After going top of the league table following a 6-1 demolition of Watford, Liverpool supporters are flirting with the possibility of ending their long-awaited pursuit for a league title. The Hard Tackle throws light on the players who may just help turn that dream into reality for the Reds
It’s been 26 years since Liverpool laid their hands on the coveted English league trophy. An accolade they often took for granted during the glorious era of the 70s and 80s was now a cherished object of desire for the red half of Merseyside.
The great Liverpool teams under Bob Paisley , Bill Shankly and Kenny Dalglish took home many a league honour often appearing nonchalant in the grace and class with which they dominated English football.
The Premier League era however has seen the Reds knocked off their perch by bitter rivals Manchester United, who over the course of 25 years in English football’s new avatar have eclipsed Liverpool’s league trophy haul of 18 and now sit with an unprecedented 20 titles to their name.
It’s often been an agonizingly tough route down the pecking order of England’s elite but Liverpool have made a number of attempts to win the elusive league trophy back only to falter at the final hurdle.
With Sunday’s victory over Watford, Liverpool went a point clear at the top of the table ahead of the international break. While Klopp downplayed claims of a title challenge, the Reds’ faithful couldn’t help but flirt with Premier League ambitions once more.
Having come tearfully close to breaking the duck two years ago, one would think Liverpool supporters would be measured in their hopes and dreams for the team but with the progress Klopp’s side are making, it’s hard not to imagine the Reds being in the mix.
And at the forefront of all the excitement at Anfield has been an attacking quartet featuring Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana.
The Hard Tackle takes charts their journey at the club and takes a statistical look at how the performance of the four will prove to be crucial over the course of what could turn out to be a special season for the Merseysiders.
‘The Engine’ – Adam Lallana
Lallana’s Anfield revival has been one of the biggest turnarounds Jurgen Klopp has engineered since he took charge of the club last season. The former Southampton man was one of the Premier League’s biggest revelations from the 2013-14 season, owing to a stellar campaign with the Saints, before he secured a £25 million pound move to Liverpool the following summer.
He was one of Brendan Rodgers’ marquee signings as the Northern Irishman spent big in the market from the money the Reds accrued from Luis Suarez’s sale to Barcelona.
However, an underwhelming 2014-15 season followed by a dry start to the 2015-16 campaign meant the England international’s Anfield career was at crossroads when Rodgers was sacked in favour of the incoming Jurgen Klopp.
Lallana resolved to show his worth to the German boss upon his arrival instead of projecting himself as the face of Brendan’s ‘failed’ transfers.
In a matter of months under the guidance of his new boss, the former Saints’ star has quickly metamorphosed from a player lacking identity to being the engine of Liverpool’s gegen-pressing style of play. Needless to say, much of the credit for that goes to Klopp as he identified the 28-year-old’s strengths and found a place to bring that to the fore in his system.
In a remarkable 2016-17 campaign so far, Lallana has assisted 5 goals and scored 6 himself at both club and international level.The 28-year-old’s tireless energy, work ethic, stamina and trickery on the ball make him a difficult person to mark.
Moreover his ability to seamlessly exchange passes in opposition territory has been a facet to his play that has aided Liverpool in their relentless goal-scoring form this year.
The fact that the Reds sorely missed Lallana’s presence in the centre of the park during his brief absence from competitive action speaks volumes about the progress he has made. Having been benched due to injury, the midfielder was brought on as a substitute in the second half against Manchester United and almost managed to turn the tide in his team’s favour providing them an added impetus in attack.
‘Brazilliance’ – Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino
The ‘little magician’ could arguably be one of the biggest bargains Liverpool have pulled off since the turn of the century. An £8.5 million acquisition from Inter Milan in 2013, Coutinho’s growth at Anfield has been steady and having played under the shadow of stars like Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge, the Brazilian is now coming into his own and carving his super-star status at the club.
