Can Liverpool challenge for the Premier League title?

Liverpool's £20 million purchase of Robbie Keane yesterday offers a mouthwatering prospect of flair and deadly marksmanship up front at Anfield.

Fernando Torres proved beyond doubt last season that he is one of the world's deadliest finishers and as well as Keane's eye for a killer pass, he also scored 24 times for Tottenham.

Steven Gerrard is always likely to weigh in with between 15 and 20 goals, so is Rafael Benitez closer than ever to having the side he feels can challenge for the Premier League title? Would Gareth Barry be the final link if the midfielder's protracted transfer from Aston Villa were to be sorted out?

Or has the Liverpool manager overspent on a player who often flatters to deceive? Should the Spaniard have spread the cash among three or four decent signings to bolster the squad?

Can Liverpool really challenge Manchester United and Chelsea for the title this year? Vote now and leave your comments below.

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Comments

[Matt Holden]

HAHAHAHAHAHA not a chance, every year they say "its our year" its gona be a red year but another manchester red year.

[GDM]

Can they? - Yes.
Will they? - Unlikely.
Let's just hope it's a close-run thing

[JonJonnyJonners]

Lets hope not. The trouble makers don't deserve to win the league - lets hope they drop out of the top 4 too.

[Andy P]

Well Liverpool might improve a little but it doesnt change the fact they are soft at the core and of course this is woring on the assumption that Torres will have another world class season (I think he prob will though). The fact remains that Manchester United and Chelsea the undisputed best team in the world and the second best team in the world will be improving Liverpool should focus on trying to overtake Arsnal. Also this will be a big season for Tevez you will see.

[Howard]

LOL !!!! In a word " NO! "

[Paul O]

We will be closer this year for sure. Howard says we are 'soft at the core' god knows what that means but we have Reina, Carra, Agger, Mascherano, Gerrard, Keane and Torres through the middle!!!???? Anything is achievable with Rafa

[aaron lawrence]

I think Liverpool will be closer this year but won't win it, it depends on their squad players, I like the look of a few of the youngters coming through. We don't need barry but a decent winger. I think Babel, Keane, Torres, Gerrard, Masherano and Agger are gonna have a big year.

[Robert]

as a team with world class players in Torres and Gerrard along with players of consistency in Mascherano and Carragher, the return of Agger and the acquisition of Keane they should not be discounted, Fergie and Wenger certainly wont underrate them. A good outside bet I think.

[Paul]

Unfortunately, Liverpool are unlikely to win anything. They're soft at the core and with only 5 or 6 AT MOST world-class players, can't compare to the 15-ish of Manchester United and Chelsea. I think, however, that they may have a decent chance of finishing third.

[DR]

I dont see why not. Liverpool's major problem last year was not creating chances, it was converting them. The side now has three "prolific" players, not to mention the goals that Babel, Kuyt and Yossi will chip in with. Furthermore we now have our first choice backline fit again. To say any side is certain to win it is premature but I think they will be closer than in previous seasons.

[Dave]

Look at all the comments.All the players named are Gerrard/Keane/Torres/Reina/Carragher/Mascherano.Spine of a team.Where are the wide players with quality?Simple. They have none.Another 4th place finish at best

[Tyson Gavin]

Hw can any1 be serious and say liverpool have a chance? for starters they only seem to play a full side in champions league, and as it has been for the past 5 years, they only play one competition a year!! chelsea or man utd..to dominate all 4 cups

[Andy Walsh]

Liverpool will not win the League this year (or any other year with the clown Benitez in charge). Torres came out at the end of last season and said how much easier central defenders are in England. What a mug! Not only will he have second season syndrome but he's likely to pick up a few serious injuries along the way. Can't see Liverpool scoring enough goals once Torres is in hospital.

[Harry Boulton]

I have a deep sense of cynisism when it comes to Liverpools league "challenges". They always start every year with a sense of optimism, and end it predictably miles behind. I think I remember one decent title challenge since the inception of the premier league. Keane is a decent player and one who will bring pace, flair and tenacity to their attack, but I still think they need a quality wide player.

[Jamie]

Liverpools biggest threat to winning the title will be Rafa Benitez. If they play their strongest 11 in the key games they have a great chance but I personally dont think hes made them that much better then they were under Houllier. Yes theyve got 2 champions league finals in 3 years but in the league his tactical mistakes are always overlooked

[DR]

Paul, do me a favour mate can you name me the supposed 15 world class players that Utd and Chelsea have? Off the top of my head utd's would be Ferdinand, Evra, Ronaldo (who may not even be at Old trafford next season), maybe Rooney and Tevez. For Chelsea I would list Drogba, Terry, Cech, Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Carvalho(sp), maybe Cole, Deco's getting on a bit and is unproven in the PL. The remainder of each squad is made up of good players, but they are not world class. I would say Liverpool's first team is certainly a match for Chelsea's - given recent results we are quite even. Utd have the edge but a season is not decided on two games - I think you're seriously underestimating Liverpool's potential, particulalry in front of goal

[Mike Mannings]

2 words, Manchester United.

