7 Most Frustrating Things About Being a Liverpool Fan Right Now
With two wins from two and no goals conceded so far in the Premier League, the 2015/16 season is looking bright for Liverpool and their loyal supporters. But there remains much to be frustrated about on Merseyside.
Very much a work-in-progress club, the Reds take on another season of transition this term, largely owing to the many pitfalls of their past.
But what are the most frustrating things about being a Liverpool fan right now?
Here, we explore seven major aggravations for Reds supporters, including the tribulations of an injury-hit Daniel Sturridge.
Brendan Rodgers' Idioms
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Are all managers this entrenched in vacuous rhetoric, or is it just Brendan Rodgers?
The sight of Liverpool's manager attending a post-match press conference or mixed-area interview is one likely to provoke recoils from the Merseyside support.
Every player is "outstanding," every performance shows "character," every point referenced "as I said." Rodgers' lexicon is minimal, and his sentiment debatable.
The situation in which every word from the manager's mouth must be second-guessed is frustrating—does Rodgers truly mean to praise the behind-closed-doors performances of Fabio Borini, for example, or is this just a diversion tactic?
A straightforward approach to media briefings is rare, with West Bromwich Albion's Tony Pulis' recent admission to Sky Sports that "if I had my time again I’d probably do it differently," following his side's loss to Manchester City a refreshing take from a Premier League manager.
Perhaps all managers do it, but Rodgers' idioms edge closer to parody by the season.
Lack of Defensive Midfielders
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Fielding a specialist defensive midfielder is seemingly just not in Rodgers' tactical remit.
Preferring to utilise playmakers Leon Britton and Joe Allen at the base of his midfield during his time at Swansea City, the manager has translated this approach to a higher level on Merseyside. Bringing Allen with him, Rodgers has typically favoured a progressive ball-player at the base of his midfield, with Steven Gerrard's deep-lying role in 2013/14's 4-4-2 diamond the perfect example of this.
Arsene Wenger learned the importance of a defensive midfielder last term with the rise of Francis Coquelin, and Arsenal's fortunes improved since the Frenchman's inclusion.
But Rodgers remains stubborn in his approach, with Liverpool's only destroyer-type, Lucas Leiva, likely to leave Anfield this summer—more on that later.
His assertion, via Andy Kelly of the Liverpool Echo, that Emre Can would shine as a "controlling player" perfectly highlights his vision of the Reds' best midfield for the new season. Instead of a defensive midfielder, Rodgers is opting for a one-man pivot akin to Michael Carrick at Manchester United last term.
It is a risky move, especially with Lucas likely to leave the club, and could see the Reds exploited in big games this season.
Daniel Sturridge
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According to Andy Hunter of the Guardian, star striker Sturridge is set to return to Liverpool training in the coming days, with a view to a return to first-team action in just three weeks.
"Sturridge is expected back at Liverpool this weekend after a successful rehabilitation process in the United States and could make his first-team comeback at Manchester United on 12 September," Hunter revealed.
He later added:
"The England international will be eased back into first-team training initially, with Liverpool reluctant to take any risks on a player who suffered two thigh injuries, a calf strain and a hip problem last season.
However, Sturridge is expected to be in contention for a competitive return after three weeks’ training, giving the striker a chance of featuring in the trip to Old Trafford.
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It is a confusing report, with Sturridge being "eased" into Rodgers' rigorous Melwood training regime—but with a role in a major top-four clash planned in September.
While Liverpool supporters will rightly laud the return of the No. 15, they would be forgiven for being wary.
Sturridge's injury issues blighted the Reds' sixth-placed finish last time out, and a fast-track approach on his return from summer rehabilitation in Boston is a risky move. If the striker suffers another injury, the frustrating cycle will start all over again.
The Europa League
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How do Liverpool approach the Europa League?
Europe's second-tier competition should, in theory, be traversed with sincere endeavour—with a Champions League place on offer for the winner, this gives clubs a route to the European promised land without league success.
But with an increasingly demanding fixture list, many sides' approach to the Europa League is one of dismissal.
Take West Ham United's early exit this season: Slaven Bilic, arguably quite rightly, weighed up the pros and cons of Europa League football and concluded that league stability was the priority.
Is the Europa League an unwanted distraction for Liverpool?
