And thus, for a second year in a row, Liverpool have decided to end their EPL campaign early.

Frankly, all I can ask for now is this: Let's win the FA Cup, bring up a bunch of our kids and then have Kenny retire for good at season's end. It's the best possible outcome for what has been a really putrid season on many fronts.

It has become clear that this team, as constituted and sadly, as managed will not be able to compete for the Top 4, to say nothing of the title. We are too slow, too direct, too lacking in imagination and are missing the most basic of football (SOCCER!) skills: hitting the net.

In my wildest fever dreams, we would be able to bring in someone like Joachim Löw who could craft this team back toward an actual squad, capable of passing and scoring as opposed to what we have now. Alas, I doubt he would leave Germany and especially not for this mess.

The whole squad needs to be retooled and that will not be easy. I want Suarez sold, I can't root for him anymore. I am tired of his antics and whatever ability he does have, and it is considerable, is negated by his terrible goal-line skills. Andy Carroll is clearly a project, but one that I'm not sure Liverpool can continue to work on. He has some skill but is just lazy, frankly. He has the body of a central forward but not the brain and I'm not sure you can teach that.

The midfield is a mess, especially on the wings. I think Sterling really deserves a run of games now. He showed more in 6 minutes then Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson have all year. Stewart Downing has gotten better but the bar was set so low, that says nothing. I, like so many others, love Dirk but I think he leaves in the summer and I can't blame him. I'll happily welcome Lucas back but Spearing hasn't been awful and holding midfield isn't our problem. As for Gerrard, it is terrible that he remains our engine and the only player who is capable of putting in a full shift because he cannot be counted on to stay healthy. Realistically, he can still give us a lot of great performances but he will not play a full season and when he is missing, we are truly lost in the middle.

Defensively, what seemed like a strength has turned very limp. Coates may be good but he still needs seasoning. I want Martin Kelly to get some central time as I think that's where his true talents are. I love Carra, but he's past his prime and also cannot be counted on for a length of time anymore. Enrique needs to go back to the basics, and rediscover his early season form which was wonderful. Glen Johnson has been good but is oft-injured as well. Noticing a trend here?

So, for this off-season, 4 things need to happen:

1. New Manager, someone with tactical prowess who will force Liverpool to do the basics well again.

2. Sell Suarez and bring in a true goal-scorer, someone who will take chances when given them and also, is a much more upstanding person. I'm not asking for a saint by any means, but Suarez already had a ton of red flags from his past and this season has shown that he cannot be trusted to keep his problems to himself.

3. Give the youth a chance, especially on the wings. I'd love to see Martin Kelly and Sterling play a bunch in what I think are their best positions. Maybe even give Coady a shout.

4. This is the hardest and also most obvious: Rediscover a killer instinct. Liverpool have LOST, not even tied, to teams that frankly aren't as good on paper as them and it's because they haven't wanted it as much as their opponents. There have been so many games where the win was there for the taking but they let it slip away or their opponent wanted it more. This ties in to the new manager as well.

Take care all.