Liverpool Season Preview

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To say that Liverpool are the sort of club where every decision that is made, whether it be player movement in the transfer market or tactics implemented by the manager in-game and the results that follow, comes with a extreme level of scrutiny would be putting it mildly. The Reds are a high-profile club and, no matter what type of success they may have had in a previous season, the goal is always to reach the top and to do what they are historically supreme at - lifting trophies. In recent years, they have gone through a few different managers as they look for the right man to make them perennial contenders for the league title and regular participants in cup finals. In October of last season, they hope to have found that man in Jurgen Klopp and now Klopp is ready to put his stamp on the club this summer ahead of his first full season in charge. Last season was a bit of a honeymoon for him but this season expectations will be high, especially considering the amount of activity the Reds have been involved in during this current transfer window. They do not appear to be short on talent at this point in time, the question is whether Klopp can successfully connect the many pieces he has at his disposal to take the club to the next level.

Last Season in Brief

Brendan Rodgers began last season as manager and was sacked for Klopp following Liverpool's draw in the Merseyside Derby in early October. Rodgers did not exactly run the team into the ground. He exited with a (3W, 2L, 2D) record and, though he was criticized for some of his transfer decisions, he did manage to bring in James Milner,Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino - three players that would cement regular roles and be positive addtions to the club. Conversely, he managed to take the £35.2m the club made on the sale of Raheem Sterling and nearly spend it all (£32.5m) on Christian Benteke, who did not come close to returning on his investment. In fact, it has been the strikers Rodgers has brought in that has hurt the club the most. He cannot be blamed for Danny Ings getting injured and missing virtually the entire 2015/2016 season but he also decided bringing in the likes of Mario Baloteli and Ricky Lambert were good ideas. The transition from Rodgers to Klopp did not bring immediate success. The club hovered in the slightly-above mid-table zone for virtually the entire season, But, they did manage to finish strong in the league, with a (7W, 2L, 5D) record in their final 14 games while simultaneously making thier way to a Europa League final. Klopp managed to do this while dealing with several injuries, so, it would seem with enough depth and a little luck on the injury front, the Reds look a strong bet to finish higher than their eighth place position in the table in 2015/2016. From a fantasy perspective it was a bit of a mixed bag. Injuries and/or wavering form made it difficult to rely on stars like Philippe Coutinho or Daniel Sturridgeweek in, week out, while the defense were consistently inconsistent. Perhaps the most consistent player was Milner, who, while perhaps not capable of monster fantasy hauls in a single game, was probably their most reliable contributor over the course of the season.

The Summer So Far

Liverpool have made their share of marquee signings already this summer and they show no signs of slowing down. Perhaps the most important addition will be German goalkeeperLoris Karius. Many felt that current #1 Simon Mignolet did not meet the class necessary at the position and Karius comes in to immediately challenge for the job. After injuries and suspensions had hampered the Reds at center back a year ago, they have brought in reinforcements. Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan each have resumes that would lead one to believe they could become regulars at some point this season. The big splash thus far though has been in the attack, where the Reds spent a combined £61m to acquire Sadio Mane from Southampton and Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United. Both have already shown to be potentially explosive in this league and, if they can settle in at Anfield, could help propel the Reds into one of the more formidable attacks in the league.

Jurgen Klopp has been just as busy at trimming players from his squad this summer. Kolo Toure was released while Jordan Ibe and Martin Skrtel were sold away. It seems only a matter of time before Liverpool will get Mario Balotelli off of their books and Christian Benteke looks to be in the same position. Joe Allen just departed for Stoke City as of yesterday and fellow midfielder Lucas is thought to be close to an exit. Brad Smith looks to be on the verge of joining Ibe at AFC Bournemouth as that deal is close to becoming finalized. Jon Flanagan has the option to go out on loan to Burnley to get regular playing time but the full back has yet to state his wish.

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