We welcome Liverpool fan Shane Thorne, and Liverpool Echo journo Kristian Walsh, back to LFW ahead of Saturday’s trip to Anfield to find out exactly what’s gone (relatively) wrong for Brendan Rodgers this season.

Assess Liverpool's season for us, disappointing? What's gone wrong? Or is it simply a case of Suarez leaving and Sturridge being unfit?

ST: After a season of 'almost' the ultimate high, not many will disagree that this season is best described as deflating.

A painstakingly slow start to the season wasn't exactly the way to begin life without Suarez. Combine that with an early season injury to Sturridge and Balotelli averaging a shot on target with every ten attempts, the warning bells were already sounding in that this year was going to be a long one. Our Champions League return and performances sadly reaffirmed that.

No Suarez and pretty much writing off Sturridge's season has been a massive loss unarguably. With Rodgers turning to Sterling in most cases playing at the head of a front three shows just how much faith there is in the ability of Balotelli, Lambert and Borini.

Read into this as you will, the biggest mistake clearly made is that the Suarez money was simply reinvested wrongly. Champions League is an enticement and where all top players aspire to ply their trade. There had to be more ambition shown by the club to sign a recognisable, proven forward, to add the goals we would be lacking from the loss of Suarez rather than sit in the corner and sulk after Alexis Sanchez chose London over Merseyside. Instead, the youth policy (which is not necessarily a bad thing in the long term) was well and truly implemented in an overzealous squad recruitment programme. No incomings in January can only be a combination of the money pot being dry, concerns over the Financial Fair Play investigation and financing of the stadium redevelopment.

Albeit a brief recovery period after slip-ups from the Manchester clubs leaving us on the brink of an unexpected Champions League qualification for a second year running, these hopes are already a distant memory following the performances of recent weeks. There is still a distinct lack of ambition and vulnerability in the big games against the top teams. This has then had a knock-on effect with confidence levels shown in firing blanks against the likes of West Brom and Hull respectively - both games where anything other than six points is a failure given the stakes.

Even the two domestic cup runs were less than convincing in earlier rounds and add very little to denounce Liverpool's new found Bridesmaid status; almost getting there but never quite making it down the aisle.

KW: Largely disappointing although Brendan Rodgers maintains fifth-place and two cup semi-finals is 'par'. Not many Liverpool fans would agree with him. Losing Luis Suarez (permanently) and Daniel Sturridge (for most of the season through injury) has been a big issue, taking out 52 goals from a side which scored 101 in the league last season. The two were almost worth a goal-lead last season. Throw in the mother of all hangovers after failing to win the title and it shouldn't be any surprise they are where they are.

Fair to say Brendan Rodgers got the transfer activity wrong last summer? Not many hits among a big financial outlay…

ST: Emre Can is the only candidate when you consider the summer recruits and impact. Even that has been as a makeshift centre back. Moreno, Markovic and Lallana have all had the odd good game, which again shows how big a mistake our transfer activity has been. Yes, you could argue young foreign imports need bedding in but knowing that, how did the decision makers expect things to go when buying so many of them? With a quota focusing on potential you still need a backbone with top level experience and that is what is missing when you look at our squad.

With Liverpool adopting a Transfer Committee you can't pass the buck solely to Rodgers. Ultimately his judgement will be brought into question being the man in the hot seat yet the scouting personnel are equally having a tough time in identifying the right fit or positions that need filling. This is shown by half the team being played out of position each week and Rodgers not knowing his best XI.

In a nutshell, we got it horribly wrong last summer regardless of where the blame lies.

KW: The Suarez sale skewers it, a bit. They spent around £120m and recouped £90m. £10m of that went on Divock Origi, who remained at Lille on loan. So for £20m net, it's not a bad return. But there's no doubt the money that was spent could have gone towards more. The potential - Moreno, Can, Markovic - have been good-to-average in their first seasons. But they had to get the centre back and striker signings right. Lovren and Balotelli, for £36m, did not do that.

Is he under any real pressure? Any realistic alternatives being mentioned?

ST: In my opinion, not just yet. Coming in, the owners, FSG, said that Rodgers was appointed for the long haul and there is a bigger picture. I don't believe that has changed and he showed enough last season and in patches this, to stake his claim as the right man for the job. Both FSG and Rodgers are now into multiple year tenures however and significant improvement will be demanded. Next season will be make or break.

If there were to be an unexpected swerve ball then you will hear the name Jurgen Klopp being mentioned by media and fans alike. Having worked so successfully under a distinctly similar project at Dortmund and openly announcing admiration for the club in the past, it would be a welcomed appointment by the majority should the "Mad Genius" desire to grace the Anfield dugout.

KW: No real pressure, no. Unless something drastic happens, FSG (Liverpool's owners) will stick with him. Klopp and Benitez are being mentioned on that minefield known as social media - with Benitez advocates the same ones who wanted him gone in 2010. It's all a bit mad.

Why has Mario Balotelli failed?

ST: Balotelli was always going to be hit or miss. Given he in no way fits in with Liverpool's fast, counter attacking game play, it was always pointing more towards the latter before he even kicked a ball. There has been very little evidence since to disprove that thought.

If you consider he has throughout his career been labelled as being rather lethargic with his work rate, one Premier League assist during his time at City shows that he tries to take on too much himself. Add to that his shooting accuracy being defined as "unable to score in a brothel" you begin to see a pattern emerging.

Unfortunately most will see him as the sought of guy you'd happily share a couple of pints with rather than agree he is a Liverpool style striker.

