Chris Hatherall: Liverpool need very big swing to be competitive

After a week in which the general election was the only topic of conversation in England, the red flag is still flying at half-mast for Liverpool despite a hard-earned point against the blues of Chelsea who have already won the Premier League by a huge majority.

The result, thanks to a goal from departing captain Steven Gerrard, is a boost in Liverpool’s hopes of securing fifth place; but more significantly — barring a miracle — it leaves their hopes of Champions League football next season all but over.

As a result, now is the right time to analyse what Liverpool need to do this summer to claw back some kind of parity next season.