The Liverpool Offside - Liverpool 2014-15 Season in ReviewZeppeline, Trinken, & Pink Badeshortshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51345/ltos-fav.png2015-06-05T19:00:02+01:00http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/rss/stream/84613942015-06-05T19:00:02+01:002015-06-05T19:00:02+01:00Season Review, Part 5: Finding Success in 2015/16
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<img alt="Goal #435 for next season: more man mountains." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Yjrq71c2FAoymGA8vaG014NsoEU=/0x0:3344x2229/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46437728/GettyImages-460893830.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Goal #435 for next season: more man mountains. | Clive Brunskill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In the last of our five part review of the 2014/15 season, we turn our attention to what has to come next for the club to rebound from a disappointing, wasted year.</p> <div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Part 5: Positioning the Club for Success in 2015/16</div>
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<p>What do <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a> need to buckle down and do next season to ensure success, and what does that success entail in terms of trophies and league placement?</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Steph</div>
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<p>I want us to sign quality over quantity this summer. Decide what the vision for this team is going forward and get in 3-4 strong players who fit into that vision and fill gaps in the squad. Set up the team around the spine of Mignolet, Can, Coutinho, and Henderson. The players need to brush this off and come back from the break with their heads together, ready to commit to this project. The defense needs to be sorted first thing. The talented young players at our disposal need to continue in their development. Someone needs to step in and fill the leadership void left by <span>Steven Gerrard</span>. I don’t know if <span>Brendan Rodgers</span> should be the one to lead our next campaign, but at least the club seem to have put any speculation and uncertainty to bed early.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">AJ</div>
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<p>Commit one way or the other to a project. Be it Brendan Rodgers’ "We Play All Positions All The Time" brand of football or to bringing on a Director of Football, FSG need to make a call. We’ve got a very solid player core with a lot of promising youth. Let’s not muck about and fritter away any more seasons. I mean, we’re a solid piece up front and maybe one or two further back from really pushing on. Provided we don’t lose the likes of Lucas or Sakho, we really ought to be able to improve on this season’s performance dramatically.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Chuck</div>
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<p>Sign better players that fit in with the current personnel. Do you value the player who cleaned up at the club’s end of season awards and was recognised by the PFA for his excellence this season? Sign players that fit the likes of <span>Philippe Coutinho</span>, <span>Jordan Henderson</span>, <span>Adam Lallana</span>, <span>Jordon Ibe</span>, Lazar Marković, <span>Daniel Sturridge</span> (if fit), and <span>Raheem Sterling</span> (if he stays). It’s that simple. If those players are going to be around, then get new players in who fit with the way they play. Those players can already play well together, so help them help themselves. Liverpool spent enough last summer to be successful, it wasn’t a matter of funding, just allocating said funds. It may be wise to have an idea where a player fits, and while this isn’t always possible with form and injuries, it’s generally sensible to do. What’s <span>Emre Can</span>’s best position? Somewhere in midfield? Find the answer to that. Players generally need to be in positions where they can give their best. FSG also have to decide if they have the strategy and system in place that they want, and if not, ask themselves if the alternative working better than the originally conceived plan. Find the answers and amend as appropriate even if that means keeping Rodgers, but as my exacting and disciplinarian grandfather used to say: whatever you do, do it well.</p>
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<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Dan</div>
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<p>It starts this summer. FSG seem to have made their call on Rodgers, and now the manager (though still with the possible help of a director of football) needs to sign a striker and a defensive midfielder and build the window around those two additions.</p>
<p>There has to be a clear plan when the season begins: how should the team play and how do we make moves that help the team win now while developing players for the future? If Liverpool are to get back into the Champions League there needs to be some luck on their side -- injuries must be minimal and Liverpool’s rivals must slip a little (and one of them usually does). But the whole "create your own luck" mindset holds true. The team cannot afford the same kind of stubborn managerial mistakes that we saw this past season, and the careless errors in the defensive third need to be sorted out. If improvements come in those two areas and the young players in the team continue to progress, then a successful campaign is very possible.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Nerf</div>
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<p>It’s hard to say what our objectives will be next season before we see what the summer brings. Liverpool absolutely need to get this window spot on, and there's no margin for error. That means a functioning, mobile, and prolific striker, a rock solid defensive midfielder (especially if Lucas is allowed to leave), a starting calibre right fullback, and some kind of goalkeeper. On the managerial front, while I understand the reservations people may have about giving Rodgers full control, there are too many people pulling in different directions as things stand and that’s even more damaging to the club’s prospects. Next season needs to bring a vision with it, with everybody working towards the same goals. It’s up to FSG to figure out how best to make that happen.</p>
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<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Ed</div>
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<p>Yeah, they need an identity. From top to bottom, they need to have a defined approach that all involved are invested in, both on and off the pitch. Those in charge of making the decisions have to be much, much better and more consistent, and those on the pitch need to have a clear sense of their roles and responsibilities. Whoever’s in charge and whoever’s playing, they’re not going to have success unless there’s a well-articulated structure in place.</p>
<p>Success would look something like this season but with Champions League qualification. Get into the round of 16 or thereabouts of the Europa League, get to a domestic cup semifinal or final, and finish fourth or better. Over the course of this past season Liverpool simply weren’t good enough, particularly over the first few months and the last, and that sealed their fate. They need to do better throughout, but they need to start far, far better or things will get ugly.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">latortillablanca</div>
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<p>Sign a Director of Football, give that man the keys and let him drive. As Chuck recently said - do what you said you were going to do in the first place and put that structure in place. Because the project is just so close to being perfect! But you gotta hire the guy who hires the guy(s). Rodgers is not suited to being both coach and GM, and we know that beyond a shadow of a Dejan at this point.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Noel</div>
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<p>Somebody in the top four always slips up, which means even if Liverpool aren’t clear favourites, it should be the realistic, achievable goal heading into next season—at least as long as they don’t slip up. So no more wasted transfer fees on players who are obviously poor fits going in. No more playing players out of position after it’s become clear they aren’t comfortable there. In short, no slipping up. After this season, that’s what Brendan Rodgers has to do: not slip up. At all. If he can't manage to pull that off, he’ll be gone by Christmas.</p>
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<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Khaine</div>
