside, a looming expectation is inevitable. No one expects miracles at Anfield. A title push is some considerable distance away. However, with an unwavering praise of Rodgers; his tactically astute approach to the game an undoubted factor in his appointment, results will need to be immeasurably improved from last season, especially at home.
With the recent unpredictability that has stifled many a club in recent Premier League seasons, it is difficult to pinpoint where we can finish next campaign. However, what can be discussed is what will be considered a successful season for the Reds. When asked, most fans would demand a better league position than was achieved last season. At one point, the club could have finished outside the top ten, an unmitigated disaster under any circumstances at Anfield.
A European position is a necessity nowadays to attract the world’s best, and that is a realistic target for Rodgers, be it Europa or Champions League. The squad is more than good enough to finish in the top six; that should a requirement not an ambition. However, with the aforementioned Europa League seemingly an unattractive competition for the majority of English clubs, sacrificing the tournament for more attractive football is a trade that some would accept.
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To finish fifth, qualify for the Europa League and subsequently have to travel to Azerbaijan on a Thursday night in December the following season is not a particularly attractive proposition. Would fans prefer to finish seventh, and drop the Europa League in favour of easy on the eye football that has been instilled by Rodgers and a transitioning young side?
Questioning the successes at the club next season already may be too early, after all, it is still an agonising 6 weeks until the Premier League kicks off again. However, what must not happen is for the media to pressure Rodgers should he not achieve perfect results in the first few weeks of the season. Pressure that will unquestionably grow on the Northern Irishman.
Comparisons to his predecessor would not do him any favours but with the watching pundits ready to leap on the bandwagon of negativity that surrounds Liverpool at times, it could be a tough few months for the former Watford boss.
Questions over the appointment of the new man can only be answered at the end of the season when Reds fans glance at the table or the teams playing style. If either one of these facets impress the majority of supporters, Rodgers’ job will be secure. However, combine both positive league position with beautiful playing style and the man from Carnlough could be sticking around Anfield for the considerable future.
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We must score plenty goals anb beat minnor teams we will find ourselves in top4 bt if we struggle with small clubs and aiming to win big games we will finish below 8th place..so we need players who are serious in all games not only derbies
What i would consider a success is getting shut of the crap players like Adam and Downing and buying a few class players then we will progress
its as simple as that!
Is it that simple?! Ok, let’s contact the club so.
Minimum requirements.
Shoot for the stars (title) to reach the moon (top 4).
Consistency, discipline, mental toughness, winning mentality and a bit of tweak here and there by the new tweaked(the fine tuner). Good luck BR.
Just challenging for the 4th spot with 1/2 games left would be good and show it’s possible.
I agree totally with that, and it’s fair.
Champions League qualification would be considered a successful season but in the event that doesn’t happen then managing to sell Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing for close to the price we paid would suffice as a consolation.
Why must liverpool be aimin for the 4th spot not 3rd or 2nd or even 1st? Aimin for 4th makes the players more reluctant and we end up at d bottom 4. Make spot 2 or 3 our priority and bring in more quality players to help. I’m tired of seeing arsenal, chelski, man u, man city n even tottenham snatchin players from our nose. We r far beta than em, BR, do smth.
What the hell is ‘aimin’!?
It’s what you do to stop missin!
we need world class players and we hav 2 aim 4 win in all games
we should attack the sason with no fear, trust our ability and way of playing, if the players believe in BR and his style then we need not fear. Even with the current batch of players things look promissing, not to say new faces are’nt needed. I think we could even reach #3. YNWA
A good article but the question remains what are the owners expectatioms? If it’s top 4 or bust then quite frankly they’re stupid! Having said we need to fairly analyse last season, we had a season which contained things which are unlikely to happen again hopefully. Firstly we all know how many times we hit the woodwork if we turn hslf of those efforts into goals let’s say we’ll get another 10 points. Furthermore how likely is it we’ll get another racist remarks saga, lets face it the FA took the word of a serial liar (he accused Steve Finnan and a Chelsea steward of racism) but that’s the FA for you. Don’t get me wrong I deplore racism but let’s see if the mealy mouthed FA do anything to John Terry! Finally the injury to Lucas killed us, it became obvious Spearing just isn’t up to it over a sustained period (I also have major concerns over Adam and Downing). So if you look at the 7 clubs that finished above us how many can we catch? I’d hope to finish above both the bitters and Newcastle but beyond that it’s uncertain. I think both manc clubs and Chavski are beyond us this season so 4 th is our probable best. Anyone thinking RVP will leave Arsenal but they’ve already replaced him with two. Spurs are a unknown is AVB a fool/good young manager? Modric appears to be gone, so too Van Der Vaart but they got one of our targets so who knows. In conclusion I want our respect back, so if we contend for 4th playing good football I’d see that as a 1st step to getting back to where we were in 08/09.
Any European football is important for the teams progression! Being used to playing 3 times a week travelling around Europe will all help the squad when we return to CL football.
Finishing in the top 4 is achievable if Suarez can get his finishing boots on and Agger stays fit mixed with BR new ideas and different approach anything is possible next season.
