DESPITE the initial enthusiasm brought by the arrival of Jürgen Klopp at Anfield, there remains a sense that this is a football season yet to ignite any real passion or excitement.
This can be said not just of proceedings at Liverpool, but nationally too, as the competition marketed as “the most exciting league” fails to inspire with more than a quarter of the campaign gone. Could this be the most boring Premier League season ever or can it still spark into life?
With international breaks a consistent feature of the opening months, the modern football season often fails to gather any early momentum but the lack of quality and personality on show so far across the league has been stark. Manchester City and Arsenal supporters may disagree, with their teams vying for top spot, but you would be hard pressed to cite a fixture played out by the usual title “contenders” so far that has stirred the loins. Torpor hangs over the English game; a gentrified audience not the sole reason for mute stadiums.
As tough as it is to admit, the standard bearers for the Premier League’s advertised brand of helter-skelter attacking football over the years have been Manchester United – or at least they were under Alex Ferguson. Their latest incarnation under Louis Van Gaal is quite the opposite; a slow-paced, controlling unit that bores Old Trafford romantics to tears, as evidenced in a first-half showing against an anaemic Liverpool earlier this autumn and again last week in the soporific stalemate with their Manchester neighbours – themselves denied by injury the guile of David Silva and thrust of Sergio Aguero.
For United, a fading Wayne Rooney is shackled by Van Gaal’s system while the expressive younger talents of Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial have also regressed over the past month as the slog and grind of English football takes its toll.
As Liverpool fans perhaps watching the Reds, either side of Klopp’s appointment, play out a seemingly endless run of uninspiring, identikit draws and languish in mid- table paints a duller picture of the season than is the case elsewhere.
However, if the story of the term so far, other than the surprise exploits of West Ham and Leicester City, has been Jose Mourinho’s ongoing Chelsea breakdown, then there really is very little on the pitch to get us excited.
That the reigning champions, expensively assembled and with a collective wage bill that all but guarantees a perennial title challenge, lie 15th in the table after ten games is a remarkable tale, yet the column inches devoted to Stamford Bridge always seem to focus on the plight and ramblings of the tiresome Mourinho.
There’s a decent football story in there struggling to get out, but while the written press continue to obsess over their supplier-in-chief, there is curiously little scrutiny of what’s gone wrong on the pitch for the erstwhile creative talents, Costa, Hazard, Fabregas and co. Where is the comment on why a previously well-drilled defensive unit suddenly ships on average two goals per game? Or, does the scarcity of observation on players’ form dropping off a cliff say something about the modern football consumer’s appetite for the actual game versus the cult of personalities (principally the managers) involved?
Similarly, at Anfield the talk all season has surrounded the manager; first the clamour for the removal of Brendan Rodgers, followed by the media hype brought by the advent of Klopp. Such is the charisma and appeal of the German; his antics on the touchline and his demeanour in front of the cameras never leaving you short of a smile, it is only natural that the honeymoon focus should be on the new manager.
So renowned is Klopp for his preferred style of play; whether you want to opt for counter-pressing, gegen pressing, or heavy metal football as your descriptor, there has been examination aplenty of Liverpool’s increased work rate and reaction to losing the ball. Even after just four games in charge, for the seasoned observer there is clear evidence of drills on the training ground being played out during matches.
However, pausing for a moment to cast off the cloak of a result-obsessed fan, would it be too much of a moot point to ask, where is the entertainment?
It is very early days in Klopp’s management; before any venture into the transfer market to source men in his own expressive image and in the midst of a farcical injury crisis that denies him a plethora of key players. Staid, characterless football pre-date his arrival by a good 12 months and more, but it is clear that Klopp’s first intended mission is to shore up Liverpool’s defensive frailties before adopting a more expansive style of play.
Density has been added to the formation, with a noticeable shield of three hard-working midfielders operating in front of the traditional back four. Liverpool suddenly look narrow and compact in the centre of the pitch. From being easily exposed under Brendan Rodgers, the Reds have become harder to play against but arguably harder to watch – at least in the short-term. Goals are still at a premium but genuine chances and thrills are too. Under Klopp, a recognisable 4-3-2-1 shape has emerged but it is a Christmas tree without baubles.
Until confidence returns to a line-up scarred by too many heavy defeats under the previous regime, we might have to wait for more self-expression and entertainment. Klopp has called for calmness in front of goal, but he also referenced the need for bravery. Liverpool consistently rack up a high tally of shots without ever being dominant; shooting from distance the opt-out symptom of players being frightened of ceding possession in the final third. Conversely, when a decent sight of goal emerges the bolder option to pull the trigger is often passed up, in favour of making sure with the unnecessary extra pass.