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<p>Echoing the general sentiment that a DoF should be brought in for the long term, even if FSG have decided to stick with Rodgers. If he puts up a fight, he needs to be replaced with somebody who’ll trust and work within the structure the owners want in place. Internal power struggles do nothing but hurt the club. Once that’s taken care of the rest should fall into place with a few smart signings - a striker and defensive midfielder being the priority - just as long as the manager can put them in a position to win. That manager can be Rodgers, if he’s willing to work that way, and hopefully that FSG appear to have decided to stick with him means he's willing.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Elizabeth</div>
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<p>Spend some time really re-evaluating both what we think the gaps are in the squad and what kinds of qualities we’re looking to fill those gaps with. No more square pegs in round holes. No more trying to shoehorn a player who is a poor fit just because he’s got amazing talent best revealed in a completely different playing style (and he’s cheap!). I’ve never been all that fussed on the idea of marquee signings, just good signings that fit what we need, and I’d love for the transfer committee whatsit to just take names and star power out of the equation to find good players who fit what we’re trying to do. Our chronic ties to <span>Christian Benteke</span> so far this post-season don’t fill me with hope that this is an approach they’re taking, but I need a sign that we’re looking for players who work for what we’re trying to do and not just because we like them regardless of fit. Fourth and a cup final is success for me next season, but like I sad at the start of this past season, those being the goals doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy or that we’re not going to struggle to get there.</p>
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<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Also in This Series</div>
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<p><a target="new" href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8694455/liverpool-end-of-2014-15-season-review-transfer-business-dejan-lovren">Part 1 (Monday): Transfer Business</a><br> <a target="new" href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/2/8694499/liverpool-offside-2014-15-season-review-underperformers-lovren-johnson-gerrard">Part 2 (Tuesday): Underperformers and Overachievers</a><br> <a target="new" href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/3/8694533/liverpool-2014-15-season-review-brendan-rodgers-mistakes-tactics-failure">Part 3 (Wednesday): Brendan Rodgers in His Third Season</a><br> <a href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/4/8694559/the-liverpool-offside-end-of-season-review-part-4-steven-gerrards" target="new">Part 4 (Thursday): Steven Gerrard's Swan Song</a></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/5/8694591/liverpool-2014-15-season-review-fixing-mistakes-problems-next-seasonStitch InvaderNoel Chomyn-Ed-CStarsDan BernsteinlatortillablancaNerfepicskylineAJ JovenAudun Manum2015-06-04T18:00:02+01:002015-06-04T18:00:02+01:00Season Review, Part 4: Steven Gerrard's Swan Song
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<figcaption>Stu Forster/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In the fourth of five parts, we continue our look back over the good, the bad, and the ugly that was Liverpool's 2014/15 season with Steven Gerrard's swan song.</p> <div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Part 4: Steven Gerrard's Swan Song</div>
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<p>Steven Gerrard’s final season with his boyhood club did not go nearly as well as anyone would have hoped. Is there one thing that you think most affected how things went down, or was it a culmination of many smaller things?</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">AJ</div>
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<p>It’s weird, really, and I think the way this all played out is messy, but the parties involved look to have accepted things in the end. I mean, Rodgers told Stevie he needed rest, Stevie felt otherwise, and from that point on this was always how things were ending. Regardless of whether or not Rodgers came in soon enough with the minutes managing, it appears that this was always going to be the outcome as Stevie clearly feels he still had some run in his legs.</p>
<p>So, if that’s all as it should have been and the only question is when it was going to happen, the biggest factor undermining Stevie’s final season might actually be <span>Daniel Sturridge</span>’s injury, which is a shame. If he’d have been healthy, I get the feeling things would have gone a lot more positively for Stevie, both in the role Rodgers wanted to play him in and of course with respect to our final finish.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">latortillablanca</div>
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<p>I just want to know one thing: how did the "we’re going to play you in a lesser role/minutes in this way" conversation go, exactly? Was Stevie just a total jerk about it, was Brenny too much of a pushover, were they actually in agreement about Gerrard’s abilities at this stage in his career, was the Scouse Mafia breaking fingers - what? Because that’s really what it all comes down to. If this was what the two guys agreed on as the best way for Gerrard to end it, then no one can really have any complaints, right? Somehow, though, it feels like we’re going to be reading some <em>Rodgers Blames Gerrard for <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a> Demise</em> headlines in the future. Just feels like that interview is going to happen at some point. Don’t give that interview, Brendan! Don’t do it!</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Steph</div>
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<p>I really wish that they had waited to tell us about his transfer. Would it have made a difference to any of us, really, if we found out in March instead of January? The fact that Gerrard got injured soon after the bombshell made it even worse. Every game was about Stevie, and the man himself didn’t even play most of them. The team and the fans tried so hard to make his last games meaningful and fairy tale and all that, and instead it just piled misery on misery.</p>
<p>Have no idea what went on behind the scenes, but I have to say that it seems like the right decision for everyone involved that he’s left. It’s terrible, but it was time, and I’d rather see him leave than sitting angrily on the sidelines. The team couldn’t afford for him to play every 90 minutes, and when it became clear that that’s what he wanted, letting him go was the only choice to make. I wish this season could have gone better for him, but this whole farewell tour seemed doomed from the start.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Ed</div>
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<p>Yeah, everyone else pretty much hit on the lowlights. I still don’t know how the narrative emerged that Liverpool could and should have done more to keep him around when it was clear--Gerrard himself said he wasn’t ready to be a bit-part player--that he needed his minutes managed. He wasn’t into that, Liverpool wouldn’t guarantee a starting role, and that’s pretty much that. For all the things we talk about Rodgers needing to address, this was the one he finally did midseason, even if over the final weeks he relapsed and gave in to sentiment. Post-red card it was all about sentiment, which really went about as poorly as it possibly could have. Suppose we'll always have highlight videos of his career on YouTube, at least.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Nerf</div>
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<p>Gerrard himself has to take his brunt of the blame. The last month or so of the season, he was hands down our best player, but where was he for the other eight months? I wish things had turned out differently, but they didn’t, and it's hard to find anything new to say on the matter. I think it’s a dumb, short-sighted move not to end his career a Red, but if that’s what he wants then it’s not my place to question it, I guess.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Khaine</div>
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<p>Ugh, just a nightmare. Steven’s lack of cognizance about his declining abilities and Rodgers’ unwillingness to put him on the bench or even just use him in a way that matched his strengths, together with the team’s poor showing throughout the season, meant that a fairytale final campaign was never going to happen. It would’ve just been nice if it didn’t not happen so hard.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Noel</div>
