Liverpool 0-0 West Ham: The Kids Are Alright

Another day, another fixture for Liverpool. They have averaged roughly a game every four days since Jurgen Klopp arrived, including nine games in January alone. The German cannot be blamed, therefore, for opting to field a young side in this FA Cup clash with West Ham United. They held up well against the Premier League opposition, succeeding where the senior side have already failed twice this season in that they avoided a loss. However, the reward for their endeavours is yet another fixture: they were the better side but failed to find the net, so will have to do it all again in a replay at Upton Park.

The game was largely an uneventful one, but nonetheless there were some positives. Most of these young players had never been tested against a big side like West Ham, and they coped with the challenge admirably. There were a couple of shaky moments in defence, but the back line was comprised of mostly senior players. In the midfield the likes of Teixeira, Brannagan and Stewart featured, and all put in good performances. Brannagan took the majority of the plaudits, partially because he came closest to scoring with a well-struck effort that forced a smart stop out of Randolph, but Stewart was arguably the more impressive. I’ll admit to not having heard of him until relatively recently, but he did not look at all out of place at this high level of competition. He showed composure on the ball and passed it around nicely; the only sign of his inexperience was a little overzealousness in the challenge from time to time. Teixeira showed flashes of his quality, playing in a couple of dangerous balls, but was often on a different wavelength to Benteke and consequently was largely ineffectual.

This lack of attacking cohesion was the biggest problem in the match - although Liverpool were regularly able to work the ball into the final third, they looked clueless as to what to do with it when they got there. Ibe, Teixeira and Benteke all seemed to have different ideas about what runs should be made, meaning the killer final ball just never materialised. This has been endemic of Liverpool’s season, particularly when Benteke has played: it would be churlish to suggest he is not talented, but it is hard to avoid the fact that he simply is not compatible with the fluid , high pressing front line Liverpool employ. He was not entirely to blame - Ibe had another poor game, passing up good opportunities to pass in favour of pointlessly cutting inside in a Glen Johnson-esque fashion. His season has been far from inspiring: it would be foolish to write him off at this stage as he is still so young, but Klopp is right to leave him out of the regular first team picture for the time being.

By contrast, Allen has had an excellent season compared to his previous ones at the club. He still hasn’t earned himself a spot in Klopp’s go-to starting eleven, but if he keeps up his current levels of performance he may well break into the first team soon. His goal against Arsenal and winning penalty against Stoke can only have boosted his confidence; this was epitomised by his attempted bicycle kick from the edge of the box against the Hammers. Such was the nature of the game that this was one of our better chances - he was barged as he went for it, prompting half-hearted penalty shouts, and the ball almost fell for Teixeira. It almost certainly wasn’t a penalty, but he must be applauded anyway for at least trying to make things happen in front of goal. At the other end West Ham should have had a spot kick - Steven Caulker was shown to have deliberately handled the ball inside the box from a West Ham free kick. The hosts got away with it, however, and at the end of the day a draw was probably a fair reflection.

It would be easy to be negative about this result and complain about the extra game it gives us in an already congested schedule. However, there are enough things to be pessimistic about without needlessly placing a negative spin on this match - ultimately we have succeeded in remaining in the competition and keeping our treble hopes alive! This is no bad thing, and while an extra match isn’t ideal it is good news that we are still in the FA Cup.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Manchester City 1-4 Liverpool: Post-Match Thoughts

Today, Liverpool finally showed what fans have been desperate to see since August. When Firmino joined our ranks in the summer there was great excitement – a creative midfielder renowned for perfectly timed runs and a good end product, the yang to Coutinho’s yin. However, until now, this dream of a perfectly balanced Brazilian partnership has been hampered by the poor form of Coutinho and a series of knocks and niggles suffered by Firmino. Against Manchester City, however, it all clicked into place. The two of them ran the show, particularly in the first half; a dazed City defence couldn’t handle the passing and movement of the skilled pair, and were three behind within half an hour. Firmino bagged a goal and two assists, and would have had a hattrick had it not been for the excellent performance of Joe Hart; Coutinho also clocked up a goal and assist. A moment of magic from Aguero following some shambolic defending temporarily put a slight dampener on proceedings, but the party mood was very much revived by a fearsome half-volley from Martin Skrtel of all people.

