Michael Owen

In a name: Michael Owen. The 18-year-old striking revelation has fulfilled the pre-season predictions of soccer pundits to catapult himself into Merseyside fame. He has been Liverpool's chief striker throughout the season, where seasoned campaigners Robbie Fowler and the newly-signed German international Karlheinz Riedle have been hit by the loss of form, injury and suspension. Owen has struck 23 goals in his first full season for the Reds, 18 of them in the Premiership (including a point-saving hat-trick at Hillsborough), level with Dion Dublin of Coventry City and Chris Sutton of Blackburn Rovers, ahead of the main England striker Alan Shearer and ahead of Arsenal's brilliant Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp.

Owen has been voted into third place in the PFA Footballer of the Year Award by fellow professionals and football critics (Bergkamp has won it), and won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. He has made England footballing history by becoming the youngest England cap this century when he was selected by England coach Glenn Hoddle, and made his international debut in England's 2-0 Wembley defeat by Chile. The teenage sensation is set to go to France for the World Cup finals in June, and may partner Shearer in attack if Teddy Sheringham loses his form (chances are Owen would be used as a substitute). One wonders what might have been if Fowler had been fit alongside Owen throughout the season. The homegrown Liverpool talent, whose electrifying pace was evident in his equaliser against Manchester United at Old Trafford and who contributes significantly to attack beyond scoring with his pace and workrate, is one of the reasons for sustaining optimism about Liverpool for the next campaign.

Steve McManaman

After Owen, the next excellent Liverpool player is the enigmatic Steve McManaman, who has surpassed himself with 12 goals this season. The appraisal of Macca's performance is however complicated somewhat by his unwillingness to sign a long-termed contract at Anfield; his present one runs out at the end of next season, after which he could leave Merseyside as a free agent under the Bosman ruling. Liverpool's anguish at that scenario has prompted them to accept, before the start of the season, a 12m pound offer from Barcelona; although the deal fell through, speculation about Macca's future has continued unabated throughout the season. It may be that Macca is feeling the strain of not winning anything at Liverpool since his brilliant brace brought the League Cup to Anfield in Evans' first full season in charge. He may seek a Continental club more likely to win trophies and not having to break an era of domination by a rival club.

In a footballing sense, however, Macca's contribution has been outstanding after a somewhat subdued one the previous season. Creating goals for others is what he has always done, but this season, Macca has scored some great goals as well, the decisive last-gasp equaliser that knocked out Glasgow Celtic, his winner at Arsenal and his brilliant double against Newcastle come quickly to mind. The pacy and powerful England winger, still unconfirmed in Hoddle's England setup, has missed only two matches this season for Liverpool (against West Ham and Derby County) and has impressed with his commitment, defensive responsibility and leadership qualities, as he showed when he took over from Paul Ince as caretaker captain when the Guv'nor was suspended. Liverpool fans adore Macca, although certain football experts believe that Macca's individualistic play hurts Liverpool's team and possession-oriented football. What I believe is that Macca, like Zinedine Zidane or Ryan Giggs, possesses that rare, mercurial and irreplaceable quality that allows the team to conjure a chance out of nothing or carve through tight defenses. It would hurt Liverpool, and not just emotionally, if he were to go.

Paul Ince

The England hard-man was brought from Inter Milan in the pre-season to bolster a supposedly talented but steelless Liverpool midfield. It is controversial whether the Guv'nor has done that. He has had some great games, such as in the thrilling draw at Tottenham, and he has provided scoring support for Liverpool's decimated frontline with eight goals. But in truth, Ince's presence and captaincy have not stabilised the team, which, more for defensive shortcomings perhaps, has been shakier in away games than in the last season. Ince has never been a talented playmaker, but he has also not been the lynchpin in midfield he was supposed to be.

I think John Barnes was unfairly made the scapegoat last season for Liverpool's defensiveness: his poise and experience were invaluable in holding and distributing the ball for Liverpool. I continue to maintain that it was Roy Evans' tactic of playing two ball-holders - Barnes and Michael Thomas, in midfield which contributed to Liverpool's over-reliance on the forwards. I am not dismissing Ince's potential influence - remember he took a season to settle in Italy before he became a real favourite of the San Siro crowds? He seemed to have been more effective this season with Jamie Redknapp alongside him, one ball-winner and the other a great playmaker in the making. But Redknapp has been too injury-plagued this season to forge any kind of sustained midfield partnership with Ince - certainly Ince alone cannot provide the steel for Liverpool if the problems in defence remain.