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<p>Combine Rodgers’ stubbornness with Gerrard’s desire to play all the minutes ever and it was probably always going to end badly. At least short of Suarez sticking around and Sturridge staying fit and making Gerrard at DM in every minute of every match ever a viable approach. Within that framework of <em>probably was never going to end well</em>, though, I don’t think anyone could honestly say they saw it going as badly as it did. Four months of misery to start. Limping out of the Champions League. A massive liability in the League Cup. The failure of his birthday narrative and any last hope for the top four slipping away before he was mockingly allowed a last consolation moment—followed by a 6-1 embarrassment.</p>
<p>The reasons for it going bad perhaps weren’t all that complex or surprising—his legs had gone and he didn’t have the tactical discipline for the position he was asked to play, but his manager refused to see that and he didn’t want to take on a lesser role. The way absolutely everything went about as badly as it possibly could have even within that context, though, was surprising. And depressing. And looking back, it’s hard not to wish Gerrard had gone out on the tragedy of missing the league title because of <em>that moment</em> the season before rather than sticking around for one more year and seeing it all end as farce.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Elizabeth</div>
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<p>Everything that could possibly go wrong with Stevie’s final season pretty much did, with the great man essentially limping to the finish line on the back of a truly terrible season when it came to everything to do with the captain. I don’t think many of Rodgers’ on-pitch choices did anyone any favours when it came to Stevie’s performances, but I’m still of the opinion that Gerrard’s own self-assessment on what he could offer was both flawed and stubborn, and exacerbated the problem. It didn’t have to end this way, and not just because many think that, in retrospect, it might have been better for Stevie to retire at the end of last season. I’m on the same page as Stevie that something had to change so that he could contribute more to the club, but we clearly had very different ideas of how that should play out: I still think he could have done well in the <span>Frank Lampard</span> super sub role, whereas he thought leaving all together and taking his game to Los Angeles was the solution.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Chuck</div>
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<p>Rodgers never took a lead role in shaping Gerrard as a squad player. Understandably so with the manager’s relative youth and inexperience, but that's where the problem started. Over the three years of Rodgers’ tenure, Gerrard played and played without much thought to rotation or substitutions to preserve the departing captain and legend. From the miscontrol and slip at a crucial stage of Liverpool’s unlikely title charge last season to captaining England’s predictably disastrous <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-cup-2014" class="sbn-auto-link">World Cup</a> group exit last summer, <span>Steven Gerrard</span> hasn’t had a great final 12 or so months. This season has been even worse with an insipid return to the Champions League with a home defeat in Gerrard’s Anfield farewell with a crushing defeat at <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city" class="sbn-auto-link">Stoke City</a> to sign off. However, Gerrard wanted to be a starter when he no longer was one. And he was a bigger name than Rodgers, making it difficult to limit his minutes. The theory that a manager should be able to spot a player’s decline and manage accordingly is one I subscribe to, and Rodgers either couldn't or wouldn't do that.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Also in This Series</div>
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<p><a href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8694455/liverpool-end-of-2014-15-season-review-transfer-business-dejan-lovren" target="new">Part 1 (Monday): Transfer Business</a><br> <a href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/2/8694499/liverpool-offside-2014-15-season-review-underperformers-lovren-johnson-gerrard" target="new">Part 2 (Tuesday): Underperformers and Overachievers</a><br> <a href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/3/8694533/liverpool-2014-15-season-review-brendan-rodgers-mistakes-tactics-failure" target="new">Part 3 (Wednesday): Brendan Rodgers in His Third Season</a><br> Part 5 (Friday): Positioning the Club for Success in 2015/16</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/4/8694559/the-liverpool-offside-end-of-season-review-part-4-steven-gerrardsStitch InvaderNoel Chomyn-Ed-CStarslatortillablancaNerfepicskylineAJ JovenAudun ManumDan Bernstein2015-06-03T19:00:03+01:002015-06-03T19:00:03+01:00Season Review, Part 3: Brendan Rodgers' 3rd Season
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A5OHX5UL95Mvef55k-uqkMVGW94=/0x198:3075x2248/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46437666/GettyImages-474769462.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Tony Marshall/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In the third of a five part series, we continue our look back over the good, the bad, and the ugly that was Liverpool's 2014/15 season. And now, it's Brendan Rodgers' turn under the microscope.</p> <div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Part 3: Brendan Rodgers in His Third Season</div>
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<p>This season marked Brendan Rodgers’ third in charge of <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a> FC. What did he do well? Where did he fail? What does he need to do better next year?</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Nerf</div>
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<p>I’m still not convinced that sacking Rodgers is the right move at this stage, with the caveat being that we don’t get a repeat of this season. There was a lot of bad luck that came with it, but he needs to perform better next season if he’s still here. He’s equal parts frustrating and wonderful, but that frustration boiled over this season. I thought Gerrard leaving would give him the platform to finally build his own team, but who knows? Either way, the club’s entire structure needs to change, and if that means Rodgers stays, then he has to live or die by his own sword.</p>
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<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Noel</div>
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<p>He failed in the first four and last two months of the season. There was a little bit in between where he did well, so if he sticks around hopefully it’s more of that and less sticking to—then returning to—what he really should already know doesn’t work. At all. And given he now appears to be safe, I'd far rather see him come good on the flashes of promise he's shown rather than seeing another year wasted and hoping it can lead to yet another new manager and a brighter future.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Dan</div>
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<p>Rodgers is an odd manager because sometimes he’s a brilliant outside-the-box thinker willing to adapt, and other times he’s far too stubborn. We saw both sides of the coin this year, and while his stubbornness might have come close to ending his time at Anfield, it’s worth acknowledging the inventiveness that he flashed throughout the season. With Sturridge injured, Lovren a hot mess, and the team in free fall, Rodgers utilized an unorthodox 3-4-2-1 formation spearheaded by Raheem Sterling. The setup gave Coutinho and Lallana more attacking freedom and improved the team’s defense, as <span>Emre Can</span> proved to be a solid center back in a defensive trio. Not many managers would have tried something so audacious, and for a while it looked as if the move had saved the season.</p>
<p>But Rodgers’ stubborn side -- the side that repeatedly inserted Gerrard into the team, thought it a good idea to move Henderson from the center of the pitch, refused to adapt to the play style of Balotelli, and played Can at right back -- eventually cost Liverpool dearly. If he survives this summer he must improve his willingness to learn from mistakes -- he’s adept at making proactive tactical maneuvers, but to be a great manager he must also be reactive.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Steph</div>
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<p>Rodgers’ stubbornness has been his downfall for me. At times, it seems to border on obstinance. By the end of the season, the fact that he continued to play Steven Gerrard as a DM felt like him deliberately ignoring common sense in order to make a point. Having confidence is one thing. Giving players time to settle into a new formation is one thing. What Rodgers did from September through January felt like self-sabotage. While his in-game tactical adjustments often work well, they make me wonder why he didn’t do those things in the first place. How often can a manager be outplayed in the first half of games before questions are asked, regardless of whether or not he saved the game in the end?</p>
