Adding Another String To Your Bow

It has been a significant week.

Liverpool’s momentous 3-2 win over Premier League title rivals Manchester City paled in significance to the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

It is these instances where the great Bill Shankly’s words have to be overturned, where football comes together to remember the lives of those who died from going to a game.

Yet the emotion and passion drove the Reds on the pitch, especially captain Steven Gerrard, who failed to contain his feelings after the 90 minutes.

The 12th man was present again when it was needed most, especially once Manuel Pellegrini’s side showed their class to come back into the game at 2-2, when Liverpool threatened to blow them away in the first 40 minutes and really should have been at least 3-0 up.

Coutinho’s winner has given Liverpool the edge again in the title race – right now, they are the only ones who have the league in their hands. Four more wins and they will be champions. Easy, eh?

However, there have been so many twists and turns in this title race (the league leaders have changed more times this season then in the previous two seasons) and with upcoming fixtures against the likes of Chelsea and Crystal Palace, Brendan Rodgers and his side will find it hard to pick up maximum points.

And that is before even taking Norwich into account.

Gerrard was spot on when after the City win he insisted that Liverpool have achieved nothing yet, and the Reds have to treat Norwich like AC Milan, referring back to that famous night in Istanbul nine years ago. Otherwise all will be forgotten by the time next season rolls around.

This is where both Gerrard and Rodgers (and the impressive psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters) have to keep the team focused and settled heading into every game. The players need to ensure now, more than ever, that they sleep right, eat right, do not waste energy stressing and just enjoy each game as it comes. For there is no guarantee that Liverpool will be title challengers next season – they have not been regulars at this for a very long time.

Nonetheless, it has been a wonderful season and, barring a travesty, Champions League football will return to Anfield. Rodgers has been outstanding this season and deserves all the praise he gets, being alongside Tony Pulis as Manager of the Year. Conversely, the Northern Irishman’s consistency in the transfer market has yet to be realised.

There is the valid argument that Rodgers is not alone in making the final decision, with Liverpool’s transfer committee responsible for purchasing the targets that were desired by the manager and that the club agreed to pursue.

Furthermore, the lack of Champions League football has restricted Rodgers regarding the players he has been able to bring in. Diego Costa, Willian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mohamed Salah are some of the players that have turned Liverpool down in favour of Champions League football, but that problem should come to an end.

Moreover, the extra money from Europe’s premier competition means that big transfers can occur without one eye on UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules.

Nevertheless, with the money that he has spent during his tenure, Rodgers should have done better. With a net spend of roughly £37m in his first season, only Daniel Sturridge and Coutinho were unqualified successes (Joe Allen is beginning to show signs why Rodgers paid £15m for him, but money has not been well spent yet on the Welshman).

This season the net spend was reduced to £17m, but Simon Mignolet is the only one who would return a profit to the Anfield coffers. Instead it has been all about the coaching this season, developing and refining those brought in from the Kenny Dalglish period and those still standing from the days of Rafael Benitez.

Rodgers has excelled at teaching old dogs new tricks this season. Few believed Gerrard could be converted into one of the best deep-lying playmakers in Europe, given his past lack of tactical discipline. But with Rodgers’ help and the mental guidance of Peters, Gerrard has found a position which he can play for many years to come and maintain a world class level.

Martin Skrtel was conceding errors and goals left right and centre last season and ultimately his place to the retiring Jamie Carragher. However, with his future on the line, Skrtel has buckled down and embraced Rodgers’ ideas. The Slovakian has improved readily on the ball and his improved consistency has soared his confidence, even to the extent that he has abandoned the rugby jostling with strikers earlier in the season. Instead, he has become the top scoring defender in the Premier League, with 5 goals in his last 10 games.

Luis Suarez has become more clinical, Daniel Sturridge feels loved, Glen Johnson is becoming less embarrassing defensively by the day and Jordan Henderson, who nearly ended up at Fulham, is now looking a certainty for England’s World Cup squad.

It will not be enough next season.

Even if Liverpool win the title, and it is a big if still, they should be focusing on making sure they retain a top four place rather than their title. Everyone around them will strengthen, and the Premier League already is the most competitive in the world.

Only once Champions League football is secured and Liverpool are in the title hunt with 7 games to go can the Reds focus fully on defending top spot.

All the money gained from the Champions League will have to be spent wisely to ensure that this happens and the success this season is not a one-off. Liverpool do not have the luxury of wasting £30m on a player like Chelsea or Manchester City and so that transfer record, whether it is solely down to Rodgers or not, has to improve markedly in the summer.

Liverpool’s short term future might be safe with the world-class coaching of Rodgers, but eventually it will only take you so far. Rodgers might be correct when he says there is no pressure on this side, as they chase their first league title in 24 years on the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough, but there is pressure on him once the transfer market opens.

Having achieved it for others, Rodgers must now add another string to his bow by enhancing his transfer skills – Liverpool’s long term success depends on it.