Other New Signings

Oyvind Leonhardsen, signed from Wimbledon, is set to become Liverpool's unsung hero if Evans sticks with the Norwegian next season in midfield. He missed the first third of the season through a persistent injury, but has since featured regularly in the starting line-up. Fit, hardworking and quietly effective, Leonhardsen has managed six goals, and goalscoring had never been a problem for him at Wimbledon. He may not have been as effective for Liverpool playing on the left of midfield where his preferred position for the Dons and for Norway is in the center. He has been criticised by fans when Liverpool do not play well, but that is because he is not a glamorous player who stands out. He is part of Evans' plan to introduce a greater attacking and goalscoring threat in Liverpool's midfield along with Ince, and I think he has done well so far.

Karlheinz Riedle, signed from Borussia Dortmund, has not had the Jurgen Klinsmann impact he was hoping for. His haul of seven goals is commendable given his luck with injuries and sequence out of the first-team squad. He has not been able to hold down a regular place and certainly not provided the aerial threat or been the powerful centre-forward which Evans thought would complement his pacy but small-sized strikers, Fowler or Owen.

Danny Murphy, signed from Crewe Alexandra, has been peripheral to most of Liverpool's plans this season until his sterling display at Old Trafford as a makeshift forward helped Liverpool to a draw. Since then, he too has not been able to hold a regular place with the return from injury of Riedle. But the shaven-headed youngster, talented and hardworking, could be the next sensation on Merseyside.

Brad Friedel, signed from Columbus Crewe, is the man who had wished so much to join the club and finally has. He was kept out of the starting line-up by David James for 11 games after arriving at Anfield, but has since kept his place in goal. His first few games were disasters, where he conceded 17 goals in 8 league games, but since the 4-1 demolition by Chelsea, he has kept two clean sheets in Liverpool best performances against West Ham and Arsenal. He is a good, alert goalkeeper, and while David James is excellent in stopping shots, the American No. 2 is less prone to the lapses of concentration and howlers with crosses that ended James' long sequence as Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper. Friedel looks to get a reprieve from the Department of Employment on the renewal of his work permit even though he has not played in the mandatory three-fourths of Liverpool's games, so he could continue in goal next season, a situation which could hasten the departure of James from Merseyside.

Other Players/Positions

In the goalkeeping department, Evans has finally managed to create competition for places with the signing of Friedel. The Liverpool manager lost patience with James after his nervous performance against Everton and roped in Friedel. Given the traditional conservatism at Anfield, it is likely that Friedel would start as No. 1 next season. His presence in goal has however not stabilised a leaky defence; although unspectacular (unlike James), he has so far escaped criticism aimed mostly at Liverpool's defence, and I do not think any genuine evaluation of Friedel is possible unless the defence is sorted out in the close season.

Liverpool's defence has been much-aligned this season, and much of it not unjustified. The vulnerability at the back has tarnished some of Liverpool's great performances away, such as in the sterling comebacks at Tottenham and Hillsborough - a fair sign of the team's combativeness this season. Evans has bemoaned the lack of a strong commanding presence in defence all-season, beginning after the catastrophe at Strasbourg. Two possible candidates have failed the test: Mark Wright, who was outstanding last season, has been plagued by a career-threatening back problem, and not featured at all this season, while Neil Ruddock has been out-of-favour since his poor performances against Everton and Strasbourg during Liverpool's disastrous early-days. The lack of height in Liverpool's defence has been exploited this season by powerful centre-forwards like Mark Hughes, Jurgen Klinsmann and Dion Dublin.

I think with all the criticism aimed at the defence, credit must be given to Dominic Matteo, another of Liverpool's young stars. Playing in the unenviable central defender's role, the stylish Matteo has impressed with his pace and intelligent reading of the game, and his ability to pass and distribute the ball. He is unfortunately left-footed, and has not had a commanding partner in defence whose power and height could complement his more skilful approach. Phil Babb, Steve Harkness and Tore Bjorn Kvarme have not fulfilled that role; Babb has given away some penalties and is similarly left-footed and Harkness is more a utility player than an outstanding defender. Kvarme was of course blamed for his infamous mistakes that led to Liverpool's defeats at Everton and at home to Manchester United; he has not been the reliable rock he was last season this time around. With a tough centre-half alongside him at the back however, Matteo has the potential to become Liverpool's homebred Frank Leboeuf.

The problems in defence have been compounded by Evans' inability to settle his wingbacks. On the right of defence, Jason McAteer and Rob Jones have traded spells in the side. Neither have looked convincing. I still maintain that McAteer, whose tireless running and fighting spirit I am a great admirer of, should play in midfield and is out-of-position as a rightback, which leaves a 4-4-2 formation more vulnerable defensively. Jones has been disappointing defensively where he has featured, despite his past England credentials and ability to go forward. On the left, the dependable Stig Inge Bjornebye has not managed to recapture his form of last season and has only recently regained his place. Evans has tried just about every fit man in various positions from his large collection of defenders; no combination has yet provided consistent cover, and he may even be tempted to place Redknapp there as sweeper (which is what Glenn Hoddle may have in mind for England in the future).

