Liverpool supporters are well aware that Man City’s current dominance will not be easy to maintain next season. Man City currently appears unstoppable on many fronts.
Liverpool’s fans will be hoping that this summer can have a transformative impact after what has been a somewhat underwhelming season. Jürgen Klopp will need to make the right decisions in the upcoming transfer window because Manchester City is not showing any signs of giving up on their pursuit of trophies.
The Reds’ outside-of-the-top-four finish this season makes it clear that the upcoming months will be crucial to their ability to return with a vengeance the following season. Even the most fervent Liverpool fan would have to admit that the gap between the two teams currently appears to be quite seismic, especially with their longtime rivals Manchester City vying for a record-equaling treble.
Of course, it goes without saying that a team with players like Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, and Erling Haaland, to name a few, will be expected to compete for a while. There is no guarantee that the Cityzens will maintain their dominance on all fronts in the coming season, it should be noted that the Reds came close to completing an historic quadruple last season but struggled to repeat that feat this campaign.
Essentially, Klopp’s task this summer will be to restructure his team with a number of new additions in the hopes that these young players can quickly contribute to the correction of some of the more glaring issues that have plagued his team this season. Then, Liverpool must essentially hold out hope that they can have a strong start to the new season so that they can position themselves to seize the initiative if Pep Guardiola’s team have a sluggish start the following season.
The Reds’ players may already have an advantage over the other teams in the division when it comes to competing with the newly crowned champions, as Anfield hero Jamie Carragher noted on Monday Night Football this week. The Sky Sports analyst stated: “Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool have been competing with [Manchester City] for three seasons; they are the only team to have demonstrated their ability to succeed.
“I don’t buy into this doom and gloom that we might as well pack up and go home, but Arsenal lived with them for 30 games this season, so let’s hope it can happen. Although I believe that the other teams are spending enough money to have a chance, City have the best manager.”
He continued, “I think Liverpool will come back. I think Liverpool will have the best chance to challenge Guardiola’s team next season, along with Manchester United. I concur with Gary [Neville] that it might be a little bit difficult to seriously challenge Man City at this point.
“Liverpool will invest again in midfielders, and they have players with the biggest trophy wins, so I’d say Liverpool and Manchester United [are best positioned to compete].”
It’s important to keep in mind that Manchester City can earn a maximum of 94 points this season as champions; they currently have 88 after 36 games played. This total will be lower than what the Reds collected under Klopp when they finished as runners-up back in 2019. This generation is probably not Guardiola’s best domestic team if one only looks at points, despite the incomparably brilliant contributions of free-scoring Haaland this term.
Of course, teams are ultimately judged on the trophies they take home, but just as some observers have argued that Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United treble-winning squad of 1999 wasn’t his best, it is possible to contend that Manchester City’s teams from earlier seasons that had more points were better in the league. Additionally, evidence suggests that rather than serving as launching pads for dominance over a long period of time, these successes frequently serve as the pinnacle moments for great sides.
The Red Devils’ ability to defend their Premier League crown for the following seasons after winning the treble in 1999 was a testament to Sir Alex Ferguson’s brilliance, but it is important to note that after their triumph, that team failed to find further success in Europe. The fact that Liverpool failed to win a trophy the following year, finishing runners-up in the league and the European Cup, after winning the First Division, European Cup, and League Cup in 1984 should not be discounted either.
In addition, Manchester City lost in both the FA Cup and the Champions League after winning the domestic treble in 2019 and finishing second to Liverpool in the league the season after. In summary, Guardiola’s class of 2023 might well make history next month, but their competitors should still be confident that they can try to topple them the following year.
It is undeniable that Guardiola’s team is equipped with the best team and most resources in the Premier League, but sport is unpredictable, and history suggests that treble victories do not always portend future all-out dominance. It may be wishful thinking, but a successful summer could position the Reds to seize the initiative if Manchester City displays any signs of weakness next season.
