HOW do we make sense of the phoney war? You can hardly compare pre-season friendlies to an extended period of inactivity on the Western Front, but there’s no doubt that drawing conclusions from glorified training sessions games can be misleading.
I gave up attending friendlies years ago; the unrealistic and frustrating calm that descends on proceedings at the sound of the referee’s opening blast on his whistle firmly embedded in my mind.
With current apologies to fans on the United States west coast (taking a rare opportunity to see the Reds in the flesh) there’s a satisfying smugness in keeping your money in your back pocket until the real battle commences.
That said, the perennial intrigue that surrounds the build-up to a fresh campaign is growing. The season begins in just over two weeks’ time. This year, a sense of expectation is heightened by Jürgen Klopp’s first real shot at glory; which ultimately boils down to one thing — the Holy Grail; a first league championship since 1990.
Despite our instincts telling us pre-season doesn’t matter, we’re all still well aware that Liverpool’s domestic ramble across the North West (and Huddersfield) yielded four wins and four clean sheets. We’re all excited by the emerging young talent (in my opinion most obviously in Ovie Ejaria, and maybe even Ben Woodburn) that might tempt the instinctive Klopp to cast the cotton wool aside.
When I re-subscribed to LFCtv this week — even the old and cynical get excited about new seasons — the first show I watched featured journalists discussing the “risks” of asking teenagers to step up to first-team duty and how the modern game is so unforgiving; so driven by results. Try telling that to Roy Evans and Michael Owen — as though pressure didn’t exist in 1997. Ultimately, if they’re good enough, they’re old enough.
Promisingly, the 18-year old Ejaria has travelled with the squad for Camp America and featured in exciting fashion in the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on Wednesday. Whether the tyro midfielder, snared from Arsenal, appears in first-team action this season remains to be seen, but at least he’s being given a chance to stake a claim.
Complicating matters is that the Reds look well stocked in midfield. Jordan Henderson, striving to regain fitness and form after a troubled year on both fronts, and Emre Can look favourites to be Klopp’s preferred options in the middle. If Henderson is behind the eight ball for the opening weeks, then Georginio Wijnaldum might assume the deeper lying role that is one of several advertised strings to his “versatile” bow.
Seeing as the Liverpool are currently Stateside, I’ll throw in a curve ball and suggest that Kevin Stewart might occupy a loftier place in Klopp’s thoughts for a holding midfield role than some would expect. After one of the domestic warm-ups, the manager made reference to Stewart doing “all” the covering and defending. Managers often have favourites at odds with the perception of fans — history tells of another workmanlike Kevin (MacDonald) who bore the brunt of the crowd’s moans but was highly valued by Kenny Dalglish in 1986.
In an attacking front four — or three if the manager persists with an occasional liking for solidity away from home — the addition of Sadio Mane to the proven qualities of Daniel Sturridge, Phil Coutinho and Roberto Firmino means that Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, Danny Ings and possibly Wijnaldum only sit on the bench.
Klopp can only pick 11 to start, but if surgery has been performed to inject pace and some width, more goals from midfield, competition for places and to offer stronger substitute options, Liverpool might actually be spoilt for choice higher up the pitch if the more expensive new recruits hit the ground running.
One of the aspects of improvement under Klopp last season was a surfeit of goals — at least in certain matches — in contrast to the ridiculously barren 2014-15 under a failing Brendan Rodgers.
All of which brings me to my weekly gripe. I don’t like to disappoint those who read this column and confirm that my refusal to get carried away, on a Sedan Chair decorated with the jewels of blind optimism, equates to the moans of a miserable old cynic.
If Liverpool have had an Achilles heel over the past few seasons it has been in defence. Under Rodgers — at least for some — the concession of 50 goals blew any chance of the league title. Two years later, under a different manager and with different defenders, the ball hit the back of Liverpool’s net another 50 times.
On the face of it, Klopp has also moved to shore up the defence. The signings of Loris Karius and Joel Matip are the embodiment of this. The goalkeeper and centre-half come with ringing Bundesliga endorsements. A summer-long apparent pursuit of a left-back, if you accept that Liverpool’s stance on the untried and newly-contracted Ben Chilwell is merely a negotiating one, may yet bring one final addition to the class of 2016-17.
The sight of an unclaimed cross — from a corner — headed in from six yards at the Rose Bowl the other night was a reminder of undermining defensive fragility. That Gary Cahill out-jumped and out-muscled two midfield players (Firmino and Marko Grujic) suggests more time on the training field isn’t a guarantee of defensive improvement.
So much doubt surrounds each member of the Reds’ rearguard. The Premier League is a notoriously physical environment for keepers proven in European Leagues, notwithstanding Karius’s teenage sojourn in Manchester. Matip, too, has adjustments to make in new surroundings.
Of last year’s cast, Mamadou Sakho’s crowd favouritism masks an erratic performer, capable of great games over great seasons. His recent spat with Klopp over tardiness is probably a red herring. The manager’s frustration will more likely have its roots in the player’s carelessness that brought an untimely ban, regardless of the confusion surrounding UEFA’s ruling on the matter. Sakho’s future hangs in the air and isn’t helped by his propensity for injury.
Dejan Lovren had a decent second half of last season, but if Matip’s arrival sees him shifted back to the left-side of central defence, concerns are that his questionable balance and decision-making again come under scrutiny. There’s every chance Lovren can continue his improvement but we can’t be sure.
At full-back, amid the inertia of the left-back saga, it would seem that Alberto Moreno will continue as first choice. My biggest concern, other than his sometimes errant brain, is that he has “crowd scapegoat” written all over him. Someone has to assume The Mignolet Mantle, and having carried the can for the Basel collapse, Moreno is in pole position.
