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This is languagecaster’s second main listening report of the 2012/13 season, and Damon looks ahead at his team, Liverpool’s, season Worksheet: Premier League Preview 2012-13
A work in progress or the end of an era?
Last season was a bad one for Liverpool. 8th place, the lowest finish for Liverpool since 1994,A was a real shock for fans, and of course meant no Champions League again. That competition had been the only bright spot for Liverpool in the last ten years. While they stumbled in the league, they at least could look forward to some famous clashes with the big teams of Europe. All of that is becoming a memory, as is challenging for the title. The Reds did win the Carling Cup, were in the FA Cup final, perhaps deserve the title of the unluckiest club, too, as they hit the woodwork over 30 times! But the old cliche, the table doesn’t lie, showed the Anfield cub trailing the leaders by a huge 37 points.
Good news
Not all is doom and gloom, however. Despite the sad exit of club legend Kenny Dalglish from the dugout, Liverpool seem to have a confident, tactically astute, young manager in place in Brendan Rogers. He’s already started the process of getting rid of dead wood with a number of players being removed from the wage bill. The manager will be pleased that Suarez has signed a new contract, along with Skrtel, and it also looks like Agger will be staying at the club, too. It has also been refreshing to see Raheem Stirling, 17, brought in to the first team, and he didn’t let the side down last week in a difficult fixture against Man City. The new signings are still a bit of a mystery to most Reds fans – it’s never easy to tell how new players will fit in to the system and the new life when they sign. But Borini looks like he has an eye for goal, desperately needed by a goal shy Liverpool last season, Sahin is confident on the ball and is a threat from midfield with his passing and shooting, and Joe Allen, last seasons most successful passer of the ball will help Liverpool control the midfield. But it remains a fact that all of the ‘big’ names have gone to clubs in the Champions League. Not being in that competition is a real problem for Liverpool
Predictions
Champions? Not a chance
Top four? No way – 6th
Silverware? None
Other? Last year I said the club needed to decide on increasing Anfield’s seating or on a new stadium. If they don’t do that this season, it will be a gloomy one for Reds fans with little to cheer about.
Conclusion
Getting Liverpool back to the top is going to take a long time and realistically if there aren’t signs of moving that way this season, Liverpool will have to be content being a top-half of the table team.
A Vocabulary support
bright spot: good thing; highlight
the woodwork: the frame of the goal; the posts and bar
the table doesn’t lie: a cliche used when people make excuses for their team’s performance
the dugout: where the manager , coaching staff and players sit during the game; the manager’s position
dead wood: unwanted players; something no longer useful
an eye for goal: a striker’s instinct; an ability to score goals