I was trying to think of a way to work it subtly into the article, but I think I’m just going to come out and say it – I’m feeling quite smug right now. I have consistently defended Firmino against those who have written him off ridiculously early, and I even brought him into my fantasy team recently: I was confident that he could deliver for us, and today he gave us a taste of what he can bring to our team. He was definitely man of the match for me – no mean feat on a day when every single player put in a good shift – and everything good we produced seemed to involve him in one way or another. His link-up with Coutinho was especially impressive: the second goal in particular saw them combine exquisitely, with Firmino slotting a pinpoint ball through to his compatriot who finished coolly. Considering his limited game time up to now, this partnership was particularly impressive – he seems to naturally gel in our team. Indeed, he played well with everyone: he and Emre Can had some nice interplay on multiple occasions, for example. Can’s performance is definitely worthy of note – he pushed forwards a lot, and fulfilled the role of playmaker excellently. He pulled off two or three perfect backheels that bamboozled the defence, one of which led to the third goal. Again, this was extremely pleasing to see: his form has been a little underwhelming so far this campaign and it was great to see him step up for the big occasion.

The feeling of smugness doesn’t just apply to me: the club as a whole must be feeling very pleased with themselves regarding the Raheem Sterling deal. The young Englishman was woefully ineffectual against us, with the highlight being his failure to convert from six yards out. This was made all the more enjoyable by the fact that Firmino, who we bought using some of the Sterling money, was bossing the game – of course we should remember that Sterling is younger, but for today at least it was hugely satisfying to watch our former starlet get so comprehensively outshone. Questions were asked about our investments this summer, but the two big-money signings have not disappointed so far: Benteke, while frustrating to watch at times, has netted four goals, and as already documented Firmino has recently exploded on to the first team scene. Jurgen Klopp, who is a joy to watch in press conferences and on the sidelines during matches, is getting the best out of all of the players: this comprehensive win against arguably the best side in the league demonstrates that under his leadership we have the potential to do big things.

That said, tempting as it is to ride on the wave of euphoria from today and ignore all negatives, expectations should be tempered. Klopp said it himself when he joined – getting Liverpool back to the top will take time. Yes, we’ve humiliated City in their own back yard this week, but our last game was a defeat at home to Crystal Palace. The German has already mastered counter-attacking tactics for away games, but at home we continue to struggle. Our attack is regularly left frustrated, unable to pick apart packed defences, and our own back line lets us down when teams break against us. Sakho’s absence will only accentuate this problem; I am confident that we’ll do a good job with what we have up to January, but there’s no hiding the fact that a new central defender (or two) is ultimately required. Our target now has to be to remain in contention until the next transfer window – if we achieve this, we can strengthen further and then kick on for at least a top four spot. A few more results like this one and that shouldn’t be a problem. This was the most enjoyable Liverpool match for some time: long may it continue. Vamos Brasil!

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 1-1 Southampton: Post-Match Thoughts

Fans who thought that Klopp would immediately transform Liverpool have been left disappointed by his opening three games in charge. All have been drawn - while there are positives to take from all of them, the performances have not, in truth, been particularly different from those under Rodgers. The latest in this run of occasionally promising but ultimately disappointing games was a 1-1 draw with Southampton: Benteke’s bullet header was cancelled out by a scrappy late equaliser for the visitors.

Let’s start with the positives. While the team certainly haven’t developed a new, distinct identity just yet, there are signs of gradual movement away from the side we have become used to under Rodgers. These changes are most noticeable at the back – there is a clear focus on a tighter back line, and the constant presence of Sakho has helped to partially achieve this. He still makes the occasional dangerous sloppy pass, and is still partnered by the largely incompetent Skrtel, but even though we are only three games into the Klopp era the defence has definitely already improved a little. The Frenchman was probably man of the match against Southampton – his commanding presence at the back meant that the visitors had limited chances, and his game intelligence and technical ability meant that the transition from defence into midfield was usually fairly rapid. This quick movement of the ball was apparent throughout the team. Passes had a purpose to them, each ball stretched the opposition and opened up a little bit of space for the players to work in. This rapid pass and move style could well have directly resulted in a goal or two – Milner, Lallana and Coutinho all mis-controlled a pass to feet when a good first touch would have seen them through on goal. Finally, the good old gegenpressing must be mentioned: despite what the tactical analysis essays may tell you this has in reality basically turned out to be a simple high press, but it has certainly been effective. Although most of the players simply do not yet have the stamina to sustain it, the first twenty minutes of games have been very positive indeed. Southampton was no different – when not on the ball Liverpool put pressure on the visitors, pushing up to them to try and regain possession and return to the front foot.

