Liverpool Boss Jurgen Klopp's Key Decisions Ahead of 2016-17 Season
Sunday's 4-0 defeat away to Bundesliga challengers Mainz 05 drew a disappointing close to Liverpool's pre-season preparations, with Jurgen Klopp's former side enjoying a comfortable afternoon at the Opel Arena, underlining the work to be done as the German continues to prime the Reds for the 2016-17 campaign.
Overall, Liverpool's summer has been a positive one, as seven new players were added to Klopp's squad including Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane from Newcastle United and Southampton, respectively, with the latter in particular shining as the Reds thrashed Barcelona 4-0 on Saturday evening.
Klopp saw his side seal six wins and three losses over their warm-up fixtures and can now look toward the weekend's Premier League opener away to Arsenal with renewed optimism—but still with one eye on improvement.
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Speaking after the Reds' doubleheader against Barcelona and Mainz, Klopp told reporters that he was hoping for a strong performance against the Gunners, but not the definitive performance of the season:
"We could have played no pre-season games but we’ve played very good, less good or bad. You need to work and that’s what we are doing.
We will be ready for the first game, but if Arsenal was to be the best game all season, there would be something wrong with the season.
We can’t change or decide the season in one game, but we will be ready.
"
Though Liverpool are in decent shape ahead of Klopp's first full campaign in the Anfield dugout, the 49-year-old will be aware he still has some key decisions to make to ensure they can challenge in the Premier League, FA Cup and Capital One Cup in 2016-17.
With some imposed and some enforced, here are the big decisions Klopp must make before the start of the new season.
Injuries
Addressing reporters at Wembley Stadium after Saturday's exceptional performance against Barcelona, Klopp discussed the injury problems currently affecting his side.
The German saw vice-captain James Milner limp off the field just before half-time after suffering a heel injury, with the 30-year-old serving as Klopp's deputy left-back following the departures of Brad Smith and Jon Flanagan to Bournemouth and Burnley, respectively.
With just Alberto Moreno available of his senior options on the left defensive flank, Klopp suggested he would need to find a solution:
"I'm happy with the squad, but on the injury side if something happens we have to react.
We already have a few injuries in positions which aren’t too good for us, so we have to keep our eyes open. That’s absolutely clear.
Until the 31st of August something is possible for us.
Why should I say it's over, or we’ll take another four [players]? We'll react if we need to.
"
Milner joins Loris Karius (hand), Mamadou Sakho (Achilles), Lucas Leiva (hamstring), Daniel Sturridge (hip), Ovie Ejaria (groin) and Joe Gomez (Achilles) on the treatment table, with Marko Grujic (ankle) and Sheyi Ojo (back) also facing a fight for full fitness ahead of Liverpool's trip to the Emirates Stadium.
The absences of Karius, Sakho, Milner and Sturridge are particularly frustrating, with the quartet all key players within Klopp's Reds squad, but it is perhaps Lucas' injury that he has highlighted most regularly.
Perhaps unlike in 2015-16, Klopp now has the strength in depth to negotiate these injuries, with Simon Mignolet operating in place of Karius, summer signing Ragnar Klavan deputising for Sakho, the likes of Wijnaldum, Emre Can and Jordan Henderson all able to take up Milner's midfield duties and Divock Origi well placed to excel in Sturridge's role up front.
But their presence at Melwood, unable to train and unable to participate, highlights a key decision for Klopp ahead of 2016-17—with the former Borussia Dortmund manager clearly weighing up whether to bring in reinforcements.
Defensive Cover
"Gomez, Sakho and Lucas are all injured, so of course we haven’t got enough centre-backs at the moment," Klopp told reporters following Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to AS Roma during their pre-season tour of the United States.
"But we have to handle situations. There have been too many games with not enough centre-backs. We can’t sign someone just for a few weeks. In other positions we do have cover."
While, as Klopp suggests, Liverpool are able to cover for injuries in their midfield and attack, any further setbacks in defence will leave his squad incredibly thin at the back—something that would be compounded by a potential move to Galatasaray for long-serving defensive midfielder Lucas.
As relayed by FourFourTwo, Levent Nazifoglu, board member with the Turkish giants, revealed during a recent press conference that "we have an agreement with Liverpool over the transfer of Lucas, but they are having second thoughts because of a number of recent injuries."
