2023 began with Liverpool in turmoil and struggling for any signs of life. It will end with the Reds sitting at the top of the Premier League, in the Semifinals of the League Cup and in the knockout round of the Europa League.
As we turn the page into the new year, there are a handful of things that the club, Jurgen Klopp and fans should be looking forward to. I'm going to go through some of them here. Let's get started.
Liverpool trying to secure a 2nd Premier League title
This is obviously the big one as the league is the biggest judge of club's success. Liverpool are heading into 2024 riding a wave of momnetum that sees them sitting at the summit of the toughest league in the world.
Manchester City has shown vulnerabilities that have not been seen before. Manchester United is in shambles. Arsenal is ending the year with back-to-back losses to West Ham and Fulham.
This is a perfect time for the Reds to strike and maintain their strong form and bring home another Premier League title.
A chase for an unprecedented treble or quadruple on the cards again?
Just a few years ago, Liverpool reached the final in the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League while finishing a whisker behind City in the Premier League. It was an unprecedented run at silverware that saw Liverpool secure two trophies for their efforts.
As mentioned above, the club is already on the door step of the League Cup final and remain strong favorites to go deep in the Europa League. The only challenge this time will be the amount of injuries that have piled up could hamper the depth and ability to challenge on four fronts. We shall see.
The future of Mohamed Salah
Last summer there was intense pressure from the Saudi Pro League to bring Salah over as their marquee signing.
Liverpool resisted all overtures and it is paying off as the Egyptian has been in sparkling form once again showing he has no signs of slowing down.
However, the Saudi league will certainly come calling yet again and it will be interesting to see how Salah responds if the Reds secure a few big titles. Will he feel he has done all he can at the club? Buoyed to stay on and win more? It'll be massively important to see what he does.
The continued growth and implementation of the youth talent
Jarell Quansah has become a regular in the first team this season and he should continue to grow into an important piece going forward.
Harvey Elliott continues to make an impact and plays with a passion matched by few others. Curtis Jones is coming into his own and could challenge for a steady Starting XI role.
Ben Doak, Conor Bradley, Luke Chambers and Kaide Gordon have all played for the first team this term. Their continued development, Doak and Bradly in particular, could prove vitally important as the club continues shifting to a new era.
This is to say nothing of Stefan Bajčetić who has been hampered by injuries all season but can still be the long-term answer at defensive midfield.
The turn to a new year is always an interesting time. As we saw this year, it's not always how you start but how you finish. With that being said, if Liverpool want to cement their status as top-tier once again, they cannot waste anytime.
A New Year's day clash with Newcastle United kickstarts the year and the challenges will not slow from there. If this club has taught us anything over the years, no matter the results, the fighting spirt will be there and we are surely in for a heck of a ride.
Let's enjoy it and hope the New Year brings good tidings to Anfield.