Could the narrow diamond best utilise our players?

Sadly, however, there are also multiple negatives. Despite the newfound defensive strength, the silly errors and poor marking from set pieces are yet to be dealt with sufficiently. Misjudged risky passes out from the back nearly put Southampton through on a couple of occasions, and their goal came from a lofted free kick that simply wasn’t dealt with competently. Nobody came close to beating Van Dijk (who, to be fair, had an excellent game) to the first ball, and despite Mignolet and Milner’s best efforts Mane was still able to launch himself at the ball at the far post and turn it home. This simply has to be rectified if Klopp is intent on returning Liverpool to the top from the defence forwards – currently the back line cannot be trusted to keep a clean sheet in any match, and unlike in 2013/14 our attack doesn’t have the strength to repeatedly bail them out. Of course the diminished attacking potency can largely be attributed to the departure of arguably the best striker in world football, but that is no excuse for not fully utilising the players that we do have. Coutinho is getting visibly frustrated at the lack of movement in front of him, frequently resorting to long shots when he doesn’t really have the space for them. Meanwhile Firmino, a forward renowned for his movement, is sitting on the bench and only making cameos when Lallana gets tired from all of the Cruyff turns. To be fair, Firmino is returning from injury - hopefully he will soon be promoted to the starting line-up. Another problem is that Coutinho is arguably playing too far forward – he works best when running from deep, and there is a strong argument to be made that he may benefit the team more from a slightly deeper position. Sturridge’s absence is obviously not helping things either – hopefully his return will get Liverpool scoring freely once more.

It is ludicrous to definitively judge Klopp either way after just three matches, but I think it is fair to say that the start could have been a lot worse. His emphasis on the defence has led to a slightly less shaky looking back line already, and Moreno is looking very dangerous under the German’s guidance. The quick passing and high pressing is also refreshing, and with practice the team could be very well suited to this approach. Personally I believe he is under-utilising some of our attacking players, but that may change after he has had time to properly assess the squad once everyone is back fully fit. In short, while Klopp’s tenure could absolutely still go either way, I for one am happy in the direction we appear to be slowly heading in.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool: A Solid Start

Jurgen Klopp today began his Liverpool career with an unspectacular but promising performance away at in-form Tottenham. Although the club have had great success at White Hart Lane in recent times it would have been incredible for the new manager to conjure up any sort of inspiring performance in his first match – although not magical, what was produced was certainly better than what we have endured in recent weeks. Eager to press and to impress, the team put in an energetic performance and were unlucky not to steal a win. 

Straight from kick off it became apparent that Klopp intends to stick to what he knows at Liverpool. Players had clearly been instructed to press; Spurs were harassed from the off, and looked shaken at the intensity of Liverpool’s play. Lallana in particular looked determined to contribute in a positive way – for the first twenty minutes he seemed to be first to every loose ball, and was eager to get a foot in whenever a defender dwelled for too long. During this spell a Liverpool win looked likely: the hosts were forced to sit deep and, rattled by the strong start from the visitors, were sloppy when they did get the ball. Still, while the style might have changed, the underlying problems have not: Liverpool could not make their considerable pressure pay with a goal. Origi came closest, meeting Can’s flick-on from a corner and heading on to the underside of the bar.

Inevitably, the intensity began to drop off somewhat as the half progressed. Perhaps not used to playing in this way and working this hard, the players allowed Tottenham more time and space to control the game. Momentum shifted fairly drastically and for the second part of the first half it was all Tottenham. Clinton N’Jie, on early for the injured Chadli, came closest: his outside-foot effort was saved excellently by Mignolet. The Belgian could really flourish under a manager with less of an insistence on playing it around the back – ultimately Mignolet is a shot-stopper, and when asked to do just that he shows how brilliant he is at it. On two or three occasions he was responsible for keeping the clean sheet intact.

