8 Reasons for Liverpool Fans to Be Filled with Hope This Summer

An increase of six points from the haul achieved last season with one more match to go at home to the team at the bottom of the Premier League provides tangible evidence that Liverpool have made an improvement this season. But what about next season?

The days of sustained title challenges might have to wait a little longer, but there are several reasons to believe that Brendan Rodgers and his side will make even more strides in 2013/14.

Here are just eight of them:

Daniel Sturridge Will Be in from the Start

What would have happened had the Reds shelled out the extra few million pounds to bring Daniel Sturridge to the club last summer instead of in January? A challenge for a Champions League place at least?

Sturridge became the third fastest Reds players to reach 10 Premier League goals for the club behind Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres when he struck a hat-trick at Craven Cottage on Sunday, and his form since arriving at the club has been nothing short of exemplary.

From the start next season, he'll be looking to hit the ground running once more and prove that his was an extremely shrewd transfer.

Philippe Coutinho Looks Pretty Special

Like Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho has provided Liverpool with so, so much more attacking prowess since his arrival at the club in January.

The Brazilian has quite simply flourished since his move from Inter Milan, giving the Reds an extra dimension and the potential for a few more.

His pass to Sturridge for his third goal at Fulham was his seventh assist in 11 starts for the club, and he only looks to be getting better and better going into next season.

Luis Suarez Is Sticking Around

His most prolific season for Liverpool ended with yet another dose of controversy, but Luis Suarez showed his quality on enough occasions to prove that he helps make this Reds team tick.

After confirming that he'll still be around at Anfield next season (Metro), Suarez will once again be the focus of so much of the nation's, and the world's, attention.

The Uruguayan is one of the world's best match winners on his day, though, and his goals will be a huge part of Rodgers' plans next season.

Mistakes of the Past Have Been Learnt from

After the somewhat shambolic ending to Liverpool's transfer window last summer, the Reds were left short of cover in attack following their failure to replace the departing Andy Carroll with Clint Dempsey.

This time around, it is the defence that needs to be bolstered due to the retirement of Jamie Carragher, and the Reds' board and Rodgers know that they'll need to move quickly and efficiently in the summer window to get their targets hit.

They've already been once bitten, and so they now can't afford to be too shy.

The Kids Are Growing Up

This season will always be remembered as the one where the likes of Raheem Sterling, Suso and Andre Wisdom all made their marks, and the next one will see their progression grow even further.

Even more established names like Jordan Henderson and Jonjo Shelvey are growing up fast, and all of them will be looking to progress over another campaign in which they are going to be relied upon by Rodgers.

They'll all be a year older and wiser.

Brendan Rodgers Has Picked Up Valuable Experience

A 39-year-old with just one season of top flight managerial experience when he joined the Reds in the summer, Brendan Rodgers is now 40 and coming to the end of his second campaign, although so much more has happened to him than just that.

He'll have learned from his first season as Reds boss, and he can take that experience into a second campaign that promises much for both him and his team.

The Reds Can Hit the Goal Trail Again

As the third-highest goalscorers in this season's Premier League, and having hit the net 38 times in 19 away games―breaking a 24-year-old club record―Rodgers' Reds have found the net with impressive frequency throughout the campaign.

With the likes of Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho to call upon―plus some potential summer reinforcements―then Liverpool could hit the goal trail again next season.

The Style of Play Is Being Mastered

Rodgers wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel when he sought to implement his much-discussed "philosophy" on Liverpool when he joined in the summer, but committing to a possession-based style of play was always going to be tough to master.

Having done so for a season, Liverpool will no surely be stronger and more capable of impressing in the new campaign.

Whatever happens, it certainly promises to be an exciting one.