The lockdown has made it really difficult to assess us this season. Personally I think we played better last season. This season, to be honest, many of the games were incredibly frustrating and we ended up nicking the points in a wha-happen sort of way. Psychologically this was great for building a 'champions know how to win ugly' mentality, but, god, we won ugly a bit too often for my liking. Then we really seemed to struggle in the month or so before lockdown, particularly in a creative sense, and it's hard to be sure how that might have developed had the season just gone on. Now after lockdown it's even harder to figure out what's really going on - some other teams really look like they couldn't give a toss, while others are thriving with no great pressure, while City are probably the most focused because of the imminent CL games.
But inside the club there can't be the same open-mindedness as there is outside. There needs to be a glass half empty mentality, and thankfully Klopp seems to be pushing that. But one of the key things we need to see is a willingness to expand and strengthen the squad. We've got three or four promising kids coming through, and a couple more on loan, but no one who has that Michael Owen sort of instant impact in him, yet. Those hacks who strain to suggest they'll be ready next season must realise deep down it'll be more like the season after that when they'll be more able to be considered on a regular basis.
We need a really good, clinical, striker. Firmino works his arse off but when he gets mentally tired he's spent, and as there's really no one else who can do what he does, that makes us a forward short. They say Origi is best suited to playing centrally but all but one of his best games for me have been when he's cut it from the left. And likeable though he is, he just isn't reliable enough. In midfield, unless Keita really does finally prove he's set for a long run of games, we need a dynamic and versatile midfielder. We simply cannot go through yet another season where we're down to only two, or fewer, fit CBs. And we still need cover for Robbo. (And if Alisson hasn't just had some lousy luck but turns out to be a great keeper who is unusually susceptible to injury problems, we'll need better back up than Adrian.) If FSG think Klopp can wave some magic wand and compensate for not dealing with any of those needs this summer, I don't know what they're smoking.