[Laura]

Anyone in it can win it. No different for Liverpool.

I'll admit that United were the best team in recent years, but I don't agree they have 15 + world class players. On paper Liverpool are as good as United or Chelsea (give or take a wide player) they just need to work on their commitment. What they lack that these two have, is a grit and determination and an excellent work ethic to go alongside the obvious talent.

Get that right, stop tampering with the lineup, and I believe Liverpool not only can but will win the league again.

[Napper]

Here we go again! The same old story as every pre-season dawns a new blind optemism and the fools believing their own hype! As long as Rafa is at the helm they will continue to covet the silverwear that is currently on display at it's rightful home. Fergie will stay on until he has left the scousers dim and distant history in his wake. 19 Titles 5 European Cups then Sir Alex will put on his slippers and sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labour watching the new young breed come through and dominate for the next ten years! Keane is a good player but the overall squad and Rafas tactics will see them finish fourth at best! Rafa for Ever!!!

[John Dunphy]

I would be interested Paul in you naming those '15 ish' world class players united and chelsea supposedly have.

For united you could argue scholes,giggs,rooney,van der sar,tevez,ferdinand,ronaldo and I would be inclined to agree. You could throw in vidic,evra,carrick,hargreaves but you might be stretching that 'world class' a bit. So in total 7 with possibly another biased 2.

For chelsea - ballack,essien,terry,carvalho,cech,drogba,deco,cole,lampard
Shevchenko surely couldnt be considered world class any more,anelka could slot in there maybe if he rediscovers his form, swp cant get a game,makelele is gone. So in total 9 maybe 10.

[iandel]

To close the gap, they needed to buy 3 or 4 more world class players & they have not done that. Hopefully Keane can gel with Torres like he did with Berbatov, but individually I don't see him as a great improvement on Crouch. The full-backs and wingers are not good enough & there is not enough creativity in general.

[neil]

Napper.. Man U won the league on the last day of the season and the Champions League because an opposing player slipped when taking a penalty. On top of that, your most influential player desperately wants to leave your club. You've got much to be concerned about. I'm afraid Fergie will be putting his feet up and contemplating the 'nearly but not quite' and probably reflecting on Andy Cole's missed chances against West Ham in 1995, whilst Liverpool's record remains intact.

[Declan]

Liverpool have enough to contend next season, whether they can win it or not depends a lot on uncontrollable elements such as injuries, luck and refereeing decisions. The spine of the side was on par if not better than anyone last season, and with Agger returning now looks even stronger. The big difference this season is the potential the attacking quartet give in the final third. If Gerrard, Keane, Babel and Torres gel Liverpool could start converting those costly draws into wins. Liverpool's starting eleven of
Reina
Carragher Agger
Arbeloa Dossena
Alonso
Mascherano

Gerrard Babel
Keane
Torres
Looks good on paper, but the real drawback of the 4-2-3-1 system is the lack of real width it offers, and whether or not Benitez has solved this problem with the signings of Degen and more importantly Dossena remains to be seen.

[Foxy]

I think everyone's getting bogged down in who's "world class" and whos not?? The fact is Man U have the players who have been there, won many league titles and the European Cup. They play as a complete unit, to their strengths, and have the players to slot in and do a job if players get injured (Brown for Neville last season). Liverpool have players such as Pennant and Voronin on the peripheral who simply aren't good enough if you wish to sustain a challenge for the league title.

[Alan Delaney]

Chelsea will win the league at a canter this year, like they did twice a couple of years ago. After Mourinho fell out with Abramovich and then Grant took over, their high standards slipped allowing Man Utd to sneak above them, but this year Chelsea will be back to their best and not even Utd can get close when Chelsea are on form. Best team by a country mile.

[N Murphy]

Anderson has to be considered world class for utd, he was better than fabregas and gerrard when utd played them. big players, big games. he also starts for brazil and he played 30+ games last season at 19. as a utd fan i would be more annoyed if he went than ronaldo.

[Tammerzzz]

i surely hope not infact i hope tottenham/everton get in the top four and liverpool are the ones out of the champions league

[Rhodestan]

Last season Man. U. had 3 players who scored 10 goals or more, Chelsea had 4, Arsenal had 3. Liverpool had 6. They also scored more goals in all the competitions than any other team. The rot started when Agger was out injured from September. He is now back. All Liverpool have to do is stop the draws that proved so costly.

