Financially
Attracting players
Postion in May 2005
For me its
Liverpool enter the summer after finishing fourth mainly due to the other teams fading away and Liverpools slight strength difference in squad coming through at the end
In the Champions League however LFC were pleased with their semi final position after showing some good glimpses especially in the home legs and without their star man Morientes available
During the Summer LFC fans saw an exodus of players with th elikes of Diouf, Smicer, Josemi, Cheyrou and Hamman leaving the club
The Gerrard saga continues with pressure from a number of clubs but with some good performances and faith in Benitez, word is out that its "Ill give it another season as I think things are changing" although with the summer deadline aproaching all the papers seem to have turned to which club will get him in January
But the end of the season and the pre season friendlies has seen Alonso emerge as a world class midfielder but with the inevitable transfer rumours that surround his exceptional play. Real Madrid have been linked even though the Basque born Alonso has expressed his love and commitment to his new found home
The other potential diamond in the midfield has been the return of Diarra now an established French International who many tip as a potential real force in the premiership for next season even though he has emerged largely unnoticed
Benitez has confirmed his faith in Biscan, Garcia, Le Tallec, Pongolle, Nunez and Kewell and many experts predict maybe the strongest midfield in the EPL as competition for places heats up and all the players desperate to make the first team.
Le Tallec and Pongolle especially as the arrival of Morientes as a mentor seems to have accelerated these two to produce the form that set the world on fire in the youth world cup all those years ago
Cisse's return strengthens the attack and speculation over Mellors future starts again especialy as the sale of players and the decrease of the wage bill means as in Rafas words
" Before the transfer deadline I am going to get three world class players to add to the squad, then unlike last year we are stating our intention to seriously challenge for the league"
This bullish comment shocked many Bemitez observers but the word from many Spanish journalists is that Rafa is confident with a touch more class he will be setting the league as a target for the whole squad.
Fantasy island but I reckon things could turn out this way
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