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Steven Gerrard's final match, securing the fifth spot to avoid a longer route into the group stages of the Europa League, and, in news that emerged over the past few days, a chance to see one of Liverpool's new kits from New Balance. This is all that's left for the final fixture of the Premier League season, and while the sentiment for Gerrard will certainly carry the day, there likely won't be too much passion invested in either the Europa League or what's more or less become an annual advertising event.
At least it's a somewhat fashionable event in terms of the kit, as Liverpool retire their current black and red shirt to usher in a new, somewhat subdued effort from New Balance, the first supporters will see in action from the new sponsor:
Liverpool's new third kit. pic.twitter.com/OJN0E0GymT
— Jonathan Turner (@jturner_91) May 22, 2015
It's in the same style as the shirt it replaces, which is the best of a bad bunch that will prove to be Warrior's last. The relationship with Warrior couldn't have ended soon enough; the shirts designed by the lacrosse and hockey manufacturers were largely less than impressive, but their approach to public relations and humanity in general caused more than a few concerns during their brief tenure as Liverpool's kit manufacturer.
Their parent company is off to a fairly benign start on all fronts as far as kit design goes, but so long as their efforts in representing the club don't go the way of Warrior, Liverpool and New Balance hopefully have a more successful--or at least less embarrassing--relationship.
