Liverpool football club is finally gaining a momentum. After the sudden change in the management in October 2015, many football pundits believed that Liverpool will face a major crisis in the second half of the season. Quite slowly, but the German manager Jürgen Klopp turned the doubters into believers. The ex-Borussia Dortmund manager took Liverpool to 2 cup finals in a span of 6 months.
As of many other Premier League clubs, Liverpool are the side who needs a change. The major area where the manager will have to analyze is the defensive as well as the attacking zone. Liverpool midfield is studded with stars, and the players like Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Roberto Firmino are reviving themselves under Klopp.
As many top managers like Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho will arrive in England to manage their respective clubs, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp will have a tough task ahead of them in the coming transfer window. We all are aware of the fact that both the Manchester clubs are capable of spending a humongous amount of money, and to match that quality, Klopp will also have to bring some quality names to the squad. So, here we give you Liverpool’s strongest predicted lineup for next season including all the rumors.
Players and Roles-
As many of the Premier League clubs, Jürgen Klopp played with a 4-2-3-1 formation in many of his games. The German manager in his past 6 months tried many formations and many combinations. And finally the ex- Dortmund boss came up with a 4-2-3-1 conclusion with Emre Can sitting at the back and James Milner rushing forward at times.
Starting from the back, the Merseyside club has announced the arrival of 22-year-old German shot stopper Loris Karius from Mainz and it is believed that Karius will be starting ahead of Mignolet.
In the defence, the Englishman Nathaniel Clyne was one of the consistent performers for the reds and he recorded the most number of appearances than any other Liverpool player last season. Clyne is a typical English defender who never gets afraid to rush forward at times and is also praised for his well-timed tackles. With Mamadou Sakho’s suspension and injury woes, the newly revived Croatian defender Dejan Lovren will surely be the German’s number one choice alongside the newly signed Joel Matip. The left back area was one of the concerning areas for the Kops and if the rumors are to be believed, then Jurgen Klopp is looking to sign the 25-year-old left back Jonas Hector, and to be honest, this defence can surely cut the comedy for many attackers in the premier league.
Coming on the midfield zone; Emre Can is undoubtedly Liverpool’s best holding midfielder. The German international is strong on the ground as well as in the air. Emre Can can easily win the physical battles with many of the midfielders of the premier league, and therefore, he is surely going to be the number one choice for the position.
Reports are claiming, that Liverpool are looking to land Syrian-born German midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud from Monchengladbach in the coming transfer window. The 20-year-old has been phenomenal last season where he scored 5 goals for the side and recorded 8 assists to his name. Dahoud can be of great use for Klopp as he loves to drift forward to create some deadly chances for the team.
Liverpool has experienced the emergence of their young and talented midfielders, namely Lallana, Firmino and Coutinho, or often known as ‘LFC’ of LFC. Yes, Lallana does need to improve a bit, but the Englishman has improved a great deal after Klopp’s arrival and he will be looking forward to starting the next campaign. Firmino and Coutinho, on the other hand, are the pure Brazilian blood. They have got those tricky and pacey legs, which helps them to sprint away from their marker in a blink of an eye. They are an important asset to the team, and surely a starter in the next season.
Coming on to the attacking zone, Liverpool had 3 options for this position, namely, Benteke, Sturridge and Origi. Besides Origi, both of the other names failed to show their quality. Sturridge did have a pretty good season, but Benteke was one of the worst performers of the Reds. Origi, on the other hand, was quite good, but Klopp will need a striker who can carry a burden on his shoulders. The rumors are suggesting that Liverpool are looking to sign Hoffenheim striker Kevin Volland, however the latest from Germany suggest that he has signed for Leverkusen. If nothing materializes, Klopp will be left with Sturridge, Origi, Ings and the returning Balotelli to play with and to be honest the first two options are not bad as it sounds if they remain fit.
Players to miss:
Simon Mignolet, Martin Skrtel, Kolo Toure, Mario Balotelli, Christian Benteke, Alberto Moreno, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Joe Allen, Lucas Leiva, Jon Flanagan.