[will]

I fancy tottenham to finish above liverpool and push arsenal hard the sales of chimbonda tainio robinson kaboul are getting rid of dead wood, while keane has been replaced by dos santos who has probably the best potential in the prem. Not to mention modric who for me was probably the player of the euros, definately better than arshavin.
If berbatov goes, spurs will have to have to try for someone like villa, especially when his agent says he would like to play for them. if they get bentley, and maybe capel and a centre back, the smaller 2 of the big four should be looking very nervously over their shoulder. As long as gomes has a good season i think tottenham will have an absolutely wonderful season.

[Richard]

It is expected that some posters would want to write Liverpool off but, looking at things as a neutral, I would have to ask whether they really were as far behind the others as the league table suggested.

Man U lost one more game than Liverpool last season (Man U 5, Liverpool 4). The problem for Liverpool was the amount of draws (Man U 6, Liverpool 13)

If, for arguments sake, Liverpool had turned just six of those draws into wins (eg Birmingham x2, Wigan, Boro, Spurs and Villa) they would have achieved 88 points and won the league. (I recall that they were also very 'unlucky' at home against Chelsea!)

The fact that they didn't convert draws into wins means that they needed to strengthen in certain offensive areas, mainly wide and up front - this in order to break down teams who have 11 men back in the hope of a point.

It looks like Rafa is attempting address just that. Time will tell if he has the right mix.

[Steve Tea]

Man Utd are without Ronoldo. Chelsea are settling in under a new manager and team. As long was we beat Man Utd and Chelsea and Rafa does not rotate. Yes.

[Tyson Gavin]

how can any1 seriusly mock man utd? they have done the double- not only have they won their own league- with their CAPTAIN out all season, they have gone on to become european champiosn being the best team in the competition -UNDEFEATED- by a long shot..2 say chelsea r best is ridiculous.

[Tyson Gavin]

John Dunphy

wer u got those stats from i do not no..since when has vidic fallen out of the world class bracket? shevchenko? cole? oh please!!!

[Bledi Jahjaga]

Neil....it's not as if United were awful all season and they won the ENTIRE Premiership and the CL with those two last games. They put themselves there with performances. They say 'Fortune favors the bold'.
How long before the end of the season was Liverpool out of the title chase?
While United was fighting off Chelsea for the title, Liverpool was too busy trying to hold on to fourth place with Everton breathing down their back.

[Rich, Huyton]

As a Liverpool fan I think we will improve on last season and maybe have chance on the title, However this is with a few big 'ifs'.

One is if Torres and the main players stay fit and injury free. Agger was a big loss last season and we weren't able to replace him until the transfer window. We lose a player through injury, we haven't haven't got the strength in the squad to bring in players like Nani, Anderson, Anelka, Tevez, we have to suffice with Pennant, Finnan, Kuyt etc who I like but just don't offer enough if we are going for the title.

Second with need another quality winger, like has been mentioned before. In all honesty Barry is a good solid quality player but I don't know why we are pursing him so heavily, we are already strong enough in the centre of midfield. Unless Benitez wants to play him all over the pitch, left back, left midfield, centre mid, upfront, he might even try him in goal.

Quaresma has been mentioned but the price is to high and who knows what the Premiership would do to him. Silva is another mention but he doen't look overly special, and does look a little lightweight for The Premiership.

If I was Benitez i'd have a go for Ashley Young he is quick and got Villa a few goals here and there last season. Plus we can't annoy Martin O'neill anymore then we already have, so we might as well give it ago. Another who is more unlikely to get is Theo Walcott, who I'd love at Liverpool. There was a rumour last summer that we where going for him on loan. I think Theo will have a big season this season and we'll see how good he really is.

Third, (I'm probably preaching to the coverted) is Benitez needs to start with Torres and Keane every premiership game. If they gel we could be scoring and making chances against even the strongest defences and the teams that come to Anfield for a draw, which was where we lost any chance of the league last season.

As I said though its a few big 'ifs' and football is usually a game of them. But we shouldn't be ruled out.

[Ben O'Driscoll]

I'm a reds fan, but I honestly can't see how Liverpool could win the title without also adding someone who could play out wide of the class of Quaresma, Silva, Bentley or Van der Vaart. But at least Benitez has signed a class act first XI player, who on paper would help form one of the most potent attacks in the world. If he is signing a winger, I just hope to God he doesn't throw money away purchasing Downing, Milner or Riera.

If he can't afford someone top class, then he should just wait until he can rather than spending the entire budget on a plethora of average players just to fill the squad.

The one thing that worries me about this transfer is the possibility of Gerrard being moved back into the centre with Mascherano. He's far more effective in an advanced position, or even on the right given a free role like in 05/06 where he won player of the year.

