I just didn’t want to have to suffer another season of frustration and disappointment like the one we just had to endure, especially in the league, and be no better off 12-months from now, falling even further behind the likes of Man City and Man United.

I was a huge advocate for having Dalglish be offered the job when Rafa left Anfield but the then powers to be decided on Roy Hodgson and once that turned into a disaster the right decision was made and Dalglish was called upon to bring back order and get Liverpool back on track.

But 18 months later, and a lot of money spent on new players, the decision to cast aside the Manager was made and we will now never know if Kenny was indeed the man to lead us to the promised land of the Premiership title, never mind the so-called success of finishing in the top four.

No one can doubt Dalglish is one of Liverpool’s biggest fans. He loves the club and the poor showing this season must have bene killing him as much as anyone else. We all know the issues with Kenny with his frustrating team selections and substitutions throughout the season and reading some of his team-sheets before many of the games you just knew Liverpool were going to get beaten, so the question was why couldn’t Kenny see it as well?

But when you look back at the way Liverpool have dominated games, especially at Anfield, and failed to score from the endless opportunities that were created, and ultimately wasted, was he really that far away from a creating a consistent, winning, team? He certainly proved this season that he’d taken both cup tournaments seriously, reaching two finals and winning one of them. It is no mean feat but once again his failure to recognize his starting line-up at Wembley on May 5th wasn’t working led to delayed substitutions that likely cost Liverpool the FA Cup. But if you are on the side of agreeing with the sacking of Dalglish would you consider having Rafa back?

I can only imagine what Rafa might be able to achieve with the full backing of the ownership and the funds to get the players he needs. I’ve seen many Liverpool supporters expressing their thoughts that they would love to see Rafa back at Anfield. The key advantage with Benitez is that he is a proven, successful, manager in the modern game whereas Dalglish was yet to re-establish his credentials. Kenny hasn’t been given one more year to prove what he can do and have Liverpool back to winning ways and whether FSG would even consider Benitez is completely unknown, however I have to assume that savvy sports owners such as Henry and Werner will be considering all their options over the next few days and weeks ahead including Rafa Benitez.

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The 61-year-old has paid the price for Liverpool’s poor performances in the Barclays Premier League.

Dalglish’s departure comes after he held face-to-face talks with principal owners John W Henry and Tom Werner in Boston on Monday. He was scheduled to depart on his holidays today but has postponed them and remains on Merseyside.

Rumours have persisted since Liverpool’s downturn in league form during 2012 that FSG would not stand for missing out on Champions League football after funding the heavy spending spree last summer, but rumours intensified once Dalglish returned from Boston; the club finally announcing his departure around 4pm today.

Owner John W Henry was full of praise for the outgoing Dalglish and confirmed the search for a new Manager will begin immediately.

“Kenny will always be more than a championship winning manager, more than a championship winning star player. He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club. He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club. He has always put the Club and its supporters first. Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield. Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this Club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months.”

Chairman Tom Werner was also similar in praise but it was a decision that needed to be made:

“Kenny came into the Club as Manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him. He didn’t ask to be Manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the Club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude. However, results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change.”

The Chairman continued:

“We are committed to delivering success for our supporters and our ambition remains resolute to return this great Club to the elite of England and Europe, where it belongs.”

The man himself had this to say, confirming his love and loyalty for the Club whilst remaining dignified as ever; his last words were saved for the fans:

“It has been an honour and a privilege to have had the chance to come back to Liverpool Football Club as Manager. I greatly appreciate the work that Steve, Kevin, the players and all of the staff put in during my time and feel proud that we delivered the Club’s first trophy in six years winning the Carling Cup and came close to a second trophy in the FA Cup Final. Of course I am disappointed with results in the league, but I would not have swapped the Carling Cup win for anything as I know how much it meant to our fans and the Club to be back winning trophies.

“I would like to thank all of the staff at the Club for their effort and loyalty. I said when first approached about coming back as Manager that I would always be of help if I can at any time and that offer remains the same.

