Rating Liverpool as the Season Closes – Part 3

The final entry fittingly coincides with the end of the season, one which Liverpool fans can look back and remember for all the many positives that it brought.

Yes the league title fell tantalisingly out of reach, but for the Reds to have found themselves in such a position speaks volumes about how well they have performed in 2013/14.

Champions League qualification, the target that most believed Liverpool would fail to achieve in the closing weeks, became irrelevant due to a blistering 11 match winning streak where the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham and Southampton were blown aside effortlessly.

However, the best thing that may yet come out of this season is that it marked the end of the beginning, instead of an Indian summer.

With Coutinho and Victor Moses rated, there are only five left to go…

Attacking Midfield – (…, Luis Alberto, Raheem Sterling)

Brought in with a promising reputation, but for a fairly hefty price, Luis Alberto has struggled to maintain a cameo role off the bench, let alone a regular first team place.

The Spaniard only made two starts for Liverpool this season and both were in the cups, coming off the bench nine times in the league.

Alberto has caught the eye on occasion, such as his performance in the 5-0 victory at White Hart Lane where he provided an assist for Luis Suarez.

However, whether through fault of his own, injury or just by lacking quality, Alberto has not played regularly enough to fulfil his £6m price tag and could be on his way back to Spain this summer (with Suso returning from loan might it have served Rodgers better in hindsight to keep Suso last season and use the Alberto money elsewhere?). Alberto – 5/10

Raheem Sterling has truly been a wonder boy this season, particularly in 2014.

Having burst onto the scene for Liverpool, notably in August 2012 against Manchester City at Anfield, the teenage English winger faded into the background and was seemingly low on confidence and lacked dimensions to his game at the start of this season.

Yet despite a poor performance in the away defeat to Hull, fortunately Rodgers continued to use Sterling, who benefited from injuries to Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard. Since terrorising Kyle Naughton to the extent that he had to be brought off at half time in the 5-0 win over Tottenham, Sterling has not looked back and is the exact opposite mentally compared to the start of the season.

He has seemingly become a tactical genius, absorbing everything he can from Rodgers and utilizing new strengths which allow him to flourish in a variety of roles, including the No. 10 position.

His goal against Manchester City at Anfield provided all the evidence for how far Sterling has evolved in just a short space of time, demonstrating such composure against the likes of Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart.

He has gone from being the next Shaun Wright Phillips or Aaron Lennon to something far greater. Sterling – 8.5/10

Forward – (Iago Aspas, Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suarez)

I think the corner in injury time in the 2-0 loss to Chelsea summed up Iago Aspas perfectly this season.

Like Luis Alberto, the Spaniard arrived for around £6m from Spain in the summer, but has severely flattered to deceive, whereas Alberto has at least shown some potential.

The Premier League just looks at step too far for Aspas, especially given his small physical stature and inability to keep onto the ball and distribute effectively.

The irony is that he started off fairly well in pre-season, especially in Gerrard’s testimonial, which I saw in the flesh. I remember thinking that we might have another Coutinho on our hands and undoubtedly this was what Rodgers was trying to achieve, with no Champions League football to work with.

Aspas also linked up well with Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge in the opening day victory over Stoke, but has regressed immensely since and consequently has failed to get anywhere near a team with SAS up front.

His only goal came in the FA Cup against Oldham, which is another concluding impression of his extremely disappointing season. A shame – but like Alberto, he will perform better in Spain next season. Aspas – 4/10

In a season which saw him realise his potential and enjoy his most productive season, Daniel Sturridge could be forgiven for thinking that he would end up top scorer his season, especially as he pulled away early on, with a certain Luis Suarez still suspended.

However, despite the incredible consistency of the Uruguayan and the in-form Raheem Sterling, without Sturridge Liverpool would have done well to finish in the top four, let alone compete for the title.

For starters, we would have failed to win our opening three games!

With 24 goals in 33 appearances, he has been Rodgers’ best buy since becoming manager two years ago, just ahead of the other bargain in Coutinho (£20m – or a Downing – for these two, which is absolutely incredible).

