By their own high standards, Liverpool had a season to forget in 2020/21. Although they secured a top-four finish at the eleventh hour, they still ended up 17 points behind Manchester City.
Of course, the question on everyone’s lips is – can Jurgen Klopp’s side regain the Premier League title in 2021/22?
A simply 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞 Sadio strike at Bayern Munich 😱What has been your favourite Mane strike at the Reds so far? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/KrdnFLhNV2— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 28, 2021
A simply 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞 Sadio strike at Bayern Munich 😱What has been your favourite Mane strike at the Reds so far? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/KrdnFLhNV2
Let’s take a look a four things Liverpool need to do in order to return to the summit of English football once again.
It is no secret that Liverpool endured a testing 2020/21 campaign. But just because they failed to live up to expectations last term, it doesn’t mean they should change the way they play.
Let’s not forget that, using exactly the same approach as they used last season, Klopp’s side finished a whopping 18 points clear atop the Premier League table back in 2019/20.
Klopp’s methods are tried and tested, while the Reds boast countless world-class stars. If they can rediscover their best form, they won’t need to make any drastic changes.
We all know that Klopp’s squad was ravaged by injury last season, with centre-back duo Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez missing the majority of the campaign.
First-team regulars like Fabinho, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Joal Matip, Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold also spent large periods on the sidelines, along with other fringe players.
If Liverpool want to regain the Premier League title, they can’t afford to have so many injuries this year. For that reason, Klopp mustn’t rush back his long-term absentees.
All of a sudden, there is a Georginio Wijnaldum-shaped hole in the Reds’ midfield after the Dutchman swapped Merseyside for Paris during the off-season.
The 30-year-old played just over 250 games for Liverpool, racking up 22 goals and 16 assists along the way. Needless to say, he will be missed.
The Reds have already signed centre-back Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig. Still, they will need to acquire another top-class midfielder in order to mount a serious title challenge.
Liverpool’s 2020/21 campaign fell apart after Christmas, with Klopp’s men only managing to pick up three wins in 14 matches between last December and mid-March.
But following the mid-season slump, the Reds finished the season in unstoppable form – securing eight wins and two draws in their final ten matches.
Enjoy 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 goal that won us the '19/20 @premierleague title... inlcuding some absolute 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 🤩 pic.twitter.com/yNYS41ancg— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 25, 2021
Enjoy 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 goal that won us the '19/20 @premierleague title... inlcuding some absolute 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 🤩 pic.twitter.com/yNYS41ancg
If Liverpool are serious about closing the gap to Man City, they must pick up where they left off last season and hit the ground running in 2021/22.