“Finally, I want to put on record my heartfelt gratitude to Liverpool’s fans, who have always given me and the Club their unwavering support. Without them neither the Club nor I would have achieved anything.”

Former manager Rafael Benitez and Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez are the strong, early favourites to success Dalglish as Manager.

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“This is a club that likes to talk and talk.”

I’ll never forget those words, of our former manager Rafael Benitez.

I was still stood around in Athens airport when I read the back page of the Daily Mirror the morning after our Champions League (remember that?) final defeat to AC Milan in 2007.

That press conference would go on to play a big part of the club’s history as Benitez’ relationship with the cancerous, poisonous owners would never be healed and would ultimately end in both warring factions leaving the club in completely different circumstances.

But the next week is an important time for our football club. We need to be wildly different from the way things are normally done. We need to be decisive. We need action. We need to get it spot on.

Do we keep Dalglish as manager or do we make changes?

This needs to be dealt with and dealt with now. The rumours discussing the future of Kenny have been going on for a few weeks now, with some suggesting that he would be leaving after the Swansea game. I will hasten to add that none of these rumours came from a source of any credibility.

However, it is interesting to note that Kenny headed to Boston straight after that match on Sunday for talks with owner John W Henry. “Showdown talks” and “crisis talks” are terms that have reared their ugly head. The way I see it is that they are doing what goes on at every club, they are having an end of season meeting to discuss the last 9 months and how to move forward in the next 3 months in regard to transfer strategy.

And we now need to do one thing or the other with Kenny: either back him or sack him. I don’t mean that literally, I don’t want to see Dalglish sacked and would sooner he leave on his own terms if he’s to leave. But what I mean is that we have a massively important summer ahead of us (again) and if we get it wrong (again) then we are in danger of, on the pitch at any rate, becoming “just another football team.”

I am actually fairly heartened that the club seem to be resolving the issue of the manager’s future within days of the end of the season as opposed to leaving it for 2 or 3 weeks. It is essential that we get to work on our transfer strategy right away. Arsenal have been busy, as have Chelsea. Seeing as these are the teams we are directly competing with, it is of paramount importance that we are ready to go with regards to our targets. Especially as this is a tournament summer, where millions of pounds can be added to a price tag for the sake of one or two good performances. Additionally, our season begins early with Europa League qualifiers against the likes of FC Dog and Duck in early August. We need to mobilise now, not in a few weeks.

And of course, we need to decide who to lead us. Despite the Carling Cup win it’s not unfair to say that 2011/2012 was a hugely forgettable season. We won one trophy, should have been two, but the FA Cup final loss leaves a real bitter taste in the mouth when trying to analyse the season objectively. Just six home wins in the league tells you everything you need to know about the league campaign. Simply not good enough.

Should that cost Dalglish his job? I can accept arguments either way. If we can attract an established manager (for example, my number one choice if Dalglish was to leave would be Borussia Dortmund’s Juergen Klopp, although the Tony Pulis cap has to go) with a good track record then there’s an argument to be made in favour of change.

However, considering we are constantly linked with the likes of Roberto Martinez (and that’s not a slight on Martinez, he’s done a remarkable job at Wigan, but who’s to say he’d do a remarkable job at Liverpool when he didn’t think he was ready for the Aston Villa job last summer?) then I am more on the side of sticking with what we have. We have a good approach to games. We might not score enough goals and some of the performances since the Arsenal game in early March have been very poor, but we are positive in our approach and play some decent football.

Is that enough? Probably not, and it would not surprise me if Kenny is no longer manager by the end of this week following these Boston talks. But if that’s the case, then at least we are finding out about this now and not in 3 weeks time when our potential targets, both managerial and players, might well have disappeared into the ether.

Again.

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But I digress, with the playing season over and silly season to begin I wanted to take the opportunity to produce some pieces on the individuals in our squad and my thoughts about them.

I am going to kick off with who has seemingly become a fall guy in a red shirt – a reincarnation of a freshly signed Lucas Leiva – Jordan Henderson.

