Glen Johnson has warned the Premier League’s big four: Liverpool are finally coming to get you.
The England international is convinced the Anfield club have put their woes of recent seasons behind them, and are ready to reclaim the place among English football’s elite that was once viewed as their birthright.
Liverpool have suffered another frustratingly inconsistent season, typified by the weekend game against West Ham, which saw an infuriating goalless stalemate despite Brendan Rodgers’ new look team creating plenty of chances.
Yet Johnson has taken massive encouragement from what he sees as indelible signs of progress during the current campaign.
He even controversially insisted this season has been MUCH better than last campaign - when Liverpool won the Capital One Cup and also got to the FA Cup Final under Kenny Dalglish.
“I say this season is clearly better than the last because you look at the squad, the feeling that there is around the place, the football that we are playing and there has definitely been an improvement," said Johnson.
“This season, eight times out of 10, we have been battering teams. That wasn’t the case last season.
"We won a trophy last season and of course that was fantastic - everyone wants to win; that’s what we are in the game for - but in terms of getting Liverpool back where they belong, we want to be back in the top four and we have got a better squad than we did have.
"The manager is looking to improve the squad and he will look to improve again in the summer.”
It is that shift in quality which excites Johnson, who knows what it takes to win the Premier League title having been part of the Chelsea squad that did so in 2004-05.
He has seen Liverpool add depth to the squad with the arrival of the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Joe Allen, and he believes the club is ready to return to the top four after a four-year absence.
“Brendan was brought in to rebuild the squad and put Liverpool back into the places that it should be. He wants to put us back in the top four, but he wasn’t asked to do that in his first season,” Johnson added.
“This season has been a step closer to that. Of course everyone - players, staff, fans - would love us to be back in the top four but if we improve on last season then it is a step in the right direction.
“There have been a few games like West Ham where we have played well and not picked up the points we should have done. Yet we are still pretty close to the top four.
“If you take the positives and if we can start nicking goals in games like this, then we are going to be right in amongst it.”
While Liverpool are confident next season will see them pose a real threat in the Premier League, they haven’t given up hope of securing a European place.
Johnson explained it has been a sharp learning curve for the Reds.
“We have dominated games but sometimes, like against West Ham, we haven’t come away with the points that we deserve," he said.
"It is difficult. We have battered teams but if we don’t get that early goal, it has given them encouragement.
“But we have shown there are positives and we are close to the top four, and we believe we can finish the season strongly.”
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