Liverpool FC Returning to Glory Means Sorting Out the Overhead

Every fan wants their team to be a force, and Liverpool fans have more reason than most.

Our record of 18 English League titles could very well be surpassed by Manchester United by the end of the season. This is a shame as I see this United team as one of the weakest in some years, but no other club has managed to take advantage (unless Arsenal can pull it together). So how exactly can Liverpool become a team worthy of our reputation as one of the most successful soccer clubs in Europe?

It is unlikely that we'll be the subject of a multi-billion dollar takeover by an owner with bottomless pockets, so we can't exactly go the Manchester City route.

Ask any Reds fan and he or she will tell you that's not what we would want in the first place. Investment in the squad is always going to be a point but this club will demand more than that. Now that Liverpool finally has stable, savvy owners and a manager who has "been there, done that" we will finally see some magic happen.

But what exactly is this magic I'm talking about?

Liverpool with Kenny Dalglish on the pitch and in the dugout in the late 1970s and 1980s? The 2000/2001 season when Gérard Houllier brought us the League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, FA Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup? Rafa Benitez's epic 2005 Champions League triumph, our run to the final in 2007 and our narrow defeat to Manchester United in the title race in the 2008/2009 season?

Liverpool fans want trophies yes, but more so we want to regain the respect and fear from our adversaries that the club has enjoyed in the past.

Liverpool were contenders on many levels under Rafa Benitez but unfortunately we had to make a change due to a variety of circumstances (which I will touch on below). Today the club is in a position to turn a new page and move forward to ascend once again to the levels that we belong at.

These past years have been tumultuous for the club, something that has largely stemmed from uncertainty over ownership.

After Roman Abramovich forever altered the face of the Premier League in 2003, Liverpool were subject to several unsuccessful takeover bids from a variety of sources.

George Gillette and Tom Hicks bought the club and after initial optimism we soon were on a spiral downwards to financial ruin, making interest payments instead of investing in the squad or furthering the development of a new stadium.

After the collapse of the stock market and the evaporation of whatever excess capital the duo had, Liverpool were finally brought out of the mess by New England Sporting Ventures (NESV) headed by John Henry.

With our current owners in a solid financial position and plans to re-develop Anfield rather than build another facility already underway, we can be optimistic that the top of the pyramid isn't going to crumble anytime soon.

Liverpool haven't won a league trophy since Dalglish's first spell in charge and it wasn't until Houllier that significant additions were made to the Anfield silverware cabinet.

Both the Frenchman and Benitez had some success but declining form and some poor signings (El Hadji Diouf for £10 million, Alberto Aquilani for £17 million) saw them both leave Anfield.

Liverpool could have really flourished under Benitez but he was ultimately forced out by the Gillette and Hicks regime as he couldn't shape the club as he envisioned.

Our current managerial team is something else entirely, and should be given another season at least based on what Dalglish has done in this short amount of time.

United and Arsenal have both been able to build long-term success stories thanks to consistent management and that's exactly what Liverpool need in order to rebuild the club.

Unfortunately in the soccer world today, time is of the essence and a few poor results or missing out on European qualification will see managers dumped at the drop of the hat.

John Henry and Kenny Dalglish look like they're on the same page at the moment and hopefully both will have a long-term view in mind. Liverpool cannot be expected to win the Premier League next season, but the fans want to at the very least see an evolutionary improvement each year.

Dalglish has a style that he wants Liverpool to play, and with Steve Clarke running the training ground, the results have been there for all of us to see. Additionally, the evidence so far is that NESV is willing to back his decisions in the transfer market.

Gillette and Hicks did back Benitez to some extent, just not as much as the Spaniard wanted.

Foot-dragging from the men upstairs saw Benitez miss out on Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane being brought to the club against Benitez's wishes.

Rumors were circulating at one point that David Villa was open to a move to Anfield, looking to link-up with Fernando Torres. Unfortunately that never happened but had money been available to Benitez at the right time he could have shaped the team that he envisioned.

The sales of Ryan Babel and Torres and the subsequent acquisition of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll materialized in the blink of an eye compared to transfer dealings under Benitez, which clearly displays the decisiveness of our new owners. NESV is willing to back Dalglish's judgment in the transfer market, and that can only mean good things for Liverpool in terms of getting the players we need.

Kenny Dalglish is 59-years-old and may not be in a position to rule over a period of Liverpool dominance for 10 years, but he had the passion and foresight to dig us out of the situation the club is in today.

Liverpool should look to emulate the German national team in their managerial successions, with each coach having an understudy who eventually takes the reins.

This club is all about passion and grooming the likes of Steve Clarke or perhaps a returning Phil Thompson would allow Liverpool to have more continuity in the dugout.

Soon enough those special nights at Anfield where the best teams on the continent come and fall short against a majestic Reds side surrounded by a baying crowd will be back. And hopefully, we'll have our magic too.