5 Things To Expect From Liverpool Next Season – No Suarez No Party, Amazing UCL Nights Will Be Back

After a less-than-impressive end to an impressive league season for English football’s erstwhile domestic giants Liverpool Football Club, sights have been set nice and clear on the upcoming season. The World Cup in Brazil temporarily curtains the view, but everyone associated with the club would be hard-pressed to make sure that the brilliance of 2013/14 isn’t a one-off thing.

Critics have already started making noises about Liverpool’s flash-in-the-pan season and how they would fail to deliver when the spotlight falls bright on them next season. Keeping the various biased-unbiased opinions away for a while, we run down five things to expect from Liverpool next season.

1. Luis Suarez will still be wearing the Liverpool no 7

Much interest has been shown on Luis Suarez by European champions Real Madrid over the past twelve months, so much so that local papers get filled to the brim whenever Karim Benzema fails to score or Real Madrid are kept goalless. But if last season’s resolve by Liverpool to keep Suarez is anything to go by, they now find themselves in a far more healthier position and hold all the cards in their own hands. Brendan Rodgers’ glowing appraisal of Suarez will go some way in making the Uruguayan believe that he is highly regarded in Merseyside.

2. The style of play is here to stay

Last season, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool outscored and outwitted opponents with a style of play reminiscent of the old days and things are expected to remain largely the same with the free-flowing attacking football being the order of the day. And it could be helped by the lack of any mass exodus of players from the club. Transfer business isn’t expected to be too frantic a la Manchester United or Barcelona, and the playing roster should largely remain the same, and so is the expansive style of play.

3. The gradual marginalization of Steven Gerrard

Brendan Rodgers is one of the smartest managers around, even one of the toughest characters. He would be wary of Steven Gerrard’s advancing years, and as much as he likes to praise him and his longevity, he clearly knows that Gerrard’s legs won’t hold him for long. And for a player who isn’t known for being error-free, Gerrard’s position as a holding midfielder could cause more worries to Rodgers. Gerrard held his own against the lesser lights in his new position last season, but was found wanting against the bigger teams like Manchester City and Chelsea. Rodgers could strategically phase the England captain out of the team like he did with Jamie Carragher.

4. Back will be those Champions League nights

The famous European nights will return once again to Anfield, as Liverpool will look to roll back the years in the competition. Last time Liverpool played in the competition was in 2009, when they ousted the group stages from a group comprising of Lyon, Fiorentina and a certain unknown club Debrecen. And things haven’t stood still all these years. Liverpool will have a lot more to catch up with, and it’s time that they start using that “5-times” banner a bit more wisely.

5. New signings

As with every other season, new players will grace the Anfield turf wearing the red of Liverpool and this time hope is there that better players could be tempted as Liverpool have the priceless bargaining ticket of Champions League football. It is obvious that the club won’t be shopping from the same market as the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City, but fresher, more exciting players are widely expected to join in the party.