Jürgen Klopp is already a Kop legend having won the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Community Shield and the Club World Cup in his time at Anfield. Ultimately though, Liverpool fans want more league titles and Klopp knows that’s the goal for the Reds.
He’s also had a few near misses. In the 2021-22 season, Liverpool ended the season with 92 points and finished second, missing out on the cherished league title by one point to the champions Manchester City. The 2018-19 season saw City crowned champions with 98 points and Liverpool finish second with 97 points, having only lost one game. Fine margins that have separated Klopp from making Liverpool England’s most successful team once again in terms of league titles.
Last season was a campaign to forget for Liverpool. They won the Community Shield against City at the start of the campaign but that was the only silverware Klopp’s side picked up. The Reds finished fifth in the league and were four points behind Newcastle United in the fourth and final Champions League spot.
The final 15 games saw Liverpool only lose two games which helped them climb up the table, however the damage was done in the early parts of the season, as the Merseyside club only won five of their first 14 league matches.
Going into next season, Liverpool will need to look at strengthening in the middle of the park. The club have confirmed the signing of Alexis Mac Allister and they have a serious interest in OGC Nice’s midfielder Khéphren Thuram.
Absences due to injury seriously affected Liverpool last season, with key players in midfield such as Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajčetić picking up injuries that saw them sidelined for long periods. Question marks over the abilities of the ageing Jordan Henderson and James Milner were frequently brought up last season, with Milner now leaving the club.
Trent Alexander-Arnold managed to turn his season around when he was moved into midfield, which could be a sign of things to come from the start of next campaign.
For the first time in seven years, Liverpool will compete in the Europa League in 2023-24. The Reds will play on Thursdays and then at the weekend, something many members of the squad won’t be used to.
Liverpool will aim at improving their results away from Anfield going into next season, as they only had the seventh best away form in the league in 2022-23. Liverpool lost away to Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Wolves and they also failed to defeat Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace away from home.
Liverpool face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their opening match of the new season. Then Klopp’s side will face Bournemouth at Anfield in their second game of the campaign, a game Liverpool won 9-0 last season. Then the following fixtures for the Reds are Newcastle United away and Aston Villa at home, both of whom are competing in Europe, with Klopp taking his team to Wolves for their fifth game of the new term.
By then we should see signs of whether Klopp can make Liverpool ‘go again’.