"No player is guaranteed to play every single game, we aim to do well in all competitions and cope with them all," Rodgers told reporters in a pre-season press conference this summer, as reported by This is Anfield.
"We could have a separate team for the Europa League and it won’t be detrimental. It’s certainly something we’d consider."
The manager is seemingly taking the Bilic approach to the Europa League this season, with the likes of Lazar Markovic, Danny Ings, Divock Origi, Kolo Toure and Adam Bogdan—fringe players in terms of the Reds' Premier League squad—more likely to feature heavily in midweek trips to Poland and Turkey.
From a supporter's perspective, the Europa League will be a frustrating sideshow in 2015/16.
The Season-Long Loan
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Likely farming out his one defensive midfielder, Rodgers could sanction a season-long loan for Lucas this summer, according to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo.
Quoting Besiktas transfer committee head Erdal Torunogullari, who said "Lucas is a player on our shortlist [and] talks are ongoing," Pearce revealed the likelihood of the 28-year-old departing for a temporary spell with the Turkish giants this summer.
"A loan deal is likely, it could go ahead within the next two days," Besiktas board member Erol Kaynar is said to have elaborated.
The season-long loan should only be used as a means to develop younger players, but at Liverpool it has become a trend in shifting unwanted players from Rodgers' bloated squad.
Fabio Borini, Pepe Reina and Oussama Assaidi all serve as prime examples of this flawed approach under the Ulsterman. The trio joined Sunderland, Napoli and Stoke City respectively in the 2013/14 season, and despite each impressing at their loan clubs, they proved difficult to shift on a permanent deal on their return.
Borini remains at the club, with Liverpool desperate to sell him this summer. But, having seen his value decrease after one season on loan and another lurking in Rodgers' reserve ranks, will he recoup close to the BBC Sport-reported £11 million they spent on him in 2012? The likelihood is no.
Allowing Lucas to join Besiktas will be another value-hampering stopgap for the Reds.
Low-Level Transfer Expectations
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Manchester United's marquee signing of Memphis Depay is one of the major success stories of this summer's transfer window.
Louis van Gaal's new No. 7 announced himself in style with a two-goal, one-assist performance in United's 3-1 win over Club Brugge on Tuesday night, with the manager telling reporters "I want to kiss him tonight," according to BBC Sport.
United's Champions League status, and considerable funds, put them in pole position when they vied with Liverpool for Depay's signature this summer, and it is this situation that remains a frustration for the Reds.
"It [Signing Depay] wasn’t something that was ever one we were interested in," Rodgers said shortly after his Old Trafford switch, as reported by the Press Association (h/t the Guardian). "He is a young, talented player but we already have four wingers at the club: Raheem Sterling, Jordon Ibe, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic."
Though a pragmatic, faithful view of his squad at the time, this dismissal represented more of a stubborn denial that Liverpool are in a lower league to their top-four rivals when it comes to the transfer market.
This is not a new phenomenon: Willian, Diego Costa, Mohamed Salah (all Chelsea) and Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) have all favoured other Premier League clubs to Liverpool during Rodgers' reign.
Of course, the arrivals of Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Nathaniel Clyne and Christian Benteke this summer point to a step in the right direction for Liverpool.
But there is a gnawing frustration in that the Reds' standards are forced slightly lower than that of their rivals.
The Looming Threat of Big-Name Departures
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By the same token, as big-name targets frequently elude Liverpool, so too do the club's high-reputation players.
Over the past two seasons, both Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling have sought moves away from Merseyside, with their ambitions lying at title-challenging clubs Barcelona and Manchester City respectively.
It is a seemingly avoidable misery for Liverpool, with the threat of their best players leaving for sunnier climes ever-looming. Suarez and Sterling will both have moved with an eye on sustainable success with their new clubs—something the Reds cannot offer at this juncture.
It is a catch-22 similar to that of Depay's former club PSV Eindhoven who, despite winning the Eredivisie title in 2014/15, have seen their squad depleted by big-name departures this summer.
Even if Liverpool do challenge for the title, as they did with Suarez in 2013/14, their players are not guaranteed a similar tilt in the next campaign.
What's stopping Sturridge leaving next summer, or Can, Clyne, Jordon Ibe or Mamadou Sakho over the next handful of seasons? The only hope is that the lure of Rodgers' command is enough to inspire commitment.
Until Liverpool reach a level of sustainable success, this will be a constant frustration for supporters.
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