Could this be Liverpool's year? .. (unpublished from November 2008)

Il be the first to admit it, every year is Liverpool's year. Every summer the signings arrive on Mersyside and every year Liverpool are suddenly title contenders.

Liverpool needed a 30 goal a season striker to be title contenders. So when Rafael Benitez splashed out a club record fee of twenty million pounds for Spanish striker Fernando Torres Liverpool's expectations went through the roof.
Despite the Spanish striker scoring a record number of goals in the 07/08 season Liverpool were unable to mount a serious title challenge past December with their record at the start of December 07 reading P13 W7 D6 L0. If you compare it to the start of December this year the record stands at P14 W10 D3 L1 you can see the improvement the squad has made which you must admit makes some good reading.

Id like to think that Rafa has learnt from previous mistakes he has made in the Premiership, like the Reading game in 07. Liverpool had beaten Besiktas 8-0, Fulham 2-0, Newcastle 3-0, Porto 4-1, and Bolton 4-0 on the run up to the Reading game, easy game?. Nope although fortune did favour the royals that day the decision to take Steven Gerrard off did leave some fans, pundits alike bewildered considering Gerrard had been a driving force behind many a comeback for Liverpool. Rafa's thoughts were obviously on Europe and the Olympique Marseille game midweek, which subsequently Gerrard scored the first of 4 goals that night.

This season Liverpool have found themselves in similar situations to that Reading game in 07, but have battled hard and managed to win these games so when you think that Liverpool finished 11 points behind Man Utd last season picking up 2 extra points in these games Liverpool had drawn last season is going to be massive come the end of the season Providing they don't slip up elsewhere. I think Benitez has realised this season unlike other seasons that the Premier league is the one he really has to push on and try to win.

Transfers are a huge part of a successful team. Liverpool in previous years haven't been renowned for making great transfers. El hadji Diouf springs immediately to mind. Liverpool bought Diouf for ten million pounds after his impressive world cup in 2002. But in his 80 appearances for the reds managed only 6 goals. Torres has nearly got that many this season and hes been injured!.

There were other players including Morientes who came to Liverpool but subsequently failed to really make the grade.

However the arrival of players such as Ryan Babel, and Lucas i believe means theirs not as much expectation to be great. Unlike Morientes and Diouf who had massive reputation's Babel and Lucas are just talented individuals who in time will develop into great footballers. There not at Liverpool based on reputation they are at Liverpool based on what coaches and scouts have seen. Which is talented youngsters who have room to develop into great players in time. I believe this is important to the success of a transfer, if a player goes to a club based on reputation the pressure on them to perform to the standards they did at there previous club is huge (Robbie Keane). Don't get me wrong i have huge expectations for these youngsters i won't except anything less than great things from them but there is that room for them to grow and be even better and we need to give them time to settle in and adjust.

Rafa's rotation policy has been subject to much speculation over his Anfield years. I don't have a problem with it and its been statistically proven that Chelsea and Man Utd both swap and change line ups just as much as Liverpool do. But as soon as he ditches it Liverpool become more consistent.

No complaints from me. I love the fact Liverpool have a consistent team its great news because in recent years this is exactly what Liverpool have lacked.

Sometimes though Injuries to players like Gerrard and Torres can de-rail title challenges in an instant and break up the consistency you have built. And i know what your going to say "one man team!" but consider this. Liverpool managed to beat Manchester Utd and Chelsea this season without "El Nino" and Gerrard didn't start the Man Utd game. So even without top players Liverpool seem to have depth in their squad to cope with their injures. Also Torres had better watch out because their are a few players hot on his heals and i think that has something to do with Liverpools great start too.

I applaud Dirk Kuyt for a number of reasons his work rate, commitment and attitude just a few. However something that niggled me about Kuyt was his goal scoring. He didn't seem to stick the ball in the back of the net, maybe this was because he played mostly on the wing or he simply helped the team out far to much for his own good. Last season he played 32 times scoring just 3 goals, two of which came in the Mersyside derby in October. This season Kuyt has managed to hit the back of the net no fewer than 5 times in just 14 appearances so far. This improvement is made even more impressive when you consider Liverpool signed Robbie Keane for 20 million to score goals. Keane has also played 14 games this season scoring only twice both against West Brom.

Has the arrival of Keane given Kuyt the push he needed?. I think Kuyt needed time to adapt to the English game. Hes mastered the fast pase of the English game and now hes going to master the art of scoring goals (not that he needs to master it, he just needs reminding!).

Dirk Kuyt's efforts this season are not in vein he just needs to look at Liverpools position in the league to see that. I like Liverpool this season they seem more sure of themselves and believe they can manage a serious title challenge and so do i.

Can Liverpool win the league? Yes but a number of factors will determine if they do or not. I see no reason from what iv seen so far this season why not. They just need focus and to take every game as it comes. I'm just glad for once Manchester United and Chelsea are looking over their shoulders maybe they will give Liverpool the respect they deserve.