Liverpool fans can still hear the echoes that rang through the footballing world last season, calling for Jurgen Klopp’s head. Their 2022/2023 season did not unfold as they had hoped, finishing in their lowest position since Klopp’s first season in charge.
Sadio Mane had left to Bayern before the start of their underwhelming season, and took with him Liverpool’s momentum. His exceptional work rate was the fulcrum of Klopp’s dominating side. Only a few games into the season and a lot of fans and critics were chanting alike: “It just isn’t the same without him”, aware of the magic that Anfield had lost.
Klopp’s style of football placed a lot of importance in pressing and counterattacking. He relied on pacy wingers and smart passes to carry the ball forward when their high pressing forced their opponents to lose the ball. And Sadio Mane was perfect for gameplay like that.
Not only was he exceptionally rapid, he could press opponents for 90 minutes with little to no exhaustion. A counterattacking godsend whose sale to the Germans cut deep, and coincided with the deterioration of the form of crucial Liverpool players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk.
New signings were finding it hard to adapt to the Premier League’s infamously demanding style of football. Darwin Nunez was signed as Sadio Mane’s replacement, but numerous factors combined to render his first season in England unpleasant and relatively unproductive.
It wasn’t entirely bad, though. 15 goals in all competitions is not terrible by far, England has seen worse debutants.
Cody Gakpo was signed in the 2023 January transfer window, off the back of an impressive World Cup form that projected his name onto the lips of the previously unaware.
He was signed at a crucial time in Liverpool’s season, so a lot of expectations were piled on the 24-year-old. He did struggle to find his footing, but he shows promise.
Ultimately, Liverpool had to rely on an aging Roberto Firmino for a lot of game-salvaging goals. He departed to Ah-Ahli in July 2023, leaving Mohamed Salah, who himself has had some Saudi Arabia rumors, as the sole remainder of the famed Merseyside triumvirate.
Towards the end of the season, Liverpool seemed to put on their apparel of seasons past, going on an 11-game unbeaten run to ensnare a Europa League spot. Their fine form at the end of the season tinkered with the hearts of Liverpool fans, instilled in them a feeling that maybe, just maybe, the damage wasn’t as deep as they thought.
Their excellent run of form has spilled into the 2023/2024 season, to the utmost delight of Anfield supporters.
Ideally, a team would win all their games. This is what every team plays for. This mission is near impossible. Losing only 1 game, drawing 3, and winning 7 is a healthy enough compromise.
One of the techniques Liverpool has employed to remain at the foremost of English football is the approach of acquiring the players they need over big names.
Sure, they do spend a lot of money in transfer windows, but rarely have they spent large without a satisfying return. They have almost mastered the art of filtering substance from hype, something much needed in the modern football transfer market.
They have a talent for scouting hidden gems only in need of a little polishing before their lustre is apparent.
With the loss of major players and the performance of the previous season haunting them, Liverpool embarked on the 2023/2024 summer transfer window with a mantra in mind: Rebuild.
And so far, their summer rebuild has done exactly what it was meant to: Repair the club’s morale and turn their on-field fortunes around.
Salah, ever-reliable, has remained his consistent self, shining no matter Liverpool’s circumstance.
Nunez has picked up an interesting form, slowly erasing the frustrations of his previous season from both his and Liverpool supporters’ minds.
Of course, he has his moments every now and then when fans are reminded why they were furious with him last season.
Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are gradually proving worthy replacements for the past Liverpool forwards. New signings Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo have slotted perfectly into Liverpool’s midfield, soothing the sting from the loss of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and James Milner.
Jurgen Klopp’s style of football is blossoming again, as they have the most goals from counterattacks (5) in the Premier League this season.
Their only league loss this season was a controversial 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September.
Now, they sit at third on the league table, 3 points from first. If their current form is anything to go by, though, they are furious, and they are out for blood.
-By Julius
*Photo courtesy of The Mirror
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