“This year is going to be our year.” The oft-used expression by Liverpool fans since last winning the league in 1990 has assumed a level of ridicule in recent years. Year after year, the new season is embraced with a renewed optimism only for it to fizzle out or end in despair.
The 2016/17 Premier League season started with stunning victories against both top teams as well mid-table ones leading to fans and pundits considering Liverpool as a title challenger. However, the turn of the year brought about a massive drop in form, fixture congestion and loss of players to injury and international commitments.
As a result, Liverpool’s title challenge ended as Chelsea opened a massive gap from the rest of the challengers and to make it even worse, the Reds exited both the EFL Cup and FA Cup in January itself.
Also Read: Liverpool's title drought: Can Jurgen Klopp bring the Holy Grail to Anfield?
January exposed two key problems in Jurgen Klopp’s side as the wafer-thin squad and the absence of quality in certain first-team positions played a part in the debacle. So, instead of preparing for the final run-in to clinch the title, Liverpool are fighting to clinch a top four spot for Champions League qualification.
The summer signings of Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Joel Matip definitely improved the team, but more signings were required to win the League this year.
So, here are 5 realistic signings that could have helped Jurgen Klopp oversee a first ever Premier League title for Liverpool.
#1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen
The goalkeeping position has been a problematic one for Liverpool ever since Pepe Reina left the Reds in 2013. Simon Mignolet has failed to successfully fill the boots of Spaniard as he struggled to command his box and deal with set-pieces although his reflexes were one of the best.
Jurgen Klopp decided to bring in competition to decide on a No. 1 last summer and Barcelona’s ter Stegen was linked as well. The German keeper was however assured of first-team football and later became the undisputed No. 1 on the departure of Claudio Bravo to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in late August. Meanwhile, Liverpool signed another young German keeper Loris Karius who was outstanding for Mainz.
(Video Courtesy: MRG YouTube Channel)
However, he could not hold on to the No. 1 spot due to an unfortunate injury in pre-season and later due to struggling with the physicality of the league, especially from set-pieces. This led to a loss in form and Mignolet is currently the preferred goalkeeper. This lack of a solid No. 1 has hampered Liverpool’s title chances as it has led to a lack of defensive stability and loss in confidence of the keepers.
On the other hand, as the above statistical comparison shows, ter Stegen is having a stellar season and is currently one of the best modern keeper around.
If Liverpool had signed the Borussia Monchengladbach youth product instead of Karius, they would definitely still be in the hunt as emphasised by the advantage Liverpool’s rivals have due to the presence of top quality keepers such as Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea, Hugo Lloris at Tottenham and David de Dea at Manchester United.
#2 Virgil van Dijk
Ever since Jamie Carragher retired and Daniel Agger left the club, Liverpool have been defensively suspect. Although Mamadou Sakho was an able replacement, he breached certain team rules and was subsequently banished by Klopp. The German manager brought in Joel Matip from Schalke on a free transfer and his composure, reading of the game and technical ability has made a positive impact at the club.
(Video Courtesy: WorldOfFootballHD YouTube Channel)
However, it is the lack of a similar, consistent defensive partner that has led to defensive errors and conceding of easy goals that could have been otherwise avoided. Dejan Lovren continues to blow hot and cold and has been struck by injuries as well, Ragnar Klavan was only bought as experienced squad cover and Joe Gomez is still reaching full fitness after a major injury.
The fact that defensive midfielder Lucas Leiva is being played at centre-back to mixed results underlines the problem further.
This is where signing Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk last summer would have immensely helped the side. Looking at the statistics above, it is abundantly clear that the Dutchman is head and shoulders above the Liverpool defenders and it is no surprise either as he has been one of the best defenders in the league for the past two seasons with his strength, defensive prowess and leadership serving the Saints well.
Combining Joel Matip with van Dijk would have been a masterstroke in solving Liverpool’s defensive issues, as the adage goes, “Great strikers win matches but great defences win championships.”
#3 Jonas Hector
Another problem position in the Liverpool defence is the left-back one. Fabio Aurelio was the last proper left-back that Liverpool signed while Jon Flanagan did well in the 2013/14 season when Liverpool embarked on a failed title fight. Klopp tried to address the issue as a number of players were linked with the Reds. German international Jonas Hector was one of the initial names and he would have been the perfect signing to resolve a problem position.
(Video Courtesy: BillyGoal YouTube Channel)
However, nothing materialised and eventually, Liverpool’s coaching staff decided to convert midfielder James Milner as a makeshift left-back. Although it has paid dividends as Milner has consistently been reliable in the role this season, he is not a natural left-footed player which has led to a significant problem.