Before I even begin with my thoughts on Henderson I want to address a topic that may crop up once or twice as I am writing these reviews, and that is money.

It is a well known and an often regurgitated stat that Henderson cost in the region of £15-£20 million, and it is this stat alone that knee-jerk support and lazy journalism seems to rely in the judgement of this 21 year old lad. Here, I’m going to say it…..SO WHAT?!!

The price tag for me is largely irrelevant, and the fixation on the amount spent is as ridiculous as it is baffling for me. In recent years we have seen an explosion in the transfer market with absolutely crazy prices being paid for players left right and centre that no logical conclusion can be drawn on a fee alone. What many are failing to see is that FSG have a clear strategy to invest in youth and are prepared to spend what is necessary to secure the players that they have identified, and in my book that is a good thing, no? Did the money we spent on Henderson mean there was nothing left over to sign any of our other targets? Nope, we signed a number of players for serious money following his signature.

Yet, whenever Henderson is discussed or perhaps has a quiet game his fee is constantly brought up as if it is an unwritten rule that the more money you spend on a player the more immediate their impact has to be. Yes some players like Aguero, Suarez, Torres (in a Liverpool shirt) will instantly adapt, hitting the ground running showing that you get what you pay for, but for each of these there will be a Shevchenko, a Veron (twice), a Mutu. So, a price tag clearly guarantees nothing in terms of impact and form. Should a price tag affect the amount of time a player is allowed to settle and establish himself?

I will concede that the age and status is an impact factor in conjunction with cost, so if you spend a lot of money on a Shevchenko or a Veron you reasonably expect a pretty instant return on your investment, but let’s remember that Henderson is 21 YEARS OLD with 81 games under his belt prior to signing, but because of his cost people are casting him out because he hasn’t made a huge impact. Seriously?? With this kind of logic should Voronin, Degen and Jovanovic still be on the books? They came in on a free after all. Also, in comparison from the home game against Chelsea, the Blues brought on Romelu Lukaku who signed for similar money and has made 8 appearances in a Chelsea shirt scoring the grand total of 0 goals, yet oddly there has not been the same nonsense spouted about him as he has largely retained his status as ‘one for the future’.

Okay, rant over concerning his price tag and let’s concentrate on the man himself. First and foremost my impressions of the lad are of a consummate professional. He carries himself very well and his behaviour on and off the pitch is exactly what a club like Liverpool should expect from each and every staff member. Being a professional footballer is more than just what you can do on the pitch (although that is the most important), the way you conduct yourself is just as crucial with nods being made towards messrs Barton, Balotelli and Cassano. Let us not forget the changes in his life since signing for Liverpool.

He will have moved away from his home, his family, his support network to new city. Although I predict the argument will be that ‘it’s not that far’, underestimate the impact of not having the daily support and sight of people you have had round you for all your life regardless of distance. The expectations that Sunderland have in comparison to Liverpool will have been a major culture shock as well combined with the sudden media exposure a large price tag brings, can anyone honestly suggest this will not have had an impact on the lad? So, in my mind we have signed an excellent professional with a bright future.

I think his first season at the club hasn’t gone as well as he or the club had planned for a number of reasons. I believe the failure to address the right hand side of midfield with a natural wide player or a consistent performer in that role has led to Henderson playing the majority of his 38 performances there in a role new to him. Let us not forget that the Premier League is not like pub football where given who is available you could play anywhere on the park. Each position on the pitch requires a specialist, and quite often teams and players will struggle when they venture out with the proverbial ‘square peg round hole’ conundrum, something we have a lot of experience with in recent years. This being said, when Henderson has played his favoured central role I believe we have seen a different player. We have seen a player more comfortable with his position on the pitch and more confident to stamp his authority on the game, and we have seen that a number of times this season, most recently against Chelsea at Anfield. He has the work rate to compete as a box to box midfielder with the ability to retain possession, break up play and an eye for a pass.