KW: He just doesn't suit Liverpool's style. The barbs towards him about laziness and lack of effort are unfair. And he's kept himself to himself off the pitch, mostly. But Liverpool thrive off movement and ingenuity off the ball. Balotelli doesn't do that. He isn't quick, he isn't clever enough and his finishing has actually disappointed too. He will be a very good player elsewhere and I'm personally a fan - but not at Anfield.

Why hasn't Rickie Lambert seen more action?

ST: I genuinely feel for Rickie. This is a local lad living his childhood dream after years of working his way up from the lower levels. Everything seemed to be going right at International level and then there was an opportunity with Sturridge's injury. He knew and accepted that his arrival would be as back-up yet this must be his chance......right? Apparently not.

Although there were a few opportunities earlier in the season he has obviously not shown Rodgers enough to warrant more game time. Worrying really as we are back to Sterling in the striker role and the team unable to find the net. Much like Balotelli, Lambert is seen as a plan B rather than plan A.

KW: See above! He was also signed for £4m when Suarez was still at the club, so his role has changed a lot. It also seems he plays better when playing every week. Minutes here and there aren't good enough.

What effect will dropping back out of Champions League qualification have on the club, playing squad, recruitment etc?

ST: No Champions League will likely lead to a lesser transfer budget and obviously is a detriment to attracting the top quality players we desperately lack. There has already been some talk from Rodgers stating that recruitment is well underway. What worries me is how much the word "try" is being thrown around with bringing them in.

Already we know that we are losing a massive part of the club in Gerrard and even the experience of Glen Johnson at the end of their contracts. It's also suspected that up to 10 fringe players will be made available for transfer. Depending on incomings, there looks to be more opportunity for our academy players to be involved in match day squads potentially. This means the average age of the squad will again continue to decrease and border on adolescence.

Missing out on the Champions League is not necessarily a bad thing. Not making Europe at all would even probably be better. This season is very much two steps forward, three steps back on last but we showed enough a few years ago without these midweek games, travel, and lesser recovery times that we can make rapid improvement if only we recruit wisely.

KW: Rodgers says not a lot. To be fair, a big problem I feel with last season's recruitment is the club didn't really higher its standards. Yes, they went (and failed) for Sanchez, but the majority of the signings made would have been done with or without Champions League football. I suppose that's why Liverpool needed a few seasons in the competition to establish themselves. But in that sense, no Champions League will probably see similar players come. The club will just hope one turns out like Suarez, who was signed with the club in the Europa League.

Star performers and weak links this season? Who's the player of the year?

ST: This is probably the simplest question to answer. The "Little Magician" Coutinho has this season shone. Recognised by his peers in making the PFA Team of the Year. Not exactly the most popular decision amongst fans. The thing to remember with this accolade is that he was voted in by his fellow professionals. I've read quite a bit in the 'Twitter-verse' that he is undeserving and what about the likes of Fabregas, etc? Goals and assists do not make a performance. It is a common factor that a player will go a whole game without being involved to any note yet still end up in the right place at the right time.

What you have to consider is that we have been a struggling side for the best part of the season failing to score goals and putting in some really awful performances. Coutinho this year compared to last (where we performed far better throughout) has improved tenfold in a number of ways, such as work rate, conditioning, strength, passing and shooting. Look at the goals he has scored, the assists and even the performances in our bad games then compare that to the same guy last season and you will see why he is our player of the season.

Another mention has to go to Simon Mignolet. Talk about from zero to hero. Dropped earlier in the season indefinitely for consistent calamities and now on the verge of the Golden Gloves. All on the basis that he got a grilling from his missus for over thinking things. It's amazing the effect a woman's word has on some men.

KW: Coutinho has been magical, and my player of the year, while Mignolet has gone from second-string behind Brad Jones (!!) to a genuine top goalkeeper. Sure, he's not great with his feet, but goalkeepers are primarily there to stop goals going in. Sterling, Can, Skrtel and Henderson have been good in flashes, too. Weak links would be Lovren and plenty of the squad players.

Short, medium and long term aims for the club?

ST: Short term has to be back to the drawing board and correcting the mistakes made. The club is continuously rebuilding and that will not differ this next year. For Rodgers, this is likely to be last chance saloon.

The medium to long term plan has also not changed. The owners expect to be challenging for titles and silverware but understand that will not come immediately. It was always said that Champions League was the ambition in the first couple of seasons and that was achieved. By overachieving last season anything other than the same would be seen as a disappointment, especially when such a heavy investment has now been placed into the playing squad.

This season aside on the pitch, a number of achievements have already been made off it. Work has finally started after 15 years on the stadium, a healthy profit has been declared reducing the overall debt and equally as important, the Hillsborough families and supporters are uncovering unheard truths in the quest for justice.

KW: Short: Figure out what style they're going to use on the pitch in 2015-16
Medium: Be competitive in the Premier League - and a title challenge to boot
Long: Ensure all these young lads coming through actually make the grade

The Twitter - @Shane84Thorne, @Kristian_Walsh

Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

simmo added 13:02 - May 1 Glen Johnson is utter dog toffee, exactly the kin of shite player QPR would have signed up on a 3 year deal. Thank god we may not have that choice anymore. Nice point at the end about Hillsborough families, etc. Been an important year for things like that and credit for people like David Conn for sticking with it.
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TacticalR added 21:22 - May 1 Thanks to Shane and Kristian. I have had the impression for a while that the owners weren't that bothered about chasing trophies, and that a mid-table manager had been brought in to achieve mid-table finishes and keep things ticking over. That seemed to be disproved last season when Liverpool nearly won the league. However, perhaps the Suárez and Sturridge goals merely hid the problems. Coutinho is an excellent player who has punished us on more than one occasion.

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