Big games are coming for Liverpool. Photo: Getty Images/Nick Taylor
Liverpool don't look like Premier League champions. Not yet. We expect an impressive performance from Jurgen Klopp's rebuilt side.
This month offers the perfect opportunity to achieve that, with Manchester United set to be a highlight regardless of both clubs' current standings, with Arsenal following next weekend. . The moment of truth is approaching, after which we will have a clearer picture of how good Liverpool are and what can be achieved this season.
Klopp will be the first to admit that there is still a lot to convince.
Liverpool are top of the league and I'm not quite sure how to do it. The standings say one thing, but the eyes say another. The balance in the team is not quite right yet, and it is difficult to imagine that it will do without a ready holding midfielder.
Liverpool has never had a performance with such a “wow” moment. Many Liverpool fans will tell you that they are not sure how good the current team is and it is too early to compare them to Klopp's previous title winners.
Away form has been inconsistent with a couple of disappointing wins and draws, and while there has been much talk of Liverpool 2.0, they are actually winning games thanks to the foundations laid in Klopp's first great team at Anfield.
For me, it's still essentially Liverpool 1.0.
Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah – the core of the 2020 title win – are putting in a lot of effort. rise.
Klopp's “Liverpool 2.0” still draws on the DNA of his title-winning team. Photo: Getty Images/Chris Brunskill
Recent signings such as Dominik Szoboszlai and those who have joined the club have shown promise. the last 18 months, like Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, but they have not shown that they can perform week in week out like Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino at their peak.
The new midfielder who is being talked about so much , is not yet fully operational, the trio of Szoboszlai, Alexis McAllister and Ryan Gravenberch impresses in moments rather than in back-to-back matches.
For Liverpool to maintain their position at the top, that must change and the additions must take their level from promising and sometimes good to consistently outstanding. A decision regarding the top 6 could be made in January. If it exists, why not insist on it now rather than wait?
“Moving faster than expected”
But despite all this, there are times when I wonder if I – and perhaps even some Liverpool fans – are being too critical in our judgment of a new team that is ahead of schedule in its progress. The immediate goal this season was to return to the Champions League, not close the 22-point gap to treble winners Manchester City. This season it seemed like next year would be all about title contention, so things seem to be moving faster than expected.
Then you look at the fixture list at the start of this season and realize that Liverpool have struggled as much as anyone at the top. Of the 16 games, nine have been away games and they have already been to Manchester City, Newcastle, Spurs, Chelsea and Brighton.
A more positive assessment is that if Liverpool leads in the transition period, how good is that? will they be when it really clicks? Does everything have to be perfect to win the title? Perhaps not.
“Reaching the top doesn't necessarily mean breaking records.”
Manchester City and Liverpool have set such a standard over the last five years that we have come to expect near perfection from the title holders. This means that City, Liverpool and Arsenal are now judged by different standards than the rest because we live in an age where an away draw is followed by a debate about 'how much of a blow this is to title ambitions' .
This is a direct consequence of the ridiculous level of football since Pep Guardiola and Klopp arrived in England. We may witness a temporary return to normalcy. Finishing first place doesn't always mean breaking points records or becoming one of the greatest teams of all time. I can think of plenty of teams that have won titles despite not being as good as the runners-up in other years.
This may be one of those seasons where the team wins the league with total points. in the mid 80s. In all but three of the last 10 seasons, the leaders' result after 16 games has been higher than Liverpool's this weekend.
Nobody can write City off yet. For me they remain my favorites. But their sluggish start by their standards has given others a chance, and their participation in the Club World Cup presents a golden opportunity for their opponents to close a significant gap and create some pressure on the scoreboard. Even with games in hand, if City come back from Saudi Arabia 10 points behind, they will think they can't afford to make any more mistakes.
That's why this Christmas period is so important. The game between Liverpool and Arsenal next weekend will obviously have a bigger impact in this year's title race, but Klopp knows the importance of the games against Manchester United. As in a derby, whoever wins will bring momentum and belief into the next matches, while defeats have the opposite effect.
We saw this when the sides met last season. At the beginning of his reign, Erik ten Hag was under pressure after several poor defeats and performances. Victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford provided the initial spark that saw him finish in the top four and eight points clear of Klopp's side. United lost only three of their next 22 league games.
Likewise, United were never able to recover from their 7-0 defeat to Liverpool last March. They came into this game full of confidence, having just won the Carabao Cup. United have lost 11 of their last 30 league games since the manager moved to Anfield. It was as if all the growing faith had evaporated. Ten Hag will be hoping he can be brought back in what would be his biggest win of the season and perhaps a turning point in his reign given the questions surrounding him following his disastrous exit from Europe.
Manchester United have never recovered from their 7-0 embarrassment at Anfield last season. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Regan
I played in Liverpool v United matches where we played a terrible game and put in a brilliant, winning performance that exceeded all expectations. There will be no desire at Anfield to believe Sunday will be the same as last season. It was a freak.
Despite this, Liverpool are going into business as if they know what direction they are going in, while United are stagnant. The bottom line is that Klopp's team has all the class, with a goalkeeper, centre-back and goalscorer among the best in world football.
Five years ago, the acquisitions of Salah, Van Dijk and Alisson transformed the team. on the cusp of success and turning into winners.
Despite my doubts about the team's current form, the expectations for world-class players of this caliber will not be expected.
As the Liverpool team has not played yet as future champions, but individually Van Dijk, Alisson and Salah are up there with the best players in the Premier League.
Do I think they will win the title in May? ? No. But, to paraphrase Klopp, the next eight days could turn this doubter into a believer.
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