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Five Things I Want For Next Season

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Liverpool FC ownersWITH Liverpool’s season now finally over, it’s not hard for the mind to start slipping quickly forward to the summer and what’s in store for next season. Sadly, for most of us Reds, that’s been the story of the past 4 years: there’s always next season.

I wrote a few days ago that I feel that there is a void to be filled near the top next season and that the pressure will be on to fill it, with Alex Ferguson’s departure from the throne at Old Trafford. I think Moyes is a solid manager but I will go on the record before he’s even left Everton to say that he will be out of his depth at United. He may perhaps weather the storm but initially he will struggle. A lot.

I’m sure many will call me delusional to think that we have any chance of the league next season but that just leads me to the first thing I’m looking for in time for the next Premier League season:

5 . Sights Set Much Higher

One of my biggest bug-bears this season has been how often we have heard that we should be happy with finishing 7th or be happy with a half-assed cup run, or simply just sticking 5 past a relegation side. That isn’t what Liverpool are about. That will never be what Liverpool are about.

Next season needs to be much more about what we should achieve, rather than what we can. Setting our sights too high and not achieving those goals (but giving it a good go) is much more acceptable than setting our sights low and being content to just do enough.

4. Decisiveness In The Transfer Market

There is no doubt that Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho have been two roaring successes. So far, 22 goals and assists [prior to QPR] since January shows that Brendan Rodgers does sometimes get it right.

Every manager is allowed to make mistakes so if FSG want the fans to believe in the manager and properly get behind him then they need to lead by example and get behind the manager again in the summer. If he identifies a target and believes they will improve the squad – no matter the cost – then they must fork out and show us that they believe in their decision to bring him in as manager, not drag their heels like we saw during the past two windows.

Just don’t let him sign Ashley Williams. Or any other Swansea player, for that matter. Except Michu.

3. The Past Needs To Stay In The Past

I’ve been guilty of this myself numerous times this season. When we’ve looked down and out during a game or been on a bad run of form, I always ask, “what would Rafa do?” I can’t help it, I love the man.

But I will promise to stop going on about Rafa if we can all agree that constantly referring to the past; comparing current players to past players and just constantly making ourselves more miserable isn’t helping our situation any better.
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I would give my right arm to have Benitez back at the club, but – miracles aside – it’s unlikely to happen in the near future, so I’ll just have to accept that.

Likewise, I would like people to forget the concept that it would be a good idea for Kenny Dalglish to return to the club, in any capacity. I would always like the comparisons to Jamie Carragher to stop before they start when any new centre-back has a slow start at the club.

Given our current situation, we’re clearly starting again, albeit in a relatively decent one to kick on from but to make a real go of it we need to remove the albatross from around the team’s neck which has been crippling Liverpool sides through sheer weight of pressure for years. Next season needs to be a new start. Whether I (or you) like it or not.

2. Luis Suarez Needs To Stay. And Grow Up

There I’ve said it. I was as annoyed with him as many of you when he committed his most idiotic act yet, as a Liverpool player but in the 3 games he’s been out so far we’ve scored 9 and let in 1 in 3 games, picking up 7 points from 3 fairly tricky games, showing we’re OK without him.

Don’t let the recent form of the team fool you though – this man can elevate us above the average whenever he chooses too and he’s currently the only player we have who could do that, regularly, on his own. He has great support players in Gerrard, Coutinho and Sturridge but he is still head and shoulders above.

But in order for that to happen there needs to be some serious input from the management and board prior to the new season about Suarez getting his house in order. I fully believe that a player like Luis will not be the same if you take that side of him out of his game but it has to be in measured amounts, or we’ll get more 8-10 game bans and he’ll become a genuine liability.

We need you Luis but not that much; buck your ideas up!

1. We Need To See More Of The Owners

Unlike many of our more vocal fans, I’ve never been a big critic of the current owners, FSG. Many point to lack of willingness to back the manager in the summer and the dragging of the feet over the new stadium/redevelopment of the current stadium as indications that they’re here for the money.

Of course they are – they’re businessmen! However, none of the above shows that. The only time the owners have not backed Dalglish or Rodgers in the transfer market is over Clint Dempsey last summer, and while I would’ve liked to have brought the American to the club, I could definitely see their point.

However, when they believe in the manager’s targets they have shown a great deal of cooperation in bringing in who the manager wants and that will hopefully continue in the summer.

As for the new stadium, it’s been a long, difficult process which has dragged on since David Moores was here, so FSG can hardly be blamed for having to get all of the cock-ups of the previous owners in order before making a decision. But now that there seems to be a plan in place, we need to see much more action and less talking next season, in that regard.

