Surprisingly taking a look at the 2018/2019 season of the English premier leagues you will notice that the first half of the season has been completed with all the teams having played all 19 games out of the total 38 matches of the season marking half of the season with 51 points. Of cause it has been a very bad season so far for most of the top teams when you put things together while many small teams so to speak have really had tough /smooth season as well as few surprises.
With 51 points to their pocket another 45 points in the second half of the season will be all Liverpool will require to put their two hands on the premier trophy come April, 2019.
Klopp has been a coach I admired so much right from his days at Dortmund as he was a pain in the ass of the top coaches in Europe like Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. He level of emotional involvement in his philosophy of football and no room criticizing his players for mistakes done in front of the camera really won me over to him.
Reconciliation
I have being huge fan since his arrival at Anfield three years ago and always write about him whenever am opportune but not a little misunderstanding @Phils made me had a different thought about writing about Liverpool as a club. However, I think with the New Year just some less than 70 hours away couple with the recent development between us, I have decided to reverse my decision and I look forward writing more about Klopp, his players as well criticise where possible.
Klopp laid the Foundation
Liverpool form may come to most fans as no surprise as Klopp has assembled collection of players that have come to understand his style of play over the last three years. Having played with almost same player with few additions here and there, it is expected that at this point in time that these crop of players should be up for something surprising to the Anfield faithful. The likes of Virgil van Dijk, at the heart of the defence, keeper Allison who has really done very well to protect the post has only conceded 8 times and so far has kept the highest clean sheet in the league to 12. Salah and Mane consistency in the last two seasons has made Klopp’s side a formidable team in Europe at the moment.
Guardiola Slip
It was speaking with a colleague of mine in the office who is a die hard of Liverpool in one of our discussion that the only thing that may stop Liverpool from not carry the league is the current form of Pep Guardiola’s men. Looking at the performance of the other big teams like Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal not excluding Manchester United, I would have awarded the league to Liverpool if Manchester City were Manchester City of 3 or 4 years ago but the sudden turn around for Pep Guardiola’s men has given Klopp a hand already of the title with half of the season played.
There are four factors that can only make Liverpool not to with the league this season and klopp should pay attention to this if he must achieve the dreams of given Liverpool the EPL in almost three decades.
Set his Priority
There is no doubt that the English premier league remains the most competitive league in the work and there is so much work and energy demand on the players to achieve result. With the level of teams in the league getting into big for seem to be a major priority to big teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United than winning the title. Klopp should sit down, take and over view of the rest of the season and tell himself the competition that is of almost important to him and go for it because I believe EPL is now too strong for a single team to compete in all front. This season in not the one a team can win treble. With the FA cup and knock out stages of UEFA Champions league at hand and the need for Liverpool not to take on of their hands of the title, Klopp must be ready to sacrifice some completion and matches.
Exhaustion of Players
I have come to admire Klopp style of football that requires much energy expenditure by pressing opponent up to the third half of the pitch as well as the fast passes and too many runs here and there. Many may argue that his players are used to the style of play but surprisingly with many matches to play and competition he will like to take serious can go a long way to exhaust the players. So, my input is for klopp to always know when to call it a win for his team than attacking till the last whistle. Winning a smaller team with goals margin can be enough to tell his players to relax, tap the ball around to maintain possession until the end of the game than attacking all through to get 4-5 goals behind the net. This will work to his favor in some of the games.
Key Players Injury
We all especially from this part of the world were in rage when Salah was tactically taken out of Real Madrid Vs Liverpool UEFA Champions league in May by physical combatant Sargio Ramos and we all saw how the rest of the game went with Liverpool having to teeth to bit again. No sport lover prays for his opponent to get injured to gain undue advantage but injury as part of the sport that can come at anytime off and on the pitch. With a major injury blow to one of these three players in Salah, Mane and Viji then Klopp will be up for surprises from any team. These players have proven to be the three cardinal points of Klopp style and Salah especially is player that his type of injury can keep on the side line for weeks.
Stopping The Big Boys
I can remember vividly one of Pep Guardiola’s interview on how he achieved his 100 point person last year and winning the title, he exposed of his secrete which Klopp and his boys must always put to heart hence forth. ‘’Stop the boys’’. Guardiola in his explanation said making sure the big teams don’t get all three points when he squared up with them was the anti-dote to winning the league and that is very true. With 6 and 7 points gab from Tottenham and Manchester City, denying these teams maximum point will kill their enthusiasm.
Liverpool in next the 24 hours will face a litmus test to the my point when they take on Arsenal at Anfield. The result from that match will go a long way to tell how Klopp tend to fight for the rest of the season. I’m not going to talk about this game as I believe @Phils and @wrintingmingo will have something to write on it.
How Liverpool will go in the rest of the season which is what everybody is looking up to if there are going to hang on as league leader to the rest of the season will. Slipping in two matches (Arsenal and City) during this festive period will throw the title open before January end which Klopp will be conscious about.
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