Expectations for the season ahead
- Thread starter rurikbird
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This is were I’m at as well.
We have kept the same team and not lost a player we didnt want to lose. That will be a strength. Several players coming back from injuries sees us with a good squad depth, but we’re lacking a few players still. Should have added a left sided winger forward.
Second in the league and a domestic cup.
CL quarter finals.
CL quarter finals ?! Can I have your ticket for the semis and the final please ? 🙂
I think we’ll win the CL again but struggle in the league
I'm not too concerned by full back depth. Trent and Robertson are both resilient and very high energy players. Milner and Hoever are sufficient back up. Hoever will have a break out season and will quickly be thought of as highly as Trent and Gomez by the seasons end. He's got the lot.
Unfortunately for Milner he will likely have to Mr Versatile again for us this season. Providing Chamberlain, Lallana and Keita stay fit there will be reduced opportunities in the middle for everyone. Keita and Chamberlain need to earn Klopps faith by putting in some excellent all round performances so we can start a more creative midfield in the bigger matches. Sometimes we're too workmanlike in the middle and we just need to back ourselves and go for it.
The concern lies with the front three. Have they've been burned out by a summer of football? Will stay start sharp but struggle come Feb/March? Managing them correcting will be a huge factor in whether we're competing for the title by the end.
Bad injuries to either Salah and Mane and we'll likely be happy to secure a CL place, such, such is our reliance on either presently. For me, adjusting the attacking balance of the midfield has to happen to reduce the reliance on Salah and Mane. Keita and Ox need to be smashing through lines of play, cause panic and create spaces for Firmino, Origi and Brewster to exploit. The later two being extremely adept in the box should really look to benefit. Chamberlain and Brewster have a great relationship off the field, having spent a year rehabing together, so it'll be nice to see whether that shows on the pitch.
Unfortunately for Milner he will likely have to Mr Versatile again for us this season. Providing Chamberlain, Lallana and Keita stay fit there will be reduced opportunities in the middle for everyone. Keita and Chamberlain need to earn Klopps faith by putting in some excellent all round performances so we can start a more creative midfield in the bigger matches. Sometimes we're too workmanlike in the middle and we just need to back ourselves and go for it.
The concern lies with the front three. Have they've been burned out by a summer of football? Will stay start sharp but struggle come Feb/March? Managing them correcting will be a huge factor in whether we're competing for the title by the end.
Bad injuries to either Salah and Mane and we'll likely be happy to secure a CL place, such, such is our reliance on either presently. For me, adjusting the attacking balance of the midfield has to happen to reduce the reliance on Salah and Mane. Keita and Ox need to be smashing through lines of play, cause panic and create spaces for Firmino, Origi and Brewster to exploit. The later two being extremely adept in the box should really look to benefit. Chamberlain and Brewster have a great relationship off the field, having spent a year rehabing together, so it'll be nice to see whether that shows on the pitch.
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[article]If Liverpool go all the way in each competition, they are likely to play 67 games across exactly 300 days - an average of a game every 4.5 days. They will play a minimum of 50 matches if they get knocked out of every cup immediately.
Their total could reach 71 if they finish third in their Champions League group - to go into the Europa League last 32 - and need FA Cup replays in the third and fourth rounds.
That is on top of their seven pre-season friendlies in England, the United States, Scotland and Switzerland.
The festive period is hectic at the best of times - but Liverpool will play at least eight games in 29 days over Christmas - including a 7,000-mile round trip to Qatar.
[/article]
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48969062
[article]
This is the fifth season that an English club will have taken part in seven competitions. The most recent example was Chelsea, who actually featured in eight in 2012-13 (a bit more on that later).
Liverpool were the first team to do it, back in 1984-85, while Manchester United played in seven competitions twice, in 1999-2000 and 2008-09.
The Red Devils famously did not take part in the 1999-2000 FA Cup, but they did play in the Intercontinental Cup and Club World Championship (as it was then called) that campaign, the one year the two competitions overlapped.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa both missed the chance in the late 1970s and early 1980s by failing to reach the Charity Shield (as it was then called).
Liverpool could also have done it in 1977-78, but they opted out of the Intercontinental Cup, as many English teams did at that time, because of a fear of violence from their South American opponents.
[/article]
Their total could reach 71 if they finish third in their Champions League group - to go into the Europa League last 32 - and need FA Cup replays in the third and fourth rounds.
That is on top of their seven pre-season friendlies in England, the United States, Scotland and Switzerland.
The festive period is hectic at the best of times - but Liverpool will play at least eight games in 29 days over Christmas - including a 7,000-mile round trip to Qatar.
[/article]
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48969062
[article]
This is the fifth season that an English club will have taken part in seven competitions. The most recent example was Chelsea, who actually featured in eight in 2012-13 (a bit more on that later).
Liverpool were the first team to do it, back in 1984-85, while Manchester United played in seven competitions twice, in 1999-2000 and 2008-09.
The Red Devils famously did not take part in the 1999-2000 FA Cup, but they did play in the Intercontinental Cup and Club World Championship (as it was then called) that campaign, the one year the two competitions overlapped.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa both missed the chance in the late 1970s and early 1980s by failing to reach the Charity Shield (as it was then called).
Liverpool could also have done it in 1977-78, but they opted out of the Intercontinental Cup, as many English teams did at that time, because of a fear of violence from their South American opponents.
[/article]
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This is key really, how we adapt our play when without Salah and/or Mane, because Origi and Brewster might not offer the same sort of tireless harassing.
Origi tends to wait for the ball, he does come deep to help out and has shown before that he can hold it up, but he's not going to take on defenders too much, not in the same way that Salah and Mane do. So this is where the midfield has to be more than the stability that allows the rest to function, they have to have a different dynamic altogether.
None of them are capable of staying fit for a season, its really not worth factoring them into long term thinking, they will be lucky to start 25 league games between them.
In terms of Keita it could’ve been a one off season. Injuries are a more established pattern for the other 2.
I suspect we'll see a lot of the 4-2-3-1 formation in the first few weeks of the season, simply due to forward players needing rest & having a good number who can play the role behind the forward line.
I wouldn't be overly surprised if Gini plays a more advanced role in some games either.
I wouldn't be overly surprised if Gini plays a more advanced role in some games either.
In which case I wouldn’t be surprised if we struggled for goals.
I expect us to win the league.
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