Liverpool faces a big test of exactly where it is at this weekend with a trip to Newcastle United, one of the teams that climbed ahead of the Reds and into the Champions League spots last season.
So far, Jürgen Klopp’s side has four points from matches against Chelsea (away) and Bournemouth (home) but this could be the most difficult game yet, not least because Ibrahima Konaté is set to miss out through injury. It will be down to either Joël Matip or Joe Gomez to fill in if, as expected, the Frenchman is absent.
Throughout the rest of the team, there is a case to be made for starting Wataru Endō and also Darwin Núñez.
Away from that fixture, there remains a big need for more transfers this week. Endō could be about to show exactly why one transfer can make such a difference, but ideally, Liverpool still needs to strengthen in a couple of positions.
Endō has been brought in at Liverpool already and that will have a massive impact for one Reds man: Alexis Mac Allister. No longer will the Argentine have to play as the deepest player in the center of the pitch.
With Endō having made his debut off the bench last weekend after just one training session, he could make his first start for Liverpool against Newcastle after a few more days at the AXA Training Centre this week.
If that is the case then Mac Allister will be able to play in his favored role (after the suspension for his red card against Bournemouth was overturned) and that will have a double benefit: Liverpool will keep the ball more, and also have a greater pressing threat that could put Newcastle under pressure.
Manu Koné signed in dream week
Only six days remain of the transfer window and that means that Klopp and Jörg Schmadtke are going to be busy. Liverpool ideally needs another defender and a defensive midfielder to help out Endō too.
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Manu Koné is one top option who has been linked (and BILD’s Christian Falk claims that the asking price has dropped) with the 22-year-old a player who can play as a holding player and also fill in higher up the pitch when needed as well.
But as well as Koné, a center-back is probably even more of a big need. Dávid Hancko of Feyenoord could be that man. Linked to Liverpool by Football Transfers, that story quotes ESPN pundit and former Dutch footballer Hans Kraay Jr as saying the 25-year-old could cost up to $50m (£40m/€47m).
While sounds like quite a lot of money to splash out, it would be a reasonably good deal with such a short window left to do business. Someone needs to arrive whether it is him or someone else.
