Jurgen Klopp made a stern vow after his team lost in the Europa League Final against Sevilla that he would work meticulously with his players on the training ground throughout the summer, and if Liverpool’s start to the 2016/2017 campaign is anything to go by, then the charismatic German has made big improvement that could take the Reds a long way. Aside from Manchester City who have set the early pace with six straight wins, Liverpool look the real deal going forward, with a number of players firing on all cylinders as they carry a serious threat in the final third. It is difficult not to get carried away by the level of football that Liverpool are currently playing, and although Betway are still not convinced that Klopp’s men are serious title contenders, their superb start to the season would suggest otherwise.
Swashbuckling, superb and ruthless are just a few ways to describe the way Liverpool have been playing, with the 5-1 rout of Hull making it six games unbeaten in all competitions. Klopp’s side have scored an incredible twenty goals in the process, with Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane forming a wonderful attacking trio that offers skill, pace and clinical finishing. There is no question that Klopp has made big changes to the team’s style of play and how they function in every area of the pitch, with the ‘gegenpress’ becoming a prominent feature of their ability to retain possession and win the ball back high up the pitch to keep opposing teams under real pressure. It has enabled Liverpool to cause real damage at the business end of the pitch, with the fantastic victories against Leicester and Chelsea standing out as hallmarks of how much the team have improved from last season. Even in the draw at Tottenham, you could see that Liverpool carry a serious goal threat and play with real intensity, and should really have walked away from White Hart Lane with all three points if it were not for a series of missed opportunities.
There is a growing feeling around Anfield that Liverpool can mount a serious challenge for trophies this season, and considering the manner in which they swept Hull aside with ominous ease, it is easy to see why. The team are arguably in the best shape they have been in since Brendan Rodgers almost led the club to the title in 2013, and while Klopp may not have a world-class striker in the mould of Luis Suarez to rely on to find the back of the net on a regular basis, goals are coming from everywhere in Liverpool’s squad. Coutinho, Lallana, Mane and Roberto Firmino are to name just a few who have contributed to the goals tally, even without Daniel Sturridge who is still working his way back to full fitness. You cannot help feeling that once he is back in the fold and scoring goals, more people will start to back Liverpool to win the title with Betway. Leicester more than proved that any team with the right application, desire and work rate can become champions, but given that we swept them aside with some conviction and style on home soil, it certainly bodes well for the rest of the season if the team continue to play in that manner.
For all the optimism and excitement that is building around Liverpool’s chances of challenging at the top of the Premier League, not to mention praise for the new players, particularly Joel Matip and Georgino Wijnaldum, who arrived during the summer, Klopp still has work to do from a defensive perspective. The Kevin Keegan way of scoring more goals than the opposition can only go so far until the team come unstuck, particularly as lapses in concentration and focus continue to let Liverpool down at the back. Zero clean sheets this season, along with just two in the last seventeen league fixtures, is a clear indication that much work is needed, and for all of Liverpool’s wonderful mobility, pressing and attacking play at the other end, Klopp has to find a solution for our leaky defence. You cannot expect Liverpool to keep a clean sheet in every game, such is the difficult and unpredictable nature of the Premier League in which anyone is capable of beating anyone on their day (proven by our 2-0 loss at Burnley), but the team’s ability to form a strong defensive backbone could make the difference between falling short and lifting our first title since 1990.