Premier League Preview: Liverpool

Last Season: 2nd

Pre-Season Prediction: 4th - With intelligent summer purchases squad depth has been increased and should see the Reds more than capably cope with the loss of Luis and the challenge of Champions League football.

At the start of last season you would have been hard-pressed to find a Liverpool fan disappointed with coming second in the League. Such was the manner of their season though, with 24 victories in a 26 game unbeaten run, that fans will have been heartbroken to see that infamous Gerrard slip against Chelsea which also saw their chances of a first Premier League title fade away. Nevertheless, after a period of reflection that disappointment can be pushed aside and the realisation that Rogers has instilled a sparking philosophy in this Liverpool side which should carry them forward for years to come is a major positive, as well as the fact that they are finally back in the Champions League.

However, there is a pretty large, teethy elephant in the room that I have neglected to mention so far. Luis Suarez. With 31 goals in the League last year and an ability to change a game with the flick of a boot, his departure to Barcelona leaves a monstrous hole at the front of this Liverpool side. Echoes of Bale's departure to Madrid seem in place as Liverpool have gone on a spending binge to fill this departure but there is notable more intelligence to the signings. Improvements have come across the park with Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic providing creative flair in the midfield whilst Rickie Lambert provides an alternative up top. Emre Can is a solid addition to bolster the center of the park whilst Dejan Lovren and Javier Manquillo provide a welcome boost to, what was a fairly leaky defense last season.

Despite this summer spree, Rogers insists that Reds are not done there and expects more signings to be brought in to ensure that Liverpool are able to have a large enough squad to fight in both the Champions League and the Premier League. The main priority is still to find a world class striker to replace Suarez, with Lambert at 32 not being able to fill that gap in the long term. Both Falcao and Cavani were on the radar but deals for either of them look unlikely so it will be interesting to see who Rogers turns to next. Alberto Moreno is another deal which looks set to go through as Liverpool seek to ensure they do not concede another 50 goals like last  season, with the left-back being heavily linked with a transfer from Seville.

The main challenge of pre-season was the International Champions Cup which was relatively successful for the Merseyside club. Victories over Milan and Olympiakos and a penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester City saw them reach the final which they eventually lost to Manchester United. That said, a first team mauling of Borussia Dortmund a few days ago will have boosted the confidence of an already positive team and, on the whole, pre-season can be heralded as a great success.

The big question, is can Liverpool replicate their success without the talismanic Luis Suarez leading the line? I believe that the answer is yes, albeit in a different style. Last season there was a reliance on Suarez and co to outscore the opposition. With the signing of Lovren though, Rogers is clearly trying to address the defensive weakness of last season and the reduced quantity of goals from Suarez should be counteracted by this new defensive stability. Whether this will be the case remains to be seen but don't expect European football to have a major impact on Liverpool's season.

Key Man: Raheem Sterling - The loss of Suarez places greater emphasis on the striking capabilities of Daniel Sturridge but it will be his partner in crime who will need to make the step up to replace the Uruguayan. Sturridge has already proved he is a 20-goal-a-season man but Sterling needs to ensure he can provide the creativity lost up top. One of the few bright sparks in England's dismal World Cup run, Sterling has had a solid pre-season after terrorising Phil Jones in the ICC and will be hoping to make another step up in an already hugely promising career.

One to Watch: Emre Can - The pick of the youngsters signed this summer, Can is a powerful midfielder and long-term successor to Steven Gerrard. The 20-year-old has had a fantastic pre-season impressing fans and neutrals alike with his determination and physicality in the center of the park, most notably his well-documented brushing aside of Mario Balotelli [Below]. Liverpool have not had a truly outstanding defensive midfielder since the departure of Javier Mascherano, but with the right development, Can could easily fill that gap. Are we looking at one of the bargains of the season?

Best Summer Signing: Dejan Lovren - The major weakness of Liverpool last year was their vulnerability in defense. Martin Skrtel may have knocked in seven Premier League goals but was susceptible to a lack of concentration at the other end of the park. And with Daniel Agger seemingly falling out of favour with Brendan Rogers a trademark defender was needed to bring assurance to the back line. Lovren had a stellar debut season in the Premier League with Southampton and was quickly earmarked as the 'next Carragher'. In amongst a host of forward thinking signings, Lovren is likely to turn out to be the best.

