Thanks very much to @WrittenByMartin for this guest post – give him a follow…
By Martin Law:
Liverpool FC currently sit 3rd in the Premier League on 66 points with four games remaining. With the season quickly coming to an end and Liverpool hoping to finish off the campaign in the top 4 for the first
time in three years, here’s a look back on Liverpool’s best finishes over the last 10 seasons.
2007/08 – 4th, 76 points
2008/09 – 2nd, 86 points
2009/10 – 7th, 63 points
2010/11 – 6th, 58 points
2011/12 – 8th, 52 points (League Cup winners)
2012/13 – 7th, 61 points
2013/14 – 2nd, 84 points
2014/15 – 6th, 62 points
2015/16 – 8th, 60 points
2016/17 – Currently in 3rd place on 66 points with 5 games remaining
There is a lot of debate about Liverpool’s best season in recent years, with a lot of talk about their 2013/14 season where Luis Suarez bagged 31 goals in the Premier League. That season the club finished in second place on 84 points, infamously losing out on the title to Manchester City by 2 points.
From a points perspective, that season was the closest Liverpool have come to lifting the Premier League trophy; just 2 points behind the winners. But in 2008/09, the club finished on 86 points; their highest ever finish since the Premier League formed in 1992 and their 4th highest ever points tally since English football adopted three points for a win in 1981.
To compare seasons, one must look at a number of factors, including financial expenditure and cup runs. Success could be measured in different ways, but the obvious way most fans will measure success will be the Premier League finish.
Here is my top 3 of the last 10 seasons:
3) 2016/17
Without wanting to jinx the club, this season looks like it has been a
good one for Jurgen Klopp’s men. Although some fans may be
disappointed with the team’s collapse in January – well and truly
ruling them out of the title race – finishing in the top 4 and
regaining Champions League football was always the aim for the season.
Liverpool’s tally of 43 points from their first 19 games this season
stands as their best ever record in the Premier League era.
Unfortunately the team’s form declined, picking up just 3 points in
their next 5 games, including a 2-3 home defeat to strugglers Swansea.
However, with just 5 games left this season, the Reds could
potentially finish on 81 points if they win all of their remaining
games. For Jurgen Klopp’s first full season in charge, that would be a
very good accomplishment. The Reds have picked up 20 out of a possible
30 points against the other teams in the top 6, including away wins at
Chelsea and Arsenal. That definitely brings hope for the future.
Liverpool’s net transfer spend this season is actually £4.25 million
in profit. When you compare that to Manchester United’s £117.17
million net spend or City’s jaw-dropping £151 million net spend, you
have to say Klopp has worked wonders developing the side he inherited
last season.
2) 2013/14
Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side scored an unprecedented 101 goals in
the 2013/14 Premier League season, finishing on 84 points, 23 points
higher than the previous season.
With just 3 games to go, Liverpool looked set to win the title for the
first time since the 1989/90 season, but slipped up at home to Chelsea
before drawing 3-3 away to Crystal Palace.
But just like with this season, the aim pre-season was never to win
the league. After finishing in 7th position the previous campaign,
Liverpool’s success in 2014 surprised many and most neutrals were
enjoying their free-flowing football.
It was obviously gutting for fans when they finished runners-up, being
pipped to the title by Manchester City, but sometimes you just have to
give credit where it is due. Liverpool scored a whopping 101 goals in
the 38 games, but City scored 102. Liverpool won 26 games, but City
won 27. Liverpool’s key man was obviously Luis Suarez who scored 31
league goals, winning the PFA Player of the Year at the end of the
campaign. But man for man, City’s team was arguably much stronger;
with Yaya Toure scoring 20 league goals from midfield.
Earlier this season, James Milner said that the current Liverpool side
is the best crop of players he’s ever played with in his 16 years
playing Premier League football, including for the title winning City
side of 2014. That statement backs the opinion that the Premier
League, along with Leicester City winning the trophy last year, is now
more competitive than ever.
1) 2008/09
During Rafa Benitez’s 6 season stint as Liverpool boss, the club
transformed into a major threat in Europe once again, winning the
Champions League in his first season and reaching the final again in
2007.
During the 2008/09 season, Liverpool dominated Group D in the
competition, winning 4 games and drawing twice. In the first knockout
round, Kopites witnessed a 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid at Anfield,
with Steven Gerrard scoring 2 goals. This was one of the greatest
nights Anfield had seen in years.
Unfortunately they were knocked out in the Quarter Finals by rivals
Chelsea, losing 7-5 on aggregate in what was an incredible 4-4 second
leg at Stamford Bridge. As John Terry said after the game though, “not
many teams go to Stamford Bridge and score 4 goals.”
Liverpool played 10 Champions League games that season, which makes
their Premier League finish even more special than the 2013/14
campaign in my opinion, due to the amount of games they had to play in
a short period of time.
Liverpool finished the Premier League season in 2nd place, 4 points
behind Manchester United. LFC had a better goal difference and beat
United home and away, including a dramatic 4–1 victory at Old
Trafford, but were undone by a series of disappointing draws.
Liverpool only lost 2 league games all season, the lowest amount in
the division since Chelsea lost just once in the 2004/05 season.
The team was stronger man for man than the 2013/14 season, with a
midfield featuring world class talent including Xabi Alonso, Steven
Gerrard and Javier Mascherano. The defence was stronger too, with
Jamie Carragher playing arguably his best ever season. Up front,
Fernando Torres scored 14 goals in 24 games. But 15 other players
scored Premier League goals that season, with Gerrard scoring 16, Dirk
Kuyt scoring 12 and Yossi Benayoun scoring 8 goals. In 2013/14,
despite the team scoring 101 as opposed to 77, only 12 different
players scored.
Last season, Leicester City remarkably won the Premier League, despite
5000/1 odds at the start of the season. The Foxes finished on 81
points, 10 points clear of 2nd place Arsenal. When studying the table
from last year, it’s clear that points are shared a bit more than they
have been in the past. In the 2008/09 campaign, Liverpool finished on
86, their best ever finish in the Premier League.
Klopp’s current team is reminiscent of the team from 2009, with a
pressing midfield capable of winning matches by themselves. The
feeling amongst fans is that Klopp needs to strengthen the defence to
match the quality up the field. And with the possibility of Champions
League football returning to Anfield again next season, things are
looking up for Liverpool Football Club.