On the other side, Nathaniel Clyne is an oasis of solidity and consistency but if he were to fall victim to injury, I’m not sure where the cover lies and I’m not having James Milner suddenly morphing into a young Philipp Lahm.
Of course, its early days and pre-season tells us very little, but in defence there are more questions than answers. Once the real action begins there may be echoes of Klopp’s first season, perhaps with reminders of Norwich and Dortmund to the fore as Jürgen wrestles with the balance between defence and attack.
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Unfortunately we still have Moreno as our first choice left back.
He’s just not good enough.
And I’m talking about the basics in defending.
Flanagan – what is going on with him?
In defence it seems to me that any team that has a trio or even more than that type of players like Moreno, Coutinho, Firminho, Lallana and Sturridge – the team is going to fail. Just too many of these type of players who don’t have defensive instincts. They can’t or don’t want to defend.
Throw in an erratic goalkeeper and I think you will find ourselves outside the top four.
If you can’t keep clean sheets or turn losses into draws or draws into wins, less points.
The loss of Gomez and dare I say Reina has cost us lots of points.
Does Klopp see this?
Last few years at the club lots of cash on midfielders and attackers – when is the defence going to get some loving?
Hmm we lashed money at Lovren, sakho, Moreno and to a lesser degree, clyne so I’m not sure we have neglected the area in the transfer market in recent seasons. And I’m not sure throwing more money helps. Looks at city’s defensive woes without kompany.
What klopp needs is time to find a great CB pairing and that will not come with chopping and changing every transfer window. Wouldn’t write Moreno off quite yet, he’s still got time to mentally mature and a consistent and solid CB pairing next to him will help massively. Mind you, some competition for the position would be lovely…
The positive (of sorts) is mostve out defenders are relatively young & their best days are ahead of them. And in the least creepy was possible, klopp likes them young
Oh, some good old common sense. Thanks, Alex. Spot on.
Maybe moreno simply does what Klopp tells him to do….push high and wide and provide width. We had noone with pave at lm/lw last season..With mane in at LM ahead of him maybe Klopp works with moreno to play more like a standard lb.
Who knows? But Klopp has seen moreno for over 50 games and no new lb has arrived.
Maybe like Kevin macdonald fan fume has to give way to the managers choice.
Wow. People really think a January window (Matip and Grujic) and a busy summer is enough to fix this defense? Klopp is on a longer term project and if fans expect a magical transformation so quickly, the doubters will prove no change has occurred.
I hope that fans have more patience than what I see so far not just on here. Of course, allowance must be made for the loud, proud and usually wrong crowd.
You nailed it, Mike. Defense is still a worry right now.
PEDANTS R US – Not sure you could correctly call it ‘The Western Front’ at the time of “The Phoney War”. The invasion of Russia was still a year away so there was no Eastern front. Just ‘The Front’ would probably do. :) (Yes, I really am a complete bore!). Social and political Historian by trade. Good article Mike, I’m intrigued to see how we line up for Arsenal. Really gutted about Karius’s injury though, but Mignolet, for all his faults, is not a bad option as a No.2. Best wishes. Ps- nice Kevin Macdonald reference. I’m sure I remember him, either scoring a worldie against United in the League cup, or (more probably) just missing. It was a lob if I recall it correctly.
Edit:- On second thoughts though, weren’t they virtually the same defensive lines/starting points, in Belgium as in 1914? Yep’, as you were. :)
“My biggest concern, other than his sometimes errant brain, is that he has “crowd scapegoat” written all over him. Someone has to assume The Mignolet Mantle”
Good news, Mignolet is back as our #1 for at least the next two months. Takes the pressure of others having to assume his matle. Hopefully pressure for his place brings the best out of him and no one assumes the mantle!
You’ve just cheered me up! ☺ Well done Sir. :)
What we need is a low profile start where our new keeper and two preferred CBs can settle in and get a good understanding going…..so that’s us fucked with Arsenal, Spurs and Chavski in the first few games and our new (I presume preferred first choice) keeper crocked. We just never seem to be able to have a settled back four and keeper. Maybe our hand is now forced and Ming & co will surprise us all! Need a solid start otherwise we’ll be playing catch up after four games. Moreno can only (surely?!) improve so just got to trust Klopp and get behind the lads. What happened last season is done with now. Hopefully, they’ll have learned from that.
Up the Reds.
With all that attacking ability will we need a defence? Just kidding.
Herr Klopp being a former CB though I would bet on him sorting the defence out before long. With no European footy this year he will have plenty of time on the training field to do so.
I would not read anything into the Chelsea game -the players had trained that morning and it was hardly a first choice eleven.
Klopp says he is happy with his squad and with a full pre-season to prepare the players I can see the Ferocious Reds blowing teams away this season.
Can’t wait.
What never changes in football , regardless of the specifics in terms of Team or Player is the opposition always exploit defensive frailties, and there lies the problem with Moreno, he’s a total liability and the sooner Klopp ships him out the better. That’s what’s bothering me more than the lad himself, is if JK has misplaced faith in a player who just is far too soft, his concentration and outright reluctance to defend is so so obvious. Coz make no mistake every opposing team will be out to take maximum advantage as Sevilla did in the Final. So do us all a favour Kloppo and get fkn rid!!
What many people seem to forget when talking about Moreno and his dodgy decision making at the back, is that he’s clearly been under orders to get forward as much as possible. Which he does with aplomb.
It’s easy for your concentration to lapse when you’re absolutely shattered. (I’m conveniently ignoring the first 30 seconds of the Europa final)
As someone stated above, maybe he’ll be required to get forward less this year with Mane in front of him. I have faith in him.