Sports Ladder (6th - 12th May)

UP - Manchester City - Well I suppose through gritted teeth I should probably congratulate Manchester City on their second Premier League title. Okay, so clearly I didn't want them to win but they did, and in some style it has to be said. Pellegrini has turned out to be a marvelous appointment, playing fast, attractive football but perhaps more importantly settling down a chaotic dressing room from the start of the season. With investment likely over the summer they will obviously be back in the hunt again next year.

UP - Michael Sam - It shouldn't have to be a story but alas it is one, and due to the nature of it's importance one I shall cover. Michael Sam this week became the first openly homosexual player to be successfully drafted into the NFL (American Football for those of you that don't follow StarSpangledHammer). He was the 249th pick of this years draft and will join up with the St. Louis Rams for this season, also becoming the first homosexual player to play a game should he start.

UP - Martin Kaymer - Well after looking like a really dangerous player a few years ago, German golfer Martin Kaymer has somewhat faded into the rough. This week, however he came back into the limelight with his first PGA Tour victory in four years with a one shot victory in tough conditions at the Players Championship. Kaymer will now be pushing on to try and secure a Ryder Cup spot. Also rising up the ladder is sports photography. I mean what a photo!

UP - Rebekah Tiler - What were you doing when you were 15? Well, whatever it was I bet it wasn't the same as Miss Tiler. This week Rebecca Tiler became the youngest ever winner of a British weightlifting title with her victory in the 69kg class. In fact, Tiler managed to lift a whopping 205kg which is not only nearly three times my weight, but also enough to have won her both the 75kg and 75+kg categories at the British championships. Certainly beats my 10kg dumbbells.

UP - Laura Trott - There is nothing in sport we love more than an absolute fighter. Now we know Laura Trott is a sensational athlete but this week really showcased her grit and determination. Okay, so she finished the Tour of Britain in 55th, but after a huge fall on the third stage the Olympic star did well just to pull herself back onto the bike. Clearly in agony not only did she finish the stage but she then repeated the feat the next day to finish the race. Now that, is true British fighting spirit.

DOWN - Ronnie O'Sullivan - Ronnie O'Sullivan really did have a stinker of a weekend. Despite feeling in the form of his life, the master managed to squander a 10-5 lead to lose the World Championship to Mark Selby 18-14 in an enthralling final. However, Ronnie was then involved in a car accident whilst travelling home from his final loss on the M1. Luckily both himself and his son, who was also in the car were absolutely fine, but it will be a week to forget for the former champion.

DOWN - Liverpool - You don't win anything by squandering a three goal advantage in football. Liverpool found that out the brutal way this week as they tossed aside a three goal lead against Crystal Palace to draw 3-3 and throw away any chance they had of really applying pressure to Manchester City. Ultimately it wouldn't have mattered as City would have won on goal difference but that result epitomised Liverpool in recent weeks. Threw the bottle in right at the end.

DOWN - Atletico Madrid - Atletico have had a simply sublime season, there can be no doubting that. Front runners heading into the final day of the Liga BBVA title race and into a Champions League final for the first time since 1997, also setting up the first final between two sides from the same city ever. But, their's team performances were let down this week by racist actions from their fans. They were heard directing monkey chants at Papakouly Diop of Levante. Modern football should certainly have outgrown this behaviour by now and it's so disappointing to still see it in the higher echelons of the game. Kick racism out of football.

DOWN - Michael Jackson - It's amazing the influence a dead popstar can have on the sporting world isn't it? Well according to Mohammed Al Fayed, the old chairman of Fulham, the removal of the Michael Jackson statue outside of Craven Cottage was the main reason they got relegated. That seems like a pretty 'dangerous' suggestion considering how 'bad' Fulham were and how (smooth) criminal their defending was throughout most of the season. Don't worry, I'll beat it after those terrible puns.

DOWN - Andy Murray - Right after I cover another disappointing week for the British tennis number one. So who did he lose to this time? Well this time it was the turn of the Colombian Santiago Giraldo to take a major scalp as he convincingly beat the Brit in two sets in the Madrid third round. Murray is rapidly running out of time to find form ahead of, first the French Open and then his Wimbledon defence. He needs to get a coach in and sharpish because he seems to be lacking direction at present.

Sports Ladder (8th April-14th April)

UP - Liverpool - If you had said to me at the start of the season that Liverpool would win the Premier League I would probably have laughed at you. This Sunday, a 3-2 victory over Manchester City has left fate entirely in their own hands now though, as if they win their remaining four games they win their first title in the Premier League era. Not only do they thoroughly deserve it but as an Englishman nothing would please me more than to see Gerrard collect a winners medal.

UP - Bubba Watson - An emotional Bubba Watson earned himself a second green jacket this week after a marvellous Masters victory in Augusta. The big hitting American played a masterful weekend to win for the second time in three years, the first player to do this since Phil Mickelson in 2006. His all-guns-blazing approach won him yet more fans as he successfully held off the challenge of rookies Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt to celebrate with an eight under par victory.


UP - Sir Dave Brailsford - It comes with a heavy heart that Sir Dave Brailsford has had to step down from his position as performance director of British cycling. This decision comes after he led Team GB to sixteen medals across the last two Olympic games, a remarkable feat from the man so focused on detail. We will still see his face dotted around as he takes on a more permanent role with Team Sky where he has already won two yellow jerseys with Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.


UP - Manny Pacquiao - This week Manny Pacquiao fought hard to claim yet another title in his eighth different weight division. Pacquaio added his 56th victory to his illustrious career with a points victory over Timothy Bradley. The Filipino was in control throughout much of the bout and gained revenge for his controversial 2012 defeat to Bradley. His welterweight title now frees the path for a reopening of negotiation between his camp and Floyd Mayweather's for the potential fight of the century.


UP - Zoe Smith - A story that slipped quietly under the radar as weightlifter Zoe Smith became only the second British woman ever to gain a European medal as she claimed bronze in Tel Aviv. Smith's achievement is all the more impressive considering she was competing in just her first competition since London 2012 after a serious of injuries kept her out for well over a year. Smith will now turn her head towards the Commonwealth games in Glasgow next year.


DOWN - The Sunday Sun - Say what you want about the Sun, it may have a bad reputation for various reasons, but what a hilarious headline on the back page of the paper this Sunday. After Alan Pardew criticised the media for his sides disappointing form, the Sun responded by listing Pardew's defeats and also his headbutt on David Meyler and taking rather sarcastic credit for these actions. My respect levels for the Sun definitely went up after this little escapade.

DOWN - Mo Farah - So we were all going to love Mo regardless of his result in the Marathon, but after he built up his own chances so highly it was inevitable that there was a little bit of disappointment when he failed to finish in the top three. Farah crossed the line in a credible eighth place but failed to beat the British record that he desperately wanted, finishing over a minute slower than Steve Jones' record. It may be sometime before we see another MoBot.

DOWN - Chris Hughton - Another one bites the dust. Premier League managers have been dropping like flies this season and another one has met their unfortunate fate this week as Chris Hughton joined the casuality list. On Monday he was sacked by the board with just five games to go including Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal so its going to be a tough job for step-in coach Neil Adams. For me this is the right decision at completely the wrong time.

DOWN - Masters Favourites - Another fantastic Masters tournament comes to an end but this one will go down as the tournament of the outsiders. Tied in second was a pair of rookies, Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt and the veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez was in fourth. Hardly names we were expecting to see there and even Bubba Watson was not spoken about in the build up despite winning two years ago. Another poor tournament for Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and the likes. We are definitely in the years of the underdog.

DOWN - Barcelona - Talk about the wheels coming off. After an enforced eighteen month transfer embargo last week, Barcelona proved that this was a monumental problem after effectively dropping out of two competitions. The midweek defeat to Atletico Madrid meant Barcelona failed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2007. They then followed this up with a 1-0 loss to Granada to fall four points behind Atletico Madrid. It seems that the Catalans are crumbling.

Sports Ladder (23rd-30th March)

UP - Liverpool - Well it's been a long time coming, but this week Liverpool have finally risen back to the top of the Premier League. Whilst teams around them have faltered in recent weeks, the Reds have won eight consecutive matches and under the leadership of Brendan Rogers and the form of the SASASAS it looks like they legitimately could win their first Premier League title ever.

UP - Lewis Hamilton - We've had to wait some time to see a convincing smile emblazoned across the face of Lewis Hamilton but it was certainly present after the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend. A technical failure in the Championship's opening race in Australia meant he had to wait a few weeks for his second victory in the Mercedes car but it was an outstanding, commanding and controlling performance from the Brit.

UP - Laura Massaro - Massaro is not exactly a household name, but one thing is for sure, she is a world champion. This week she became the first female British Squash World Champion since 1999 after her 11-7 6-11 11-9 5-11 11-9 victory over Egyptian teenager Nour El Sherbini down in Penang in Malaysia. Massaro joins Brit Nick Matthew in currently holding world champion status in the world of squash..

UP - Martina Hingis - As both the men's and women's singles finals in Miami were contested by the first and second seed it was up to the doubles to provide something a bit different. And provide it did as the veteran Martina Hingis won her first title since 2007 as she surged to victory with smiley partner Sabine Lisicki. The pair defeated the Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina on their way to the title.

UP - Benedict Cumberbatch - It's not everyday you see a 'high-functioning sociopath' conducting the post-race interview after a Formula One race but on Sunday the actor who plays Sherlock was indeed up on the podium with Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel. It was a surreal moment but if you weren't aware of who Cumberbatch was you probably wouldn't have guessed he was an actor as he was calm, composed and collected in his new role as interviewer.

DOWN - Kosuke Hashino - It's rare that an event from Rugby breaks into my Ladder as it isn't a sport I follow very closely. However I couldn't help but have a little chuckle at the attempted 'swan dive' of Kosuke Hashino. After a brilliant interception Hashino found himself completely through but rather audaciously tried and failed the Chris Ashton 'swan dive'. Luckily Hashino and his team mates saw the funny side as Japan ran out eventual winners.

DOWN - Tom Cleverley - We haven't seen much of Cleverley in the news recently. He has had less game time recently under Moyes and hence we have less to complain about. However today the new England kit was released and many England fans will have been disheartened to see the Manchester United midfielder modelling the kit, suggesting he is going to the World Cup. I feel as though some sort of petition is in order.

DOWN - England Cricket - It hasn't been a particularly pleasant six months for the England Cricket team since their Ashes victory last summer and that trend continued this week. With just one win in their four matches Stuart Broad's team crashed limply out of the Twenty20 World Cup. Their dismal run of form continues after their demolition in the winter Ashes and the retirement of Kevin Pietersen.

DOWN - Andy Murray - Andy Murray's poor start to 2014 continued with yet another early exit after departing the Sony Open in the quarterfinals, albeit to Novak Djokovic, the eventual winner. It was not necessarily a poor tournament for Murray, but the loss means he moves down to 8th in the World Rankings, an extremely disappointing position for a current Grand Slam holder.

DOWN - Manchester United Fans - Interestingly Manchester United fans on the whole had a good week but there was a select few who really were an embarrassment to themselves and to football on the whole. The decision to hire a plane with the message 'Wrong One - Moyes Out' was both childish and pathetic as far as I am concerned. Moyes has clearly had a tough start as United manager but  stupid stunts like this will hardly improve his confidence.

Liverpool Victory Sends Them Top

An outstanding first half display ensured Liverpool won 3-1 against Cardiff and moved to the top of the Premier League.

A brace from in-form Luis Suarez and a tap in from Raheem Sterling in the first half ensured that Liverpool had killed off the game in the first half, despite a second half consolation goal from Jordan Mutch..

Cardiff fans protest after the final whistle.

However, the game will largely be remembered for the fantastic support from both sets of fans for Cardiff manager Malky Mackay in his ongoing dispute with chairman Vincent Tan. Cardiff fans remained after the final whistle for a prolonged period of time to chant their disagreement with Tan's attempts to remove Mackay from his job.

Liverpool began the game strongly, Suarez hitting the side netting within two minutes. Down the other end of the pitch, Noone then forced a save from Mignolet fourteen minutes in. Suarez was again causing problems for the Cardiff defence, a deflected shot inching wide of the far post.

However Liverpool's dominance in possession paid off when Suarez volleyed home from a Henderson chip from the left flank. The captain celebrated signing a new four and a half year contract with his eighteenth premier league goal in just twelve appearances.

Suarez volleys Liverpool into the lead.

