It might help if we know where he is travelling from!
£2396 is the cost of an annual season ticket Liverpool Stations - Eccles. It is valid via Manchester, and valid for travel round the Liverpool loop.
For 11 months, an annual season ticket is unlikely the cheapest option. The cost of an annual season ticket is roughly the cost of 10 months 12 days' travel at the monthly season ticket rate. After the person's holidays, bank and public holidays and other non-travel days are taken into account, I would not expect using an annual season ticket for 11 months only to be the cheapest option.
For example, if the need to travel is related to education, money can be saved by buying at the monthly rate for each half-term. If the first half-term is Monday 6 September - Friday 22 October, then a season ticket can be bought for 1 month 17 days costing £360.60.
Whatever the duration of the season ticket,
tony_mac is correct to point out that there is a small saving to be had by splitting at Newton-le-Willows. The trains used must stop at Newton-le-Willows. This loses validity via Manchester but gains in Merseyside.
tony_mac is also correct to point out that a Liverpool - Preston season ticket can be used for Liverpool - Eccles. This costs £49.50 a week, £190.10 a month or £1980 a year. I don't share his pessimism that this is likely to change soon. Liverpool - Preston has been permitted via Manchester since the first Routeing Guide in September 1996, an it seems unlikely to me that this would be changed without prior consultation. This seems likely to me to be the cheapest useful season ticket.
Even if Permitted Routes Liverpool - Preston were altered, existing tickets could not have their validity reduced. The contract is made at the point of sale and cannot later be altered by one party.
Depending on the times of travel, it may be worth considering daily tickets. After 1000, a Railcard Off-Peak Day Return Liverpool - Eccles is £6.55.