[richard k]

liverpool will never win the league becayse their defence has more leeks than a welshmans fridge

[The Know]

Benitez has one more signing in the bag, all you need to know is PACE, PACE, PACE + experience + quality = GOALS!!
Ultimately...the premier league trophy is in Rafa's deserved hands.
This player he shall unveil will surprise you, but more because it hasn't been covered in the press and it makes so much sense. Proving why Rafa did it in Spain, and why he'll do it again.
I'm not saying who it is, because it'll just ruin the surprise. I'll just leave you with a clue...
'Young Chipmunk doesn't fancy the school teacher anymore'.

[Barrie Collins]

Every year, some website puts up a poll asking if Liverpool can win the EPL, and every year those poor deluded Liverpool fans vote en masse to say yes, and every year, just as they will be this year, they are disappointed.

What intrigues me is their obsession with Man U. as the team to beat. Forget them; Chelsea are going to run away and hide with the EPL championship this year. If Man U are without Ronaldo, they'll be battling for fourth place, probably with Liverpool.

[Andy]

By "they say they´ll win the league every year", I presume you´re talking about the media, who always build them up. I´ve never heard the players, manager or remaining staff say that.

[chrs]

is this article a joke?
these liverpool fans are dillusional.
you wont even be in the top four

[John Anderson]

NO! Keane is average and wouldnt get anywhere near the Starting 11 of any other top 4 team...Berbatov made him look better than he was! This is coming from a liverpool fan aswell. Poor buy!

[Gerrard was a Blue]

I think if Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal are all deducted 20 points each, Liverpool have at best a 50/50 chance of winning the league.

Mind you they could always ask for clattenburg to ref the games, and it would be over by Christmas

[Michael Malone]

Not a chance. Benitez has more chance of winning Miss World than he has of lifting the Premier league trophy. Incidentally the photo of Benitez and Keane holding the scarf aloft, anyone else reminded of 'Max and Paddy on the Road to Nowhere'. How very apt.

[R Moseley]

No chance, maybe next year, if the ' big three ' decide to not bother entering the league or go bankrupt.
Actually that's likely to be Liverpool in a few years time.
What a shame.

[tom bower]

as a reds fan i think as long as we are at least challenging for the title at the end of the season this will be enough for me this season. i definately think we are closer than ever before with the quality of players we have though

[FLETCH]

If Liverpool had beaten Man United home and away last season instead of losing both games they would have been champions.

It was those two games that cost them. The 1-0 home defeat was a poor game that could have gone either way and the defeat at Old Trafford was partly due to Javier Mascherano losing the plot. I’m not suggest that Liverpool will win the league next season, but they were only a couple of win away from doing it last year.

[James Brown]

If ManU unable to keep Ronaldo and can't catch Berbatov, and with player sent to the hospital (Ferdinand, Rooney or Tevez), the final teams could challenge the Premier League title will be Liverpool and Chelsea. The final table will be:-
Chelsea
Liverpool
Arsenal
Tottenham
Man U

Yes Liverpool can win it. The draws last year cost us and the silly rotation policy that derailed us before Rafa settled his side. Convert those daft draws and we would have been there. Robbie Keane is a top signing and will get goals...as well as freeing Torres up.

[Gregory Fearon]

My main concern is that without the king Stevie G we seem pretty impotent, if we have no more money then we ned to get the best of out of pennnant pretty sharpish!!!!!! Can Alsono re-capture the form of 2 years ago with a few goals from the half-way line?

[Patrick Flynn]

Buying Spurs rejects gives Liverpool a good chance of hanging onto the big three's shirt-tails !!

[Neil]

Well, they CAN win it, though most likely won't. I expect Chelsea to be a lot stronger under Scolari, and Man Utd's young team will be that bit more experienced. Arsenal I am not sure about. My expectation is Chelsea and Manc to duke it out for the title, and Liverpool to fight Arsenal for third. Top 4 seem unlikely to be challenged

[zeus dormer]

I have no idea of Liverpools finances but they seem somewhat short of a full squad. They have the strikers needed especially if you play the three up front or the lone striker. The defence is covered for the best part, it just stinks of lack of experience. Deggen and Skrtel are good, good debut years, but second years are sometimes not so good. If Liverpool have just three injuries they will be plucking players from the reserves. If you take away Liverpools top 11, Reina, Caragher, Skrtel, Hypia, Dossena, Gerrard, Alonso/Barry, Babel, Torres, Keane and Kuyt plus three injuries. I call for liverpool fans to name the bench that rivals Manchester Uniteds or Chelseas. Players play consistantly well at those clubs because they know it takes the manager 2 seconds to tell a player on the bench to take off his top and the number is held aloft, and he may wait quite a few games for the chance to get his place back.
For instance, Butt was an excellent midfielder for United played his heart out for them because he knew he had 1 game to prove himself, Keane, Scholes lurking. Would you say Butt plays as well at the toon, Butt is still Butt, the quality is still there, theres just no stick to poke him with.
Wheres liverpools stick.

