Ultimate Guide to Liverpool's 2016-17 Season

Liverpool's 2016/17 season could prove to be a pivotal one, as quality continues to flood into England both on the pitch and in the dugout, with the Reds needing to make a big step forward under Jurgen Klopp if they are to keep pace.

Jose Mourinho (Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea) are all settling into their new positions at the helm of their respective clubs, while the likes of Ronald Koeman (Everton), Claude Puel (Southampton) and Walter Mazzarri (Watford) are set to push ambitious projects.

The injection of significant broadcasting funds for the beginning of the 2016/17 season has seen a host of big-name stars arrive on English shores, perhaps most notably the United trio Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

This leaves Klopp facing a monumental challenge—so how are Liverpool shaping up as they prepare for their first full campaign under the charismatic German?

Here is Bleacher Report's ultimate guide to Liverpool's 2016/17 season, including incomings, outgoings, tactical rejigs, key fixtures and objectives.

Falling Short in 2015-16

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"It was a hard night and a hard few days afterwards but it is in the past and like all games in the past if you can use them you should do," Klopp told reporters in July, addressing his side's miserable 3-1 defeat to Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League final.

The Reds' loss at St Jakob-Park in May serves as a damning epitaph of their season under the 49-year-old: so close but yet so far.

Runs to finals in both the Europa League and the Capital One Cup showcased a resurgence in the Liverpool ranks following Klopp's arrival in October, while they also hinted at devastating form in Premier League clashes against the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

But they ended the season without a trophy, and having finished eighth in the English top flight, without European football for 2016/17.

Klopp will be looking to build on this disappointment as he prepares his side for the new season, and he will be determined to ensure the Reds don't fall short again.

New Signings

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By way of making progress on Merseyside, Klopp has added significantly to his Liverpool squad over the summer, with the arrival of Marko Grujic—a January signing who spent the rest of 2015/16 on loan with Red Star Belgrade—kicking off a seven-strong influx so far.

Joining Grujic are two goalkeepers, two defenders and two big-money additions to bolster the Reds' midfield and attacking ranks.

Between the sticks, the additions of Loris Karius (£4.7 million, from Mainz 05) and Alex Manninger (free, from Augsburg) provide Klopp with a blend of youth and experience, with the former poised to take up the role of No. 1.

Helping to shield the Liverpool goal are a pair of further incomings from the Bundesliga, with Joel Matip (free, from Schalke 04) and Ragnar Klavan (£4.2 million, from Augsburg) bolstering Klopp's options at centre-back.

Finally, arriving for a combined £55 million, Premier League duo Sadio Mane (£30 million, from Southampton) and Georginio Wijnaldum (£25 million, from Newcastle United) add diversity and incision to the forward roles in Klopp's system.

The German has wasted no time in addressing some of the biggest flaws in the squad he inherited from Brendan Rodgers at the end of 2015, prompting an Anfield overhaul.

Stalwarts and Prodigies Leave

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With the number of incomings sanctioned this summer, and without European football to stretch his squad in 2016/17, Klopp has also overseen a number of key departures ahead of the new campaign—including some of Liverpool's most prominent names.

Perhaps most notably, long-serving centre-back Martin Skrtel ended his eight-year stay on Merseyside to join Turkish giants Fenerbahce, with Liverpool receiving a healthy £5.5 million for his services.

Elsewhere, upwardly mobile Bournemouth plundered Klopp's squad for two of his young stars, with Jordon Ibe (£15 million) and Brad Smith (£6 million) making their way down to Dean Court—though Liverpool negotiated crucial buy-back clauses in both deals, preserving their futures.

A stalwart of Rodgers' reign, Joe Allen also left the club ahead of 2016/17, joining Stoke City in a deal worth £13 million, telling Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday (h/t Sky Sports' Simeon Gholam), "It was a huge privilege to play for a club like Liverpool but the timing was right for me to move on," citing a lack of game time under Klopp.

Another veteran left despite an impressive 2015/16, with Kolo Toure allowed to depart on the expiry of his contract, eventually joining Rodgers at Celtic, while Samed Yesil, Jose Enrique, Ryan McLaughlin, Daniel Cleary, Will Marsh, Alex O'Hanlon and Kristof Polgar were also released.

Finally, more youth left the club in Jordan Rossiter (£250,000, to Rangers), Jerome Sinclair (£4 million, to Watford), Joao Carlos Teixeira (£250,000, to FC Porto), Sergi Canos (£2.5 million, to Norwich City) and Lawrence Vigouroux (undisclosed fee, to Swindon Town), along with a host of temporary loanees.

Gruelling Pre-Season Regime

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Addressing the assembled media in May, Klopp detailed a rigorous training schedule for his side throughout the summer:

"

We have to do a lot to create a base for one year.

Football is about training and all that we have done is because of the work we’ve done together.

We have a special plan of what we want to do with the boys. Nearly all of them have national team games now but you cannot have six weeks off.

You have something like four weeks and in four weeks you cannot sleep for the whole time, so you have two weeks completely off and you have a plan and you have to do it.

"

Along with nine warm-up fixtures, Klopp's squad were put through demanding exercises on the training field—most notably in the searing heat of Palo Alto, California, during Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States—overseen by Andreas Kornmayer, the club's new head of fitness and conditioning.

Though the Reds' success on the pitch throughout the summer—six wins and three losses—was mixed, Klopp's quest to ensure his side are the fittest in the Premier League has been largely positive.

Injuries Abound

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As ever, Liverpool have been struck by a host of disappointing injuries during pre-season, providing a stumbling block for Klopp as he builds for 2016/17.

Worryingly, the Reds' lengthy injury list is fronted by summer signing Karius, with the 23-year-old goalkeeper breaking his hand during July's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the International Champions League, leaving him sidelined until October.

