Liverpool’s season has been on a steep upward curve on the pitch since their takeover by New England Sports Ventures (NESV) last month.

Three straight wins in all competitions, including an eye-catching 2-0 victory over EPL title-holders Chelsea at the weekend, have seen the Reds speed clear of the EPL relegation zone and virtually ensure qualification for the knock-out stages of the Europa League.

And there has been the added bonus of what looks like a return to form for under-pressure Spanish striker Fernando Torres, who has scored three times in his last two games, including the decisive strikes against Chelsea.

 

The club’s new owners, meanwhile, have been getting their feet under the proverbial Anfield table with a series of headline-grabbing appointments and public statements about the club’s future, on and off the pitch.

A fifteen-minute hat-trick by talismanic captain Steven Gerrard turned 1-0 defeat into 3-1 victory against Napoli last week, and could yet turn Liverpool’s season around.

The Reds were more impressive still in taking a two-goal half-time lead against Chelsea, Torres’s second goal his best for many months, and withstanding intense second-half pressure from the defending EPL champions.

And Torres added another impressive strike to give Liverpool an early lead at Wigan, although they could only draw after Gerrard hit the underside of the crossbar late on.

From being in the relegation zone three weeks ago, Liverpool are now ninth, and would be in a European qualification spot if they had won at Wigan.

New co-owner John W Henry told the BBC in an interview last week: “You can’t place a timetable” on an EPL title challenge.”

But he added: “Within five years, sooner than that, we have to be competitive with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.”

If that didn’t add to the pressure already on Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, the appointment of Frenchman Damien Comolli as “director of football strategy” certainly has.

Comolli is best known in EPL circles for a fractious spell at Tottenham where he appeared to undermine the authority of incumbent manager Martin Jol.

But Henry told the BBC: “I don’t think it undermines (Hodgson’s) authority at all. If it works in the US and in Europe, I see no reason why it can’t work here.”

He added that he thought the age of Liverpool’s squad was “an issue” and while “we are definitely in the market for the highest quality players, we need more depth, we need more youth. So that will be a focus of Damien’s.”

Asked if he thought Hodgson would still be Liverpool supremo this time next year, Henry replied: “That’s what I expect.”

Hodgson will be without Danish international defender Daniel Agger for the “long-term” as specialists examine the calf injury he suffered on international duty last month.

Hodgson commented: “Agger could be very long-term. It’s a calcification issue. They can’t put a date on it and at the moment he can’t train. He has just got to rest.”

Liverpool visit Stoke in the EPL this Saturday evening.