To state the obvious but most apt cliche in this situation - Rome wasn't built in a day. Or the Spanish Armada wasn't formed in a week, French Battalian in a month, or however you wish to refer to it.
We've seen a marked improvement in the quality of our football this season. For the most part enjoyable, but obviously not as close to the top teams as we would like.
We spent a lot of money over the summer rebuilding the team. Six of our regular starters have been here less than a year - Suarez, Carroll, Henderson, Enrique, Adam and Downing. With that many new faces we're not going to turn in to world beaters overnight. I didn't really expect us to. Aesthetically we are pleasing, but without any end product.
Suarez, as he brilliant as he is, isn't scoring on a regular basis. He may well be suited to playing off the striker, out wide, as he occasionally did for Ajax. We don't have a true number 10 to compliment his services. It's no secret though that we would struggle without Suarez because he is our focal point of the team.
Carroll, unfortunately for him, and evidently through none of his own fault, has been thrust in to this situation where his price tag is dictating his results. To be fair to him he's hardly played and the system the team is employing has rarely suited his strengths. As many of you know I've always been a strong advocate of Carroll. I do believe the ball just isn't running for him. But if it isn't working around him we need to make a decision about where he fits in.
So that's where our end product should lie. Between those two players. And even more pressure is heaped on them because there is virtually no scoring support from the midfield.
There are obviously still some pieces missing in this puzzle. Pieces that will shift us over the line and put away these teams we have enormous difficulties beating. The summer spending has got us 'closer' to the top 4, but not actually 'in' it. Of course I'm not ruling out that conceivably we could get in this season, and traditionally we do have a stronger second half of the season.
The foundation is there but the extra spark to ignite us and propel this machine into firing on all cylinders is astray. Just like a young striker with bags of potential who takes 2 or 3 years to hit his stride, it could be a few years before we hit our peak potential. If anything that is a positive because it shows we're heading in the right direction.
At many points this season the team has looked like one in a transitional period and a work in progress, and if we're willing to accept that then we should also accept that this year may not be the year we crack the top 4.
On the flip side many of us have run out of patience. Many supporters order instant pay off and continue to highlight such measures as spending £35 million on a striker. Or the fact that we spent a substantial sum on Downing and Henderson, and the least that should have resulted in is a place in the top 4. Of course that doesn't guarantee the outcome by default. Remember other teams around us have invested heavily also. Or it could be as simple as just someone who can put the ball in the back of the net, and isn't. Which doesn't rule out the idea that we haven't found him yet.
Patience may well be wearing thin, but there is no magical potion right now that will turn these disappointing results in to wins.
Are you willing to accept a transitional season for Liverpool? And will it come with a cost?
