Introduction After that dramatic and unforgettable night in Istanbul, when Liverpool were crowned champions of Europe for the fifth time, expectations were bound to be high for the following season. Fans undoubtedly wanted a significant improvement in the league, after the disappointment of finishing fifth in the 2004/2005 season. Another good season in Europe along with good runs in the domestic cups would enable the 2005/2006 season to be a success. Well, the season is now over, and this analysis should show whether or not it was a successful season for the Reds. Premiership The Reds' premiership campaign can be considered a huge success, especially if it is compared to the previous season. Last season, Liverpool were finished a massive 37 points behind champions Chelsea. Nowhere close to being considered genuine title contenders. This season, Rafa Benitez has managed to change his team's domestic fortunes dramatically by reducing the gap between themselves and Chelsea to just 9 points. If they carry on at this rate, Liverpool will be the champions come May 2007. In addition to their superb improvement in the points tally, Liverpool have also moved up the table from fifth to third, missing the automatic Champions League spot by just one point. The team came under criticism last year for their lack of victories away from Anfield. In fact, they just managed five away wins last season. This season has seen a marked improvement in this area, with Liverpool having won twice that amount. Liverpool's form in front of the Kop has been nothing short of brilliant. They lost just one of their 19 home games this season. Anfield has become a fortress once again. The 2005/2006 season has also seen Benitez's defence being praised for their splendid performances. Liverpool conceded a mere 25 goals this campaign, a feat bettered only by Chelsea. This is what champions are made of, a rock-solid defence. Benitez clearly has this in mind, as he strives to create a team which is able to knock Chelsea off the summit. He has been able to keep his defence tight throughout the season. While the boys from Merseyside have been exceptional at the back, the same cannot be said of their attack. They have constantly been criticised for their lack of goals, with the exception of a spell towards the end of the season when they netted 15 goals in 5 matches. This problem has cost them some valuable points. Champions League Liverpool's form in Europe was nowhere close to what they achieved last season, but having said that, it is probably close to impossible to have a European campaign such as that one. Nevertheless, it wasn't a bad season in Europe. Liverpool played well throughout the group stage and came out tops in a group which included the likes of Chelsea and Real Betis. However, there was no repeat of the previous season as the Reds went crashing out of the tournament in the next round when they were defeated by Benfica. It could have been better, but the European season was nothing close to a disaster. League Cup The League Cup proved to be a disappointment with an early elimination from last season's finalists. However, the importance of this cup does not match the other competitions which Liverpool competed in. One consequence of the early elimination was that the younger players from the youth team were not able to gain some valuable first team experience. FA Cup The FA Cup, meanwhile, was a huge success by all accounts. Liverpool once again proved to be the comeback kings, not once but twice. First, in the third round against Luton, when the Reds fought back to win 5-3, with two stunning goals from Xabi Alonso, one of which was scored from his own half. Liverpool defeated Portsmouth in the next round, before securing a 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Manchester United. This was followed by a 7-0 demolition of Steve Bruce's Birmingham City, a result which showed everyone that Liverpool can actually score goals (they were being criticized for their lack of goals during this period). Next up, a clash against the self-proclaimed 'Special One'. Well, Benitez proved once again that he is more than a match for his Chelsea counterpart by defeating the Blues to set up a clash against West Ham in the final. What a match the final proved to be! 2-0 down at half time, Liverpool fought back to level the score, only to fall behind again. All hope seemed to lost as the time ticked away. Then, deep into stoppage time, who else but Steven Gerrard sends a volley from way out into the back of the net. Liverpool eventually won the match in the penalty shoot-out, with Pepe Reina emerging as the hero with some spectacular saves. What this match showed was Liverpool's mental strength and their never-say-die attitude. Throughout this FA Cup campaign, Liverpool showed real character by twice coming back when all seemed lost, and also by beating two of the best teams in the country. They have shown that they can compete with the big boys, and that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. The future looks bright The Liverpool youth team have been crowned FA Youth Cup champions, for the first time in 10 years. The likes of Paul Anderson, Jack Hobbs and Godwin Antwi have shown throughout the season that they have the potential to become future stars at this great club. They were deservedly awarded with their FA Youth Cup crown at the end of the season. However, they will have to deal with the loss of Paco Herrera, the man who discovered many of these players, as he is returning back to Spain for family reasons. One hopes that his replacement is just as good. Transfers On the whole, Rafa Benitez has spent wisely in the transfer market. Pepe Reina has proved himself to be an exceptional goalkeeper, with the numerous clean sheets he has kept. Momo Sissoko has also proved to be a hit. His high-tempo, high-energy and determined displays has been well appreciated by the fans. Peter Crouch, although hugely criticized, has been a good acquisition for the club. He isn't the most prolific striker around, but he still gets some goals, and his link-up play has been useful to the team. Bolo Zenden, meanwhile, has not really gotten much time to prove himself, having picked up an injury which ruled him out of the second half of the season. Conclusion All this has shown that it has indeed been a very successful season for Liverpool. They performed well in all competitions this season, and have been more consistent than they were the previous season. Liverpool also went through a couple of spells in which they won many games in succession. Rafa Benitez has shown his tactical brilliance again, with some fantastic performances against the top sides. After a very successful season, Liverpool fans can hope and expect an even better one ahead. |
