5 problems Liverpool must battle before next season

Liverpool‘s Brendan Rodgers has had a promising season but has not achieved anything in itself. The entire season has unfolded with the expectation that next season will be the one when Liverpool will make a claim and hence a lot will be at stake for Rodgers himself and for Liverpool in 2013-14. The goal will be clear enough – a Champions League Spot. But given the fact that Tottenham and the blue side of Merseyside have now become genuine contenders of Champions League spots along with this season’s top 4, there is bound to be a close fight.

What has perhaps impressed Liverpool fans the most about this season’s performance is the number of goals Liverpool has scored and the quality with which they have scored these goals. Liverpool’s form was matching that of a top 4 finish in the last half of the season and the January additions did make a world of a difference, giving hope that Brendan Rodger’s investments will be measured.

Here is a list of five areas that Liverpool need to address prior to next season.

1. The Summer Signings

Liverpool have a set of players who can form a core group to which Brendan Rodgers must add this summer. The vacancies are many but clear. There is a need to fill the central defence and a key spot of a creative midfielder. In case Luis Suarez moves, Liverpool will need at least two forwards. Liverpool have already signed Kolo Toure but what role he will play in Anfield is a question whose answer will be dependent on what further signings Rodgers makes in defence. If another center back is acquired as is reported, Kyriakos Papadopolous, for instance, then Toure is likely to be a back-up option, providing support and experience. The fate of Martin Skrtel will also have a bearing on that aspect.

The midfield has shown potential this season but remains relatively inexperienced and hence vulnerable to a slip in form. Coutinho, Gerrard and Lucas are likely to be the only certainties whereas Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing may find roles in some capacity. Their contribution and place in the squad will be determined by the signings Rodgers makes in the summer. It will give us an idea if he has faith enough in these players to believe that they can contribute to a team with Top 4 ambitions.

2. Fitness Issues

Liverpool have suffered due to fitness issues in the past. Lucas is a case in point as his absence dented Liverpool significantly and his return lead to a marked improvement. The current squad has elements that are particularly vulnerable to injury. Daniel Sturridge has already suffered one and his role in pre-season preparations is likely to be compromised. Fabio Borini has missed most of his first season at Liverpool with an injury, as a result of which Liverpool fans don’t know much of the player. Steven Gerrard answered his critics with an injury-free season, but he is now undergoing treatment and will have to be kept under constant surveillance.

3. Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez poses a problem to Liverpool in a number of ways. To begin with, he might leave, in which case Rodgers will have to reassess the entire balance of his team and his formation if he does not find a like-for-like replacement. In case he stays, he has a six-match ban to serve and hence will miss a critical part of the season. If Liverpool struggle at the beginning of the season, it will be really difficult for them to catch up. And once Suarez returns, there is the threat of his antics. Liverpool need to cope with the mind of Luis Suarez and make sure that he gets into the least trouble possible. Although he has declared that he is not happy with life in England, given the British media’s ‘hostility’, Liverpool did stand behind him in situations that were really embarrassing. They need to keep doing that.

4. The young talent

Liverpool’s ambitions are closely allied to its youth players. Liverpool started the competition by launching some breathtaking talent. Raheem Sterling made the news for all the right reasons and made some impressive contributions, but it soon seemed that he was suffering a burnout and he became invisible in the latter part of the season. Sterling, as well as Wisdom, need grooming so that an optimum level of performance is derived from them. The pre-season will be a period where Rodgers can work with these players and define their roles in his vision.

5. Getting rid of Andy Carroll

The detrimental nature of the signing of Andy Carroll under Dalglish’s reign cannot be stressed enough. It dug a big hole in Liverpool’s pocket and ensured that the owners won’t budge with money now. It is no doubt that Carroll is a striker of some potential but Liverpool is not the place for him for a number of reasons. He does not fit into Rodgers’ scheme of things, he needs a swift mover and a passer. Carroll offers physical strength and aerial ability. If Liverpool get West Ham to sign him for 15 million pounds, it will be a considerable boost to Rodger’s transfer kitty. The sooner, the better.