<p>On the positive side, I like that he takes chances. I like the he does a lot of work with our younger players and gives them opportunities to prove themselves. I like that he thinks outside of the box to solve a problem, even if those solutions came too late this season.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Chuck</div>
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<p>This is a strange one. If we’re going to break it down by months, Rodgers did well in August and from December to March — pretty much similar to Noel’s appraisal. The rest of the season was poor. Persisting with Lovren in defence and Gerrard in defensive midfield for so long was almost unforgivable, but Rodgers found a plan that worked for a few months. This season there’s been no coherent and identifiable philosophy running through the side, and that’s worrying. In Rodgers’ first season, we saw Liverpool pass and dominate the ball but struggle with defensive errors. When Daniel Sturridge and <span>Philippe Coutinho</span> arrived, Liverpool were more direct with better results but still struggled defensively at times. That was more than acceptable as there was a plan that looked attractive and promising. Finishing seventh with barely sixty points? No problem people, there is a way of working. Last season was crazy, but this season lacks any sort of a plan from the manager. I thought I understood what Rodgers was trying to do with intensity in attack, final third regains, and a possession-based/counter attacking hybrid system.</p>
<p>Maybe transfers hindered the manager more than it should have, but there have been other elements that are concerning. Subbing off a young Lazar Marković at half-time frequently, failing to understand Balotelli or Lambert after months and months of feedback, and continuing to make bizarre statements and excuses don’t help either. The tactical missteps in domestic cup semi-finals, an underwhelming record in Europe, and some confounding appraisals of existing personnel don’t reflect well on the manager. There is talent within Brendan Rodgers, but at this stage, he’s fortunate to be getting a chance to do better next year. To repeat a friend’s summary of the managerial situation: I like Brendan Rodgers but I like Liverpool more.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">AJ</div>
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<p>Rodgers best trait is the one that thrilled us last year and gave us hope in this one - his desire to experiment. Say what you will about him, but at his best, his willingness to take seemingly slap-stick squads and get them to flex and out-perform is pretty great. He was also was able to oversee a general improvement - Stoke match aside - of the defense.</p>
<p>And yet that willingness to try new things seems to contradict the fact that there are times he can be so utterly rigid that it makes you want to tear your hair out. It's weird. The Two Sides of Brendan Rodgers is equal parts furiously frustrating and tremendously thrilling. Hopefully it's mostly thrilling from here out.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Ed</div>
</div>
<p>He changes things to positive effect, which is nice, and he also runs things into the ground, which is not nice. He publicly backs his players, praising them almost to the point of annoyance, but he also treats some--<span>Mario Balotelli</span> in particular--with such obvious disdain that you can’t help but wonder what’s going on. Brendan Rodgers has been really hard to pin down this season, especially given how positive things seemed at the end of August and during the wonderful run of results midseason. Like anyone and anything else, when it’s going well he’s far easier to like and understand, but when things go sideways, his growth edges and shortcomings are there for all to see. Next season, he’ll need to find a better balance tactically and, if it’s the issue it often appears to be, be more open to the signings and squad members he doesn't consider <em>his</em>.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">latortillablanca</div>
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<p>My favorite part of Rodgers' management has been and will always be his mercurial nature. He shifts gears and does mad things that, for whatever reason, just come off. His move to ALL OF THE WEE LADS, and 3-4-2-1, and Attacking Centerbacks, and all the rest. They were all out of desperation, but it came off and saved our season. Or almost did. To the point where a win against United and we may have had the top four comfortably in hand. He also brought Ibe into the show, which looks to be a huge, huge move for the next couple years.</p>
<p>On the other hand, when the wheels have fallen off, they've fallen off so disastrously that it’s hard to narrow it down. But then I remember Suso. I’m never going to forgive you for letting Suso depart into the ether, Brenny. <strong>Never</strong>.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Elizabeth</div>
</div>
<p>The weirdo, bizarre tactical choices that he insisted on sticking with in the first half of the season were pretty damned unbearable. The throwing under the bus of players who weren’t getting a fair shake wasn’t very much fun, either, nor was the handling of Steven Gerrard in general. Managing to stay in contention for a Champions League spot despite losing a bazillion goals this season and playing as poorly as we did for so long probably deserves some kudos. Since he appears to have made it through the FSG review process, I’d like to see him apply his mercurial flexibility towards finding ways to use the players he seems horribly disinterested in but could probably still offer something in certain situations.</p>
<div style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;" class="pullquote">
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Khaine</div>
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<p>He did really well making sure all his goodwill from last year got spent. He did terribly at putting players in their best positions, like Can at RB, or Balo at lone striker, or Stevie at DM, or Lovren on the pitch. His man management, if you can call it that, is kinda terrifying at times. And his transfer nous/eye for defensive talent is pretty abject. The clear identity he had built in our play over the last two years seemed to fall apart, too, which was disconcerting. I like his invention and that did save our season, but his stubbornness was a big part of the reason our season needed saving in the first place. I like that he wants flexible players and an adaptable squad, but he takes it too far and gets too clever for his own good too often, seemingly desperate to shoehorn certain players into the side at any cost. He is a talented manager, but if he gets another full season, it’s time to make good on that talent. Promise won’t carry him any further.</p>
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<div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Also in This Series</div>
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<p><a href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8694455/liverpool-end-of-2014-15-season-review-transfer-business-dejan-lovren" target="new">Part 1 (Monday): Transfer Business</a><br> <a href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/2/8694499/liverpool-offside-2014-15-season-review-underperformers-lovren-johnson-gerrard" target="new">Part 2 (Tuesday): Underperformers and Overachievers</a><br> Part 4 (Thursday): Steven Gerrard's Swan Song<br> Part 5 (Friday): Positioning the Club for Success in 2015/16</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/3/8694533/liverpool-2014-15-season-review-brendan-rodgers-mistakes-tactics-failureStitch InvaderNoel Chomyn-Ed-CStarsDan BernsteinlatortillablancaNerfepicskylineAJ JovenAudun Manum2015-06-02T19:00:03+01:002015-06-02T19:00:03+01:00Season Review, Part 2: Underperformers & Overachievers
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4bd6_sJ35eeeUYSMkUIJ0o7V3rc=/1624x75:4125x1742/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46437630/GettyImages-464539332.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Richard Heathcote/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In the second of our five part series, we continue to look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly that was Liverpool's 2014/15 season. This time, it's the underperformers and overachievers.</p> <div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">
Part 2: Underperformers and Overachievers
</div></div>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> had its ups and downs this season, with few players firing on all cylinders for lengthy stretches of time. Who underperformed this season and, conversely, who overachieved (if anyone)?</p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Elizabeth</div></div>
