Rodgers has brought in two of his former players in Fabio Borini and Joe Allen. Both players fit perfectly into the Rodgers mold; however questions over whether Borini has the goals in him to fire Liverpool to the top four and whether Allen's £15million transfer fee is too much are being asked. The returning Joe Cole is like a new transfer, and under Rodgers he could find the form that made him an England regular. Whether or not he'll fit into Rodgers preferred 4-3-3 formation is another thing, with Cole's favourite position in the hole of the striker.
Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger are a solid centre back partnership, and Swansea under Rodgers didn't concede many goals at the Liberty Stadium meaning that Liverpool should be solid defensively. Lucas Leiva's return from an injury a huge boost to the club, as they heavily missed the Brazilian following his season ending injury in November.
Key player - Luis Suarez. Putting the controversy aside, Suarez is at times unplayable. Technically superb and his ball retention in close space is incredible (the assist for Dirk Kuyt vs Manchester United two seasons ago a perfect example of this). Liverpool's poor goal return was a reason why they were never really top four contenders, so Suarez will have to get closer to 20 goals this Premier League campaign if they are to be successful.
Prediction - 7th. Rodgers is a long term appointment and I do believe he'll get Liverpool back into the top four; however I don't think it'll be this season. They're miles behind both Manchester clubs, whilst they don't have the consistency to compete with the London trio of Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs. Cup success however isn't out of the question.
View from a fan - Jack Watson @JackWatsonLFC
What would be a perfect season?
Ideally a long fight for fourth place and securing a Champions League; however will probably finish fifth.
What would be a nightmare season?
An awful season would be being knocked out of the cups with a whimper and a mid-table finish.
Do you have the right man in charge?
Yes, quite confident in Rodgers and what he's aiming to do. He has the right philosophy but it will take time to implement.
Which Premier League player would you sign given the chance?
Tough one to be honest. We're close to signing Joe Allen, so I'll go with him. A tidy midfielder who'll fit into the system. (Question asked before Allen was confirmed as a Liverpool player)
Will this be Jamie Carragher's last season?
I think it might be. I love what he's done at the club but he really shouldn't be anywhere near the first team now.
Would you prefer to regain the Carling Cup or break into the top four?
I'd prefer the top four finish. The money and attraction for players it brings is unrivaled. That's where we need to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment