As a player, he made 241 appearances for Liverpool during the club's glory years of the 1980s, winning nine major honours. Now, he is one of the most recognised pundits around, a lynchpin of the BBC's football coverage. But whilst Mark Lawrenson retains a special affection for his old club, he believes that failure to finish in the top four this season could have disastrous consequences for the club in the long term.
Speaking exclusively to Goal.com UK, Lawrenson revealed that he feels Manchester City are the team best placed to snatch the final Champions League qualification spot, despite their midweek defeat at home to Everton.
"At the moment, I think Manchester City are favourites," he said. "Tottenham have a really tough run of games, and that could prove their undoing. Liverpool, meanwhile, are inconsistent. You don't know what you are going to get with them at the moment.
"As for City, well I know Everton beat them - and beat them comfortably - but at this stage of the season I would rather have the points in the bag than the easier games to play. Because when it gets to this stage of the season, teams look at the fixtures and say 'we can win the next three or four', but it never works out that way."
Tottenham currently occupy fourth spot on 55 points, two points clear of City, and four ahead of Liverpool, and Lawrenson concedes that failure to qualify for next season's Champions League would have far harsher consequences for the Reds than their rivals, and queries whether the club's prized assets would be prepared to settle for Europa League football.
"If you look at Manchester City for example, if they can secure Champions League football next season, can you imagine the players they will be able to sign? They already have a strong squad, that will only get stronger and stronger if they can guarantee Champions League football," he said.
"Of course I would dearly love to see Liverpool finish fourth, and they do have more home games than away, and with Torres back they will always have a chance. But if they don't finish fourth, I think it becomes a major problem for them - both in terms of attracting the kind of player they need, and in keeping hold of the ones they have got.
"If we’re not in the Champions League, does Fernando Torres want to play in the Europa League? Does Steven Gerrard, after all he has done for the club? I’m not sure. The problem we have is if we don’t get fourth, there will be so much open for debate, and that’s a worry."
That worry is certainly exacerbated by fears for the club's financial well-being. The £100million of fresh investment promised by managing director Christian Purslow has yet to appear, despite reports of interest from US-based bankers the Rhone Group, and Lawrenson believes the Reds co-owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, are simply waiting for the best possible deal on their investment.
"The Americans promised Liverpool a new ground, with George Gillett saying that there would be a spade in the ground within 60 days," said Lawrenson, "That was over three years ago, which tells you all you need to know about the situation at the moment.
"I think the key with Liverpool is – what will investors get for their money? If you are going to invest in a football club, you want value for money. And I think the American’s are looking at new investment from a perspective of how much money they can make."
It is certainly a come-down from this time last season, when Liverpool were pushing Manchester United hard in the Premier League title race. This year's championship is a three-way battle between United, Arsenal and Chelsea, and Lawrenson has a sneaking feeling for Arsene Wenger's side.
"I have to tell you, when Arsenal lost to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, I got 10-1 on Arsenal for the league, and I took it," he says, "Just looking at their fixtures, I'd give them a massive chance. I’m not saying they are definitely going to win it, but it is looking like a good bet at the moment.
“Having said that though, would you back against Manchester United? Would you back Chelsea to go and win at Old Trafford? I’m not sure."
Lawrenson admits the title race is as open as it has been for many years, but says the reason for this is an improvement in the top seven clubs, rather than the entire league.
"I think the reason the league is so open is because the top six or seven have improved, and the rest of the league has not," he added. "So you have the top teams all beating each other, whilst the rest of the teams are perhaps scrambling around a bit, that's why the race is so open this season."
And with the PFA Player of the Year awards fast approaching, Lawrenson feels there is one candidate who stands head and shoulders above the rest this season.
"I think Wayne Rooney is a shoo-in," he says, "How can anyone vote for [Didier] Drogba when he keeps getting sent off in the Champions League? Cesc Fabregas? Maybe, but for me Rooney is a certainty.
