When Rafa Benitez was sacked as Manager of Liverpool FC at the start of June it looked set to be a bleak Summer for the fans up on Merseyside; fast forward a couple of months and with the new season about to get underway it appears the fortunes of the club are set to take another upward curve. Benitez has been replaced with Roy Hodgson who has managed to bring the good feeling back to the club before a single ball has been kicked in vein at Anfield this season.

Hodgson has so far proven to be the ideal replacement for Benitez, he is an honest man that seems to be talking nothing but sense at the moment as he looks to prove a success in what he described as the ‘biggest job in club football'. Now, it would be foolish to think that Hodgson can take the team to the Premier League title this season, but few would be surprised to see Liverpool back in the Premier League top four  come May and a return to Champions League football for 2011/2012. Hodgson has kept hold of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres which in itself is a major coup, both were linked with moves away from Anfield and with no Champions League football at the club this season and few would have blamed either if they had moved on. It is quite simple with regard to Liverpool when looking at their chances, if Gerrard and Torres stay fit and on form this season they will be a match for any team in England or Europe and a top four finish would be the minimum ask.

Hodgson pulled off another big transfer in his first month in the job as he signed Joe Cole on a free transfer; Cole is an experienced player who is used to winning trophies at the very highest level. He will be more than happy to share the burden with Torres and Gerrard which will prove crucial to their potential success this season; he should be able to add a new dimension to the team in attack and will surely relish the chance to player with Torres and vice-versa.

Hodgson of course will know that he does still need to strengthen the overall feel of the squad that was found so lacking last season, much of that though will depend on any impending takeover at the club. A number of consortiums have expressed their interest in Liverpool and it will be crucial that the right one is accepted, the debt will need to be cleared while a new stadium is paramount to the future success of the club. If the right man can come into Anfield and back Hodgson then it looks as though Liverpool could once again be right back towards the top of the Premier League. The fans will only be too aware of how damaging the wrong owners can be so they will be hoping the right decision is made, any new owner will need to be aware of the history of the club as well as understanding how Liverpool FC run their affairs off the pitch and behind closed doors.

What the Anfield faithful can look forward to most in 2010/2011 is  consistency both on the pitch and in the dugout! One of the biggest criticisms during Benitez's tenure was the Spaniards lack of respect for the league, relying heavily on squad rotation and prioritising his players for European games. With this came constant speculation of Benitez's future at the club, something that will not be the case under Hodgson and Liverpool fans can enjoy the tribulations of the well publicised media drive sack race from a distance. On the pitch, the wait for a 19th title may exceed 21 years but for the first season in many, Liverpool fans have reason to be optimistic.

It will not be easy though with the old big four of Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea now infiltrated by Spurs and big spending Man City, while Aston Villa and Everton should also be watched very carefully once again. With Roy Hodgson at the helm though there is just a feeling around Anfield and amongst supporters that last season was a mere blip and that the good times could be on their way back to the club.