4-5th obv i want us to break in the top 4, but as long as we compete for the top 4, score lots of goals and dont end the season on a downer id be happy and another run in the cup competitions
‘illusive’? Your grasp of english is proving to be elusive!
If we had a finisher last season, we would’nt have been far off fourth. For me though our midfield let us down, Adam, downing, Spearing and Henderson woeful! Can’t see Carroll getting much better either. If Rodgers gets in the right guys then champions football, 4th or third is quite realistic.
A success for us next season would be to finish in the top 4, but I cant see it happening under our current squad.We need a proven goalscorer and a natural gifted right winger in my opinion because our central areas look good,we already have S Gerrard,L Lucas,C Adam and possibly Gaston Ramirez arriving soon.My main targets would be Theo Walcott and Alexandre Pato from AC Milan,maybe we could part exchange Andy Carroll and Alberto Aqualini for him and then bring in Adam Johnson from Man City.
This would be my transfers LFC In’s and Outs.
Transfer IN’s Transfer OUT’s
Gaston Ramirez Alberto Aqualini
Theo Walcott Maxi Rodriguez
Alexandre Pato Craig Bellamy(Cardiff)
Adam Johnson Andy Carroll
Daniel Sturridge
We should finish 4th at least not just because its bring us CL football but because it would bring us closer to our real objective, to be league Champions.
I know it sounds crazy but that is how we become also rans nowadays aiming low and finishing low. Remember how we appointed a supposedly a legend, someone who knows the league inside out last year only to finish a dismal 8th and he had the gall to hail it a success?
The great Shanks used to say the league is our bread and butter, it still is.
This season is gone, be realistic flocks. For the transfer howlers by KD. High priced British garbage are not going to take a pay cut & none is going to offer even half the price we paid for them. This is blocking BR in the transfer market in 2 folds, he has less kitty & without CL football, we don’t have the luxury to acquire more quality players after paying fat pension schemes to Joe Cole, Carroll, Downing, Henderson & Adam.
Moreover, with a thin squad, we ‘ll have to play Sunday-Thursday fixtures in England & remote/distant part of Europe, in former Soviet or Scandinavian winter. I don’t think, as of today, with the “British base” team that we have, we ‘ll finish higher than last season. 8th was a disaster in terms of position, but it was horrible considering that we had no Europa games & vulgar for the one dimensional game we played under KD.
For me, success ‘ll be, if
1. We can establish 3/4 boys from academy (Suso, Sterling, Pacheco, Selvy, Coady, Wisdom, Texieria there are few more), whom neither KD or RH tried
2. We can play a tactically superior game than the last 2 Managers playing outdated English long ball style of 70s & 80s
3. We can score more goals & play attacking game (not necessarily more points with this squad, I don’t mind drawing 2-2 with Norwich at Anfield, but 0-0 is a disaster).
4. We can establish as a global club, not a mean English club with double standards set based on your mother tongue. Can’t forget what sort of treatment Kyut, Maxi, Acqualini or Mirales was given to establish some of the British garbage purchased by KD. Even when Lucas was injured, biased KD went for Spearing, rather than calling back Acqualini. Had it continued for a season more, we won’t have any no British left in the club & none willing to come either.
5. Finally ruthless hunger. We must hunt the lower teams. I don’t mind loosing 3 & wining 6, losing 1, rather than winning 5 & drawing 5 (even for 1 more point). I want desperation in the team in last 15 min. at 1-1, or 0-0 situation; don’t mind 1-2 or 0-1 for a desperate try to make it 2-1 or 1-0; something that was missing in last 3 years.
M, i agees to some of extent of what you said particularly the disasters signing that KD brought us, solely based on the players passport and not footballing ability. This single act alone would set us back some years, that i guarantee you. The only bright spot had been Suarez and our new leftback of course.
Downing, with a record of zero goals and zero assist in the league is well documented. However one try to spin it, it still does not move too far from zero, a dismal return for a 20 mill player and with years of prem experience. How KD decides he is a LFC player and cost 20 mill beggars believe and you know what, the player himself is not too bothered with his lack of contribution to the cause, knowing he would collect his fat pay cheque week in week out. No one except KD would be dumb enough to pay this kind of money ever again for SD.
Charlie Adam is another such player, well if his free kicks alone is worth 10 mill according to Alex Ferguson, why didn’t he move for him? For a player such as Adam, moving to LFC is the considered the end, not the beginning. there must be a reason why Rangers release him but somehow KD missed this again.
Henderson,Carroll, well you see a pattern here don’t you?
My only hope for BR (since somehow FSG again decides to gamble with our future by appointing someone with ONE so so season in the Prem rather than Rafa, a proven world class manager, winner and LFC fan. By the way Mr. Henry, what happens to our new stadium? How much more time you are going to need before you even decides what to do?) is that de does not repeat the follies of KD. For a start stop selecting someone else rejects, look beyond their passports AND winning matters, not how many times you hit the woodwork or blaming the referees.
I dont really think the crop of players we have are that bad. My main concern is getting a target man, a skillful winger and another central defender because agger is injury prone. If we can sell carroll we’ll have some more money. Adam isn’t as bad as most fear, kd didn’t use this guy well, we saw what he did in blackpool. Playing adam/gerard with lucas i’m sure will be a perfect combination.