Will Liverpool have a resurgence in 23/24?
After an underwhelming season, Liverpool have a point to prove. They fell out of the champions league spaces and will be fighting in the Europa League in 23/24. The first six months of their campaign were very unpredictable as they showed there were chinks in the armour of their defence which teams quickly began to exploit. Liverpool beat Man City and West Ham 1-0 back to back in October, before losing to Nottingham Forest away and subsequently losing to Leeds at Anfield highlighting their inconsistencies.
As the season went on Liverpool began to claw back points and get themselves into Europe in some capacity. Klopp began to invert Trent on the right-hand side to combat their defensive issues that could have been a ripple effect from an ageing midfield who had played every game possible in the previous season having reached the final of each cup competition. This meant Trent was able to utilise his incredible skillset in a different way where he was acting as a deep-lying playmaker, sitting alongside Fabinho in midfield providing defensive cover yet still having the freedom to float balls over the top into the box.
There are solid links for a move to Saudi Arabia for Fabinho, with Liverpool looking at Romeo Lavia from Southampton as his replacement for a fee of £42.5m upfront + £2.5m in add-ons. This would leave an inverted Trent beside Lavia in front of the defence, allowing other new signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis McAllister to join the attack and link the front 3 to the midfield.
Szoboszlai impressed in his stint at RB Leipzig finishing with 6 goals and a further 8 assists to his name in the league. Liverpool are hoping that they can get the most out of this creative midfielder they paid £60m for. His dribbling is a key attribute, completing 1.94 successful dribbles per 90 and contributing 0.52 xG + xA per 90. His passing is not to be forgotten, completing 2.9 accurate long balls per 90 compared to De Bruyne’s 3.01 and Fernandes’ 3.15, yet outclassing both of them for accurate passes per 90 at 42.6. He could be a key player in connecting this newly formed Liverpool front 3, being the creative presence in midfield which they have lacked before.
Liverpool’s frontline has also had more time to gel, with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo getting premier league minutes under their belt and Luis Diaz coming back from a long-term injury. There is no excuse going forward as to why their performances should not improve in this coming season. It also felt as if Salah was having an off year despite producing incredible numbers of 19 goals and 12 assists in the league. Towards the closing stages of last season, their attack was firing on all fronts and they will need to continue that form so they don’t repeat missing out on the champions league.
One issue they may face this season is their midfield depth, with Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlin, Keita and Milner all leaving the club this summer and it's looking likely Fabinho will too. It will be a completely new trio in midfield, with little to no cover at all, Klopp will be hoping his new recruits can stay fit and avoid any lasting injuries. With Long-term captain Henderson and some senior figures departing, this could leave Liverpool with a lack of leadership next season.
After a strong end to the season, it felt like Liverpool could be back to their best. The new signings they have brought through the door are all young and promising players who add something new to this Liverpool side. However, with the extensive outgoings and lack of midfield depth, it could be another difficult season for The Reds.
