Odds on championship: 15-2. Odds on relegation: 440-1.
Manager: Rafa Benitez (since June 2004). Odds on first out the job: 9-1
Last season: 4th, 76 points; Champions League semi-finals; FA Cup 5th round; Carling Cup 4th round
Ins: Robbie Keane (Tottenham, £20.3m), Andrea Dossena (Udinese, undisclosed), Philipp Degen (Borussia Dortmund, free), David Ngog (Paris St Germain, undisclosed), Emmanuel Mendy (Murcia Deportivo, free), Robbie Threlfall (Hereford, loan), Diego Cavalieri (Palmeiras, undisclosed).
Outs: Scott Carson (West Brom, £3.25m), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth, £11m), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray, free), Anthony le Tallec (Le Mans, undisclosed), John Arne Riise (Roma, £4m), Besian Idrizaj (Wacker Tirol, free), Danny Guthrie (Newcastle, undisclosed), Paul Anderson (Nottingham Forest, loan), Jack Hobbs (Leicester, loan), Godwin Antwi (Tranmere, loan), Adam Hammill (Blackpool, loan).
A year ago I wrote that Liverpool had their strongest squad under Rafael Benitez, that it was the first time that they could realistically be expected to mount a title challenge under the Spaniard, and that not to do so would be a failure.
In two words, they failed. The pressure on Benitez after his fourth season is increased not just by that failure, but also by a second season without a trophy. In the cups, his team lost twice at Chelsea, with embarrassment by Barnsley in between.
But, as usual in football, it wasn't as simple as two words - 'they failed'. For despite the results and the rows that continue to divide the club, the signs were there that, yes, Liverpool did indeed have a substantially-improved squad.
Had Benitez worked out best how to use the players then the gap between first and fourth - as it was the narrowest for 11 years - would have been even less. And Fernando Torres proved to be worth every penny, especially at home. For the first time since Michael Owen left for Real Madrid, there was more than one player whom every opponent would mark down as a potential match-winner, while Ryan Babel hinted that he could become another.
The number of draws, especially at Anfield, cost Liverpool dearly. Overall they lost fewer games than Manchester United, despite being beaten twice by the champions. Too often, though, they failed to beat at all teams that were demolished by Cristiano Ronaldo and friends.
It didn't help that Benitez took a long time to work out how to deploy his forwards; those decisions should be easier with Robbie Keane's acquisition. If he and Torres are both as prolific as last season then goals will not be a problem.
Liverpool should be lifted, too, by the return of Daniel Agger from injury, the rest and pre-season Martin Skrtel has had and the acquisition of Andrea Dossena at left-back.
But the saga over Gareth Barry - whose attraction to Benitez is slightly mysterious - has been counterproductive. Babel's future may lie in a more central role and width will continue to be a problem. And in the boardroom, there may be less open warfare, but it's more of a ceasefire than a lasting peace. With the changes in Champions League qualification rules, fourth place is much less of a prize (not that anything should be taken for granted against Standard Liege, but the quality of opposition will be higher next year).
Crucial to Liverpool's hopes of sustaining a challenge through the autumn is the first match back after the international break, when Manchester United come to Anfield. We always hear it's going to be Liverpool's year, but now that chorus has been joined by Jose Mourinho. On September 13 we could find out if the optimists are right.
Philip Cornwall
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The Football365 Season Preview: Liverpool
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Your Comments
biveeko
"supporting liverpool is like courting a heartattack. they need to get rid of people like Rick Parry. they are useless and do not have the club to heart. The owners too need to go. and Benitez needs to stop blaming everyone and begin to take the blame too. the chap needs to get the team to BELIEVE that they can do it. thats all he needs to do. period!!!"
