AS disappointing as it was to see Liverpool lose to Swansea on Sunday, truth be told I’m just glad to see this season come to an end.
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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Downing has to contribute more. No goals, no assists in the league. Maybe u should’ve put it ” he has to start contributing ” after KD wasted 20 million on him. U r very optimistic my friend. KD is selling most of foreign players with skills and replacing them with very limitited British ones. I’ll bet my house with u mate that if KD still mngr next season LFC will not finish top 4. NEVER, NEVER,NEVER
I agree. As bad a season we had, it can not get any worse. Luis wont be suspended for 9 games, stevie wont be rehabbing an injury (keeping fingers crossed during euro’s) as well as Carroll. Pepe needs to find his way and keep shelvey active. No more loaning him out. We are a few players away from competing for top 4 and hopefully 2-3 years from the title. We need striker, winger (unless you throw sterling in to the fire) and a brut in the midfield. We dont have to break the bank. We do that next year when we are in the champions league.
YNWA
Worst season since 1953. 6 league games won at home all season. 110 million spent with the careless cup to show for, worst pl campaign. Finished below everton. He has broken all the wrong records. Carry on Kenny. He still thinks there has been progress !!! Comedy or tragedy ? Can it get worse? Yes it can…. With KD we look forward to a relegation scrap! Mark my words.
Can it get worse? I suppose it can but if 10 shots go in and not hit the post – well our season would have been different. I agree with you Erin that kenny has been shaky. If he stays (which, i for one would like to see him go) then he must stick to a starting 11. stop buying english players and raid international leagues.
It is down to coaching! That’s why the shots don’t go in. Over 18 sq meters of goal but we hit posts. Poor finishing. Plain and simple. Is it a coincidence that players like reina have regressed? Hmm, we sacked the gk coach. Fair enough but does not go far enough for me. This current team ( not good enough for top 4, we are all in agreement) are better than 34 points of the top, why are they not delivering? As soon as top 4 looked over with, they simply gave up. Mediocre mentality with no fighting spirit. Look at arsenal’s start of the season. They fought and got there. We just didn’t have the mentality and belief. That blame falls with the manager.
Don’t even get me started with out transfer policy! Hands up who thought Carrol was worth 35 million or downing 20 million? Not a single Liverpool fan, only Kenny. Yet, we kept our mouth shut and kept believing blindly . Well it has to stop. It is time to open our eyes before more damage is done.
Kenny blew the opportunity of a lifetime. 110 million pounds spent with the careless cup to show for. Enough money to build a very, very good team. As I said, it was a one off. Now, it will be more like 20 to 30 million. Careful spending will be the order of the day. I don’t want to go through the debt issue ever again. Newcastle showed what can be achieved in the transfer market.
We need someone who knows the market inside out. Time for kenny to leave!!!
No more seasons like this one. For the sake of our collective sanity
KD is like a virus that Liverpool have to get through their system before it gets better. How many more poor lance corporals will have to be sacrificed before the `unsackable one` finally reaches the top of the pile. I reckon he`s there for at least one more season. Top four? Dream on. Both Manc clubs will be spending big, as will Chekski and probably the spuds. Even Arsenal have already begun their spending. The question is, will FSG give KD any more money given the duds he bought last time. My guess is not much without generating the money by player sales. It`s like chasing an accelerating train as it leaves the station platform.
We all need Rafa Benitez back in liverpool as our truely manager. He knows our style of play and he has the mentality of winning. Please we all need him again. Daglish knows how to play but doesn’t know how to coach not to talk of lying up a formation. Please Fenway if ??? don’t want liverpool in 15th position next season, kindly let’s Daglish hold another position and not coaching the team again. As am typing this message am not feeling good and people do mock me of my team. I don’t blame them but my coach which doesn’t know how to form a team. Please!!!