Amidst the doom and gloom that has surrounded Anfield over the past 12 months as results have become more and more disappointing and the financial situation increasingly perilous, some positive news has finally arrived over the summer, with many star names giving strong indications that their futures lie at Liverpool.
Whenever Liverpool have had a below-par season rumours always abound about the future of Steven Gerrard, despite his clear devotion to the club and the city. The media hacks claim that our captain will have to move on to a "bigger" club in order to win the most coveted prize in English football, the Barclays Premier League.
In fact, Gerrard has been close to a move to Chelsea twice in the past. The first time was during the summer of 2004, when Gerrard was unsettled by Liverpool's League form and, for the first time in his career, seriously considered a move away. Thankfully, he decided to give Rafa time to sort the club out, and the local lad ended up lifting the European Cup at the climax of the following season.
Unfortunately, the club stalled on offering Stevie a new contract after the 2005 Champions League triumph; causing our captain to feel unwanted and to therefore reject the new contract once it was eventually offered. Liverpool agreed to sell the player to Chelsea, however, after a long night of soul-searching, Gerrard made a dramatic u-turn, signing a new 4 year deal and confirming his desire to stay on Merseyside for the rest of his playing days.
With Liverpool experiencing one of their worst League season's in recent history last season the murmurings that Gerrard could be set to leave Anfield have begun once again. However, this time it is Real Madrid, and their new manager Jose Mourinho, who are reported to be interested in signing the England international.
Those rumours have no foundation, as Real Madrid's transfer consultant, Ernesto Bronzetti, believes that the Spanish side have ended their interest in Gerrard because of Liverpool's high asking price and the fact that the 30 year old is approaching the end of his career.
He said, "...the president does not agree with (signing) Gerrard because he is 30 and...Liverpool asked for £58 million."
This is great news for supporters desperate to see our talisman remain at the club. Also, Gerrard, along with fellow scouser Jamie Carragher, has backed the appointment of Roy Hodgson as new manager, providing renewed hope that Liverpool will retain the local core of the side next season.
Gerrard said, "The club have made a good appointment in Roy Hodgson...Roy is hugely experienced and I believe he is the right man for Liverpool. I think it's been worth the wait (to find out who the new boss would be) and I'm sure he's just keen now to get on with it and start to quickly put in place his plans for the new season."
Carragher also added, "I'm really looking forward to the opportunity of working with Roy Hodgson as he's got such a great reputation in the game and is one of the most experienced managers in world football. After this period of uncertainty, his appointment has given us all a lift."
This backing for the manager could prove crucial in keeping the players on Merseyside. Both of them sound delighted to be working with the new boss, which can only be good, positive news.
Transfer speculation surrounds the future of star striker Fernando Torres, with all of the top clubs across Europe linked with a move for the Spaniard. However, I am confident that he will stay for at least one more season because Torres was pictured proudly wearing a Liverpool scarf during Spain's World Cup celebrations.
Surely he would never do this if he was intending to leave Anfield this summer?
Torres is also another player to come out in support of Hodgson, saying, "I was happy Hodgson got the job. He did really well at Fulham and I am sure he can do better for Liverpool. He is a very good manager."
Although this news is undoubtedly positive, it is tempered by the revelation that our main man is likely to miss the start of the season due to a ruptured thigh muscle which he picked up in the dying moments of the World Cup final.
If any of our star names is to move on this summer, it appears to be that Javier Mascherano is the most likely candidate to leave the club. He has not come out in support of the new manager, and clearly has a desire to join up with former boss Rafael Benitez at Inter Milan. Mascherano was one of Benitez's favourite players at Anfield, and I am certain that Rafa would be delighted to have the Argentina captain at the San Siro.
However, even if Mascherano does decide to move Benitez has moulded a ready-made replacement for him in the shape of Lucas. Ok, Lucas isn't quite as good as Mascherano at the moment, however the Brazilian is improving and developed significantly last season. Moreover, if the board stick to their promise to allow Hodgson to spend any money he generates through player sales, then the sale of Mascherano could give Hodgson vital funds with which he could bolster the squad.
So, it seems likely to me that Gerrard, Carragher and Torres will all be at Anfield next season, ready to inspire Liverpool to a much-improved display. On top of that, Pepe Reina has already committed himself to a long-term contract, and Dirk Kuyt, another key player in the Liverpool side, has backed the new boss to change our fortunes.
If all these key players stay then we should retain a strong spine, which could prove crucial in re-claiming Champions League football, and re-establishing ourselves as a top side.
YNWA
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