Before people think I am blowing smoke here, I am not for one second stating he has had a perfect season or that he will blossom into world player of the year, but what I am saying is that from what I have seen, the lad has the tools in his arsenal and the right mentality to build on a solid base. I mean, what better club is there for him to nurture that talent and evolve into the type of player he is capable of?

I do admit to a growing disillusionment to the way some sections of the fanbase talk about him and slam him as I thought lessons had been learned with Lucas Leiva, but obviously not for all. As Kenny said in reference to Carroll, this lad has been signed for the period of his contract and hopefully beyond not just today, so to be judging him after one season is ridiculous, and to do so because of his price tag is incredible.

I for one, and this goes with any player fortunate to pull on the coveted red jersey, will support and support and support and make my judgements on whether they have been a success or not when a player leaves the club not before.

Please come find me on twitter @timdibs

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But who are Warrior Sports and can a brand which is more synonymous with Lacrosse and Ice-Hockey embed themselves into the fabric Liverpool FC? The new shirt has been embraced with a mixed reception with the Hillsborough Family Support Group feeling rightly aggrieved that they were not consulted in the process of removing the two justice flames from the front of the shirt, relegating it away from the club crest and onto the back of the collar.

This threatens to taint the deal which is twice as big as the Adidas one. Others may suggest that the subtle design and the sharp collar suggest status and image saying “we are Liverpool FC”.

A former Lacrosse player David Morrow struck gold when he sold the company he founded 12 years earlier in 2004 to the privately-held New Balance Athletic shoe Inc. who expanded the brand by acquiring California based manufacturer Innovative Hockey. Through this expansion Warrior gained a foothold in two sports where their exclusivity meant that their wearers were not for followers who were light of wallet.

Interestingly Warrior are yet to invest in a kit deal for an ice-hockey team preferring to stick to tradition with six major Lacrosse sides with franchises based in Denver, Hamilton, Long Island, Rochester, Ohio and the Chesapeake Bayhawks who have uprooted on numerous occasions. When we think of this sport we generally think of ‘toffs’ playing on royal grounds while their paroles scurry around them looking bits of paper adorning the participants grandmothers face upon it to fall out of their full pockets. Over the Atlantic it is relatively popular sport which is typically American in its love for tactics and strategy.

Inevitably their next target was a more worldwide populous market which was inevitably football. This would allow them to be visible in both Europe and Asia. Aligning themselves with a club as rich in history and tradition as they are as rich in pockets makes for a deal to suit everybody. The real question mark is how the Liverpool owners plan to invest this bounty with the elusive Champions League football at least another year away and a £50 million bill in the left from the cowboys from the last era from their disastrous attempts to secure a new stadium. The timing of this deal could not have come at a better time with the finances coming in from June1st.

LFC and Warrior also have a shared mission to break into the Asian market, both have made in-roads over the years but have yet to realise the full potential of a part of the world where the economy is booming and football is becoming a megaphone from the West. If this relationship expands us as a club and finances future glory which is the blue-print for success grabbing the oligarch, sheik and dark side financed sides by the coat tails and propelling ourselves to a brighter future it will certainly be a relationship worth investing in.

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It’s been a frustrating year for Liverpool fans; frustration is a feeling we were used to under Gillett and Hicks, but one we hoped to feel less under the ownership of FSG.

Over £50m was spent in the summer with Champions League football said to be the minimum requirement.

Instead Liverpool are ending the season in eighth place, behind Everton and only qualifying for Europe thanks to the Europa League spot provided by February’s Carling Cup win.

Despite this season’s disappointments, I look forward to next season with hope – hope that things will get better. There is certainly cause for cautious optimism after last week’s 4-1 win over Chelsea. It was one of Liverpool’s best performances this season, albeit against a much-changed Chelsea side from the team that beat us at Wembley. Jordan Henderson, perhaps our most criticised player this season, had a good performance in central midfield, capped with a great goal. Alongside Henderson, Jonjo Shelvey showed his potential and it was nice to see him score his first league goal for the club.

