Liverpool does a Spurs: YNWA down White Hart Lane

Trust me,
they'll be fine.

Sell your incumbent superstar for a ridiculous amount of money to a Spanish giant, and use the funds to buy half a team of value-for-money upcoming talents which would improve the squad and be sold on for similarly huge fees down the line. Sounds like a plan? No, not Liverpool, we're talking about Tottenham Hotspur in August 2013. Their superstar was of course Gareth Bale, and the subsequent £110 million investment brought in Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela, Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiricheș and Etienne Capoue. Spurs fans experienced the equivalent of retail therapy, and had hoped that, if only by the sheer force of random probability, some or all of the new recruits would bring up their average. It was a promising average as well. With Bale in 2012-2013, Spurs finished 5th in the league, one point and one place off the final Champions League qualification spot taken by friendly neighbours Arsenal.
Forward one year, and we now know Spurs finish 6th in 2014, 2 places and 10 points away from the lucrative Champions League, with the freshly assembled ensemble making discordant transfer noises.
The great Michael Laudrup assessed in August 2013 that they had a strong squad as before, but one without a superstar. The implication was that a special team needed special players.
The parallels in plot would not be lost on Liverpool fans. Luiz Suarez was the inspiration that brought them within an improbable grasp of the Premier League title. His £75 million exit has helped fund the recruitment of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Emre Can. But, with their failure to rope in Alexis Sanchez, there is not a superstar in sight.
In his statements, Brendan Rodgers took care to point out that Liverpool improved Suarez, the implication being that superstars could yet spring from his current crop. As much as Rodgers' managerial talent has been hailed, the coming season poses the sternest test yet of his sorcery. Liverpool fans would be hoping for the unexpected, that its all part of The Plan. As things stand, however, it appears more than likely that You Never Walk Alone down White Hart Lane.