The new year brings in fresh hope for everyone about a better time. Having endured a rather painful 2015, we look at 5 wishes a Liverpool FC fan will have for a better 2016.
Champions League
The very obvious one — a shot at the Big ‘Ol Ears — will be foremost in every Liverpool FC fan’s mind. Liverpool have qualified for the competition just once since 2010, and that ended miserably too with an exit in the group stage. Ask any Liverpool FC fan, and qualification for the Champions League will be their biggest wish for sure. And if they can do it at the expense of arch rivals Manchester United, it would be the icing on the cake.
Manchester United themselves are keeping this hope alive with dismal displays week after week. But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp needs to ensure that his troop starts displaying some consistency, if they are to make this wish come true.
An injury-free Daniel Sturridge
There was a meme going around on social media websites that read “Daniel Sturridge is a professional hospital patient that sometimes plays football.”
Such has been the injury problems with the talented English forward that he has hardly featured for Liverpool FC this season and the last, since that incredible year when he and Luis Suarez wrecked havoc on the field. The problem for the team was compounded with an injury to Danny Ings, the only other striker who would has perfectly adjusted to the ways of Rodgers/Klopp.
This one surely has to be right next to the wish of qualification to the Champions League for the Reds’ fans, as a fit Daniel Sturridge would only facilitate the first wish considerably.
Louis van Gaal to remain United manager
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Ouch. Below the belt? It would be safe to assume that the Liverpool fans would be of the general consensus that the way the Old Trafford outfit are playing, Liverpool stand more than a healthy chance of trumping them in the league table, and qualifying for the Champions League. As per popular opinion, the reason for the drab performances of the Old Trafford outfit is ‘the philosophy’ of Dutch manager Louis van Gaal.
As Napoleon once said, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake”. I guess Liverpool fans will be quietly continuing to wish the Dutch manager remains at the helm at United.
Marco Reus
The last time a world class player played for Anfield was a couple of seasons ago. Steven Gerrard in his final year was hardly continental class, forget world class. The dearth in quality at Anfield is evident with the inconsistent performances of their star men. An addition of a proven, world class player is something that squad (and the fans) are screaming for. The Reds’ faithful will hope that Klopp would be able to wield his influence and persuade the German international to join Liverpool.
This one may very well remain just an unfulfilled wish, but as the caption for Shawshank’s Redemption reads, ‘Hope can set you free’.
A quality goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet would want to look away as I refer to Opta’s stat pointing out that no player has made more errors leading to a goal over the last two season than the Belgian. The first and foremost quality that defensive teammates and the manager looks for in a goalkeeper is dependability — that he could be relied on to be error-free. The second most important quality would be the skill to pull of world-class saves.
Mignolet, however, is prone to errors every now and then and his inability to have a firm command of his area and to also organise the defence has been apparent many a times, as Liverpool have conceded goals at regular intervals due to the Belgian’s lack of quality.
Liverpool FC fans would hope their German manager will be able to bring in a quality keeper, and finally give Liverpool some stability at the back.