His goal celebration has become a universal hit, especially as this season he has experienced plenty of opportunities to practice it. In addition, for all the talk of Sturridge being a goal predator, he can also provide sumptuous link up play and has frequently demonstrated the incredible ability that he possesses (and which also drove him to various academies as coaches looked to structure his game, rather than letting it flow, something that has arguably held England back in recent years).

For instance, not too many Liverpool fans will be forgetting that chip against West Brom at Anfield, not to mention the one against Everton too!

The only worry now is not suffering burnout or injury, as he will remain first choice alongside Luis Suarez next season, yet is also first choice for England at the World Cup this summer.

But with more games to come next season with the buffer of the Champions League, it would not be surprising in the slightest if Sturridge exceeded 30 goals next season.

A phenomenal season. Sturridge – 9/10

Last but not least – a season to remember for Luis Suarez.

The PFA Player of the Year, the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, various other player of the year awards, the accolades have been endless and richly deserved. Only Gerrard prevented Suarez from topping the goal and assist charts in the Premier League this season, with 31 goals and 12 assists respectively.

From the sheer ridiculousness of a performance against Norwich City at Anfield to his incredible link up play, most notably with Sterling and Sturridge (goals away at Stoke and Cardiff City come to mind), Suarez has consistently remained a total nuisance and menace to opposition defenders.

Once he returned from his suspension which carried over from the Ivanovic incident, he elevated his game to a level so rarefied comparisons have subsequently been made regarding his standing in world football in comparison to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Indeed, Suarez will be sharing the European Golden Shoe with Ronaldo, such have been his amazing levels of consistency and brilliance throughout the season.

For Liverpool to go one step further next season, it is imperative that Suarez is pulling on a Liverpool shirt and not the white of Real Madrid or any other club.

The only improvement the Uruguayan needs to make is to improve his goalscoring record in the big matches, with Champions League football on the horizon. He failed to score against any of the top four this season, something which has to improve he if wishes to become the best player on the planet and lead Liverpool to a first league title in what would now be at least 25 years.

Furthermore, his reputation has almost transformed from sinner to saint, but there are still a few moments for concern, such as the ‘injury’ away at Norwich City. Of coruse his desire to win is what drives his performances on the pitch, but he has to be careful, as Liverpool cannot afford any more suspensions or controversial incidients.

Overall though, a majestic season for Liverpool’s No. 7. Suarez – 9.5/10

However, the season which has seen Liverpool return to the elite could not have happened without Brendan Rodgers. Patience was the call last season, as the playing style progressed but the results struggled to follow. However, good form at the back end of the season convinced many that Liverpool were slowly on their way back and could perhaps make the top four next season.

However, no one could have imagined a season like this so soon.

Champions League football was the primary target, but the fact that it was met with ease shows the incredible progression that has occurred at Anfield this season.

Most of that is down to the manager. His tenacity to find the perfect system for his players against a certain opposition has left teams bewildered at the set up of Liverpool, struggling to contain the Reds early on, hence resulting in so many excellent starts that characterized Liverpool’s season.

When Suarez and Sturridge were both available, Rodgers found formations that would not only suit them both, but result in their best ever seasons.

The accommodation of Gerrard into a defensive midfield role has been a masterstroke, giving the skipper extra to pick his passes and start attacks, whilst using his experience to break up opposition offences. At times, he has been almost a third centre back (albeit to Liverpool’s detriment against Chelsea, with no one to cover behind).

Rodgers could be justifiably accused of naivety in the final weeks of the season when the title was within reach. The emotion was so high around Anfield that the league was wanted too badly by Liverpool players and supporters. Rodgers was seemingly caught up in that emotion and could control his players as they desperately searched for an equalizer against Chelsea.

But going for a ridiculous amount of goals against Crystal Palace in a ‘gung-ho’ approach which was never going to work led to 3-0 lead becoming a 3-3 draw, the final nail in the coffin for the title.

However, Rodgers and his team will learn from these experiences. If the right investment is made in the summer, Liverpool should be right up there again next season. Rodgers – 9/10

Liverpool – 9.5/10 (Fabulous league campaign but title would have made it 10/10! – also a cup run would be good next season for the fringe players)