What a difference a year makes. Last winter, Liverpool were mounting a serious title bid, Brendan Rodgers' expansive attacking approach was beginning to flow and fans were dreaming of a whole new era of success in the long term, even as pundits wrote their credentials as contenders off. Fast forward 12 months and Liverpool sit in 8th - a massive 17 points off leaders Chelsea - and are struggling to convince anyone that they can repeat last season's Champions League qualification. So what changed? The summer's transfer policy proved somewhat wayward, and goals have come at a premium where they once came so easily. The Reds have unthinkably scored 20 less than Chelsea, and it's clear that they need to address their attacking deficiencies if they are to make a late charge up the table and sneak into the Champions League once more. There's also the small matter of Steven Gerrard's defection to LA Galaxy: should Rodgers replace him now before he's even gone and hope that the last 16 games of the season will help the new signing bed in ahead of next season? It's a tough one to call, but there are other more serious gaps the former Swansea manager should address before the transfer deadline comes to save the season from dribbling away...
