The first international break of the season is upon us, offering the chance for clubs up and down the country to reset.
For Liverpool, this pause to the domestic calendar could hardly have come at a worse time, having collected 10 points from a possible 12 during their opening Premier League fixtures.
One positive for Jurgen Klopp, however, is that this period will enable the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara to continue recovering from their respective injury setbacks ahead of the Reds’ away meeting with Wolves on September 16.
Reflecting on Liverpool’s current situation one month into the new campaign, four supporters have shared their views as part of a weekly ECHO fan column.
I’d love to be talking about how wonderful the Reds were last Sunday and how I’d have ripped your arm off for the start to the season we’ve had so far. But in the last few days, I’ve found myself picking through Jordan Henderson’s somewhat embarrassing first bit of PR spin in the wake of his move to Saudi Arabia.
I thought the ex-Liverpool captain’s interview with The Athletic was loaded with contradictions and came as the very definition of digging yourself a hole. As the respected journalist Simon Hughes said on Twitter, “At least we know what he thinks and roughly how far his knowledge extends.” I think the boat sailed for Henderson when he turned his back on the LGBTQ+ communities, whom the Saudi state actively persecute. As a former role model and an ally, to call some of his takes naive would be an understatement. You can’t have it both ways.
After the chaos of the opening fixtures, it was blissful to see this Liverpool side produce a calm and controlled performance at Anfield against Aston Villa last weekend.
We have rightly waxed lyrically about the team but we should also say this: Emery’s tactics really helped. Villa played out, with our rapid forwards ready to pounce, with the ball and held a high last line but did not press, allowing the returning Gomez and Matip to amble around. Trent had all the time in the world to pick his wondrous passes.
The front three were very disciplined in their press, holding back to around 30 yards out unless opportunities for a high press presented themselves. It was as though Klopp had devised Villa’s tactics. They were a corpse of an outfit, utterly bereft of dynamism and lacking output as the Reds wisely kept hold of the ball. An oddly sterile contest.
We didn’t know how much time was left back in the autumn of 2017; all we knew was that we unearthed something everyone else had missed. Even then, it wasn’t clear until a few months into the season that he would be something special.
Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool. Not this transfer window, but he will at some point down the road. He may break the club’s goalscoring record, he may not. It won’t matter. His impact will reverberate for generations and he will leave as a legend.
If Salah exits next summer, FSG will need to spend in order to offset his productivity. The bigger question will be who will fill the Egyptian-sized void when he leaves. Doak and Elliott certainly have game-changing potential, but will they be ready to take over the reins of the right wing next season?
The persistent international breaks within the season’s first few months don’t always feel ideal. Nonetheless, such gaps in the club schedule can have their uses. By nature, they’re a chance to take stock and plan ahead.
It’s been a positive start for Liverpool. Ten points from a possible 12 reflects that, and how they’ve been earned arguably offers further reason for optimism. Two comeback wins from two games where we spent more than a combined 90 minutes down to ten players offered early tests – and displays – of collective resolve. Sunday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa provided additional encouragement, meanwhile.
“The mix in possession between control and direction was close to perfect,” said Jürgen Klopp. Indeed, there was an enhanced sense of balance, even if Villa were puzzlingly passive. That offered a solid platform for the likes of Darwin Núñez, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai – whose thunderous opener put a well-earned cap on a superb first few weeks at Anfield – to deliver the decisive moments.
Finding different routes to victory remains an immensely valuable trait. It could prove especially useful as we prepare to plot our way through seven matches in 23 days prior to October’s international break.
