Thoughts going into the new season?

[Paul12]

A bit nervous to be honest. I am a Bob Paisley fan he always said build from strength. We know our first 11 is very strong and we have some interchangeable midfielders, but how many top 4 teams did we beat last year in the league and how long can we go with an injury to a key player. So I think that will prove to be a mistake.

But it is great to read all the papers saying the we are out of reach of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manure and the other strong Merseyside team, Liverpool Resssies. Even if I am not quite so confident!

[Buzzo]

Though our rivals have made more moves in the transfer market how many of them have brought in a player with Prem experience? The majority of the most successful transfers (certainly in our case) are for guys with PL experience.

Spurs are a classic example of spending big on the next big foreign player only for them never to be heard of again. City are probably the best at getting these guys to acclimatise.

I’d imagine there will be some successes and some failures but we retain our core.

Should we have strengthened? Time will tell, but we’ve absolutely aced the transfer market under Klopp so far. He took us to 97 points last season and I’d say he deserves our trust.

[red g]

Will be really interesting to see how Pepe and Fernandes (if he comes) get on in the premier league, They look from the casual observer perfect for us but obliviously we didnt fancy them for some reason.

[Buzzo]

A bit nervous to be honest. I am a Bob Paisley fan he always said build from strength. We know our first 11 is very strong and we have some interchangeable midfielders, but how many top 4 teams did we beat last year in the league and how long can we go with an injury to a key player. So I think that will prove to be a mistake.

But it is great to read all the papers saying the we are out of reach of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manure and the other strong Merseyside team, Liverpool Resssies. Even if I am not quite so confident!

We beat Spurs home and away. We drew and lost v City and we beat Chelsea at home and drew away.

11 points from 18.

[frank the tank]

we were very lucky with injuries last season. Towards the end of the season it was clear that some of our players were running on empty. And we even had a few slight injuries that kept our key front 3 out of important games. None more so than our home tie against Barc........oh wait!!!

In reality I think klopp will rotate the midfield a lot this season. And when he is making subs, I think it will be our front 3 that make way more often than not.....

[RedReet]

we were very lucky with injuries last season. Towards the end of the season it was clear that some of our players were running on empty. And we even had a few slight injuries that kept our key front 3 out of important games. None more so than our home tie against Barc........oh wait!!!

In reality I think klopp will rotate the midfield a lot this season. And when he is making subs, I think it will be our front 3 that make way more often than not.....

Which players? Front 3 all finished the season strongly, and our full backs were on fire. Fatigue played a part the previous year, particularly with Firmino, but Klopp learned from this and managed them a lot better.

Similarly, keep hearing that we were 'lucky with injuries' which again discredits the work Klopp and his medical team did behind the scenes to keep our players fit. You could argue we were a bit unlucky as the only 2 attacking players we bought were injured for large parts of the season, so we were left with most of the same players from the previous year. This year we should hopefully have those two fit, plus Ox, plus Brewster and hopefully a much more confident Origi.

[SB]

we were very lucky with injuries last season. Towards the end of the season it was clear that some of our players were running on empty. And we even had a few slight injuries that kept our key front 3 out of important games. None more so than our home tie against Barc........oh wait!!!

In reality I think klopp will rotate the midfield a lot this season. And when he is making subs, I think it will be our front 3 that make way more often than not.....

Really? Maybe as far as Salah & Mane go but Mo returned to training late & wasn’t confident in his shoulder for some time. Bobby missed a few games injured late in the season, Ox pretty much missed it all, Joe missed most of the season, Lovren missed plenty, Naby was stop start most of the season too, Lalla was his usual unreliable self so I’m not sure I agree that we were lucky

[Shaggy]

No ground-breaking thoughts from me. Think we'll come 2nd, won't get 90+ points this time, will lose more games, probably mid 80s, and I also think this season will underline the idea that I'll never get over getting 97 points and not winning the league.

[Kenneth]

Similar. Won't win it, will get top four.

[frank the tank]

Really? Maybe as far as Salah & Mane go but Mo returned to training late & wasn’t confident in his shoulder for some time. Bobby missed a few games injured late in the season, Ox pretty much missed it all, Joe missed most of the season, Lovren missed plenty, Naby was stop start most of the season too, Lalla was his usual unreliable self so I’m not sure I agree that we were lucky

I think the fact that Alisson, Virgil, Robertson, Fabinho once he got going and our front 3 all were healthy means we were lucky. And Trent too.

Man City can lose someone like KDB and still have Silva, Bernardo etc.

We have about 6 players where if we lose them, then we are kind of screwed.

Sturridge, Origi and Shaqiri all made huge contributions last season in key games. But if we relied on them to play 10-15 games in a row, I think it would have hurt us.

[Mark79]

Yep, don't think we'll break 90 points this time.

Top 3 and hopefully add 1 or 2 of the many cups we're playing for.

[Pablo]

Similar. Won't win it, will get top four.

Yep hard to argue with this.

I suspect a City procession to the title again as in 17/18. Maybe not quite as easy, but by 10+ points.

We'll probably get second again, although it wouldn't surprise me if we slip to third or even fourth.

[RedReet]

Yep hard to argue with this.

I suspect a City procession to the title again as in 17/18. Maybe not quite as easy, but by 10+ points.

We'll probably get second again, although it wouldn't surprise me if we slip to third or even fourth.

Based on what? We were so much better than the rest last year, so who do you think has that level of improvement in them?

[Buzzo]

**** that.

We are winning it this year. 100%

The team have learned how to win, and to win ugly when required. City will lag this season and the focus on them getting the CL will distract them as they finally land a tricky group in the group stages.

Both of us will drop more points than last season, but with the following reasons playing a big part we will see it home by mid April.

1. Alisson a season of experience will be almost unbeatable.

2. Starting the season with Fabinho in position.

3. Salah over his 'tricky' second season where he had to actually share the golden boot as opposed to winning it outright.

4. Mane getting better every year.

5. Firmino will score more league goals.

6. Keita will now understand the League and contribute massively.

7. Ox is back meaning who ever starts in Midfield needs to be in sensational form.

8. Our defence. Big Virg will be a Ballon D'Or winner.

9. Klopp manages to keep one of the most productive groups in PL history together and on long contracts.

10. Klopp no longer has to face endless, 'you've won nothing' conversations.

BELIEVE.

[RedReet]

I think people forget or just don't appreciate just how good we were last year.

This 'everyone else will improve' argument doesn't work for me. If everyone else improves, they'll take points off each other. I still don't see another team as good as ours or City's.