Liverpool

Mid-season report: Liverpool

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 28 December 2012

Sports Mole looks back on a tumultuous first half of the season for Liverpool as events off the field have played as big a part as those on it.

The beginning of the 2012-13 season brought with it big changes at Liverpool, as club legend Kenny Dalglish parted company with the Reds to be replaced as manager by former Swansea City boss Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers wasted no time in stamping his mark on the club, bringing Joe Allen with him from the Liberty Stadium as well as signing Fabio Borini, Oussama Assaidi and Nuri Sahin, the latter on a season-long loan.

Dalglish wasn't the only familiar face to depart Anfield, with Dirk Kuyt, Fabio Aurelio, Maxi Rodriguez, Alberto Aquilani, Craig Bellamy and Charlie Adam all leaving, while Jay Spearing and Andy Carroll were loaned out.

Their League Cup success in the previous season ensured that they would take part in the Europa League once more, but their ultimate goal was to return to Champions League football.

Here, Sports Mole looks at whether they are on track to achieve that goal with half of the season gone.

August

Liverpool's season began on just the second day of August as they beat Gomel 1-0 away in the Europa League before triumphing 3-0 in the return leg to reach the next stage of the qualifying rounds.

Their Premier League campaign got off to a dreadful start as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion on the opening day, but a 2-2 draw with Manchester City a week later was a more respectable scoreline.

The month ended with a 1-1 draw with Hearts which, coupled with their 1-0 win in the first leg, saw Liverpool into the Europa League group stages.

September

Events on the field took a back seat for Liverpool during September as the shocking truth surrounding the Hillsborough disaster was finally revealed. The damning report found that authorities had tried to cover up their own part in the tragedy by blaming fans for the death of 96 people.

On the pitch, the Reds lost to two rivals as Arsenal and Manchester United both won at Anfield, while Rodgers was still looking for a first league win when his side were held by Sunderland.

He finally got that win in the last match of the month, beating Norwich City 5-2 at Carrow Road, while a 5-3 win over Young Boys also got their Europa League group stage off to a good start.

Liverpool also got a measure of revenge on West Brom for their opening day defeat, knocking them out of the League Cup with a 2-1 win.

October

October began with Liverpool's first defeat in Europe that season, a 3-2 loss at home to Udinese, and this was followed by a goalless draw with Stoke and narrow win over Reading.

The Reds returned to winning ways in Europe by beating Anzhi Makhachkala before squandering a two-goal lead in the Merseyside derby to draw 2-2.

The month ended on a sour note as Swansea returned to haunt their old manager, knocking Rodgers and Liverpool out of the League Cup with a 3-1 win at Anfield.

November

November was a month of contrasting fortunes for Liverpool as three league draws, against Chelsea, Newcastle United and Swansea, as well as a defeat to Tottenham saw them floundering in the bottom half of the table.

A loss to Anzhi and a draw against Young Boys left their hopes of qualifying from their Europa League group hanging by a thread, but striker Luis Suarez had begun to find his shooting boots, and became the league's top scorer.

Liverpool's sole win of the month came in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Wigan, in which Suarez scored twice.

December

December was to be the kindest month so far to the Reds. Wins against Southampton and West Ham saw them climb the table, while a 1-0 triumph over Udinese secured their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League as group winners.

Aston Villa shocked the in-form Liverpool with a 3-1 win at Anfield midway through the month, but they responded with an emphatic 4-0 win over Fulham a week later. Inconsistency struck again on Boxing Day as Liverpool lost 3-1 to Stoke to leave them 10th in the Premier League table.

December also saw further progress in the Hillsborough case as the 'accidental death' verdicts were rescinded and new inquests into all 96 deaths were ordered.