Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson may have contemptuously dismissed Liverpool’s title prospects last week but there are genuine reasons to believe this will be the season the Merseysiders can finally end two decades of hurt.

Last season Liverpool produced their first sustained title challenge in years, finishing with 86 points, a tally that would win the Premier League most seasons.

Much has changed since. The other members of the big four look to have been weakened over the summer while it is hard to see Manchester City gelling sufficiently to be real contenders.

Manchester United may have bought quality in Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen (if he stays fit) but the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo is sure to be keenly felt at Old Trafford.

Guus Hiddink’s departure from Chelsea, while expected, is undoubtedly a blow to Chelsea. Carlo Ancelotti’s CV warrants respect but the Italian is facing a major challenge to fill the void left by Hiddink.

And while selling Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure to Manchester City may have made good business sense, Arsenal’s failure to replace them or buy a midfield enforcer means their title chances are somewhere between slim and none.

Liverpool too have lost a hugely influential figure in Xabi Alonso and the fact his replacement Alberto Aquilani will miss the first two months of the season and has been injury prone throughout his career will be a concern for their supporters. However while all of the teams who finished in the top four last season look weakened Liverpool are possibly the least so.

Ultimately though Liverpool’s title fate will be decided by how often they manage to get Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres on the pitch at the same time. Gerrard and Torres are by far and away Liverpool’s most influential players and enjoy an almost telepathic relationship.

The problem Reds boss Rafael Benitez has had is keeping them both fit. Since Torres’ arrival at Anfield in 2007 he and Gerrard have started just 39 of Liverpool’s 76 league games, scoring or creating 62 goals between them.

Liverpool supporters will, with some justification, feel that they had Gerrard and Torres been fit enough to work in tandem more often last season they might well be champions now. It’s a fair point and should both players have better luck fitness wise this season Liverpool could well be celebrating a first title since 1990 come May.