Also Read: 5 areas Liverpool must strengthen in the summer
Klopp’s preference for gegenpressing means Liverpool can win over possession in unexpected places and thereby launch swift counterattacks. However, when the ball is played to Milner, who is generally an excellent crosser of the ball, he naturally shifts the ball on to his right foot before delivering the ball. In that extra second, the attacking transition slows down and more importantly, the defending team are able to organise themselves.
This has caused bigger problems against teams sitting deep because the chances to counter are drastically reduced and therefore the one or two opportunities that arise are lost due to the lack of a left-footed left-back. Alberto Moreno is definitely an option but lacks the defensive intelligence required and therefore is not trusted by Klopp.
Instead, if Cologne’s Jonas Hector, a marauding left-back owning the role in Joachim Low’s star-studded German national team was signed, Liverpool would have reversed the losses against the defensive bottom-placed teams this season and thereby stay on course to win the league.
#4 Mahmoud Dahoud
Liverpool shifted to a midfield 3 this season with captain Jordan Henderson adapting to the holding role and attackers Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana learning to play the box-to-box midfield role which suited their strengths better. Emre Can was the primary backup in midfield followed by Lucas. However, Emre Can’s best position is the holding midfield position as seen in recent weeks and yet he had to play in the advanced midfield role when Lallana was injured.
(Video Courtesy: Home of Football YouTube Channel)
While Can did well in terms of pressing and work-rate, he lacks the attacking impetus needed for the role and as a result, Liverpool struggled against defensive sides in particular and the lack of a box-to-box option on the bench led to Liverpool dropping points. As can be seen so far, Liverpool definitely identified the right players but failed to secure their signature due to various reasons and Mahmoud Dahoud is another player in the same category.
The 21-year old Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder is highly admired by Klopp and was linked with the Merseyside club but the departure of midfielders, Granit Xhaka to Arsenal, and Havard Nordtveit to West Ham, coupled with the lack of Champions League football ensured Dahoud stayed back.
Dahoud is that rare player whose box-to-box abilities are good enough to play for any top team as can be evidenced above. Further, his ability to play as a deep-lying playmaker would have made him a versatile option as well.
He would have been a perfect back-up for Adam Lallana and played instead of Can in the No. 8 role and helped the team break stubborn defences while helping the team defensively as well. Similar to Lallana, Dahoud is a relentless runner and is known to run an impressive 13 kms on an average every game.
Also Read: 5 things to know about Mahmoud Dahoud
Dahoud would have been a perfect fit for Liverpool owners FSG’s policy of buying quality youngsters and also has the attributes to suit Klopp’s style of play. His experience in the Champions League and Bundesliga with Gladbach would have made him ready to step up when required and play a vital part in Liverpool’s title challenge this season. Instead, he has agreed to join Borussia Dortmund in this summer to become a part of an exciting young team under Thomas Tuchel.
#5 Julian Draxler
When Liverpool signed Sadio Mane from Southampton in the summer, it was a much-needed injection of pace into the side and the Senegalese has been absolutely outstanding for the Reds ever since. However, he has been the only pace option in the side with academy graduate Sheyi Ojo the only other option.
Therefore, once teams understood Liverpool’s attacking style to win the ball high up the pitch and break with pace, they started playing deep to deny Mane space to beat defenders with his blistering pace.
(Video Courtesy: IbraAlliance YouTube Channel)
The issue compounded when Mane left to participate in the African Cup of Nations in January, which unsurprisingly coincided with Liverpool’s slump in form. Neither Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino possess the pace required, and the pace that strikers Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi have were not useful as both suffered a loss in form as well. In these situations, late in games, and during Mane’s absence, Liverpool would have benefitted with another winger in the ranks.
Also Read: 5 things Jurgen Klopp needs to do to ensure Liverpool are title contenders next season
Julian Draxler is the player who would have ticked all the boxes. If not in the summer, he would have been a valuable addition to the squad to provide pace and skill on one side, while acting as an injection of freshness to the squad in a title challenge.
In fact, Liverpool tried to procure his services in January when he was looking for a way out, only for Paris Saint-Germain to sign him. His impact at the French club was immediate as seen in the league and highlighted in the Champions League home tie against Barcelona where he starred alongside Angel Di Maria.
The lack of pace in the team, barring Sadio Mane, has proved to be a major problem this season given Liverpool’s style of play and signing Draxler would have definitely addressed that issue.
