The start of the new Premier League season is just around the corner and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will have plenty on his mind ahead of his team’s clash with Chelsea, a week on Sunday.
Liverpool have been scintillating going forward in pre-season, scoring 15 goals in four matches, but leaking ten at the other end.
Defeat against Bayern Munich on Wednesday meant little in terms of the result but summed up Liverpool’s erratic pre-season form across the 90 minutes.
Five Things For Jurgen Klopp To Resolve
1 – Defensive Headaches
Conceding ten goals in just four pre-season outings is not the best preparation ahead of the new season.
Whilst fingers might get pointed at the defenders, particularly those that are not likely to start on a regular basis, the truth is that the team is far too open.
Further work on the training ground is needed therefore to make them more compact defensively.
2 – The Trent Alexander-Arnold Dilemma
The 24-year-old started the first two friendlies as a number six before reverting to an inverted right-back position against Leicester City and Bayern.
There are pros and cons to Alexander-Arnold playing either role and Klopp will have to decide without an established number six whether to deploy him in the midfield engine room or his more familiar role on the right.
3 – Who will play the number six role?
Whilst Trent may be an option in a holding midfield role, Klopp’s only other real option as things stand is Curtis Jones.
The England under-21 international has performed well in that role so far but is better suited to playing further forward.
With Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara still not back on the training field and new signings not seeming imminent, it looks like a straight decision between the two Liverpudlians as to who will start in that role against the Blues.
4 – The Front Three
Klopp has an embarrassment of riches in attack with five senior options all scoring goals and in form.
Mohamed Salah is guaranteed to start but it would not be a surprise to see any two of the remaining four play alongside him.
Ben Doak should also not be forgotten with the youngster likely to be a serious option late in games when opposition defences are tiring.
5 – Squad Depth
Liverpool acted with typical ruthlessness to get deals completed for Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai early in the transfer window.
Noone predicted the loss of both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho however and thus far the Anfield hierarchy have not reacted with any urgency to replace them.
The Reds are now in desperate need of reinforcements after a number of other senior players also departed this summer. New players of the required quality must be brought in and fast therefore to give Klopp as much time as possible to bed them in.
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