<p><span>Dejan Lovren</span> is such an easy answer to this I almost feel guilty, and admittedly most of my issue is that if your presence is going to result in <span>Daniel Agger</span> moving back to Denmark, you better damn well earn your place in the line-up each week and then some. Lovren most definitely did not do that by any stretch of the imagination, and it’s left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth all season. I don’t think anyone necessarily overachieved this season, but I’ll give a shout out to <span>Simon Mignolet</span> for going on a fantastic run of form in the second half that belied the chronic calls for an upgrade in his position. He wasn’t out-of-his-skin brilliant, but given where expectations were for the player at Christmas, I think he (and his fiance) deserve some credit here. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Khaine</div></div>
<p>Since you didn’t specify ‘player’, I’m gonna go ahead and nominate Brenny Rodge as the underperformer of the year. One thing is final table position, which is slightly below par and disappointing after last year any way you look at it, but he made so many decisions that put the players in positions to fail, and seemed to completely lose sight of his vision for the team's style of play. It was just very disappointing. Overperformer is probably Emre Can, because of his age and all the positions he was asked to play in. He was super exciting to watch at RCB and was one of our dominant players during the resurgent spell. The wheels fell off for him at RB, but I can forgive that, because come on, Brenny, he’s not an RB. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Ed</div></div>
<p>I mean, Lovren, obviously, but even then the only time we really saw him excel was the Dortmund friendly when it looked like he was going to be incredible. He didn't live up to his price tag, but I'm not sure you can say he underperformed based on what we saw over the course of the season, so it’s either Gerrard or Johnson for me as the duo who underperformed most compared to expectations. Only a few candidates for the overperformer, and everyone had a dip in form at one point or another, but I think it’s between Mignolet and Coutinho. Both carried the squad at different times, and both worked through early season struggles to end the season at their best. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Chuck</div></div>
<p>Have you ever gone to a restaurant, ordered a meal that looked delightful on the menu, and look aghast as it arrives? What’s worse is that you see other meals arrive at other tables that look sumptuous with that dog’s dinner of a meal in front of you. That’s Dejan Lovren. This may seem harsh, but Liverpool’s most expensive defender in the club’s history has been an absolute, utter, and unmitigated disaster. <span>Rickie Lambert</span> was cheap backup but has underwhelmed. <span>Mario Balotelli</span>’s situation is more complex, but there can be no escaping that he’s been an enormous disappointment despite the manager not doing the best with managing him on and off the field. But back to Lovren. His positioning, tactical understanding, distribution, and defensive sense have all been woeful. One of Liverpool’s worst signings of the past two decades. Simon Mignolet has done better than expected, especially from his start to the season. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">latortillablanca</div></div>
<p>If we’re including injuries it’s <span>Daniel Sturridge</span>, hands down. We’re a year removed from one of the great goal scoring seasons we’ve seen since Fernando’s pomp, and I’m having a hard time considering Studge a thing at all anymore. My overachiever: Dejan Lovren. That’s right. See, I’d become so accustomed to watching Dejan sink to never-before-seen lows of form, really dig deep into that shitey-muck level that when he popped up in a few substitute appearances near the end that didn’t literally hand the game to the opposition I was impressed. He even had one or two starts there where, like, he didn’t redefine the concept of atrociousness. I didn’t realize he was capable of that. Overachievement. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">AJ</div></div>
<p>Underperformer of the Year goes to Dejan Lovren. Just terribad. Overachiever is tougher for me, but I'll go with Coutinho. I mean, we all knew that more time in the middle would be great for him, but to see him take that role and play with such consistency was amazing. Of course, the double-edged sword to that would be watching Phil work some magic, look up for a runner, see no one, and die a little bit inside each time. It’s ok Phil, I died a little bit, too. We all did. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Noel</div></div>
<p>Steven Gerrard. Look, I’m sorry. I know we’re supposed to be waxing all poetical about him now that he's heading to Los Angeles. But after doing a passable job the year before at DM in a side that scored all the goals plus all the other guys’ goals, he was a liability for the first four months this season. Play a proper DM, not a DM whose best qualities are in attack, and Liverpool are in the top four. Which isn’t Gerrard’s fault, really—it’s Rodgers who is to blame here—but still, a misfiring Gerrard is the player who broke Liverpool’s midfield for four months. An honourable mention has to go to Lovren, though again it’s on the manager for not making him earn his place and then continuing to start ahead of <span>Mamadou Sakho</span> even after it was clear he was misfiring on all cylinders.</p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Dan</div></div>
<p>Dejan Lovren was the biggest underachiever for the reasons mentioned above. However, Mario Balotelli has to be mentioned in this category, even if his failings were not completely of his own making. He often played in systems that did not suit his style (namely formations that asked him to serve as an isolated striker) and was inexplicably blocked from the team for months at a time. I was hopeful that he could notch double digit goals, but instead it seems as if Liverpool will serve as yet another place that the player failed to turn talent into production. As for overachiever, Simon Mignolet proved that he belongs at Anfield with his superb performances throughout the second half of the season. Things could have been much worse for Liverpool without his shot stopping ability. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Steph</div></div>
<p>I’ll be different and say <span>Glen Johnson</span> was my underachiever for the year. I can’t help it, I remember when he was one of the best right backs in the Premier League. He’s injury prone and he’s gotten older, but that doesn’t explain how he’s suddenly forgotten how to play football. What on earth has happened to his brain? And the fact that <span>Brendan Rodgers</span> persisted with playing him week after week for far too long made it even worse. So there. You get a break, Dejan. Overachiever of the year goes to <span>Emre Can</span>, who shocked and delighted me with his strength, intelligence and flexibility. It wasn’t the question, but I’d give Simon Mignolet the most improved award for the way he pulled himself together and really performed for us in the second half of the season. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Nerf</div></div>
<p>I’ll have to agree with Steph in terms of Emre Can being the overachiever of the season. Who expected him to do so well? He had a pretty solid preseason but I wasn’t convinced that would translate with competitive fixtures and he’s (mostly) proved me wrong. He can still be a little bit infuriating with his tracking back and he dives in a little bit too easily for my liking, but I think he’ll really start to shine in midfield next year. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Also in This Series</div></div>
<p><a href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8694455/liverpool-end-of-2014-15-season-review-transfer-business-dejan-lovren?_ga=1.73180627.1100713693.1432679893" target="new">Part 1 (Monday): Transfer Business</a><br>
Part 3 (Wednesday): Brendan Rodgers in His Third Season<br>
Part 4 (Thursday): Steven Gerrard's Swan Song<br>
Part 5 (Friday): Positioning the Club for Success in 2015/16</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/2/8694499/liverpool-offside-2014-15-season-review-underperformers-lovren-johnson-gerrardStitch InvaderNoel Chomyn-Ed-CStarsDan BernsteinlatortillablancaAJ JovenepicskylineNerfAudun Manum2015-06-01T18:30:04+01:002015-06-01T18:30:04+01:00Season Review, Part 1: Transfer Business
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fCQF3eTXDEkxHFoz25CptqWg63U=/0x0:5184x3456/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46437584/GettyImages-459636920.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Michael Steele/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In part one of five, we begin our look back over the good, the bad, and the ugly that was Liverpool's 2014/15 season, starting with the transfers.</p> <div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">
Part 1: Transfer Business
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Liverpool’s transfer business last summer seemed pretty solid until it wasn’t. Was it really that disastrous or have certain transfers cast a funereal pall over the rest of an otherwise acceptable window?
