Last season, Liverpool finished at the bottom 16 times, and the team was only able to turn it into a victory three times. Now the team has already turned games from relegation to victory three times in the series, and it happened again on Thursday in the Europa League against LASK.
An early 1-0 scoreline for the home team in Austria eventually ended in a comfortable 1-3 win for the visitors from Liverpool.
– New players who gave faith and optimism
But why have Liverpool been more successful in their comeback this season?
– There are probably several reasons for this. First of all, it was a very different comeback, I think. Because against Bournemouth it was reminiscent of when Liverpool were at their best. They were sloppy at first, but they took control of the game and showed that they are a much better team despite falling and losing one of their players. Against Newcastle, we should be able to say the margins were in our favour. Darwin Nunez was then absolutely wild and extremely effective. It may not have been a miracle, but it wasn’t far off. But when I watched the first half against Wolves, I thought: ‘We’ve seen this a few times last season, maybe this won’t work’, but then Klopp made some moves in the second half. With the players he could bring and the energy they brought to the team, I knew early on that they had the equipment to move forward. The second half was absolutely fantastic, says Liverpool journalist Jens Bissen in this week’s episode of our podcast “Liverpool.no: Break talk”.
– So they probably brought in players who gave new energy to the team, such as Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis McAllister, although McAllister was not good against Wolves. But it’s quite clear that the new players have given those who were there before a new kind of faith and optimism.
The team has also simply improved, especially with the options Klopp has in attack. Biesen believes there are better conditions to turn the tide of matches now than there were last year.
‘Mental monsters’, two words that have followed Jurgen Klopp’s crew throughout their time at Liverpool. After a period of dormancy, the term also appears to be in use again.
– One of the many positive images I have from the Wolves match is when it was zoomed in on the Liverpool bench after the 3-1 score. There sat Wataru Endo, a new purchase. He was a backup, and maybe a little disappointed that he’d ended up off the team, but he sat up and hit the roof of the dugout and cheered and smiled, and jumped up and down. To me, it goes some way to explaining the new spirit and enthusiasm that has emerged. Klopp’s first senior squad has expired, and now we’re working on the second, says Torbjörn Flaten, one of the founders of the fan club and former editor of The Kopite newspaper.
Listen to the full episode here:
New attack power
– It is clear that new energy has entered the team. I mean we now have more attack power than we had with the first Mental Monsters. I think there is a difference. Then you kind of had players who were imbued with the fact that they were mentally tough guys who never gave up. Now I feel like we have more offensive tools in the toolbox. Not least because we can bring people from the bench who can make a difference.
– For me, the best attacking trio is Diaz, Nunez and Salah, but you also have Jacopo and Jota, who showed good form. We also have several attacking midfielders, and many more to play in attack. It’s very interesting to follow.
– Of course, there is nothing wrong with the back line. However, we are off to a very good start with a new lease of life here, and a new team. It may be similar to Klopp’s first team, but it’s still a little different. It feels like we have more going forward, and there’s still work to do to stabilize a little bit at the other end, says Flatin.
Super reserve
There have also been many positives from the bench this season.
– Perhaps the most common example is Harvey Elliott. It has now become a kind of super reserve. I think he was substituted in all the matches and he contributes positively every time. You gain additional speed and energy. Flaten says he’s brave and aggressive in his head.
– It wasn’t like all the matches were perfect, so things went from dark to heaven with the transitions. So maybe it’s a bit early to say we’re back now. But we are in an attacking position, which is a great position after last season, believes Bessen.
-I think the director seems really excited about what he has to work with here. You get the feeling that he’s looking to the future, and he is. I think it gives the impression that it is faster now than it was without the switch. There was a period in the past when there was almost no change before class, and if you were unsure if you should change, it was in the last ten minutes. But the feeling is that he’s ready to act a little faster now, but perhaps because he also has better things to work on, Flaten says.
Klopp clearly had an idea that no one else had thought of
How to solve Trent’s role without Trent in the role.
comment Today 13:23
Commentary on the LASK-Liverpool match: What does Klopp need to do so that Liverpool can lift themselves up, without falling behind first?
It took the Reds about an hour to show the real difference in level and quality, but they are now leading the group.
comment Yesterday 21:24
Spillerbørs and folkebørs after the 3-1 win over LASK:Diaz and Nunez have fixed things for Liverpool, but only one of them can be named the best on the pitch
A powerful conversion secured three points for Liverpool in Austria.
comment Yesterday 20:43
This is what the newspapers wrote:“After a year of not enjoying football, he has finally found his new home.”
Ryan Gravenbruch provided the assist as Liverpool held on with another conversion. This is what the newspapers wrote after the 3-1 victory over LASK.
vision Today at 12:00
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