I think it is absolutely progress. It will be a shame to be so close and miss out on a title 2 seasons in a row. However, I think the team has more experience and the players have grown into their roles more. I also think they have a better/stronger mentality compared to last year.

Also keep in mind how consistent Liverpool and City have been at the top. Then you factor in how many Liverpool have won in that period. And we have been contending with both powerhouses 2 years in a row! It feels so good to be back competing again.

Yes, I think we're really close to being consistent European contenders, but maybe a few pieces missing to push that little bit further? The only thing I would say is dropping out to Bayern could cause a domino affect in the league. Hopefully not, just listing a possibility.

I think I will leave it there. I feel I could keep going, but I'll just talk in circles lol. Curious to know what everybody else thinks.