More importantly for me though, in the short term, is that John Henry or Tom Werner need to be in residence much, much more next season; we need to see far more of them.

Don’t get me wrong, I like that they’re much more ‘hands-off’ and are allowing the manager to get on with his job but at times this season it’s almost felt like the club was a parent-less child.

As much as I don’t want to make such comparisons, the Glazers have always had a similar method but there has never been a doubt that they run Manchester United and we need FSG to be much more ‘present’ in this regard next year, in the figurative and literal sense or fans really will begin to believe that their hearts aren’t in it.

So, bearing in mind that these 5 are in no particular order, what are your big ‘wants’ for the Reds next season?
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I'm a 32 year old Liverpool fan, living in the heart of the City Centre. I've supported the club since the day I was born and have been writing articles for L4L for over 3 years, writing close over 350 articles in that time. My favorite player of the past generation is Sami Hyypia.

I am the current editor for L4L, with my day job being in R&D for the NHS.

25 comments

  • Bernie says:

    Agree with most of that David – good post. The only slight difference would be in regard to your comments about Luis Suarez, again most of which I agree with – yes, you could call him an ‘idiot’, but he’s our ‘idiot’ ! The FA, the press and media have had it in for him from day one and have gone overboard with most of it – but, you’re right the club should try and manage his behaviour better on the pitch and above all keep him ! Hope your 5 wishes come true !

  • Callum Pearce says:

    Agree with setting targets higher completely. Need to stop looking at where we think we could be, and instead look at where we want to be. If we’d looked at where we thought we could’ve been, we would have never won the Champions League. Am I the only one who doesn’t want Rafa back? He had a lot of time at the club to make a team, and they played a lot of boring football. Plus his odd subs really annoyed me! Bringing on a defender when your 1 goal down. Think Liverpool fans, not just the owner need to really get behind Rodgers, and make sure we don’t give the Manc’s a chance to claim the top spots again. YNWA

  • aa says:

    ——————-begovic———————–
    jonson—–papadopoulos—–agger——rose
    ——————strootman———————
    ——gerrard——————–eriksen——-
    suarez———–sturridge———–coutinho

  • akash says:

    rodgers shud go for d players who have already proved their potential nd not the one who possess potential.EXPERIENCE….

  • Samuel Charles Evans says:

    Agree with above;

    Its all about the transfer market, no more delaying, no more media drivel about its hard to bring in the better players, no more messing about.

    Its hide time the club and the owners even the fans stop being so laid back about the club! we need better players and that is about the long and short of it!!!!

    John W Henry even if he doesn’t travel should be old and wise by now to see the whole problem with at least 5- 6 players that are earning at Liverpool are not good enough and that we need to be so aggressive when going after that deal for a player.

    I here so much crap form Mr Ian Ayre, if you want a player then you go and get them, sorry sometimes it is like that.

    All i want is the whole focus on the transfer market and bring in that better level of player and sell the shite we have.

    carrroll 12 – 15 mill sell
    shelvey 4- 5 mill sell (yes he is not that good do not be shocked)
    spearing 2- 3 mill
    ngoo 1- 2 mill
    wilson – release end of contract
    assaidi 3 mill
    pacheco – 0.5 mill at best

    then we have question marks over the club and Rodgers wants Skrtel and downing, id keep them both because you don’t take away what are now very sold squad players to then go and buy the same level player that are not much better if at all!!!

    even that list without Downing and Skrtel gives the club and adds £22.5 mill at the very least.

    reina
    johnson, alderweirweld agger enrique
    gerrard lucus eriksen
    suarez sturriddge coutinho

  • Liam says:

    Top 4 . Nothing less is excusable. I agree with all 5 points and I would like to add 1 more

    I would like to see the manager and all the fans to stop crying about bad luck and making excuses . We are Liverpool , we should be better than that

  • mario says:

    i want the manager to shut up period..

  • jaodo says:

    i want liverpool to be owned by another multibillionaire like psg and monaco

  • Ian says:

    I know it wont happen but the 2 things Liverpool need the most are a new manager and new owners . Until we get them 2 things – we r going nowhere

    • Mark Henry says:

      New manager definitely, I starting to believe the owners are are useless, & time for them to move on.

