Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, has insisted that the club will not only look to qualify to the Champions League next season but challenge for the title once again.
The Red’s fell short of champions Manchester City, after a couple of deciding moments in the title race. But Gerrard believes that his side have the capabilities to do one better next year and potentially win the league.
“If you’d said we were going to go to the last game of the season with a slim chance of winning the league I’d have taken it,” he said after the Reds’ 2-1 win over Newcastle.
“But as the season goes on you want more. We’ve been unlucky. We’ve given it a great shot but we came up short
“I’m absolutely devastated. I can’t sugar-coat this. I’m gutted for the fans, who have been magnificent. But we can’t be too down. It was a fantastic season, now we need to bounce back and go one better.
“It’s taken me until I’m 33 to have the experience of a proper title race, so the experience for these young lads in the squad is going to be absolutely vital.
“I believe the title’s not too far away if we continue to produce performances like we did this season.”
Liverpool began the year with Champions League qualification their primary goal but a scintillating run saw them propelled into the thick of the title race – a position Gerrard feels they will be back in next time around.
“Before this season the manager gave us a target of top four,” he said. “I don’t think that will be his target next season – and it won’t be the players’ [either].
“Things have changed. We know it and the supporters know it. We deserve to be rated as title contenders before a ball is kicked.”
By Ollie Brown
