Can Liverpool win the Premier League title? The fact that the question is even being asked is a testament to the job that Brendan Rodgers has carried out of late.
It's a far cry from 12 months ago when having played 28 matches, Rodgers's men were eighth in the table, one point behind West Bromwich Albion and just two points better off than League Cup winners Swansea City, whom the Northern Irishman had left during the previous summer to inherit the Anfield hotseat.
With little progression being made from Liverpool under Kenny Dalglish's guise, the headlines were seldom positive. His players may not have been producing the goods on the field of play, but Rodgers was also making a rod for his own back.
Many will remember the September 2012 airing of 'Being Liverpool' - a documentary that had supporters hiding behind their sofas like a child of the mid-1970s watching Jaws for the first time. One scene, where Rodgers stood before his charges with three envelopes, in which he claimed contained the names of three players who were going to let the club down, made for particularly uncomfortable viewing.
Such a stunt drew comparisons with David Brent, the star turn of the BBC comedy 'The Office' - a show co-created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Brent was a middle-aged self-deluded general manager of the Slough branch of the Wernham Hogg paper merchants who wanted desperately to be popular, but his persistent cringeworthy and embarrassing actions made him the opposite among his staff and superiors.
© Getty Images
So, who of Rodgers or Brent said this?: "I've always said that you can live without water for many days, but you can't live for a second without hope."
And what of this musing? "My biggest mentor is myself because I've had to study, so that's been my biggest influence."
The truth is, both came from Rodgers's lips, although fans of 'The Office' could easily imagine such remarks being uttered by Brent.
However, while Brent was incapable of learning from his mistakes and ultimately was relieved of his duties as a consequence, banished to a life of selling cleaning products from the boot of his car and a string of blind dates, Rodgers has paid back his employers for the faith that they have shown in him.
None more so was that apparent than during Liverpool's 3-0 win away at Southampton nine days ago. Last term at St Mary's Stadium, the far from infallible Reds saw their faint hopes of finishing in the top four ended by a 3-1 defeat, while the Saints left Merseyside earlier in the current campaign with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Dejan Lovren header.
This time, though, Rodgers corrected his wrongs. Eyebrows were raised when the in-form Raheem Sterling was dropped to the bench, but the decision to bolster the midfield with Joe Allen paid dividends. Between the Welsh international, captain Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson, they soaked up Southampton's possession.
© Getty Images
Then, sensing that the hosts would stretch the game in search of an equalising goal during the second half, Rodgers deployed Sterling, who doubled his team's advantage with his first touch – game over.
It was, of course, not the first time this campaign that Rodgers has displayed such tactical flexibility and a willingness to admit to his misjudgments. At one stage or another, he has to contend without Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, yet more often than not, his team has come out smelling of roses.
Take Sturridge – a striker previously untrusted or underrated by managers at Manchester City and Chelsea, he has flourished under Rodgers's wing, scoring 32 goals during his 39 outings following his 2013 January arrival from Stamford Bridge. He will, barring injury, lead England's frontline in Brazil this summer, where he could well be joined by the emerging Henderson and Sterling, both of whom have displayed maturity beyond their years.
Even Gerrard, a one-man team in seasons gone by, is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance in a more reserved, controlling role at the base of the midfield, while the once wantaway Suarez has been convinced to knuckle down, despite his summer flirtations with Arsenal and Real Madrid.
The belief that the players have in Rodgers's philosophy has culminated in Liverpool sitting second in the table at present, seven points behind leaders Chelsea, albeit with a fixture in hand.
So, can Liverpool actually end their 24-year wait for a league title? Crucially, if it's not achieved this year, Rodgers, unlike Brent, has his team starting to believe that if not now, then success could be just around the corner.
Liam Apicella