Mamadou Sakho (heel), Joe Gomez (heel) and Lucas Leiva (hamstring) have also dealt a blow to Klopp's defensive ranks, with the trio unavailable for the start of the season, sapping Liverpool's centre-back options.

James Milner (ankle), who spent much of pre-season deputising in a new role at left-back, is also unavailable for the Reds' season opener away to Arsenal—along with Daniel Sturridge (hip), whose absence is unlikely to come as a major shock to supporters.

Matip and Grujic are also behind on fitness work having suffered issues throughout the summer, frustrating Klopp's best-laid plans.

Age-Old Issues in Defence?

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That Klopp had turned to Milner as his starting left-back on a number of occasions throughout pre-season, along with a failed attempt to sign Leicester City's Ben Chilwell, highlights Liverpool's paucity of quality in this key role.

Question marks were raised over Alberto Moreno's future throughout 2015/16, most viciously following the defeat to his former side, Sevilla, in May, but the Spaniard remains Klopp's first-choice option for 2016/17.

This, along with injuries to Karius, Sakho, Gomez and Lucas, points to a similarly flimsy defensive line to the previous campaign, and this should be a concern for the Reds.

"Milner has a good understanding of the game and great fitness levels, but of course Liverpool need to sign a left-back," former Reds vice-captain Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports ahead of the new season. "They have sold Brad Smith to Bournemouth and you need two players for every position so they need someone else alongside Alberto Moreno."

Klopp looks to have no intention of adding to his squad without identifying a solution with genuine quality—but will this stubborn stance come back to haunt him as he leads his side through a challenging 2016/17 campaign?

Revamped Midfield

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While there remain kinks to iron out in Liverpool's back line, a change in focus this summer leaves Klopp's squad looking healthier than ever in the middle of the park.

The signings of Wijnaldum and Grujic have fleshed out the German's options, despite the sale of Allen to Stoke, and Klopp has largely utilised a new-look 4-3-3 option throughout the Reds' pre-season preparations.

This has seen the blossoming Emre Can installed as a deep-lying midfielder, breaking up play and combining with Klopp's more progressive options—namely Wijnaldum, Grujic, Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana—who have performed in box-to-box roles.

Seen most impressively during Liverpool's 4-0 win over Barcelona at Wembley Stadium at the beginning of August, the overlapping, third-man runs provided in the latter duty have given Klopp's side a cutting edge in the final third, while the addition of another body in midfield has also aided their pressing game.

Revamping the midfield, and moving away from 2015/16's unpredictable two-man unit, could prove key to Liverpool's success in 2016/17.

Attacking Variety

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That moving to a 4-3-3 causes Klopp a selection headache in building his attack for 2016/17 should be considered a good problem, as the German can call upon a plethora of talent after a summer of reshaping.

Mane's arrival, for a sizeable fee of over £30 million, suggests the Senegalese will take up a key role in Klopp's forward line, and this has certainly been the case throughout pre-season—with the 24-year-old saving his best for last, decimating the Barcelona defence at Wembley.

But where does this leave the likes of Sturridge, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Lazar Markovic, Sheyi Ojo, Divock Origi and Danny Ings?

Opting for a 4-3-3 will likely leave only three places to be fought for between at least eight players, while a 4-2-3-1 would create a similar issue in the midfield, but fortunately, speaking to Goal's Melissa Reddy this summer, Klopp revealed his planning:

"

You have to be flexible enough to react to situations in the game. 

It’s not about my favourite formation, only about which one is easiest for the players to show all their qualities and what will make life difficult for the other team against us. 

With the strikers we have, even a system with two up front is possible, so we don’t have to close our minds to just one system. We have the talent to be flexible.

"

Klopp now has the players available to tinker with his system when the challenge dictates, and this can only be a positive.

Key Fixtures

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The influx of quality throughout the Premier League this season has ensured Liverpool face a consistently tough fixture list, but a number of key fixtures stand out for Klopp's side.

Their season opener away to Arsenal (August 14) hands the Reds the perfect opportunity to get off on the right foot, and with Arsene Wenger's side suffering considerable injury problems throughout pre-season, Liverpool can look to kick on at the Emirates Stadium.

With Anfield undergoing a major redevelopment over the summer, Liverpool won't play their first home game until September, but as they welcome reigning champions Leicester City to Merseyside (September 10) for this season's city bow, this promises to be an enthralling clash.

Furthermore, Klopp will be looking forward to facing off against Mourinho's United (home, October 15; away, January 14) and Conte's Chelsea (away, September 16; home, February 1).

Perhaps most prominently, however, is the prospect of Klopp lining up against a former Bundesliga rival in Guardiola, and with the Spaniard's City something of an unknown quantity ahead of 2016/17, their two clashes (home, December 31; away, March 18) will be must-see affairs.

Jurgen Klopp's Season Goals

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Klopp's first season on Merseyside was anomalous: Unable to fully stamp his authority on his inherited squad, the German made do with what was available and extracted a host of excellent performances.

But as he told reporters ahead of 2016/17, he has no excuses this time around—and, confidently, Klopp aimed for glory:

"

I am happy with my team now, and all I can say is we will be a challenger, we will fight for everything, for every cup and what'll happen in the end we will see.

Certainly at the moment we should not look for excuses and say things like 'I need another year' or things like that.

We will try everything 100 percent and see what happens. We built this team only to be successful, not one where we say we will have to wait.

"

As Klopp suggests, Liverpool will be pushing for success in the Premier League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup, and without European football this season, this will be the minimum aim for a side on the up under their charismatic leader.

Jack Lusby will be covering Liverpool throughout 2016/17 as one of Bleacher Report's lead correspondents.

Follow him on Twitter @jacklusby_ and Facebook here.