It's hard to know quite what to make of the season so far. It's unlike any we've had under Jürgen, I would say, in that as a supporter base, I'm not sure we've been as unclear on what the expectations for the season should be as we were kicking off at Stamford Bridge on August 13th. The universal hope was that we retained sufficient quality and experience within the squad to reassert ourselves towards the top of the league, after a hugely underwhelming 2022/23, and that the club would do what was necessary to strengthen key areas and supplement the existing talent during a pivotal summer transfer window. As it was, we witnessed an unprecedented midfield overhaul, headlined by clever business in securing both the Hungarian captain and a lynchpin of the Argentine World Cup winning team with a minimum of fuss via release clauses, however the unplanned departures of both senior holding midfield options and a failure to secure either of our two most coveted replacements for that same role, led ultimately to a feeling that we hadn't done enough, and therefore in terms of expectations, that a return to the top four, probably, represented what was realistic.
And then the hypothetical becomes the actual as the football begins anew, offering a glimpse of Big Dom looking marvelous (in every conceivable way) and Virgil somewhere close to previous, majestic heights. We remember (if we'd inexplicably forgotten, perhaps a little like the current coach of the Brazilian national team) that we retain the best goalkeeper on the planet at one end of the field, and an attacking repertoire that few across the continent can rival at the other. And that's without mentioning the generational talent taking on the vice captains role this season, and of course, the managerial genius in the dugout. We see the first twenty minutes of that opening weekend and the obvious promise. The two goal salvo from an ever-present Darwin Nunez when we were up against it on Tyneside, and a second half turnaround at Molineux that offered the suggestion of a collective spirit that was lacking far too often last season. At Anfield we bear witness to routine 3-nil home wins against a resurgent Aston Villa, who themselves look set for a top 8 finish, a Nottingham Forest who had previously troubled us massively, and a street smart Brentford team with the skillset to exploit our weaknesses. There was enough there to make you pause for thought. To begin to wonder. To dream. To contemplate the possibilities that could, maybe, just maybe, result from a solid start and a little bit of momentum. A momentum that looked to be growing, even in spite of ridiculous circumstances that were thrust upon us like some kind of biblical curse, with more red cards in the space of 8 games than the previous four seasons combined, and a set of hungover VAR officials fresh from a jolly in Saudi Arabia making the kind of error never seen before in English football. There were reasons to believe. Those reasons remain present and valid.
The results, and more pertinently, the performances, at Luton and Toulouse, however, would have succeeded in once more raising many of the concerns that lingered across the summer. Pins in metaphorical balloons of red persuasion everywhere. In 9 of this seasons 18 games, the Reds have conceded the first goal. More worryingly, that includes each of the last five consecutive games away from Anfield, which cannot be positioned as anything less than alarming. Overall on the road it's now two wins from 6 in the Premier League (Everton and Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace have picked up more points away from home, as have a schizophrenic Chelsea team in seemingly constant disarray, in a game fewer). Of course, there is context, and plenty of it, and it also remains a relatively small sample size, particularly in the lifespan of Klopp's 'Liverpool 2.0'. But still, the lack of concentration in key moments, the vulnerability in transition, the holding midfielder of the day caught wrong side, and the sight of red shirts taking ridiculous pot shots from 40 yards out, all create doubt. All feel reminiscent of some of the worst elements of last season. Whether these were merely two blips, two examples of 'one of them', or instead were symptomatic of wider issues and indicative of a trend, we won't know just yet. Early December back-to-back visits to Sheffield United and Crystal Palace will tell us more. Much more than any fixture against Guardiola's Manchester City, which, irrespective of where we find ourselves as a team, a squad and a club, can produce absolutely anything, and none of the potential array of outcomes in any way surprising to anyone at all. To emphasise that point; The last nine fixtures between the two clubs in all competitions have seen the Reds amass 3 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats, culminating in 16 goals scored and 19 conceded. Looking specifically at Premier League fixtures away at the Etihad, however, has been somewhat more predictable, with the Reds failing to take three points since a fresh faced Jurgen Klopp just a month into life on Merseyside saw his explosive new team win 4-1 in November 2015. Since then it's been 2 draws and 4 defeats, with 6 goals scored and an eye watering 19 conceded.
