Reasons to hope as Liverpool close in

"Liverpool Football Club exists to win trophies" has challenged "You'll Never Walk Alone" as the dominant Anfield mantra for the past four decades and when that raison d'etre is not maintained it is inevitable that criticism will come along.

The magic spell Arsene Wenger has cast over sections of the media which seems to preclude him or his club from criticism when they fail to deliver on the trophy front does not apply to Liverpool and Benitez.

And anyone thinking that Liverpool, like other clubs, can point to a good cup run and an improved showing in the league as a sign of achievement is almost as misguided as John Arne Riise's shooting has been all season.

But that does not mean Liverpool have not made progress since the season kicked off last August, and there is more than enough statistical and anecdotal evidence to suggest that giant strides have been made in the last nine months.

Perhaps most importantly, Benitez finally managed to find the last piece of the jigsaw which every Reds boss since 1990 has tried and failed to track down.

Fernando Torres is that final piece - a goalscorer extraordinaire who has the talent to turn a good team into title challengers and who has even managed to make his £20m fee look a bargain - the only problem is, there are several more basic pieces which have gone astray.

The centre of Benitez's jigsaw puzzle is now pretty much complete with Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger (when fit), Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and the superlative Torres representing a spine as formidable as any other in the Premiership.

But the flanks remain threadbare with both the full back and wide midfield positions being occupied by players who are not equipped to be part of a title challenging team.

Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio and Yossi Benayoun are squad players but no more than that. Ryan Babel has huge potential but is still working out how to make the most of his clear talent and would probably be more effective used in a more central position anyway.

Riise and Jermaine Pennant have failed to deliver on far too many occasions and will be pushed through the Anfield exit door this summer.

Only Dirk Kuyt has excelled in a wide position and that was as an auxiliary right sided midfielder who provided perspiration far more often than he provided inspiration.

The good thing is, rarely has it been so clear where a team needs to improve. Quality additions in the wide areas would transform this Liverpool side and if the right players are recruited this summer then the title challenge which was expected, and pretty much demanded, last time around could be delivered in the forthcoming campaign.

For that to happen, Benitez might have to make slight alterations to his own philosophies, though.

Rotation is not the busted flush which some commentators would have us believe, and it has certainly served Sir Alex Ferguson well in a championship winning campaign in which he chopped and changed players more often than any other manager.

But unless Benitez has a squad at his disposal which is the equal of his counterpart's at the other end of the M62, rotation is unlikely to be as effective at Anfield as it is at Old Trafford.

Having said that, Liverpool again ended the season looking fresher than most of their opponents and the fact that they picked up more points in the last three months of the campaign than any other team in the league tells its own story.

But even within that run there were indicators to where Liverpool's problems lie as they failed to beat Arsenal, Chelsea and United yet again.

The league results at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates were creditable and Liverpool could quite easily have won both of these games but the 3-0 reversal at Old Trafford was a low which could not be explained away by Mascherano's first half dismissal.

There is a gap which still needs to be bridged. In points terms, the gap between United and Liverpool is identical to the one which separates the Reds from Mersey rivals Everton.

A succession of disappointing draws during the winter months and home and away defeats to United are the reason for this gap and it will only be closed next time around if Benitez is given the necessary financial backing to build a squad to compete with Ferguson's, and if the current inferiority complex which bedevils Liverpool whenever they face United is eradicated.

Having lost fewer league games than United last season, they have no reason to feel inferior to them, but what they do have to do is add that ruthless winning edge which their North West rivals are able to call upon seemingly at will.

The statistics do not lie. Zero trophies won means 2007/08 was not a great season for Liverpool.

But having scored more goals than any other English team, kept more clean sheets and almost halved the deficit on the champions there is much to suggest it was far from being a bad one.

Significantly, it was also a campaign which showed that, at the very least, Liverpool retain the potential to go on and challenge for the title. Now they just have to prove it.

GOOD TIMES

STEVEN GERRARD'S last minute winner at Villa Park on the opening day of the season.

Fernando Torres' first Liverpool goal against Chelsea - a sign of things to come.

Victories over Inter and Arsenal in the Champions League.

The double over neighbours Everton.

Beating Derby County 6-0 at a time when no-one realised how bad Derby really were.

Jamie Carragher adding to his legend status by playing his 500th game for the club.

Hammering Besiktas 8-0 at Anfield.

BAD TIMES

DEFEATS to Besiktas and Marseille in the group stages of the Champions League.

Losing 3-1 away to Reading.

Non-league Havant & Waterlooville scoring twice at Anfield.

John Arne Riise's last gasp own goal which resulted in Chelsea, not Liverpool, contesting the Champions League final.

Titus Bramble depriving the Reds of an Anfield victory against Wigan with the most unlikely goal of the season.

Being knocked out of the FA Cup at home by Championship side Barnsley.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON

FERNANDO TORRES: Honourable mentions go to Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard, but for sheer edge of the seat brilliance week in, week out, the honours must go to Torres.

GOAL OF THE SEASON

FERNANDO TORRES against Newcastle at Anfield.

For the vision and passing ability of Steven Gerrard and Torres' perfectly timed run, dummy and finish - poetry in motion.

MOMENT OF THE SEASON

RYAN BABEL'S goal against Arsenal to seal a place in the Champions League semi-finals which nearly brought the Anfield house down.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE SEASON

THE 3-0 reversal at Old Trafford. Losing to Manchester United is one thing, not competing is another