[Josh]

The answer is simple, man utd can spend £18million odd on squad players, (nani, anderson, one of carrick or hargreaves). Rafa dosent have that to spend on 1st team players. Torres was a steal, dunno how we pulled that off (spanish connection..), but until we can match utd or chelsea for cash we will do well to make 3rd or 4th

[Shaheen]

Readers posting comments below seem more interested in hurling abuse and trying to find something funny to say than realistically assessing Liverpool's chances.

With just a few weeks before the transfer deadline comes, Man U are pretty much were they were on the pitch but a little worse off without Queiroz, while the Ronaldo controversy will not be helpful whether he stays or goes. Arsenal took a step forward signing Nasri, but losing Hleb, Flamini, Gilberto and Lehman means they have a lighter squad and reduced options, especially in midfield. The Gunners need another signing or two just to stand still. Only Liverpool and Chelsea can be said to have strengthened so far. Logic dictates, therefore, that Liverpool's chances of finishing higher than last season have improved.

Despite some of the rather blinkered (but occasionally amusing) comments below, Liverpool will not struggle to finish in the Top Four. The gap between Liverpool and fifth place has been widening under Benitez if you check the statistics. Last season, they scored more goals across all competitions than any Premier League club, and thanks to a stout defence and good goalkeeping, Reina won the Golden Gloves Award for the third year in a row. Are these the symptoms of a struggling or declining team? They're currently the No 1 ranked team in UEFA competition, for heaven's sake. They provided the Euro 2008 winners with the biggest club contingent. And now they've strengthened.

So let's be realistic. Man U and Chelsea have great, deep squads and will probably still finish above the Reds, but it's quite reasonable to predict Liverpool pushing them much closer in 2008-09, which would be nice for the health of the competition.

[jim bache]

i dont think we will win the league this coming season, having said that i never thought i would see them win the euro cup again in my life time, i am 73 and first watched them in the 1940s.at least now we are signing seasoned pros.and not ones for the future.just hope we are there abouts come next easter.

[jim bache]

i dont think we will win the league this coming season, having said that i never thought i would see them win the euro cup again in my life time, i am 73 and first watched them in the 1940s.at least now we are signing seasoned pros.and not ones for the future.just hope we are there abouts come next easter.

[David Towers]

Geez...all these people who think they know what there talking about makes me and a lot of Liverpool supporters wanna ram a lot of these jelous comments back down there throats. And for the bloke who said Keane would'nt get anywhere near the first team of the top teams, now thats deluded!!! Only draws n a few loses n i mean a handfull, cost us. Up the Pool!!!

[David Towers]

To Pat*rick Flynn, to say that Keane is a Spurs reject is an amazing staement considering he submitted a transfer request so how can he be a reject, come back when u know what ur talking about!!

[FillipeTheRed]

I like Robbie Keane, but Liverpool have just paid £20m for him at the age of 28 when no other club in Europe was interested in him. To put that into perspective, that's:
-£4m more than Barca paid to get Henry(29);
-£8m more than Madrid paid to get Van Nistelrooy (29); and;
-£5m more than Milan have just bought Ronaldinho (27) for.

On the other hand, if Dirk Kuyt is worth £11m....

[ridzwan]

The scecptics and even the critics here were probably of the same boat when a young alex ferguson came into the mid 80s.. even the most die hard fans would have been saying, nah.. its going to be another liverpool year. they were right of course, but guess what happened after six or seven years of having fergie around, sceptics, including liverpool supporters, began eating humble pie... and had to endure it for a very very long time. Most still are. But just like us mortals, nothing last forever my friends, people age, memories fade, managers and players lose their acumen and zest... yes, its a cycle, and a vicious one at that.

[felix M]

tehehehehe...liverpool? never!

[bully]

No they can't win the league, the FA Cup, The League Cup or the Champions League.

In fact I would not be surprised if the cost of repaying the borrowings that were used to fund the acquisition of Liverpool Football Club start to bite and the club starts a steady decline, strangled by the cost of the debt that hangs around their proverbial necks.

They will then have to sell players hand over fist.

18 months and who knows, Gerrard for Villa?

[Kritter]

Nup not this year. Man United are too strong and Chelsea have the most talented squad in europe (i still prefer Man u coz chelsea are gross kids). As a reds fan, we needed a big signing like Silva or Villa to be really serious this year. I think Liverpool can be up there with Man U and Chelsea, all they need to do is turn the 12 or 13 draws they had last season into wins. I dont think Keane is the answer. Having said that, Torres will bag 60+ goals this year... LOL

[peter yiannis]

The problem at Liverpool is Benitez himself.He is just not good enough to manage a big club like Liverpool because ,on the field, his tactics are weak , negative and inconsistent ,he confuses his players by playing them out of position and he rotates the squad far too much.He couldn,t even outwit A.Grant in the semis,last season !! Remember the substitutions he made?
I am afraid that will not change this season, even with the addition of Degen, Dossena ,Keane or even Barry, the latter two, absurdly overpriced because of their age and not so special talent.
Off the field , every year he spends millions on players,which he barely uses or misuses by playing them out of position , promises a better tomorrow to the poor Liverpool fans and at the end of the year ..when he has won nothing ...he complains that he needs money to buy more players and sells the ones he bought a season or two before!! What a joke!
His only 2 good signings have been Torres and Macherano.50m combined !How much has this man spent, since he took over?I am willing to bet that he has spent more than Fergie!

