Liverpool season preview

Liverpool are back in European competition in 2017-18. How will that affect their chances of maintaining a place in the Premier League top four?

INS: Mohamed Salah (£37.7 million, AS Roma), Andrew Robertson (£8 million, Hull), Dominic Solanke (free, Chelsea)

OUTS: Lucas Leiva (£5.1 million, Lazio), Kevin Stewart (£4 million, Hull),  Andre Wisdom (£2 million, Derby)

THE STORY: With no European distractions in 2016-17, Liverpool put together a solid domestic campaign on the back of some great results against the top teams, offset by a number of slip-ups against teams in the bottom half of the table. As late as the New Year, Liverpool were cruising in second place, seemingly the only challenger to leaders Chelsea and four points clear of third place.

But the Reds crumbled after the turn of the year, and their spot in the top four seemed to be in jeopardy as they lost to Swansea, Hull and Leicester, and drew with Sunderland, in the first two months of 2017. They finished well, though, and next season will be back in the Champions League for the first time since 2014-15, though they face a two-legged qualifier later this month to make it to the group stage.

The summer transfer window has been more of a whimper than a bang so far, despite the arrival of Mohamed Salah from Roma for a club-record fee. Given Jurgen Klopp utilized only a small group of players last season, and the squad struggled when one or two of that core got injured, you have to wonder how Liverpool will handle the added demands imposed by the Champions (or Europa) League.

The Reds finished last season playing a 4-4-2 diamond, with Emre Can and Adam Lallana at the base and tip, respectively, and Philippe Coutinho and Giorginio Wijnaldum on the sides, but Klopp prefers a 4-3-3 when all his starters are fit, and has used the formation throughout preseason.

The arrival of Salah is likely to mean Coutinho moves into the midfield three alongside two of Can, Lallana, Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson, who missed the second half of last season with injury. Whether Henderson reclaims his starting spot in the heart of midfield ahead of Can, who was one of Liverpool’s most consistent performers during the run-in last season, could be one of the more intriguing subplots of the Reds’ season.

Lallana’s versatility, his ability to create chances for himself or his teammates by taking on defenders or splitting opposing defensive lines with through balls is a real asset, but a midfield three containing him and Coutinho may be too attacking even for Klopp against certain opposition, so it’s possible we’ll see Henderson and Can together at times.

That all adds up to an electric front three of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, with Coutinho providing the ammunition from deep. Mane was devastating from the right wing last season, but is expected to shift over to the left to accommodate his new Egyptian teammate. The Reds seriously struggled without Mane’s pace in behind when he left for the African Cup of Nations in January, and then again when he got injured in April, so adding Salah, who plays a similar style, gives Klopp some much-needed depth in that position, as well as another starting XI-quality player.

With Daniel Sturridge back from injury, Dominic Solanke arriving on a free from Chelsea, Divock Origi continuing to improve and Coutinho capable of slotting into the front three, Klopp has plenty of options across the front line, even if a couple injuries may force him to rely on some unproven players yet again.

This leaves us with the one glaring weakness in the Liverpool lineup: central defense. Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip finished the season as the starting center-back pairing, with Ragnar Klavan and Lucas Leiva the only backups. The Reds have been determined to address this weakness by signing Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk, but it remains to be seen whether they can persuade the Saints to let him go.

Liverpool’s defense wasn’t terrible last season. They ranked a respectable fifth in goals against, in spite of a few glaring errors. However, they enjoyed the benefit of playing only once a week in the fall and exited the FA Cup early on. Andrew Robertson adds some depth at left-back and Trent Alexander-Arnold appears primed to put pressure on Nathaniel Clyne for the starting right-back spot, but if van Dijk, or someone else, isn’t brought in, Reds fans should be prepared for another season of brilliant attacking undermined by enough sloppy defending to prevent them from seriously challenging for the title.

KEY PLAYER: Coutinho. The diminutive Brazilian brings something extremely unique to the table: the ability to take players on and create chances while surviving the physical challenges of the Premier League. Many talented, crafty midfielders have come and gone from the English top flight, unable to survive its physical rigors. Coutinho is the only player on the roster with the proven ability to transform Liverpool’s attack from good to great — which is what is required if Liverpool are to challenge for the title. Assuming he stays at the club, Liverpool’s success will hinge on Coutinho’s level of play.

Next: Ranking every Premier League season

MANAGER: Klopp enters his second full season with the squad in 2017-18. Affable and incandescent, the German has developed somewhat of a cult following around Anfield. This will be his most challenging campaign so far, both from a level of difficulty  perspective — presented by playing in the Champions  League — and also stemming from the fact the honeymoon period has ended. Judging by the way he has constructed the team, expect the same high-pressing style as always, forcing opponents into long balls. Klopp has built a team with a ton of depth in the forward and attacking midfield line, the two most demanding positions for this style of play. To love Klopp is to get in bed with the gegenpressen. The success of this tactic will largely determine how far in Europe the Reds go, and whether they can challenge for a title.

BEST CASE: Van Dijk arrives before the end of the window, the key players stay fit and the Reds challenge for title late into the season, while also making the Champions League knockout rounds.

WORST CASE: Coutinho goes to Barcelona, the team lacks any creativity in midfield and Liverpool slip out of the top four.