Although a victory would have been the ideal start to Klopp’s reign, the clean sheet in itself is a big achievement. Liverpool have looked extremely shaky of late, and despite only taking the reins a week ago (while many players were away on international duty) the German has already introduced an element of calm to the back line. Skrtel had a couple of iffy moments as per usual, but his partner was generally immense: Sakho’s highlight was probably a sprawling block to deny Alli. The full-backs were good defensively but also effective going forward: Clyne and Moreno both found themselves in advanced positions on multiple occasions, and while nothing came of it directly it at least meant extra players for Tottenham to have to deal with.

The only real complaint to be levelled at Klopp was the timing of his substitutions. It almost seemed as if he had lost track of time: the first sub was only made with about 15 minutes to go, with Allen replacing Lallana, and Ibe only got a five minute cameo. Sinclair was lined up to come on, but the final whistle blew before the change could be effected – even if he had come on, there would almost certainly not have been time for him to make any difference. Of course this is hardly a cardinal sin – I think we can hold back on the #KloppOut banners for the time being – but it did seem a little odd. That said, it is understandable if he was reluctant to make positive changes too early; a 0-0 draw is not a fairytale start, but away at a Spurs team who have been playing well it is definitely a good one.

The best way to characterise the game is a laying of the groundwork for what is to come. Clearly a tightening up of the defence is central to Klopp’s plans for the club’s rejuvenation – as this progresses and our attackers start returning from injury, draws and losses will surely start turning to wins. With Sturridge, Benteke and hopefully Firmino all returning soon, the future is definitely bright.

-James Martin

@JamesMartin013

Everton 1-1 Liverpool: Draw Not Enough For Rodgers

A fairly good performance from Liverpool in the Merseyside derby was not enough for Brendan Rodgers to keep his job. Depending on whom you believed before the match it may have been the case that his fate was already sealed anyway; regardless, the outcome is that Rodgers has parted ways with the club. His side showed more fight than in recent weeks, perhaps one last rally around the manager who nearly brought us glory in 2013/14 or, more likely, because of the intensity of the footballing rivalry between Liverpool and Everton, but this didn’t prove enough for a win as once again a defensive error meant that we couldn’t come away with more than a point.

A highlight of the early performance was Liverpool’s attacking pressing. This has been slowly returning to our game after a period of absence where we looked lacklustre, impotent and frankly uninterested – today, the pressure high up the pitch meant that the tempo remained high for much of the match. Danny Ings epitomised this: since coming into the side he has been one of the brightest players, and today was no exception. This positive approach meant that it was Liverpool, the visitors, who started on the front foot – Sturridge looked very lively, dancing and jinking in and out of defenders, linking up quite nicely with Ings. Everyone was getting involved; in a memorable attack, Lucas fed a clever pass through to Skrtel who tried to pick out Sturridge in the middle. The wing backs in particular showed talent going forward. Moreno continued his excellent vein of form, making things happen with his positive running style, and Clyne also looked dangerous when venturing forwards.

As is often the way with such an onerous style of play, the pressing began to fade after about half an hour. Everton still weren’t being allowed to dictate the play, with Lucas playing an important shielding role in front of the defence, but the game became more even. Chances became fewer and further between: a lovely little one-two between Coutinho and Milner nearly resulted in a brilliant goal, but Howard saved smartly at his near post. As is often the way, it was at this quieter phase that the goals came. Having wasted roughly six corners already, Liverpool capitalised on a momentary lapse from the Everton defence as an in-swinging corner was met by an unmarked Ings six yards from goal. It was no more than he deserved, and Liverpool too had been fairly good value for their lead. Sadly, however, it did not last long. A minute into added time at the end of the half, Emre Can made an error in defence that was punished clinically by Lukaku – his awful clearance hit Skrtel, and the Belgian was on hand to smash it home. This type of goal is becoming all too commonplace, and cannot have helped Rodgers’s cause. In truth it isn’t really his fault, and it highlights the fact that a new manager won’t immediately fix everything – perhaps his insistence on passing it out from the back has led to the rise of defensive errors, but most of the blame in this respect must fall at the feet of the players.

They didn’t cover themselves in glory in the second half either. The momentum seriously dropped off, and Everton were given the upper hand – a lack of sufficient pressure meant that the defence was called upon more and more. Mignolet was called upon, and showcased his strengths with two immensely good reaction stops – Naismith was denied from very close range before a drive from McCarthy, seen late due to Galloway standing in the keeper’s eyeline, was turned around the post. He gets some abuse for his occasionally nervy distribution and claiming of the ball, but what he does he does very well: he is a shot-stopper. He is potentially one of the players that will benefit most from a new manager: if he isn’t required to play the ball as much, he could truly be one of our greatest assets.