EUROREDFIVE
" Best looking/youngest team in the prem??? At ManU they have a dodgy keeper on crosses AND kicking - a right back that is due an injury because nobody can be that ugly and still play football...hold it...somebody else is...Rio, take centre stage! Hargreaves didsn't hit many pretty branches and may be right back cover only...So...who is the sh8t*s best midfield pairing?? Maybe the almost invisible when not winning Carrick? The mighty atom Anderson is, admittedly, a very good (no neck) player! Too old Scholes & Giggs? The fabulous - surprisingly the poo'z best player in the cummunity game - Fletcher or maybe...???? Attacking options include the 'looks challenged redhead' Rooney and 'sowed head back on wrong ' but extremely tall Tevez...then we have 'pretty boy..' U G L Y attitude, you cannot be seriously allowed to tackle me...I don't really want to play but it seems, since NO BID actually came in for me...I have no choice, you know who... If less than red don't get berbatov - excellent player, likely to be your best - expect no higher than Third! "
EUROREDFIVE
"Keane looks 'like he is trying too hard/off the pace..', Carragher must think crouchie is still playing - Boss Rafa, tell him not to pass the ball to anybody other than Agger - for Ku*t read not Y(es) butt N(o) - who plays with TWO wingers? NOBODY! Everything is conjecture at the mo but liverpool's potential is clearly there to see - we only need more wins at home than last time out to avoid ridiculous decisions such as Chelsea pen that never was at Anfield, sending off that never was at cold trafford, one of the two cleare penelities that weren't given against Chelsea in the semi (both Babbel AND hypia were certs!)a few more of the chances that we create converted - go on Robbie lad - and we'll be reclaiming our heritage CHAMPIONS 2008/09 season...come on you B E A U T IES!"
hanyefres
"Rafa you are killing me man. Have a think about what we needed this off season. WIDTH. Rafas answer- striker that he will push wide and render useless- Degen who looks like rubbish warmed up and served as crap- and a WASTE OF TIME screwing around with garry barry. Its time he changed his thinking and his uber conservative approach both in the transfer market and tactically in the league or we r going nowhere... AGAIN. Give those bloody young guns a go! Ngog, pacheco, nemeth. Talent to burn there so use it PLEASE"
macqina
"can they get anything right without gerrard?"
macqina
"Standard Liege 0 Liverpool 0 what happened to the dream pairing of torres and keane? "
Lucas04
"greenmachine - you're a dreamer. Don't use your hatred of another team (or jealousy) to skew the facts. If you actually watched Liverpool games last year you'll see that it wasn't 30 efforst from Gerrard from 30 yards giving us 'chances' in the stats. More than anything it was an inability to put close range chances away - something which Torres could do but not anyone else. Keane is the type of player who is clinical and this will make Liverpools draws turn into wins at times. And I agree with thoughts that Carra will turn up at right-back to let the Agger/Skrtel combo do it's thing. I will agree on the holding the ball issue though - we weren't outplayed by the other Top 4 teams, but we were out possessioned (if that's a word)."
shawrey
"to everybody. the Liverpool squad has been improved again....we will get closer again. We lost fewer games the Manyoo last season....if we had converted 3 or 4 draws into wins...we would have been challenging going into the last 2 weeks of the season, we did this without wingers! I agree we probably need a proper winger....but Rafa is not a dedicated follower of fashion, he clearly believes we do not need wingers. just lost of different attacking combo's come the end of April Liverpool will still be challenging"
PatrickPong
"Same Same of the Same I think. Wasted oppurtunity from Rafa and The Yanks to mount a real challenge this season. Babel could have saved the Banks £20 Million by getting a chance alongside Fernando. It just seems to obvious still that some genuine quality was needed outwide. Ronaldinho, Simao, Quaresma, Silva, Mancini. Some Pace, more Pace and then some skill, maybe then a fight to May instead of just November!"
comerford83
"TheGhostOfDB10 correct me if I am wrong but one of the main reasons for Arsenal finishing above Liverpool for the first time in 3 years was the emmergence of Flamini in the centre who has now left the club, how does that address Arsenal's problems?"
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