Though neither player scored on Tuesday night, Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll were superb upfront and I thoroughly enjoyed the way they tore apart the Chelsea defence and embarrassed John Terry. Carroll’s recent performances have been of the highest standard and if he can take his recent form into next season he can go a long way to repaying his £35m transfer fee. Last but not least, Raheem Sterling excited Reds fans once more with his late cameo. I hope Sterling gets used more next season as I think he could become an excellent player.

There are still a number of improvements that need to be made – something that was underlined by another defeat on the final day of the season. Pepe Reina has admitted that he’s had a bad season, while after a bright start Jose Enrique has faded. I don’t think either of them should be sold this summer, but I do think signing decent competition for them would bring the best out of both players. One problem Liverpool have had this season is that if Reina or Enrique underperform, they are unlikely to be dropped from the side due to a lack of alternatives in their positions. Neither Doni nor Brad Jones gave Reina any reason to fear for his place when they stood in for him this season and while Jack Robinson is a promising left-back, he does not have enough experience to replace Enrique in the side. Playing Daniel Agger at left-back when Enrique is injured is a short-term fix that needs addressing this summer.

Further up the field, Stewart Downing needs to contribute more than he has this season if he wants to remain a Liverpool player. Charlie Adam has also been disappointing and I think both he and Downing deserve more criticism than Henderson has received this season – Henderson is younger and less experienced than the pair of them. Jay Spearing has been a solid stand-in for Lucas this season but he is not good enough to be a regular starter for a team with Champions League ambitions and I don’t think he ever will be.

Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani will return from their respective loans to Lille and Milan but given their high wages and disappointing performances at Liverpool I hope we are able to sell both players. I’d like to see Maxi Rodriguez and Dirk Kuyt remain and the club, but they seemed to be saying their goodbyes at Anfield after the Chelsea game.

If Liverpool are operating a “sell to buy” policy this summer, Kuyt and Maxi will be difficult to replace as Maxi is likely to leave on a free transfer and Kuyt is said to be available for as little as £1m. FSG have made it clear that Dalglish will not be given anywhere near as much money for transfers this summer as he was last season, so he will need to spend sensibly. It is telling that our best signing this season was Craig Bellamy, who cost nothing; good players are available for cheap or free transfers, you just have to look in the right places. However Lucas’ impending return from injury is arguably a bigger boost for the club than any player we might sign this summer as we have missed the Brazilian immensely since he got injured at the start of December.

Whatever you think of the strength of Liverpool’s current squad, there’s no denying that it’s a better squad than the one we had at the end of last season. Does anyone miss Paul Konchesky, Milan Jovanovic or Christian Poulsen? More changes will be made this summer and with good reason, but despite the disappointments of this season I believe we can qualify for the Champions League next year. It will be difficult given the rise of Tottenham and Newcastle, but not impossible. More often than not this season, Liverpool were let down by their poor chance conversion rather than bad performances. If we can actually take more of the chances we create and do some good business in the transfer market, that could be all we need to regain our place among Europe’s elite.

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On the 7th January 2011 Roy Hodgson was sacked as the manager of Liverpool after just 192 days in charge.

His tenure saw Liverpool sink to all time low to 12th in the position. On the 8th of January Kenny Dalglish was appointed as caretaker manager till the end of the season. He brought in Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll from Ajax and Newcastle respectively for a total sum of £58m. He then sold want away striker Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50m and Ryan Babel for £6m to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.

On the pitch, Liverpool began playing as a team again; there was movement as they adopted a “pass and move” approach played like the legendary Liverpool teams used to do, both before Dalglish and under his last spell as Liverpool manager. The players appeared to be more motivated playing under Dalglish than they were under Roy Hodgson. Luis Suarez made an immediate impact on the team with his brilliant movement, technique and eye for a good pass. Even with the big players such as Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson injured, Liverpool kept on winning games. What looked like a fight against relegation a couple of months ago radically transformed into a race against for a European spot. After successfully leading Liverpool from the bottom half of the table to 6th spot Dalglish was appointed long-term manager on the 12th of May, signing a three-year contract.

