KLOPP CAN’T HIDE FROM NEW REALITY

JUrGEN KLoPP believes Liverpool will have to deal with ‘crazy expectations’ this season. Except they are not crazy, they are perfectly realistic. It does not matter that Liverpool are without a league title in the modern era. This is not the Liverpool of the past decades. There is every reason to believe that, this season, if anyone finishes ahead of Liverpool, they win the league.

Manchester City are the favourites, and rightly so. But they have a problem with Liverpool. In four meetings last season, Liverpool won three times. Indeed, in the last 10 games between the clubs, Liverpool have won seven and drawn two. Meaning, if Klopp can maintain that form, and stay on City’s shoulder through the remainder of the season, he could quite probably win the league.

Equally, it is not unreasonable to expect big things of a club that reached the Champions League final last season, and the Europa League final two seasons before. Liverpool have been putting down markers under Klopp for a while now — on the pitch and, more recently, in the transfer market. They have invested hugely in key positions and in Mo Salah have one of the world’s finest footballers.

It is disingenuous to pretend all these indicators create mad expectancy. Belief in Liverpool’s potential to challenge Manchester City, or anyone else this season, is entirely rational.