BPL 2015: Liverpool seeks to bounce back

With the heat on Brendan Rodgers, can Liverpool prove that last season's mediocrity was a one-off and return to the elite of English football? Find out with TSN.ca's 2014-15 team preview.

Who's in?: Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton, ENG), Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim, GER), James Milner (Manchester City, ENG), Joe Gomez (Charlton Athletic, ENG), Danny Ings (Burnley, ENG), Adam Bogdan (Bolton Wanderers, ENG) and Christian Benteke (Aston Villa, ENG)

Who's out?: Steven Gerrard (Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS), Glen Johnson (Stoke City, ENG), Sebastian Coates (Sunderland, ENG), Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo, ESP), Javier Manquillo (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, ENG) and Rickie Lambert (West Bromwich Albion, ENG)

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It comes as a surprise that Brendan Rodgers remains at Liverpool.

That is not to say that Rodgers deserved to lose his job, but that the nature of the modern game dictates that a gaffer in similar circumstances usually does.

A year after mounting its first serious title challenge in five seasons and a return to the Champions League after a four-year absence, Rodgers and Liverpool fell back to earth in a major way with a sixth-place finish, capped off by a dispiriting 6-1 loss to Stoke City in talisman Steven Gerrard’s final match with the club.

If the Fenway Sports Group chose to cut bait on the Northern Irishman, it would have been completely understandable, but they didn’t. John Henry and company remained committed to Rodgers and viewed last season as the exception and not the rule. It was Rodgers who brought Liverpool back to relevance and he’ll be the man tasked with taking them back to the dance.

Ownership very well might view last year’s missteps as out of the manager’s control and that’s somewhat understandable.

To call Liverpool offensively challenged a season ago would be charitable. In 2013-2014, the dynamic duo of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge combined for 52 league goals.  With Suarez sold to Barca and Sturridge limited to only 12 league games with a variety of lower-body injuries, the entire team accounted for 52 goals last year.

Now, it would be unfair to point the finger at Rodgers for the decline, but he is in charge of transfers. Even if you can’t factor in an extended injury to Sturridge, you certainly must be prepared for what losing the 2013-2014 PFA Player of the Year would mean for your offence and Liverpool ended up ill-equipped to absorb his loss. Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert proved to be woefully inadequate to the point where it made Rodgers almost look naïve in thinking they could remotely address the Uruguayan’s absence.

Rodgers hasn’t made that mistake this season. Divock Origi has been recalled from his loan at Lille, Danny Ings, relegated Burnley’s bright light last season, joined on a free transfer and in the Reds’ biggest statement of intent, Christian Benteke’s £32.5 million-release clause at Aston Villa was activated and the Belgian international was brought in on a long-term deal. While Liverpool might not replicate the 102 goals-for of two seasons ago, the fear of a repeat performance of last year will be entirely unfounded.

There is also the tantalizing prospect of Roberto Firmino. An incredibly versatile attacking option, linking the 23-year-old Brazilian up with compatriot Philippe Coutinho and the vastly improved Jordon Ibe in behind Benteke with hardman James Milner in the middle, could have opposing defenders reeling and make Reds supporters forget the name “Raheem Sterling” in a hurry.

It would be remiss not to address the sale of Sterling to Manchester City. The young forward’s reputation took a hit during the protracted negotiations between the clubs and rightly so. While Sterling’s potential remains vast, neither his experience nor his CV earned Sterling the right to force a move through. In the future, young players might very well use Sterling as an example of how not to work out a new deal.

Liverpool will also be hoping for an improvement on the back end. Right back Nathaniel Clyne, coming over from Southampton, represents an upgrade on Glen Johnson, who too often found himself out of position and unable to get back after a forward run. England under-21 international Joe Gomez has impressed in the preseason since his move from Charlton and appears to have pipped Alberto Moreno to the left back starting role. Incumbent centre-halfs Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren have to be better, as does ‘keeper Simon Mignolet.

The first big test? An absolutely horrendous set of away fixtures to start the season - Stoke, Arsenal, United, Everton, Spurs, Chelsea and City mark Liverpool's first seven trips on the road.

This Liverpool squad should and likely will be superior to last year’s edition, but the question remains whether or not it’s good enough to jump back into the top four. If it’s not, Brendan Rodgers’s reprieve will be short-lived.