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Keane, the season got off to a promising start. Wins over Manchester United (MU) and Chelsea gave Liverpool their best start in many years.

This was followed by a number of great comebacks, notably overcoming a 2-goal deficit against Manchester City. This was largely due to Rafa refraining from rotating the team and it took Liverpool to the top of the Premier League. Unfortunately, as the season progressed, the tinkering began, and performances dipped.

Liverpool's position didn't last, as MU, who had played fewer games than Liverpool, upped their tempo and surged ahead of the pack. Liverpool's dismal performance against lower-ranked teams didn't do them much good either. As we move into the tail end of the season, Liverpool lie in third place, 7 points behind MU, with the Red Devils having a game in hand.

What does the future hold for Liverpool FC?

Eliminated from both the FA Cup and Carling Cup, and lagging behind Chelsea and MU in the Premier League, they only have the European Champions League to play for. Even though I'm a die-hard fan, it's difficult to realistically expect Liverpool to overtake MU based on both teams current form.

One could argue that Liverpool doesn't have a good enough squad to mount a challenge against the likes of MU and Chelsea. With Robbie Keane back with Tottenham and Fernando Torres out injured, Liverpool does appear to struggle upfront. Players like Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun have stepped up to the plate in their absence but Liverpool still lack the firepower needed to seriously pose a threat to MU's dominance.

Rafa has made it clear that he wants more control of the team especially in terms of player transfers and this off-the-pitch battle with management has certainly had an effect on the pitch as well. At this time, he has even refused to sign a new contract, one that offers a lot in financial terms but does not meet his demands for team control.

The internal problem has offered one casualty in the form of Chief Executive Rick Parry, who has announced that he will leave at the end of the season. Comments made by Liverpool's American owners about Parry's contribution, or lack thereof, to the club, indicate that he will not be missed.

Whether or not Parry's departure will pave the way to Rafa being offered better terms in his contract, only time will tell. Or, will Rafa leave the club, which to me will not be a bad outcome. I, for one, feel that his repeated rotation of the players, and his frequent cautious approach to each game, has by large contributed to the predicament Liverpool are in now.

Liverpool needs a manager who has a "must win" attitude, not a "lets not lose" one. Someone like Sir Alex Ferguson, who believes that winning is everything and who lets his players know that. Only then, can Liverpool go the distance in the world's most prestigious league.

Until the back room problems are solved, the squad strengthened and the right attitude instilled in every player and staff, Liverpool fans will have to contend with merely hoping that good times return to the club, sooner than later.

The only consolation is that we, will "never walk alone".

Learn more about this author, Kenneth Ang.
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