The second half did not have the intensity of the first, with both sides tiring. Liverpool managed to win a few more corners, but were extremely wasteful with them – the goal should not mask the fact that corners are something we really need to work on. Skrtel’s seven headed goals in 2013/14 were a not insignificant part of our success; certainly we could have had a lot more goals this year if that sort of form could be repeated. A small blessing was that we were at least beating the first man today, but for all the good it did we might as well not have bothered – goal aside, nobody in the middle even threatened to score.

In the end, the draw was probably a fair result. Everton came back strong towards the end, but on the balance of play neither side can complain about coming away with a point. A better performance than many we have seen recently, but not a turning point – certainly not enough to justify a change of heart from FSG over Rodgers. There are definitely positives, however – hopefully these, combined with the lift that a new manager will bring, will combine to bring about some better, top four standard form.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 0-3 West Ham: Post-Match Analysis

In an action-packed day of Premier League fixtures, two red cards and a 3-0 away defeat for a side that had previously conceded no goals this season was fairly run of the mill. Certainly there was nothing more than average about the Liverpool performance; impotence going forward coupled with defensive ineptitude, the now familiar recipe seen for much of last season, once again served up a hugely disappointing result. An admittedly well-drilled West Ham side took full advantage of our mediocre (at best) play, choosing their moments to get forward and punish our vulnerable back line.

The only real positive to be taken from the defeat is that it clearly demonstrated the two areas of weakness that need addressing. Unfortunately these two areas happen to be the two fundamental parts of football: defence and attack! However, neither our front nor back lines looked beyond repair. The defence would be improved immediately by the removal of Lovren and installation of Sakho – the Croatian did us a favour by making his error for the second goal glaringly obvious, meaning even Rodgers must surely realise it’s time to give Sakho a chance. Seeing as the main (largely misdirected) criticism of the Frenchman is that he’s clumsy on the ball, it’s impossible to justify playing Lovren ahead of him: he’s hardly Maradona himself. Skrtel, too, looked pretty woeful; while he made no errors leading directly to goals, his half-hearted headed clearance certainly didn’t help matters for the visitors’ opener. Sadly, though, he appears to be pretty much an ever-present in the team, and unless Rodgers goes it seems unlikely that Gomez or perhaps Ilori will be given a chance in Skrtel’s stead. In terms of the attack, the problem is the same as it was last season – we simply aren’t creating enough chances. If anything the arrival of Benteke has exacerbated that problem; when short of ideas and options we are now simply hoofing it up to the Belgian, whose knock-downs are not being picked up by anyone in a red shirt. At least last season we would persist with passes on the edge of the opponent’s box and occasionally manage to carve an opening – unless Rodgers changes the way his team are trying to utilise Benteke, it’s hard to see where any chances will come from against deep-sitting teams this campaign.

Hopefully Brendan either addresses this issue or gets replaced, but in the short term the only goals we look like getting are from pieces of individual inspiration. Coutinho scored a screamer against Stoke in the first game and, promisingly, Firmino came extremely close against the Hammers. He jinked past two with a lovely piece of skill before firing towards Randolph’s goal – only the post prevented him from marking his home debut in great style. He has already impressed with his pressing off the ball since arriving, but on the ball we have not seen too much of the skill we all know he possesses: this excellent effort was a good reminder amidst the mediocrity that the near future is not completely bleak. When Firmino really gets going, Coutinho returns from suspension and Sturridge returns then there should be enough pace and trickery to at least partially solve the chance creation issue, and hopefully it won’t be too late to salvage any damage done early on.

It must also be remembered that, prior to this game, no damage had really been done. We took maximum points from the first two and managed to leave the Emirates with a draw – by any standards, this was a solid start. Of course performance is important, but the fact that we picked up points despite poor play in the first three games means that we have a degree of leeway. We remain three points clear of the champions and level on points with Arsenal, so it’s hardly like we’re being left behind. If it takes a few more games to get into our stride then so be it – it’s only if we’re still putting in performances like this come November sort of time when we’ve really got a problem.

