DARE to dream. That is what Liverpool fans did last season as it looked like the Reds were set to win their first league title in 24 years.

They finished second after a remarkable season under Brendan Rodgers and were truly unlucky to miss out on the title.

Rodgers has shown what a great manager he is and has brought the feel-good factor back to the Kop.

Not since the days of Rafael Benitez have the club dared to believe they can once again be the leading team in England. It looked like this season they would take the next step.

But then this summer top striker Luis Suarez left for Barcelona. While many may be glad to see the back of him, he leaves a big hole in the side.

To fill that gap, Liverpool have brought on Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Lazar Markovic, who will hopefully give Daniel Sturridge what he needs to keep the club into the top four.

But while Sturridge thrives on being the main attacker, his injury record and his need for strong support mean that Liverpool need to bring in someone to complement him.

Suarez struck fear into clubs across Europe. The Reds have got to find someone that can chill their opposition to the bone before they take their first steps out of the tunnel.

They have been linked with Edison Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi and both would be great additions.

Another boost is the return of Champions League nights to Anfield. While fans are surely delighted to see the Reds take on the continent’s best, Rodgers must balance his squad and deploy Steven Gerrard carefully.

The international break should benefit the captain, but two games in a week may be too much for his legs. Rodgers could choose to rest him during easier league games.

Last season the manager benefited greatly from having a full week to work with his squad ahead of games. That will change this year and it’s yet to be seen how well he will juggle both competitions.

But Rodgers has worked hard during the transfer window to bolster his squad to ensure it can tackle the packed fixture list.

Dejan Lovren plugs a hole in a leaky defence. His goal on his Anfield debut during yesterday’s thrashing of Borussia Dortmund will no doubt help him ease into the club.

The arrival of Javier Manquillo on a two-year loan and Alberto Moreno will strengthen the back line, but questions remain about Glen Johnson and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Both are error-prone and at the top-level that could make the difference between first and second, as they found out last season.

The teams around them have improved greatly, and Manchester United look likely to challenge for the Champions League.

If they can’t find a striker who will give them 25 goals this season, they may slide out of the top four once again.