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Noel</div></div>
<p>At least Dejan wanted to come. So that's a positive, I guess. On the whole, though, it actually wasn't a terrible window: vaguely B-ish and pretty much okay once you got past Lovren and Balotelli. They cost a lot between them—more than an Alexis Sanchez, who was never coming but that’s still, like, a Lacazette-and-a-half—but Liverpool did spend a lot overall and, proportionally, it wasn’t nearly as bad a summer as some would like to remember it. The bigger problem was what got done with the players who were bought. And with the players already at the club. And that Liverpool gambled on <span>Daniel Sturridge</span> remaining ambulatory despite an already iffy injury record. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">latortillablanca</div></div>
<p><span>Dejan Lovren</span> for 20m quid and a farewell party for <span>Daniel Agger</span>. That’s kinda where I see the disaster. If you reverse that decision, it’s absolutely a legitimate window. If you reverse that decision and plug in that extra dough into forcing the issue for Lacazette or something, it becomes an inspired window. Plus, as is, if Daniel Sturridge just has a lucky season injury-wise instead of a potentially career-derailing one, we’re in the big time. So, it’s difficult for me to cast too much shade on transfers alone. Lazar, Emre, Lallana, and Moreno are legitimate pieces. Crow all you want about not having landed <em>the right profile of player</em>, but we did some good business last summer. At the very least as good as you can ever really expect in the transfer market. I don’t even take back the Balotelli gamble, if you can guarantee me a management plan there that at least attempts to play to the guy’s strengths. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Khaine</div></div>
<p> I was very satisfied with the window at the time. The pieces seemed to be in place and the talent level of the squad was very high. I remember thinking the team didn’t really have any players in it that I really didn’t want at the club. That has… changed. In retrospect, I also think the sale of Agger looks worse now than it did back then, because my view on Rodgers has changed somewhat and I’m starting to think it happened for the wrong reasons, i.e. not Agger’s body, but rather the relationship between the player and manager. And even if Daniel wasn’t quite as fantastic in his last season as he had been for most of his LFC career, he’d still much much better than Lovren. And the Sakho/Agger dream would’ve lived on. Beauty everywhere. My other big miss was Borini rejecting <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a>. That 14m could’ve gone a long way towards preventing our goalscoring issues this year. Overall, I still think most of the players bought are going to be good for the club, Lovren the exception. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Nerf</div></div>
<p>I still honestly believe that had Sturridge managed to stay fit for the majority of the season, we’d be comfortably in the top four and declaring last summer a roaring success. But… football isn’t about “what if’s” and actions speak louder than words. Really, only Lovren and Balotelli could be considered the flops of last summer’s recruitment, and I still (perhaps naively) think Dejan may come good sooner or later. </p>
<p>What I will say is that I don’t have time for anybody that dismisses <span>Adam Lallana</span>. The lad is the real deal, and his fitness record is really the only thing that can be levelled at him at this stage. When he’s been on the pitch, he’s delivered more often than not, and I’m super excited to see how he progresses next season. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">AJ</div></div>
<p>I'm with the majority on this, and while I’ve not really ever been the type to actively <em>hate</em> on one of our own, sweet sassy molassey has Dejan tested that resolve! But even if I've taken to naming the poop emoji Dejan Lovren, I DESPERATELY WANT YOU TO COME GOOD, DEJAN, BECAUSE IT’S NOT FUN DISLIKING AN LFC PLAYER, MAN. </p>
<p>Aside from that, though, I think the transfers have been ok. Lazar, Moreno, and Can are all future buys with their performances providing the appropriate mix of wow and inconsistent. I think all of them will have a say in LFC being a solid contender a few seasons on, so I’m glad we’ve got them into the fold. I’m disappointed that Lallana got sidelined with so many injuries - when on the pitch, he’s usually among the bright spots. He can also take a decent shot, so if he’d have been healthy I feel we’d have felt Danny’s absence far, far less. Balo was mismanaged but a fair gamble at the time. So, yeah, I’m not really hating on much. Besides Lovren. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Steph</div></div>
<p>I agree with the group in saying I felt very optimistic about our transfers at the end of the window. The problem is that when you spend that much money, you expect immediate results from the players purchased. Only Can and arguably Lallana have proved their worth this season, and there has been enough disappointment that their contributions have paled in comparison to the expensive flops. What really gets me about Dejan Lovren is how much effort the club put into courting and acquiring him. That, almost more than his price tag, is what does it for me. It’s embarrassing. </p>
<p>Jury’s still out on Markovic, Origi, and Moreno. They didn’t really impress this season, except for Moreno in flashes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of them came good in the next year or two. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Elizabeth</div></div>
<p>In our transfer window recap last summer, I wrote that “Liverpool's window has been an incredibly successful window by any definition.” I still mostly believe this even if some of the missteps now can feel larger than life — Dejan Lovren, I am looking at you — and even if I’m still not remotely over the admittedly sentimental decision to let Daniel Agger leave for Brondby. Some could have hit the ground running a bit harder, true, but there’s still a lot to be excited for in the future and I’m hoping that hindsight will give this window the faint glow I thought it had back on September 2. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Ed</div></div>
<p>I still like the chances for everyone who isn't Lovren, Balotelli, and Lambert to come good, at least as long as they’re given the opportunities. Even then, I don’t think it’s fair to count Lambert as a flop given that his role changed dramatically as Liverpool’s season went to shit, and for every Balotelli supposed misstep, there’s just as much blame to be laid at Rodgers’ feet for his handling of the player. Dejan Lovren has been as bad as it gets in recent seasons, though, and he should be nowhere near the starting eleven by the end of this summer. Like, maybe back in France. That’s probably close to far enough. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Dan</div></div>
<p>With a great opportunity for Liverpool to take steps forward after a second place finish, a couple of misjudgements detracted from a collection of great moves. Lallana, Moreno, Markovic, and Can were all solid additions to the squad with the latter three players offering real reason to be excited for the future. However, the expensive Lovren for Agger swap was doomed from the start and the absence of a legitimate striker addition after Suarez’s departure (the Balotelli signing excited me but he never fit Rodgers’ plans) cost Liverpool big time in the short-term. And that short-term dip meant not qualifying for the Champions League, which has long-term implications. </p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Chuck</div></div>