On the whole, then, this match should not necessarily be taken as disastrous. Ignoring the worrying signs from the match would be ridiculous, but equally there is simply nothing to be gained from reading too much into one game. There are definitely things to work on and lessons that Rodgers needs to learn quickly, both for the sake of the club and his job, but until we see clear signs that this performance and result was the rule rather than the exception then there is no need to panic. Let’s all just calm down!

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool: What Can We Achieve This Season?

After winning our first two games of the season, albeit unconvincingly, Liverpool travelled to the Emirates with a sense of cautious optimism. Although it was evident to everyone that we would need to up our game to take any points away with us, there had been enough flashes of quality to suggest that we could put up a fight. This we did: the first half was a masterclass of attacking play from the visitors at times, while the second showcased our newfound defensive solidity. Although we had a couple of great chances, on the whole Liverpool can be very satisfied taking a point away from a tough place to visit. This was (excuse the cliché) the sort of game we would have lost last season – getting such a positive result raises a question about just how far we can go this campaign.

If we can build on our first half performance, then the answer is surely that we can go very far indeed. Only an absolutely amazing performance from Petr Cech kept us at bay, denying Benteke from point blank range before tipping Coutinho’s curling effort on to the post. He rightly picked up the man of the match award – had it not been for his interventions we could have been out of sight after the first forty five minutes. The crossbar also denied us in the early minutes – Coutinho ran on to a nice through ball, and his curling effort beat Cech but struck the woodwork. Our other Brazilian attacker also impressed; Firmino was granted his full debut, and he showcased his skill and workrate. It was he who put in the excellent ball for Benteke, only for the Belgian to be denied by the keeper. In fairness Arsenal can rightly feel aggrieved after Ramsey had a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside, but on the balance of play they should frankly be grateful that they went in level.

The second half, too, was very positive for us, but in a different manner altogether. The balance of play shifted massively after the interval; Arsenal came at us immediately. They applied the sort of pressure that we’d been putting on them in the first half, but, to my delight and surprise, our back line held up admirably. Nathaniel Clyne continued to impress – already he is proving to be an extremely astute signing. Skrtel, too, did very well: he made a couple of vital interceptions, frustrating Giroud on multiple occasions. Happily, Lovren also showed further signs that he is finding more confidence and form. He has now played perfectly competently against Stoke and Arsenal, albeit briefly reverting to the Lovren we all know and love against Bournemouth. The man who stood out the most, however, was Joe Gomez. 3.5 million is rapidly starting to look like an absolute steal – he kept Arsenal’s right hand side quiet all game, including a particularly memorable seal-out where he knocked Sanchez off the pitch. His level-headedness was remarkable for such a young player in such a big game, and while I am a big fan of Moreno it does seem that he’ll struggle to regain his place (at least at full-back – for my views on his potential future as a winger, read my last article). Lucas also deserves a mention. He looked lost at times in the first half, but his shift in the second period may well have saved him from being sold. He never allowed Arsenal too much time on the ball, constantly closing them down quickly, and this certainly contributed to a hard-earned clean sheet.

Of course, despite all of these positives, this is by no means a finished article of a Liverpool side. For one thing, they didn’t get the win! Although the attack deserves great credit for creating so many opportunities, it should also come under scrutiny for failing to take any of them. Benteke has now missed two clear cut chances in two games – although both were excellent saves in fairness, one would have hoped a 32 million pound man could give the keeper no chance at all. Also, the defence can hardly be called impenetrable; Ramsey demonstrated this by beating it, only to be denied by the flag. There is work to be done, and if we are to challenge for the title (yes, this can be considered as a possibility) then we need to become more clinical at one end of the pitch and tighten up at the other.

That said, these remaining flaws are no reason for the perpetual pessimism currently permeating the Liverpool fan-base. The performances thus far have all given us flashes, at the very least, of what we are capable of – unlike last season all of the new signings are excelling, and when Sturridge comes back things can only get better. Certainly 7 points from the opening 3 is nothing to complain about: it is an excellent points tally, and with a decent run of games coming up it gives us an amazing foundation to build on. I believe we now more or less have the squad that we should have built last season, a squad which can more than make up for the absence of a talismanic striker like Suarez, and which, if things go well, can challenge for the title. If nothing else, we should definitely be able to put up more of a convincing fight than last year, and with a bit of luck we’ll be back in the Champions League in no time.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013