da bet7： Liverpool head into the new season with their fourth manager in as many years at the helm, with former Swansea boss having arrived at the club for a hefty compensatory fee of around £7m in the summer, but what does the campaign have in store for the Merseyside giants as they look to improve upon a disappointing eighth-placed finish last term?
da lvbet： One to watch – Fabio Borini
You suspect that the fate of Rodgers and Borini are somewhat intertwined this season, with the manager having staked a fair chunk of change on the former Chelsea, Swansea and Roma forward. Having cost a fee in the region of £10m, the 21 year-old arrives with a burgeoning reputation after making Italy’s squad for Euro 2012 off the back of some decent form last year.
However, when you put into perspective that he cost Roma just £7m a few weeks before and the fact that he had made just 46 first-team career appearances prior to his big move, then it is still something of a gamble, much like the managerial appointment of Rodgers itself.
He looks an extremely lively player, quick over the ground and intuitive and there were already the signs of him and Luis Suarez striking up an exciting partnership in the impressive 3-0 win in the Europa League over FC Gomel at Anfield last week. He was well-known for his clinical nature at his previous clubs and it will be interesting to see whether he can help improve a hugely profligate front line at the club this season.
Breakthrough Year – Raheem Sterling
After a goalscoring performance in the club’s final pre-season friendly during the 3-1 victory over Sami Hyypia’s Bayer Leverkusen side, it’s worth remembering that Sterling is still just 17 years of age and is a precocious talent.
The club have let go of Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez and Craig Bellamy this summer as they seek to reduce the overall age of the squad while trimming the wage bill, which should afford more first-team opportunities to the likes of Sterling and fellow young starlet Suso.
Knowing Rodgers preference for a 4-3-3 system, Sterling has the potential to occupy one of the wide roles, certainly given the lack of competition at present, with only Stewart Downing, Joe Cole and Fabio Borini left to compete with.
With the club in Europe this season and competing on four fronts, rotation is likely and we’re certain to see a lot more of the raw winger than we did last term, where his lack of involvement was a continual source of frustration amongst the Dalglish naysayers. He’s raw still and his final ball may leave a lot to be desired at times, but he appears to be fitting into the new ethos at the club well and is already something of a Rodgers favourite in the making.
Predictions:
Premier League – 6th
The return of the hugely missed Lucas Leiva could play a pivotal role going into the new season, as he looks set to play in the holding role in a midfield trio of new signing Joe Allen and skipper Steven Gerrard – it shouldn’t be underestimated just how integral he is to this side and it’s no underestimation to believe the club may have pushed the top four last season with him in the side.
It’s also imperative, particularly given the scarcity of options around, that the club keep hold of Daniel Agger after some serious interest from Manchester City, as he plays a key role in holding that back four together and Martin Skrtel plays far better alongside the Dane than anyone else.
There’s a worry that the club lacks the requisite depth to truly challenge and while they have a strong first-team, there’s not much beyond that, with very few options up front especially. Steven Gerrard could be set to enjoy an indian summer as he enters the twilight of his career, as he seeks to make the most of the free role behind Suarez and he could be pivotal throughout the course of the season, but you get the sense that as the players get to grips with a new footballing philosophy, they will still be plagued by inconsistency both in terms of performance and results. There’s a lot good about the side, but there’s still some gaping flaws that will need addressing over time, given the reigning in of the budget and more long-term viewpoint.
Europa League – Quarter-Finals
Whilst it’s obviously tempting to count our chickens before they hatch, Liverpool should be able to find a way past Scottish club Hearts and into the Europa League group stages.
No club will want to be drawn against Liverpool, who on their day, as they displayed during several big games last season, are a match for anyone. They won’t go into the group stages as top seeds, but along with Inter Milan and PSV, will represent one of the strongest second seeds around, which means the groups stages have the potential for a bit of a free-for-all attitude with a whole host of big sides drawn against each other so early on.
If they can negotiate their way out of a tricky group, they have the potential to go deep into the competition, but the league must remain the priority. Stoke last season travelled to the far flung corners of the continent with trips to Ukraine, Turkey and Israel among others and it had an adverse effect on their domestic form as fatigue set in due to all the travelling, and Liverpool will be hoping for a favourable draw not only in terms of the opposition’s quality, but the distance they have to travel.
FA Cup – Semi-Final
Liverpool have for all intents and purpose become a cup team over recent years, as the knockout style of competition suits their ability to approach big games as one-offs rather than sustain their form over the course of a long period, like you have to in the league.
Having reached the finals of last year’s competition only to be beaten by Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea side, they’ve shown that if they can find a way past the potential banana skins of the earlier rounds, they can be a force to be reckoned with in the latter stages.
Carling Cup – Winners
Gone are the days where the top teams didn’t take the second most-important cup competition seriously and since 2005, only Birmingham City have emerged triumphant in the tournament who could be said to be a side outside the established top six in the league, where they beat a side in the final who were, Arsenal.
Manchester United managed to retain the trophy back in 2010 having beaten Aston Villa in the final and Liverpool are traditionally the most successful side ever in the competition’s history, having won it eight times, three more than the next closest side Villa.
A piece of silverware would be a welcome reward during what is most definitely a season of transition. With expectations reigned in and patience the byword of the Rodgers ‘project’, there is still a need for results and even though it may not be as valued as other competitions, winning the Carling Cup is well within the realms of possibility should they continue to treat it seriously.
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