Tom Werner Now Focused on Bringing Liverpool Forward

There are myriad reactions to witnessing the success of John Henry and Tom Werner's other team--Boston's 4-2 series win over St. Louis is sure to have inspired some Liverpool supporters keen on drawing links between the business model that's been applied stateside and the one in progress at Anfield. Others will no doubt find a way to use it against the ownership group, eager to highlight a lack of instant success and naivete that's accompanied a tenure that's still in its relative infancy.

I'm not sure what sort of link actually exists, though I have drawn hope from the notion that the success they've achieved during their time in Boston hasn't been a total fluke, and that their approach to running a business (heartless, I know) is one that can produce the goods.

A rocky first two years as owners might have thrown some for a loop, and rightly so in some instances, but Werner is confident that the club's improvements are part of an overall trend that will see Liverpool challenge on a consistent basis:

"We know how much it means to our fans to get to the top of the Premier League and get back in the Champions League. I just want to keep going in the right direction. We entered into this crazy world of football because we wanted to bring more trophies into the trophy room at Anfield. Our performance on the pitch has improved this year. Things are all looking good. It is a terrific league. There are so many teams bunched up at the top. It is going to be a dogfight."

Brendan Rodgers echoed the chairman's hopes for progress while underlining the need for patience; it's likely John Henry would have similarly measured words while retaining a hint of optimism regarding Liverpool's future prospects. It's a way of thinking that, while uncomfortable given the woe and misery of recent seasons past, is entirely welcome, and it's starting to take hold throughout the club.

Whether or not it has basis in reality is anyone's guess, though tomorrow should provide us with a decent enough idea of where Liverpool stack up. A strong showing tomorrow--and through the rest of the November and December slate--would do wonders for the feeling around the club, and would only serve to strengthen Werner's assertions that, though they might not be there quite yet, Liverpool are heading in the right direction.

Or, depending on the outcome, none of that at all.

More from The Liverpool Offside:

• Rodgers Talking Top Four
• Match Preview: Arsenal v. Liverpool, 11.02.13
• Coutinho Ready to Go
• Allen: "It's a Challenge You Have to Relish"
• Rodgers Reaffirms Suarez Sale "Was Never Going to Happen"