Premier League midseason report card: Liverpool

What grade do Liverpool get for their performances over the first half of the 2018-19 season?

A lot of people thought Liverpool would be the second best team in the Premier League this season. Much fewer expected them to seriously challenge Manchester City for the title. As we approach the midway point of the campaign, however, Jurgen Klopp’s are beginning to look like slight favorites.

The Good

Liverpool’s improvement this season is largely down to a new, more defensive approach. The signing of Alisson Becker in goal, to go along with the additions of Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson last season, has transformed the back five.

After conceding 38 goals in 38 games last season, the Reds have the best defensive record in the league. They’re on pace to concede 15 goals this season, which would equal Chelsea’s Premier League record.

That would be impressive for any side, but for a side that have been for most of the past decade defined by the frequency of their defensive blunders, that’s truly remarkable. Klopp has achieved rare managerial feat of successfully changing his style.

The defense, of course, hasn’t been the only positive. Mohamed Salah, despite some suggestions early in the season that his form had dipped significantly, remains in the thick of the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.

In midfield, Klopp now has the depth to keep his players fresh and also to switch easily between several different formations. Fabinho, after a slow start, has finally settled. He and Georginio Wijnaldum have formed an impressive partnership when Klopp favors a 4-2-3-1.

Naby Keita has also taken some time to get up to speed, but the flashes of his immense quality (particularly against Burnley) have been tantalizing. He’s played as part of a midfield three and out wide in the 4-2-3-1.

Add to those options captain Jordan Henderson and the ageless James Milner, and Klopp has enough variety and competition to ensure standards remain high in the middle of the pitch.

Finally, a word on Xherdan Shaqiri, bought from relegated Stoke for £13 million over the summer. The Swiss international has proven the perfect rotation player, capable of starting anywhere in attack and good enough to put legitimate pressure on the front three.

The Bad

Bad may not be the right word, but there’s no doubt this more defensive Liverpool side are less fun to watch than last year’s version. Klopp may still bring it back over the final months of the season, but the press that has defined his managerial career has been reined in significantly in 2018-19.

Results have proven Klopp’s more cautious approach to be the right one, but there was a period from mid-October to mid-November when Liverpool were grinding out results so painfully some began to wonder whether they’d ever rediscover their attacking flair.

And while the attack is doing enough, the interplay between Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane hasn’t been quite as impressive as it was last season. Part of this may be down to the fact Salah is often now playing up top, while Firmino adopts more of a number 10 role — whatever the reason, it still feels like Liverpool’s attack hasn’t hit peak form.

The Reds have also received some bad injury news over the past month. Joe Gomez was emerging as one of the best center-backs in the league alongside van Dijk, but was ruled out for up to six weeks after sustaining a leg fracture against Burnley.

Joel Matip impressed as his replacement, only to pick up an injury himself in Liverpool’s Champions League win against Napoli. That leaves Dejan Lovren and van Dijk the only center-backs left standing. Not ideal heading into a long, tiring winter schedule.

What’s next?

The big tactical question is whether Klopp re-institutes the press in the latter stages of the season. There’s some suggestion he wanted to play more defensively to keep his players fresh for the late stages of a title race, but given the success Liverpool have had with their new approach, it might not make sense to change now. At least not in the league.

The big personnel question centers on Keita. Keita should be the Reds’ best central midfielder by some distance. And he has shown flashes of his immense quality. He’s the sort of link between midfield and attack that could allow Liverpool to remain more conservative while still significantly improving their attacking output.

But he’s yet to show his very best. Injuries have played a role in that, and he’s also been asked to play slightly out of position at times. Still, the most obvious way for Liverpool to improve in the second half of the season without dipping into the January transfer market is to get the best out of Keita.

If they do that, not only will they be confident of sticking in the title race until the end, they’ll believe they can get past a difficult Champions League round of 16 draw against Bayern Munich and make another deep run in Europe.

Grade: A

It’s some achievement for Liverpool to be where they are and for most people not even to think they’ve approached their best. Klopp has built a formidable team.