How do Liverpool return to the top?

Brendan Rodgers - Liverpool manager

Sunday 24th April 2014 was the day. Liverpool had just beaten Norwich City away 2-3 thanks to goals from Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling, opening up a 5 point lead at the top. A year later Liverpool sit fifth, destined for the Europa League and supposedly destined for mediocrity. To sum up this season in a word for reds fans would be rather difficult - abysmal, underwhelming, mediocre, there are even shouts of this being a 'Moyes-esque' season at Anfield - all these words fit the bill perfectly; Liverpool have been utterly disappointing this season - a side who finished 2nd last season, inches away from the Premier League title, Brendan Rodgers was at his third season with the club and despite selling their best player last summer, the club spent £100 million + on incoming transfers. Surely this was the set up for a side set to compete for the Premier League title as Brendan Rodgers had said of Tottenham the previous season with their extortionate spending. Fact is Liverpool are now in a position which is in stark contrast to the end of last season, but does not mean that a return to the top is impossible.

Liverpool fans are united on many things, but one topic which currently divides the fans is Brendan Rodgers - should he stay or should he go? Some argue that this is a 'transitional' period for the club and that rival teams have vast resources which are difficult to compete with, whilst others argue that Liverpool have failed to progress from last season and Rodgers' failure to win a trophy in three years is enough to boot him out. Both are valid arguments but the reality is that the fans and owners at Anfield will achieve nothing if Rodgers is sacked; surely one thing they have learnt from the past is that sacking managers will only hinder their development as a club - with the sackings of Rafa, Roy and Kenny, Liverpool failed to make any significant progress. Despite this disappointing season, one thing Rodgers holds above his two predecessors is that Liverpool have progressed under his management - they got in to Europe again allbeit going out disappointingly and the quality of the team has improved under the northern Irishman in comparison to Dalglish and Hodgson's teams, but have Liverpool improved on the scale of Chelsea and Manchester City? No. But what this upcoming summer gives for the red half of Merseyside is an opportunity; an opportunity to rebuild and rethink, Liverpool are out of the Champions League which makes it difficult to attract top players but what is absolutely imperative is that the owners of the club must give Brendan Rodgers the full financial backing he so desperately needs which will be difficult given last summer's expenditure but, given the dire situation here, surely the owners will need to cough up. So to sum up, no, Brendan Rodgers should not leave, he should be given the summer to see who he can attract and only if he fails to attract any of the much needed quality Liverpool fans are yearning for, only then should his position as manager be under scrutiny.

Another topic which has divided Liverpool fans is the potential sale of Raheem Sterling - should the club do more to keep him or should he go? To be quite honest, whilst it may be argued that Sterling is being a 'money-grabbing 20 year old', I think the manager here has himself to blame to an extent as well. Back in December, the Liverpool gaffer gave Raheem Sterling time off to go on holiday whilst the rest of the team had to work and train hard - this is preferential treatment and to be quite frank, a poor piece of management. By giving an individual preferential treatment, they will be under the false illusion that they can defy the manager's authority and Brendan Rodgers let his authority slip here, moreover it is bad for the mentality of a team by treating one individual differently to the others. Raheem Sterling now quite clearly thinks that he is able to do what he pleases as seen with his untimely request to leave, all the best football managers will emphasize that letting your authority slip (Liverpool have let a few things slip you know...) as a manager is the worst thing that can happen - Sir Alex Ferguson dedicated most of his autobiography on maintaining a sense of authority. So to answer the earlier question of whether Liverpool should keep or sell Sterling, I think they should sell him - if the hierarchy pander to the 20 year old's wage demands and force him to stay, it will only have a detrimental impact on the manager and the rest of the team. Liverpool need to cash in on Raheem Sterling - his market value has grown significantly and Rodgers needs to sell him to somewhat maintain his sense of authority over the team. If Sterling does go to another English club, then it will be difficult to see if he will be a key member of a team's starting eleven like he is with Liverpool. As far as I am concerned, Raheem Sterling will regret leaving if he does but the manager must call his bluff and get rid of him.  

The issue of attracting top quality players is important but it cannot just be any random form of quality - last summer, Manchester United purchased Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao at high prices, both are talented players but ask yourself this - have they really had a significant impact on Manchester United's season? In my opinion, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind have proved to be more effective purchases. What Liverpool need to address this summer is the core of their team, two weeks ago on MNF, Gary Neville said about Arsenal "the small ornaments of the living room are there, they just need the hard long-lasting furniture" - the same analogy must be applied at Anfield as well. Liverpool have the talented likes of Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge but they need to purchase players which will form a strong spine for the starting eleven, they need to obtain a world class goalkeeper, defender, holding midfielder and striker. Sure, it will be difficult given that the demand for these players is very high and the fact that there is no European football at Anfield to attract these players (to those who are saying Liverpool are set for Europa, get real will ya), however it does not mean it is impossible - like I said before, the upcoming transfer window is an opportunity for Brendan Rodgers, there will be doubters but doubters are there to be proved wrong.