So the problems in defence may be attributed to injury or the defensive quality that Liverpool is missing. It is also true, though less than evident, that Evans' decision to abandon the oft-criticised 3-5-2 system in favour of the conventional 4-4-2 early in the season has left the defense more vulnerable. Player-wise, an ideal 4-4-2 Liverpool midfield would have Ince, Redknapp, Leonhardsen and Macca playing in front of a flat back four, instead of the five midfielders (two of whom are actually wingbacks) in a 3-5-2 system. In a 4-4-2 formation, the four midfielders would provide more thrust going forward but this could reduce the defensive cover as a result. In the previous season, defence was less a problem, but this time, with Wright injured and the formation shift, Evans has had to deal with an unforeseen consequence of his tactical switch, hence his search for a new type of defender.

While Liverpool's defence has clearly been inconsistent because of the tactical switch (despite the rare concerted effort at Arsenal and Manchester United), it is unclear whether the reformalised midfield has been more coherent in practice. The ideal combination would be Ince and Redknapp in the centre, with Macca roaming free and Leonhardsen on the right. It is a good plan, hinted at by the promising statistic that this midfield has scored 31 goals this season, whereas Owen, Fowler and Riedle have had 43 between them. This goes some way towards fulfilling Evans' plan to have a greater midfield involvement in and contribution to Liverpool's attacks.

The problem is the execution of the plan, with Redknapp so hampered by injury this season. Taking his place typically is Jamie Carragher, a promising youngster who nonetheless is more a destructive player like Ince. Here we see some sort of parallel with last season's midfield problems: Barnes and Thomas were too defensive-minded in holding the ball and passing it sideways or backwards instead of forward. Ince and Carragher are similarly not offensively-inclined, but the difference here is that they are ball-winners, not ball-holders, which explains why Liverpool's midfield has not been the pillar of the team this season particularly in away games, and has often buckled under pressure as a result. Not wonder Evans has bemoaned that defending is a team effort, not just the responsibility of the defence.

In place of Carragher, Evans could have used players more comfortable with the ball. But he has apparently lost interest in Michael Thomas, while the talented Murphy or David Thompson have only recently and sporadically featured in his plans. Patrik Berger has been an liability all season to Liverpool with his sole bright spark in his hat-trick against Chelsea; he has never settled at Anfield and I think Liverpool should release him. Evans' reluctance to place a more attack-oriented player alongside Ince in the absence of Redknapp goes back to his desire to buffer up a leaky defence with a hardier defence. He fails, I believe, to see that is not the solution, because he is missing a capable holder and passer of the ball in the centre of the park, the key to stability in the squad. With Redknapp fit, Liverpool's midfield is sound and Evans has got his buying right the previous pre-season.

Liverpool's strike force has been worst hit by injury this season given the lack of cover. In fact, that has been the case since the days of Ian Rush and John Aldridge. Owen has been the mainstay of the Liverpool attack and his play and finishing have been astonishingly improving as the season progressed. But how could an ambitious club depend so much on a single teenager, no matter how talented? Fowler, the main Liverpool striker for the past few seasons, has been dismal this term by his high standards. He has played sporadically, grabbed 13 goals (not a bad strike rate) and neither started nor finished the season. Despite his goals, he has missed numerous chances and not been his usual lethal self to the extent that he was rumoured to have balked and lost his confidence at the meteoric rise and finishing of the younger Owen. There is so much potential in a fit and confident Fowler-Owen combination, but keep in mind that the pair is still very young and perhaps immature on the field, a fact reflected by red cards collected by both players, at Bolton and Manchester United respectively. Anyway, Fowler is set to be sidelined with a serious knee injury until the end of the year, and Evans might have to search for a third fit striker after Owen and Riedle.

Liverpool in the Premiership

Roy Evans began this Premiership campaign avowing Liverpool's desire to wrest the league title from Manchester United. While the Cup defeats against Strasbourg and Coventry were shocking and disappointing was the semi-final League Cup defeat by Boro, Evans knows adding to Liverpool's 18 league titles was the fans' and management's greatest expectation. While the Cups could be said to always throw up their share of upsets and shocks, Premiership performance gives a better indication of Liverpool's consistency and comparative ability throughout the season.

One major criticism of last season's campaign was Liverpool's inability to win their home matches, that the points dropped at the Kop not only destroyed their title challenge but also caused them to finish a disappointing fourth. This season, Liverpool have not been awe-inspiring at their former fortress either: their home programme began with a disastrous defeat by Leicester City, which revived the old doubts and signaled Liverpool's early-season slump. In a way, the pressure of having to perform well in front of an oft-generous, supportive but also heavily demanding home crowd reflected Liverpool's struggle to meet the high standards of the past. Liverpool's home form did improve after that with some emphatic wins against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Derby County; but if the scorelines were impressive in those matches, less so were the actual team performances. From a larger perspective, Liverpool's good home form at this early stage was punctuated in away matches by defeats - by Everton and West Ham, and unconvincing performances generally.

