Liverpool headed into the Premier League weekend under pressure to bounce back from a heartbreaking Capital One Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea this week.
Brendan Rodgers believed his side deserved to go through to Wembley over two legs against the league leaders but failure to take chances means it’s Jose Mourinho’s men who will be contesting the showpiece final with London rivals Tottenham.
All Rodgers can take from the two-legged affair is pride, given the way in which his side performed and produced a further indication that they are getting back to the required level after a dismal start to the season.
It will be a struggle to reach the top four however, with that terrible start meaning the improvement of late still sees them five points off of that coveted fourth position.
Quite simply, too many players have let the Reds down during the first half of the season and will surely end up paying the price come the end of the season.
Here we have identified five players who won’t be lining up for the Reds next season – Steven Gerrard aside of course.
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Click on Brendan Rodgers to reveal the 5 Liverpool stars who won’t be lining up at Anfield next season.
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Mario Balotelli
Rodgers ‘calculated risk’ could hardly have backfired more. Balotelli has been a major flop since arriving at Anfield for £16 million in the summer and is still yet to open his Premier League account.
His poor cameo in midweek further highlighted the way in which he simply doesn’t fit into this Liverpool side, something Rodgers so much as admitted publicly only last week.
Whilst the Liverpool boss insists the maverick Italian will be given a chance to fight for his future, it would be a shock if he were to turn things around so much that he remained at Anfield for the next campaign.
Rickie Lambert
A fairytale move that simply hasn’t worked. Rickie Lambert has fired just three goals in all competitions since completing a £4 million switch from Southampton – his lowest tally at this point in a season in a career that has seen him ply his trade at every level.
Reports have linked him with the likes of West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace this month, although Liverpool will keep him until the end of the season at least.
The striker turns 33 this year and despite being signed as an alternative option, he is surely not a long-term answer for the Reds, no matter how much supporters wish the case to be different.
Fabio Borini
The Reds attempted to offload the Italian forward in the summer but a £14 million switch to Sunderland and then QPR fell through with Borini keen to stay at Anfield and prove himself.
That hasn’t happened as of yet, with the former Roma man starting just three Premier League matches this season and scoring just one goal in all competitions.
Despite his obvious passion and work rate, Borini’s goalscoring record at Liverpool is simply not good enough (three in more than 30 appearances) and he has been consistently linked with a return to his homeland.
Simon Mignolet
Despite a recent improvement, the Belgian is still not the long-term solution to Liverpool’s goalkeeping problems.
No stopper has made more errors in the Premier League than Mignolet this season, who despite being a decent shot-stopper, is vulnerable from crosses as well as with the ball at his feet.
Liverpool have been linked with a host of new goalkeepers and whilst Mignolet looks set to stay until the end of the season, it would take a dramatic turnaround in form for him to remain as the Reds number one next season.
Glen Johnson
The former England right back appears to be getting worse with every performance for Liverpool and it remains a mystery as to why young Javier Manquillo is left out of the side to accommodate him.
Johnson is entering the final six months of his contract at Anfield and looked set to move on a free transfer at the end of the season, until recent reports suggested Brendan Rodgers was keen to offer him a new deal.
Hardly a fans favourite, Johnson is vulnerable defensively and has no impact going forward, all of this whilst earning an incredible £110,000-a-week. If the fans have any say, he won’t be at Anfield next season.