So from 'trophy-lacking managers' and 'money-grabbing 20 year olds', the Anfield hierarchy have one hell of a job to do in the coming months, but this idea that the Reds are finished as a club is as true as Arsene Wenger is about the supposed renowned quality of Abou Diaby. Liverpool are, like all great clubs have been, in a bad situation, but, like all great clubs, Liverpool will rise again. 

    

  

   

Chelsea are boring to watch but the 'purists' Arsenal are learning from them.

With three games of the league season left and thirteen points clear of second place, Jose Mourinho's tactically astute Chelsea side look set to lift the Premier League title in what would be the fifth of the club's league title successes. It has been far from difficult for the West London outfit with the current champions Manchester City faltering in their bid to retain the title and Arsenal only starting to come in to the fold in the latter stages of the season - apparently too little, too late for Arsene Wenger's men.

Last Sunday, Chelsea, in textbook Mourinho style, went to the Emirates in what was a fascinating tactical battle. Arsenal, as per usual at home, dominated the possession, however this was without their usual pizzazz they have in the final third - why? Because Mourinho's men came with a plan and stuck to it. 'Boring, boring Chelsea' were the cries of the home crowd as Chelsea shut up shop against Olivier Giroud and co. As an Arsenal fan, it was agonisingly frustrating, but as a football fan, you can only admire and respect what Mourinho does in big games, particularly against Arsenal.

Boring though it was for an Arsenal fan, the facts speak for themselves; Chelsea in these last two months have been dreadful to watch - there was none of the early season style and suave we saw from Fabregas and co. But here we are, with three games to go, and the blues still remain top with quite a margin - what this highlights is above all is that this team, and in particular, Mourinho are winners. Their track record speaks for itself; in his first spell at Chelsea, Jose lifted the title successively in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge playing with his usual pragmatic style and 6 years later, Roman Abrahamovic finally got his hands on the coveted Champions League with Chelsea once again playing in a pragmatic manner under Robert di Matteo. In that same period (I hate to say it), Arsenal have only achieved success in the form of one FA Cup last season.

I absolutely love and admire Arsene Wenger for what he has done for our club, he is a living legend and a purist of football. But the facts, I'm afraid, do not lie - whilst we always have been and will be the best team to watch in England, we have not maintained that level of success that our West London counterparts have; one FA Cup in nine years compared to eleven honours in that same period for Chelsea (sigh). Chelsea have been and always will be boring to watch, but their boring brand of football guarantees success - something which we as Arsenal fans have had a small taste though. I most definitely do not want us to completely abandon this 'tika-taka' brand that Arsene Wenger has brought to the club (it is part of what defines Arsenal as a club) but I feel we just need to adapt our style at times, especially on the big stage in Europe.

Despite this, it is not all doom and gloom for Arsenal, I certainly do not want Wenger to leave. This season, particularly in the second half, I have seen a tactical change in this Arsenal side and no more is this evident than in the game away at Manchester City, the home of the champions. We were disciplined, resolute and all the other adjectives you would use to describe a team that was, quite simply, parking a bus. Whilst doing this, Arsenal have not abandoned the fluidity in their game, the following week, we hammered Villa at home 5-0 playing in our most recognised, fluid style. What I believe this signifies is that we do have the ability to adapt, especially on the big stage, whilst sticking to our philosophy as a certain Mr van Gaal would say.

The last ten years have not been great for me and Arsenal fans alike as Mourinho so heart-thumpingly reminded us last week. But I remain optimistic, we are in the final of an FA Cup yet again - a chance to maintain success, and we are on course to finish second - would be the first time in ten years which would be a significant mark of progress. We have shown that we can go away to big teams and dig out a result - our visits to the respective Manchester clubs being the prime examples whilst maintaining that fluidity in our game. Whisper it quietly, but like Chelsea, we are becoming more pragmatic in the way we play which can only be a good sign in my opinion. This is exactly why next season, I am confident, as an Arsenal fan, that the Gunners can really mount a title challenge and hopefully claim their first league title in what would be twelve years. But crucially I feel this can all be done with Arsene Wenger at the helm.