2) Steven Gerrard factor
Brendan Rodgers had had one really big difficult job on his hands this season, and that has been how to manage Steven Gerrard’s decline and exit from the club. The 34-year-old has been far from at his best and seems to be leaving at just the right time, though his status as a club legend makes it hard for Rodgers to freeze him out completely, which will no doubt have led to a great deal of inner conflict. When the former England skipper is gone, one feels the club will be far more settled and Rodgers can start to truly build a new team for the future.