Liverpool show early promise, but remain work in progress

Liverpool has set the bar quite high in Jurgen Klopp’s reign. Until last season, the Reds could expect strong challenges for major silverware with a squad that boasted world class talent in every area of the pitch.

However, a disappointing 2022/2023 campaign fell well short of expectations at Anfield after Liverpool so nearly completed an unprecedented quadruple.

Poor performances from players key to their side’s period of success saw it miss out on Champions League qualification and painfully exposed the necessity of significant upgrades in the Reds’ midfield if they were to contend as seriously as they had in years past.

The early signs of the season have reflected well on Liverpool’s business over the summer.

Summer signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have slotted immediately into first-choice midfield roles following the exits of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, while the additions of Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch offer Klopp the ability to rotate them when necessary.

Klopp’s side has already asserted far greater command over matches than it did for much of the previous season and that’s largely due to Mac Allister and Szoboszlai’s ability to win the ball back swiftly and progress it up the pitch effectively.

The Hungarian in particular has rapidly established himself as a fan-favorite at Anfield. Even for his €70 million price tag, he looks to be a real bargain.

Mac Allister has found it slightly more difficult to settle into his new side as Klopp has utilized him more deeply than he’s used to.

While he’s still demonstrated plenty of the qualities that convinced Liverpool to swoop in for him over the summer, his turnover of the ball in the buildup to Brighton’s opening goal in the 2-2 draw last weekend highlights how uncomfortable the Argentine has looked as the lone defensive midfielder.

His inch-perfect assist to Darwin Nunez in Liverpool’s 3-1 win against West Ham is a prime example of what Mac Allister can produce when deployed in a more advanced role, but his current positioning creates a point of vulnerability for the Reds.

Their carelessness at the back, particularly in the opening exchanges, has also done little to help their cause.

They’ve kept just one clean sheet in eight matches and were fortunate not to concede more goals in their 3-1 wins over Bournemouth, West Ham and Wolves.

Those sides did not have the quality to capitalize on Liverpool’s defensive frailty, but Brighton did as the Reds’ vulnerability inevitably caught up with them at the Amex last weekend.

Oddly enough though, Klopp’s men have displayed far more fortitude and discipline when down a man.

Such has been the case on three separate occasions already this season and in each, they remained remarkably well organized at the back, limited their opponents to few opportunities and threatened on the counter.

The Reds had already led against Bournemouth when Mac Allister was unjustly sent off (the PGMOL later acknowledged the error and overturned his suspension for the next game), but comfortably saw the game out and even added a third to secure the points.

When down both a man and a goal away at Newcastle, they absorbed waves of pressure from the hosts before Nunez came off the bench to snatch an unlikely but sensational victory in stoppage time having drawn Liverpool level out of nowhere minutes before.

Stoppage time at Tottenham brought a heartbreaking first defeat of the season, but no one can fault the Reds for the resilience they displayed to draw themselves level following a dubious Curtis Jones red.

Even when Diogo Jota’s sending-off left them down to nine men, it still took an immensely unfortunate Joel Matip own goal and shocking levels of incompetence in the VAR room to deny Klopp’s men what would have been a well-deserved point.

Yet a week on from such a commendable display at the back, they had only themselves to blame for dropping more points to Brighton.

Even if a good amount of Liverpool supporters might have accepted a draw at the Amex before kickoff, the fact that Brighton’s goals largely resulted from Mac Allister’s cheap giveaway in the middle of the park and Andy Robertson’s failure to clear a free kick left them frustrated at full time.

The quality going forward and mental strength Liverpool has exhibited are both encouraging signs in the opening days of the season.

But it is still a work in process and that has also shown repeatedly thus far.