Nazifoglu served up something of an ultimatum in suggesting Galatasaray would "look at other options" if Klopp hadn't made a decision on Lucas' future by the beginning of the week.
This should serve to force Klopp's hand, as with the Liverpool manager considering Lucas as cover in both midfield and, crucially, defence, and the Brazilian's departure would likely require him to dip back into the transfer market for reinforcements.
Following injury to Milner, Sakho and Gomez, the sale of Smith and Flanagan's loan and Lucas leaving Merseyside, this would see Liverpool require more depth at left-back, right-back and centre-back, but whether Klopp decides to sanction further signings remains to be seen—as he attests, "[You] can't sign someone just for a few weeks."
Loans
After recalling the majority of his loan players during an injury crisis at the beginning of the year, with Ojo, Danny Ward, Ryan Kent and Tiago Ilori among those to return to Merseyside to feature in domestic cup competitions and low-level Premier League outings, Klopp has been forced into a change of heart this summer.
Liverpool's failure to qualify for either the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for 2016-17 has left the German requiring fewer players, and able to offer his peripheral figures fewer opportunities.
This has seen Klopp allow a host of players to leave the club for either six months or the full season:
- Jon Flanagan, Burnley
- Danny Ward, Huddersfield Town
- Adam Bogdan, Wigan Athletic
- Ryan Fulton, Chesterfield
- Ryan Kent, Barnsley
- Jack Dunn, Morecambe
- Allan Rodrigues, Hertha Berlin
- Lloyd Jones, Swindon Town
Meanwhile, Liverpool Echo's Neil Jones has reported an impending move to Wigan for 20-year-old midfielder Cameron Brannagan, as well as previously revealing a temporary switch for Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who will join Eredivisie outfit N.E.C. Nijmegen for 2016-17.
This comes following the scrapping of the Football League's emergency loan window, forcing Premier League managers to make a final decision on the futures of their young players.
Unable to send his youth stars out on short-term loans midway through the season, Klopp is now only able to facilitate moves during the transfer window, with more long-term agreements required—effectively forcing a make-or-break situation for Liverpool's academy stars, and, ultimately, the first team.
While he will be concerned with adding players to his defensive line, Klopp must also decide whether to send the likes of Ojo, Connor Randall and Pedro Chirivella—players who have turned out for the first team since his arrival on Merseyside, but are unlikely to secure regular football in 2016-17—out to gain experience.
System
Most pressing at this stage in the summer, however, are Klopp's plans for Liverpool's first outing in the Premier League, with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side presenting a considerable test of the Reds' credentials as they head into this season.
At the core of this preparation is whether Klopp will utilise a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 system, with both regular features of the Reds' pre-season fixtures.
Klopp fielded his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation on 28 occasions in 2015-16, more than any other setup, with the four-pronged attacking line of Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana serving as the German's go-to forward unit.
But the signing of Wijnaldum from Newcastle has suggested a change in approach from Klopp, who utilised a 4-3-3 system in both of Liverpool's final pre-season clashes against Barcelona at Wembley and Mainz at the Opel Arena.
Wijnaldum's ability as a box-to-box midfielder—able to break up play with industry in midfield and also drive forward with intelligent third-man runs to help boost Liverpool's goal tally—makes him an invaluable option for Klopp, joining Can, Henderson, Lallana and Grujic as options for a formidable three-man unit.
Furthermore, the width provided by Mane suits the 4-3-3 system, with the Senegalese dominating Luis Enrique's Barcelona with his pace and powerful direct running.
However, deploying his side in a 4-3-3 will likely see one of Firmino or Sturridge drop out of Klopp's starting lineup, and both the Brazilian and the Englishman are indispensable talents when fit and firing—Klopp will be required to define his primary system before the 2016-17 campaign kicks off.
Klopp will be able to rotate between his two regular formations throughout the season, though, and this is one major positive in what has been a fruitful summer preparing for his first full season as Liverpool manager.
The adding of strength in depth to his squad through both shrewd activity in the transfer market and the continued development of young players like Ejaria, Ojo, Kevin Stewart and Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves Klopp in a strong position for this season.
As he told reporters at the end of July, "this time it is my team," and after a positive pre-season, Klopp simply has to fine-tune it in his quest for success.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk, quotes obtained firsthand unless specified.
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