Expectation. It is the unseen burden that every Liverpool manager must carry, a weight that buckles the shoulders of the strongest of characters.
As the new season dawns, it springs eternally in the mind of every follower, every commentator and even every detractor, because no matter the realities of their financial position, the club is expected to challenge for the top four and beyond.
It is a serious financial reality of course. The Reds are no longer the big hitters of even the past decade, when they were consistently amongst the top three wage spenders in English football.
Now, they are - at best - fifth highest wage spenders, and in all probability actually below Spurs in terms of the salaries they can tempt new signings with, let alone the two Manchesters, Chelsea and Arsenal.
But no matter. Liverpool must still aim for the top four, given their heritage, given the expectation of every football person, and if the manager doesn't like that, then he'd be wise to find another job pronto.
The manager
Manager Brendan Rodgers of Liverpool
Feel the pressure: Brendan Rodgers has plenty of expectation on his shoulders
Andrew Powell
Brendan Rodgers may not actively enjoy such an imbalanced challenge, but at least he never moans about it, never cries it's unrealistic. Instead, he has quietly gone about the business of trying to find an alternative solution.
He has cut the wage bill by around £25m A YEAR, over the past 12 months, and got rid of some players on mind-boggling money that simply don't command such salaries.
Yet there is still some dead wood there, even the ones out on loan bleeding the club drier when they are no longer contributing at all...because Liverpool must still pay part of their wages just to offload them.
In the long term though, it will allow the club to compete, because eventually when those players are gone, they can concentrate their precious cash on attracting real stars...players who can make a difference.
New signings
That is the plan from Rodgers and his recruitment team. To sign hungry players, on relatively modest salaries and pay them more when they deliver. But also to tempt those who can make a difference with better money, and incentive-based rewards.
Iago Aspas is a perfect example, as was Philippe Coutinho before him. The new signings are not household names, but they have quality and they have hunger. They also have a technique that fits perfectly with what the manager wants to do.
Luis Alberto is one for the future, but possesses the same audacious skills as the others, while Kolo Toure is one for the squad, offering depth and experience at a fairer price.
As for Simon Mignolet, he may be replacing an all-time Liverpool great in the admirable Pepe Reina, but many seasoned observers were convinced it was time for a change between the sticks.
New boy Iago Aspas in action
Michael Dodge
All the new signings though, are less important than the presence of one man who wants to leave, but increasingly looks as though he will say.
We have covered the saga of Luis Suarez in this column so many times over the summer, it's been like Groundhog Day, but for what it's worth, his tactic in telling convincing Arsenal of one thing, when the reality was always another, was a ludicrous, senseless position.
It is surprising Arsene Wenger fell for it so naively, surprising nobody around Arsenal stopped to ask themselves why Liverpool were so adamant, so vehement, that the contract clause didn't exist. Even from a distance, it was obvious Suarez was spinning a line to the London club, and amazing they took so long to realise.
Now, we have arrived at a position where he obviously doesn't have a clause allowing him to leave, and won't go to the Emirates unless Wenger is prepared to throw in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as part of any deal.
Key player
That ain't happening, which brings us nicely to Liverpool's key man for next season, which is Suarez. Of course. As Steven Gerrard said, without him, they can forget the top four.
Luis Suarez trains
Will Suarez 'do a Tevez' and return to the Liverpool team?
Splash News
But if he somehow settles down and accepts he's not leaving (which increasingly seems to be the case), if he realises it is a World Cup year and his long term personal ambition can be best served aiming towards that, then he can still be a significant figure for the club.
Carlos Tevez has shown us there is always a way back, no matter how ugly the dispute, how contentious the comments. So as much as it sticks in the throat, there is a very real possibility Suarez will be accepted back at Anfield.
If he plays anything like last season, then Liverpool have a chance of sneaking into the top four. They play some impressive football at times, and with the skilful front line they could boast with Suarez in it, then they can beat any team.
For some - this writer included - it would seem almost a sin for Liverpool's long suffering fans to be asked to welcome the Uruguayan back as though nothing had happened, but this is a sport and a business that has long sold out the last of its morals, so reality suggests, if the striker can help lift that burden of expectation, then all can be forgiven and forgotten.
Predictions
With Suarez fit and motivated (and free of suspension), the prediction is a top four finish for Liverpool. That though, is a big ask for a player who finds ever more impressive ways of not playing football matches.
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Champions of England 2020.
YNWA
) , FSG too. His sheep like posts mimic exactly what some of the conspiracy theorists he obviously looks up to. He's trying to bring that s.hit over here - i.e. call Rodgers a liar, he's a sh.it manager etc etc....
