Are Liverpool finally going to win that evasive title this year?

Imagine the 1980s through the eyes of Liverpool football club. Enjoying domination on both a domestic and continental front, Liverpool were the pinnacle of English football: a team of glorious history, footballing talent; they simply were the team to beat.

Fast forward 19 years and it’s a different story. Since Liverpool’s last title, in the 1989-90 season, the newly founded Premier League has been won by no less than four teams: English football has been dominated by Liverpool’s bitter rivals, Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, who have seen the kind of supremacy both at home and abroad that was seen at Anfield just a decade earlier. Arsenal’s “Invincible” season has seen them go down as one of the Premier League’s most successful teams, whilst Chelsea, with their millions, postured like a club that could go on to dominate the Premier League for the next decade.

This is not to say Liverpool haven’t had success in this time, in fact they’ve been enjoyed great success in European competition,

but the lack of a league title in this period is not only a damning indictment on a once formidable football club; it is almost a personal affront to their glittering history, and that their bitter rivals, United, last season equalled their number of league titles, is effectively the final insult, the proverbial salt in the proverbial wound. So what has happened to this once great club, and once again as the new football season draws near, we ask the same, seemingly never-ending question: will this year be their year?

Since the conception of the new Premier League in 1992, Liverpool have rarely threatened to end their barren spell without the title – until last season, that is. So was last season a suggestion that Liverpool are genuinely getting closer and closer to claiming that elusive title that they so dearly covet, or was it a case of missed opportunity, and false promise.

Starting with the case for the elusive Premier League crown returning to the Merseyside club, Liverpool supporters should be buoyed by the fact that they pushed a strong Manchester United side all the way last season, beating them both at Anfield and a particularly impressive 4-1 win at Old Trafford. Many fans will also point out that their two key players, Fernando Torres and their irrepressible captain, Steven Gerrard, were missing for parts of the season through injury. The close-season will provide a chance for teams to re-group, and for managers to add to their squads over the summer.

This close-season has indeed been a strange one, with none of the current Premier League “big-four” having made any real impact in the transfer market. This is, of course, no small thanks to Manchester City’s big spending and ambition leading many people to forget that there is indeed a title race this season. On the face of it, it would appear that none of the top four sides have greatly improved their squads, though obviously time is still very much available for managers to tinker with their sides before the transfer window slams shut in September. So how does the current Liverpool squad shape up this season, and how does it compare to the rest of the top four? Having come so near yet so far last season, it is more a job of tinkering and containment than implementing wholesale changes for manager Rafa Benitez. The signing of Glen Johnson, albeit for a large sum of money in this economic climate, has seen Benitez address a weakness in his defence, although the jury will be out on whether Johnson can temper his attacking instincts with defensive solidity. With a strong first team already, surely any further work in the transfer market will be to make a few minor tweaks to the squad, and to introduce a couple of players who can really make an impact from the bench, as well as offer a realistic alternative to Benitez as he rotates his side, of a greater quality than the likes of Lucas, Ngog and El Zhar. Ryan Babel, who promised so much on his arrival at the club has as yet failed to deliver the goods, and many people would hope that an improvement from him would add a further weapon to the Liverpool armoury.

Far from who Liverpool will sign this summer, the greater emphasis is perhaps on who they will manage to persuade to stay. Both Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso have been linked with an Anfield exit, desiring moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. Both players have become an integral part of Liverpool’s midfield, and the perfect foil to Steven Gerrard’s attacking instinct and link-up play behind Fernando Torres. The loss of Alonso would be particularly damaging to the Reds, given that he was arguably their most consistent and creative player last season; not to mention the particularly galling irony that only last summer it was Alonso that Benitez was desperately trying to sell. Perhaps more ironic still is the fact that if Alonso did go, the player that Benitez wanted to replace him, Gareth Barry, is no longer available. Whether Benitez can persuade both to stay, or if they do leave, who he brings in to replace them, will have a huge bearing on Liverpool’s ability to win the title this season.

So who can stop them winning the title this season? Despite the big-spending and lofty aspirations of Manchester City, the title race will once again be between three or four sides. Arsenal will have to make some big changes to be really considered a threat, with a desperate need for a combative midfielder and a goalscorer who can stay fit throughout the season. Manchester United and Chelsea can never be written off as title contenders: United, despite the loss of World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, and to a far lesser extent Carlos Tevez, will still have a formidable squad, although much will depend on how they can replace Ronaldo’s goals; Chelsea meanwhile, have the squad and the money available to mount a serious title challenge, although much will depend on the impact of new manager Carlo Ancelotti.

In terms of squad strength and the players available, Liverpool are not far away from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, but a lot will depend on how they can cope with the relatively new challenge of competing for the Premier League title. Last season was the first time that Liverpool made a realistic challenge for the Premier League, but also the first time since the 2005-06 season that Liverpool failed to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool also failed to reach the fifth round of the F.A. Cup, and lost in the fourth round of the Carling Cup. Comparing this to their other competitors for the title, Manchester United reached the Champions League final, the F.A. Cup semi-final, and won the Carling Cup on top of winning the league title, whilst Chelsea also maintained a title push whilst reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and winning the F.A. cup. Question marks must therefore be held over Liverpool’s ability to challenge on more than one front over the course of a season. It may be once again that Benitez will have to neglect cup competitions if his side are finally to claim that elusive title. One must also question Benitez’s managerial judgement: his ill-judged and, ultimately, ill-fated “Fact” rant at the beginning of January did his team no favours, whilst it has already been noted that his star player last season was the same player he desperately tried to offload the previous summer. His handling of the farcical Robbie Keane transfer, whether or not it was his decision to sign him, also brings into question his managerial nous.

Ultimately, whether or not Liverpool finally win the Premier League title will come down to their ability to maintain consistency throughout the season. Last season, Liverpool’s record against the rest of the “big-four” spoke for itself: they did the double over both Manchester United and Chelsea, whilst drawing in both games against Arsenal, accruing a total of 14 points from a possible 18, faring better than the rest of the “big-four” (United, 5 points; Chelsea, 4; Arsenal, 9). However, despite the passion, fury and intense rivalry, the league title is not won or lost on the basis of these six individual fixtures. Where Liverpool failed in their title bid last season was in a succession of home draws against the Premier League’s lesser opposition: draws against Hull, Stoke (home and away), West Ham and Fulham. Liverpool, and Benitez in particular, must learn that the league is a marathon, not a sprint, and requires consistency in every game, whether the 1st, or the 38th. It is something that Sir Alex Ferguson has mastered over the last 20 years, and this season he will attempt to finally eclipse Liverpool’s record number of league titles. Unless Liverpool can stop them: and that’s something you wouldn’t bet against…