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What FSG needed to do was 6 months ago was budget ~£50m to sound out 2-3 top class players and convince them we are a project worth being a part of. Use Suarez, Gerrard and Coutinho as the star player attractions (current world class footballer, living club legend, and future star), with the lure of restoring Liverpool Football Club back to European football's elite. I'm pretty sure Suarez will have spoken with management at some point to ask about their summer recruitment plans. He probably told them "I'm 26, entering my prime years, I love this place but the club needs to strengthen the playing personnel significantly." They would have said "we are looking at getting in more young players with potentia, we can't shop at the top table, you know the deal..." Being realistic, we're not likely to finish 4th next season unless we overachieve and two teams above us have slightly below-par seasons. Spurs have improved their squad already, and as bad as Arsenal supposedly were last season they still finished 12 points ahead of us. Chelsea will be stronger this season, likely tallying > 80 points. City are going to be better than their 78 points finish last season. Even if Man Utd decline as many are predicting/hoping, they still finished 28 points ahead of us. Also, let's not forget that Everton have finished ahead of us 2 seasons in a row. Maybe the misfortune of striking the woodwork 20+ times two seasons ago will finally balance itself next year... If I were a professional footballer in Suarez's situation, I'd see no reason to remain at LFC. If it takes 2 more seasons to get to the CL, he'll be 28/29 by the time we're back in. And maybe by 30 he'll have experienced a title challenge with us, if he stayed on for that long. If I had no affiliation to the club, and have ambitions which exceed my employers', I'd want to get out this summer too. And this is FSG's problem. All that said, Suarez should be less of a bell about it all...

It sounds so silly there's got to be more to this. Perhaps this the move that flushes out the transfer request, with a final bid coming afterwards - following some Suarez-class drama - which finally forces our hand?

Well put. Money speaks.

Think I read somewhere Rodgers was unconvinced of his character at the time, but had been speaking with him over the course of the 4 months.

But the pressure is though...

I think what Rafa wanted to do was teach him how to use his energy more effectively, making him a better team footballer and also prolonging his career. If he had (or at least tried to) kept up the same type of play showed in 03/04 he would have retired a few seasons ago. Coupled with the fact that he used to get really nervous before games he would not have lasted many more seasons. I think we're lucky to have him playing every game this season as it is.

I thought his basics were about heavy possession and pressing? What is so revolutionary about his basics?

Henderson has to start with Lucas. We need running and good recycling of the ball and I think these two can give us that in a consistent and intelligent manner. They also have the potential to provide the balance and stability in the way Lucas and Spearing did under Kenny's interim period, allowing the players ahead to just go and play. It appears Lucas is still not capable of putting in a full 90 at full pelt and Rodgers sees Hendo as his deputy. Let Allen be his replacement if this is the case. This will also mean Gerrard plays further up the pitch with more freedom, allowing the two deeper players to control the game in the way he normally doesn't/can't. Would I be right in saying that Lucas and Hendo have never played a central pairing before? If this is the lineup and we still don't get a result then maybe I'll concede that the squad is not as good as we think. But until then I think Rodgers needs to rotate until he gets the right balance in midfield - for me this partnership in theory is our best bet of not getting sliced and overrun in the middle.

I'm sure Jonjo was at the very least irritated by Hodgson's comments after the Northampton game. Worthy of a place on the bench on the Upset 11 I say...

It's the mediocrity that's killing me inside. We're just not relevant at all at the moment. This team is a lot better than its current 10th place showing. Rodgers was supposed to come in and stamp his identity on the team but I honestly don't see anything on the pitch in the way of that. With Houllier it was defensively stout, counter-attacking football with quick forwards. With Rafa you could see very early on against Arsenal and Monaco at home, what he wanted to do, what his teams were about - control. Even Hodgson tried to make us sit back and lump it forward to Torres and Ngog. It was his style. Kenny made us all excited with the superb link-up play of Suarez, Maxi, Dirk and Meireles before dismantling it for last season's team. Rodgers I understand is supposed to be all about possession, being brave on the ball. Taking apart teams by pressing them high up the pitch, and then keeping the ball and making them chase shadows. But our midfield gets overrun often, we don't know how to play keep ball, and we're so naive tactically. If we didn't have Hodgson as a barometer of sh*tness many would be calling for this guy's head... As you said, we sacked Kenny for this......

What's happened to him?

I wouldn't say he's a far superior player until we've seen what he can do further up the pitch. Off on a tangent: if we're comparing fees, then we should be looking at the 15m spent on Allen vs the 15m Spurs spent on Dembele. Not saying Dembele would have picked us over Spurs, but for me he has more ability and potential...

I realise Chelsea won it last season and Man Utd and Arsenal were in finals and semis recently, but is there any chance England will only have 3 spots in the CL by 14/15 if PL teams struggle badly this season and next?

Top bloke, top player. He plays with confidence and authority now - what a contrast from his poor form in the early part of 10/11.

I think Lucas' effect on the team is psychological too. He offers us control, the confidence to go out and play. Agger confidently steps out and stays upfield knowing that Lucas will sit in capably. The fullbacks can bomb on knowing someone is watching after them. He can win his physical battles, and certainly helps others with theirs. I recall Jamie Redknapp saying a while back that during the Evans days he was always inclined to play the safe pass because in the back of his mind the risky forward pass - which he could hit - could well end up in a goal against Liverpool, so poor was the defending.

Downing can stick one in with his right peg though.

Absolutely - we'd be two off the magical 40-point safety mark. We'll then be able to play without the pressures of being sucked into a relegation battle; who knows where that might take us...?

No he wasn't.

Going to give this a go off the top of my head - Birmingham at home in Rafa's first season. The other 8 are: Chelsea 3x - 1st, 2nd and last seasons Man Utd 3x - 1st, 3rd and 4th seasons Villa - final season Arsenal - final season That was way too easy. Unless there were more...

Please explain what it is to me, because I'm struggling to understand why those 11 have been lined up the way they did. And if you bring Henderson on, surely it's to push Gerrard forward?

He's scored quite a few with his head. Caught me by surprise a little, even though I knew he was a good header of the ball. That shoulder control against Newcastle was incredible.

I'm going to watch the first 5 games of last season again. He was f*cking amazing in those matches from memory, felt like we had finally got a proper left back.

We should have won the league in 09 but for some jammy luck and decisions in favour of Utd in their final games. Hodgson was our manager. Mascherano was replaced by Poulsen. We nearly went into administration. Having to pay out 5m a year to Joe Cole. Yet you - and others - are being touchy about us not winning the Champions League and getting into the final of another. Drama queen.

You know what - it was all about Fabio. Fabio Aurelio. For two seasons in the CL. He'd have started the final had he not done his achilles in 07. And we'd have been IN the final in 08.

Said he would have killed to play in today's game on Twitter. He only needed to feign injury before the game on Thursday...