Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is sure that the 'spine' of his side represents a seam of true quality that starts with his goalkeeper Pepe Reina, goes through his central defence and midfield, and ends up with the sparkling boots of striker Fernando Torres.
"We are working very hard to keep the spine of the team - that was always the idea," Benitez told LFC Magazine.
"We have Pepe Reina as the number one goalkeeper, with Diego Cavalieri behind him, another good goalkeeper. Then we have Skrtel, Carragher and Agger - three good centre-backs.
"Then you go to the midfield with Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas and Gerrard, with Torres up front and Ngog, who is a very good prospect. We have a good squad, which is still young, so hopefully we can improve further.
"We know we still need to improve in some specific areas. We will be working very hard to do that over the summer."
With talismanic centre-back Sami Hyypia departing for Bayer Leverkusen after an emotional Anfield farewell on the last day of the season, there are only two players, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, remaining from when Benitez first took over at the club five years ago this month.
The Spaniard feels that that is a sign of the development that has taken place in the squad, but he also acknowledges that perhaps the Reds have less leeway in the transfer market than some of their big spending rivals.
"Coming to a club that needs a lot of work is a massive difference to arriving at a club without too many changes to make. From my time here, Chelsea and United already had big squads with top-class players. They have both spent big money since and improved a lot.
"We could not spend that kind of money, but look at the level of the squad now compared to five years ago. We have had to work hard rebuilding the whole squad," he added.
"It's not just a case of saying, 'Oh, Liverpool should win because they are spending.' The other clubs are spending too but had better squads from the beginning. That is why, if we are to reduce the gap, we have to do things almost perfectly.
"We have learned together what it means to stay close to the top of the table, from the beginning to the end. I am sure that will help us in the future."
Benitez made retaining current stars his priority, once he had signed a new contract himself in the spring, with Dirk Kuyt, Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres all inking new deals in recent weeks.
Any transfer targets for the summer are still unclear, but Benitez's plans might well have been compromised by the financial problems faced by the club's owners that have been revealed in the last week.
"We are working very hard to keep the spine of the team - that was always the idea," Benitez told LFC Magazine.
"We have Pepe Reina as the number one goalkeeper, with Diego Cavalieri behind him, another good goalkeeper. Then we have Skrtel, Carragher and Agger - three good centre-backs.
"Then you go to the midfield with Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas and Gerrard, with Torres up front and Ngog, who is a very good prospect. We have a good squad, which is still young, so hopefully we can improve further.
"We know we still need to improve in some specific areas. We will be working very hard to do that over the summer."
With talismanic centre-back Sami Hyypia departing for Bayer Leverkusen after an emotional Anfield farewell on the last day of the season, there are only two players, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, remaining from when Benitez first took over at the club five years ago this month.
The Spaniard feels that that is a sign of the development that has taken place in the squad, but he also acknowledges that perhaps the Reds have less leeway in the transfer market than some of their big spending rivals.
"Coming to a club that needs a lot of work is a massive difference to arriving at a club without too many changes to make. From my time here, Chelsea and United already had big squads with top-class players. They have both spent big money since and improved a lot.
"We could not spend that kind of money, but look at the level of the squad now compared to five years ago. We have had to work hard rebuilding the whole squad," he added.
"It's not just a case of saying, 'Oh, Liverpool should win because they are spending.' The other clubs are spending too but had better squads from the beginning. That is why, if we are to reduce the gap, we have to do things almost perfectly.
"We have learned together what it means to stay close to the top of the table, from the beginning to the end. I am sure that will help us in the future."
Benitez made retaining current stars his priority, once he had signed a new contract himself in the spring, with Dirk Kuyt, Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres all inking new deals in recent weeks.
Any transfer targets for the summer are still unclear, but Benitez's plans might well have been compromised by the financial problems faced by the club's owners that have been revealed in the last week.
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