He flatters to deceive ,he is negative in his approach to the game and therefore very overated as a coach and manager.
If Liverpool are to improve and win the PL , they only need one new signing. A DECENT MANAGER!!!

[Della3]

Liverpool are not in the same category as the top three.
The others have world class players.
Ronaldo, Ballack, Fabregas and many more all over the pitch.
LFC have two exceptional players Torres and Gerrard. Poor decisions in the transfer market.
Robbie Keane, i believe Arsharin was for sale for a touch less.
Liverpool constantly puchase no names for too much.
I know, 'no names' can become big names, but untill that time you need a someone on the pitch.
Liverpool need some changes to reach third let alone 1st and with Tottenham, Aston villa and to a lesser extent Everton consolidating.
A 4th place finish this year will be the best Rafa can hope.

[Cjamesk]

Wouldn`t be another summer without the usual "It`s our year" "Can Liverpool win the title" *yawn*

Good run in the Champs League, F.A Cup, and another "Sky4" finish.

That`s if Rafa has a job at xmas of course............

[Marc Melander]

Jim Bache - congratulations on one of the best posts I've read on here. As you say, most of the contributors are just content to sling petty insults. My personal view, as a Reds fan since 1972, is that this season has to see Liverpool mount a serious challenge for the title. And to that they have to beat Man Utd, whom we play fairly early this season. Lose that and we'll, as per the last few years, suffer psychologically. Part of that is down to Benitez's over-cautious approach.

[paul]

I doubt we will win it but I think Keane is a good addition. He seems a bit on the expensive side but it is a sellers market for this type of player, look at Barry. The only thing that winds me up is people complaining about Rafa rotating. There was an article by the fink tank I believe in the Times last year that showed who rotated the most in the league. My recollection is that it mirrored the league table. Man Utd rotated the most with Chelsea second. When you are at the top it is clever selection, when you have lost a game and are third it is rotation.

[InRafaWeTrust]

Peter Yiannis, can I also add the names of Reina, Alonso, Agger, Kuyt, Babel, Skrtel.....all players bought by Rafa and by no means a failure, certainly an improvement on the dross he inherited from Houllier. Rafa's biggest problem is that as much as might go out this summer and spend £50m so will Chelsea and Utd will probably spend big as well. 2nd or 3rd might be achievable, there is no doubting that the spine of the team, Reina, Agger/Carra/Skrtel, Mascherano, Gerrard, Keane, Torres is as good as any other team, just needs to pick his best team for a good period and see what happens. All those claiming Rafa will be out of a job, who is available to replace him that would do any better????

[Graham Corless]

Fletch says "If Liverpool had beaten Man United home and away last season instead of losing both games they would have been champions. "

No they wouldn't. IF they'd beaten United twice instead of losing to them twice, they'd have finished 3rd behind Chelsea and Arsenal. IF they'd also beaten Chelsea in one of their two drawn head-to-heads, then, they'd have finished top.

That's IF they didn't have a wobble when it got to squeaky bum time. And IF United and Chelsea didn't respond to these parallel universe defeats by kicking on harder and picking up some points they dropped in the real world.

Anyway, the upshot is that last year they'd have had to turn around 3 games against the 2 best sides in Europe to make up an effective 8 point deficit That's a big deficit when you're trying to win the league, more so when you've got to take them off the big boys.

See, you've got 3 other really good sides to leapfrog to win it, not just 1. And none of your players have ever done it. Which is why it's always going to be really, really hard.

But hey, I wouldn't want to stand in the way of a fevered scouse imagination running riot. After all - you've got Robbie Keane. I'm sure he'll make all the difference.

[Tammerzzz]

Liverpool have no chance
please if u cant score against man u at both home and away then u have no chance

oh and what do Brown, Tevez, Ronaldo, Nani and Riise all have in common?
they all score goals against Liverpool

[MIke]

The fact still remains we are not a buying club.The title will be won by our consistent defensive performance.
The simple truth is Liverpool does not have the resources to compete with Real Madrid in the market place yet we are still keeping in touch with them. Liverpool are well ahead of Man Untd who got lucky by not sacking Ferguson just before he was gifted half a team of world class youngsters. Man untd then went onto using a check book to solve any problems.
The real question should be will Man u survive the loss of its manager because its yet to have a period success out last the person who delivered it. Chelsea just need to concentrate on beating Nottingham Forest before they start considering themselves within any ranking system.

