Things that Liverpool need to do save themselves

Liverpool losing to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium could have been predicted by many given their terrible form but a 6-1 thrashing came out of the blue. The team which looked out of sorts almost throughout the season somehow managed to grab a Europa League position.

After splashing £117 million in the transfer window a lot was expected from the Brendan Rodgers side.

Before the start of the 2014-15 season things looked good for the Reds as they had an excellent campaign where they finished just a few points behind Manchester City on 2nd position and made a come back to Champions League for the first time since 2009-10.

The Luis Suarez-Daniel Sturridge partnership alone scored 52 goals combined to make them the second-highest scoring team of that season, the defence looked good and the midfield was as good as it could have been under the leadership of Steven Gerrard. The season also saw the rise of stars like Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling but come the end of season and thing seem to be falling apart for the Reds.

Suarez left even before the season started, Sturridge spent most of his time on bench with injuries, Gerrard has already left for MLS leaving a void in the midfield and Sterling could be leaving too.

Everything that was achieved in a span of 12 months seems to be gone in the next 12. However, things are not as bad as they look and can be taken control of if proper measures are taken.

Here's a list of things Liverpool need to do:

1. Sack Rodgers, get Klopp

Since arriving at the club in 2012, Rodgers has splashed out a lot of cash but has failed top win a single trophy. Some of his decisions in transfer window have been disastrous. Spending 26 and 20 million for Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren respectively with the two having no experience to compete in major tournaments tops the list.

Also, when you see that Real Madrid signed Toni Kroos for only 24 million this decision looks even worse. The less you say about Mario Balotelli, the better it is. The Italian probably had the worst season of his career and managed to score only 1 goal in his return season to Premier League.

Rodgers' inability to hold on to his star players has also cost Liverpool. Suarez was allowed to go even after the Reds qualified for Champions League. The impact it had on the team is quite visible now.

The departure of Sterling is also a matter of time. Rodgers has always been backed both by the board and fans during his three years stay but Liverpool needs a change now and the most suitable candidate to replace Rodgers at the moment is former Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp who left Borussia this year after six successful seasons with them winning two Bundesliga titles is just the man Liverpool need. He has the experience at the highest level and unlike Rodgers is known for his excellent business in the transfer market. During his time at Dortmund he honed players like Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, Marco Reus, Mario Gotze and Ilkay Gundogan.

Liverpool might face tough competition from Real Madrid who may also want to seek Klopp's service after the recent sacking of Carlo Ancelotti.

2. Get the defence right

Liverpool should once again be ready for a complete overhaul. The old guard should make way for the new stars. This will not only give them the much-needed freshness but will also provide them with long term servants.

The likes of Glen Johnson, Kolo Toure, Lucas Leiva, Rickie Lambert, Martin Skrtel should be sold to may way for young guns. Although Skrtel improved upon his form in the second half of the season the fact that he is getting older cannot be ignored.

Liverpool needs a established centre-back who could fill in the boots of Jamie Carragher. Even after having a poor season Lovren deserves one more chance to prove himself and having a more experienced partner may help him.

Schalke's Howedes or Aston Villa's Ron Vlaar are the ideal options as the two are heading towards their contract end. However, Vlaar seems a more likely option for the Reds as Howedes may prefer Champions League action.

Albert Moreno had a mixed season on the left as he looked good going forward but his defensive abilities let his team down on more than one occasion. However, if he is able to work on that aspect he could be the perfect left back for Liverpool.

The right side is where the real problem lies for the Reds at the moment. Glen Johnson is already past his best. Javier Manquillo who arrived at Anfield on loan started impressively but somehow lost his position in the starting 11 managing only 11 appearances in the whole season.

Flanagan's long injury didn't help Rodger's case either. He was eventually forced to play Jordan Henderson on the right. A new signing next season in the form of Barcelona's Mark Montoya or Southampton's Clyne can be expected by the fans.

3. Fill the void in the midfield

The biggest problem for Liverpool may lie in the midfield. Steven Gerrard's departure means a lot of thinking has to be done. The Reds not only lost one of the best midfielders of this generation but also lost one the best leaders of modern era. Jordan Henderson is the most ideal replacement for him but he should be playing in the heart of the midfield rather than the right back position where he spent most of his time last season.

Emre Can was probably Liverpool's best signing of last season. The German was really impressive in his first season with the club but again was made to play in the centre-back position instead of his preferred midfield position. Next season is a very important season for the youngster.

Phillipe Coutinho was by far the best player of Liverpool last season. The 22-year old Brazilian caught a lot of eyes with his remarkable performances and is one player around whom the team could be built. Adam Lallana had a mixed season and mainly because he was never played in his preferred position. The ex-Saint's captain, however, showed signs of what he is capable of and fans should have high expectations for the seasons to come.

Jordan Ibe and Lazar Markovic showed a lot of promise but are still very young and need to improve a lot. Joe Allen and Lucas Leiva were in and out of the team and should be sold to get one player who could fill the void left by Stevie.

With Manchester City's Milner and Madrid's Khedira both available for free this season, the Reds should not miss this opportunity. The two will not only add quality but the much-needed experience to the Red's side.

4. Get an in form striker

Even before Liverpool could have found a replacement for Suarez they will have to deal with a likely departure of Raheem Sterling. The current crop of strikers Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert managed to score a combined total of 7 goals in the whole season, compare that to 52 goals scored by the Suarez-Sturridge duo the season before the reason for Liverpool's dip in form is quite visible.

All three are expected to leave Anfield this summer and Sturridge's return from injury will provide a boost to the Reds. However, he'll need a partner to repeat the success and Villa's Belgian striker Christian Benteke should be Liverpool's no.1 target.

He had a superb season and is capable of scoring 20 goals in one season. Liverpool might have to face tough competition to get his signature and another option they could look at is Manchester City's Steven Jovetic.

Jovetic who came to Etihad only two seasons ago is completely out of favor since the arrival of Wilfried Bony and looks set to leave the club. The striker will be available for a very low sum and has the potential to be one of the best. The return of Origi from his loan at Lille will also provide some support to Sturridge.