Entertainment has been in short supply, so within a rigid, pragmatic structure it was refreshing to see Roberto Firmino add a little stardust to Wednesday’s Capital One Cup win over Bournemouth. Jamie Carragher, in his post-match analysis, was right to conclude that a fit-again Firmino has shown precious little to justify a £29m price-tag thus far, but against the Cherries there were signs of the player Klopp recognised for a spell last year as the “best in the Bundesliga”. Occupying space between the lines, always with a hint of a dipped shoulder to beat a man and a head-up style with an eye for a pass or a raking shot, Firmino can offer Liverpool some much needed goal threat while fitness issues up front continue to undermine Klopp’s plans.
While the manager strives to move Liverpool closer to his Dortmund ideal, praying in the meantime for Christian Benteke and Daniel Sturridge to enjoy a prolonged clean bill of health, combining Firmino with a currently out of sorts Philippe Coutinho is critical to Liverpool staying in contention in all competitions. Jürgen is clearly an arm-round-the-shoulder manager and maybe a warm word in the ear of Firmino’s compatriot is needed to pull Coutinho out of his present malaise.
It is an easy assumption to suggest they are too similar to operate effectively in the same team. As Klopp says, Firmino potentially offers versatility as well as the vital currency of goals and assists: “He was in the Brazil national and I think he played as a number nine, but usually he plays as an offensive midfielder or second striker. He can come in from the wing. He can play in the centre. He’s a pretty skilled player.”
Maybe Stamford Bridge on Saturday can be the spark that ignites the season and brings some delight to a hitherto joyless campaign. Yes, let’s be calm, let’s be brave but above all let’s be expressive.
For Liverpool and for Jürgen Klopp perhaps a signature result and a performance is in the offing that consummates the honeymoon, while ending the unedifying Mourinho’s second marriage with Chelsea.
Here’s hoping.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda-Photo/Press Association
Great stuff Mike, cheers.
Until Klopp gets some signings in nothing can be expected.
Some fans may not find the Premier League entertaining or Liverpool’s on-going development worthy of enthusiasm…….but I’m not one of them. The ebb and flow of early season matches throwing up unexpected results, performances and performers…with managers having to adjust tactics to cope with injuries and the internationals is just great. Not having any team dominate totally at this stage of the season is better than previous 1/2 team domination.
And Klopp’s steady progression of the team and it’s structure is enjoyable . Are you stuck with an ‘expectation’ problem.? Footballs complexity and the elements of luck(injuries and bad decisions by players and officials) challenges the clubs. You can’t ignore the here and now and what players will do next is now worth watching with Klopp in charge. Rodgers had clearly lost direction and the players hearts and minds. For some reason I think Jurgen is building something really special that we will in time be raving about. Fun football is coming to a stadium near you….that is if you believe……in this article you clearly don’t?
Good article. Things are missing a spark but that will take time – Kloppo has just started rubbing sticks together. We need to be patient.
In the season before his arrival, Dortmund lost 14 times conceding 62 goals. After 1 year Klopp brought the losses down to just 5 and conceded 37. He did draw 14 times though. This is to show his initial impact was always going to be based on making us hard to beat. I think you can already see, Skrtel aside when he does his standard 5 yards to deep trick, we are a better shape as a team in defensive positions.
This might not be particularly exciting to watch but I find it encouraging. Im excited to what it may lead to. Im hoping for a RCB and a DM in the next two windows. Again, this may not get us on the edge of our seats but as Rodgers knows, you win nothing with bad defences. In his two title wins Jurgen’s defences only conceded 22 and 25 goals.
The spark comes when the team knows it can rely on its defence. This is why Ferguson’s teams were so good going forward – they had so many options in attacking positions because they knew the defenders plus Keane were well able to snuff out counters. Klopp aims for this with shape and gegenpressing as opposed to world class talent.
When Klopp and our midfielders are confident with the team’s ability not to get exposed (confidence only built over time) then we’ll see more chances being taken, more options in attack, more opportunities created and more goals scored. Add in a healthy Sturridge/Benteke and Bobby settling in = then the spark becomes a raging fire.
