Liverpool FC Forum

I did some research on the finals standings over the last 12 seasons to 2005 when we won the CL in Istanbul. I took the top 10 places over the 12 years and simply scored them 1 point for 1st, down to 10 for 10th. The average score over 12 seasons is effectively a team's average position. Not all teams had been in the top ten for all 12 seasons so after the score is the number of seasons out of 12. The effect of buying top players is immediately evident:

Last 12 Seasons     Average     Seasons
                    Position     Top 10
Manchester United 2.5      12
Chelsea                 2.9      12
Arsenal                 3.3      12
Manchester City 4.5      10
Liverpool                 5.1      12
Tottenham Hotspur 5.4      11
Everton                 5.9       9

You can see that City have an average position of 4.5 after 10 seasons despite starting from a mid-table, very poor squad the day the arabs bought them, however the right budget in the right hands and the right scouts and learning/adapting quickly by bringing in the right backroom staff immediately produced results. Likewise for Chelsea obviously. Spurs are like Liverpool, unable to break into the top 4 ie Champions League as they, like us, refuse to spend money.

Liverpool average just over 5th place at 5.1. Everton 6th place and were outside the top 10 3 times, clear evidence they haven't invested or attracted the right quality players.

Arsenal buck the trend but had had a largely stable team over the period and obviously a strong guiding manager. Manchester United dominated due to Ferguson and a team of super stars, whether bought in or home grown.

Conclusion, our success over the last 12 seasons is distorted by 2 second places which we were unable to improve on. Chelsea's score is distorted by coming 10th last season, it cost them one point in their average. They might have pipped Utd but for last season.

If we want to create the success of the top 4 above and play regular CL, we have to invest in the right players to become top 4 season after season. Klopp as manager can't do it single handed, just as Stevie G couldn't do it single handed as a player. The last manager to assemble a real squad was Rafa - top manager, top squad. We can't avoid buying in a top squad if we want to break our 26 year famine of failure.

For interest, here are the other teams that made the top ten, NOTE: Leicester only appear one... when they won the league! 

Southampton are good side, Yes?  Lots of respect for them Yes? 
They've only come in the top 10, 3 out of the last 12 seasons!   

Last 12 Seasons     Average     Seasons
                    Position     Top 10
Manchester United 2.5      12
Chelsea                 2.9      12
Arsenal                 3.3      12
Manchester City 4.5      10
Liverpool                 5.1      12
Tottenham Hotspur 5.4      11
Everton                 5.9       9
Aston Villa         7.4       5
West Ham United 9.0       5
Blackburn Rovers 8.3      4
Bolton Wanderers 7.0      3
Fulham                 8.0      3
Newcastle United 7.3      3
Southampton         7.0      3
Stoke City                 9.0      3
Portsmouth         8.5      2
Swansea City         8.5      2
West Bromwich A 9.0      2
Birmingham City 9.0      1
Crystal Palace       10.0      1
Leicester City (C) 1.0      1
Middlesbrough        7.0      1
Reading                8.0      1
Sunderland      10.0      1
Wigan Athletic      10.0      1