Liverpool face brutal transfer reality as Jurgen Klopp’s Chelsea plan takes shape
One left after four down.
So, the countdown to what is probably going to be a crucial season for Liverpool continues.
The Reds’ preseason preparations were significantly stepped up during their trip to Singapore, where they lost to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich 4-3 on Wednesday after crushing Championship team Leicester City 4-0 on Tuesday.
Because of the large number of Liverpool supporters in the nation and the surrounding area, Jurgen Klopp and his players were welcomed warmly throughout their visit. A small group of former players and representatives from the LFC Foundation have been working hard to fortify these ties.
As the Reds prepare for the start of the Premier League season at Chelsea the following Sunday, Jurgen Klopp will have plenty to think about on the field, both good and bad, after Monday’s match against SV Darmstadt.
At Karlsruher SC in Germany, it was first seen in the second half of the opening friendly. Additionally, the fact that Klopp had mentioned Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota provided additional proof of their growing collaboration.
Nowhere was this more evident than in the opening goal against Bayern, when Gakpo sprinted off to confidently score after what was essentially a one-two between the pair down the Liverpool left.
With his versatility to play in a variety of positions, including midfield, where he ended up on Wednesday, the Dutchman is quickly becoming an important cog in the Reds’ machine.
And Jota, who scored an impressive goal against Leicester and assisted on two more, is maintaining the strong form he showed toward the end of the previous campaign.
With Mohamed Salah securing the right flank with three assists on the trip, it appears that Jota on the left and Gakpo in the middle have edged out Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez to begin the season, even though the latter pair scored both goals in the Far East.
When it quickly became clear that the injury that caused Alexis Mac Allister to hobble off against Bayern was not serious, Klopp and everyone associated with Liverpool must have breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The Argentine had already demonstrated his toughness by overcoming a severe blow early on against Leicester to produce an impressive performance that bodes well for the season.
Dominik Szoboszlai, a fellow summer acquisition, continues to improve with each performance; against Bayern, his work ethic and pressing particularly stood out.
There is no denying that, however, Liverpool are in desperate need of a seasoned defensive midfielder. With Stefan Bajcetic expected to return to team training only later this week after missing more than four months, Klopp will likely have to choose between Curtis Jones, who started most of the Singapore games, or Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Yes, the effects of both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson going to Saudi Arabia were completely unexpected. However, given that they made a point of wrapping up what they had anticipated would be their primary transfer business before the start of preseason, it would be a breach of duty on the part of Liverpool if they didn’t have at least one identifiable number six when they face Chelsea.
In any case, there’s a good chance the Reds’ midfield three will include players who have never started a Premier League game for the team in their specific positions. It is not ideal.
The number of minutes for Academy players decreased as the level of competition rose in Singapore, as was to be expected.
They nevertheless continued to seize their chances despite this.
Bobby Clark was in charge, starting and scoring against Leicester while displaying maturity that belied his young age of 18. He must be kept on staff rather than loaned out if there is a chance for first-team action in the upcoming months.
The same is true for Ben Doak, a 17-year-old who significantly caught the attention of fans during a signature 15-minute cameo against Bayern.
This preseason, James McConnell has emerged as the top Academy player. His dedicated approach was best demonstrated against Bayern when he left Kingsley Coman in a heap in front of a fired-up Klopp.
Conor Bradley’s absence was regrettable as he was forced to stay at home due to what has been described as a minor injury.
However, all of the young people involved can be happy with their contributions.
The response wasn’t particularly encouraging given that Jurgen Klopp had warned Liverpool ahead of the Bayern match to step up their defense.
There were certainly mitigating factors, such as the fatigue of bodies and minds following a demanding few weeks of training, as well as the aforementioned midfield problems.
But the Reds have been far too weak in the preseason, and Klopp and his coaching staff would have been focused on improving those weaknesses as they reviewed the game on the flight that arrived back in Manchester on Thursday morning.
It may depend on what happens with Nat Phillips and how much is spent on bolstering the midfield in the next four weeks whether they need immediate reinforcement – Liverpool have been looking for a left-sided defender for some time.
The first-choice defense, which consists of Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back should he not be needed further upfield, Andy Robertson at left-back, Virgil van Dijk at center-back, and Ibrahima Konate at center-back, is not in question.
The Reds are obviously sticking with the strategy they employed towards the end of the previous campaign, releasing Alexander-Arnold into midfield whenever it was feasible. The Englishman resumed this position in Singapore.
But it won’t go unnoticed that Bayern and the Foxes both reasonably successfully targeted the right channel.
Obtaining the ideal balance will take time, which Liverpool will sadly run out of by August 13.
The second goal by Bayern will not make him particularly happy. However, with a series of excellent saves in the second half on Wednesday, Alisson Becker provided yet another example of why he is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.