I just hope that’s how everyone at the club sees it and we don’t panic in January with some needless signings. I’d hate to see another striker bought (even though like everyone else I usually love buying strikers) or worse, Gerrard being brought back in on loan to provide an extra umph, which has been hinted at in various quarters now his season is over. His performances in the US have been even sadder than his efforts for us last season – he is clearly absolutely finished (anyone who watched him without hero worship in mind could see that this time last year) but was still getting picked, causing serious criticism in the LA press – who cheered Gerrard’s arrival like they were getting the 2008 version – of Bruce Arena. Stevie needs to retire and anyone whose watched him over the last few weeks will agree bringing him back would be a nonsense.
We just need to stay the course we’re on, have some patience, trust Klopp and the excitement will come.
Guys we have to face facts about Surridge.
It’s OVER. He will NEVER give us what we need as a regular striker who can be counted on for a whole season.
Just consider these stats:
Surridge, age 26, has a total of 118 first team appearances for 4 clubs. That’s it. Pathetic. And 11 of those were for Bolton.
Compare that to say, Sterling, age 20, who has 111 first team appearances for 2 Prem clubs. That’s 4 more than Surridge already.
The club needs to invest in another main, name striker.
Preferably fairly injury free.
I concur…
Great read. Sober and spot on. But … but I’m with Roy (crazy about the boss) and Melissa (fun behind the scenes).
I’m happy with a “Christmas tree without baubles” for now (and the next month or three, I reckon) because full-throttle Christmas for our beloved Reds can only realistically happen after our best players return to full fitness and Kloppo has the time to embed his way.
Then sparkles and party hats, baby.
Cheer up Mike it’s not all that bad. We were going nowhere and had to change, Klopp is doing that, let’s give the fella time and space to do that. Our striker injuries have been horrendous so Klopp hasn’t even had the opportunity to shake things up at the front of the shop. He has started where 90% of us wanted him to, Shoring up a decidedly dodgy defence.
The flair will come once fitness and the January transfer window comes around. Solid will do for now, let’s hope we ignite the season by stuffing the Chelski tomorrow, resulting in that turd burglar Mourinhio getting the push. Liverpool moving towards the top 4 and Chelski looking for a new manager after we have already secured the best of the lot should bring a smile to many a Reds face.
Until reading this I’d not actually considered how dull the Prem is and more so, what the hell has happened to Chelsea’s players, forgetting the manager. It can’t be linked to the Doctor as some have speculated. The more I think about it though it has been poor for everyone. I was trying to think why.
In the European competitions we’ve seen a noticeable drop in the level of the English sides and in the Prem teams of unknown players can beat some of the biggest names in world football. Could it be the amount of football they’re playing. Whilst everyone is having a winter break we’re drastically increasing our schedule. All teams go on pre season tours but for the top teams they’ve become strenuous commercial trips all over the globe and not pre season warm up matches. Then, as you say, the international breaks are relentless. With World Cups and Euro’s, when do the players recuperate from the demands of football twice a week. Such is the desire for success from owners and fans the need to win is huge. Take Rodgers, he didn’t have the liberty of resting players for the league cup or Europa ties. Bordeaux perhaps, but he simply didn’t have the luxury to gamble. So, the top players are picked every game. Across the league many players look jaded in their demeanour more than their play, Sterling being an obvious example. There’s always injuries but there’s certainly a lot more recently and I’m guessing there’s a lot after long haul flights on international duty. It can’t simply be down to the tactics of the manager though it’s definitely played a part. I think Chelsea’s biggest problem is similar to ours. They don’t have a striker. Costa’s not fit enough for the Prem and more concerned with the black arts of the game than the football and Pedro’s not cut out for it. With Falcao being a waste of space they’re down to Remy. Obviously, they’ll all come good tomorrow.
Regarding us, rather than concentrate on the present and be down all my life I prefer to look in hope for what might come. I find it more bearable. Klopp is making us tighter. We’ve got players to come back. If Sturridge only plays 2 or 3 full games before January then I’m sure he’d be written off and someone bought in January. Obviously, FSG don’t like buying in Jan anymore but if it’s like it is now we’d have to. If we get our best 5 players on the pitch we’ll look strong. Utd and Chelsea seem to be going the opposite way. I can see us challenging every year under Klopp, not because he’ll make us brilliant but he’ll improve us whilst the once indestructible teams will self implode to the level we’ve been at for 25 years. Everything goes in cycles. Utd are already resorting to throwing money at it without much thought. Sometimes with a new manager results turn round over night. Sherwood springs to mind but there’s millions of examples. All they’re doing is sticking their finger in the hole. Klopp’s rebuilding the dam. I can handle what I’m seeing at the moment because it’s all part of a much bigger picture. One that’s gonna be a right buzz.
cheers mike