Liverpool WILL finish in the top four again this season, claims former Anfield hero

Liverpool have the quality to secure back-to-back Premier League top four finishes this season, according to the Reds’ two-time title winner Ray Houghton.

The Merseyside outfit narrowly missed out on a first top flight crown in 24 years last term, eventually finishing runners-up to champions Manchester City.

Despite last season’s success, however, it’s been suggested the exit of star striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona will hit Brendan Rodgers’ side hard and they may struggle to compete with the likes of City, Chelsea, Arsenal and a revitalised Man United as a result.

But former Reds midfielder Houghton believes that, while the club’s other forwards are more than capable to step up and provide the goals in Suarez’s absence, improved defensive performances will be their key to success this season.

Asked if he believes Liverpool will finish in the top four, Houghton told Kick Off: “Yes, for me they will.

“They may be below Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and Man United in the bookies’ eyes, but I don’t see it that way at all.

“They’ve got a much stronger squad than last season. Sure, they’re just missing a key ingredient in Luis Suarez, but they’ll still be very competitive.

“It’s not a concern for me that they haven’t replaced Suarez. In many ways you can’t replace a player like Suarez, just like how you can’t replace a Rush or a Dalglish.

“What you can do is bring others in to play around the strikers who can all do a good job and score enough goals to get you to where you want to be. I think Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho will be huge for Liverpool this season in that respect.

“But I think it’ll be less about how many goals Liverpool can score - we all know what the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert can do - and more about how they can defend over the course of 38 games.

“Liverpool have bought well this summer, the signing of centre-back Dejan Lovren from Southampton in particular, and they needed to because they need more depth for the Champions League.

“But the bottom line is they need to defend better, that’s where they were found out last season.”