It’s SO fun to be excited about Liverpool again. Four games in, and I’m over the moon about the possibilities. The anticipation is both delicious and maddening.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m both a bit confused by the Reds’ performances so far, and very unsure what this team will become. In the opener against Chelsea, the Reds were intent on going over the top to their attackers the moment they regained the ball. But that strategy led to Liverpool giving it away more often than not. As a result, Chelsea controlled possession, and we had no chance to see what the Reds might create if they just held on to the ball for a while.
In both of the next two games, Liverpool played with 10 men for much of the match. It’s tough to get a read on what your team can do when they’re playing without all of their guys.
That brought us to the Aston Villa match before the international break. Thank God for Villa.
We finally saw the Reds pull out not only a result, but also a 90-minute team performance. From start to finish, the Reds dominated. Yes, Aston Villa had a few chances to score. But not too many, and not many good ones.
So, where does that leave us? As stated above, I’m stoked. But I’ve also got no idea what’s coming. It’s a bit like riding a rollercoaster in the dark, y’know?
As we await the end of the infernal international break, let’s snack on some of this anticipation that’s been building.
The Reds Can Run Again
Last season’s debacle was largely down to starting midfielders who simply couldn’t run. A huge percentage of our midfield minutes were filled by Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and James Milner. They’ve all had brilliant LFC careers. But as of last season, none of those guys could run in any way resembling a Jürgen Klopp midfielder. Now, it appears we should not have to worry about lack of legs in the midfield for years to come. Let’s talk about our new midfield.
Dominik Szoboszlai – For the Win
Dominik Szoboszlai is a physical machine. He’s played every minute of every match so far, and he could be seen pressing like a madman at the very end of the Villa match, with the Reds up by three goals to none. To use baseball lingo, Szoboszlai is a “five-tool” athlete. There’s nothing he doesn’t do with excellence. Two-footed? Check. Pressing? Unbelievable. Dribbling? Fantastic. Vision? Among the best. Passing? Reminds us of Kevin de Bruyne. Shooting? Did you SEE that goal against Villa? The Gerrard comparisons have begun, and they’re not going to stop. Szoboszlai’s so, so good already, and the odds are very good that he’s going to get much better. Magnifico!
Alexis Mac Allister – Liam Neeson in Our Midfield
Alexis Mac Allister is a midfielder’s midfielder. He owns the middle of the park. He will NOT let you take his ball. If you’re somehow lucky enough to take it away, he WILL hunt you down. He has special training for this. You might as well just give him the damned ball. But, to be fair, once you do, he’s going to hurt you with it. This is pretty much a lose, lose scenario for you.
Curtis Jones – Never Stop Running or (Trash)Talking
Curtis Jones is a Scouser. If you don’t know what that means, Curtis will be glad to tell you. He will never shut up. Not while he’s sliding in to tackle you. Not while he’s feinting left, then dribbling right past you. Not while he’s running into the box to step into a half-volley from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross. Not while he’s crashing into you to keep you from defending your man on a corner kick. And certainly not during the post-match interview, regardless of whether anyone has asked Curtis a question. Opposition midfielders’ most-wanted tool to defend against Curtis? A muzzle. Good luck with that.
Thiago – Bringing Those Bits of Magic
Thiago is hurt right now, but still an important part of this squad. Along with Wataru Endo, Thiago and Endo are the only current midfielders who are not all that good at running around – at least not running around fast. But, in case you’ve never seen him play, none of that matters in Thiago’s case. Because he’s really, really good at football. Like, REALLY good. Ask other players about him, and they’re liable to laugh and tell you about the time Thiago looked backwards while making a 45-yard crossfield pass that landed on the toe of a runner who had broken free into the penalty box. Yep, there’s plenty of Thiago stories out there. Few of them have happy endings for the opposition. Sure, Thiago had a tough time last season. But the guys around him were not running. This year it will be different.
Wataru Endo – Calm, Smart, and Hard-Working
As for the other old guy, Wataru Endo, he’s going to outwork you and outsmart you. He’s never going to give up. The minute you think you’ve figured out how to get the best of him, he’s going to change tactics on you and take your ball away. He’s really going to annoy you.
We don’t yet know how Jürgen will use him. Based on Klopp’s comments after Endo’s last start, Endo is currently dropping too deep when LFC lose the ball, instead of pushing forward to press.
You may recall that Fabinho shared exactly this problem when he first arrived at Liverpool. In Fabinho’s case, he didn’t really settle into his first-team slot until January. It remains to be seen whether Endo will ever really become a first-choice starter for this squad. But, based on recent history with Fabinho, we probably shouldn’t expect it to happen until January, if at all. I think there’s a decent possibility that Endo settles in as a rotational starter who often starts in “bigger” games where the Reds are more likely to be under extended defensive pressure. But your guess is as good as mine.
Harvey Elliott – the Kid Has Got Game
Let’s talk about Harvey Elliott. This kid (and please remember, he’s still only 20 years old) is a brilliant footballer when he has the ball. His dribbling, vision, and passing skills are extraordinary. He’s one of LFC’s best shooters from distance. In his young career, he has left plenty of experienced, talented defenders shaking their heads as they get bypassed by a creative flash of boy genius.
The issue with Elliott has been his defensive attributes (or lack thereof). He has plenty of hustle, and can run around for days. But his attacking instincts have often left him out of position, and his slight frame allows opponents to muscle him off the ball in ground duels. And you can basically forget about Harvey winning any aerial contests. Finally, in his Liverpool career Harvey has been forced to play as a midfielder when surrounded by other midfielders who can’t run. Now, Harvey finds himself a bit older, more experienced, physically stronger, and surrounded by midfielders who can run forever. In Harvey’s four appearances off the bench so far this season, he has looked far better to me defensively. And he should keep improving. Harvey Elliott still has a major part to play.
