Beyond The Score

 The Liverpool of last season was a different animal. Two domestic trophies, Champions league runners-up, and just one point off a Premier League title completed an extraordinary season. Often branded ‘mentality monsters’, they were without a doubt one of the top three sides globally. They suffocated opponents. A lightning-quick front three which always consisted of Mane and Salah combined with the likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, or Roberto Firmino was enough to put any defence in world football on red alert. This combined with the rampant full-back combination of Alexander Arnold and Robertson bombing up and down the flanks meant at times they were unbeatable. 

Hindsight tells us that Diaz was brought in by the Reds as an early replacement for Sadio Mane. The winger was heading away to Bayern Munich to create a new chapter in his career. This worried many fans although few had the foresight to recognise the difficulty that life without Mane would prove to be. Was he the goal scorer that Salah was? No. Did he have the fancy tricks that Diaz or Firmino has? No. As a team player though, he was irreplaceable. His tenacious pressing was summed up perfectly by his first goal against Man City in last season’s Fa Cup semi-final. Many claim that his loss single-handily compelled the demise of Liverpool. Anyhow, that is a dreadful simplification.

Liverpool have struggled to score goals this season, let us not shy away from this fact. Regardless, in terms of injuries it has been a freak season for the Reds, especially up front. While the absence of Mane has not helped, there have been other issues to constantly juggle with. Firmino, Diaz, and Jota have been absent for the majority of this season and Nunez has had his own fitness issues. This is not normal. Elsewhere on the pitch Konate and Van Dijk remain on the sidelines and the likes of Roberston, Alexander-Arnold, Thiago, Matip and Fabihno have all had their periods out. Even recently the good news of a Jota return was spoiled by the somber announcement of a fresh Thiago injury. 

Where the mistake lies is the perfectionist attitude to Liverpool’s transfer strategy. The fact they need a quality central midfielder seems to be pretty obvious to everyone in football currently. Yet, pressing Klopp about the issue always has the reply the reds must wait for the right player and moment. It goes a long way in explaining why Thiago was the last first-team midfielder bought ( three years ago) and why a replacement for Wijnaldum still hasn’t been bought. 

The strategy is understandable but it can come back to bite. For talking sake, let’s say Jude Bellingham is that ideal signing. If he strides in come July, all will be grand. Currently, though, it leaves them lacking quality. Plus, even if he does come in and gets injured Klopp’s side are back to square one.

The midfield is weak I would never refute that. Never has that been more apparent than in this campaign. It’s easy to forget though, Liverpoolo’s midfield has always been a reflection of the rest of the side’s health. Even in their best sides, the attacking quality came from the front line and the fullbacks. The midfield was functional at best and served the purpose of covering in defence and feeding the forward line. In comparison with Man City that was always their biggest criticism. Therefore, with the front line now firing blanks, the midfield’s lack of bite has been exposed. When preparing for the future Liverpool must focus on beefing up the midfield rather than elsewhere. Individually they have talent in other areas and a strong midfield would see a return to their sky-high levels. 

Injuries have plagued them make no mistake. In that case, it has tipped the 2020/21 season in the scale of severity. Klopp’s brand of football is very demanding, could it be a case of players breaking down physically? The 63 games last season could perhaps lead to an explanation. There was a World Cup break though, with many Reds not being called up. So, do those excuses and complaints have a leg to stand on? (Excuse the pun) Injuries or no injuries, some of the performances have been unacceptable. Take a look at games such as Wolves and Brighton away this season. The previously branded ‘mentality monsters’ looked a shadow of themselves. They were two performances that a relegation-fighting side would cringe at. 

It’s partly down to the relentless nature of the system. Klopp has spoken himself about the intense pressing he demands and admits that when it doesn’t come off it can leave gaping holes in their defence. When on top the style is deadly, however when low on confidence it becomes messy, can look disorganised, and leaks goals. People mistake this for laziness and question the player’s desire to play for Klopp. It’s still clear watching this team that they are giving their all, it’s just that they look confused and disjointed.

What makes for more confusion is that there have been flashes of excellence at times this season. That victory against Rangers where they scored six goals in a single half was vintage. Sure, it was a Rangers side that had recently been demolished by Celtic and won the competition of boasting the worst-ever Champions league record. How about Man City at Anfield though? That was a special day when the form went out of the window and a miracle occurred. The Kopp will be hoping that something similar will happen against Real Madrid (you just never know at Anfield ).

Many have been calling for Klopp’s head but for me, that is illogical. He walked into a side sitting middle of the pack and transformed the club from head to toe. Over time they became Champions league, Premier league, Domestic cup double, Super cup, Community Shield, and World Cup champions. He took the likes of Andy Robertson and Gini Wijnaldum from the Championship and transformed them into some of the world’s best in their position. When a slight crisis came in 2020/21 he succeeded in prevailing as the next season proved. He should be given that chance again as he has already proved he can dig this team out of a whole.

In terms of success though, this season is a write-off and clearly one of transition. New ownership in the Summer may occur which would change the landscape of the club of course. Either way though, a rebuild is ahead with the midfield. Despite Klopp being at Liverpool for seven seasons now he has never truly rebuilt a squad over one window. This summer it is a necessity. Maybe not to the extent some would suggest as there are still countless players returning from injury but it’s a job nonetheless. Despite all the doom and gloom around Liverpool, bright times must be ahead. Sure things can’t get much worse, but football is a sport of rapid changes. The landscape is constantly evolving and perhaps Liverpool has been the exception to that rule. In general, though, this is a team that is coming to the end of a cycle. The next summer will be monumental make no mistake, and when the only way is up you have to be optimistic.

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