My top five players of 07/08

What it does give us a chance to do, though, is reflect on the events of the previous nine months of what was a strange, up-and-down season for Liverpool - largely thanks to the battles that raged in the boardroom all season, but more of that another time.

However, one positive we can take from our campaign, and there were several despite failing to maintain a title challenge past January and ultimately ending up with no silverware, is the fantastic individual performances of some of the boys in Red.

So, in my first blog for Liverpool Banter, I'm going to talk you through my own personal top five Liverpool players for 2007/08 in reverse order...

5. Sami Hyypia

This was a toss up between Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher but I've gone for the big Finn and here's why...

Many, myself included, didn't expect Hyypia to get that much playing time this season largely due to the emergence of Daniel Agger but a metatarsal injury to the Dane, and a lack of defensive cover, forced Rafa's hand.

Hyypia came in against FC Porto away in Liverpool's first fixture in the Champions League, having previous been used sparingly, and conceded an early penalty after he was beaten for pace inside the box.

It left many wondering if Hyypia was past his best, was he able to keep up with the pace of the game?

But those fears proved to be unfounded as the now 34-year-old settled back into the centre of defence alongside Carragher, proving that despite aging legs, his reading of the game is impeccable, as it always has been.

So much so that Hyypia figured in over 40 matches and signed a contract extension that will take him into his tenth year at Anfield next season.

A genuine Liverpool legend.

4. Martin Skrtel

It's not a reflection of Liverpool's season that my first two choices are centre-backs, rather the individual excellence of the two as well as Carragher.

If, on the evening of January 26 of this year, you'd have told anyone that Martin Skrtel would have been one of Liverpool's brightest players of the season you'd soon have been spending some time in a padded cell.

Little was known of the 23-year-old when he was signed by Benitez in January for a club record fee for a defender of £6.5m from Zenit St Petersburg and he did himself few favours on his full debut against non-league Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup tie at Anfield.

The Slovak conceded a needless corner from around 35-yards out, which Havant scored from, and also netted an own-goal.

Even those who like to reserve judgement until a player has settled in found it difficult to believe that this defender was capable of playing a key-role in the season run-in but, a little over four months later, Skrtel is now firmly established as a fans favourite.

His no-nonsense approach is one that supporters love to watch while he has dealt with the likes of Adebayor and Drogba with minimal fuss.

Some even cite his early injury and subsequent substitution in the second-leg of the Champions League semi-final as a key factor in Liverpool's exit from the competition such was his dominance over Drogba.

My personal favourite performance from Skrtel was the Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield, for which he was named man-of-the-match on the official website, when he was launching himself in challenges.

With the likes of Skrtel, Carragher and Agger in the ranks, Liverpool's defence looks secure for years to come.

3. Steven Gerrard

The debate regarding Steven Gerrard's best position in Liverpool's team was (seemingly) finally resolved this season when Benitez moved him just behind Fernando Torres in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Gerrard, Torres and the team flourished in the system, suffering just one league defeat from the end of January onwards.

It was another productive season for Gerrard who once again netted over 20 goals and became the first since John Aldridge to score in seven successive matches in November/December, but it was his link-up with Torres that really caught the eye, which was almost telepathic at times.

His ability can perhaps be taken for granted but in Gerrard Liverpool do possess a genuine world-class footballer.

2. Javier Mascherano

It takes a special player to overtake Gerrard as the Reds' player of the season and that is exactly what Javier Mascherano is, although he falls just short of my number one spot.

The little Argentine has been imperious in Liverpool's midfield all season long, becoming one of the first names of the team sheet.

He's also improved as a footballer too. There were question marks about his offensive play early in the campaign, particularly his passing, but as the season went on he got better and better and even scored his first goal for the Reds against Reading in March. His performances in the Champions League were a major reason for Liverpool reaching another semi-final.

One of the finest sights you can see at Anfield as a Liverpool fan is Mascherano sprinting 30-yards across the turf to try and win back possession for the team.

Thankfully, he is now Liverpool's to keep after his loan-deal was made permanent in February.

1. Fernando Torres

Come on, could it have been anyone else at number one?

Liverpool broke their transfer record last summer to land Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid.

He was seen as a player with huge promise and one that really could become the 25-goal a season man Liverpool were crying out for but then, we'd been here before hadn't we? Djibril Cisse and El-Hadji Diouf are just two of several names who spring to mind as high-profile signings who ultimately proved to be big-money flops.

So could Torres cut the mustard in the Premiership?

The answer to that question came on his home debut against Chelsea when he gilded past Tal Ben Haim and slid a low shot past Petr Cech into the bottom corner.

It wasn't only his wonderful goal that caught the eye, however, as Torres stood up admirably to the bullying tactics of John Terry all afternoon. This was clearly a forward who wasn't going to be fazed by the physical aspect of English football.

It's a myth to say that Torres was part of Benitez's 'rotation policy' but he did start two matches on the bench early on in season against Portsmouth at Fratton Park and Birmingham at Anfield. Notably, the Reds' failed to score in both games.

From late September onwards, Torres was a permanent fixture in the team (when fit) and went on to break the 20 league goal benchmark.

He eventually took his tally to 24 in the league, setting several records along the way, while he bagged 33 overall, each and every one from open-play. The Reds haven't had a striker as prolific as Torres since Robbie Fowler in the mid-nineties.

The quality of his goals were a joy to behold and his strikes against Marseille, Arsenal and Newcastle will live long in the memory.

Who knows how many goals he would have scored if he'd taken our penalties?