Stefan Bajčetić – Good Now with a Heaping Promise of Greatness
Eighteen-year-old Stefan Bajčetić is one for the future who will also be able to help us now. For multiple reasons, there’s considerable uncertainty as to the trajectory Bajčetić’s career will take. First, he’s only 18, and history is littered with fabulous kids whose senior career never matched the promise they showed as youngsters. Second, he’s coming off of major surgery. Third, he now finds himself the youngest member of a loaded midfield, and he’ll probably struggle for playing time. But the kid showed last season that he has the talent and skills to earn himself a spot in this new and improved Liverpool midfield.
Stepping in as the defensive midfielder last season, Bajčetić was the best player in a bad Liverpool team. This season, he will not need to be the best player at any point, and he probably won’t be. But even if he merely returns to the level that he played at last season, he should have an important role to play for Liverpool in the Europa League and domestic cups. And, if he continues to grow and improve, then he will almost certainly become Liverpool’s first-choice starting defensive midfielder within the next couple of seasons.
Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if Bajčetić spends some time this year as Trent’s understudy at the hybrid right back/midfielder position. He’s got the tools and talent to make that work.
Ryan Gravenberch – a Wild Card with Wild Upside
Last, but hopefully not least, we have Ryan Gravenberch. As I said last week, Klopp and the scouting team had identified this kid (he’s now 21) as one of three super-talented young midfielders, alongside Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni. Despite his tender years, Gravenberch has already made a total of 97 senior appearances for Ajax and Bayern Munich. As a comparison, Harvey Elliott has so far made a total of 44 appearances for Liverpool (although he also had 41 senior appearances for Blackburn in the Championship while on loan).
We don’t know when or how Gravenberch will fit in this team. Like Szoboszlai, Gravenberch is a five-tool type of athlete. But Gravenberch’s tools are not yet nearly as polished. I expect Klopp to use Gravenberch this season primarily in one of the more advanced midfield roles, where he can use his natural strengths of dribbling and linkup play to best effect. But Klopp will probably also experiment with Gravenberch in a deeper, more defensive role. He’s got the size (6’3”), speed, and strength to develop as a very good defensive mid, even if he has yet to learn the skills and mindset for that particular position.
If Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool’s scouting department have identified Gravenberch as a potentially generational midfielder, then I’m very excited about him. And, according to multiple reports from reliable journalists, that’s precisely what has happened. It should be great fun watching him develop.
Doesn’t that midfield discussion leave you brimming with anticipation? Are you not looking forward to feast on that anticipation this season? Are you not entertained? OK, so I went a little overboard on that last one. Forgive me. Thinking about having a midfield that runs and presses effectively gets my blood up.
What to Expect on Saturday Morning Against Wolves
Last season, Klopp’s men played the early match at 12:30 p.m. local time on six occasions, finishing with three draws and three defeats. In other words, the Reds were winless in six attempts when starting early.
This week, the early start time is compounded by the fact that teams are returning from an international break. Liverpool’s South American contingent, in particular, will have had very little time to prep for this match. Luis Díaz, Alisson, Alexis Mac Allister, and Darwin Núñez all played for their countries thousands of miles away on Tuesday night. After a full day of travel on Wednesday, they were given Thursday morning off from training. That means their only training session with the team before this match is likely to be Friday morning.
As often happens on international breaks, at least one Red returns to the club with injury concerns. Darwin Núñez left Uruguay’s match on Tuesday at halftime, and Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa reported that Núñez had a muscular issue.
Meanwhile, you should recall that Trent Alexander-Arnold left the match against Aston Villa with a minor hamstring injury, which leaves him doubtful for Saturday. We know that Virgil van Dijk will miss out because he’s serving the second game of his two-game suspension for getting a red card, then shouting obscenities at the ref.
Finally, you also need to remember that the last time the Reds visited Wolverhampton, they put in one of the worst performances in a season that was littered with terrible games. In February, Wolves battered the Reds 3-0 in a match that didn’t even feel that close.
On the bright side, Liverpool welcomed Ibou Konaté back to full team training on Thursday, and he will probably start on Saturday.
Perhaps more importantly, I think both Jürgen Klopp and the team will be acutely aware of how poorly they performed last season both in 12:30 matches and in their last visit to Wolverhampton. I believe the Reds will be ready to play on Saturday, despite (or perhaps because of) the obstacles.
I expect that Trent and Darwin will both miss out due to their injuries, and I expect Díaz to be on the bench, as he’ll be worn out from his travels. The same concern, of course, applies to Mac Allister as well. I expect Mac to start anyway, because I doubt that Klopp believes Endo is quite ready. But, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Endo start over the road-weary Mac Allister.
Alisson has traveled a long way, but the fatigue is less likely to have an impact on him as a keeper, and losing Alisson is more likely to hurt the team. So Ali should be back between the sticks.
The defensive line will be makeshift. I expect us to use Robertson at left back, Konaté at left center back, Matip at right center back, and Gomez at right back. With Gomez likely subbing in for Trent, we will probably use our traditional 4-3-3 formation most or all of the match, rather than asking Gomez to drift into midfield.
So, I expect us to line up like this:
With my excitement and anticipation levels this high, I can’t help but predict a Liverpool win, in spite of all of the obstacles.
Wolves 1 – LFC 2
Up the Mighty Reds!
