Liverpool might have started the season aiming at a top 4 finish, but things went wrong under Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool could only win two of their first eight matches under Rodgers. Liverpool and Rodgers had a great shot at the trophy in the 2013-14 premier league season, but their next season saw them falling down again (2014-15). This transfer window saw Liverpool bringing in players that were a sign of intent. They were quick in getting deals done and all these showed that Liverpool were determined to get that top 4 finish this season. Constant injuries, poor form and poor tactics led Liverpool to have a bad start to the season. And this resulted in the sacking of Brendan Rodgers.
Liverpool were in a hunt for a new manager and the owners at the club said that they were looking for a person who could bring back the golden days to Liverpool. And finally Liverpool appointed the former Borussia Dortmund manager, Jurgen Klopp, as their new manager. The club and the fans were excited to see his arrival. And Klopp’s reignited hopes in the hearts of the fans and the players. His biggest moment so far came today when his side beat the defending champs Chelsea at their own backyard.
11 premier league matches are over and we take a look at Liverpool’s chances of finishing in the top 4. Liverpool are currently 7th in the premier league table with 17 points in hand. Manchester City is leading the table with Arsenal, West Ham and Manchester United following.
When Liverpool’s fixtures came out before the season began, one thing that caught everyone’s eyes was Liverpool’s away fixtures in the first half of the season. Out of these matches against Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Everton are already over. This means that by the time Klopp’s settles at Liverpool half of the season will be done and then he will have a much more relaxed fixtures. Liverpool will be able to get constant wins if their players stay fit and if Klopp gets his tactics right (he always gets it right).
The improvements seen after Klopp’s arrival give birth to hopes in the fans. Improvements were seen very quickly after his arrival. One of the areas which look much better after Klopp’s arrival is the defense. The defense looks better and solid. Alberto Moreno is one of the Liverpool players who has really shown up after the German’s arrival. There are also other players who have been given a boost after his arrival (Firmino, Can, Lallana are few to name).
Another advantage Liverpool have at the moment is that last year’s champions Chelsea are behind them. Liverpool should make sure that Chelsea stays behind. It is almost certain that Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United will occupy three of the four spots in the top 4. So the fight will be for the fourth spot. Chelsea and Liverpool will definitely be aiming at that spot. Tottenham is another team that will give tough competition to Liverpool. Southampton, West Ham, Leicester and Crystal Palace are the underdog teams that Liverpool should fear of (all of them are above Liverpool at the moment). But these teams will probably have a dump in form at some point of the season and are likely to go down. With that being said, the battle for the fourth spot will be between Liverpool, Chelsea (yeah, don’t count them out yet) and Tottenham (We may also add West Ham and Southampton to the list).
The Final Say:
Liverpool have a great manager now in Jurgen Klopp’s. His tactics are effective and he has already proven it with Liverpool. In my opinion, Liverpool are serious contenders for that fourth spot in the top 4 and it could be a reality. All they have to do is make sure that their players stay fit, especially Benteke and Sturridge who are very prone to injuries. They will have an easier second half season considering that all their tough fixtures will be at Anfield. Two or three new signings by Klopp’s will give Liverpool more chance of getting into the top 4. Premier league is a crazy league and tables could turn quickly. Liverpool may have had a bad start to the season but there is still a long way to go. Under Klopp’s top 4 seems to be a realistic target and that will be what the owners will want from Jurgen Klopp’s.
