I must say a really good job to get in the top 4 this year.
I really didnt fancy us at all given we didnt sign a DM or CB or a backup striker.
Luckily the front 3 have stayed largely fit this year and Virgil coming really helped.
I still think we need a DM and a partner for Virgil and we 100% need backup for the front three as the ones we have are laughably bad.
Three quality signings and genuinely I will fancy us to win this title next year.
Finishing Top 4 and reaching the CL final? We'd have all taken that. It's quite weird to look back when the season (for us anyway) hasn't finished, but there's been so many positives for us as a club.
Finally we had that "20 league goal striker" that
everyone knows is vital for a team that wants to win the title, and Salah's ridiculous 32 league goals was crucial to make that final Top 4 spot ours. Without him, we wouldn't have had a chance. And at last Firmino started scoring goals, and made a great contribution of 15 league strikes, with Mane banging in 10. So if we keep those three and we also add in another top-quality striker, then the scoring situation will be sorted.
There were also positives defensively, with only three clubs - Spurs, United and City - conceding fewer goals, and much of that is down to Van Dijk. If we can add in another quality CB, a top goalkeeper and support in the fullback positions, that vital, title-winning mean defence can be worked on. And we also need to add quality to the midfield, especially with Can leaving. Another positive was the
superb home league form, unbeaten, and if we can turn some of those ridiculous 12 draws into wins, we have a chance.
As for predictions, everyone knew City and United would be at the top, and most people picked Arab City to win the title. Not really interested in dissecting the Arab Centurions (vomit), any cunt can spend a billion pounds and win the title. I was fairly sure that Chelsea wouldn't go from Champions to nowhere, and that's been the biggest surprise, because at the start of the season it was predicted that the final fourth place position was the one we could possibly fight for, and even if that's what happened, their collapse has been a bit weird (even if they did actually win the title last season after finishing a dismal 10th).
Perhaps not quite as surprising was Spurs finishing third. Although Spurs under Pochettino have finished above Liverpool every season, it was thought in some quarters that this year the switch to Wembley may hurt them, and that three-season wonder Harry Kane would finally struggle. Still, at least Salah beat him to the golden boot, which is brilliant since Kane seems to really, REALLY like winning it. Unlucky mong-face.
As for United.....hmmm. Gigantic outlay, some huge signings and finished comfortably second, 6 points clear of us. Yeah, they could still win the FA cup under Shitcoat, ensuring yet another trophy, but there will still be disappointment about a lack of genuine challenge, player unrest and some turgid football. If we win the CL that will put their season into serious shade.
Overall. Well done. And it's not over yet.