Whisper it... but City are not invincible and Klopp’s stars have big chance to win title
CAN we get this straight from the start – I’m not about to say Liverpool will win the title.
But I am saying they have a real, real chance – because I reckon I’ve seen a little chink in Manchester City’s armour.
Against Chelsea, against Hoffenheim even, they looked, well, how to say this, just a bit threadbare.
I know it sounds a little crazy saying this about the best squad in the Premier League, possibly – arguably – the best squad in European football, but certainly against Chelsea the squad started to look smaller.
It’s not that they don’t have the players, but more than some of the fringe players seemed to be lacking in confidence, which is actually natural for any team when players who haven’t had much action come into the side.
City’s first XI is still incredible, but maybe beyond that they are looking, well, just a little human, not the incredible machine we all perceive them to be.
That’s normal for any team, which is why I am not about to start saying Liverpool will definitely win the title, because they have had a few injuries of late and it could affect them.
I want to point out what I said about City at the start of last season though. If you remember, or care to look back, I tipped them to win the title because that summer they had addressed their weaknesses.
The season before Guardiola won the Premier League, his team had looked stunning going forward, but vulnerable at the back. So he went out and bought a keeper, some full backs and a centre half.
We said exactly the same about Liverpool last season. They were so good going forward, it got them to the Champions’ League final, but they were all over the place at times at the back.
They needed a new keeper and a new centre half, and they went out and got them.
Basically, they’ve addressed all their weaknesses, because in Fabinho they’ve also now got a defensive midfielder who can win headers in front of the defence, a big weakness before.
Any team that is solid at the back and can score going forward have to be a threat.
Liverpool have the best defensive record of any team in the big five e leagues in Europe, so it’s not controversial to say they are a massive threat to City.
Despite being a goallscorer, I’m a big believer ever in defences winning you matches. You look at the great Liverpool sides of the past, and they always had an incredibly tight, consistent defence.
People rightly go on about Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish from the era before me, but it was no coincidence they had quite possibly the best two centre halves in the club’s history in Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson behind them. And a top-class keeper too. Virgil g van Dijk ( left) is a Rolls-Royce Rol player. He’s also al a great leader, in an a understated way.
I noticed during the t Napoli game he gaveleft-back g Andy Robertson Ro a right rollocking rollo just before half time, when he had charged up the pitch and lost out.
He was saying, don’t dare do that a minute from the end.
He reminds me a bit of Jaap Stam in the way he has such an imposing physical presence, and is such a huge
leader.