Brendan Rodgers is confident that Liverpool have what it takes to go one step further and win the Premier League next season.
The Reds came agonisingly close to ending their 24-year wait for the top-flight title this term as they finished two points behind champions Manchester City after a stellar second campaign at Anfield for Rodgers.
The 2-0 defeat by Chelsea was compounded by the three-goal capitulation in the 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace as Manchester City strung together a five-game winning run to clinch their second title triumph in three years.
But Rodgers feels that there are plenty of positives to take from the season, with the Reds having secured their primary goal of qualification for the Champions League.
We’ve gone remarkably close this year. We have the belief to go one better next year
Brendan Rodgers
“We will enter into next season with a belief that we can win the title,” said Rodgers.
“People talk about the pressure of the run-in. In 14 games, we won 12. We claimed 37 points from 42. It is a remarkable statistic for a young team.
“The last game was a difficult game. The feeling among the players was probably that Manchester City would win their game and we weren’t as good in the first half. But we got our flow and intensity back in the second half.
“The Chelsea game is the disappointment and people will focus on the those games. But it is over the course of the season.
“I look more to the games that we won that actually cost us in the end. The games where we won 5-3 – we can’t score five goals and concede three. The games where we won 6-3. Those goals that we conceded added up.
“I think we’ve gone remarkably close this year. We have the belief to go one better next year. But it won’t be any harder because it is a tremendously difficult league. The other teams will strengthen as will we.”