[Peter Yiannis]

My response to INRAFAWETRUST is this.
Benitez has been at the club For 4 years and has spent over 180 million on players....second only to Chelsea!
Off the top of my head...Bellamy, Crouch, Alonso, Garcia Sissoko ,Benayoun, Pennant, Voronin, Torres, Skertl, Agger, Reina, Babel , Mascherano , Kuyt, Degen, Dessona , Keane ,Abeola!!, Lucas and many others i can,t remember right now.
It seems to me that he HAS had the backing of the owners that he constantly complains about.
So,after so many signings , why hasn,t he been able to have a settled squad and challenge for the P League title yet? Every year he just about makes it to the top 4!
This man is a Shop- Player- Holic !!
And he does so in order to disguise his managerial , coaching and tactical weaknesses!
He is out of his depth, he shoots in the dark, he is completely clueless!
Imagine this. If you had a Best , a Maradona , a Cryff , a Pele , a Zidane , would you ever play them out of position or rotate them?
No you wouldn,t.
Benitez would! I rest my case.

[thomsac]

Dear Della3 and Liverpool/Rafa haters. I am by no means the man's biggest fan and strage rotation policy beggers beliefen somtimes,but please!!

His record reads as follows. 4 seasons, Champions league winners, FA cup winners, Champions league Ruuners up, Champions League Semifinalists, Carling Cup Runners up. Super Cup Winners, World Club cup Runners up(I think thats whats it's called). I admit the premiership title is conspicuous by his absence but to say the man acheives nothing year on year is just not true. LFC will probably not win the title this year and will no doubt face a tough race to finish fourth. But at least be factual whe making comments.

[Ricardo]

The problem is 1. Benitez is inherently cautious, settling for a 1-1 away at Blackburn whereas Man U would go for the win in the last 5 mins, 2. Man U and Chelsea still have better squads in terms of depth and overall quality 3. too much pressure 4. no outrageously talented winger 5. stadium isn't big enough contributes to too little money 6. even tottenham have more money to spend than us now.

Still, we have the best fans BY FAR in the League. No question. A European night at Anfield must make all the other green with envy - 100 times more atmos.

[John W]

Man U will not be quite as strong this year, with Queiroz gone and the uncertainty with Ronaldo. Winning it 3 years in a row will be tough and it was so close last season. Chelsea are my favourites, due to their financial resources, a good new manager and the hunger that goes with losing out 2 years in a row (add to that the CL Final in Moscow). The changes at the Bridge might take a year or so to pay, however. Arsenal are a fantastic club and I love the way they compete without spending big, but I did predict they would run out of steam last year and as much as I admire them, I think the same will happen this year and they will be 4th. They just don't look as strong now, although I think their fantastic style could land them a cup win. Liverpool are not as far behind as many seem to think. Robbie Keane will help in converting draws against mediocre teams to wins and Rafa will learn to beat Man U sooner or later... then they'd be right in the mix. More quality out wide is needed (Robbie K could provide) and staying free of injury will be critical. It will be very close again this year, decided again by small details in key games. The favourites don't always win and the Man U/Chelsea duopoly won't last for ever. Liverpool have their best chance in years to win it.

[Matt]

The fact of the matter is liverpool will do this off season what they have done for the last 5, that is sell 5 players buy 5 new okish players and then wonder why they dont win the league. Chelsea, Man U & Arsenal have dominated the leage over the last 10years because they have had settled sides. Chelsea won back to back titles as did Man U by having a settled side and adding to that with 1-2 quality signings. If you transfer 5 and sign 5 with one being world class then you will never win the league. I can't remember the last time a top tier team chopped and changed so much and then won the league. There is also the small matter of a gigantic points difference, Chelsea had been getting closer for years and then Mourinho took over and made the next step and therefore won the league. Houllier got close one year and then Liverpool seemed to go in the opposite direction to Chelsea. You can't expect to be 16 points behind the leaders and then the following season go from losing 8 games to losing 2. the process is much more gradual. The best they can hope for is 3rd I think. As a Man U fan it makes me laugh the expectation from Liverpool every season. There has been improvement and Torres is brilliant, but there are too many bad players in the squad. Look at the impact someone like Anderson had last year and he si 19. For every torres at liverpool there is a Peter Crouch

[Alan Cottman]

No cause Rafa will not play his best side week in week out. He wants to keep his players fresh for the fight for 4th at the end of the season with Everton.

[Arvind]

Its not about the world class players in the big four, it the squad players who in the end make the difference. Liverpool's squad players are nowhere near as good as ManUtd or Chelsea's. Nani or Pennant take a guess!

[Big Paul]

Well Liverpool *would* be shoe-ins for the title this upcoming season, had it not been for the arrival of the twin colossi that are Stoke and Hull into the Premier League.....