<p>I don’t think it was an inadequate transfer window and was certainly enthusiastic at the time. My own endless articles on <span>Mario Balotelli</span> underscored my excitement, and I firmly stand by my bullish scouting report on Lazar Marković. And did we honestly think Dejan Lovren could really be that bad? I would say, though, that I never thought Daniel Agger should be sold as he’s the type of centre back who can use his intelligence, technique, and experience to play well into his thirties. That was always clearly a mistake, and for those who point to Agger saying he could no longer play in the English Premier League due to its physicality, it's hard to think he wouldn't have stuck around if he was wanted. Though in the end, if you believe the likes of Adam Lallana, Emre Can, and Alberto Moreno are talented - which I do - then the utilisation and management of the players must be questioned more than any one move.</p>
<div class="pullquote" style="display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 1000px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><div style="border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; font-size: 0.8em;">Coming Up Next</div></div>
<p>Part 2 (Tuesday): Underperformers and Overachievers<br>
Part 3 (Wednesday): Brendan Rodgers in His Third Season<br>
Part 4 (Thursday): Steven Gerrard's Swan Song<br>
Part 5 (Friday): Positioning the Club for Success in 2015/16</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8694455/liverpool-end-of-2014-15-season-review-transfer-business-dejan-lovrenStitch Invader-Ed-Noel ChomynCStarsDan BernsteinNerfepicskylineAJ JovenlatortillablancaAudun Manum2015-06-01T13:30:02+01:002015-06-01T13:30:02+01:00Liverpool’s Best and Worst of the Season
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tzPArrMu7TBvZauakv9nogLqpu0=/7x0:2998x1994/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46439132/GettyImages-467236440.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Over the 2014-15 season, Liverpool Offside readers ranked the team's performances after every match. Philippe Coutinho ran away with Player of the Season honours, but there’s more to look back on than just that.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">When voting wrapped up late last week, it was no surprise Liverpool Offside readers <a target="new" href="http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/5/26/8659615/rank-choose-liverpool-player-of-the-season-2014-15-coutinho-mignolet">chose Philippe Coutinho as the club’s player of the season</a>. After a year in which he was named player of the month on three occasions and earned nearly twice as many points match to match and month to month as his nearest competitor, the vote was always likely to turn out more coronation than contest.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Where things were more interesting was in the race for who would finish where behind him. In the end, Simon Mignolet’s strong second half of the season was just enough to edge him ahead of the consistent Martin Skrtel for second, while Jordan Henderson wasn’t far behind either in third. Mignolet was named player of the month twice while Skrtel and Henderson never won it. Behind them, Emre Can finished fourth and Sakho fifth</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Mignolet’s second half resurgence won the day and sees him first runner-up to Coutinho, but the reliably steady performances of Skrtel and Henderson meant they placed ahead of not only Can and Sakho, but also players like Lucas Leiva, Adam Lallana, and Raheem Sterling—all of whom won player of the month once last season but also had their fair share of disappointing stretches without ever quite hitting the heights Mignolet did.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to Liverpool Offside reader Meru S., though, who has been feeding the results into <a href="http://www.r-project.org/" target="new">the R Project</a> all season as a training dataset for the free, open source statistical language, we can dig a little bit deeper than that.</p>
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<p><strong>Liverpool’s Man of the Match—and Their Worst</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">Coutinho won player of the season, and looking at the vote week to week it’s clear it wasn’t even close. That’s because he was named man of the match on ten occasions and never ended up on the wrong end of the rankings. Simon Mingolet’s strong second half saw him get close to Coutinho with nine man of the match awards, but he was voted Liverpool’s worst on four occasions, speaking to just how uneven his season was.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">At the other end, it’s a three way race between Dejan Lovren, Daniel Sturridge, and Glen Johnson, who were voted Liverpool’s worst player on the pitch on seven, six, and six occasions respectively without being ever voted man of the match. Sturridge is likely there due to fitness issues and the questionable handling of his return(s) from injury. There are no such excuses to be found for Lovren and Johnson.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="500" alt="best/worst of the match 2014-15" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3743362/Screen_Shot_2015-05-31_at_7.39.02_PM.0.png"></p>
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<p><strong>Liverpool’s Best and Worst Individual Performances of the Season</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">For the top five performances of the season, it seems only fitting that Liverpool’s player of the season takes top honours, and Philippe Coutinho earned a 99.2% positive rating for his performance against Manchester City in March that for a time made it seem Liverpool really could end the year in the top four. He also claimed second with a 99.0% rating following April’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, Lazar Markovic is a surprise with the third best rating, a 98.8% positive at Sunderland in January. Simon Mignolet was fourth with 98.4% for his shutout in the replay against Blackburn in the FA Cup, and Jordan Henderson fifth with a 98.1% against Burnley in March. Jordon Ibe deserves an honourable mention for just missing the cut with his first leg performance against Besiktas, where he scored 98.0% positive.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On the other side of the ledger, nobody had a worse ranking in 2014-15 than Daniel Sturridge, who got a 4.1% positive rating in the second leg against Besiktas. Glen Johnson’s 5.3% against Manchester City last August, Kolo Toure’s 6.4% in the crushing spring defeat to Arsenal, Steven Gerrard’s 6.6% for his thirty-second red card against Manchester United, and Rickie Lambert’s 7.2% against Basel at Anfield round out the worst five.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">One interesting note, though, is that despite not being a strong contender for player of the season, not having one of the top performances, and only being named man of the match twice, no Liverpool player earned a higher average rating across the season than Mamadou Sakho. Whether one looks at the totals or adjusts to compensate for skew based on result, Sakho was Liverpool's highest rated player on average. Conversely, none was rated worse on average than Glen Johnson.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="500" alt="Liverpool" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3744034/Screen_Shot_2015-06-01_at_7.38.20_AM.0.png"></p>
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<p><strong>Liverpool’s Best and Worst Team Performances of the Season </strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">According to Liverpool Offside readers, the best performance of last season—or at least the best rated one—was against Chelsea in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final on January 20th, when Liverpool’s players collectively earned an 88.9% approval rating. Against West Ham a few weeks later on the 31st, they got 88.4% for a 2-0 home win as they rebounded well from defeat on penalties in the second leg of the Chelsea semi-final.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">A 2-0 league victory at home over Burnley on March 4th saw an 83.9% positive rating, while a 4-1 win over Swansea at Anfield in late December and 0-2 victory away to Aston Villa in January both saw the team earn an 81.8% rating. March’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City was the only other match that saw the team collectively break the 80% barrier, with Liverpool scoring 80.6% in that match.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On the other end, it’s no surprise the season finale against Stoke earned the lowest team rating of 2014-15, a collective 3.0% positive rating. The hammering at the hands of Arsenal in April got a 3.5%, while a 1-0 loss at Newcastle in November earned 3.6%. The 3-0 loss to Manchester United on the road in December and loss at Basel in October round out the worst five with a 4.1% positive rating overall.</p>
