Liverpool Season Preview: A Season of Transition

Originally posted on The Sport Space.

Last Season:

The Merseysiders returned to the Champions League in style, finishing second in one of the most topsy turvy title races in recent memory. Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling formed the most destructive front threes in the league, while Jordan Henderson finally proved his worth to the side alongside a reinvented Stevie G. Philippe Coutinho added further creativity to the side that ended the season with a smashing 101 goals. Luis Suarez had a season to remember, scoring and creating goals at will. Problems at the back, however, cost them the league as they surprisingly surrendered a 3 goal lead against Crystal Palace to hand Man City the title.

Off-Season Report:

Luis Suarez’s transfer to Barcelona could well prove to be what
decides their season. To say that his goals were crucial to their
campaign would be a gross understatement, and the failed pursuit of
Loic Remy indicates that Brendan Rodgers doesn’t fully trust Rickie
Lambert and the impressive, yet raw talent of Lazar Markovic to fill
the void left by El Pistolero. And while a front three of Sturridge,
Lallana and Sterling doesn’t look too bad either, there really isn’t
anyone like Suarez.

Emre Can is an excellent signing, and will benefit greatly under the
guidance of Steven Gerrard, who might be playing his last season at
the top.

Concerns, however, remain at the back. Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure
are nowhere near reliable at the back, with both netting at the wrong
end last season, while Daniel Agger is most likely to leave this
summer. Hence Dejan Lovren will be a crucial part of the side going
into the season, while Mamadou Sakho looks like a much more assured player during his time at PSG. Jose Enrique did well last season, but it’s difficult to judge how well he can recuperate from his injury; Alberto Moreno will be a solid signing.

It’ll be interesting to see how the squad copes with the rigours of European football.

The Manager:

Brendan Rodgers showed tactical astuteness and was the architect of
Liverpool’s resurgence last season and was hailed by many as the
manager of the season. The mass influx of players and sale of a star
could go either way for him, and effectively bedding them in will be a
challenge for the Welshman.

Strengths:

The raw pace and power of the Reds’ attack left many a defence
befuddled, most notably Arsenal, last season. Raheem Sterling and
Daniel Sturridge are wonderfully talented players, and with Coutinho, Lallana, Origi, Lambert and Markovic their strike force is close to the best in the Champions League.

Weaknesses:

An unreliable defence cost them the league last season, and despite
the arrival of Dejan Lovren, their still is an air of weakness about
it. A hole at left- back needs to be plugged.

Key Player:

Raheem Sterling. An absolute delight to watch, the youngster will play a crucial part in the Reds’ campaign in the absence of Luis Suarez and this could very well be the season where he consolidates his spot
among the best young players in the world.

It’s a big season for:

Daniel Sturridge. Prior to his move to Liverpool, he was often seen as
an enigma. Undoubtedly talented, yet somehow not good enough to play for the big boys. All this changed last season where he netted 21
times and became a Kop favourite. Now, for the first time in his
career, the burden of delivering goals is on him. How he handles it
will decide both his, and his club’s future.

Emerging Star:

Lazar Markovic was extremely impressive in the Reds’ pre season clash against Olympiakos. An important player in last season’s Europa League finalists, Benfica, the youngster now has the chance to impress at the big stage and will be a useful player coming off the bench. The prospect of him and Sterling in the wings in a few years’ time is a mouthwatering one for the Kop.

Prediction:

It’s going to be a season of transition at Anfield, and at the moment
Liverpool start as fifth-favourites for the league. With the new
signings adapting, it probably won’t be a surprise to see the Reds in
the Europa League next season. It’s going to be tight, though.

It might take more than a season for Van Gaal to undo last season's debacle at Manchester United.

It wasn't just the Dutch who rejoiced at the end of Holland's 5-1 trouncing of Spain. Louis van Gaal's Oranje side enthralled millions of Man United fans who watched in awe as a fit, confident Robin van Persie robbed Iker Casillas of the ball and casually sent it into the back of the net. The top scorer in their Premier League winning season was back to his lethal best, as if unaffected by his club's disastrous form this season. In the dugout, van Gaal celebrated, rising from his bar stool seat, celebrating- a sight many United fans will hope to see more often in the upcoming season. A sense of optimism, absent since the arrival of Juan Mata, filled Old Trafford.But it's a long road back into the Champion's League. Manchester City, United's noisy neighbours and successors to the Premier League crown were absolutely unplayable at times, decimating Arsenal and United among a host of others. 

As were Liverpool  and Chelsea, the latter seeming like potential Champions League contenders with the signing of Cesc Fabregas and the impending arrival of Brazil's favourite son, Diego Costa; while the Merseysiders, looking to mount a Champions League challenge, have been excellent in the transfer market so far- bolstering midfield and adding depth to their already formidable attack by signing the exciting Emre Can and the experienced Rickie Lambert. Adam Lallana and Alberto Moreno have also been continually linked with the Reds.

Arsenal endured an equally bad second half to the season- butchered by Liverpool, Chelsea and City, but the return of key players like Theo Walcott and the signing of a top centre forward like Mario Balotelli will bolster hopes of a season like the one they had until January at the Emirates.

Despite being linked with dozens of players including the entire Dutch national team over the summer, United have still not made a signing, with the finger of blame being pointed right at their bumbling Chief Executive, Ed Woodward. United desperately need at least two quality centre halves, a left back capable of taking over from Patrice Evra, at least one more winger and crucially, a top central midfield player.

However, new signings, no matter how good they may be individually, will not ensure success. Just look at how Tottenham Hotspur imploded last season. Van Gaal will face a monumental task to bring them together as a cohesive unit. 

The expectations from van Gaal are clear- anything less than a Champions League spot will be deemed catastrophic, and while he has proven himself to be a formidable leader, it could take more than a season to resurrect the fallen Red Devils.