Jurgen Klopp Taking Liverpool to New Heights
Jurgen Klopp has enjoyed a pleasant first year in Merseyside. He has been an instant hit with the supporters. The Kop has fallen in love with their new manager and it is not hard to understand why.
The German has led them to a fine start in the new campaign. They have dealt with what looked like a difficult fixture list in style. They are just two points behind league leaders Manchester City having played Spurs, Leicester, Arsenal and Chelsea in the first 7 games.
Competition for places is key
It was clear Liverpool needed to strengthen this summer having narrowly missed out on two trophies last season. The German has been very decisive with his signings. All the signings have added something extra to the squad.
There is strength in depth in this team, which was clearly lacking last year. Players like Daniel Sturridge and Emre Can haven’t been able to fix their places in the XI despite being brilliant for Liverpool last year.
The addition of Sadio Mane has added a completely new dimension to Liverpool’s play. Liverpool are lethal in counter-attacks because of the pace the Senegalese possesses. His goal-scoring has been a major boost as well.
They have so many quality players to choose from in the attacking positions that Jurgen Klopp must surely be having a selection headache before every game.
The fluid front 6
The best part of Liverpool this season has been the fluidity of the front 6. The energy and pressing that those 6 players offer tires and kills opposition teams down.
Roberto Firmino has been lethal up until now. He has the unique ability to pull defenders out of position. This allows the likes of Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho to slip into dangerous positions, and they haven’t disappointed from there. On the other hand, Jordan Henderson has been a revelation as defensive midfielder. The Liverpool captain is in the form of his life. His vigor and dynamism in the middle of the park has been the key for Klopp’s men.
Gini Wijnaldum has been the silent assassin in this team. Although most of his work goes unnoticed but he is the one who brings balance to this team with commendable offensive and defensive work.
Still a long way to go
Although the attacking side of Liverpool has been a treat to watch, the defensive woes continue. Liverpool are yet to keep a clean sheet this season. The marauding full-backs leave Liverpool open on certain occasions.
Defending from set-pieces are still a concern. Despite having tried both man-marking and zonal-marking, Klopp still hasn’t found a way to deal with the threat from corners and free-kicks.
Set-pieces have been less productive even in an attacking sense. Although new signing Joel Matip has a reputation of scoring goals from set-pieces, he has yet to register a goal for his new club.
Bright future ahead
Liverpool have come leaps and bounds in one year under Jurgen Klopp. The positivity and vibe around Anfield is intimidating for the rivals. Only time will tell if Liverpool can launch a title bid this season or not, but the future certainly seems bright for Liverpool under the charismatic German.