  • ross says:

    I agree with most points suarez must grow up and just let his feet do the talking.As for a new manager lets get real rogers is not been in the job for a year yet and as for Rafa oh god please no people get all misty eyed about the man yes he won the champions league but A:-it wasn’t his team B:-we caught Milan napping in the second half and they couldn’t get going once we had pulled ourselves back into the game. C:-The man wasted millions on players that never seen the light of day D:- xavi Alonso fiasco he lets xavi now were getting rid of him to fund buying gareth barry I mean who would want gareth bloody barry then we cant get him so xavi feeling not wanted goes to real. never mind arbaloa for jonson. Now for Rogers as i said before he hasn’t been in the job for a year yet.but in that time he has cleared out a lot of high earner now he earmarked players that he wanted i.e. clint Dempsey, Gylfi Sigurdsson granted they haven’t set the heather alight at spurs but that ship has sailed and that was more the owners fault than rogers, they did sign joe allan and he has had avery up and down season but has anyone watched Henderson resintley or do you remember lucas when he first arrived.they did however get sturridge and coutinho 20 million well spent and if you had got them in earlier who knows as stats are saying we would be in third if the season started in January. But we also have the highest away wins of any Liverpool team sinse the premier league was formed and we done that with half a season of just kids. So give the man a chance because I don’t think people relise how far we had fallen I mean we were nearly out the box until FSG stepped in. we now know were staying at anfield we are playing some of the best football in the league which also carves out 20 30 chances in a game. plus the owners are continually creating new revenue which we have been falling behind in this modern computer run social networking times. so bring on next season with optamisim in my heart YNWA.

  • Andrew says:

    ntil Rodgers is removed there is little hope for next season
    Tactically inept and out of his depth at a big club

    The man is so wrong for Liverpool in every way
    – he has no idea how to organize a defense
    – He continually picks his favourites like Allen ahead of better players
    – His signing in general were poor
    – He has no clue how to change a game
    – Handling of some players is awful
    – Continually makes excuses and bullshots a lot
    – Tries to lower expectations
    – Has divided the fans thus is the reason for poor atmosphere
    – He has s small club mentality

    If he stays then next season is more mid table dross

    • Mark Henry says:

      Hear hear, been saying this half way through the season, time to stop Bodgers from ruining the club. Sorry to say FSG underachieving parts who don’t really give a *.

  • John says:

    I can’t remember a more forgetable season,It was awful how much longer do we have to put up with this manager his dossiers his envelopes,his awful man management?.His huge ego and sound bites…the season was over in february.Raffa please come home and save us from this rookie who is learning his trade at are exspense.It will be more of the same next season,and can anyone here really want that?

  • CHUKWUEMEKA says:

    agree with every point except the bad mouthing of rafa by some fan. personaly i dont think rodgers wld get it right by not being liverpool since he is average minded. we are liverpool and we support and believe in our own. YNWA

  • Prince says:

    U guyz are just too foolish. Give him time, if he doesnt, then the option. U guyz are just too full of complaint, we are not chelsea fans pls be polite for once.

  • Tommy says:

    I would like to see more ambition by FSG . This policy of buying just young developing players will not work .sometimes you need to buy proven class like sneijder too.
    The same goes for the manager , he should not regimen more time , we need proven experienced class as manager not a guy learning his job

  • Geoff says:

    Top 4 and no more excuses , Rodgers has been poor in his first season , if he doesnt dramatically improve he must go . Also I want to see a serious effort in the cups , first team picked every game .

  • Kay says:

    The only team we finished above, that hasn’t been in a lower league in the past 10yrs is Villa. In Rafa’s first season he brought us Alonso(£10m) and Garcia(£6m) for a total of £16m, which is what BR spent on Allen alone. In 7months at Chelsea, Rafa has reached 2 semi finals and 2 cup finals, one which he won. All this was achieved with no support from the fans, pure PROFESSIONALISM! What is he going to with supporters that love him, like we we do? Please don’t waste the clubs time and money, sack Rodgers and Bring Rafa home…

    • pepe galego says:

      How long was Rafa at Liverpool? He spent heavily and with the owners nearly bankrupted the club.
      Both Xavi and Luis were barcelona/Madrid rejects and Liverpool were top 4.
      Why so much nostalgia with Rafa?
      With Man City on the scene the football world has changed completely; unlimited funds and arab owners.
      Give him a chance now he is here, this season went well; save for the poor performances at Stoke, Villa and WBA where would we have ended up?

      • Ian says:

        Rodgers has had time and money , and there are many many many more awful performances than the 3 u mentioned. And it certainly was not Rafas fault for nearly going bankrupt. He spent what he was allowed to spend

  • red says:

    My 5 wished for next session:

    1) Sack BR
    2) Re-appoint Rafa
    3) Take back Torres
    4) Buy one more 30m striker
    5) Reduce ticket price 🙂

  • CHUKWUEMEKA says:

    THOSE WHO SAY SH*T ABOUT RAFA DONT KNOW HIM AND BELIEVE ME “THEY ARE THE ONES WHO JUST GOES WITH ANYTHING THE MEDIA SAYS WITHOUT MAKING ANY EFFORT TO KNOW HOW TRUE IT IS. YNWA

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