Short answer: Quite a lot!
It has definitely been a journey for Liverpool fans since the end of the 2013-2014 season. To cope with the loss of Luis Suarez, who found his way to Barcelona, Liverpool invested over £115 millions in the new squad, signing 8 new first-team players; a lot of activity and change for Brendan Rodgers’ squad; change that did not end in the hoped for success.
Liverpool finished the 2013-2014 season in second place, only behind Manchester City. The Reds, who haven’t won the title since 1990, came close to clinching the title, but Gerrard’s slip took away all hope from Liverpool fans. So it came that instead of lifting the BPL trophy, Liverpool became the first team to score over 100 goals and not win the league title.
Suarez, without a doubt the man of the season, at least achieved a personal success, finalizing his move from Anfield to Barcelona for a reported £75 million, making him one of the most expensive transfers of all time. Liverpool would miss their #1 top scorer and player, but was keen on using the money raised by his sale to invest in great first team players. The list of players was long: Lallana, Lambert, Balotelli, Origi, Can, Markovic, Lovren, and Moreno.
Unfortunately the team was unable to perform like it did the 13/14 season. Sturridge suffered numerous injuries during the 14/15 season, and only made 12 appearances for the team. His 21 goals from the previous season were reduced to 4 goals for the 2014-2015 season. Liverpool only managed to score 54 goals during 2014-2015, nearly a 50% drop from the previous season. And neither Sterling nor Coutinho, although putting up some impressive performances, were able to take over the lead role and guarantee success for the Reds.
The question now is if the 2015-2016 BPL season will have a similar outcome for the Reds. So far this preseason has had one commonality with the last: massive investments in the squad.
An important note here is that the whole transfer politics for the 2015-2016 BPL season depend on the likes of Raheem Sterling. The English winger and one of England’s biggest talents is on the verge to move to another high profile club. He already informed the club and his coach Brendan Rodgers about his intentions. The “if” seems clear, but the “when” and “where” remain to be seen.
In order to strengthen the squad, Liverpool already confirmed a first high-profile signing. Attacking midfielder Roberto Firmino will join the Reds for the new season, right after the Copa America. The Brazilian international, who scored 7 goals for Hoffenheim last season, is expected to do his medical after the Copa, and join the Reds in their preseason preparations. He will, however, miss the start of the pre-season, as he was granted some time off after the Copa America. Liverpool invested a massive £29 million in Firmino, who quickly took a leadership role in Hoffenheim. But Firmino has yet to proove himself on the big stage, and investing £29 million pounds definitely puts extra pressure on this young lad.
Liverpool did not only sign Firmino to lead the Reds back to the top. James Milner has been added on a free transfer, signing a contract worth £110,000 a week. In him, Liverpool found top quality and experience, attributes lost with the departure of Steven Gerrard. James Milner is definitely a catch for Liverpool and getting him for free might put less pressure on the experienced midfielder. His impact and leadership on the team remain to be seen when Liverpool kicks off the new season away at Stoke City on August 8.
For the offense, many Reds fans are excited about Divock Origi finally joining the club after his loan spell at Lille, as well as Danny Ings, even though the later one was heavily criticized for his poor display during the UEFA Under 21 European Championship. Both players definitely have to proove themselves to Brendan Rodgers and show why they deserve a starting XI role at Liverpool.
But Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool did not leave it there. Last week, Liverpool also signed Joe Gomez, a highly rated defender from Charlton Athletic and definitely a player for the future. And Liverpool confirmed the signing of Nathaniel Clyne, a high profile right-back from Southampton, who will definitely add class to Liverpool’s defense and wings. News also broke that Borini, Lambert, and Balotelli were told by the club that they can actively seek a new employer as there won’t be a future for them at Liverpool.
As you can see and read, a lot already happened in Liverpool with the signings of Firmino, Milner, Ings, and Clyne. And with “a lot” I mean 12 signings over less than 14 months. It remains to be seen if the 2015-2016 season will take a better ending for Liverpool than the previous one, but a lot depends on how well Rodgers can integrate the new players into the squad. Last season it work out too well, but many Reds fans are hopeful that the team will turn things around this upcoming season.
