Should Liverpool fans really be content with chasing fourth place?

Before this new season had begun in earnest there had been a lot of talk about Liverpool being up there at the end of the year competing for the Premier League. Sixteen games later and all such talk has been put to bed. It has taken Liverpool’s new signings longer than expected to gel within the team and nobody could have predicted that City would have come on in such leaps and bounds. It’s clear that it’s going to be very difficult to dislodge Man City from their perch at the top of the League this season and that Liverpool don’t quite have what it takes.

Instead fans have to be content with slogging it out for fourth place. As things stand they are in sixth place (though they share the same number of points as Arsenal in 5^th and the same goal difference) with another 22 games to go. There’s a long way to go and a top four position is still very much up for grabs.

But after a summer of spending should Liverpool fans be content with fighting for a fourth place finish? Shouldn’t they be up there competing for the League title?

I think the key here is that Liverpool are facing a transitional season. They’ve got the right manager, they’ve brought in the right players and they now have a good mix of young and experienced players. In Luis Suarez they also have one of world football’s best talents and a man capable of creating something from nothing. It will naturally take time for all these different elements to gel.

When questioned about Liverpool’s progress this season, ex-boss Gerard Houllier was keen to highlight that fans shouldn’t be expecting immediate success:

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“Kenny is doing a good job. He is trying to change the team, and this is a transitional season. I don’t mean they won’t reach the top four – they could do that. When Steven Gerrard comes back they will be even better, they will get their leader and an exceptional player back. They are making good progress. They have been a bit unlucky at times. Decisions have gone against them, and there have been games they have dominated but didn’t score. At the moment they could do with five or six more points.”

Fair points I think, though Liverpool fans shouldn’t be blaming ‘bad luck’ or ‘poor decisions’ for the position they are currently in. With or without luck, they’re not yet as good a side as Manchester City and clearly don’t have enough cut and thrust up front. Next season Liverpool may well find themselves making their own luck and taking the Premier League by storm. As Houllier notes:

“Not this season, but they have made the right choices regarding players, so as they gel, next season should be better. It’s a bit like Manchester City, who are far better this season than last.”

So all in all, Liverpool should be content with a top four finish. If it didn’t look like the club was heading in the right direction, there would indeed be reason for unrest amongst fans. As it is, however, there’s no doubt the team is improving and has the potential to compete for trophies in the long run.

What the future may bring nobody knows, but for now a top four finish will have to suffice.

For more insight from Gerard Houllier and other leading managers plus exclusive Barclays Premier League highlights go to www.yahoo.co.uk/sport

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