After the encouraging 6 months in charge King Kenny brought in Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Doni, Charlie Adam, Sebastian Coates and Jose Enrique to further strengthen the squad and pose a serious challenge to Champions League spot. The season started on a positive note and Liverpool constantly looked good to finish in the top four.

On the 26th of February King Kenny lead Liverpool to their first trophy is six years, when they beat Cardiff City in penalties to lift the trophy. However, within 7 days of that historic win, Liverpool suffered a huge setback to their quest for the top 4 finish, when they lost 1-2 to Arsenal at Anfield, though Liverpool played superb game still they could not win it. A missed penalty and hitting the woodwork twice and some great finishing from RVP did the trick for Arsenal. This would also be the first home defeat for the Reds this season. The dust of that home defeat to Arsenal did not even settle yet and Reds were condemned to their second successive league defeat in as many weeks. The downward spiral for Liverpool started from the Carling Cup win and they went on to lose 8 matches out of 15 they played including the FA cup Final against Chelsea.

After 4 months since King Kenny lead Liverpool to first trophy since 2006, Liverpool finished 8th in the League. The league form has been bad and disappointing; however in his first full season he has managed to win a trophy i.e. Carling Cup, though termed as a “Mickey Mouse” trophy but a trophy nonetheless and lead the team to FA Cup final.

I would not go into the debate “we should not criticize King Kenny because he has done this or that in the past” because everyone knows what he has done for us in the past, so I feel we don’t need to go back to those days. And if we talk about the present day, then I would like to point out that he is the man to lead us to two finals in one season and our first trophy in 6 years. So I don’t think that it is a bad season. If we put our focus to the league then yes, I would have to admit that things did not the way we had expected when the season began. He spent huge amount of money on players who have not performed barred Bellamy and Enrique, almost everyone has more or less disappointed us throughout the season with inconsistent performances. In the league there were a lot of matches which we should have won easily, but missed penalties and the woodwork (mind you we have hit it more than 30 times this season) cost us the 3 points and these matches either ended in a draw or a loss.

We all saw how the team played throughout the season so far and I don’t think it is only King Kenny’s mistake or his fault. If he is responsible for the poor showing then I think the entire team is equally to be blamed. We all have spoken widely about King Kenny’s line-ups and team selection. However, under him every senior player has got fair share of chances but results have remained the same. So, if he is to go then I guess we should as well change the entire team and bring in new players. But that is not my point, my point however, is that yes, in the league we haven’t had the luck but we are doing well in the domestic cups. Am I disappointed at the position we are in right now, yes, I am very much and it hurts more to look back and realize that we should have been in a better position had it not been for the missed chances. However, we all know that the team has played some great football in the league so far.

It has been 16 months of a roller coaster ride with King Kenny, but in my view he is doing his job perfectly. What he needs right now is patience and time from the supporters and the owners and what he does not need right now is the so called “fans” who are happy only when the team is winning. I am not saying that I love losing or drawing a game but yes, we can’t always win.

We need to understand that it’s his first full season in charge and he is building a team that would be great in next 2-3 seasons. All we need is patience. I hate to say it but we should learn patience from our bitterest rivals Man Utd. Fergie joined United in ‘86 as the manager and it was only in 89-90 season that he won the first trophy. Kenny is doing far better than that; he has won 1 trophy already and has qualified for Europe. Not reaching top 4 surely hurts that however is not the end, this is just the beginning. King Kenny has already instilled the belief in us and he will change all these beliefs into reality. It is just a matter of time. IN KENNY WE TRUST. LONG LIVE THE KING.

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Discerning supporters have long since come to the resolve that Aquilani has no interest in playing for Liverpool, which is a shame since there can be a desperate lack of creativity in the Liverpool midfield, as evidenced time after time this season, most memorably in the FA Cup final, first half especially.

Midfield stopgaps such as the touted Krasic will only exacerbate current problems and if he’s not good enough for Juventus then he’s not good enough for Liverpool (I have to admit however that I said the same about Maxi a couple of seasons ago).

