5 Signs That Liverpool Are on Path Back Toward the Top of the Premier League

One game played in the Premier League is far too early to be suggesting how a team will perform in the season.

Not so long ago, nobody bothered putting together the league table before at least five or six games had been played.

But modern football and the 24-hour media mean everything is scrutinised, overanalysed and, quite often, overhyped.

So this article is in no way a response to Liverpool's opening-weekend victory over Stoke City (indeed, the article had been assigned before Philippe Coutinho had fired past Jack Butland from 25 yards).

Instead, this article will take a look at Liverpool as a club overall, the improvements being made both on and off the pitch as they look to get back into the top four of the Premier League—and therefore the all-important Champions League.

Rectifying Transfer Mistakes

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Without doubt, the biggest failure of Liverpool in recent years has been their transfer strategy and consequent signings.

This summer has seen the club attempt to rectify the mistakes of previous summers, signing proven Premier League players and attempting to offload those who do not suit the style of play.

In have arrived genuine goalscoring threats such as Christian Benteke, Danny Ings and Roberto Firmino, while Rickie Lambert has left and Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini are being made to train separately from the first-team squad as they wait to be shown the exit door.

There's also the addition of first-choice right-back Nathaniel Clyne and central midfielder James Milner.

Perhaps had Liverpool signed Clyne instead of Javier Manquillo last summer, Firmino instead of Lazar Markovic, Benteke instead of Balotelli and Milner instead of Adam Lallana, then 2014/15 wouldn't have been the disaster it was.

The much-debated transfer committee structure appears to have been changed, with more control now afforded to manager Brendan Rodgers, and deals this summer were concluded with little fuss and well ahead of the new season starting.

It's a stark contrast to the failings of previous transfer windows, when top targets such as Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Willian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mohamed Salah proved elusive.

Brazilian Flair

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Liverpool were absolutely turgid in the final third for the vast majority of last season, not only struggling for goals but often struggling even to create chances.

With the additions of Firmino and Milner, plus the continued excellence of last season's Player of the Year, Philippe Coutinho, Rodgers actually has more of a problem to accommodate all his attacking players.

"I think Liverpool have a slight problem in the coming weeks and months," said former defender Jamie Carragher, speaking to the Liverpool Way podcast (h/t This Is Anfield).

"If you play a holding midfielder behind Milner and Henderson, then that’s your midfield three and unless you play a diamond formation then Coutinho is going to end up in a wide role in a 4-3-3."

Accommodating Henderson, Emre Can, Milner, Coutinho, Firmino, Benteke and, from next month, Daniel Sturridge is a more wanted problem than resorting to playing Raheem Sterling or Fabio Borini up front.

It's also worth noting the age of the primary attacking quartet: Coutinho and Firmino are both 23, Benteke is 24 and Sturridge is the eldest of the lot at 25.

All have plenty of room for further development and improvement, pointing toward a bright future for Liverpool.

Youth System

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Also pointing to a bright future is the club's youth system, which is producing more players who are first-team ready than it did in the 10 years prior to Brendan Rodgers' arrival in 2012.

Jordon Ibe is the latest to make the step into the first-team squad, following in the footsteps of Sterling (who made the club a huge financial gain when he was sold to Manchester City for £49 million in July), Jon Flanagan and Jordan Rossiter.

The current under-21 squad harbours many talented youngsters who have a genuine chance of making the required step up.

Spanish duo Sergi Canos and Pedro Chirivella are two players in particular in whom the club have high hopes.

Profiling Chirivella, This Is Anfield's Jack Lusby noted his similarities to compatriots Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets.

Another who appears destined for success is attacker Sheyi Ojo, who has joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan for the season, along with Ryan Kent, who is expected to complete a similar season-long loan move to a Championship club before the transfer window closes.

Change: For the Better

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The summer saw Rodgers overhaul his backroom staff, allowing assistant manager Colin Pascoe and first-team coach Mike Marsh to leave, replacing them with Sean O'Driscoll and Gary McAllister respectively.

While what goes on behind closed doors at training will never fully be known by supporters or media, it does appear on the surface to be change for the better.

This Is Anfield's Henry Jackson highlighted the former duo's lack of experience, and Rodgers himself has spoken of the reasons for their departure.

"I felt I just needed to change the dynamic within that side of it, and obviously in terms of players, you’re always looking to improve," he explained, per the Mirror.

"If we’re going to have success on this season, it’s really going to be based on the team ethos—and that’s something I was very clear and wanted to define over the course of this pre-season."

Having new ideas from O'Driscoll and McAllister should aid Rodgers as he seeks to make improvements himself, while new faces on the training ground will help players banish the memories of the old regime.

Main Stand Expansion

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Lastly, the club are a year away from finally getting Anfield made into a stadium fit for the 21st century.

The changing rooms and internal areas of the club's Main Stand, the heart of the stadium in many ways, may have romanticism, but they are outdated and not fit for a club wishing to compete with the top teams around Europe.

The new stand will be one of the biggest of its type in Europe, taking Anfield's capacity to around 54,000 and, crucially, helping them bridge the gap financially to their rivals.

"The stadium is vital to the health of the club and we want to compete at the highest level," explained chief executive Ian Ayre to Sky Sports earlier this month (h/t the Liverpool Echo).

"And if you look at revenue at clubs, match-day revenues are important, as well as the mix of commercial and media."

The new stand will generate a feel-good factor around the club and help them progress off the pitch, which will hopefully have an effect on the pitch too.