SUPER VICTORY
After a draining night of European glory in Istanbul, the bread and butter win over Saints really was a. . .
FORGET Liverpool’s history of trophy winners for a second and consider the pedigree of Jurgen Klopp’s current crop.
Before their recent, quick-fire European double, the records of Liverpool’s players were a little light on major honours from their Anfield careers.
Only captain Jordan Henderson had experienced what it was like to win a trophy as a Liverpool player, the 2012 League Cup.
Proven silverware winners as a Liverpool squad, they were not.
It is why this still all feels like relatively new territory for Klopp and his players, a group in its infancy as trophy winners, though one that made a start to changing that with a sixth European Cup in Madrid in June.
And why the Liverpool manager is waiting and watching like the rest of us to see how they adjust to the challenges that will come in this new chapter, now that the expectation is on them to compete consistently for the biggest prizes.
Klopp was certainly encouraged by what he saw at St Mary’s in Liverpool’s latest test. Could they summon the energy to follow the high of winning their 13th European trophy with another victory rather than suffer a hangover on the south coast?
The answer, eventually, was the ‘yes’ that Klopp hoped for.
Following Wednesday’s Super Cup victory against Chelsea in Istanbul, Liverpool overcame a quick turnaround between games, slow start and potentially morale-sapping late howler from Adrian to emerge with a hard-fought three points thanks to goals in each half from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Meanwhile, Manchester City were dropping two points at home.
‘We’re not surprised that we won something but we are not used to it as well, so we always look a little bit at how we react,’ said Klopp.
‘And I liked the reaction (against Southampton) a lot; coming here and fighting for the three points, like they were the last three points ever in the Premier League.
‘That’s the attitude which brought us to the finals we played and that’s what we have to continue.’
Liverpool, of course, have gone close to ending their long wait for the big prize they desperately want to get their hands on more than any other — the Premier League. Gerard Houllier, Rafa Benitez and Brendan Rodgers have all guided Liverpool sides to second-placed finishes, but crucially, these were not built upon.
Klopp’s Liverpool, runners-up last season, feel different, like they can sustain their momentum and are better set up as a club and squad to be in it for the long haul.
That will require them adjusting to the new challenges posed by their opponents though.
Defender Andy Robertson said: ‘We know how teams set up differently against us at the back end of last season than they did at the start of the season. We’ve won this trophy (the Super Cup).
‘Maybe we will get a wee bit more respect but we have dealt with it well so far. There will be more tough tests to come but the squad we have got is well equipped.’
In this adaptation phase, as they attempt to push on from last season, their defensive resilience has suffered.
Plenty has been made of the number of shots on goal they have faced already this season. Southampton had another 14 to lift those numbers to 54 compared to 31 after four games last term.
Liverpool have also kept only one clean sheet in 11 games, including pre-season fixtures, which came in their opening friendly against Tranmere Rovers.
There is no over-reaction inside Anfield just yet about that, only an insistence that defensive displays will improve. Robertson said: ‘We will get better as the season goes on. We will get more compact. It would be lovely to get a clean sheet. There was no margin for error last season and it will be the exact same this season. We’ll need to be better and we will be.’
To do so, they will need to avoid any of the self-inflicted problems like the one Adrian presented them with against Southampton.
In a weird quirk, Liverpool’s fourth game of last season was also a 2-1 away win, at Leicester, in which Mane scored first and Firmino second before a mistake by their goalkeeper, when he dallied on the ball, brought him back down to earth after a confident start to his Reds career.
For Alisson last year, who kept three clean sheets before his gaffe at Leicester, read Adrian this time round.
He was the hero, with the winning shootout save in Turkey in midweek, but blundered when his clearance cannoned off Danny Ings into the net to set up a nervy finale.
Adrian looked uncertain with his distribution all game against Southampton, so when the error came it was little surprise and also a wake-up call for the Spaniard with the big gloves to fill while Alisson is out injured.
Midfielder Gini Wijnaldum said: ‘Those kind of things happen with a goalkeeper. Last season it happened to Alisson against Leicester City. And in a pre-season friendly. How is he going to react to the mistake — that is more important than the mistake itself. He will be okay.’