I can actually see us getting 6th. Actually, I'm so confident we'll end up 6th that I'm going to bet £100 on it.
Genuinely can't see us finishing above Arsenal or Tottenham. Although Arsenal have made no real transfers, they are in talks with Di Maria. They'll also need other reinforcements and Wenger stated just the other day that there transfer window starts now. He's being backed in the market - that's the difference and he will inevitably land a couple of very decent players.
As for Tottenham, well, they've shown real intentions of securing Champions League football for next season. Yes, they've been funded by the imminent Bale transfer to Madrid, but unlike us, they've got money that they are not scared to spend. They've spent really well, not wasting a penny this summer. I really rate all of their transfers so far and think they'll continue to deliver for Tottenham. Paulinho is a player we could've done with, and so far it seems as if £17m was on the cheap side. Personally I wouldn't have wanted Soldado at Liverpool given his age, but he's scoring in every game for Spurs. Capoue and Chadli also seem decent whenever they've featured. They are soon to sign Lamela and are supposedly in talks with Christian Eriksen. They'll also want someone to make up for their lost target Willian.
In contrast, we showed good ambition early on in the transfer market attempting to sign two very productive players in Henrikh Mktarayan and then Diego Costa. Both players snubbed us for whatever reason, but maybe those signings were possible. The Willian transfer was the most exciting yet most disappointing of the three as we seemingly lost out to Spurs, who then lost out to Chelsea. Since then, from what only a fan can see, there is no real statement of intent. It's as if Liverpool have conceded defeat in the transfer market and have accepted that we are a club that will only resurrect other players careers. Clearly this will help us financially in the short term, but from a footballing perspective we are showing no sign of getting back into the top four. Yes, we've had a promising start to the campaign, but it's only 2 weeks old. There is 36 yet to go and many would consider this a marathon, not a sprint.
What would appease us fans is what John Henry is completely against - short term fixes; like Robin Van Persie at Manchester United and Roberto Soldado at Tottenham Hotspur. It doesn't mean they have to be aged 28 or 29, no, it just means that they'll have that quality that they can deliver almost instantly. Never underestimate a short term fix. Getting back on track, Everton won't finish above us. Not under Roberto Martinez, and certainly not with the little resources they've been given this summer. If they lose Fellaini and Baines and don't replace them, then they're fu**ed
If we do finish 6th, which I think is most likely, then in no shape or form will I blame Brendan or the team for this. Simply put, we've not had the backing a club of this magnitude deserves. We have a wafer thin squad, and injuries will inevitably occur even to our key players. We need to spend big to get top players, but we also need quality cover for when our top players are out injured or need resting. Top players are the difference between the Champions League and Europa League. Stevie G will not want to be waking up on Thursday mornings...
Let's hope after September the 3rd we will not be saying "what if."
