Former Liverpool captain and legend Steven Gerrard is confident that Jurgen Klopp’s men have everything in their armoury to finish in the top-4 this season and says that it is the bare minimum requirement for the Reds. Liverpool are currently 3rd in the Premier League standings, 3 points off arch-rivals Manchester United, and are bidding to cement their place in the top-four with title hopes done and dusted long back.

Klopp did beat runaway league leaders Manchester City 4-3 at Anfield but trail them by a staggering 18 points, which clearly indicates City’s dominance this season. With title aspirations dead and buried, Klopp’s aim this season is to earn a top-four spot and challenge for the Champions League, where we face FC Porto in the round of 16 this month.

Gerrard feels that we should at least target a top-four finish this season and a long run in the Champions League.

“I think it [a top-four finish] the minimum acceptable in terms of what’s been spent and the players he’s got,” Gerrard told BT Sport on Tuesday night following Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Huddersfield. (h/t The Sport Review).

“I think there would be big questions asked if they finished outside the top four. I think it’s satisfactory, whether that’s good enough, as a Liverpool ex-player and a fan, I think you’re always searching for more. You want to do better and have longer runs in the cup competitions.”

I feel Gerrard is spot on! It would be foolish to even think of overhauling Pep Guardiola’s City as they are surely winning the Premier League title this season. Knowing that fact, Klopp should concentrate on cementing a place in the top-four and possibly even a 2nd place finish. Manchester United are just three points above us, so leapfrogging them is very much possible.

With FA Cup also gone, Klopp has to target a longer run in the Champions League as we have now entered the knockout phase of the competition. By any means, we cannot take FC Porto lightly and given the attacking firepower we have, our manager should work on our strengths.

Despite the addition of Virgil van Dijk, the defence still looks a bit shaky. But I feel that it is a matter of time before the Dutchman successfully forges a solid partnership with either Joel Matip or Dejan Lovren.