So, to Manchester City. 18 major trophies in 15 years. 118 outstanding charges. Home of the asterisk. The narrative from most across the early weeks has been that they're not quite right. Not quite at their level. To that I would counter that they've actually amassed just one point less (28) than they did at the same stage last season (29). A season in which they won a treble only completed once previously in English football history. They were and remain relentless, and if anything, it was the red card and subsequent suspension for Rodri that was the key factor that led to a turbulent spell for the Citizens, resulting in them losing all three of the domestic fixtures for which he was unavailable. Those three aside, and ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge, they'd won all thirteen of their Premier League and Champions League fixtures. Only a 95th minute equaliser for Chelsea from their own former prodigy, Cole Palmer, prevented that run continuing, and Rodri, unsurprisingly, has started each and every one of these games. I don't believe in coincidences. I do believe that he is that good, and that influential for that football team. It is in no way controversial, but I remain of the opinion that if anyone is to compete with this Manchester City team for the league title, they will once again need to be at 90+ point level across the season. That is the standard engineered by persistent financial skullduggery, and a level obtained by no competing team other than Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool across the last 6 seasons, regardless of what Arsenal fans might like to tell you. Either that or a significant absence for their midfield base, which, frankly, I'd not wish for.
Do we have the capability of producing that level again, I guess becomes the question. And more specifically in the here and now, does this Liverpool team, at this stage of its cycle, have a base level of 90+ points within them? What would be indicative, and would sign-post a journey that could ultimately lead us towards that end point, would be seeing them string ten in a row. That's what we need to see next from this Liverpool team, and if that is to be the case then the form away from L4, particularly against the bottom 12, has to improve significantly, with a sense of control far too infrequent up to now needing to become a fixture. The result at the Etihad against the European and English champions will not determine one way or another where this season goes, what our expectations should have been back in August, or what they should be come Sunday the 26th of November. Visits to Bramall Lane, Selhurst Park and Turf Moor in December will be infinitely more telling. But it can be another signpost. A marker of where we are, and where we're headed. Something to hold onto, even to mentally propel us forward. We can play brilliantly and still find ourselves beaten here, let's be clear. That's the simple truth. It's one of those. But the how we play part I think is important. There is a belief to be taken away from this game, and that arguably comes from the performance moreso than the result. From a sense that we can compete on a level playing field with them once again, after looking a world away in April. There's a story that you can tell yourself in that world. A story we can tell each other, and one that allows us all to advance in positive fashion. Manage to pair performance with three points though, or even one, and balloons are flying high once again and dreams that had begun to fracture are solidifying. The Reds begin to at the very least stand at the foot of the hill, in preparedness for the climb. Nothing is won here, and ultimately, nothing is truly lost, but regardless of outcome, I would argue it's crucial that perceptions, particularly our own, are that Liverpool offered resistance. That they look like a serious proposition capable of pinning the rest of the league and Europe back by its ears once more. That they fought for every inch and gave absolutely nothing cheap. That anything that Manchester City got, they earned, and equally as critical for the confidence and belief moving forward, that under no circumstances is this one that gets away from us, as some previous games in the blue half of Manchester have in recent seasons. In that instance, yet another recalibration of expectation possibly results; Perhaps this always was a season too early. Not quite enough done in the summer. Insufficient time for an entirely new midfield unit to gel. A win, a draw, possibly even a narrow defeat in which we see blue shirts on their knees through exhaustion at the final whistle, though, and the pause for thought is extended, the contemplation being that there might yet be a march to be witnessed. That maybe this is the start of it. The exciting thing is that right now, in this very moment, it's all to play for. Absolutely all of it possible, and we're right to dream. To hope. To wonder. To ensure clear calendars in May, just in case. One point off top. A chance to move to the summit with a quarter of the season in the rear view mirror. Whether there is cause for the day dreams, and precisely where we stand on the current journey of this latest evolution of Klopp's Liverpool, we will all know a little more by around 2:30pm.
On team selection, it's clear that the manager has a decision to make at left back. The Greek Scouser grew into the game against Brentford and generally looked more assured than he has done at any point since coming back into the team, but should he start it will certainly be with a target on his back. Similarly, who partners Virgil will be interesting. Joel Matip has been written off more times in his Liverpool career than a used car from Boyce Autos, and every time he seems to come back stronger. This season, so far, included. That said, fitness permitting, I would opt for Konate there, and Gomez at left back, and not least for the additional pace that the two would bring, particularly with the in-form Doku in mind. In midfield, the questions will center on availability and who the manager has to pick from. The hope being that both Jones and Gravenberch will join the returning Mac Allister following what were reported as minor knocks, at the very least offering some greater flexibility and depth to the matchday squad. In the mean-time, as ever, a silent prayer for all of those heading to various corners of the globe on international duty. May He let them all return in one piece.
I fancy that we see a serious team in red take to the field here, and that we're still looking up and not down, come the final whistle. I suspect that the manager does, too.
No backward steps.
Straight into these, Reds.
