Why It's Vital Liverpool Add Pace to Their Game in 2016/17 Season

"Speed kills," wrote the Telegraph's Henry Winter in an opinion piece in 2010. "One moment the ball is there, tempting the defender to dive in, and the next it has been spirited away by a fleet-footed attacker, leaving the defender going through thin air or, damagingly, going through the opponent's leg."

Six years on, Winter's words are perhaps even more pertinent, as speed becomes more and more important in the modern game.

Since then, we've witnessed players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben and Gareth Bale dominate defences through their incredible speed. In 2012, perhaps at the peak of his powers, Ronaldo was clocked at running 96 metres in 10 seconds—Usain Bolt would be happy with that given no blocks to start from, on grass and with a ball at his feet!

Lionel Messi may not be quite as renowned for his speed, but he's still up there among the fastest in the world, as reported during the World Cup in 2014.

Football continues to change as new techniques and technology play a role in training, with players covering more ground and being involved in more sprints per game.

Pacy attackers dominate in European football, and this was proved by Leicester City's unexpected Premier League title success last season, propelled to the top of English football by speed merchant Jamie Vardy.

Claudio Ranieri's side exploited Premier League defences by using Vardy and Riyad Mahrez's pace to get in behind, often playing counter-attacking football to perfection.

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Having pace up front is essential for any football team, from non-league to the elite. It allows teams to play to their forwards knowing they can stretch the opponent's defence. Not only that, but the opposing defenders will sit deeper when they know they are up against a quick attacker, attempting to give themselves a slight head start. Either that, or they'll push up, playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse attempting to play the forward offside.

Of course, not all teams have relied purely on speed to win football matches, with Barcelona's style of play more possession-based, but as noted earlier, they have still benefited from the speed of Messi, plus quick full-backs such as Dani Alves and Jordi Alba. 

Often, pace can only be countered by more pace. So faster defenders are required.

Speed of thought can, of course, counter physical running speed, but on any position on the pitch having pace as an attribute for the player therein would always be beneficial, if not essential.

Full-backs are certainly needed to be quick, able to get back fast when they've been contributing to the attack and the play transitions back toward their own goal. The same goes for your centre-midfielders.

Having pace at centre-back helps to counter the pace of the opposing forward. Essentially, you want—or need—pace throughout your side.

That's especially true if you plan on playing the fast-paced, pressing game that Jurgen Klopp desires at Liverpool.

Liverpool

The success of Klopp's Borussia Dortmund side owed much to the pace of the likes of Mario Gotze and Marco Reus in attack, and it seems logical that Klopp will seek to add speed to Liverpool's ranks this summer.

Speaking earlier this year, the Reds boss outlined his plans for the summer by indicating that wingers were more needed than another striker.

“We have enough strikers—five with Roberto [Firmino]—but not too many wingers, just a few young ones with great potential," he said, per Press Association (via This Is Anfield).

Looking at Liverpool's squad, they do indeed have plenty of pace in other areas.

Full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno are certainly quick, with Moreno ranked among the 20 fastest Premier League players last season by Opta (via BBC News).

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That same analysis found striker Divock Origi to be the third-fastest player in the league last term, clocking a top speed of 35.15 km/h—fractionally behind Leicester duo Vardy and Jeffrey Schlupp.

The fact Leicester had five players in that top 20—with Marc Albrighton, Ritchie De Laet and Wes Morgan the others—perhaps goes some way to proving how pace played a key role in their success.

The season before, a similar study, per the Telegraph, found Danny Ings (then at Burnley), Jordan Henderson and Clyne (then at Southampton) to be in the 20 fastest players.

So Liverpool aren't exactly short of pace in their squad. But last season, they were without Ings for almost the entirety of the campaign, Origi didn't find his feet in England until winter once Klopp had arrived and Henderson struggled with injuries throughout, certainly affecting his speed.

We have seen plenty of evidence that points to Klopp's desire for pace, though, with Origi's increased presence in the side being a primary one.

Players you certainly wouldn't associate with pace have been playing increasingly diminished roles in the side as the season progressed under the new manager, notably Lucas Leiva, Martin Skrtel and Christian Benteke. It's quite possible none of that trio will be at the club after the summer transfer window.

Too often, Liverpool's centre backs have struggled against pacy attackers, not least Crystal Palace duo Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha, as Klopp evidenced firsthand in his first defeat as Reds' boss last November; Skrtel, Lucas and Benteke all started that game, but none started the return at Selhurst Park in March. That was a match Benteke, ironically, won late on with a penalty.

Addressing the issue of pace at the heart of defence, Klopp quickly made Mamadou Sakho a central player in his XI. This summer, he adds Joel Matip from Schalke.

According to Sky Sports' James Kilpatrick, Matip's "pace and mobility mean he would likely be able to work well in a high line, a trait which Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will no doubt have noted."

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Early on in Klopp's reign, Jordon Ibe was given a more prominent attacking role before falling out of favour and then showcasing his pace with his goal at West Bromwich Albion on the final day. Sheyi Ojo came into the equation toward the end of the season, showcasing his speed and potential.

Ibe and Ojo are undoubtedly the players Klopp was speaking of when he mentioned "a few young ones with great potential." What he'll be keen to add is a more experienced wide player with pace.

That may explain Liverpool's reported interest in Southampton attacker Sadio Mane—previously described by Squawka's Ryan Hill as more than just a speed demon. Mane would certainly add speed and width in Klopp's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

Klopp intends to have his players taking part in triple training sessions this pre-season, per Paul Joyce of the Daily Express, as the German seeks to improve their overall fitness.

He's also added two staff members from Bayern Munich, with head of fitness Ryland Morgans leaving the club in March and head physio Chris Morgan's departure confirmed on Friday.

With those changes, Klopp will then continue to reshape his squad, with quick, athletic and dynamic players being on the manger's wishlist.