After years of disappointment, Brendan Rodgers raised the bar at Anfield last season, so much so that Liverpool's failure to win the Premier League title was viewed by many as a choke.
That should not deter from the fine work that the Northern Irishman carried out, though. After all, two campaigns ago, the 18-time champions of England finished seventh.
Nevertheless, with improvement comes a rise in expectation levels. Rodgers has moved to ride those by already adding Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Emre Can to his squad, but the departure of Luis Suarez has threatened to derail his plans. Here, Sports Mole has picked out three players that we believe will keep the Reds on track.
Ben Davies, Swansea City
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The emergence of Jon Flanagan was one of Liverpool's major success stories last term, yet he was often played out of position. The 21-year-old is naturally right footed, but he was frequently utilised by Rodgers to fill the left-back void. To his credit, he carried out his duties to a high standard, although there were occasions when his reluctance to use his left foot was there for all to see.
It was a serious knee injury suffered by Jose Enrique that opened up the opportunity for Flanagan. While the Spaniard has returned to pre-season training, having spent a season out of the game, it remains to be seen if Enrique can hit the ground running at the start of the campaign.
As far as Davies is concerned, he is the type of player that Rodgers craves. Young and full of potential, the 21-year-old impressed last season as Swansea's main left-back. A proposed switch to Tottenham Hotspur is said to have fallen through, so now may be the perfect time for Liverpool to pounce.
Antoine Griezmann, Real Sociedad
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The harsh reality surrounding Suarez's departure is that even armed with £75m, Liverpool will not sign a player capable of scoring the 31 goals that the Uruguayan scored over the course of the last campaign. Nine times out of 10, if a top class striker is coming to England, it's to London or at a push the Manchester rivals.
With that in mind, it's important that the goals are shared around the team. Rodgers will be hoping that Lambert and Lallana make a contribution, while it's crucial that England internationals Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling at least maintain the form in front of goal that they have recently shown. A few more goals from Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson wouldn't do any harm, either.
France international Griezmann may not be prolific, but his 16 La Liga goals for Sociedad is a more than respectable return. The lively attacker will also provide experience of having played in the Champions League, as well as the World Cup. What's more, his versatility allows him to function anywhere across the frontline.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Schalke 04
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Sharing the goals around is likely to be the route that Rodgers goes down without Suarez's influence, but having the option of a focal point is a potentially important weapon to possess.
If rumours are to be believed, Swansea centre-forward Wilfried Bony is a major target. The Ivorian would certainly provide Liverpool with a threat that they don't currently have. The 25-year-old is a powerful presence who is capable of holding up the ball, which in turn brings others into play. Even so, while his debut season in one of the world's biggest leagues was impressive, there is always an element of risk to purchase a player on the back of one impressive term.
Huntelaar may never have played in the Premier League, but he's shown in Germany, Holland and to a lesser extent Spain and Italy that he is capable of scoring goals season after season. At the age of 30, the Dutch international is in his prime and is likely to be a cheaper alternative to Bony.