Cardiff's response was brief, a dangerous Whittingham free-kick well gathered by Mignolet before Liverpool regained control, Coutinho thundering a shot off the near post from an obscure angle. Moments later Skrtel put a free header over the bar as Liverpool ramped up the pressure.

Both Flanagan and Sterling had shots saved as Liverpool pushed to double their lead before half time, Flanagan in particular testing out the hawk-eye system. Their lead was double a few minutes before the interval, when Suarez selflessly squared it for Sterling to tap in from close range.

With Cardiff chairman Tan watching from the stands, Malky Mackay was under heavy pressure to perform and conceding a third would not have done him any favours. However Suarez was in a mood to party, bending in a third from outside the box after a lovely back-heal from Jordan Henderson. This goal meant that Suarez became the first ever player to score ten goals in one month in the Premier League.

Suarez has now scored 19 goals in 12 Premier League games.

Liverpool continued where they left off after the interval, bombarding the Cardiff goal as they sought to score more. Suarez, Coutinho and Henderson all came close before Cardiff began to come back into the game. After weathering the early storm, Cardiff struck back, Mutch grabbing a headed goal after a lovely Peter Whittingham dead ball delivery.

The goal gave Cardiff a second wind, and they continued to have the better of play, Mignolet forced to make a save on the line from Turner. Cardiff continued to press Liverpool back in their own half but a swift counter attack led to Suarez having to wait for his hat-trick after his shot re-bounded off the post.

Despite trailing by two goals Cardiff continued to press, the danger noted by Rogers' decision to bring on Agger for Coutinho to try and sure up the defence. This proved successful, with Liverpool shutting down the Cardiff attack and ending the game 3-1.

This win means Liverpool move to the top of the table for the first time since early October and will stay their until Monday at least when Arsenal take on Chelsea. Cardiff on the other hand remain in fifteenth just four points above the drop zone and with internal discrepancies this loss may see the end of Malky Mackay's reign.

Liverpool Leap to League Lead

Liverpool battled to a 1-0 victory against Manchester United on the eve of Bill Shankly's 100th Birthday to move top of the Premier League.

In a feisty game at Anfield Daniel Sturridge continued his outstanding form with a poachers header after four minutes as Liverpool put in a strong defensive shift, sending a message of intent to their rivals.

The game underwent a lively start with United sending two dangerous crosses in within twenty seconds, but it was Liverpool who struck first. After careless play from Ashley Young, a Gerrard corner was headed towards goal by Agger with Sturridge getting the final touch.

United almost hit back instantly with a Van Persie overhead kick clearing the cross bar. Their pressure continued, with a low Welbeck shot well saved before a corner flashed across the face of goal, missed by everyone.

Liverpool regained a foothold in the game with Daniel Sturridge skipping away from Ferdinand, a strong tackle required by Vidic to bring him to a halt. Shortly after a Gerrard free-kick was well held by De Gea.

As the pace began to drop, tensions rose as Jones fell to the floor injured and United were furious when Liverpool played on, a nasty tackle from Tom Cleverley ending this period of play and earning him a booking. This was followed by bookings for Aspas, Van Persie and Carrick.

The half continued on a knife edge and ended on a sour note as a coming together between Van Persie and Skrtel led to verbal exchanges between a number of players and could perhaps have ended with a red card for Van Persie.

United started brightly after the break but lacked any sort of cutting edge whilst Liverpool looked extremely solid defensively. Glen Johnson in particular seemed to be making a number of important blocks.

The game went into a lull as Liverpool successfully held out against a far from penetrating United attack but a weak Vidic pass-back nearly let Sturridge in as Liverpool looked to put the game out of sight.

Mignolet was called into action by Nani when a vicious shot was palmed away and Hernandez had
a shot easily saved but the best chance of the game came with two minutes of normal time remaining, when Hernandez played in Van Persie who shot well wide.

Sterling nearly killed off the game in stoppage time but his shot was well saved by De Gea. However, it did not matter, as Brendan Rogers side ended David Moyes' competitive unbeaten run as United manager, moving Liverpool to the top of the table.

Liverpool Player Ratings:

Simon Mignolet: 7 - Had little to do but performed well when called upon.

Glen Johnson: 8 - My Man of the Match with a brilliant defensive performance. Made Ashley Young look very average.