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<p><strong>Liverpool’s Most and Least Improved</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">Some players had ups and downs, but nobody had an up quite like Simon Mignolet. Voting for the Belgian shot stopper skyrocketed following back to back shutouts on the road at Sunderland and Aston Villa in January. From that point until the end of the season, Mingolet saw a 39-point improvement to his average rating. That swing took him from one of the worst to runner up for player of the season, and it's an improvement that cannot be overstated.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="500" alt="mignolet average rating improvement" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3743364/Screen_Shot_2015-05-31_at_7.32.01_PM.0.png"></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Others saw their stock up over December and January as Liverpool turned the season around, but none came close to Mignolet. On the negative end, Raheem Sterling and Emre Can stand out. Sterling saw his stock drop 36 points on average in March following his declaration he wanted to focus on football. Can’s vote fell by 32 points around the same time, with the player increasingly played out of position and looking exhausted.</p>
<p align="center"><img alt="liverpool blog fc sbn" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg" style="border: 5px solid white;"></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Some of the results are hardly a surprise, but it’s always illuminating to look a little deeper—to find things like that readers voted Chelsea in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final the best team performance of the year, or that Daniel Sturridge rather surprisingly earned the lowest individual ranking. Or to find out that Liverpool Offside readers really, really like Mamadou Sakho. Which probably isn’t a surprise, really.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Again, we would like to thank Meru for keeping track of the numbers all season as he ran them through <a href="http://www.r-project.org/" target="new">the R Project</a> and passing along both the results and some snazzy charts, and we would encourage anyone looking for an open source, multi-platform software environment for statistical computing to give R a look.</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8695557/liverpool-2014-15-season-review-player-of-the-year-best-worst-coutinhoNoel Chomyn2015-05-26T18:30:02+01:002015-05-26T18:30:02+01:00Who Was Liverpool’s Player of the Season?
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Jzq2w4jDG138d21FULTRAVL2Hl0=/82x457:1769x1582/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46396620/GettyImages-457486700.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Paul Gilham/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Liverpool’s season may have ended in disappointing fashion, but there were bright spots along the way. Help us to choose the brightest of them as we pick Liverpool’s Player of the Season for 2014-15.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Liverpool’s season may have ended much the same way as it began, in crushing failure and with questionable tactics, but along the way—along an often very frustrating way that saw many of the same mistakes repeated over and over again and a very achievable top four finish spurned—there were at least a few positives.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">During a brief, bright, mid-season resurgence, the biggest and brightest of those positives was <span>Philippe Coutinho</span>, the 22-year-old Brazilian playmaker. Even when his teammates weren’t having their best nights, and even when the midfield was hobbled by questionable team selection and tactics, Coutinho could be counted on to deliver with the ball at his feet.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Without a proper striker ahead of him more often than not, he also needed to step up his shooting game if his quality on the ball—his dribbling and passing—was going to amount to anything. And about half way through the season, he did just that, delivering a string of stunning strikes that for a time kept Liverpool’s hopes alive and the mood amongst the fans buoyant.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">All told, his eight goals and six assists may look a slightly underwhelming return, but Coutinho was at the heart of everything good Liverpool did this season when they had the ball, and for many he has been the only front-runner for player of the season for much of the past year.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As Liverpool’s form began to drop, though, he got some real competition from Simon Mignolet. The Belgian shot stopper’s Liverpool career appeared over when he was benched in favour of <span>Brad Jones</span> in December. By May, he was the only player keeping Liverpool looking respectable as they slumped towards the finish line, and it earned him player of the season honours from Liverpool’s former players.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Coutinho may have the edge, both due to his strong performances throughout the season—his first player of the month award came in October—and because many tend to gravitate towards the flash and flair of an attacker, but Mignolet’s form in the second half of the season is hard to overstate.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Just as Coutinho was key to the attack as Liverpool sought to turn things around, Mignolet was key at the back. And when the results began to fall off late in the season, Mignolet was often the only Liverpool player who ended up with much credit, leading to him being named player of the month in both March and April.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">A few others are in the running. <span>Adam Lallana</span> was named player of the month in December and <span>Lucas Leiva</span> got the award in November, but in both cases injuries and the manager’s decision to often not play them when they were fit likely rules them out as serious contenders. Based on month to month voting, <span>Raheem Sterling</span>, Martin Skrtel, <span>Mamadou Sakho</span>, <span>Jordan Henderson</span>, and <span>Emre Can</span> also deserve honourable mentions.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Giving five points for player of the month through to one point for finishing fifth, the contenders for player of the year are Philippe Coutinho (27 points), Simon Mingolet (14), Raheem Sterling (11), Adam Lallana (10), Lucas Leiva (10), Mamadou Sakho (10), Martin Skrtel (9), Jordan Henderson (8), and Emre Can (8). What matters for naming Liverpool’s player of the season, though, is how you rank them now.</p>
<a class="rnkrw-widget" data-rnkrw-id="2108046" data-rnkrw-format="grid" data-rnkrw-rows="999" href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-liverpool-players-of-all-time/ranker-soccer?utm_source=widget&utm_campaign=widget_link" target="_blank">The Best Liverpool Players of All Time</a><script id="rnkrw-loader" type="text/javascript" async src="//widget.ranker.com/static/rnkrw2.js"></script>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2015/5/26/8659615/rank-choose-liverpool-player-of-the-season-2014-15-coutinho-mignoletNoel Chomyn