Friday, December 27, 2013

Genuine contender, I believe this will be the year

Brendan Rodgers and his chargers lost narrowly at the Etihad last night. A win is always good but watching how the man in reds performed left a true belief in me that we will finish among the top 4 this season. 

When Rodgers came in, I told myself that we've got a new man managing Liverpool now. I will give him 3 years before I can see Liverpool start to challenge for a place in the Champions League and 5 years before Liverpool can start to challenge for the league title. 

Well, I am not the one who will decide Brendan's fate; I only wish that I have the power to do that. 

After 18 games with 36 points gained I'd say Brendan Rodgers has done a tremendous job thus far. How we have battered teams this season and how Anfield is becoming a fortress again, I'd say that Brendan will achieve the target that I have set (which this does not really matter anyway) earlier than suggested. Not only that we will finish the league in style, we might win it too!

First and foremost, let’s not get carried away. The main target is still to finish within the top 4 and to qualify for Champions League. But looking at the situation where Liverpool does not have any European fixtures this season and the focus is only on the league and maybe the FA Cup. Winning the league is not impossible. The likes of City, United, Chelsea and Arsenal, they still have CL fixtures, League cup & FA Cup. 

Besides that, Brendan has turned the team to play a very attractive attacking football and the results support that. Yes, the squad is not as thick as the other top teams but Brendan also has somehow managed to establish the 'togetherness' within the team. This is important. Yes, players like Christiano Ronaldo, Messi, Van Persie and many others can carry their team to success. Liverpool does not have that luxury, due to the lack of Champions League football; top players do not want to come to Liverpool. But how we get them to join us if we do not qualify for CL? How do we qualify without these so called top players

We are lucky, we have Steven Gerrard, one of the top football players in the world and we also have Luis Suarez. What about the other players? Lucas Leiva, Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Danny Agger. They are good players, but they are not wonderful players. Well we do have Coutinho, but I strongly believe that he is not the finished article yet. 

What Brendan did is to mold them into a team. Build a team that has a strong resistance and strong will to win. A squad that is thin in experience and quality can be backed up by strong will and determination. 

The game against City last night strongly proves my view! We played well, should have at least earned a point but we lost. With the injuries that we have, we went in with only Suarez who can be called 'World Class'. But with the work ethics shown by the rest of the players, Liverpoool is "World Class". Raheem had a goal wrongly dis-allowed and towards the end he had another opportunity which he did not score. But just imagined what will happen if Gerrard & Sturridge played. It could have been another story!

Their efforts can never be questioned, but it's their experienced that caused the slip-ups. This can only be rectified if we keep on playing like we are playing now and keep on learning and keeping the heads on the ground. 

This is why I strongly believe that we can be in the top 4 and I would not be surprised if we even managed to win the league! Arsenal, City, Chelsea & Spurs will have to come to Anfield. With the way we are playing now, that is 12 points in hand! And with Rodgers around, I would say, Liverpool will get stronger when we enter 2014! 

Next is the Bridge ... well c'mon you Red men! This year we will fight till the end! YNWA

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