Martin Srktel: 7 - A solid display on what could be his last Liverpool game.

Daniel Agger: 7 - Got the assist for the goal and player well throughout.

Jose Enrique: 7 - Quiet but competent when he needed to be.

Lucas Leiva: 7 - The unsung hero had a fine game in midfield.

Steven Gerrard: 7 - A typically assured performance from the captain.

Jordan Henderson: 6 - Drifted in and out of the game but did little wrong.

Iago Aspas: 3 - A very poor game. Terrible passing accuracy and weak on the ball.

Philipe Coutinho: 6 - Didn't fully show what he was capable of.

Daniel Sturridge: 7 - Scored the winner but faded in the second half as United pressed on.

Substitutes:

Raheem Sterling: 6 - Wasn't on the ball much but had one shot saved in stoppage time.

Andre Wisdom: N/A - Came on too late.

Luis Alberto: N/A - Came on too late.


Manchester United Player Ratings:

David De Gea: 7 - Looked sharp to prevent a second goal. Could do nothing about the first.

Phil Jones: 6 - Looked solid until his early injury.

Rio Ferdinand: 5 - Struggled at times to deal with the creativity of Liverpool.

Nemanja Vidic: 6  - A weary backpass but otherwise okay.

Patrice Evra: 7 - One of United's few bright sparks. Linked well with Welbeck on the left.

Ryan Giggs: 5 - Looked his age in a rare poor performance from the veteran.

Tom Cleverley: 5 - Never got into the game and failed to make an impact.

Michael Carrick: 6 - Typically solid game from United's central midfielder.

Ashley Young: 4 - A disappointing return to the United team, his error led to the first goal.

Danny Welbeck: 7  - Constantly worked hard and caused Liverpool some problems.

Robin Van Persie. 5 - A quiet afternoon but missed a good chance at the end.

Subsitutes:

Antonio Valencia: 6 - Continues to look better than last season but still a long way to go.

Nani: 5 - Shows no signs of returning to form.

Javier Hernandez: 6 - Played a nice ball through to Van Persie and looked busy.

Premier League Preview: Liverpool

Last year was largely a season of transition for Liverpool. With the introduction of Brendan Rodgers at the start of the year, the season had few objectives other than a solid first season. This was achieved and, although Liverpool did not qualify for European football, a solid 7th place will provide a strong platform going into this season.

Off the back of the extremely successful January signing of Philipe Coutinho, Rodgers has again delved successfully into the depths of the transfer market, signing two attacking Spaniards, Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas. He also signed Kolo Toure, a player with a wealth of experience, on a free transfer and perhaps most impressively, Simon Mignolet, one of the League's best up-and-coming goalkeepers. The one bizarre transfer was the loan signing of loyal Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina to Napoli. With the signing of Mignolet it is understandable but it still seems an odd choice to alienate one of the more loyal Liverpool players.

After a largely successful pre-season, Rodgers will be looking to press on and target a spot in Europe next season. It will be tough but I think Liverpool will certainly be much closer to a European spot than they have been the last few seasons. The rest of Liverpool's summer will obviously revolve around the Luis Suarez transfer saga but I think Liverpool will improve regardless of whether he stays or goes, as they have enough quality in the squad.

Key Man: Steven Gerrard - The Liverpool veteran, despite being past his peak, is still pivotal to the Liverpool set-up. His leadership and influence as a Captain cannot be understated and he still has a wicked right foot. Moving into his sixteenth year at Liverpool he will be looking to win a trophy this season, after not winning one (League Cup in 2012 aside) for seven years.

One to Watch: Philippe Coutinho - The young playmaker was exceptional when bought by Rodgers in January and, at only 21, the Brazilian can only get better. He is a traditional Brazilian, with exceptional technique as well as supreme vision and an eye for goal. He has continued his form into pre-season and will certainly be one of the players of the season if he can keep it up.

Best Summer Signing: Iago Aspas - Although Mignolet is a fantastic signing it is the intriguing signing of Aspas that caught my attention. After scoring four goals in pre-season and with wantaway striker Luis Suarez half way out of the door at Liverpool, could the Spaniard be the man to replace him?

Last Season: 7th

Pre-Season Prediction: 6th - Liverpool to triumph over Everton but narrowly lose out to Tottenham and Arsenal.