The fact that Liverpool Football Club are the current European Champions still hasn’t completely penetrated the thick walls of my dumb-founded cranium. Liverpool are European Champions for Christ’s sake!
I will never tire of saying those four simple words. The events of that football match on May 25th are etched permentantly on my soul.
What I find astounding is that had us Liverpool fans been told after the treble winning season in 2001, and the subsequent Community Shield and Super Cup wins, that we would be crowned Champions of Europe in four years time, we would have seen it as a natural progression of Houllier’s seemingly evolving team.
We’d also have assumed that Liverpool would have most probably entered the CL as champions, that Michael Owen would have still been at the club leading the attack and that the final step up to the ultimate prize of the European Cup would have been achieved with Gerard Houllier firmly at the helm.
How ironic then that none of these factors proved true. After Liverpool’s treble in 2001 we all thought that Houllier’s team was ready to take on the world. Three years later Liverpool had gone alarmingly backwards and the Frenchman had gone.
Then, Benitez comes in, not much is expected in his first season apart from some improvement in the league and signs of progress, no matter how small. What do we get instead? Inconsistency in the Premiership, and the noticeable implementation of a more cultured, positive style of play. Oh and a European Cup with many of Houllier’s players!
Football, quite frankly is a funny old game.
Now Liverpool prepare to begin their 2005/06 domestic campaign in earnest. Much is expected from a season where Liverpool were granted special concession to defend their European title by UEFA after finishing outside the top-four qualifying positions in the Premier League.
It has certainly been strange watching Liverpool having to start in July, negotiating potential banana skin ties in the CL qualifiers, contesting in the football backwaters.
Having competitive games in July although an annoyance can only have benefited Liverpool who have scored an impressive amount of goals this pre-season. Liverpool will be 15-20% fitter than Middlesbrough for the first game of the season and should hit the ground running as Liverpool have gleaned a sharpness in attack.
Not counting the new signings Liverpool have two standout strengths that we didn’t have last season, either because of injury or other distractions.
Like the real Steven Gerrard for example. With his long-term future sorted he is performing like a player who is fully-committed to the cause and who no longer has eyes for that rich and attractive, but ultimately hollow bird dressed in blue from the King’s Road. Having a Steven Gerrard like this is akin to having a new £25m signing.
Thanks to the Champions League Qualifiers Gerrard has been able to exploit his newfound zeal, scoring seven goals already before many of his counterparts have even kicked a ball in anger. Stevie’s definitely going to be on the goal-trail with the utmost gusto this season and who’s to bet against him not doing a Lampard and getting 15-20 goals?
He’s halfway there already and the season hasn’t properly started yet.
Elsewhere, young Stephen Warnock looks solid and dependable as he has continued his steady and promising progress from last season of which he would have seen more rewards had it not been for some badly timed injuries.
This season Warnock’s strong tackling and willingness to overlap the winger will offer Liverpool more variety and another dimension for opposing teams to contend with.
Another big plus is the continuing emergence of Zak Whitbread who has added to his good performances in the Carling Cup last year with accomplished displays in the pre-season games. He’s far from the finished article but he is proof positive of an evolving squad.
In terms of Liverpool’s attacking capabilities, Cisse has shown strong glimpses of his goal-scoring prowess with a few goals during the pre-season. The £14m striker is sure to put the disappointment of injury last season and spearhead the Reds’ attack this term.
Fernando Morientes’ brace against Sofia on Wednesday indicates that the dangerous Spanish forward is ready at last to make a real impression in the Premiership, wearing the red of Liverpool. A fully functioning strike-partnership, something Liverpool haven’t had for some time, will go a long way to deciding Liverpool’s influence on the title race.
The 6ft 7” Peter Crouch will be the secret weapon, most probably deployed away from home or when plan A isn’t working. It’s certainly not just about his height and aerial threat either, the lad is indeed good on the deck and surrounded by the calibre of players that are at Liverpool he will blossom further getting his fair share of goals. I reckon Sven will have Crouch’s place on the plane for the World Cup in Germany booked by February such will be the strikers development at Liverpool.
It’s going to be a strange season in that Liverpool, as European Champions will rightly have a confidence about them, but at the same they’ve also become the scalp that every team will want to gain.
Benitez, wised-up to the harsh lessons the Premiership mistress gave his side last season, will be hoping to guide a re-worked squad to genuine progress in the league. Stronger, and with greater variety, the squad now has Benitez’ name stamped firmly on it – Reina (solid goal keeper), Zenden (great crosser, bags of energy), Sissoko (good tackler, impressive engine) Barragan and Gonzalez (once the work permit debacle is sorted) are all valuable additions.
While the £6.5m sale of Milan Baros to Aston Villa looks likely to be finalise in the next few days, will this mean a return for Michael Owen?
All Liverpool need now is another centre-back to support Carragher, Hyypia and Whitbread, and a talented right-winger to give the team balance (Crouch and co will want crosses coming in from both sides) and to provide that extra bit of creative guile.
On the eve of today’s game against Middlesbrough Benitez said: "At times last season we didn't fight hard enough. When I look at the players I have now, I'm confident. There are far more options for me with the team now. I want us to score more goals and prove we are more consistent.”
Get ready folks, the future will be nothing other than red, with Liverpool clambering back to the top to consistently challenge for all the major honours. Prepare for the most important season in over a decade – C’mon Redmen!
In Rafa we trust.