This time last year I was awaiting the first "competitive" game of the season against Chelsea in the F.A Community Shield. This year we are not in the Community Shield but a whole lot of things have changed this year compared to last. Firstly we are actually winning our pre-season friendlies, not much to shout about but it instills a winning mentality and all that. Secondly and more importantly considering Rafa's public attack on the lacklustre methods of the club, the club has actually gone about their business quietly, efficiently and effectively. Babel, Yossi, Torres, Voronin, Lucas and possibly Heinze, if we are to believe that this matter is being pushed all the way by Liverpool, are the main names that will stand out as our pieces of summer business and rightly so. Torres is a Spanish international and I have no qualms with him becoming our new record signing, Yossi has been admired from a distance for a while now by Rafa and I'm sure he is much bigger part of his plans than a stop gap to fill the void by Luis Garcia (he drinks sangria, he came from....
going to miss that). Voronin we all know won't hack it and we won't even give the lad a chance. Sell,SELL, SELL!! 
, in all seriousness, he might just shock a few people. And finally Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva. Ryan Babel for me is the most exciting transfer we have done this season. And to be quite honest, before this summers U21 Euro 2008, I had never seen the lad play. Some will point out I should not expect so much from a young lad and some will argue he's rubbish as they might have seen more of him, however I am not excited by what I saw at the Euro's so-much, I am excited at what his transfer shows us, our opponents and the footballing world. He is exactly the type of player (along with Lucas) that before this season, Liverpool wouldn't of dreamed of going for. I actually said this to a friend during the Euro's about Babel, I said "we should go after him, but we won't". He's young, full of potential and highly coveted in the footballing world.The reason we didn't go after these players before Uncle Tom and Uncle George, was because of a few factors. Firstly and most importantly was the price. As we all know we did not have the financial muscle to compete with the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea over the last few years, therefore to spend 12m and 7m on two young and talented players under the age of 20 would of been a big big risk. We were always playing catch up anyway, so to spend our budgets on players who can't guarantee anything would of been unwise. Secondly our club is a lot more exposed now worldwide thanks to the unheralded success that Rafa has acheived in the European Cup. Coupled this with the fact that we havbe brand new owners with a big brand new stadium on the way and players know we are going the right way. Up.
Coupled with the 32 teenagers we have signed it looks like we really are looking at nuturing talent for the long term. A very good thing in my opinion.
I am not going to get ahead of myself, because we all know the pitfalls that awaited us in the first few months of last season, were we were out of the league come the end of September, but its very exciting to be a Liverpool fan now, and all for the right reasons. So I am asking everyone for there predictions on how the new season ahead will go, the glory, the tears and what will we all be saying come the end of May next year:
League Position - Not going to name a position, top 3 yet again and I think, think we might just put in a good challenge.
Any Cups - No
Top Scorer - Dirk Kuyt
Surprise Package - Dirk Kuyt, expect a hell of a season from the dutchman. He started brilliantly last year but came in for some stick and has been harshly labelled a workhorse, I expect him to score a lot next year. John Arne Riise will also improve immeasurably next year IMO, he always seems to have one good year, one bad year and last year he was attrocious.
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