Coutinho in recent seasons has assumed the role of being the creative brain behind Liverpool’s attacking adventures but within Klopp’s system he is able to share that role with others in the side which enables himself to venture forward more often.
Hence, it’s no surprise that the 24-year-old is in the best goal-scoring form since his arrival at the club registering 6 goals and 6 assists in just 12 appearances this campaign.
In addition to his impressive form, Coutinho’s admirable partnership with fellow countryman Roberto Firmino has the fans abuzz with excitement. The duo seem to bring out the best out of each other and their near telepathic connection often helps Liverpool put their opponents to the sword.
Firmino, a more expensive acquisition compared to Coutinho arrived from TSG Hoffenheim in the summer of 2015 in a £29.5 million move and has been silently going about his job scoring crucial goals for the Reds.
The 25-year-old already established his credentials in the Bundesliga by the time he arrived in the Premier League and while he took a little longer than his countryman to set his Anfield career alight, he has proved to be an equally fruitful investment.
Apart from all the worldly reasons that make Firmino such a wonderful player, it’s his versatility that really appeals to Klopp.
In his year and a half at Anfield, the Brazilian has played on the wings and attacking midfield positions in addition to his current role as a centre-forward. The fact that Firmino keeps seasoned strikers like Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi shows the depth and quality Klopp has at his disposal in that forward line.
‘The Bulldozer’ – Sadio Mane
Mane has proven to be one of the signings of 2016 for the Reds and for good reason too. The Senegalese forward has been an invaluable addition to an attacking line-up that cried out for quality on the wings and although it came at a cost of a near club record fee worth £34 million, the investment has evidently begun to pay dividends for Liverpool.
The signing in effect also marked a growing legion of Southampton players at Anfield to add to the presence of Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne.
The 24-year-old’s searing pace, skill and agility make him a nightmare for any defence in the league. Since his explosive debut against Arsenal, Mane has gone on to score 5 more goals and assist four others all in just 10 games for the Reds. Liverpool have boasted a lack of wingers in their line-up and Mane’s signing has thrown light on how good one can prove to be especially in the high-pressing style of play that they profess.
Klopp’s side lost their only game of this season so far in a game Mane was absent and that further exemplifies what he brings to the table for the Reds.
It’s hence no surprise that the Merseysiders are already looking ahead for a replacement in that position due to the forward’s absence in January owing to his participation in the African Cup of Nations.
However, the only qualm or rather hope that Liverpool fans will have is that the former Saints’ man maintains the level of performance and consistency given that he has shown the tendency to disappear during the big games from his days at St.Mary’s and a couple of games during his time at Liverpool.
How realistic is a Liverpool title challenge?
As real as Leicester City being the defending Champions of the Premier League. With no continental distractions, the Reds have time on their hands to prepare week-in and week-out which means they will have the luxury of fielding their best XI for the majority of their games.
That said, a lot of their aforementioned ambitions rest on the dynamism of Liverpool’s four attackers. They may be devoid of European football but the intensive training that Klopp has lined up for the team could risk a burnout later on in a crucial stage of the season.
However, given that the German boss has identified the risk and opted to give his players a let-off during the current international break throws light on how serious he is of a league title hunt, despite downplaying his side’s chances.
If the Reds could ill-afford any lapse in performance levels from the key players who have been of great service going forward, especially if they harbour dreams of silverware this campaign.
The quartet may not be the ultimate factor in Liverpool realizing their Premier League dream but they most certainly complete the jigsaw for Klopp. And the German wouldn’t want any of that to change for now. Moreover, it’s surprising how scarcely Anfield has witnessed key figures like Sturridge and Origi in action. To know that they have such quality to fall back on in the absence of any of their front four is a major positive for the Reds.
Liverpool have endured great disappointments in their numerous pursuits to dump their rotten luck with the Premier League trophy. While it maybe premature to rate their chances as early as November this time around, they will at least be in line with a chance if their attacking quartet continues to flourish like it has so far this season.
