Premier League: Can Roy Hodgson help Liverpool reclaim their place in the ‘Big Four’?
Manchester United has dominated the English Premier League for the last two decades. Before the coming of Sir Alex Ferguson in Manchester United, Liverpool had won a record number of eighteen league titles. However, since then, Liverpool have been unable to add even a single title in their trophy cabinet. Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, took Manchester United to ultimate glory in the EPL, as he equalled Liverpool’s record by winning a record number of 11 titles.
In order to challenge the superiority of Manchester United, Rafael Benitez was taken on as the new manager. Benitez had a quite successful short tenure at Valencia on his résumé, and he was supposed to bring the same glory to Liverpool. Although he was successful in uplifting the status of The Reds (as he led the club to their fifth Champions League trophy), he was unable to win the EPL. There was a time when all the big clubs in England were looking for a European title, while Liverpool was still hungry for a league title, which seemed too distant a goal for them to reach.
Benitez made some good changes in the squad, but he was also responsible for signing some rather average players. He was the one responsible for the signing of Fernando Torres, the Spanish striker, and Javier Mascherano, the Argentinean defensive midfielder. However, he also signed Ryan Babel, Lucas and David Ngog, and the players proved to be almost a failure for the team. Also, he was the one responsible for letting go of Xabi Alonso, replacing him with Alberto Aquilani. Aquilani was injured at that time, and he starred in only 18 matches throughout the season. Due to these mistakes, rather than winning a title, Benitez was the one responsible for Liverpool losing the European spot.
Due to these failures (Liverpool finished 7th in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League), Rafael Benitez was replaced on July 1, 2010, before the start of the season, by Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. After coming to the side, Hodgson made some changes in the squad and signed Joe Cole from Chelsea. Also, he has persuaded a lot of players against leaving the club, especially Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. However, the addition of Joe Cole to the squad is the biggest change for the team. The question, however, is that whether it would help the team regain its lost pride in the EPL or not.
Last year, the major blow to Liverpool’s season was an injury to Fernando Torres. In the absence of the Spaniard, there were no other players that could fill in the shoes and take the responsibility of scoring goals. Thus, due to a poor squad, especially in terms of strikers, Liverpool failed to win their matches, even the easier ones. Also, when Xabi Alonso left the squad, there was no other replacement in the team. In the absence of such quality, amongst the presence of some average players, even Steven Gerrard started to look bad for Liverpool, as he was entrusted with too much responsibility, and he ultimately failed to deliver. Consequently, Liverpool lost their position in the top four.
This year, however, things have started to look good again for the team. Fernando Torres, despite having a poor run of form at the World Cup, has started to come back from injury. However, it might take a little time before the striker makes a comeback in the top flight, as he got injured again in the final of the World Cup. Nevertheless, he is touted to do better than the last season. Aquilani looks good for the next season as well. Therefore, the void left by Alonso would also be filled, as Aquilani is supposed to be a world class player as well. The support on the wings will be provided by Dirk Kuyt and Joe Cole, who are also established players in football. Therefore, the Liverpool attack looks good, once again, while they look set to reclaim their position.
The next season would be a hard battle for Liverpool, especially because their squad lacks the depth. However, if their main players play most of the season, and maintain their form, there is no doubt that they will soon be back in top form, challenging the teams for a Champions League place.
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