The Reds only hauled themselves out of this slump from late November throughout December in the most enigmatic period of Liverpool's season. Beaten twice in consecutive home matches by Barnsley and then 3-1 by Manchester United, the Merseysiders managed to score an away win at Arsenal in-between and then embark until the middle of January on a run of six victories and one draw in seven Premiership matches, moving up to third in the table and five points behind leaders Manchester United. A point at home in the goalless stalemate against Blackburn Rovers (which Liverpool ought to have won) brought them within four points. At this juncture, a genuine assault on the League title was possible, alongside the contemplation of a Wembley final after Liverpool took a 2-1 first-leg lead against Boro in the League Cup semi-final.

But then everything fell apart from there. The Reds crashed at home against Southampton, impotent against a sturdy Saints' defence and victim to some incisive counterattacks. Then came Liverpool's collapse in the second leg against Boro and a sequence starting from the Southampton game of six matches without a win until they edged out Bolton Wanderers early in March. In January, a lacklustre Manchester United was there to be overtaken, but the challenge of Liverpool, together with those of Blackburn and Chelsea, fell by the wayside. United were left unscathed - at least for a time, until Highbury rose its deadly head.

Significantly, Liverpool have failed to mount a sustained challenge for the Premiership title. They started off badly, recovered in time poised to make their bid for the title, which however collapsed rapidly amid rising expectations. After January, Liverpool were always going to be merely fighting to finish as high as possible in the league, hopefully to qualify for the Champions League next season. The point is that unlike last season, home form and tactics could not be blamed for the title demise. Regardless of the home defeat by Southampton and inability to defeat Blackburn and Everton at Anfield, deeper causes were at work.

Last season part of the blame was laid upon the lack of midfield support for Macca and the strikers, and upon Liverpool's inability to break down massed defences particularly at Anfield. This season, however, the midfield has been more productive in front of goal, with Macca more capable of shaking off his marker, and once Evans favoured the 4-4-2 formation, scoring goals and creating chances even at home no longer listed as Liverpool's chief problems. But even while Liverpool were on a run at the end of 1997, their improvement was more apparent than real. Their fundamental weaknesses in defence, in midfield with Redknapp out injured and in attack with Fowler out as well, and their failure to cope with the burden of the glorious past, were never dealt with once the temporal Redroller had run out of steam.

One may ask how then did Arsenal win the Premiership, stricken as they were by injuries to and suspension of their chief strikers, Bergkamp and Ian Wright. The answer, significantly for Liverpool, is a fantastic, proven defence backed up by a rock solid midfield - which consisted of a ball-winner, Patrick Vieira, a playmaker, Emmanuel Petit, and two outstanding wingers, Marc Overmars and Ray Parlour. A fit Liverpool midfield would have the same qualities as this Arsenal midfield, if not better, but Jamie Redknapp was, crucially perhaps, Liverpool's missing link. And certainly the Reds do not have the Gunners' defensive stalwarts. Liverpool are close to getting their team right, but not quite; and anyway, any analysis here is provisional, made on the basis of this season, which may not be applicable for the next.

The Manager

The questions of team selection and player buying and other issues bring up the managership of Roy Evans. No other man has been more criticised this season at Anfield than the Gaffer, whether for his soft approach to his players, his lack of tactical foresight or his conservative adherence to Liverpool's traditional possession-oriented game in an age of football which relies on solid defence, and pace and power in counterattacks. Liverpool's attacking ability, for the past few seasons, has never been in question, or the flair and ball-playing ability of the squad members. But in a footballing sense, they are getting out of touch with their possession football, since football now occurs more in decisive and explosive moments and less over 90 minutes - a point illustrated by Liverpool's inability to cope with the fast-attacking French clubs over two seasons in Europe. I am not saying that having more goalscoring chances over 90 minutes is not important to winning a match, but that possession football only provides territorial domination, not necessarily chances to score. In a way, Liverpool are moving gradually towards faster counterattacking football, as Owen and Macca have shown this season with their pace, although the rest of the squad is unfortunately slower. But Liverpool are still lacking in the other half of the equation: defence.

As for Evans himself, given what Ruud Gullit, Gianluca Vialli and Arsene Wenger have achieved in England in their short spells at their clubs, it is no wonder that many Liverpool fans are demanding a new manager and a fresh approach to the game. I remain neutral concerning the choice of manager. Liverpool are traditionally conservative and it appears Evans would stay one more season and attempt a last assault on the Premiership title. But while the old ways remain at Anfield - for good reason too, look at the abysmal failure of Graeme Souness' short reign, the old, jealous past would continue to loom burdensome over the shoulders of the club, and all this while, the major clubs both in England and in Europe are steadily strengthening and extending themselves.