WHY IT’S CRUCIAL LIVERPOOL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING THIS SEASON

   August 10, 2017  Opinion and Analysis

The wait is nearly over – as Liverpool travel to Watford for their highly anticipated opening game of the season on Saturday.

A game which signifies the beginning of our Premier League campaign; the start of our Champions League aspirations – but also the start of a heavily congested fixture list which has massive consequences.

I’m referring to the fact that Liverpool will be playing five games in fifteen days – Watford (away); Hoffenheim (away); Crystal Palace (home); Hoffenheim (home); Arsenal (home).

Straight to business – and we need to be up to the pace, or face being left behind in the ever-competitive Premier League.

The importance of setting-the-tone, gathering momentum and laying-a-base to build from is always an imperative annual target – the difference this year is the added, unforgiving nature of Champions League qualification.

The thought of last season’s hard-work being unraveled in one-hundred and eighty minutes is unfathomable – hence Jürgen Klopp’s team looking far superior to all pre-season opponents in levels of fitness and performance.

Obliviously the general-consensus amongst any team is to be fully prepared for the opening game but I feel that Jürgen’s pushed them the extra-mile with European qualification in mind. A bit like ‘money in the bank’, with the danger of drawing a more accomplished side – which of course, we did in Hoffenheim.

Im not overly concerned with getting the hardest fixture available – we always perform against a higher calibre team and the idea that they’ll probably deploy creative football at the Rhein-Necka-Arena, leads me to think they’ll see a similar feat as Bayern Munich in pre-season.

Though a very solid outfit in the Bundesliga last season – they’ve sold two of their key-players in Niklas Süle and Sebastian Rudy and are very inexperienced in European ties under thirty-year-old Julian Nagelsmann. Hoffenheim not an easy task by any means, but as we witnessed in the Europa League in 2015/16 – we needn’t fear any team over two legs.

Anfield will be rocking in the second leg. I won’t over-elaborate but if we do make it past Hoffenheim – I actually believe we’ll give a very good account of ourselves in Europe.

Not that I’m overlooking Watford or Crystal Palace which are either side of the games with Hoffenheim, it would be foolish to do so given the past struggles we’ve had with both teams. It’s just the feel-good factor sealing a group-stage spot would bring, not forgetting the added benefits.

It’s no secret how much influence Champions League involvement has on potential transfers, which could be (hate to admit it) a deciding factor – plus the confidence boost in-camp. Though as prioritised as the Champions League will rightfully be – we must continue the progression from last season’s fourth placed finish.

Rotation is the only realistic way forward. The amount of games we’ve got so early on in the season will give us an insight into what sort of rotation will be used – and whom.

It came as no surprise that the final pre-season game against Athletic Bilbao saw two completely different line-ups (excluding Simon Mignolet).


Normally you’d expect the favoured starting-eleven to get the full dress-rehearsal before the real-deal, but with the amount of changes needed within those starting fifteen days alone – the entire squads match fitness is vital to compete.

Very much like last season, we need to put a decent run of games together (and hopefully not run out of steam or lose multiple key-players this time round). Though it’s worth noting that without the formidable form before and on New Years Eve – we’d never of even had the platform to control our own destiny or even be in the mix for top-four.

And very much like past successful (or agonisingly close to glory) seasons – they all began with strong beginnings:

The 2001-02 season started out with seven wins, one draw and two losses out of ten – and Gérard Houllier’s men went on to push hard for the Premier League title, eventually missing out to Arsenal and forced to settle for second place.

The 2008-09 season also began promising with Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool side unbeaten in ten matches – eight wins and two draws. They went on to play some incredible, tactically-decisive football – unfortunately just falling short and ending as runners-up.

Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt, Sami Hyypiä. What. A. Team. They had a steel-core, a defiant mentality and were deadly in-front of goal.

Heart-wrenchingly close – yet still a season to look back with fond recollections. (Still to this day, I sit and ponder how we eluded the title that year).


Finally there’s the infamous 2013-14 season – where we again finished second and again, finished within touching distance to the ever-elusive Premier League trophy. We began the season of hope without Luis Suarez for the first six games due to his excessive tasting of Branislav Ivanovic (I’m sure you remember).

However we managed to make due without him – with seven wins, one draw and two losses. Daniel Sturridge truly stepped up to the mark – scoring eight goals in ten and forming a truly lethal partnership with Suarez. The ‘S.A.S’ scored an unreal fifty-five goals between them in all competitions.

Again a season to remember – whether it’s with regret or whether it’s with memories of our explosive, counter-attacking displays is your own personal preference.

Perhaps we should be less cynical, less pessimistic, less doubtful, less reactive – and more optimistic, adventurous and buoyant. Jürgen Klopp advised us right from the beginning; “we have to change from doubters to believers”, obviously it’s easier to do the opposite and keep a negative outlook on things – to soften the blow of failure.

Wouldn’t you rather be part of something though; a movement; a new belief; a wall of noise; a crowd that sticks with the team through thick and thin; strength in unity; a positive aura that spreads like wildfire to create an unbreakable, positive ambience surrounding Liverpool Football Club.

Keeping the faith is the hardest part of being a fan, but without dreams and songs to sing – it’s hopeless. We’re already the best fans in the world – now let’s push our own boundaries and perhaps the team can follow suit.

I may get hurt along the way, but I’d rather take the hard route any-day.

With a bit of luck, we’ll be singing at the top-of-our-lungs that the world has to believe us by April!

Up the (fast-starting) Reds.

                            ........This is Anfield

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