Champions League is ‘success’ this season, as the Reds boss looks to build on it.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said the next stage is for the side to be making a serious challenge for honours in the coming seasons.
18 months into his tenure and the target has been re-establishing Liverpool at the top table of European football by trying to get the side into the Champions League for the first time since the 2009/10 season.
Currently, Liverpool are well on course to meet that objective, some will say ahead of schedule as Rodgers has tried to put his style and philosophy into practice at Anfield.
He told the club’s website: “Success for us is to get into the Champions League. But we want, eventually, over the next 18 months, to be challenging with the squad on the trophy front, both in terms of the Premier League and the other trophies.
“The first 18 months has been about implementing and introducing a lot of ideas. Hopefully people are starting to see that bear fruit. The next 18 months is about developing and enhancing that, and hopefully we can do that.”
It is a bit of a brave path Liverpool have taken with Rodgers from the start. It has been said that Liverpool exist to win trophies, yet the immediate aim hasn’t been to win them – Rodgers wanted the foundations to be put in place. But if the foundations for success in the long-term aren’t there, then the dreams of the fans and the club could be dashed.
This is an age where football has become more fickle – success has been demanded almost instantly from certain supporters, even those in the hierarchy at some clubs.
There was an acknowledgement that there needed to be a long-term plan when the Northern Irishman succeeded Kenny Dalglish – who won a trophy in his second spell in charge despite the poor league performance of 8th place that season.
As far as challenging for trophies has gone thus far, from what Rodgers outlined it seems the team is ahead of schedule. This year, whether the Liverpool boss wants to admit it or not, has seen a challenge of sorts for the Premier League title – and one decision poor refereeing decision perhaps denied him and his side from having a real go at winning the FA Cup.
Next season is going to see Liverpool compete on four fronts – which might slow the rapid progress on the domestic front a little due to the extra games, but it seems the foundations for a side that can challenge and claim silverware consistently are very much being put into place.
image: © Bernard C
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