Premier League season preview: Liverpool
By Harry Hesp
New signings:
Joel Matip (Schalke), Loris Karius (FSV Mainz 05), Sadio Mane (Southampton), Ragnar Klavan (Augsburg), Alex Manninger (Augsburg), Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle)
As expected, it’s been a busy summer at Liverpool. Perhaps less expected are the names that have arrived.
Jurgen Klopp’s ties to Dortmund had Liverpool fans dreaming of Mario Gotze or Marco Reus walking through the doors at Melwood and, had they beaten Sevilla in the Europa League final to secure Champions League football, that may have been the case.
Alas, Gotze chose to rejoin Dortmund and Reus was never a realistic option. Instead, Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum arrive as the club’s marquee summer signings for a combined £50 million-plus.
Mane’s hit double figures for Southampton in the last two seasons and Klopp would expect the same this term. He’ll add much-needed pace and direct running to a front line that looks dangerous.
Klopp now has the tough task of picking four attackers from Mane, Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, Danny Ings, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana - not forgetting Christian Benteke, Mario Balotelli and Lazar Markovic are still on the books. With no European football it could prove tricky to give everyone playing time and keep them happy - still, a nice problem for the German coach to have.
Wijnaldum will provide stern competition to Jordan Henderson, Emre Can, James Milner, Marko Grujic and Lucas in the centre of midfield but can also play as an advanced attacker. The Dutchman scored 11 times for a relegated Newcastle side last season and looking at the above names you’d say he’s on the team sheet ahead of Henderson and so is Can - one wonders whether the Reds captain is a sure-starter this term.
It was obvious the defence needed an overhaul and Klopp has moved to bring in Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan. Matip looks a great bit of business on a free transfer and Klopp is delighted to have secured the tall Cameroon international: “To be honest, when I had my break I thought for the next club, I should think about Joel, if there was a need.”
Klavan, the 30-year-old Estonian, signed for £4m and initially looked like coming in as back-up but Klopp is adamant that isn’t the case: “I've heard that people have been talking about Klavan as our fourth option (at centre-back). Wait and see him play and then tell me again that he should wait until all the others are injured or something.” He’s had a very good pre-season and kept Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez quiet during the 4-0 win over Barcelona.
Finally, if you asked the majority of Liverpool fans at the back end of last season which position they would improve on it would certainly have been the goalkeeper. Wish granted. Loris Karius, voted the second best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga last season behind Manuel Neuer, has arrived from Mainz. It looked as though he was Klopp’s number one, starting all pre-season until, cruelly, he broke his hand meaning he’ll miss the first two months of the season. Mignolet has a lifeline then.
And come on, Alex Manninger? That made everyone smile.
Young gun:
Marko Grujic, initially signed in January, looks some player. At 6ft 3in he looks colossal in the centre of the park and the 20-year-old has already scored a few in pre-season. His style can easily be likened to Nemanja Matic, watch this space.
Social media star:
Dstudge. The England striker is good value on Instagram and often involves his teammates in his videos (see above).
Prediction: 6th
Liverpool have certainly got the right man at the helm but this is still a team - to use a much maligned phrase - 'in transition'. Klopp’s just signed a new six-year deal, so he’s got time and it's clear he's tweaking the ethos of the club to suit his style, which just happens to be in line with many Anfield traditions that had perhaps fallen by the wayside in recent years.
No European distractions could help, though, so expect the gap between the Reds, Arsenal and Spurs for that fourth spot to be a small one.
Next year, maybe?