[Roger]

No. The team is not good enough, either on or off the park.

Barry is a side issue, not really relevant unless Benitez makes the mistake of stalking him further this side of Christmas, because it will be a waste of time, another reason they won't do better than fourth and could finish lower.

[Dafydd Williams]

This year Liverpool will close the gap but maybe they won't win it this year. The spine of the team is excellent with reina, carragher, skrtel, agger, mascherano, gerrard, torres and keane(if rafa plays him with torres). this is still excluding barry who'll maybe join in next few days. he is slightly overrated but any player who plays for england in centre midfield who is good enough to displace hargreaves/lampard is good enough for any team in the premiership(maybe excluding man united and chelsea). we still need a decent winger and some back-up in certain positions. if we have that maybe we have a chance this year, if not next year.

[Dafydd]

i'm a liverpool fan and i think the spine of the squad is excellent with reina, carragher, agger, skrtel, mascherano, gerrard, torres and keane(depending whether rafa plays him up front with torres). this is also excluding barry who'll maybe sign in the next few days/weeks. the guy is slightly overrated but any player who is good enough to keep the likes of lampard and hargreaves out of the england team is good enough for any team in the premiership(possibly excluding united and chelsea, whose fans think they are in a different league. well some of them at least!) add to this a winger(e.g silva) and they have a good chance. but rafa has to play his best team week in, week out. he found a settled side in the second half of last season. if this is the case next season they have a great chance. but they NEED to beat united and better on the results against chelsea and arsenal. oh, AND the likes of wigan, spurs, birmingham, portsmouth away and man city away.

[Dino]

I think it'll be an interesting season. Rafa learnt a lot more last year than any other, he realised his tinkering early in the year cost us. Our results against the top 4 teams was good enough to win the leage had we won games against lower teams when he tinkered. I think he'll tinker less this time around particularly in the first half of the year and not in away games. The squad is virtually the same, but I'd argue slightly stronger. Crouch is a good striker but most would rate Keane above him. Babel has had year in the EPL and for a young player should be better for the experience, same goes for Lucas and Mash who are both still v.young. I hope Rafa brings on Plessi and Pacheo and gives them some run at some. We need to produce more of our "own" players because we cannot compete financially with Manure and Chelski, not just yet or for a few years after the Stadium is built.

[Redwithenvy]

Same old guff about rotation rotation rotation. Rafa only dropped Torres for a draw against pompey away (good result in anyones book) and another match against birmingham. We drew a few in that sketchy patch of the season with Torres in the line-up also.

This season will see us coming closer than alot on here seem to think. It is generally the media, Man Utd fans and pundits that hype Liverpool up at the start of the season for whatever motives. It is plain to see however that Utd and Chelsea still have the superior squads and I like most liverpool fans i doubt with hand on heart would say we will win the thing but hopefully we will challenge and with a bit of luck with injuries who knows you gotta dream!

[Colin Blues]

personally I think this is Rafa's last chance. He has to mount a serious challenge or quit!

A serious challenge would be anything that see's them still in with a shout at easter and to finish within 10 pts.

If they are out of the race by Xmas then he should resign after CL fate, even if they win CL.

How many attempts is it now???

[Gr8vel]

Man utd can attack at pace all over the pitch. Chelsea are persistant and powerful ,though i think it will be slightly different for them this year, more guile with deco. Arsenal have guile, pace and power, but hleb leaving for Barca is a MAJOR blow. Liverpool have added Robbie Keane and some unknowns. I think a lot will depend on Benitez and his team selections, where i think Wenger and Ferguson are ahead on points. though he has for once decided to buy a player who has grown up playing english football he has recognised, liverpools problem. Stevie Gerrard apart, they have NO HEART. 1-0 down against some of the weaker and more physical teams will see them off.

[Josh]

Will Liverpool win the league? Unlikely - especially having wasted all that money on Keane. He's the Irish Kuyt. I can only assume he's been bought in case Torres is injured, because I can't see him getting in the side the rest of the time.

On the plus side, Babel looks like he has finally adjusted to the Premier League, so we'll see more of him.

This is a tricky one. Keans main weakness is speed. But Liverpool have plenty of speed and he brings a quickness of thought and deadly passing an a hard working unselfish nature. He not the huge name some fans want but if they give him a chance it has the potential to be regarded as the craftiest purchase yet.

[colin nicholas]

Of course they CAN win the premiership. So can Portsmouth or Everton or Spurs.
But it's more likely to be either ManU Chelsea or Arsenal.

[Bob Chippens]

Liverpool *cannot* win this league with the squad they have, there are still too many bottlers around the club.

[Kevin]

Last season it was simply home and away defeats to the Mancs that cost the title.....so correct the score in 2 fixtures, and keep the rest as is - job done!