'Something big happening at LFC'

With seven new signings arriving over the summer and a number of fringe players having departed the club, Thompson has been thrilled with the way Dalglish and his staff have gelled the team together so quickly, and he believes all the signs are now pointing towards a bright future at Anfield.

"I like the way the transfer business has been done, going back to January as well," Thompson told Liverpoolfc.tv. "A lot of business has been conducted without too much press interference or people knowing too much about it. It's been done in a very Liverpool-like way and I'm extremely pleased for Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli for what they've achieved. You have to take your hats off to Fenway Sports Group as well who have dug deep.

"Over the last couple of years the strength in depth hasn't been there. It's said in football you're only as good as what you've got on the bench and that's fair. You need a good squad to get you through a season and our squad has now been strengthened with different qualities of player. We now have a fantastic squad to worry most teams.

"I am very excited. You've got Stewart Downing on the left and also Jose Enrique, someone who had a difficult first season at Newcastle but who settled, got to know the game and became a very good defender who is good going forward. With Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson in the midfield there's a 'Britishness' about the team and I think that's because we lost a lot of the lesser games last year. We could always match the top teams but we had to rectify it against the lesser sides."

While the deals for Henderson, Adam, Downing, Alexander Doni and Enrique were completed well in advance of the transfer window closing, moves for Sebastian Coates and Craig Bellamy were left until late - and Thompson believes they will prove to be two inspired signings.

"Everyone thought we would be going for someone else, but they've gone for Coates and might just have struck gold," he said. "He's an example of a quality youth player if you look at how well he did in the Copa America - and I've no doubt Luis Suarez gave rave reviews about him as well.

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"I see Bellamy as being the same as when Robbie Fowler came back. He came back for nothing, the salary is easily manageable because of what's gone out. It's a no-brainer. It's great to have - and he'll hate me for saying this - that maverick, someone who can come on and change a game. He'll be saying 'I want to be playing' and that's what you want from someone. He will add so much to this squad that we will all be drooling.

"I have to mention Luis Suarez as well because he just excites me all the time, not just with his skills but with his attitude. The Carling Cup at Exeter - he probably didn't even know Exeter existed, and he went down there and played, ran and chased down defenders. The smile on his face shows he is enjoying his football.

"If you look at the squad now I think something big is happening, but we have been there and had our false dawns before. We are a little more guarded now and rightly so, but as we've seen, since the change in ownership we all feel much more content and we're happy with what we're seeing from within the football club. Now we need it to be right on the pitch.

"Manchester United knew they had to improve because if they'd kept their same squad we'd have beaten them this year. Chelsea have had to strengthen at the end and certainly Manchester City will be a problem, so it will be hard.

"The big games didn't worry me last year, it was the lesser ones and if we can get them right I think we're in for a great season."