As the 2009-10 season kicked off, Liverpool were installed as one of the front runners to contest for the Barclays Premier League having come agonizingly close last year. But no one was prepared for what lied ahead. In a strange and embarrassing way, the level of performances dropped. Lack of hunger and paucity of goals, never mind the constant injuries to Gerrard and Torres, coupled with the departure of Xabi Alonso, our midfield supremo to Real Madrid, led to the downfall of a team who had deteriorated from championship contenders to an average team [I know the language is harsh, but we cannot deny that it was the truth]. And after the appalling season we had last year, which saw us finish 7th and fighting for a place in the European second tier competition, the Europa League, we as fans hoped that this was just a bad phase, and Liverpool FC would come back stronger come August 2010.
But just as we thought nothing worse could happen, it did.. If there was glitter in World Cup 2010 in South Africa, it was all gloom on Merseyside. After six years of service, manager Rafael Benitez parted company with Liverpool FC with mutual consent with the Liverpool Board. And with the club also incurring debts of upto £351 m due to the parent company KOP Holdings , it looked like a dark and uncertain future for the coming days ahead. And as much as it can be attributed to Rafa's man management and defensive style, we cannot run away from the fact that the American owners Hicks and Gillett have ruined the club. Never ever have they put in a single penny and have always disrupted the on field events due to the boardroom turmoil and uncertainties surrounding the club .With circumstances like these, it was always going to be difficult for the team to perform on the field . And it wasn't looking good amidst the World Cup, as there was constant speculation regarding the future of key players Torres, Gerrard and Mascherano, and with the vultures circling over Anfield , it was always going to be an anxious summer for us fans..
The replacement for the successor for the Liverpool hot seat, which saw us linked with a host of names , finally came to an end when after much speculation, the Board decided to hand over the managerial reign to Englishman Roy Hodgson, who had had an exceptional season with Fulham , leading them all the way to the Europa League final.
I do agree he might not have been the most flamboyant choice, but his ability to work with limited budget and excellent man management skills meant he was the right choice to bring the club out of its dire state. And even though I wasn't too sure if he is the man who will take the club forward, I am glad that he has proven me wrong till now. With the arrival of Hodgson, the want away players,namely Benayoun and Riera, were sold, and static transfers of Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson were swiftly completed. He even pulled a transfer coup of sorts , by persuading Joe Cole to leave London and the attraction of Champions League in favour of regular first team action. We have further bolstered our ranks with Christian Poulsen [from Juventus] and Brad Jones [for competing with Reina plus the homegrown criteria is assisted]...
And the performances against Rabotnicki , Arsenal and Trabzonspor have shown that the belief and the hunger to succeed is back in our ranks..
One negative, though, which happened very recently, has left me bitterly disappointed. And that has been the loan deal for Alberto Aquilani to Juventus for regular football. Even though the lad is fragile, he is one of the best talents of the club alongside Torres and Gerrard. And with his flair, forward thinking and the ability to link up play and score goals would have proven immense this season. However, I do understand where Roy is coming from but I still haven't been able to get over it. It leaves us depleted in the midfield department with Gerrard the only forward minded of the four we have. The only saving grace for Roy would be to sign a striker who can take the goalscoring burden off from El Nino, and that would perfectly justify his decision to loan out a key player.
This season, with its outlook, promises to be much better than the last one, and I hope the Red Army can achieve some silverware to put the disappointment of last season behind us. YNWA.
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