Rasmus Elm seems a decent prospect, scoring 13 times for Alkmaar this campaign and has been praised by former Swedish national team coach Lars Lagerbäck as the country’s best prospect since Ibrahimovic. Talk of the likes of Elm filling the Alonso void though is all but redundant, Liverpool’s midfield needs to move in a natural progression, rather than trying to recreate players in the moulds of Alonso and Mascherano. In saying that, Elm, on face value, would seem to compliment a player like Lucas in central midfield.

It would seem a striker is on the agenda with the likes of Bojan being linked as well as high profile Bilbao striker Llorente (both tenuously.) Barcelona’s Villa, Keita and Tello are also purportedly being monitored but with such a limp league campaign quality signings like these may be wishful thinking, we needed this crop to rise to the occasion in order to attract the bigger names and strengthen- which leads us to the question; what of Dalglish?

With FSG’s forward thinking and clinical approach one can foresee Dalglsih returning to the background maybe sooner rather than later, back to an ambassadorial role. It would be surprising to see him being trusted with a kitty as big as last year’s ever again and it is tantalising to think of what Rafa would have done with the funds, having actively sought Silva, Villa and Alves among others during his tenure.

While some fans would like to see Benitez return we must remember that the reason for the clubs failures in the past three seasons arguably hinged on his decision to move for Gareth Barry at the expense of Alonso four summers ago, which lead to Alonso joining the current Galacticos and the team becoming increasingly disjointed and our best players disillusioned.

@NeilClerkin

Doni; Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Johnson; Henderson, Shelvey, Maxi, Downing; Carroll, Suarez

Subs: Jones, Enrique, Coates, Kuyt, Spearing, Sterling, Bellamy

Unfortunately, it was for all the wrong reasons. Having scored just two league goals entering the Christmas period, things looked bleak for the former Newcastle striker.

With a £35 million price tag constantly hanging over his head, the lack of goals and poor performances from Carroll fuelled the media’s negative press.

With all of this in mind, it is quite perplexing to see that at the end of this forgettable season, Liverpool’s number 9 is the clubs form player. With a last minute winner away to Blackburn in April, Carroll sparked into life and has yet to falter. This was soon followed by another winning goal, this time in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton, a goal that Jamie Carragher said was ”worth the £35 million price tag alone”.

Carroll’s impact when brought on to the pitch at last Saturday’s Final was there for everyone to see. Not only did he score but was a constant threat to Terry and Ivanovic, one of the best defensive partnerships in Europe. Carroll’s aerial dominance and general confidence in his abilities made people question the outcome of the game had He played from the first whistle.

The match in which Carroll’s transformation was most visible was the league game against Chelsea on Tuesday. Never before had John Terry looked as outplayed on a pitch. The former England captain was made to look Sunday League as time after time, Carroll won every header, completed every pass and contained every loose ball. His link up play with Luis Suarez was working better than ever and although he did not get his name on the scoresheet, the big man had the game of his Liverpool career. Sky Sports coverage spoke of Carroll as a new Didier Drogba, predicting a meteoric rise in his form come next season and even began to speak of a place within the England Euro 2012 squad for Carroll.

Although the exciting turn around in Carroll’s form is a slap in the face to all of the constant negative reports that deem the striker not good enough, the club cannot afford to get carried away. The fact is that we will need firepower upfront next season, we simply do not score enough goals.

However, these two months of top form that Andy Carroll has produced, may have saved his Liverpool career. If he had continued with his vain of form pre-Christmas, there would have to be serious consideration as to whether or not the club should hold on to him or get rid of him before another season of missed chances and negative press. Now, it looks like he will be entering the 2012-2013 season in the form of his life.

If signings can be made that can compliment Carroll’s ability, it could prove extremely threatening. Many times this season Carroll has cut a lonely, frustrated figure at the peak of Liverpool’s formation, itching to receive crosses that are never delivered well enough. With Maxi leaving, Dirk Kuyt considering looking for a new club and Stewart Downing’s ability not looking anywhere near good enough, a couple of quality wingers could ignite the club and the disappointment of this season will be long forgotten.

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