"When you think that [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Carlos] Tevez left in the summer and people wondered where United would get the goals from, and he just stepped up and has been absolutely sensational. He is a shoo-in for Player of the Season surely.”
Speaking exclusively to Goal.com UK, Lawrenson revealed that he feels Manchester City are the team best placed to snatch the final Champions League qualification spot, despite their midweek defeat at home to Everton.
"At the moment, I think Manchester City are favourites," he said. "Tottenham have a really tough run of games, and that could prove their undoing. Liverpool, meanwhile, are inconsistent. You don't know what you are going to get with them at the moment.
"As for City, well I know Everton beat them - and beat them comfortably - but at this stage of the season I would rather have the points in the bag than the easier games to play. Because when it gets to this stage of the season, teams look at the fixtures and say 'we can win the next three or four', but it never works out that way."
Tottenham currently occupy fourth spot on 55 points, two points clear of City, and four ahead of Liverpool, and Lawrenson concedes that failure to qualify for next season's Champions League would have far harsher consequences for the Reds than their rivals, and queries whether the club's prized assets would be prepared to settle for Europa League football.
"If you look at Manchester City for example, if they can secure Champions League football next season, can you imagine the players they will be able to sign? They already have a strong squad, that will only get stronger and stronger if they can guarantee Champions League football," he said.
"Of course I would dearly love to see Liverpool finish fourth, and they do have more home games than away, and with Torres back they will always have a chance. But if they don't finish fourth, I think it becomes a major problem for them - both in terms of attracting the kind of player they need, and in keeping hold of the ones they have got.
"If we’re not in the Champions League, does Fernando Torres want to play in the Europa League? Does Steven Gerrard, after all he has done for the club? I’m not sure. The problem we have is if we don’t get fourth, there will be so much open for debate, and that’s a worry."
That worry is certainly exacerbated by fears for the club's financial well-being. The £100million of fresh investment promised by managing director Christian Purslow has yet to appear, despite reports of interest from US-based bankers the Rhone Group, and Lawrenson believes the Reds co-owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, are simply waiting for the best possible deal on their investment.
"The Americans promised Liverpool a new ground, with George Gillett saying that there would be a spade in the ground within 60 days," said Lawrenson, "That was over three years ago, which tells you all you need to know about the situation at the moment.
"I think the key with Liverpool is – what will investors get for their money? If you are going to invest in a football club, you want value for money. And I think the American’s are looking at new investment from a perspective of how much money they can make."
It is certainly a come-down from this time last season, when Liverpool were pushing Manchester United hard in the Premier League title race. This year's championship is a three-way battle between United, Arsenal and Chelsea, and Lawrenson has a sneaking feeling for Arsene Wenger's side.
"I have to tell you, when Arsenal lost to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, I got 10-1 on Arsenal for the league, and I took it," he says, "Just looking at their fixtures, I'd give them a massive chance. I’m not saying they are definitely going to win it, but it is looking like a good bet at the moment.
“Having said that though, would you back against Manchester United? Would you back Chelsea to go and win at Old Trafford? I’m not sure."
Lawrenson admits the title race is as open as it has been for many years, but says the reason for this is an improvement in the top seven clubs, rather than the entire league.
"I think the reason the league is so open is because the top six or seven have improved, and the rest of the league has not," he added. "So you have the top teams all beating each other, whilst the rest of the teams are perhaps scrambling around a bit, that's why the race is so open this season."
And with the PFA Player of the Year awards fast approaching, Lawrenson feels there is one candidate who stands head and shoulders above the rest this season.
"I think Wayne Rooney is a shoo-in," he says, "How can anyone vote for [Didier] Drogba when he keeps getting sent off in the Champions League? Cesc Fabregas? Maybe, but for me Rooney is a certainty.
"When you think that [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Carlos] Tevez left in the summer and people wondered where United would get the goals from, and he just stepped up and has been absolutely sensational. He is a shoo-in for Player of the Season surely.”
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