The fact that Liverpool have added strength in depth to a threadbare and uneven squad and that they only have the three domestic competitions to focus on this season should see Dalglish treat the FA Cup extremely seriously. They haven’t fared too well in the competition over the last few years but this season it will be one of the club’s top priorities. Everyone harps on about the fact that Arsenal haven’t won a trophy for six years which has conveniently papered over the cracks of Liverpool’s relatively trophy-barren period which now stands at five years themselves. If they can avoid the big boys in the early stages, I can envisage a decent crack at a cup run this season.
Prediction – Semi-Finalists
Carling Cup: Despite the club having just the three competitions to focus on this season, I can see Dalglish taking a very different approach to the Carling Cup than he will to the FA Cup. Last season saw the breakthrough of a number of youngsters, with the likes of John Flanagan, Jack Robinson and Jay Spearing impressing. The club has an exciting crop coming through the reserves and youth team set-ups too, with Conor Coady and Raheem Sterling exciting prospects. Expect to see a combination of youth and first-team deadwood (Cole, Poulsen, Aurelio, Ngog) play the majority of the fixtures in the Carling Cup this season. I don’t foresee Dalglish changing his attitude towards the competition unless the club reaches the semi-finals with a genuine chance of winning the competition.
Prediction – Quarter-Finalists
Breakthrough Season: Jonjo Shelvey – Dalglish clearly fancies Shelvey (no, not in that way) and Liverpool fans will have become familiar with the sight of seeing ol’ Jonjo trot onto the pitch around the seventy minute mark. The influx of a number of midfielders this season could limit his impact in the first-team at the beginning of the campaign, but Shelvey may have a part to play over the busy festive period and it‘s worth noting that he hasn‘t been loaned out to a Championship club yet. At 19 years of age, Shelvey has plenty of time on his side, but he appears to have that natural knack for finding both time and space in and around the box and he should feature more prominently this season if last season’s impression was anything to go by.
Player to watch: Luis Suarez – Suarez returns to the league that he lit up towards the back end of last season on the back of a successful and victorious foray with Uruguay in the Copa America. He will want to dispel any fears about ‘burnout’ and over the issue whether his impact last season was a flash in the pan straight away. He’s not a goalscorer in the same model as Fernando Torres, the man he replaced, but unlike Torres, when Suarez doesn’t score, he contributes hugely in other ways. He was at the forefront of everything that made Liverpool exciting towards the end of last season. Strong, inventive and creative, if Liverpool are to challenge the top four, Suarez will have a pivotal part to play.
The article was written by James McManus for FootballFancast.com. Make sure to check out the latest news, blogs and podcasts at FFC – ed.
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Informative article as ever, I believe downing will be a key figure in helping lfc mount a challenge of sorts, his interactions with Suarez and passing abilitiy will serve Carroll, I truly think he is the key to most things within our games his role will be just as big as gerrards in the long term