Things are about to get tougher for LFC

Liverpool have had plenty to be optimistic about in 2015. Their 10-game unbeaten run came to an end this week against Chelsea in the League Cup Semi-Final Second Leg, but the Reds bowed out in style. They were by far the superior side over the two legs, but without a recognised striker in their starting XI they ultimately lacked the clinical edge needed to progress.

It’s been a familiar theme for over a month now. Liverpool have finally sorted themselves out: key players have returned from injuries, new signings look settled and they’ve found a new formation that the team looks comfortable in to allow form to return. They almost look like the world beaters they were last season, only they still seem to lack goals.

That should change soon, as we saw with Sturridge’s re-introduction yesterday. With his return, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the goals to start flowing once more.

However, the star striker’s return will be countered by the fact that the quality of opposition will be rising. While Liverpool’s recent run of results has been encouraging, in the league the team has only had to compete against teams from the bottom half of the table (barring Arsenal and Swansea back in December).

Of course we have just played Chelsea twice and held our own both times, but those were in high stake semi-final games. Liverpool have always been capable of raising their game for high profile teams, especially in cup competitions, but now they will have to prove they can do it on a consistent basis.

Here’s a look at our next few games:

Bolton (A)

Everton (A)

Tottenham (H)

Crystal Palace (A) (if we beat Bolton)

Besiktas (H)

Southampton (A)

Besiktas (A)

Man City (H)

Fans will remember that they beat us comfortably 3-1 at Upton Park back in September, a result that really cemented us as a side struggling for form. So the comfortable 2-0 result on Saturday was a welcome return to the sort of ease with which Liverpool beat teams like West Ham last season.

Of course, with the hurdle of West Ham now passed, we now have our FA Cup replay away to Bolton. This could be potentially tricky, but if Rodgers starts a strong side (and I suspect he will) then we should be able to overcome them with little trouble.

After that though, we have the derby. Hopefully Everton will still be in a poor run of form next weekend so we can take advantage, but everyone knows the cliché; form goes out the window in derbies. Everton should raise their game for this, and derbies are rarely easy for us.

We then face a midweek game against Tottenham. Spurs are enjoying a decent run of form at the moment as their squad begins to click under Pochettino, but they are still susceptible to the odd poor performance and shock result. This game entirely depends on which Spurs team turns up. If it’s the one we hammered 3-0 at White Hart Lane back in August, I suspect we won’t have a problem. After all, Sturridge should have shaken off the rust by then if his comeback goes smoothly. However, if Tottenham are on form then this could be a very difficult game to win, and it comes just a few days after the derby.

Then if we advance in the FA Cup we have Crystal Palace away, who are currently enjoying a new lease of life under Alan Pardew. Hopefully that won’t last in the next few weeks, but chances are it will. The media are keen to portray Palace as our bogey team, for obvious reasons. Hopefully Rodgers will spin it as a chance for revenge so that the players don’t let recent results get in their heads. This game will be as much about overcoming mental challenges as it will footballing ones.

Then we have two knockout ties against Besiktas in the Europa League sandwiched between two tough games against Southampton and Man City. While I think we have enough to dispatch Besiktas, I worry that we’ll be too tired to overcome the following league matches.

Southampton are even better than they were last year and more than capable of beating us even without the added bonus of catching us in a European week and Man City already beat us 3-1 this season. While they’ll have their own European tie to deal with, they have a much larger squad than us and will be able to rotate personnel to a point that we can’t match.

Every game matters, as each win will help to build up momentum to carry into the next game. Chelsea may have knocked us out in extra time, but we’re still unbeaten in regular 90 minute matches. However, any slip up will only serve to make this run of games even harder.

Brendan Rodgers has done well to recover and get us to this point, but now he has an even bigger test ahead of him. Let’s hope he passes.