One year since Jurgen Klopp mentioned reform, the Anfield team introduced new players and started the season quite impressively.
September 7 will be one year since Liverpool lost 1-4 to Napoli in the Champions League. The heavy defeat made Klopp admit that the home team needed a reform if they wanted to compete for titles. This statement marks the end of an era for Liverpool, just a few months after they pursued a quadruple in the 2021-2022 season.
“We need to reform ourselves,” Klopp said. “The fundamentals have been lost. This is a difficult period, but if you cannot play at an excellent level, you can still play well enough. We need to do that. That is Liverpool’s mission. We don’t need to discover a new way of playing but we have to improve. Everyone will be happier if Liverpool plays like we used to.”
The tragic 1-4 loss to Napoli made Klopp bitterly admit that Liverpool needed reform. Photo: Reuters
Klopp ‘s statement is like a prediction for Liverpool’s poor performance last season. Ending the season in fifth place in the Premier League, the club with the richest tradition in English football in Europe could not participate in the Champions League. Instead, it is the Europa League playground this season.
Klopp understands that it is time for Liverpool to purify the squad and bring in new recruits. The German coach started in midfield. Two veterans, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, moved to Saudi Arabia, while James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also left.
Liverpool spent $181 million to bring in replacements, including Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch. Two early signings – Szoboszlai and Mac Allister – quickly showed their integration. Both played with seemingly endless energy and contributed to Liverpool’s attacking ability. In the 3-0 win over Aston Villa on September 3, the Hungarian midfielder scored the first goal for Anfield with a volley from outside the penalty area, opening the score in the 3rd minute. In an exciting atmosphere, Liverpool fans call him “the new Steven Gerrard”.
Szoboszlai shared joy with Klopp after scoring Villa’s first goal for Liverpool. Photo: Reuters
Endo also played with great effort even though in two of the three matches he played, Liverpool was in a position of lacking players. Gravenberch is yet to make his debut after arriving on transfer deadline day. Although he does not play regularly at Bayern, Gravenberch is expected to flourish under Klopp’s guidance. The Dutch midfielder is considered one of the most promising young talents in world football.
Liverpool won three of the first four rounds. Last season, they needed nine rounds to win the same number of wins. In fact, optimistic results came to Klopp’s team at the end of last season, when they began to adjust their tactics. The most important change is probably Trent Alexander-Arnold being pulled into the middle when the team has possession of the ball. Liverpool is currently unbeaten in the last 15 matches in the Premier League – the best performance among teams participating in the tournament.
They overwhelmed Aston Villa last weekend and easily beat Bournemouth 3-1 even though Mac Allister was sent off. The 2-1 win over Newcastle is perhaps the best example of reform underway at Liverpool. Last season, Liverpool probably would have lost if they were 0-1 down after 30 minutes and lost key midfielder Virgil Van Dijk to a red card. However, Klopp’s army still played resiliently, with a spirit that made Klopp proudly call them “psychological monsters” two years ago. The match turned in their favor after Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott were sent onto the field, before Darwin Nunez appeared, scoring two goals to complete the comeback for the Anfield team on the away field.
Mane and Firmino have left, but Salah remains and is a difficult pillar to replace in Liverpool’s attack. Photo: Reuters
The win is a strong statement of Liverpool’s ambitions this season, making opponents intending to compete for the championship to be wary of them. Liverpool’s midfield has the ability to score better than last season, when Henderson, Fabinho and Milner failed to score despite playing a total of 135 matches. Previously, Liverpool midfielders played the role of providing balance and protection for the defense. Klopp of course wants the new recruits to do the same.
Klopp completed the new look for Liverpool’s attack in January, when he brought in Cody Gakpo. Previously, Liverpool recruited Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Nunez. Despite losing Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool is probably the team with the most deep attack in the Premier League, next to Man City.
Nunez and Gakpo are improving after a difficult start at Anfield while Jota and Diaz hope to avoid injuries, which limited their contributions last season. The fear of losing Mohamed Salah to Saudi Pro League defending champion Al Ittihad was also relieved after the Saudi Arabian club abandoned this idea. This could be an important factor leading to Liverpool’s success this season. At the age of 31, Salah is still the number one star at Anfield and plays stably.
Liverpool’s new look, with rookies like Szoboszlai or Mac Allister. Photo: Reuters
No player has scored more goals in the Premier League than Salah (139 goals) since he moved to Liverpool in 2017. The Egyptian striker scored an average of 31 goals in all competitions in six seasons with Liverpool . Salah is not only important in that aspect. He is also an inspiration in gameplay, who plays a creative role. Salah has been instrumental in Liverpool’s goals in 10 consecutive Premier League matches. Liverpool’s possession of a true striker like Nunez can help Salah’s number of assists increase, as the Uruguay striker gradually adapts to the team’s playing style in his second season.
However, Liverpool still has positions that need improvement. Klopp’s reform will probably continue in defense. Joel Matip’s contract will expire next summer and captain Van Dijk is 32 years old. Joe Gomez played impressively against Newcastle and Aston Villa and is expected to become a mainstay of the club after many years of upheaval. However, Gomez and Ibrahima Konate are both often injured. This is the reason why Klopp needs to think about strengthening the defense.
Liverpool looks more youthful after Klopp implemented a personnel restructuring. The German military leader described Liverpool as being like a gun that has been reloaded. This reform is not necessarily enough for them to compete for the Premier League championship with Man City this season, but it will be a premise for Liverpool to become a force in European football in the coming years.
