Liverpool’s season hit a new low on the weekend, as Brendan Rodgers’ side saw their last remaining hope of silverware come to an end after a dismal defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi final at Wembley.
Liverpool were out-thought, out-fought, and deserved nothing on an afternoon that proved there is still a lot of work to be done at Anfield.
With the top four looking out of reach after damaging defeats in the last month to Manchester United and Arsenal, the 2014-15 season will not be one that is remembered fondly by Liverpool fans.
A lot of Brendan Rodgers summer signings have come under fire this term, and supporters are eager to see some new faces in the summer.
In order for that to happent there will have to be some outgoings first however.
Here we have identified five players Liverpool supporters cannot wait to see the back of.
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Click on Brendan Rodgers to reveal five players Liverpool can’t wait to get rid of
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Mario Balotelli
Rodgers as made it as clear as he possibly can that Balotelli was not his signing, and it would come as a shock if he were to remain at Liverpool beyond the summer.
Four goals in all competitions – with just one coming in the Premier League – is a dire return for the £16million the Reds paid in the summer for him, whilst his consistent injury and illness problems have left the Reds horribly short up front.
The fact he has only started one game since November 8 tells us all we need to know.
Glen Johnson
Johnson has never been renowned for his defensive abilities, and now the fact his legs have gone and he can no longer get forward makes him a pretty useless member of the current Liverpool squad.
His negativity on the ball has been a major source of frustration for Reds fans, who will all be happy to see him depart when his £110,000 a week contract expires next month.
Roma have been linked with a move for the former England international on a free transfer.
Rickie Lambert
This seemed a strange signing last summer, and despite everyone wishing him to do well it has simply not happened for Rickie Lambert at Anfield.
Without a start for the Reds since December, Lambert has managed just three goals all season in all competitions, and was told he could leave the club for Aston Villa in January.
Wonder if he regretted the decision to stay and fight for his place when he was brought on as a 90th minute substitute on Sunday, as Villa held onto their 2-1 lead to head into the FA Cup final at the Reds expense..
Fabio Borini
Liverpool supporters will struggle to fault the attitude and workrate of their other Italian forward, but the problem with Fabio Borini is that he simply doesn’t produce enough goals.
He may have only started three league matches this season, but one goal in all competitions simply isn’t what the Reds are looking for.
Rodgers and his side had Suarez and Sturridge fire more than 50 goals between them last season. In their absence for the majority of this term, Lambert, Borini and Balotelli have managed a combined total of eight between them.
All are expected to pay the price this summer.
Dejan Lovren
Of all the poor transfer business conducted at Liverpool last summer, £20million spent on Dejan Lovren is looking like the worst with every passing week.
The Croatian is back in the side due to injury at the moment, yet not a week can go by in which he does not make a mistake.
His ridiculous 40-yard-shot that ended up in row Z with just a couple of minutes left of Sunday’s semi final at Wembley rather typified his shocking first season at Anfield.
Whilst the Reds are unlikely to dispose of him after just one year, he has a long way to go if he is to turn it around with the supporters and everyone else connected with the club.
