"It's a very similar situation. Gerard Houllier had done really well for three years and that was the summer everyone was looking for us to push on, but unfortunately it didn't work out," said the Reds' vice-captain.
"When a manager first comes to a club, no-one can expect to win the title straight way but by the second or third year you hope to have built the foundations of a team that can challenge.
"I think we had that then and we've got that now, and this is where we'll be looking to do more.
"Rafa has done brilliantly well since he came here but it's fair to say everyone will be looking for us to close that gap at the top now.
"That last step is always the hardest. If we don't improve from this point we'll just go sideways rather than upwards and that's not going to be good enough if we're going to challenge Manchester United and Chelsea.
"It's harder than I can ever remember as a player or supporter to win the league.
"Chelsea and United have raised the level, and the top four managers are probably the best four managers in the world.
"There's no point worrying what other clubs are doing, we've just got to look after ourselves.
"Just because you spend big money on someone it doesn't guarantee it's a great signing. Look at Veron.
"I'm sure that come August 11 the manager will have done everything he can to bring the right players here and we'll have done everything we can as a club to make that happen.
"The club couldn't have done much more over the last few years because we've done everything apart from win the league. I'm desperate to do that over the course of this contract and I know everyone else here feels the same."