3 reasons Liverpool will be a force next term despite cup blues
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On the face of it, two cup final defeats and no European place represents a dour campaign for Liverpool.
But far from drowning their sorrows, Reds fans should be counting down the days until 2016/17 kicks off, when their side really will take a lot of beating.
Improvement under Jurgen Klopp has been gradual since the German arrived as Brendan Rodgers’ replacement, but there are reasons to suggest the former Borussia Dortmund boss will have a sensational season at Anfield next year.
Here are three of them:
Home form
Anfield didn’t need the German’s exuberance to make it any more daunting, but Liverpool have been imperious at home under Klopp.
The Merseysiders have only lost twice in front of their own fans during the Stuttgart man’s tenure and are undefeated in 15 all-competition outings since losing to Manchester United in January.
Domineering home performances formed the bedrock of Liverpool’s runner-up campaign under Rodgers two terms ago, when they won 16 of 19 league games.
No distractions
Another parallel with the infamous silver medal the Reds collected in 2013/14 is the fact that Liverpool won’t be in Europe next season.
For a high-energy side like Klopp’s that is a Godsend. They need only look at Leicester’s success to see the merits of only playing once a week and for a frenzied outfit like Liverpool, the extra rest will only serve to make them more deadly in their Gegenpressing ways.
Early transfer activity
Few can deny that upgrades are needed in Liverpool’s squad, with the defence the obvious priority following the Europa League implosion to Sevilla.
However, the good news is the club appear to be pretty decisive on their targets and are getting their business done early on, allowing the manager to get any new faces up to speed far quicker.
Joel Matip is on his way from Schalke to compete for a centre-back spot, while deals for Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius and Udinese midfielder Piotr Zielinski are widely expected to follow.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
