Jose Reina says Liverpool have made such huge strides in the last 12 months that they can have ambitions of winning the Premier League title.
A year ago that would have been an unthinkable prospect at Anfield as, at this stage of the season, there was more concern over keeping themselves out of the relegation zone.
The takeover by Fenway Sports Group in October 2010 had rescued the club from the difficult reign of Tom Hicks and George Gillett but the new American owners had not had any time to make an impact off the field.
On it the Reds were struggling under Roy Hodgson as, having already dropped into the bottom three once, they had just 12 points from 10 matches and were 16th in the table.
That form ultimately cost Hodgson his job in January but the return for a second spell as boss of Kenny Dalglish, coupled with considerable transfer funds from FSG, has revitalised the club.
They are eight points and 10 places better off and with the whole atmosphere transformed, Reina believes the squad can start to work to fulfil their personal - and the club's - aspirations of bringing the title back to Anfield for the first time since 1990, coincidentally under Dalglish's leadership first time around.
"We are a much better team than last season," said the Spain international.
"We have strength in the team and the squad and it has become competitive right now.
"It is just the first step we have to take in a long-term project.
"Things are improving but we want to be even better and at some point be champions of the Premier League again."
First, however, they have to regain their Champions League status and if they are to do that they have to win matches like Saturday's visit of Swansea.
In their last home game against another newly-promoted club, Norwich, the Reds had only Craig Bellamy's first-half added-time goal to show for their efforts and, with the crowd growing restless, the visitors equalised after the break.
The expectation may be for Liverpool to roll over such teams at Anfield, where they have lost just once since last December, but Dalglish knows things are never that simple.
"Everyone needs a certain amount of patience - the players and the supporters - because they (Swansea) are going to have possession of the ball at some stage of the game," added the Scot, who sent a letter of congratulations to the Welsh club when they were promoted last season.
"It is up to us to do more with it when we have it then they do when they have it.
"Sometimes there is a bit of disrespect for teams who have been promoted. We've rued the games against some promoted teams over the last few years.
"We have to be patient in a lot of aspects of the game."
One of the areas of frustration is how close the side have come to scoring without actually doing so, having hit the woodwork 10 times so far.
"We are getting closer. We've always said we'd like to convert more of the chances we create but as long as we keep creating them then we'll have a chance," added Dalglish.
"I think we've created more chances than anyone else in the Premier League.
"Eventually we are going to convert a high proportion of the chances we create and it is up to us to continue to create them."
Dalglish has been impressed by how Swansea have gone about their business this season.
They are currently 10th with 12 points, having already played Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City.
"They've had a difficult draw of games and we've got the utmost respect for them and their principles are similar to ours," he added.
"I don't think it does you any good to change your principles, you have to change the whole team if you change your principles.
"That was the way they got their reward last year in promotion so why should they change?
"Brendan Rodgers believes that is the way to play; he has to go where he feels strongest and that is probably why they have done so well.
"He's certainly set up a decent team there."
(source : teamtalk)
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