Liverpool FC: 10 Reasons Why Reds Can Win the Premier League Title in 2012

Numerous people have said Liverpool could win the title. As many or more have claimed they don't have a chance in Hades.

However, once again I feel it is a calling to answer as I give you my thoughts on the matter. Is it possible? Why not? It is football after all, and stranger things have truly happened than a team coming back to glory.

Look at Germany's Borussia Dortmund for example. They were the golden boys of German football in the 1990s as they took the spotlight off of Bayern Munich for a period of about 10 years. Granted their last title was in 2001-02 and Liverpool's was 1990, nonetheless it is proven that it is possible to spend a few years down and then come back to life.

It is also important to look at the German club and realize many of their team members were younger this past season. Liverpool have their stars, but they have started to develop a more youth-based team that could surprise many in the coming season.

With the speculation still continuing as it no doubt will for most of the entire season, can Liverpool truly win the title this season? In my honest opinion, they could.

Reverse the Curse

While the Liverpool Reds are not the Boston Red Sox, they do share many similarities. Fenway Park is the Mecca of Red Sox fans in the same sense that Anfield is for Kopites.

Both clubs are tied to songs released in the 1960s, with Roger and Hammerstein's You'll Never Walk Alone (1962) and Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline (1969).

The Green Monster gives the same kind of endearing thought as the Kop to a fan of both teams like myself.

The most important things that they both now share are John Henry and Tom Werner. The two major players of Fenway Sports Group know how to turn a franchise around. The Red Sox had not won a World Series since 1918, but it only took Henry and Werner two seasons to assemble a team that would finally end the drought in 2004, in what has been rated the most important Boston sports championship of the last decade.

Henry wants to win, and that has been no secret, and he appears none too shy about splashing the cash to start building his next championship team, and hopefully his first in the United Kingdom.

The Anfield Affect

Anfield has been known for the atmosphere it can create for the Reds, and it is famous for its European nights.

However, it is time that they get put to use for EPL nights, as Kenny Dalglish is back, and his speciality for the Reds was winning the league title as he won three in his five-and-a-half years in charge the first time.

With the future of the Reds' beloved stadium in doubt, as a Stanley Park future appears to be on the horizon, it is time the old hallowed stands bring out all they have left to help; the next slide will be sure it creates the most memorable times of recent decades this season.

The Fans

More important to the club than their field are the people that make Anfield the club's true home, the Kopites. One of the most passionate fanbases in the world of sports belongs to the Liverpool Reds, and they will need every bit of support they can muster this season.

Liverpool's fans have a history of being able to will their team to win, and this will be a season where they could use that fan support to truly do something magical. If there is ever a fanbase deserving of their team stepping back into the spotlight this season, it truly is that of the Reds.

Youth Players That Can Be Relied Upon

Liverpool's youth players made the entire footballing world stop and take notice for at least an instant last season. As injury after injury seemed to be gripping the Reds each week, the reinforcements from the Academy continued to come in and get the job done.

Martin Kelly was sensational on the right of defense, as was John Flanagan after the unfortunate injury to Kelly. Jack Robinson also proved capable on the left, while Jay Spearing showed he had enough to grit out performances in the midfield to make this club proud.

No European Football

The absence of European football is a blow to the Reds, but it is possible that it is a blessing in disguise. The last period of time they missed out on it they won the league three out of six years when they were banned for the 1985 Heysel Stadium Disaster.

While that is not a fond memory, it is fact. Once again, Liverpool can call on all their efforts to focus solely on reclaiming their crown at the top of English football while the rest of the top five have to play double-duty with the Europa League or the UEFA Champions League adding in extra games when the Reds will get a break.

Granted top clubs have the depth to compete on multiple fronts, it will still be an interesting key that could lead to the Reds success this season.

Veterans That Answer the Call

Liverpool have a unique blend of veterans that seem to come through when the time comes. Steven Gerrard proved he still had that power when he came off the bench against Napoli last season to score a second-half hat-trick.

Dirk Kuyt stepped up and claimed the vacated striking role left open by Fernando Torres, and when he was needed the most he brought out his old shooting boots from his Eredivisie days. The Dutchman scored a total of nine goals in the last months as the Reds tried to make it to fifth place. He ended the season with a total of 19 goals and 12 assists across the board for the Reds, leading the team on both counts.

Jamie Carragher is always the man of the hour, though he has lost a step or two in recent years, and I'll admit has had a few howler moments; he reminds me of a grizzled, old Jason Varitek from the Red Sox, as the man that is always there when called upon.

The New Players Want To Be at Liverpool

One of the most important facts about all of Liverpool's new signings is that they wanted to come to club. Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing all wanted to wear Liverpool Red.

Honestly, that in itself makes them even better signings, as they are focused on the club as why they wanted to make the change.

Luis Suarez publicly declared that he believed the Reds could win the league this year, and with the form he has been in since moving to England, we could just let him pull us all the way back to the top.

Steven Gerrard Fully Healthy

The bad news may have broken just in the last few days that Captain Fantastic may be sidelined another month or so, but the return of full fitness for one of the most important players to ever wear a Liverpool kit has to be given the most importance.

Liverpool proved they could win in the absence of their captain last season, and they will have to do so in the opening few fixtures of the year, but make no mistake: The return of Steven Gerrard to full fitness after a successful and complete recovery could mean the world to the club's title credentials this year.

With his surgery said to have completely corrected his nagging groin issue, if we could get a glimpse of the Gerrard that was in the 2008-09 squad it would be more than enough to lift Luis Suarez's game even higher.

Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez represents the X-factor for the Reds in this upcoming season. He took to the English game better than anyone could have imagined, and as he closed the season on top of his game, he held it through the summer.

He returned to the Reds as The Player of the Tournament, and winner of South America's Copa America, where he and his home nation of Uruguay claimed a record 15th South American championship.

Suarez is a proven goal-scorer as he scored 111 goals in 159 games for Ajax in his last three-and-a-half seasons in the Netherlands.

Upon moving to Liverpool, he opened his account in his debut substitution against Stoke City, and went on to score three more goals in his 13 games for the Reds. He also had his hand in creating three others, and despite his short term on the pitch, he was fourth on the team for providing that key final touch.

His first full season at Ajax saw him net 22 goals, his second 28, his third 49. I can see him only getting better with time at Liverpool, and I suspect the league is going to pay dearly when he is in front of goal this season.

The Return of the King

The last man to win the English title with Liverpool was Kenny Dalglish. In fact, he led the Reds to three of their last three league titles as manager, and possibly could have won a fourth with the club if not for the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989.

His record for the Reds in his first 297 games in charge was 180 wins, 76 draws and only 41 losses with a 60.61 winning percentage. Since the return to the helm, he has 11 wins, five draws and seven losses, but he has a difficult challenge coming in during the middle of the worst start to a Liverpool campaign in years.

Given his past success as a manager, and his proven ability to win trophies in even short-term periods in charge—he won the 1999-00 Scottish Cup with Celtic during an 18-game stint—it is certain that Dalglish can lead the club back to the top.

He is also one of the most iconic figures in Liverpool history, as both a player and a manager, and there has been a lack of a tactician of his style that can demand the respect of players in the manner he can.

Since his return, that swagger has started to appear about the club, and their love of a legendary manager is showing through more and more. That has been one of the key things missing from the Reds since his departure.