Team to Watch: Liverpool

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Liverpool Under Klopp

Monday the 5th of May 2014. A day Liverpool fans will never forget although they would have wished otherwise. Luis Suarez in tears, being consoled by Steven Gerrard, Joe Allen and Glen Johnson wandering around the Selhurst Park turf wondering what had just hit them, Brendan Rogers cut a confused figure in the dugout. 
It had just happened. Liverpool blew a 3-0 lead to Palace with 11 minutes to go. That’s how close they were to being champions of England. Their then 24 year wait for a league title continued. In actual fact Liverpool technically lost the title with Steven Gerrard’s slip which gifted Demba Ba a goal at Anfield just 7 days prior. As we all know Manchester City went on to win the title on goal difference as Liverpool’s wait for their first Premier League title continued. Brendan Rogers lost his job a year and some months later with Jurgen Klopp taking over at Anfield. He Inherited a very talented squad with a lot of potential, but that was the problem. Talent and potential were not enough for Liverpool to be title challengers once again. There was work to be done.  Players like Jordan Ibe, Christian Benteke, Martin Skrtel, Joe Allen and Mario Balotelli were all sold in the German’s  first full season, with new arrivals Sadio Mane, Joel Matip, Ragna Klavan, Georginio Wijnaldum and Loris Karius showing that Klopp indeed meant Business. This was after finishing the league in eight position( no fault of his), and managing to reach the finals of the Capital One Cup and Europa League where he lost to Manchester City and Sevilla respectively. For Liverpool fans, there was hope, a lot of positives to take from another frustrating campaign. With over 60 million pounds spent on new arrivals, Liverpool Started the 2016/2017 season beating Arsenal 4-3 at the Emirates. It was a frustrating season yet again, with Klopp struggling to find a balance with his team. Firmino the only fit center forward at some point in time with Sturridge and Divok Origi sidelined with injury, Liverpool scored 78 league goals and conceded 42, finishing the league in 4th position and qualifying for the Champions League after missing out the previous season. The 2017-2018 season was one full of promise. Mohammed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Oxlade Chamberlain adding much needed pace to Klopp’s new look Liverpool. They looked a threat once again. The only minus was an unsettled Philippe Coutinho pushing for a Barcelona move. A move which was sanctioned in January for an English record of 142 million pounds. Most of this invested into Virgil Van Dijk, making him the world’s most expensive defender at 75 million pounds. Fears of Klopp being unable to replace Coutinho were quashed. His departure proved a blessing in disguise. Mohammed Salah was scoring for fun, Mane getting his share of the goals and assists, Firmino dazzling in the false 9 role, and Van Dijk scoring on his Debut. All looked rosy at Anfield. Runaway Champions Manchester City were beaten both Home and away in the Champions League en route to a first Champions League final in over a deacade. Liverpool eventually lost but once again there was hope. Liverpool made a huge statement. Anfield had become the fortress we all knew it to be. Mohammed Salah won the Golden boot with 32 goals, becoming the highest scorer in a single season in the history of the premier league.
Fast Forward December 2018, Liverpool are top of the League having lost just twice in all competitions and not even once in the league. Mohammed Salah as usual topping the goal scoring chart. In Alisson Becker they have a world class goalkeeper for the first time in a very long while, Keeping 10 clean sheets from 17 games and conceding just 7.
If the game against United is anything to go by, Liverpool are serious contenders not only for the Leaugue  title but the champions league as well. With players like Shaqiri accepting the role of squad player who can be called upon at anytime, Liverpool boast an amazing squad depth. An attacking force of Salah,Mane, Firmino, Shaqiri, Origi and Daniel Sturridge with a midfield of Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Keita, Lallana and Chamberlain, this team is a force to reckon with. Whether or not this current crop of players can exorcise the demons of 2014, we will  definitely find out come May. If Liverpool are unable to end their 28 year wait for a league title this season with such an amazing crop of players then we don’t know if they ever will. From a fan point of view its just a matter of time before they’re crowned Champions of Englad and replicate the class of 1990. YNWA

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